no2camels's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
#23for23
This is my first Nana Malone book--also my first Shane East listen--and I am in love (And Arndt is always a delight).
This is my first Nana Malone book--also my first Shane East listen--and I am in love (And Arndt is always a delight).
hopeamarsu's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
purdybirdy's review against another edition
I wanted so badly to like this, but it all feels so forced. Every interaction feels super fake (which it is but like.... He doesn't realize she's acting like a crazy person??) And that scene where she's moaning his name.... Yea no.
britgirlreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Sexism and Infidelity
emmaparker's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
michellesantiago's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy book blog:
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Cheeky Royal is part one in the two-part duet about a sexy royal, Sebastian, and his royal guard, Penny. Book two will conclude Sebastian and Penny's story, so yes, Cheeky Royal does end in a cliffhanger. If that's not your thing, you might want to wait about a month for book two to come out before picking up Cheeky Royal.
I've been wanting to read a book by Nana Malone, a new-to-me author whose books I see whenever I'm browsing and I've been in a royal romance mood lately so when Cheeky Royal popped up, I had to pick it up. And I'm glad I did because it was such a fun, entertaining, and kind of a mindless, cheesy read you can just relaxing with--something you just need sometimes.
Penny and Sebastian both grew up on Winston Isles--he, the Crown Prince, and she, the daughter of the head of the Royal Guards. For a little while they were playmates until Sebastian was shipped to boarding school and they haven't seen each other since. Well, at least in person, because Sebastian fostered quite a reputation for being a playboy and for his prowess in the bedroom and he was always in the tabloids. What they don't know about each other was that they both feel stuck with their family's expectations. Penny's family had always served the royal family since the birth of the Winston Isles monarchy and it was expected that she also become a Royal Guard. But, since joining the Royal Guards after graduating from art school, Penny knows she's not cut out for the job. Things always seem to go wrong even though she had the best intentions, and she's worried that her dad may have to fire her. What an embarrassment that would be to her family!
Sebastian had left the Winston Isles after finding out that he had a long lost brother that may be eligible to inherit the crown. While Sebastian loves his home and his people, he doesn't want to be King. He wants to pursue his passion for photography, and live life without the heavy mantle of ruling a kingdom. But, Sebastian stayed away too long and the king wants his son to come home. The king knew that the only way this could happen was to send a Royal Guard that Sebastian wasn't expecting: Penny.
Posing as his neighbor, Penny knew she had to get much closer to Sebastian without letting him know that she's a Royal Guard sent by his father, there to protect him, as well as persuade him to go home. Sebastian doesn't want his sexy new neighbor to know that he's the crown prince of the Winston Isles. A real friendship develop between them while they both fight their mutual attraction to each other. But, they're both withholding truths from each other and when their secrets are revealed, they may very well tear them apart.
It did take me about 30% to really get into Cheeky Royal because it took that long for Penny and Sebastian to meet and start having scenes together. Once they're established in their roles, though, things got more fun. Especially all the ways Penny tried to get close to Sebastian. The plot was predictable and the dialogue and exchanges between the characters were conventional at best. Surprisingly, though, I still had a good time reading Cheeky Royal. Like I said, sometimes you need an easy, fun, mindless read you can relax with for a few hours and still have that steamy factor I love in my romances, plus a royalty factor to boot so it was a good time.
I am looking forward to the conclusion to Penny and Sebastian's story. If you haven't read Cheeky Royal, don't read the synopsis for book 2 because it will spoil you for this book.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Cheeky Royal is part one in the two-part duet about a sexy royal, Sebastian, and his royal guard, Penny. Book two will conclude Sebastian and Penny's story, so yes, Cheeky Royal does end in a cliffhanger. If that's not your thing, you might want to wait about a month for book two to come out before picking up Cheeky Royal.
I've been wanting to read a book by Nana Malone, a new-to-me author whose books I see whenever I'm browsing and I've been in a royal romance mood lately so when Cheeky Royal popped up, I had to pick it up. And I'm glad I did because it was such a fun, entertaining, and kind of a mindless, cheesy read you can just relaxing with--something you just need sometimes.
Penny and Sebastian both grew up on Winston Isles--he, the Crown Prince, and she, the daughter of the head of the Royal Guards. For a little while they were playmates until Sebastian was shipped to boarding school and they haven't seen each other since. Well, at least in person, because Sebastian fostered quite a reputation for being a playboy and for his prowess in the bedroom and he was always in the tabloids. What they don't know about each other was that they both feel stuck with their family's expectations. Penny's family had always served the royal family since the birth of the Winston Isles monarchy and it was expected that she also become a Royal Guard. But, since joining the Royal Guards after graduating from art school, Penny knows she's not cut out for the job. Things always seem to go wrong even though she had the best intentions, and she's worried that her dad may have to fire her. What an embarrassment that would be to her family!
Sebastian had left the Winston Isles after finding out that he had a long lost brother that may be eligible to inherit the crown. While Sebastian loves his home and his people, he doesn't want to be King. He wants to pursue his passion for photography, and live life without the heavy mantle of ruling a kingdom. But, Sebastian stayed away too long and the king wants his son to come home. The king knew that the only way this could happen was to send a Royal Guard that Sebastian wasn't expecting: Penny.
Posing as his neighbor, Penny knew she had to get much closer to Sebastian without letting him know that she's a Royal Guard sent by his father, there to protect him, as well as persuade him to go home. Sebastian doesn't want his sexy new neighbor to know that he's the crown prince of the Winston Isles. A real friendship develop between them while they both fight their mutual attraction to each other. But, they're both withholding truths from each other and when their secrets are revealed, they may very well tear them apart.
It did take me about 30% to really get into Cheeky Royal because it took that long for Penny and Sebastian to meet and start having scenes together. Once they're established in their roles, though, things got more fun. Especially all the ways Penny tried to get close to Sebastian. The plot was predictable and the dialogue and exchanges between the characters were conventional at best. Surprisingly, though, I still had a good time reading Cheeky Royal. Like I said, sometimes you need an easy, fun, mindless read you can relax with for a few hours and still have that steamy factor I love in my romances, plus a royalty factor to boot so it was a good time.
I am looking forward to the conclusion to Penny and Sebastian's story. If you haven't read Cheeky Royal, don't read the synopsis for book 2 because it will spoil you for this book.
baileygrace0208's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
autumnjoiee's review against another edition
4.0
These royal tropes are usually a must read for me so I’m confused as to why it was on my TBR list for so long. Regardless, this was such a fun read.