Texting Prince Charming
by Patty Carothers and Amy Brewer
My rating: 
Shelby Ryan has lost more than most of us could probably imagine. After a serious car accident that claimed not only the lives of her parents and twin brother but also one of her legs, Shelby is struggling to find her place in the smoky remains of the world that recently crashed down around her. Enter Prince Charming, a mysterious Instagram-er sending encouraging and just-cheesy-enough-to-be-absolutely-adorable messages to his princess, and Shelby finally starts to open up to the possibility of being happy again. Only problem?
Sebastian “Freaking” Birch.
Her brother’s best friend and her own nemesis, Sebastian Birch is the last person Shelby wants hanging around. And yet he seems to pop up everywhere she turns, helping her realize her own strength and even adding a little laughter back in her life. Soon she’s falling for him, and Shelby has to decide between the perfect Prince Charming she’s never actually met and the less-perfect but still aggravatingly handsome prince right in front of her.
Praises:
1) Notice how I completely skipped over that Problems section I usually do…yeah, exactly. I had zero problems with this book. It was an effortless read, had me gripped from page one and reluctant to put it down. Wonderful story. I mean, come on…we all know we love some Prince Charming!
2) I loved Sebastian instantly and rooted for him as early as Chapter 1. He was so sweet to Shelby, and I loved how their relationship evolved from kind-of-enemies to friendship to a lot more. And he made me laugh constantly, which is always a winner for me. Prince Charming got nothing on Sebastian Freaking Birch!
3) It’s easy for me to get annoyed with young-adult heroines and their insecure mental monologue, but Shelby wasn’t like that. Maybe because she’d already struggled with so much more than most teenage girls, but she was a character I didn’t find myself constantly wanting to strangle…or worse, rewrite.
4) I don’t want this to come off the wrong way, but I was honestly nervous when I realized Shelby had a prosthetic leg…I guess because when I read, I do it to escape the tragedies and sorrows of the real world. So having to go through her awkward stumbles and struggles scared me in a way because I didn’t want to feel that vulnerability with her. I realize that very possibly makes me sound like a horrible person. But the authors did an amazing job of creating this love story for anyone to enjoy while simultaneously getting their point and purpose with this book across. That everyone can have and even deserves love and romance and a happily ever after. And I love that this book can inspire girls out there going through similar situations and hardships to hope for more for themselves, to believe that there is a prince charming out there somewhere to love them exactly as they are.
Perfect for:
Anyone who enjoys a cute, funny romance. Seriously. But especially for girls like Shelby who need a pick-me-up, who need to believe that their HEA is out there too.
Click here for more reviews on my Goodreads page.
Shannon Stults 