Pippa of Lauramore by Shari L. Tapscott
Fantasy. 402 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Act like a lady. Don’t swim in the waterfall. And whatever you do, never steal into the woods for a romantic, moonlit ride.
For as long as Pippa can remember, she’s looked forward to her eighteenth birthday. The number represents freedom—and the end of her boring lessons with dreary tutors. Unfortunately for the princess, it’s also the age she is expected to marry Lionel, the stern prince of Vernow.
Eager to escape her future with the Lionel, Pippa convinces her Father to hold a traditional marriage tournament. Thirty men travel to Lauramore to compete, including Galinor, the dark-haired, blue-eyed prince of Glendon.
Galinor is everything Pippa dreams a prince can be. He’s handsome and strong, virtuous and true. Immediately smitten, Pippa decides she will do everything in her power to ensure Galinor wins the tournament—even if she must convince her friend Archer to win it for him.
Dragons and fairies, poison and lies—Pippa will let nothing stand between her and Galinor’s future.
But despite how well the tournament begins, Pippa may soon learn even the right prince can be the wrong man.
My Review:
This series has been on my TBR for years. I honestly don’t know why I haven’t picked it up sooner. Time just slips through the cracks and other things crowd out your plans. But I’ve finally picked it up and guys! It’s just as good as I’d hoped! I loved this one!
Pippa was a firecracker and I loved her initiative. Also Archer. Need I say more? I absolutely fell for Archer <3 I’m sad we didn’t get to see Percival’s story. I imagine it would be one I’d love cause I loved his character so much. I always love the older brother vibe. And Leonora has a story to tell, I’m sure of it. Also! I definitely hope the middle brother (Alexander) comes back around. He seems like a lot of fun.
The whole premise of the tournament was a lot of fun. I loved the idea behind it and the different tasks and competitions they faced. It was also a super smart way to introduce multiple characters to carry through the series. I really loved how gallant Galinor was and Irving stole my heart! I adore him and realllly hope we get to see more of him! Lionel was a fitting antagonist and I appreciated that he was an actual threat in the competition, not so easily defeated. It gave the story some tension and stakes. Rigil is a brooding fellow and I’m curious about him. I loved Pippa’s family and how the dynamics were so warm and loving, but still so real! The sibling dynamics were on point.
The world was fun, too. I hope we can dive more into the fairies and other elements the story brushed on in future books. Also, as silly as it is, I loved Pippa’s fairy-blessed hair! XD
The story explores arranged marriages, integrity, duty, and love. No foul language, sweet, clean romance, and some mild fantasy violence. Suitable for 14+
More:
Book 2 in the Eldentimber series is Anwen of Primewood (4 Stars)
Book 3 is Seirsha of Errinton (4 Stars)
Book 4 is Audette of Brookraven
Book 5 is Elodie of the Sea
Book 6 is Genevieve of Dragon Ridge
I haven’t finished the series yet, but I’ll update as I do. For the most part, these seem like standalones, but I’d recommend reading them in order, as they do have a timeline and spoilers for previous books in them.
On GraceBought
See my thoughts on the next book in the series here!