A different kind of princess
Sophia FitzOsborne (aka Princess Sophie) is more Paperbag Princess than girly vision in pink. She lives on the tiny island kingdom of Montmaray located somewhere in the Bay of Biscay. The inhabitants of the once prosperous kingdom are reduced to Sophie, her sister Henry, her cousin Veronica, her uncle the (increasingly mad) King, and a few faithful retainers living in a crumbling castle. Her brother Toby, heir to the throne, is away in England at school.
The year is 1936 and Sophie has just received a journal for her sixteenth birthday and while she's trying to understand her eccentric family and keep 
things going at home the Germans have noticed the strategic position the island holds and distant rumblings of war in Europe are drawing closer. There is a little romance, some dark family secrets, lots of suspense and an intelligent and courageous heroine. A Brief History of Montmaray was written as a teen novel but don't let that put you off, it reads like highly entertaining gothic fiction.
Once you are hooked, you will want to read the sequel The FitzOsbournes in Exile in which Sophie and her family are racing against Nazi agents to avert an international crisis.
One thought on “A different kind of princess”
Sounds great! I’ll put it on my list.