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In most fairy tales, when the Princess and Prince get married, the story ends “happily ever after”. In Lori Wick’s “The Princess,” however, the vows are only the beginning. Although this is the story of an arranged marriage, I found its underlying message quite relevant to most people today, and I think it may especially help those who are struggling or considering divorce.

Prince Nikolai of Pendaran lost his wife before the novel begins, but she is quite present, especially in the early pages. As custom rules that the crown prince must be married by the age of 26, and that fateful birthday draws nearer, Nikolai knows that he cannot in good conscience choose his own wife. Instead, he asks his parents to make the choice for him.

They select for his bride the lovely Shelby Parker, a sweet, goodhearted woman who shares the same Christian values as they royal family. Although startled by the decision, Shelby accepts the proposal, and the two find themselves married without even meeting. Perhaps the best sign of the distance between them when the Prince, thinking her the new help, introduces himself – after the wedding.

As Nikolai struggles with grief and Shelby struggles to connect to her distant husband, both learn that love does not come automatically with marriage. Indeed, we can make the choice to love our spouse – or to not love them. Nikolai especially struggles to draw closer to his wife, but after he has rebuffed her, Shelby also finds herself ambivalent and seeks to overcome the pain her husband unwittingly causes her.

Choice, then, is the message I pulled out of this novel. Marriage isn’t easy for anyone, royal or average. We disagree (fight, argue, whatever) with our spouses, we see them at their worst as well as their best, and the romance that begins even the best of marriages can easily fade away. But, like Nikolai and Shelby, we each must make the choice to love our spouse on a daily basis, and must seek ways to cultivate and grow that love.

I really enjoyed this novel. It felt a bit heavy-handed on the Christianity, occasionally preachy, but overall it was well written. The characters struggled with realistic relationship problems, and, despite their royal origins, were easy to relate to. About the biggest problem I had came from the royal family itself – counting Shelby and Nikolai, there were (I think) four sets of royal couples, and this got a bit confusing. Still, overall, a great read!