The Emperor, His Bride and the Dragon Robe by Lisa Sankar-Zhu

The prince is ready to pick a wife and settle down.  He decides to bring the two prettiest women to his castle and have them stay for a few months while he decides which one will be his new wife.  They are common girls and have only their beauty and manners to present.  It isn't beauty that influences the prince, though.

Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and is available as an ebook or paperback book now.  (I just ordered the paperback version for my library.)

The prince has been given a Dragon Robe by his father on his deathbed.  He told him to keep it close and it would protect him.  He puts it away and thinks no more about it.

As he watches how the girls act and listens to their conversations he's struck by how different they are.  One is prettier than the other but it's what's inside the person that counts.  When the less attractive one uses magic to make the prettiest one ugly, she also reveals some of her character.

The prince is smart enough to see through that and picks the one with a gentle nature and a kind heart.  The other girl is more than a little bit upset and she turns her wizard on him.  The wizard wants to run this kingdom himself, so he tries to kill the prince.  It's an amazing battle.

The illustrations are just gorgeous, the story line teaches you to be honest and not lie or cheat, and it ends happy ever after.  What more could you want?