Just Ella

Just Ellaby Annette K. Larsen

From the publisher:
"Ariella was only looking for a distraction, something to break up the monotony of palace life. What she found was a young man willing to overlook her title and show her a new and vibrant way of life. But when her growing feelings for Gavin spiral out of control and clash with the expectations of her station, she will discover that the consequences of her curiosity are far more severe than she'd imagined.

"I watched in helpless horror as two guards hauled Gavin to his feet and dragged him from the room. My voice was frozen, unable to protest as another guard took hold of my arm, leading me upstairs. From the confines of my room, I stared into the darkness beyond my window, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Gavin. He was gone, and I wondered if he would have been better off if he had never met me.""

I'm sure the girls in middle school will love this book. It has a heroine who has a mind of her own and tries to live her life the way she thinks is right, but still shows respect and deference to her family; it has a hero who helps our heroine to become a better person and is always there to protect her; it has a repulsive prince. The perfect formula for a fairy tale/princess type of story. I liked that the story spanned a couple of years so we could see the growth in the characters and their r...moreI'm sure the girls in middle school will love this book. It has a heroine who has a mind of her own and tries to live her life the way she thinks is right, but still shows respect and deference to her family; it has a hero who helps our heroine to become a better person and is always there to protect her; it has a repulsive prince. The perfect formula for a fairy tale/princess type of story. I liked that the story spanned a couple of years so we could see the growth in the characters and their relationship. I LOVED that there was no bad language or inappropriate situations. Areas of concern: Mild violence during a kidnapping; some kissing.