How to Catch a Queen

Runaway Royals

By: Alyssa Cole

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

An arranged marriage leads to unexpected desire, in the first book of Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series....

When Shanti Mohapi weds the king of Njaza, her dream of becoming a queen finally comes true. But it’s nothing like she imagined. Shanti and her husband may share an immediate and powerful attraction, but her subjects see her as an outsider, and everything she was taught about being the perfect wife goes disastrously wrong.

A king must rule with an iron fist, and newly crowned King Sanyu was born perfectly fitted for the gauntlet, even if he wishes he weren’t. He agrees to take a wife as is required of him, though he doesn’t expect to actually fall in love. Even more vexing? His beguiling new queen seems to have the answers to his country’s problems - except no one will listen to her.

By day, they lead separate lives. By night, she wears the crown, and he bows to her demands in matters of politics and passion. When turmoil erupts in their kingdom and their marriage, Shanti goes on the run, and Sanyu must learn whether he has what it takes both to lead his people and to catch his queen.

©2020 Alyssa Cole (P)2020 HarperAudio

Fun Read!

Loved it! It was fun to remember and see the way the characters from the previous books resurfaced. Truly enjoyed it!!!

Becoming my mew favorite author!

I like how the women in this novel are so strong no matter how hard they may be silenced.

another great one.

I love the fact there is always a life lesson. As a woman and a woman of color I related although I never been royal. But this is true in every life no matter your ethnicity. Traditions are good but we have to know when we need add to or change those that will no longer work alone.

Best one so far

Alyssa Cole regularly makes me think deeply about love and all the different things you can do to keep it alive in a relationship and this book is what I needed on the importance of teamwork and making your relationship mean something. The ending scenes made me cry… a lot. Talk about breaking generational curses. She really is a brilliant writer.

Impeccable

Every time I read an Alyssa Cole book I swear it’s the best thing I’ve ever read, then I pick up the next one and IT becomes my favorite. There is something so beautiful in seeing two people fall in love as they come to terms with what their arranged marriage can be and learn what love can mean for themselves and their family. Shanti and Sanyu’s marriage is full of heart, humor, pain, fear, anxiety, and LOVE.

Excellent

Alyssa Cole’s royals series have been such good listens. The story line has contains romance with a little mystery. Shanti and Sanu’s story was one my favorites so far. I loved how she was brave and outspoken and the king was the one with the insecurities, and shanti showed him how to face his fears and become a better version of himself. The way Karen reads it makes the story that much better. Each character is distinct and you don’t feel like you are listening to the same person reading the whole time. Definitely will be reading and listening to more books by this author.

BORING

This idea of the story was fine. However, it took entirely too long to get to the point....this plot was kind of boring for me. I like the idea of an arranged marriage for a story and they eventually started to communicating with each other and teach each other about love (neither believed in love)...He was the newly crowned King after his father took ill and passed away. Both the king and Queen were young and contemporary and wanted to bring modern ideas to the throne. The young King was dealing with his father's old advisor who was sabotaging as well as having anything sabotaged that was the idea of the new Queen.....There was just a lot of unnecessary dialogue to me that dragged the story out.

I didn't like this story

The Male MC was weak minded and I feel like his issues with that lasted way too long for him to have been trained to be a king. I kept yelling for him to speak up because he is king and not his advisors. I have several of Alyssa Cole's books and I must say that this one was hard for me to finish. I did appreciate that the wife was supportive but sometimes even her character made me roll my eyes. this book could have been shorter and still kept the same plot.

Not one of her better stories

The romance seemed forced and more like a side story with too much time spent on the royalty plot line. Can’t say I’d recommend this one