The conflict between the old world and the new...between responsibility and freedom...between duty and love...
Princess Christianna, happier in jeans and a sweatshirt than in the formal life of European royalty, leaves university to travel to East Africa as a volunteer for the Red Cross. Determined to make a difference, she plunges into the dusty, bustling life of an international relief camp, and is anxious to keep her identity a secret from her fellow aid workers.
Dr. Parker Williams, who works alongside Christianna and shares her dedication to healing, has no idea who she is - but as violence approaches and invades the camp, and the pressures of her royal life beckon her home, her struggle for freedom takes an extraordinary turn.
By a simple twist of fate, in one shocking moment, Christianna's life is changed for ever - in ways she could never have foreseen.
Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
قبل قرائتي للكتاب قرأت في احد المراجعات على الموقع لقارئة اجنبية جملة تقول فيها :ان دانيال لاتنفك ان تعيد الجمل ذاتها مئة مرة (لست متأكدة من العدد الذي ذكرته😂) ولكن بالفعل هذا اول ما لفتني بعد فصلين من الرواية
تصحبنا دانيال لدولة أول مرة اسمع بها في حياتي وهي (اليشتنشتاين) التي تحكمها عائلة ملكية . تدور الرواية حول حياة الإبنة الوحيدة للأمير , كريستينا , ورغبتها بالتحرر من حياة الملك والحكم لتكون إنسانة عادية تحارب من أجل البشرية وتساعدهم بقلبها الحنون الدافئ .
للأمانة بالبداية شدت الكاتبة إهتمامي وجذبتني للقراءة اكثر عن هذا البلد الغريب ومعرفة ما ستؤدي به الأحداث بكريستينا , هل ستكمل حياتها كأبنة الأمير ملتزمة بالواجبات الملكية طوال عمرها ؟ ام ستتحرر من هذا القيد لتعيش حرة وتتزوج من رجل عادي تحبه لايمت للملك بصلة ؟
طبعا كما قلت بالبداية , الرواية شدت اهتمامي كثيرًا ولكن بعد هذا بدأ الضجر الشديد وإعادة نفس الجمل الف مرة عن كآبة كريسيتينا وحياتها المقيدة والواجبات التي يجب عليها فعلها ورغباتها الخ الخ الخ
كلام كثير احداث قليلة مملة لتنهي الراوية الكتاب بنهاية طفولية سخيفة لاتصلح إلا لأفلام وقصص ديزني
اول تجربة لي مع دانيال ولن أكون قاسية عليها واجعل من هذا الكتاب فراق بيني وبينها , لعلي اجرب كتاب آخر ثم يأتي الحكم😁
Horrible, horrible, horrible. This is one of my guilty reads, so I shouldn't have expected much I guess. But wowww, bad book. Let me say that I like story lines that aren't particularly genius. I like standard formula books usually to some degree. This was just bad though. Horrible deus ex machina to resolve the conflict. Very repetitive. And the phrase "SHOW don't tell" came to mind when reading this book. I can't tell you how many times it said something along the lines of "She was such a good girl, and she always did her duties." Ugh! Many times in my head, I was like "we KNOW that already!! Get on with it!"
The only bright spot was that I did like and identify with the main character to some extent, but other than that, not much redeeming value here.
I read one Danielle Steele book about 8 years ago, and I don't remember it being this bad. I wonder if I just had not developed any critical reading skills by then :) But this one makes me question if I will ever pick up another by her. Her style of books doesn't exactly appeal to me in general, but I like to read things by really popular authors just to see what all the fuss is about. I did this with Harry Potter, and I ended up LOVING it, especially after I got through the first few books. So sometimes it's worth it.
I picked it up from the top of a trash can in a bus station. I was in a desperate situation. I had almost 24 hours more on the bus and nothing left to read. I didn't have high hopes for this book, but I really, really, really needed something to help me pass the time. I'm not a big Danielle Steel fan, but I had to read something, so I was glad to find a free book.
The plot is weak. A sad, noble, unspoiled little rich girl princess (literally) can't have the life of freedom she wants, but is allowed to volunteer in Africa with the Red Cross for a few months. In Africa, she meets a commoner she is not allowed to marry. In the last twenty (or less) pages of the book, tragedy strikes, allowing her to live happily ever after.
The writing is weak too. Ms. Steel must have been getting paid by the word, because there is a lot of repetition, many examples of the reader getting the same information in an only slightly different way.
May I give examples of two of the worst sentences I have ever read?
"The drinks were made by an African company, and tasted sickly sweet, but they drank them anyway, as it was hot and they were thirsty, although it was winter in East Africa, but the weather was warm." I figure that sentence really consists of three sentences strung together with commas. Has this Steel woman never heard of a run-on sentence? Any of my high school English teachers would have failed a student for writing a sentence like that! The last clause, "although it was winter in East Africa, but the weather was warm" is so awkward that I cringe whenever I read it.
Here's my final example: "Or how hard they worked, they all did, and he had, too." All I can say to that sentence (?) is WOW.
I am amazed that someone actually paid money for this mindless piece of poorly written fluff. I'm grateful I found this book when I needed it, but I feel sorry for the person wasted her/his money on it.
I really enjoyed this Danielle Steel novel a lot. I was drawn in within a few chapters and then I kept getting annoyed that the holiday is a time in which husbands and family members think it is perfectly fine to keep interrupting people with books clearly in their hands. So took longer than usual to finish. However, once I could read I hated having to put it down because I was so into Christianna and Parker’s journey. There is a blend of love, tragedy, and drama that draws readers in quickly…plus that whole royal aspect that many of us readers indulge in (probably a little too much lol). Really enjoyed this one!
El libro está bueno. Mi nota es 3 estrellitas por que si bien tiene un final feliz a mi me supo a poco. Me dejó con la pregunta de:"¿así termina?" Es una típica novela Steel cuya prosa se caracteriza por describir cada detalle lujoso en donde sus protagonistas femeninas son mujeres de la alta sociedad. La diferencia en éste caso es que nuestra protagonista decide dejar de lado el lujo y se va a África para trabajar como voluntaria de la Cruz Roja, de modo que en éste libro yo "sentí" que la autora se volcó a investigar, a documentarse para la historia, porque otras novelas que yo he leída de ella (a mi parecer) poca y nada investigación. Me pareció interesante lo que Danielle Steel nos cuenta sobre África, nada tranquilo por cierto. Y allí lejos de su padre y de su hermano se enamorará y no le será fácil por haber nacido según ella "condenada"a una vida de realeza, y en el transcurso de las páginas veremos como sufre nuestra querida "Cricky". Me gustó pero tampoco es que volvería a leer otro Steel inmediatamente porque ya sabemos cómo escribe: hay tragedia fuertes y escenas de amor que me hicieron lagrimear. Sin duda para quien ama los dramas es una novela que recomiendo aunque para mi en éste caso el drama de "desgracia tras desgracia" no está presente (por suerte porque sino yo lo habría abandonando). La autora no hace abuso de los dramas como hizo años atrás con sus viejas novelas. Su Alteza Real es un libro para leer sin apuro. Es ágil, romántica y tranquila como sabemos los que conocemos su prosa.
This book was redundant and boring through and through and 1-star is even too highly rated. The female lead comes off as completely unfeeling and self-centered as she bewails repeatedly "for the first time in my life... I just want ect�..", and yet she had ample freedoms and even spent 4 years away at college in Berkley. She manipulates her father, weeps, whimpers and pouts when she doesn't get her way, and in general is the most single dimensional character I've encountered in any book. Steele is off her game here, and the unvarying repeating of chief plot points leaves me to question if she simply copy and pasted to fill in enough pages for her publisher. Incoherent, superficial, and completely unremarkable.
I enjoyed reading this book and found it to be a pleasant story. However, I became frustrated with the princess's frequent complaints about her royal responsibilities.
I adored the relationship between Christiana and Parker and found them to be a charming couple. Their love for each other was truly heartwarming, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them.
The unexpected twist in the plot added an intriguing element to the story. However, the predictable nature of the ending, reminiscent of Cinderella, was somewhat disappointing. Despite this, the book provided a comforting and enjoyable experience, much like savoring a warm, delicious cookie in the moment, only to forget its taste hours later.
I picked this up at the drugstore over my lunchbreak one day. It had been a long time since I'd picked up a Danielle Steel, and I figured I wouldn't lose myself in the book and be late getting back to work. I wasn't disappointed! I guess if the formula works, why change it? Beautiful, privileged (and this time, royal!) woman is oh so down about her life. It's so HAAAAAAAAARD being a princess! Since she has such lofty, noble ideas about helping the world, she embarks on a journey where she finds friendship, freedom, and of course, love. The relationship can't last of course, so she pines and sighs and cries. Then, tragedy strikes, and somehow, she is reunited with her Prince Charming! The end! (Not really any spoilers if you've ever read Danielle Steel.)
I grew up on Danielle Steel novels. She's an amazing writer when she wants to be. H.R.H. is not a good example of her talent.
It reads like a junior high school newspaper; the facts are told to the reader, cut and dry. It is also very elementary in form as it's extraordinarily repetitive. Perhaps Ms. Steel was on a deadline and the book was rushed to publication. Sadly, I don't understand why the editors let it get so far without taking a red-pen-hacksaw to it; it severely needed one.
The story is very slow to start...about 200 pages slow. This is about how long it takes for any forward motion in plot to occur. Ms. Steel picks a few details and harps on them for pages to no end. The story reads as though the author did some research on a couple of topics and learned a few facts. Then, to fill the her word count quota, she repeatedly restated those few learned facts.
As for the characters, they were extremely flat. One or two key characteristics were pointed out about a character upon introduction; then Ms. Steel assumed the reader is forgetful, for those traits are pointed out every time a character makes an appearance. There is absolutely no development from any of the players. The heroine is meek and has no voice; the hero is around for about 80 pages collectively and isn't given a chance for his personality to show - let alone grow. Only the minor characters show mild amounts of flair but strictly in comparison to the main characters.
This is not a Danielle Steel book meant to be read by her fans or by people looking to be fans.
I read "Malice" by Danielle Steel years ago and it was good. I haven't picked up one of her books since. My mother is obsessed with her....maybe that is why I have avoided her books. Maybe it is because she is one of the most famous romantic authors out there and EVERYONE reads her books. I don't know, but I am really glad I picked up this book.
This was one of the most dramatic books I have ever read. I cried for the losses that Christianna continued to experience. I felt her love and compassion for those less fortunate. I longed for her relationship with Parker to be realized in a real way. When a book can make you travel through every known emotion and upon completion clasp that book to your chest wishing for one more page.....that's when you know it was a great book!
Christianna is de prinses van Liechtenstein en haar vader, de regerende prins, probeert veel verantwoordelijkheden bij haar te leggen. Hij hoop dat Christianna haar onverantwoordelijke broer, de troonopvolger, zal bijstaan eens dat die de touwtjes in handen zal moeten nemen. Christianna is zeer plichtsgetrouw, maar voelt zich verstikt in het paleis. Na lang aandringen mag ze van haar vader een tijd in Afrika voor het Rode Kruis gaan werken. Daar ontmoet ze een jonge arts, en de twee worden smoorverliefd. Helaas, een onmogelijke liefde, want de prins zal nooit toestaan dat zijn dochter trouwt met iemand die niet van koninklijke bloede is... Maar dan gebeurt er een tragedie...
Ik vond het verhaal niet slecht, maar ook niet denderend. Ik ergerde mij aan de vele herhalingen, maar dat heb ik andere boeken van Danielle Steel ook al opgemerkt.
I have to agree with the other reviews for this one. I was disappointed with the book. When listening to a summary of the book, it sounds like it has promise. A modern day princess wants to contribute something meaningful to the world and not just the duties her father expects of her. She wants to do something more than just cut ribbons at openings and participate in state dinners. She gets an opportunity to really give back and be a normal citizen.
However, Danielle Steel repeats herself throughout the book which becomes somewhat distracting and annoying. And the resolution to Christianna's struggle is somewhat disappointing. It was almost as if Danielle Steel took an easy way out to end the book. I have to admit I was very disappointed.
Nope.. another one I can’t remember in my lofty hopes of reviewing every book I read here on my favourite (and only) website. I remember the title. I’m sitting here in bed typing this up and see about 19 in my little Danielle Steel hidey hole. No, not really, I’m not hiding them. They take pride and place. Just need to read more!
I think I may have read other Danielle Steel books, I can't remember. One thing I really loved about this book (and I hope all of her books are this way) was there was no detailed sex scenes. We got the point that they made love and that was the end of that. I loved it. I can't stand reading books that are so descriptive in the bedroom. We...well, I don't need to know every detail to get the idea that it was special. Because of this, I plan on reading other books by this author. I loved the characters. It really made you hate nobility and the duties that come with a royal birth. I can say that I have never been envious of royals and after reading this book I'm even less envious.
A few things that bothered me about the book was it was sort of a horrible way to wrap up the book. I guess it was the only way to make everything work, but it all seemed unanswered. You know the why, but you don't know the who and there was no retaliation. It seemed like an unthought out resolution. I would have preferred a different resolution, something a bit more realistic.
Another thing that bothered me, I listened to this book on Over drive. There were multiple times sentences were rephrased and said more or less the same thing. While listening I kept thinking the app was malfunctioning and going back. After reading other reviews this was actually something that bothered others. I think the author and editors need to remove the rephrasing, it's unnecessary and actually pretty confusing.
Despite these little things, I really enjoyed the story. What's not to love about a clean romance?
All Danielle Steel books are horrendous! You probably wonder why I even have three on here. They are great for the gym because I don't have to pay that much attention. Every book is the same. Once you have read one, you know the formula. Danielle has a very limited vocabulary and loves to repeat her favorite words. It is kind of fun to here them over and over in each book. :-) If you decide to read one, this is the best of the three. It is a 1.2!
هذه هي أولى قراءاتي للأديبة الأمريكية ذائعة الصيت (دانييل ستييل)، لكنها بالقطع لن تكون الأخيرة، وإني لآسف لهذه البداية المتأخرة لأسباب منها كثرة الكتب وتنوع الاختيارات والوقت المتاح للمطالعة الذي يقل كلما تقدم العمر وزادت معه المسئوليات والأعباء الحياتية، فمؤلفات (ستييل) من الوفرة بمكان، للدرجة التي لا تجعلني أعرف عددهم على وجه التحديد، لذا سأستعين بمحرك البحث (Google)، لأجد معلومات مدهشة للغاية عن هذه الكاتبة على صفحتها الرسمية، وهي التي لا أذكر أن وجدت مراجعات لرواياتها فيما قرأت على كثير من المواقع والجروبات، منها أنَّ مؤلفات (ستييل) تربو على المئتين (203)، منهم 175 رواية، وباعت مؤلفاتها عالميًا 900 مليون نسخة، ونُشِرَت في 69 من الدول بإجمالي 43 لغة.
لقد عرفت بعد قراءتي الأولى ل(ستييل) لماذا هي ذائعة الصيت وموهوبة بشكل استثنائي، ففي روايتها "صاحبة السمو الملكي" (H.R.H. Her Royal Highness) المنشورة في طبعتها الأصلية في أكتوبر 2006، والتي صدرت ترجمتها العربية عن الدار العربية للعلوم ناشرون بلبنان عام 2007، تبدو موهبة (ستييل) الأدبية جلية للقارئ، فهي قادرة على أن تسحرك برشاقة أسلوبها وشاعرية وصفها ودقة ما ترويه من تفاصيل عن أبطال وشخوص عملها الأدبي، وهي قادرة بشكل لافت للنظر أن تخطفك لعالمها بسهولة ويسر، فتجد نفسك تنفصل عما وعمن حولك، لتغوص في عالمها الروائي الذي بنته بصبر ودأب رائعين للغاية.
لم تكن الروايات الرومانسية الاجتماعية من أولى اهتماماتي في القراءة، لكن هذه الخلطة الذكية التي اعتمدتها (ستييل) في روايتها الآسرة "صاحبة السمو الملكي" جعلتني أتحمس وبشدة لقراءة أخرى تكون بنفس الجودة والإتقان، فلقد مزجت في سردها بين السياسة والحب والمغامرة والتشويق والحس الإنساني المؤثر مع الكثير من المعلومات التي تتناول الحياة داخل القصر في بلد لا نعرف عنها شيئًا وحياة مغايرة تمامًا وشديدة الخطورة في بلد إفريقي لا ندري الكثير من تفاصيل مأساته.
ربما كانت النهاية في هذه الرواية كلاسيكية حالمة للغاية، تنتصر لصالح قصص الحب الأسطورية، وقد لا يرضى بها الكثير من القراء، لكنها مجرد صفحة أخيرة في رواية ثرية بالتفاصيل والأحداث التي ستنجح في مواقف عدة أن تجلب الدموع للمآقي وتجعل القبضات الباردة للألم والحزن تعتصر القلوب المحبة الوادعة.
انتهيتُ -وأخيراً- من قراءة رواية "صاحبة السّمو الملكي". حسنٌ، إنها رواية خُرافية حدّ الضّجر وفيها كمية من الحشو الهائل من المثالية المركّزة وتكرار المديح والمعلومات والأحداث أيضاً، أحياناً خلال صفحة واحدة. من السيء أن تكون الترجمة حَرفيّة (وليس حِرَفيّة) بهذه الصورة من دار عريقة كـ"الدار العربية للعلوم ناشرون".
... القصة باختصار: كريستيانا، أميرة في دولة أوروبية صغيرة، جميلة وطيبة وهادئة ومحبوبة ولبِقة... إلى آخره. درست في أمريكا لأربع سنوات على كراهة من والدها، الذي يسمح لها بذلك تعاطفاً مع مستقبلها كأميرة لديها من الواجبات والمسؤوليات ولن تعيش حياتها كباقي الفتبات العاديات. لديهاأخ وحيد يكبرها بعشر سنوات وغير مسؤول بالرغم من كونه هو ولي العهد، إلا أنه متهور وغير منضبط وكثير الترحال للهو اللعب حول العالم، جالباً الفضائح لا غير. تشاهد كريستيانا في نشرة الأخبار عن روسيا ومشكلة حصار مدرسة الأطفال، فتقرر فوراً الذهاب إلى هناك للمساعدة ضمن فريق الصليب الأحمر، يعارض والدها لكنها تصل إلى هناك، ومنها تبدأ الحكاية. تتغير حياتها بعد روسيا، وبعدها أن تقرر الذهاب إلى أفريقيا لمساعدة مرضى الإيدز، تلتقي بعض من الناس وتغير حياتهم في أقل من شهر، ثم الطبيب "باركر" الوسيم. نصف الروابة الثاني، تشرح بإسهاب صعوبات الزواج من رجل عادي لا يحمل أصول ملكيّة والتحايل للالتقاء به في السِّر، مع علمها باستحالة الوضع لكنها تستمر فيه. إلى أن يموت أبيها وأخيها في قفزة مفاجئة من الحبكة القصصية، أمام ناظريها، فتصبح خلال أربع وعشرين ساعة أول امرأة تصبح أميرة البلاد الحاكِمة وصاحبة السمو الملكي. وقبل إتمام عامها الأول من لقاء "باركر"، تكون مخطوبة له بلا مشاكل أو اعتراضات. وتنتهي القصة دون الإشارة إلى ملابسات جريمة قتل والدها وأخيها. ... ملائمة لتكون إحدى مسلسلات الأطفال الكرتونية على غِرار "ليدي ليدي" وَ "بوليانا".
So, I have to be honest and say that I did enjoy this book but I had some problems with this one.
We follow the main character, Princess Christianna, who although she cannot inhert the throne of the country that she lives in, she has to abide by the rules of the country and of her father, who is the current 'owner of throne'. Christianna is more happier being a 'normal person' rather than putting on a ball gown and dealing with her obligations as a Princess. She has had her moments of freedom, including attending University abroad. Despite reservations, her father agrees that she can have 6 months to 1 year assisting with the Red Cross at an international relief camp. This is where she meets Dr Parker Williams and the story goes from there.
Although this was a fun read and I really enjoyed the romance part of the story I just felt that the main character, Christianna, was not at all as strong as she is portrayed to me. Maybe that was the point but she was strong enough to insist in her freedom, many times, but not strong enough to make the right choice between the man that she loves and her obligations (even though her obligations do not include taking up the crown in her home country).
For more reviews, please check out the link below:
H.R.H. stands for Her Royal Highness. This is a lovely story about a young woman, Princess Christianna, from Vaduz, Liechtenstein, who just wants to have a normal life. I really like this book. It is a story of a princess who wants to do more with her life and help people. She struggles with doing the right things and what she wants to do. She is very responsible and always makes the noble choice. There is a little romance involved. I appreciate that it is not over graphic.
When I reread this, I was not as impressed with it. I found more flaws this time around. It was good but not re-read good.
Not the typical royal romance but still predictable in that area. There were some missed opportunities to make this a compelling story. The biggest for me - the distance from the characters. I didn’t remember that Steele wrote in omniscient POV and that felt seriously like head-hopping to me, and completely inappropriate for a romance. The quality of bestselling authors seems to be declining, or the expectation for indie authors is high and they are delivering quality stories. Not sure which it is but it’s reinforcing my choice to keep reading less well-known authors to find new favorites.
This was a romance with a twist. Christianna was a princess in Lichtenstein but is really bored and feeling useless. She goes to help at a scene of terrorism and to Africa where she helps with AIDS patients. The story is a bit repetitive in places and somewhat predictable but our lovely heroine falls for a handsome doctor and then they have to figure out how to stay together. The life of a royal is much harder than mere mortals can comprehend!
H.R.H. by Daniele Steel A princess searching for a meaningful purpose in life. She loved helping others and left for Africa to help with Aids victims and met the man of her dreams. The first two thirds of the book went very slow. The story line came to life in the last on third of the book. It as a good story,a bit predictable .
Una mierda como un castillo. No sirve ni como guilty pleasure. Repetitivo y absurdo hasta la saciedad y encima las escenas amorosas pasan rápido, por encima y resumidas. Asco. Ni se os ocurra comprarlo.
I couldn’t put this book down! Great story line. All the characters were believable and I really related to Christianna. I couldn’t quite figure out what was gonna happen next! I loved her relationship with her father. The ending was very tragic and Steel completely did the ending amazingly!
I really loved this book! Christianna is trapped in a world of royalty. But gets bored with it after years of cutting ribbons and kissing babies. Cricky finally convinces her father to let her volunteer for the red cross in Africa. Where she makes new friends and falls head over heels in love with an American Doctor.
I enjoyed this book. However, as with most romance novels, it was highly predictable. The main plot of the poor little rich girl gets boring, the dutiful daughter, the royal who detests their life but not willing to do anything about it was not new. However, thankfully, the author is highly skilled and made the book interesting to read. It wouldn't fall in a category of couldn't put it down. However, I did enjoy it.