Elaine White's Life in Books

Book – Runaway Prince
Author – May Ridge
Star rating - ★★★☆☆
No. of Pages – 71
Cover – Nice
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – LGBT, Paranormal, Royalty, Shifter


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


Honestly, despite all the negative reviews, I really liked this one. It was kind of simple in plot and such, wasn't overly complicated, was a little predictable, but it was good.

I liked Aston, who was a ridiculously naive, sheltered prince, who was used to being spoiled and getting what he wanted, even when that meant he had to run away to get some 'freedom' and was dragged back again. This, to me, screams that he wanted some attention from his family that wasn't about being the heir, but this is never really challenged in the book, it's only what I got from the character. He had some snark and a feisty nature that I enjoyed, he liked to challenge Delaney and his family, without really trying to hurt them or get the better of them.

As for Delaney, I liked him, but there wasn't enough characterisation to let me feel like I really knew him or got to know much about how he functioned. He was intriguing and guarded most of the time, which didn't help much, but it showed that he was scared of being hurt and that Aston was a surprise for him.

Now, I'll admit that I read a few reviews before picking up the book and I'm surprised by how much I disagree with them, especially about how the pricing and the motel were unbelievable. I totally understood the snarky way that Delaney challenged Aston's superiority complex by upping the price every time it came up. That was no doubt because he was obviously wealthy, right from the get go, and he enjoyed pushing Delaney's buttons so it was clear that Delaney was pushing them right back Then, after Aston claimed to be a prince, despite Delaney not believing it, he challenged that by constantly bringing up more exorbitant and more ridiculous prices, which Aston never once challenged, out of naivety.

So, I totally get the little back and forth that Delaney was trying to instigate with the pricing; it made sense for a guy who wasn't sure about Aston's motives, but wanted to be compensated for the highly personal questions and the waste of his time (as he saw it). I also understood the motel situation, as Delaney stated at one point that it was the client who paid for the week's stay at the motel, and that they were the most discrete place in town. He didn't live there (despite many reviews I read saying otherwise) but it also made a whole lot of sense that he didn't want to take clients back to his apartment, which was his personal space.

And, although I hate the word itself, I completely understand the way the author wrote the 'whore' aspect of the story. Delaney's attitude, his guarded nature, the monetary cost of even the smallest thing, all made sense. And although it didn't fit the profession, I get why Delaney left Aston at the hotel and went home, trusting that he'd get paid for all the time they spent together later. He'd not only just found out that he really was a prince, so could afford to pay the bill, but he'd already grown to feel for him as a person and had probably (again, my reading of the situation and not spelled out in the book) felt like their time together wasn't something that should be paid for. I find his claim later of being paid by an idiot to be further proof of that, but others might read it differently.

I had one pet hate and that was having to read a 70+ page book with no chapter headings. It is far too long of a story for that and it would have been nice to have something other than a scene break to give us readers a rest. It's easily readable in one sitting, but I like a chapter break to give me time to breathe, to process what I'd read and to give me a chance to make notes if I want to, without disrupting my reading. That opportunity wasn't presented here and I found myself stopping to write notes, then having to go back and read a few sentences again, just to remind myself of where I'd left off.

When it comes to the paranormal element, I actually liked that it took a backseat to the rest of the story. The werewolf arc doesn't always have to be front and centre and this one wove it in nicely within the plot, adding a hint here or there, adding in Aston's concerns about revealing the truth. The second half of the story picked up on it more blatantly, showing a transition from human to wolf and the consequences of it all going wrong. As well as the inevitable confrontation between Aston and Delaney.

So, you might ask, why only a three star? For me, I would have liked to have felt a bit more chemistry, to have gotten to know Delaney a little better. I detest the word whore, for personal taste reasons, so that was a small issue. Mostly, I would have liked for Aston to not have screamed it at Delaney, because that's not who he'd been up to that point. I wanted Aston and Delaney to be mature enough to talk instead of throwing accusations at each other. I also don't approve of Delaney hitting Aston, no matter what he said. And I'd have liked to have seen a little more about Pascal, especially facing some consequences for what he did and, really, I'm surprised that Aston never once thought about Pascal while he was running away, which would have helped to prepare us readers for the appearance of someone we'd had no idea was actually the only one on Aston's side.

Overall, there were a few too many niggles that left me feeling more lukewarm than giddy about this book. But, it was a decent story that was written well. If there was ever another story within this world or this was made into a full length novel, then I'd definitely give it another go.