Kiss the Girl: The Naughty Princess Club

While I enjoyed Ariel in the previous books of this series, I wasn’t sure that I could love her. She is brash and outspoken, extremely prickly and not your average girl next door. Amazingly enough, I not only liked her, I loved her and this quickly became my favorite book of the three. When Ariel’s circumstances take a dramatic turn she is left with nothing. Her ex-husband not only destroyed her self-esteem but also left her in financial despair. However, the very annoying Eric Sailor quickly steps in to assist, despite her protestations, and before she knows it she’s finding her true self. Eric was the perfect mate for Ariel. He knew exactly what to say, when to say it and how to say it to push Ariel into the place she needed to be. And surprisingly, that place was where she could figure out who she was and what she wanted. A place where she could find her voice and speak up for herself as well as her friends. That, in my opinion, is the true definition of a hero. Along the way there was so much humor, one liners and repeated jokes that built upon themselves, all the while creating a bond between these characters in a fun and charming style. With never a dull moment this story moved at lightning speed. I never knew what to expect from this couple or their friends. When the big conflict arrived I didn’t see it coming and would definitely consider it a twist. And while the resolution felt a bit cheesy, I was grinning and cheering right along with Ariel and her friends. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of the books in this series and was reminded again of why when we are given a glimpse into the future with a sweet epilogue that highlighted each of the princesses and their princes. Definitely worth reading if you like your romance laced with plenty of humor, friendship and naughtiness. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a great way to wrap up this series! I have been waiting for Ariel's book from the moment I met her in At the Stroke of Midnight. I knew that her book would have the most laughs and craziest moments thanks to her sassy, take no prisoners attitude. Though this is the 3rd book in The Naughty Princess Club, it can be read as a standalone. I do feel that readers will enjoy this one most though if they have read the previous books, since Ariel can be an acquired taste for some. The enemies to lovers trope isn't always my favorite, but I loved how Tara Sivec did it this time around. I was very pleasantly surprised by Eric throughout this book. Seeing another side to both Ariel and Eric was wonderful. Up to this point, Ariel (and her interactions with Eric) have always been comic relief in this series, so it was nice to finally know her motivations and see this more vulnerable side to her. The trip to the flea market as well as the scene at the storage unit at the end were so sweet and funny. Yes, Ariel is pretty brash and curses like a Sailor (pun intended!), but I felt like her insecurities and fears were the most relatable of all the heroines in this series. Throw in some amazingly hilarious secondary characters and this was romcom gold! I especially loved Ariel's father, Mr. Triton, and Eric's cat, Derrick Alfredo. I'm always impressed by the author's ability to weave in connections and nods to the original fairy tales and I thought the tie-ins were fantastic additions to the story. Yes, the drama was a bit predictable, but I felt that the overall message of believing in yourself and bolstering/helping others rise was so important. Building others up, instead of using that energy to tear each other down, is a huge theme in this series and it really came full circle in this book. The epilogue especially left me with a HUGE smile on my face and I really couldn't have asked for a better way to close this series! *I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

***5 ‘You Are Goals, Dude’ Stars*** Can you be nursing a headache and still adore the book you just finished, even though it’s kinda the books fault you have the headache??? My answer is apparently because that’s what happened here. I mean going in I prepared myself for the crazy, and did my best to prepare for the craycray that is Ariel, but whoa it took me a minute to get settled and the headache down to a dull roar instead of a pulsating sonic boom in my head. But once I did, and once things started to unfold I found this book to be addicting in all it’s batshit crazy with a good dose of heartwarming & swoon worthy goodness tossed in the mix to keep things interesting. Ariel. Here’s the thing about Ms. Ariel. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I wanted to reach out and gag the woman. Hand to God, I was looking for a ball gag and duct tape but in the same moment I couldn’t help but be kind of in awe of her. I mean the woman comes up with some pretty good lines and though she is abrasive, it’s cause she cares. But in the end, I kinda adored her. Finding out all her truths and finally seeing her heart had me wanting to hang out with the woman (thought I’d still have the duct tape on me...just in case.) Eric was an absolute and swoon worthy surprise. He still had his moments where I wanted to take a 2x4 to his head, but when the reason behind those moments came to light...SWOON. The man is simply a good man, a little craycray and very brave. But a damn good man. To say their journey to their HEA is rocky is an understatement, most of which was due to Ariel. And there were moments where I questioned Eric’s sanity. But in the end I loved them together. There was a strange kind of flow to them that worked for me and once they got past the antagonistic portion of their relationship, they rocked. The smexy was HAWT and the swoons were real and in the end they were a perfect fit for each other. I must say that I really liked how Ms. Sivec took the Little Mermaid fairytale and made it her own. All of the elements are there, but there are a few things thrown in that had me go “Wait a minute, what?” but in a good way. PJ, Cindy, Belle and Vincent are very much apart of the story and I really enjoyed catching up with them and seeing how they’ve all evolved. Anastasia brings in her own special brand of teenage-itis, and there were a couple of new characters I really liked. And though I’m sad that this is the end, that epilogue was absolutely perfect! So, if you’re in the mood for some OTT crazy, then this is the one for you! ~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~