The Wicked Prince
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- Create Date：2023-10-23 07:20:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Celeste Baxendell
- ISBN：B0C3J51PQ5
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Summary
*See all of the books in the Once Upon a Prince Series HERE。*
A righteous outlaw。 A wicked tyrant。 A marriage to save their crumbling kingdom。
As regent， Prince John has a never-ending list of problems， including his brother’s expensive war and his subjects’ utter hatred of him。 But the biggest thorn in his side？ The outlaw Robin Hood。
With an ultimatum from his brother—deal with the outlaw once and for all or be sent to the frontlines to die—Prince John needs a solution and fast。 Upon discovering everything they thought they knew about the criminal was wrong—most surprising， Robin Hood is a woman—Prince John’s brilliant scheme is born。
Marry the outlaw。 Secure his safety… even if he condemns himself to a wife that despises him and fascinates him in equal measures。
Robin has never come across a trap she couldn’t escape， but when Prince John proves himself as her equal， it’s time to put that to the test。 She’d made a vow to fight his tyranny， and the ring on her finger won’t change that。
As long as she believes he is every wicked thing the world says he is， her heart is safe， and even though she might be the greatest thief in the world， it isn’t like he has a heart for her to steal…
The Wicked Prince， a retelling of Robin Hood， is book 4 of Once Upon A Prince ， a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings。 Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after。
A righteous outlaw。 A wicked tyrant。 A marriage to save their crumbling kingdom。
As regent， Prince John has a never-ending list of problems， including his brother’s expensive war and his subjects’ utter hatred of him。 But the biggest thorn in his side？ The outlaw Robin Hood。
With an ultimatum from his brother—deal with the outlaw once and for all or be sent to the frontlines to die—Prince John needs a solution and fast。 Upon discovering everything they thought they knew about the criminal was wrong—most surprising， Robin Hood is a woman—Prince John’s brilliant scheme is born。
Marry the outlaw。 Secure his safety… even if he condemns himself to a wife that despises him and fascinates him in equal measures。
Robin has never come across a trap she couldn’t escape， but when Prince John proves himself as her equal， it’s time to put that to the test。 She’d made a vow to fight his tyranny， and the ring on her finger won’t change that。
As long as she believes he is every wicked thing the world says he is， her heart is safe， and even though she might be the greatest thief in the world， it isn’t like he has a heart for her to steal…
The Wicked Prince， a retelling of Robin Hood， is book 4 of Once Upon A Prince ， a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings。 Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after。
Reviews
Tammy
，
Robin Hood is one of my favourites stories。 Well more like the retellings and all the mysteries surrounding it。 And Celeste’s retelling of Robin Hood， The Wicked Prince， is one of the best！！！I’ll be honest， I didn’t like John， like at all。 At first。 I loved the plot and everything， and Robin， but not him。 There was something about him that irked me。 But the more I read and contemplated， I was understanding what kind of man Celeste has written him into and it was…interesting。 I loved the feelings Robin Hood is one of my favourites stories。 Well more like the retellings and all the mysteries surrounding it。 And Celeste’s retelling of Robin Hood， The Wicked Prince， is one of the best！！！I’ll be honest， I didn’t like John， like at all。 At first。 I loved the plot and everything， and Robin， but not him。 There was something about him that irked me。 But the more I read and contemplated， I was understanding what kind of man Celeste has written him into and it was…interesting。 I loved the feelings and real ness that Celeste gives her characters to somehow correspond with us and all。 At end， I came to love John and Robin as individuals and as characters， almost making the Merry Men as villains。 （You’ll have to read to know if they are or not！）Overall， I loved it 😍！！ Thank you， Celeste， for this ARC opportunity！！ 。。。more
Lesley Barklay
，
I loved this book--which was a surprise， since I'm not generally a fan of Robin Hood retellings。From the very beginning， I fell in love with Prince John。 His perspective is very voicey。 I love the matter-of-fact tone。 He seems to be a man who knows himself very well， and accepts who he is。 For his whole life， he's had people assume the worst of him， so there's no point caring about it。Robin's character is interesting too。 I love her loyalty to her men， her cleverness， her determination to help h I loved this book--which was a surprise， since I'm not generally a fan of Robin Hood retellings。From the very beginning， I fell in love with Prince John。 His perspective is very voicey。 I love the matter-of-fact tone。 He seems to be a man who knows himself very well， and accepts who he is。 For his whole life， he's had people assume the worst of him， so there's no point caring about it。Robin's character is interesting too。 I love her loyalty to her men， her cleverness， her determination to help her people， and the way she is able to put aside her animosity and work with John。At the start of the book， you think that John is the coward。 It was interesting to see that Robin also has a history of running from pain。 While she might rebuke John for not caring enough about what people think， she is almost the opposite。 She wants to help people， yes， but she also enjoys the approbation of the people。It was so interesting to read how these two characters came together。 I love stories where the MMC falls in love first， and John's pining was very satisfying。 He falls fast and hard， and is absolutely shameless in his adoration: if he needs to beg， that's what he'll do。A few times I thought I had the ending figured out， but Baxendell managed to keep me surprised。 This story had a satisfying ending that will leave readers swooning。Side note: I liked in this variation Richard wasn't fighting the Crusades， he was at war on the border actively protecting the kingdom from invasion。 。。。more
Susan O。
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Deliciously Wicked！I loved this book so much that I couldn’t put it down。 I love the way Celeste wrote Prince John。 His character was so deep and so unexpected。 I loved the banter between Robin and John and especially the deep insights into Prince John’s character explaining why he is the way he is。 Some books you read and you can’t wait to get to the end for the HEA。 I loved every minute of this book。 I didn’t want it to end。 This book will have you smiling until the very end。
Amanda
，
Think you know the story of Robin Hood and Prince John？ Try again。 That is what Celeste Baxendell has done with her version of this story。 She made it her own and will make you think you haven't been properly introduced to the original characters。 This is her contribution to the Once Upon a Prince Series and I believe it ties in well with her Bewitching Tales series。 Robin and John were a blast to read and the history between the two adds a delightful layer。 I had so much fun with this story and Think you know the story of Robin Hood and Prince John？ Try again。 That is what Celeste Baxendell has done with her version of this story。 She made it her own and will make you think you haven't been properly introduced to the original characters。 This is her contribution to the Once Upon a Prince Series and I believe it ties in well with her Bewitching Tales series。 Robin and John were a blast to read and the history between the two adds a delightful layer。 I had so much fun with this story and I didn't want it to end。 。。。more
Erin Dydek
，
Can anyone love a villain？ I’d have to argue that readers will be hard pressed not to fall for Prince John in this Robin Hood retelling。 John was surprisingly sweet under his smirking veneer， and I loved the battle of wills between him and the lovely Roberta of Locksley。It’s always fun to see two characters so determined and stubbornly opposed to each other learn to see the other in a new light and overcome their character weaknesses。 I loved how the romance built throughout the story and conclu Can anyone love a villain？ I’d have to argue that readers will be hard pressed not to fall for Prince John in this Robin Hood retelling。 John was surprisingly sweet under his smirking veneer， and I loved the battle of wills between him and the lovely Roberta of Locksley。It’s always fun to see two characters so determined and stubbornly opposed to each other learn to see the other in a new light and overcome their character weaknesses。 I loved how the romance built throughout the story and conclusion was fantastic—lots of heartwarming emotions and reasons to cheer。This was my first book by Celeste Baxendell and it won’t be my last！I received an advanced reader copy of the novel。 。。。more
Natalie
，
4。5 rounded up！ What an enjoyable Robin Hood retelling！ I’ve tried Celeste Baxendell before and while I certainly didn’t dislike the books I tried， I just couldn’t quite get into them either。 Perhaps I wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy though。 🤷🏻♀️ I really liked how although John’s POV seemed true to character you wondered if there was more to him。 Both MCs were flawed but realistically so and best of all there was no instalove （definitely some fascination， but not instalove）。 Despite it being 4。5 rounded up！ What an enjoyable Robin Hood retelling！ I’ve tried Celeste Baxendell before and while I certainly didn’t dislike the books I tried， I just couldn’t quite get into them either。 Perhaps I wasn’t in the mood for a fantasy though。 🤷🏻♀️ I really liked how although John’s POV seemed true to character you wondered if there was more to him。 Both MCs were flawed but realistically so and best of all there was no instalove （definitely some fascination， but not instalove）。 Despite it being a short book， their relationship developed in a believable way。 The end got to a mush intensity that I was a little taken aback by but I’m sure that’s just me， haha！ Now that I’m in a fantasy mood I think I’ll try some of her other books again！ 。。。more
Suzanne McKaig
，
The Wicked Prince is a fun twist on Robin Hood， filled with witty banter and intrigue， along with a dashing heroine and a wicked prince 。 。 。 or is he？ In this gender-swapped retelling， Baxendell challenges readers' preconceived ideas without making excuses for evil deeds。Prince John and Robin are both excellently written characters with flaws that make them relatable and endearing， and I couldn't help rooting for both of them。 Prince John's unflinching honesty—even when it paints him in a negat The Wicked Prince is a fun twist on Robin Hood， filled with witty banter and intrigue， along with a dashing heroine and a wicked prince 。 。 。 or is he？ In this gender-swapped retelling， Baxendell challenges readers' preconceived ideas without making excuses for evil deeds。Prince John and Robin are both excellently written characters with flaws that make them relatable and endearing， and I couldn't help rooting for both of them。 Prince John's unflinching honesty—even when it paints him in a negative light—and Robin's tenacity in fighting for what's right are two of my favorite parts of this story。With unexpected quirks， a slow burn romance， and some found family vibes， this is a fun re-telling for all ages。 Dive into a medieval world and challenge yourself to face the truth of what it means to be brave。 。。。more
Anniebelle
，
I really enjoyed this Robin hood tale。 Celeste does a great job telling the tale of Prince John and Robin。 This clean tale is a spin on the original tale。 It is in the universe of her bewitching fairy tales but set way before the rest so it can be read on its own no characters cross over。 The relationship between John and Robin is a great example of enemies to lovers with enough time and actions to feel natural。 Even with the happier ever after epilogue I still want more， I loved these character I really enjoyed this Robin hood tale。 Celeste does a great job telling the tale of Prince John and Robin。 This clean tale is a spin on the original tale。 It is in the universe of her bewitching fairy tales but set way before the rest so it can be read on its own no characters cross over。 The relationship between John and Robin is a great example of enemies to lovers with enough time and actions to feel natural。 Even with the happier ever after epilogue I still want more， I loved these characters and their story and feel sad that my observing of thier tale is done。 I received an ARC from the author but my review is honest and my own opinion。 。。。more
Debbie Eyre
，
A wonderful Robin Hood retelling with some twists and turns to keep you on your toes。 Prince John has been given an ultimatum from his brother about getting rid of Robin Hood and he comes up with the ruse of marrying Robin who’s also a woman to settle the unrest in the kingdom。 Robin doesn’t trust Prince John but goes along with his plan to see what he is up to and they both come to see that they are not as bad as the other one first thought。 They actually turn out to be a pretty good team as th A wonderful Robin Hood retelling with some twists and turns to keep you on your toes。 Prince John has been given an ultimatum from his brother about getting rid of Robin Hood and he comes up with the ruse of marrying Robin who’s also a woman to settle the unrest in the kingdom。 Robin doesn’t trust Prince John but goes along with his plan to see what he is up to and they both come to see that they are not as bad as the other one first thought。 They actually turn out to be a pretty good team as they come together to solve the kingdoms problems。 It’s a fab， clean romance and you keep hoping that they will get their HEA。 。。。more
Michaela
，
This was， hands down， the best enemies to lovers romance I have ever read。 Prince John was … a handful。 A dislikeable handful。 But！ This story took us deep into the marrow of each character。 It tore them apart and rebuilt their images。 This Robin Hood retelling was inspired！ I’ve always been partial to Beauty and the Beast retellings， but this book is easily in my top 5 now。 I can honestly say that if I were to start rereading it again right now， I would still thoroughly enjoy it。 This is my sec This was， hands down， the best enemies to lovers romance I have ever read。 Prince John was … a handful。 A dislikeable handful。 But！ This story took us deep into the marrow of each character。 It tore them apart and rebuilt their images。 This Robin Hood retelling was inspired！ I’ve always been partial to Beauty and the Beast retellings， but this book is easily in my top 5 now。 I can honestly say that if I were to start rereading it again right now， I would still thoroughly enjoy it。 This is my second so far in the Fairy Tale Retellings， Multi Author Series， and I’m excited for more！ This author is also a new to me author and I cannot wait to go check out what else she has written！I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review。 。。。more
Fiyin
，
I adore everything Celest writes， though I feel she really outdid herself on this one。The emotions in this book were so vivid and heartbreaking， and I loved the progression of the romance ark。Prince John was definitely my favourite character-cunning and manipulative， but hiding a caring heart。Well， I can't say much more without spoilers， so I'll leave it at that。Read this book if you like:- Robin Hood。。。With a twist！- Found family。- Marriage of convenience。- He falls first an hard （Celest really I adore everything Celest writes， though I feel she really outdid herself on this one。The emotions in this book were so vivid and heartbreaking， and I loved the progression of the romance ark。Prince John was definitely my favourite character-cunning and manipulative， but hiding a caring heart。Well， I can't say much more without spoilers， so I'll leave it at that。Read this book if you like:- Robin Hood。。。With a twist！- Found family。- Marriage of convenience。- He falls first an hard （Celest really excels at writing this trope！）。- And more。* I received an ARC copy of this book from its author and am writing this honest review of my own 。。。more
Ronel Janse van Vuuren
，
A fun Robin Hood retelling with Prince John not nearly as awful as everyone thinks – and Robin Hood not nearly as courageous as reported。I liked how John and Robin grew together and became better people because of each other。 I also liked how John treated Robin as an equal in all matters – and how chivalrous he is （especially when someone insults her）。And that final show of love…！ Swoonworthy。 It almost made Richard and the Merry Men look like villains。 LOL。A great story to get lost in。*I receiv A fun Robin Hood retelling with Prince John not nearly as awful as everyone thinks – and Robin Hood not nearly as courageous as reported。I liked how John and Robin grew together and became better people because of each other。 I also liked how John treated Robin as an equal in all matters – and how chivalrous he is （especially when someone insults her）。And that final show of love…！ Swoonworthy。 It almost made Richard and the Merry Men look like villains。 LOL。A great story to get lost in。*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Kayt
，
An epic and exceptional Robin Hood retelling。 Warning: This review contains multiple spoilers！The Wicked Prince was by far the best Robin Hood retelling I have read to date。 The Robin Hood in this story is a feisty female with a personal vendetta against the wicked Prince John。 Aided by her three merry men， she constantly undermines Prince John’s rule by stealing taxes from carts meant for the castle and redistributing them to the poor。 However， who is she really undermining - John or the king s An epic and exceptional Robin Hood retelling。 Warning: This review contains multiple spoilers！The Wicked Prince was by far the best Robin Hood retelling I have read to date。 The Robin Hood in this story is a feisty female with a personal vendetta against the wicked Prince John。 Aided by her three merry men， she constantly undermines Prince John’s rule by stealing taxes from carts meant for the castle and redistributing them to the poor。 However， who is she really undermining - John or the king she has sworn to protect？ In this tale， told from the perspective of the prince himself， we get to know a completely different version of the greedy， tyrannical Prince John we all thought we knew and hated。 We discover that under the façade of spoiled， selfish regent is a hardworking， brave and above all extremely kind and selfless man， who will do anything to save his country from the brink of ruin。 In fact， it is Richard who is depleting his country’s resources through his stubborn insistence on fighting a neverending war！Exasperated yet again by an inept sheriff， who has failed to capture her multiple times， John decides to take matters into his own hands and lays a trap for the beautiful Robin Hood。 Where his men failed， John succeeds and he holds Robin and her men captive for quite some time。 The banter between these two， during her time of captivity， is remarkable and extremely entertaining for readers such as myself - I felt like I was right there in the room with them！ And I loved being witness to their bargaining。 Robin receives a pardon for her merry men from the wily Prince John but at the cost of trapping herself into a loveless marriage。 She tries to trick John at this point but he seems to know her thoughts before she knows them herself and she is forced to sign her real name to the papers – thus binding herself to her sworn enemy in marriage。 It is at this point that we begin to get to know the real Prince Regent: The man who barely sleeps because he is so conscientious about providing for his country’s needs; the man who is misunderstood and vilified for no good reason; the man who willingly takes the blame for his brother’s faults and shoulders the responsibility meant for the king; and the man who is secretly in love with his unwilling bride。 When he hands over his myriad of responsibilities to Robin in an effort to prove to her that he really is doing the best he can， chaotic hilarity ensues！ Meanwhile， she feels he is playing a game that she is determined to win at any cost – even at the cost of a broken heart。 For much of the book Robin works against John while he does everything he can to show her his love in multiple and meaningful ways – such as massaging her aching leg， injured long since in an injury。 When her merry men rescue Robin and she runs away to the one place she thinks John will never be brave enough to approach， he proves her wrong and leaves us questioning who is the real coward in this situation？ - The one who ran from the pain of loving or the one who chose to fight for love at all costs？ The scene near the end of the book where Robin confessed her love for John and her merry men tried to convince her she’d gone mad， had me alternately laughing and crying。 I’m laughing even now as I think of her merry men’s reaction – and I read this book a few weeks ago already！ Oh man， now I want to read it all over again！ The Merry Men did not disappoint in Celeste’s epic！ They were brave， hilarious …。 a little inept and above all， everything I would have wanted in a Robin Hood retelling such as this one。 Robin herself was beautiful， courageous， confused and highly independent with a moral streak that was sorely misplaced。 Prince John was absolutely my favourite character！ He was kind and wonderful but hid under a façade of cruel tyrant that didn’t fit him at all， because in his mind it was easier to let people believe what they wanted to about him and not fight to let the truth be known。 It took Robin working with him for the good of the country as his wife， and her belated belief in him to change his mind and make him realise that it is always better to be yourself than who people expect you to be！ If John was real and not a fictional character I’d steal him from Robin in a heartbeat – he was that amazing！ I had not had the privilege of experiencing Celeste Baxendell’s writing before I received an ARC for this book， but having read one book I am now greedy for more of her writing。 She is one of the most talented authors I have ever encountered – and I read a LOT！ All opinions expressed in this review are my own and a positive review was not required but was inevitable， considering that Celeste’s writing is exceptional to say the least！ 。。。more
Ilona Nurmela
，
A wicked Prince John like you’ve never imagined before - loved it！！！I loved this retelling of Robin Hood - where Robin’s an 18yo girl who 24yo John is obsessed about…but not for the reason we’ve come to expect。 I loved the villainy， Robin’s sass， cluelessness and tragic backstory， the turning of John from a sympathetic villain to a terribly misunderstood cinnamon roll…。ahhh。 All those scenes of them working side by side & the prince accepting his role…swoonworthy。 I really loved how the author m A wicked Prince John like you’ve never imagined before - loved it！！！I loved this retelling of Robin Hood - where Robin’s an 18yo girl who 24yo John is obsessed about…but not for the reason we’ve come to expect。 I loved the villainy， Robin’s sass， cluelessness and tragic backstory， the turning of John from a sympathetic villain to a terribly misunderstood cinnamon roll…。ahhh。 All those scenes of them working side by side & the prince accepting his role…swoonworthy。 I really loved how the author made me rethink what it cost to mount a war effort for Richard Lionheart by those he left behind to manage his country。 If you liked how Baxendell turned things on their head in her Rumple retelling Stalks of Gold， you’ll love this rollercoaster of a ride。 Totally edge of the seat until the very end， the feels， the drama， the killer comedy from the Merry Men and that epilogue - awww。Recommended for lovers of actioney fairytale retellings， of Robin Hood retellings， sassy heroines & redeemed villains。 。。。more
Alicia
，
While I was never really a fan of OG Robin Hood， I was always intrigued by the sideline characters。 Baxendell has once again woven a stunning tale that brings a unique and fascinating twist。Prince John and Robin were both so fun and well done here， really emphasizing that sometimes there really IS two sides to every story。
Marie Reed
，
So this is actually the first Robin Hood retelling I've ever read。 I've been intrigued by the idea of a gender-bent Robin before （and I know I have a few others sitting unread on my kindle）， but I've never thought about Robin and Prince John becoming a couple。This was just fantastic。 Both characters are trying to outwit the other and they slowly let the other see them as their true selves， even if they aren't ready to admit to their own flaws。Now I want to read both more of Celeste's books， and So this is actually the first Robin Hood retelling I've ever read。 I've been intrigued by the idea of a gender-bent Robin before （and I know I have a few others sitting unread on my kindle）， but I've never thought about Robin and Prince John becoming a couple。This was just fantastic。 Both characters are trying to outwit the other and they slowly let the other see them as their true selves， even if they aren't ready to admit to their own flaws。Now I want to read both more of Celeste's books， and all of the Robin Hood books I own。 。。。more
Ruth Hinojos
，
I really loved this book so much， it was very entertaining and couldn't put it down。It was a great redeeming arc， love story and changing what they think of one another， and the robin hood being a woman was great。 I absolutely recommend this book。 I really loved this book so much， it was very entertaining and couldn't put it down。It was a great redeeming arc， love story and changing what they think of one another， and the robin hood being a woman was great。 I absolutely recommend this book。 。。。more
Michaela
，
This was， hands down， the best enemies to lovers romance I have ever read。 Prince John was … a handful。 A dislikeable handful。 But！ This story took us deep into the marrow of each character。 It tore them apart and rebuilt their images。 This Robin Hood retelling was inspired！ I’ve always been partial to Beauty and the Beast retellings， but this book is easily in my top 5 now。 I can honestly say that if I were to start rereading it again right now， I would still thoroughly enjoy it。 This is my sec This was， hands down， the best enemies to lovers romance I have ever read。 Prince John was … a handful。 A dislikeable handful。 But！ This story took us deep into the marrow of each character。 It tore them apart and rebuilt their images。 This Robin Hood retelling was inspired！ I’ve always been partial to Beauty and the Beast retellings， but this book is easily in my top 5 now。 I can honestly say that if I were to start rereading it again right now， I would still thoroughly enjoy it。 This is my second so far in the Fairy Tale Retellings， Multi Author Series， and I’m excited for more！ This author is also a new to me author and I cannot wait to go check out what else she has written！ I received an ARC of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review。 。。。more
Madelyn- The Squeaky Clean Reader
，
Robin Hood and Prince John setting this retelling on fire！ 🔥🔥🔥I was pretty sure I was going to love this book based upon the premise。 Turns out I was wrong。 I'm OBSESSED with this book and I have not stopped thinking about it in the week and a half since I read it。 So here's a little blurb to get you interested 👇📖Nothing seems to go right for Prince John until today。 Today he has captured Robin Hood。 He's willing to bargain for the outlaw's life。 What's the bargain？ Marriage。 That's right， Robin Robin Hood and Prince John setting this retelling on fire！ 🔥🔥🔥I was pretty sure I was going to love this book based upon the premise。 Turns out I was wrong。 I'm OBSESSED with this book and I have not stopped thinking about it in the week and a half since I read it。 So here's a little blurb to get you interested 👇📖Nothing seems to go right for Prince John until today。 Today he has captured Robin Hood。 He's willing to bargain for the outlaw's life。 What's the bargain？ Marriage。 That's right， Robin Hood is a girl just trying to give back the money to the people。 As she agrees and learns more about the state of the kingdom and the war she realizes things aren't always as they seem。 Who is the real villain in this story？ How can the kingdom be saved？ Who's the coward and who is the brave one？ ✍️I've read a few of the author's books and she astounds me with her ability to bring deep feelings to her characters and really entice you into being invested in their well beings。 She did that amazingly in this book and I really loved the unfolding of the characters throughout the story。 I was constantly wondering what I was going to learn next and what was going to happen。 Not only that but she writes some really swoony scenes。 By the end of the book I was totally cheering and also shed a tear or two。 Basically this was a masterful work of art and I need everyone to read it PLEASE！！！ Seriously if you've ever wondered about reading a fantasy book， or a Robin hood retelling， or if you just want an engaging next read I 100% encourage you to go get this book。 It's so good I've added it to my "want a signed physical copy one day" list！ 😍Robin Hood forever 😍😍 。。。more
Beba Andric
，
I LOVED this book from the moment I started reading it。 A very beautiful tongue in cheek account of a story we all know， but with a few major differences。。。 As I was reading this， I had a smile on my face and my smile got bigger and bigger。 And it was all thanks to John。 Here we have a Prince who's playing King in his brother's absence and he's so confident in himself， he's actually rather taken with himself and his "brilliant scheming"。 He's cocky and full of self importance， which the author d I LOVED this book from the moment I started reading it。 A very beautiful tongue in cheek account of a story we all know， but with a few major differences。。。 As I was reading this， I had a smile on my face and my smile got bigger and bigger。 And it was all thanks to John。 Here we have a Prince who's playing King in his brother's absence and he's so confident in himself， he's actually rather taken with himself and his "brilliant scheming"。 He's cocky and full of self importance， which the author describes with such flair， so there's the reason for my grinning， the humour so evident from the onset。 I fell in love with John by the third page， he was just so much fun！ Ok， so he's got a chip on his shoulder， so what is he's arrogant， so what if he's haughty and disdainful， and arrogant and condescending。。。 THAT'S why I love him！ A man who can show no weakness， to anyone， or what he perceives as weakness。 And as the story progressed， I loved him more and more， this misfit of a Prince tugged at all my heartstrings so hard I was whimpering and I confess， I wanted to sob for him， with him。Ok， so enough about John， although， I could go on for another few hundred words about how much I loved him， I dare not forget about Robin， lest she finds out I "slighted" her somewhat and we ALL know how feisty she is！ Nope， I can't invoke her wrath。。。I adored her cocky， righteous， impetus nature， I adored how she just KNEW everything everyone said about John is gospel。 Robin is SO convinced John is cruel， uncaring and self indulgent but when he tricks her into a predicament she wants out of， she's stuck until she can figure out a way OUT this predicament。 And then， surprise surprise， Robin is in for a shock！ I simply couldn't get enough of these two， their banter and verbal shenanigans was delicious！ The way Robin was being abrasive and obstinate at every turn， was hilarious， especially as she came to see a different side to John。 She's tough （or is she？） He's a coward （or is he？） She's in the right （or is she？） He's a pampered princeling （or is he？） All these things are so superbly put together in this magnificent read by the author， keeping my so engaged and enthralled， keeping me literally glued to the pages as I entered into a world outstandingly compelling， I was absorbing it all like I was parched， needing the lifeline of this tale to sate my thirst。 And it did。 Not only my thirst， it sated everything within me， filled me to the brim with happiness， I couldn't let a single drop to go to waste！ This is the first time I'm reading a book by Celeste Baxendell and I'm making sure it won't be the last！ What a wonderful tale！ What a wonderful way the author has with her words！ What a wonderful HEA！ Did I mention I LOVED THIS BOOK？？？？ This is a book that brings all the "feel good" to my soul， the warmth it imbued me with， the smile and joy this read brought me， THIS book is a book I will DEFINITELY be rereading time and time again。 。。。more
Phi
，
This story wasn't at all what I was expecting， but it was really good！ I loved the surprises and twists throughout， and the ending was absolutely beautiful！ This has to be my favorite Robin Hood retelling！ This story wasn't at all what I was expecting， but it was really good！ I loved the surprises and twists throughout， and the ending was absolutely beautiful！ This has to be my favorite Robin Hood retelling！ 。。。more
librarian。of。rivendell
，
This story was fun。 I love a good retelling， and Robin Hood is one of my favourite legends so I was thrilled to have it retold by Celeste。 The characters were fleshed out and interesting， and I loved Prince John so much。 I’ve always been irked by the fact that he’s painted as such a bad guy when really he was simply trying to hold England together while Richard was away… Anyways， this was another fun retelling in the Once Upon a Prince series！ CONTENTThe reason I removed a star， is because， as t This story was fun。 I love a good retelling， and Robin Hood is one of my favourite legends so I was thrilled to have it retold by Celeste。 The characters were fleshed out and interesting， and I loved Prince John so much。 I’ve always been irked by the fact that he’s painted as such a bad guy when really he was simply trying to hold England together while Richard was away… Anyways， this was another fun retelling in the Once Upon a Prince series！ CONTENTThe reason I removed a star， is because， as the rest of Celeste’s recent book， the romantic content gets a little too passionate compared to what I’m comfortable with。 Characters kiss “passionately”， can get a little handsy， though nothing inappropriate （the mention of it can be innuendo） and there might be some more innuendo here and there。 I’m kinda sad about it because I liked her level of romance before better， but aside from that the book was gripping。 。。。more
Sara Lawson
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And yet again， Celeste hits this one out of the park， er forest。 Robin Hood had been unmasked and revealed to be a woman。 Prince John has been tasked by his brother， King Richard， to take care of the outlaw once and for all。 And so， he hatches his most wicked plot yet。。。to marry Robin Hood。A series of hijinks ensue in which she and her merry men try to scheme their way out of the deal。 It is great fun。 The love story is unexpectedly fun as well。 Can the wicked prince be redeemed？ And can Robin d And yet again， Celeste hits this one out of the park， er forest。 Robin Hood had been unmasked and revealed to be a woman。 Prince John has been tasked by his brother， King Richard， to take care of the outlaw once and for all。 And so， he hatches his most wicked plot yet。。。to marry Robin Hood。A series of hijinks ensue in which she and her merry men try to scheme their way out of the deal。 It is great fun。 The love story is unexpectedly fun as well。 Can the wicked prince be redeemed？ And can Robin do it， or will she fall prey to yet another of his schemes？Set in the same world as her fairytale series， this book is particularly special to me because Robin Hood is one of my all-time favorite historical-mythological characters。 And no one has ever succeeded in making me like， much less love， Prince John。 Unfortunately， now I also want stories about King Richard， Alan， Little Jon， and Will Scarlett， and maybe Robin's cousin Marian for good measure， although hers might have already been established。 What am I saying？ I want anything that Celeste will write。I received an ARC of this book as part of the multi author series， Once upon a Prince， and have reviewed it gladly。 。。。more
Lisa Dawn
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When the multi-author collaboration was announced for the newly launched Once Upon a Prince series， the last prince I was expecting anyone to focus on was the cowardly Prince John from the Robin Hood legend。 Yet， Celeste Baxendell has taken another twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope and turned it into a touching romance。 This book is the most original I've read so far in the series， taking whatever liberties were necessary with the original lore to make it work for this new take。 The ARC I was When the multi-author collaboration was announced for the newly launched Once Upon a Prince series， the last prince I was expecting anyone to focus on was the cowardly Prince John from the Robin Hood legend。 Yet， Celeste Baxendell has taken another twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope and turned it into a touching romance。 This book is the most original I've read so far in the series， taking whatever liberties were necessary with the original lore to make it work for this new take。 The ARC I was provided of The Wicked Prince presents a gender-swapped Robin Hood， the beautiful cousin of Maid Marian who is propositioned into marrying Prince John so she can stop running from the law and pardon her merry men。 The result is an unconventional love story that follows the recent trend of falling in love after marriage。In this upside-down Robin Hood retelling， Robin is a noble lady who lost her family and possessions in a fire and became an outlaw when the kingdom's taxes grew too high for any commoner to make a living for themself。 Aware of his kingdom's struggles and his own pitiful public image， Prince John decides that the best solution to healing the kingdom is by marrying the lovely Robin， who is deemed a hero by the people， and turning her into a princess to gain their approval。 Robin， of course， thinks this is a trick at first and wants nothing to do with it。 However， John manages to wear her down by proving that his intentions are genuine。 She eventually agrees so long as her merry men are pardoned for their crimes。 Due to John's reputation， both Robin's men and the rest of the kingdom believe that he had forced her to marry him against her will and was likely an abusive husband。 Despite her worst expectations， Robin soon realizes that their marriage is quite the opposite。Though I never thought I would say this， Robin Hood and Prince John make a very strong couple。 They are complementary opposites between Robin's physical skill and strength and John's intelligence and taste for opulence。 Robin is described in this story as a beautiful woman who likes to parade around disguised as a man。 John sees her potential as a princess and dresses her in gowns that show off her femininity and grace。 He also gives her an opportunity to enact the changes she fought for the people for so long， and in doing so， she realizes how difficult it is to be a monarch and that the things she once wanted were not as simple as they seemed。 She also uses her skills with weaponry to help John get better at defending himself， which is a great feat considering how physically inept he is。 What I liked the most about Prince John， who is typically a villain in the Robin Hood legends， is that he was very self-aware of his own cowardice and physical shortcomings。 That sort of humility is rare for a villain who holds a position of power。Another recurring theme in this book is the willingness to accept change， especially if it could lead to a better life。 This version of Robin Hood was so exhausted from fighting all the time that she was in desperate need of a break。 Yet， she was so used to an endless action-packed lifestyle that it was difficult for her to even consider an easier one。 It took a lot of patience on John's part to wear her down and help her realize how much she needed a chance to rest， settle down， and maybe even accept his love。 John， on the other hand， needed something that he believed in so strongly that it could overpower his own cowardice。 The book's climax is similar to Laurel of Locksley by Mary Mecham， which is about the daughter of Robin Hood falling in love with her enemy's son。 In the end， it didn't matter if anyone understood or accepted the relationship between the two natural enemies as long as they could learn to love and accept each other。 That was the driving force behind this book that made it such a powerful love story。The Wicked Prince by Celeste Baxendell breaks expectations and showcases a unique and heartfelt love story。 By skillfully intertwining the enemies-to-lovers trope with a gender-swapped Robin Hood， the author brings a refreshing twist to the Once Upon a Prince series。 Her carefully crafted narrative reveals the unconventional union between Robin， the noble lady turned outlaw， and the seemingly cowardly Prince John。 Despite their initial differences， Robin and John's complementary qualities create a powerful， dynamic partnership。 John's self-awareness and humility as a supposed villain add layers of depth to his character， while Robin's presence challenges perceptions and embraces the opportunity for change。 The novel explores the transformative power of love， acceptance， and the willingness to let go of preconceived notions。 Ultimately， The Wicked Prince serves as a reminder that genuine connections can flourish in the most unexpected circumstances。 。。。more
Emmy
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A YA， clean， non-fantasy romantic Robin Hood retelling。I'm not usually one for the reversed roles with Robin Hood， but having a female Robin deal with Prince John actually ended up working really well。Was this flawless？ Nah， but what is？ I struggled a little to get into it the first chapter or two and was sceptical about the start of the story。 But this actually ended up being a new favourite。I absolutely loved the dynamic between these two， and especially ended up loving John。 Wonderful， wonder A YA， clean， non-fantasy romantic Robin Hood retelling。I'm not usually one for the reversed roles with Robin Hood， but having a female Robin deal with Prince John actually ended up working really well。Was this flawless？ Nah， but what is？ I struggled a little to get into it the first chapter or two and was sceptical about the start of the story。 But this actually ended up being a new favourite。I absolutely loved the dynamic between these two， and especially ended up loving John。 Wonderful， wonderful， wonderful。 I can highly recommend it。Violence & gore: there's a few references to war and hangings， but the actual on screen violence is mildCoarse language: noneSexual content: there's some mild innuendo and a passionate kiss or two， but nothing I'd classify as spicy or steamy* received a free copy from the author。 This did not influence my rating or review。 。。。more
Jess
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Oh my goodness！ I could not put this book down！ I absolutely loved every aspect of it， from the first page to the last。 Baxendell could not have written Prince John and Robin Hood better！ They are both so similar to the original characters （other than Robin being a girl， of course）， and yet so very different and unique。 I loved the references to the classic story of my childhood and loved the sweet romantic twists even more。 💜
Nic
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Now this was a pairing I did not see coming in a Robinhood retelling。 But it surprisingly really really worked。I don’t know if it was the gender swapped angle of Robin but I loved the dynamic of these two。 An enemies to lovers trope。 The slow burn of their relationship was perfectly paced out for such a short book。 It was two people who were so at odds coming to understand the other and appreciating the other’s view point。 I loved when him and Robin finally came clean with each other and John an Now this was a pairing I did not see coming in a Robinhood retelling。 But it surprisingly really really worked。I don’t know if it was the gender swapped angle of Robin but I loved the dynamic of these two。 An enemies to lovers trope。 The slow burn of their relationship was perfectly paced out for such a short book。 It was two people who were so at odds coming to understand the other and appreciating the other’s view point。 I loved when him and Robin finally came clean with each other and John answered each of her questions about his actions honestly。 🥹 it was just soo touching。 He truly loved her even if she saw him as the villain only。 🏹 Enemies to lovers💚 He falls first 🔥 Slow burn but unshakable in the end🗡️ Camaraderie （can’t forget the merry men）🎨 Found family A m/f enemies to lovers fairytale romantic fantasy retelling。 Robin hood with a twist but with all the iconic staples， Maid Marian， the Sheriff， golden arrow and the merry men。 Dual povs told in third personCharacters - Robin of LocksleyPrince John Merry Men - Little JonWill ScarletAlan-a-daleThe Sheriff， Maid Marian and Lord Guy， King RichardSteam - kissing 。。。more
The Biased Bibliophile
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Brief description of my thoughts after reading the Once Upon a Prince books so far:The Crownless Prince: Ooooh！ This was pretty good！ I could read 11 more books like this！The Unlucky Prince: Wow！ This book was amazing！ I’m not sure how any of the other books in the series can top it！The Golden Prince: Okay， clearly my last thought was wrong！ These keep getting better and better！The Wicked Prince: OMG！！！ THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING， AND I’M NEVER GOING TO GET OVER THIS BOOK HANGOVER！！！I literally me Brief description of my thoughts after reading the Once Upon a Prince books so far:The Crownless Prince: Ooooh！ This was pretty good！ I could read 11 more books like this！The Unlucky Prince: Wow！ This book was amazing！ I’m not sure how any of the other books in the series can top it！The Golden Prince: Okay， clearly my last thought was wrong！ These keep getting better and better！The Wicked Prince: OMG！！！ THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING， AND I’M NEVER GOING TO GET OVER THIS BOOK HANGOVER！！！I literally messaged Celeste Baxendell while reading this book to let her know that she was disrupting my sleep patterns， and I was not mad about it！ Haha！ Ugh， I don’t even know where to start。 I cried。 I laughed。 I nearly threw my phone across the room。 I sat with a big dopey grin on my face。 This book convinced me to do a giveaway on my Instagram page for one of the books in the series， and a part of me （unfairly since I haven’t read all the books yet） thinks that anyone who chooses any other book is just wrong。The first thing you need to know is that this book is not only a gender-swapped Robin Hood retelling but also a villain romance！ One thing I often struggle with when I read romances is that they don’t always feel compelling。 I usually don’t read spice because I feel like it is sometimes used in lieu of crafting a compelling romance， but clean romances often fall flat for me， too。 I want my emotions to be so intertwined with the characters that I feel like my own heart is being ripped out and then stitched back together。 The Wicked Prince did that in the best way possible！This book was the epitome of swoony romance without being cliché。 The details throughout the book were absolute perfection。 For instance， Prince John wonders if Robin would notice if he replaced the dining table with one that was one inch shorter every night， just so he could be closer to her。 AND THEN HE ACTUALLY DID！！！ If that isn’t the cutest thing， then I don’t know what is！Furthermore， the characters were wonderfully written。 I appreciated that John had some traits that are rarely seen in your stereotypical prince。 He likes drawing and designing clothes。 One of his biggest flaws is that he is a coward， something that was developed through his character arc perfectly。 I loved the way that he was a villain， but also not really。 Even his more villainous traits， like his slight obsession with Robin， were endearing。 I particularly admired the way Baxendell kept John from becoming creepy or misogynistic。 I know some readers like those kinds of romances， which is totally fine， but for me， that is a line that I don’t want my romances to cross。Finally， Robin was a fantastically complex character， too。 I liked that she was pretty oblivious yet also very strong。 She was funny and innovative， and I felt like those traits gave her more depth。 At one point， she tears up her wedding dress to make breeches she can train in， which captured her character excellently。This is the first book I’ve read by Baxendell， and part of me wants to binge all of her books to see if they are equally captivating。 Sadly， I don’t have the time to continue staying up until 4-6am reading， although I will admit that I convinced my parents to pitch in for an early birthday present， buying signed copies of all twelve of Celeste’s books （which are available at https://celestebaxendell。myshopify。com/ until October 31st）。 Another part of me feels like bawling my eyes out and screaming at the top of my lungs， “I WILL NEVER READ A BOOK THIS MAGNIFICENT AGAIN！！！” So， please read this book so we can be miserable together！ I will just spend the rest of my life trying to relive the high of experiencing this book for the first time！ Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book， and I’m sharing my review voluntarily。 。。。more
Leah
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Another excellent book by Celeste Baxendell！ 5。0/5。0It was also much lighter than some of her other books without losing the key characteristics that make her books uniquely hers。 The book is set in the same world as her Bewitching Fairy Tales series though not simultaneously to it。Characters were well-developed。 Shifting between Robin and Prince John allowed me to see both sides of the story and see what they both were thinking。 They also both went through some believable and dramatic character Another excellent book by Celeste Baxendell！ 5。0/5。0It was also much lighter than some of her other books without losing the key characteristics that make her books uniquely hers。 The book is set in the same world as her Bewitching Fairy Tales series though not simultaneously to it。Characters were well-developed。 Shifting between Robin and Prince John allowed me to see both sides of the story and see what they both were thinking。 They also both went through some believable and dramatic character growth。 Prince John treated Robin with respect and left her alone despite trapping her in marriage。 Robin didn’t just fall into Stockholm syndrome; her actions ensure he has to meet her requirements before she can fully love him。 Seeing them grow individually and together is a lot of fun。I enjoyed the plot。 It was fast paced and never left for a full moment。 Yet it wasn’t too fast， so I was able to feel like everything was developed in a reasonable time span。 No random time skips that felt out of place。 I would comfortably and happily recommend this book for all fans of her work and fantasy stories。 It stands out as a Robin Hood retelling。 I would consider it lighter than Of Chivalry and Revenge， which I think is the lightest of Baxendell’s works though that book’s also not exactly light。 While both Robin and Prince John have personal issues to work through， they don’t deal with abuse， dark secrets， or many of the other heavy subjects in the her other two series。As are all of this author’s books， this book is also clean in both language and content。 There are a few places where suggestions are insinuated but never acted on， and Prince John shuts down anyone who tries except for one spot which is totally fine but relies on double entendre。 Once again， a great addition to anyone’s bookshelf！*I received an ARC but reviews are optional， and my opinion is my own。 。。。more
Bethany Aich
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I started reading this “for just a few minutes” in the evening…。and finished around 3 AM。 It was SO good。 I just kept going and didn’t even stop to wonder about reading the end （which is a rare occurrence for me）！ This book just became my favourite Baxendell book and is one of my favourites of the year。 I will say that toward the end， the kissing was a bit too much for me。 If it had been toned down a bit， this would have been a solid 110%。 That kissing surplus knocks it down to the 100 range， lo I started reading this “for just a few minutes” in the evening…。and finished around 3 AM。 It was SO good。 I just kept going and didn’t even stop to wonder about reading the end （which is a rare occurrence for me）！ This book just became my favourite Baxendell book and is one of my favourites of the year。 I will say that toward the end， the kissing was a bit too much for me。 If it had been toned down a bit， this would have been a solid 110%。 That kissing surplus knocks it down to the 100 range， lol。 Age range: probably upper teenClean romantically other than those end kisses， and they weren’t smarmy， just a lot。 Violence-wise: war is mentioned and dying is mentioned， but we don’t see much violence head on。 What we do see is more amusing to me than not。 While I received an ARC version of this book， the thoughts and ideas expressed are my own and I will definitely be rereading this when it comes out。 I would like to reread it now， but am trying to show the restraint I didn’t have when I stayed up so late reading it the first time！ 。。。more
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Reference
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