A modern Cinderella tale complete with paparazzi and talent shows, this is a great excuse to revel in the doings of a royal family that needs to get with the times. PLAYING THE ROYAL GAME introduces Allegra Jackson, fired from her publishing job in London for not returning the boss's advances. She meets a handsome man while drowning her sorrows in defiant champagne. Not only is he a financer, but after some conversation he reveals that he is Alex, Crown Prince of an island in the Mediterranean called Santina, and he has been betrothed to a women he does not love, and is trying to think of a way out of it without besmirching the lady.

Allegra, slightly giddy from the bubbly, agrees to pretend she and the prince have fallen in love and wish to marry. The plan is that her wildly unsuitable family will shock his parents and public, and Alex will be urged not to marry for some time. Initially Allegra accepts a hefty cheque and ring to play along, but she is adamant that there will be no sleeping together. The press are all over the story very fast, and Allegra's family are invited to accompany her to Santina. Here, her football star dad gets tipsy and makes an impromptu speech, just as he would at home, and her talent show winning sister sings just as if it was a karaoke night. Shock ensues but guess what, the public love the Jacksons and want their new princess to be one of them. Allegra's determination to see something of the island leads her to elude her driver and shop and drink coffee, and far from being in danger she is respectfully loved by the islanders, who seldom see their queen. The royals are set against such loose behaviour. Meanwhile the couple at the centre of the chaos, forced into close proximity, are discovering an unforeseen attraction - if only they were not so resolute not to wed!

Carol Marinelli has obviously mixed and matched from genuine royal goings-on to create this fun tale, and she spares us the cliches in order to get with the real people. I liked it a lot more than I'd expected and while I was hoping for more detail about what the rulers actually do on this island, there is enough location description to make it feel a long way from home for the Londoner. I'll be looking out for more of her work.

Book Summary

It seemed like every girl's dream: fall in love with a prince and be whisked off for your very own glamorous happy- ever-after—a royal fairy tale for Allegra Jackson and Prince Alessandro Santina.

Allegra's headline-grabbing family hardly prepared her for a life of public duty, and sinfully delicious Prince Alessandro has always seemed virtually allergic to the idea of settling down in Santa Maria.

Out of all the flamboyant, beautiful women his name's been linked with, the heir to the throne picked ordinary Allegra with the family from hell….

Is everything really as it seems regarding the tabloid's engagement of the year?