Review: 'The Frog Prince' by Sophie Ranald (2014)

Not all stories end with happily-ever-after… 
On paper, Will Turner seems like the ideal man: he’s gorgeous, has a GSOH and looks great in a pair of Marigolds. Oh, and his tech start-up has made him rich beyond his wildest dreams. So why can’t he find the perfect girlfriend? 
Stella’s just moved in with Will’s best mate Julian, and she’d love Will to settle down too, ideally with a New Best Friend for her. She persuades him to try online dating – but there’s a catch. Will has to go undercover and pretend to be an average, hard-working bloke. He’ll do the big reveal only when he’s found Ms Right. 
What could possibly go wrong? 
While Will encounters ticking biological clocks, YouTube pick-up artists and a cat called Muggle, Stella's own fairytale isn’t working out quite as she imagined. Is her heart really in the right place? And has she left it too late to kiss her prince?
Last year I got the chance to be introduced to author Sophie Ranald's work after she contacted me about being part of the blog tour for her novel 'A Groom With a View.' I fell in love with the book (click here to read my review) and I still can't recommend it enough to other chick lit fans. So, when Sophie e-mailed me about possibly reviewing her latest novel 'The Frog Prince', which was released on the 16th of December 2014, I couldn't shout out 'YES' quickly enough! I straight away loved the cover and the blurb promised another wonderful romantic comedy which I couldn't wait to get stuck in. I definitely had high hopes for this one and sincerely hoped the book would manage to live up to them!
Twenty-something Stella is incredibly excited to finally move in with her handsome boyfriend Julian, who just moved from Canada to London. It doesn't matter that their apartment is quite small and that she will be forced to spend most of her time cleaning up after Julian because he has a full-time job and she's still on the look-out for one... As long as they're together, it's Stella's own fairytale-come-true, right? Luckily, there's Julian's best friend Will to keep Stella distracted. Will is a great guy, but also incredibly rich thanks to his clever tech start-up and somehow this only attracts models who are more interested in his money than anything else. Stella decides it is time for Will to start online dating with a fake profile; if he pretends to be an average teacher, the women he'll meet will definitely fall for him and not just his bank account. But will this really help Will find the right girl? And what about Stella's own happy ending...?
I just want to jump and down with excitement and shout from the rooftops how much I love Sophie Ranald's novels! She really has a knack for writing amazingly entertaining romantic comedies and I honestly think she's one of the most promising voices within the world of chick lit at the moment. I really enjoyed her previous novel 'A Groom With a View', and 'The Frog Prince' is just as fabulous. It has a really fun and enjoyable storyline with great characters; it was so easy to warm to Stella, the main character, and the other characters really added their own special touch to the tale, such as Julian, Will, and Stella's best friends Wizzy and Polly. The storyline really had me entertained from the first page until the last and I honestly think I could have finished this book in one sitting, because I never got bored of it.
What I personally particularly loved about this book is the fairy tale aspect Sophie Ranald decided to include, in line with the title. Each chapter starts with a short message, written in true fairytale style, and I really liked this and the role fairy tales play in the novel. I love the author's writing style; it's comfortable, well-paced, and she's clearly a born story-teller. Fans of authors such as Sophie Kinsella, Carole Matthews and Lucy Diamond will undoubtedly enjoy this as well, and I can't recommend it enough. 'The Frog Prince' is a simply stunning, engaging and fun read; a book you definitely have to pick up if you're a chick lit fan. I'm definitely one of Sophie Ranald's fans, and I already can't wait to read her next work! 

Rating:10/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.