Once Upon A Royal Christmas by Teri Wilson (English) Paperback Book

Description: Once Upon A Royal Christmas by Teri Wilson She pretends to be a princess at childrens parties. But can she melt a real princes frosty heart? Get swept away by a Christmas story from Hallmark and bestselling author Teri Wilson — the queen of royal romance! FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description "Im Prince Nikolas of San Glacera. Oh, youve never heard of us? Well, youre not the only one. Our country relies on winter tourism, but were attracting fewer and fewer visitors. I admit its a problem. I just dont think the solution is an American who likes to play dress-up. You see, while I was away on a trip, my younger sister convinced the palace to hold a contest. The winner gets to star in our annual Ice Village festivities and accompany our royal family to holiday events. And who did they choose? Gracie Clark, who runs a childrens party business and performs as — I kid you not — Princess Snowflake. Of course, I do respect the fact that she volunteers at childrens hospitals. I suppose to some, she might have a certain charm... But the whole cheap spectacle is beneath our dignity. Im not going to shirk my duty to my kingdom. Ill go to every event with her. At least, once Christmas is over, shell be gone…" Author Biography USA Today Bestselling Author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teris books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies by Crown Media, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction for her novel THE BACHELORS BABY SURPRISE. Teri has a major weakness for crowns, cute animals and pretty dresses, and she loves ballet and Audrey Hepburn films. Excerpt from Book Oh. My. Gosh. Gracies eyes drifted closed. She might have even sighed out loud. Scratch that--shed definitely sighed, and not in a discreet, princess-y sort of way. She sounded more like Goldilocks probably had after greedily gulping down three bowls of delicious porridge. What was porridge, anyway? It didnt sound all that appetizing, frankly. Definitely not as decadent as the sip of rich cocoa Gracie had just taken. Then again, what was? Ingrid hadnt been exaggerating. San Glaceras hot cocoa was like nothing Gracie had ever tasted before. Creamy. Luxurious. Like drinking a melted bar of the purest, richest gourmet chocolate in the world. "What kind of magic is this?" she whispered into her cup. "Not magic at all. Just one of our kingdoms finest delicacies," someone behind her said--a male someone, if the deep timbre of his voice was any indication. Gracie turned around and immediately found herself colliding with a flash of white and chestnut fur barreling toward her shins. It took her a second to realize it was a dog. The pup had huge, perfectly round eyes, a short muzzle, and feathered paws that sort of made him look like a character from a Dr. Seuss book. "Mittens, no," the man holding the other end of the leash called, just as the little spaniel threw himself, belly-up, at Gracies feet. The dog pawed at the air until Gracie stooped to rub his belly with her free hand. "Well, arent you the sweetest thing Ive ever seen?" "Sorry, hes a little excited." The man cleared his throat. "He doesnt get out much." "Thats a shame. Clearly, he loves the attention." Gracie laughed as the dog bit gently at her mitten. Then she stood to meet the strange mans gaze. Her stomach fluttered. He had eyes like steel, and a perfectly chiseled jaw to match. His spine was ramrod straight, and he carried himself with an air that seemed--dare she think it--regal. Clearly, Gracie had been spending far too much time playing princess. The man shifted from one foot to the other as if he, too, didnt get out much. Gracie tilted her head and bit back a smile. "Mittens? Did you really name your dog after a winter fashion accessory?" He looked at her for a beat before cracking a reluctant smile. "Yes and no. I let my sister name him, so it was either that or Tiara. Shes really into that sort of thing." "Fashion accessories?" Gracie narrowed her gaze at him. "Or princess paraphernalia?" He barked out a laugh and then seemed to collect himself. "Both." "Smart girl. I like her already," Gracie said. Her gaze flitted toward the castle. Snowflakes swirled around its slender turrets, and guards dressed in bright crimson coats and tall hats flanked the entrance. They looked like toy soldiers in a magical Christmas fairy tale. No wonder men who looked like Prince Charming and dogs named Mittens roamed free in this place. "You just missed my sister, Im afraid. We came for the chocolat chaud , but then she...ran off," Mittenss dad said. The dog scrambled to his feet and looked back and forth between them. A clump of snow clung to his petite nose. Gracie felt herself frown. " Chocolat chaud ?" He nodded toward the cup in her hand. "French for hot chocolate. We make it in the Parisian style, but with a secret surprise." Gracie had never been to Paris, or anyplace else that glamorous--which was half the reason shed let her family convince her to travel to San Glacera during Christmas. If shed known about the chocolate, she might have been more eager to get on the plane. You dont have to sing for five more days. Youve got loads of time. Then why did she feel like Cinderella on the brink of midnight? "Whats the secret surprise?" She took another sip, and the decadent cocoa warmed her from the inside out. A group of people passed by, chatting and laughing into the wind. Mittenss dad quickly looked the other way as they walked by. Gracie followed his gaze in an attempt to see what had captured his attention, but all she could see were the tents of the Christmas market stretching the length of the square. When she turned back toward him, he smiled and nodded toward her cup of cocoa. "Youll find out what the secret surprise is when you get to the bottom." Gracie tilted her head. "Thats awfully mysterious." He regarded her for a moment, and his eyes went from steel to a soft dove gray. "Actually, if youre into Christmas treats, theres something else you simply must try." "Something better than this?" She took another sip of chocolat chaud , suddenly anxious to discover whatever surprise lingered at the bottom of her cup. "If so, Im in." He held up a finger. "Not better. But almost as good." Gracies stomach growled. The airplane meal shed eaten hours ago wasnt cutting it anymore. "Im still in, but can I ask you a question first?" "Certainly." He nodded. "Why are you doing this?" Denver was a friendly place, but no one there had ever taken such a vested interest in her holiday snack preferences before. "I dont even know your name." "My name is Nick," he said quietly as his gaze dropped to her cup of cocoa. "And Im just happy to see a visitor enjoying Christmas in San Glacera. Its a special place." Gracie nodded. "I can see that already. Okay, lead the way. Im ready to try this mystery treat." "Follow me, then." *** "This probably wont make a bit of sense to you at all, but do you ever feel like youve gotten so accustomed to playing a role that you sometimes forget where that role ends and the real person begins?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she realized what shed meant to say, as if theyd been waiting right there on the tip of her tongue for just the right time...just the right person to hear them. "Like, to the outside world youve got everything completely under control, but inside..." He gave her a lopsided smile and finished the thought for her. "But inside, you feel like youre just one mistake away from causing everything to crumble to the ground?" Gracie blinked. Hed just perfectly described the way shed been feeling for weeks, starting with all of those horrid bank interviews and culminating with the realization that shed have to sing in order to collect her contest prize money. She felt like hed just handed her a long-lost piece to a jigsaw puzzle--the kind her family always did together on Christmas morning. "Thats it exactly," she said, breathless. "In that case, were both a little out of sorts in the same way." His gaze locked with hers until a thick lump formed in her throat. A strange sensation washed over her, almost like homesickness. He held her gaze just a little longer before he looked away. For a second, she could almost breathe again. "Sometimes it almost feels like the public role is a sort of hiding place, even though its the part of you that everyone in the world sees," he said. "As long as everyone is paying attention to that very public face, you dont have to worry about anyone knowing the real you and all the messiness that goes with your true hopes and fears." Nick kept looking toward the castle until his brow furrowed. Then he shook his head and glanced back at Gracie. "I have no idea where that just came from. Im supposed to be feeding you waffles, not a heaping dose of existential angst." "More like honesty. And that pairs perfectly with everything, in my humble opinion," Gracie said. "Mine, too." The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "It seems that you and I make a fine pair." Gracie nodded, thoughts in a whirl. "We do, dont we?" Her heart thumped hard in her chest. Shed traveled halfway across the world and somehow found a kindred spirit--someone who understood exactly what it felt like to wear a princess gown and a perfect royal smile every day. To do her best to spread joy and hope, while at the same time wondering if she was really up to the task. People relied on her. Not just children, but her employees too. If she messed up this trip, she wouldnt just be letting herself down. Her entire business could fail. How was it possible that a perfect stranger could articulate what that weight on her heart felt like? "Honesty." The corners of Nicks lips rose. "I like it. One of my favorite virtues, right up there with kindness and authenticity." I like him . Gracie smiled into her cocoa. I like him a lot. "You havent forgotten about the secret surprise, have you?" Nick arched an eyebrow and cast a meaningful look at her paper cup. "Oh, thats right." Hope fluttered inside her as she took the last few sips. Then she looked down and gasped. An intricate picture was stamped into the bottom of the cup in gilded ink. It depicted a chocolate kiss surrounded by delicate snowflakes and the words Chefs Kiss . "Every cup has a special artist rendering of a chocolate kiss inside. It represents the kiss thats dropped into the cocoa just after its poured," Nick said. "So the secret surprise is a kiss," Gracie said, and when she looked up and met Nicks gaze, her cheeks went warm. A kiss. Gracie had the sudden, improper urge to rise up on tiptoe and press her lips to hi Details ISBN1952210755 Author Teri Wilson Publisher Hallmark Publishing Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 1952210755 ISBN-13 9781952210754 Format Paperback Pages 288 Imprint Hallmark Publishing Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2022-11-01 NZ Release Date 2022-11-01 UK Release Date 2022-12-13 Publication Date 2022-12-13 DEWEY 813.6 Audience General US Release Date 2022-12-13 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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