To Win a Prince

Bethany House, Books Review, Christian Fiction, First Line Friday, Novels, Romance, Writing Spot

Welcome to First Line Friday!
Today I’m featuring

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh.

As a fashion aficionado and best friend of the queen of the African island country Oloro Ilé, Iris Blakely dreams of using her talent to start a business to help citizens in impoverished areas. But when she discovers that Ekon Diallo will be her business consultant, the battle between her desires and reality begins.

Ekon Diallo has lost everything: his princely title, his material possessions, his friends, and the respect of his countrymen. To pay for his actions against Oloro Ilé, he’s forced to assist the charismatic Iris Blakely–but he can’t allow his heart to distract him from regaining his status.

As Iris strives to get her business off the ground while keeping her heart intact, will her dreams of happily ever after survive the challenges she faces?

From Goodreads

Author Information

Discover more information about Toni Shiloh at: tonishiloh.com.

First Line

[Graphic Text]: “Your Majesty, do you have a recommendation on the sentencing of Prince Ekon Diallo of the Etikun tribe?”

My Review

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.


To Win a Prince is the sequel to In Search of a Prince. These royal stories are set on the fictional island Oloro Ilé, off the coast of Africa.

We met Iris and Ekon in the first book. Iris is the queen’s best friend. Ekon is now set to receive his punishment for what he did in the first book. This means that if you haven’t read the first book, there will be spoilers in this one. However, you don’t have to have read the first book to enjoy To Win a Prince.

And enjoy it, I did. I love Iris. Her imagination and optimism are contagious. And Ekon, I wanted to root for him in the last book, which meant it was very easy to root for him in this one. I knew he wasn’t a good match for the Queen, but with Iris, I was definitely excited about them getting a chance at a happily ever after.

I loved watching his transformation, too. The author did a wonderful job of showing his descent from privileged, entitlement and then his choices after he reached his lowest point. Not to mention his faith journey, which wasn’t flashy, but felt natural and real, something I wish more Christian Fiction could do so well.

Overall, this story is a journey, and a beautiful one. I highly recommend that you grab yourself a copy of both stories! The writing draws you in and makes you feel as if you have traveled to the African Island as you turn the pages of the story. And the characters will be friends who will linger in your mind long after the story ends.

Retail Links

Amazon | BN.com | Indiebound
Goodreads | BookBub

Now it’s your turn.
Pull out the book beside you and leave a comment with the first line.

First Line Friday is hosted by Reading is my Super Power.


12 thoughts on “To Win a Prince

  1. Read that one last week! Toni, Take me away!!!

    My first line comes from Chapter 1 of A Gem of Truth by KimberleyWoodhouse :
    April 1907 Hotel Casraneda Las Vegas, New Mexico
    Some days were not predictable.

  2. Great review, Danielle!

    My first line comes from one of the short stories in a compilation of ‘The Best Mystery Stories of the Year,’ 2021 Series Editor Otto Penzler. The short mystery is titled, ‘The Adventure of The Home Office Baby,’ by David Marcum.
    ‘The occasion of my marriage had in no way served to effectively diminish contact with my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.’

  3. Happy Friday!
    I’m currently reading The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews.
    “Julia sat immobile on the silk damask-cushioned bench in front of her carved walnut dressing table as her lady’s maid, Mary, put the final touches on her evening coiffure.”
    I hope you have a great weekend!

  4. Great review, Danielle! I have this one to read soon as well. It sounds like I need to go back and see what Ekon did in the first book because I don’t remember, LOL! Have a great weekend!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *