Quick Thoughts: The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle

The Royals Next Door

by Karina Halle

August 31, 2021

336 pages

Goodreads Summary:

An ordinary summer goes royally awry when a prince and princess move next door, bringing their handsome bodyguard with them, from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.

Piper Evans: elementary school teacher by day--avid romance reader and anonymous podcaster by night. She lives a quiet, reclusive life, taking care of her mother, who struggles with mental illness, avoiding her regrettable ex, who bartends in town, and trying to make inroads in the tight-knit island community that still sees her, five years in, as an outsider.

And she's happy with how things are--really--until British royals rent the property next to hers and their brooding bodyguard decides she's a security threat. Piper quickly realizes that one person's fairy tale is an ordinary woman's nightmare as a media frenzy takes over the island and each run-in with Harrison Cole is hotter and more confusing than the last. But beneath Harrison's no-nonsense exterior lies a soft heart, one that could tempt a woman who's sworn off attachments into believing in white knights.

But when Piper finds herself smack in the middle of a royal scandal that rocks the island she'll need more than Harrison's strong arms to shield her--she'll have to do a little rescuing herself. With careers, hearts, and friendships on the line, Piper and Harrison will have to decide what they're willing to give up for a chance at their own happily ever after.

Review

I'm not one for the royals in real life but I love me a good fictional royal story~~ Sweet, sexy and sobering, I devoured The Royals Next Door in one day.

What I Liked:

- easy to follow writing

- great interaction and development between the MCs

- mental health awareness/discussions

- Piper standing up for herself was so awesome!

- slow burn romance with lots of tension and hot moments

- a true representation of social media

- so very fun

The Not So Much:

- a little less drama would've been nice but I guess these are the royals we're talking about

- I know it was probably done on purpose but I wasn't a fan of the extreme similarities to Harry and Meghan

"Controlled is a preference." "I think you're getting preferences and needs mixed up." (p.156)

"Only you know when you're ready to move on, but you also have to know when you should go back." (p. 176)