Coaches, and a Matchmaking King
In The Surprise Princess, Book 6 of USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn’s acclaimed The Wedding Series, King Jozef of Bariavak continues his search for his long-missing granddaughter, and State Department security official Hunter Pierce is on the case again. This time the clues lead to Ashton, Wisconsin, and the athletic offices of Ashton University. There, young Katie Davis works as an administrative assistant and Brad Spencer as a basketball coach, and both soon will be caught up in international intrigue and some royal matchmaking. You are introduced to Brad and the Ashton campus in Hoops, the prequel to The Surprise Princess. Flash back a few years and Brad is a star on the basketball team, coached by C.J. Draper and tutored by Carolyn Trent. The latter two return in The Surprise Princess as mentors to Katie, and, okay, they might take part in a little matchmaking themselves.
Book 6, The Surprise Princess
A Princess? No Way
Katie is a perfectly ordinary young woman living a perfectly ordinary life in small-town Wisconsin … isn’t she?
The most interesting thing about her is that she works for the men’s basketball office at Ashton. If she considers the biggest perk of the job being around Brad, the assistant basketball coach, that also makes her ordinary, because what woman wouldn’t feel that way? So these people coming around saying she could be the long-lost granddaughter of the King of Bariavak have to be wrong … don’t they?
Brad has a real soft spot for Katie. She stirs his protectiveness, his penchant for the underdog, and, possibly, certain other reactions he’s not about to indulge. So he’s going to do his damnedest to make sure Katie gets all that she deserves, including the crown that might be her right … even though it means Her Royal Highness will never again look at a basketball coach from Wisconsin like he’s the king of her heart.
Hoops (an RITA Finalist)
Before Brad volunteers to be Katie's Knight in The Surprise Princess, he played on a college basketball team that had a very special season.
The Coach and the Professor
Carolyn Trent's logically mapped journey to becoming the perfect professor of English was hijacked the day she became academic adviser to the Ashton University men's basketball team. The hijacker was C.J. Draper, the team's infuriating, irreverent and sexy new coach.
C.J. has never let adversity stop him - if he had he'd never have gotten this far. He's not about to start by letting Professor Trent derail him. If he chose to rattle her ivory tower it was just for the fun of seeing the fiery woman beneath the marble-cool exterior . . . wasn't it?
When logic clashes with ambition in the game of love, will anyone win?
The Surprise Princess and its prequel, Hoops, are moving, passionate small-town romances that will captivate fans of Bella Andre, Susan Mallery and Sarah Wilson.
Reviews:
[The Surprise Princess] “Love this series! It takes you from home to all over the world! … It’s great the way these books intertwine with characters from other books in this series but still give you a story that can be a stand-alone.” -- 5* review
“I have enjoyed each and every one of the books in this series, but I loved the characters for this book the most. No two strong, independent and tender hearts ever deserved to love more than (Katie and Brad). … Beautiful, at times funny and just plain charming.” -- 5-star review
"Fast-paced and funny but soulful and deep. The romance has your heart racing .... Just right. That's what I thought of Hoops " -- 5-star review
[Hoops] "Refreshingly different ... Strong characterizations and perceptive insights leave a lasting impression." -- Romantic Times
Praise for The Wedding Series:
“A wonderful series that will make you laugh and cry. Each page is filled with love that will eventually come to the people who so need it. A must read!” – 5-star review
"Perfect. The characters were multi-dimensional and played off each other in warm, thoughtful, loving ways. Each couple faced a different situation and overcame their obstacles together and with the insightful comments of their friends. ... Heart-warming." – 5-star review
Get all the books in Patricia McLinn’s The Wedding Series today!
Prelude to a Wedding*
Wedding Party*
Grady’s Wedding*
The Runaway Bride
The Christmas Princess
Hoops (prequel to The Surprise Princess)
The Surprise Princess
Not a Family Man (prequel to The Forgotten Prince)
The Forgotten Prince
Box Sets
*The Wedding Series Trilogy (Books 1-3)
The Wedding Series Box Set Two: The Runaway Bride and The Christmas Princess (Books 4-5)
The Wedding Series Box Set Three: Hoops (prequel) and The Surprise Princess (Book 6)
The Wedding Series Box Set Four: Not a Family Man (prequel) and The Forgotten Prince (Book 7)
The Wedding Series: The Complete Collection (Books 1-7 and prequels)
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn spent more than 20 years as an editor at the Washington Post after newspaper stints in Rockford, Ill., and Charlotte, N.C. She received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University.
McLinn is the author of more than 50 published novels, which are cited by readers and reviewers for wit and vivid characterization. Her books include mysteries, romantic suspense, contemporary romances and women’s fiction. They have topped bestseller lists and won numerous awards.
Now living in Northern Kentucky, McLinn loves to hear from readers through her website and social media.
