julzangold's review against another edition
4.0
A fun fairy tale with a dash of realism, two teaspoons of sexy, and three cups of charm.
Olivia runs her family's bakery and coffee shop that is struggling to stay afloat. Prince Nicholas is next in line for the throne of his home country, but comes to America to watch over his brother and live out the rest of his dwindling youthful rebellion since his grandmother, the queen, gave him a marriage ultimatum. They meet on a dark and stormy night... well maybe not dark or stormy, but it sure was snowy. And Olivia's feistiness slowly brought the prince to his knees. It's not just her dessert pies that catch the prince's eye.
This was such a fun and light read. Prince Nicholas is an absolute doll, I loved him. He pretends to put on that whole player act, but it clearly isn't very good. The way he knocks down Olivia's walls that she's put up to protect herself, and not only seduces her like the royal hotness that he is, but he cares for her so sweetly it made my heart ache.
I wouldn't say the story line was outrageously original, but I was always excited to listen to the next chapter and the ending made me oh so happy. The writing style fit the whole fun and flirty vibe, which was exactly what I was looking for with this read. And the spice surprised me with the contrast against the whole real life fairy tale schtick.
Olivia was a bit annoying and ungrateful at times, but I get her trust issues due to her father. I can forgive her for her pettiness, which she made up for in cheesy whit. You know I'm a sucker for good banter. And boy did they have it!
Olivia runs her family's bakery and coffee shop that is struggling to stay afloat. Prince Nicholas is next in line for the throne of his home country, but comes to America to watch over his brother and live out the rest of his dwindling youthful rebellion since his grandmother, the queen, gave him a marriage ultimatum. They meet on a dark and stormy night... well maybe not dark or stormy, but it sure was snowy. And Olivia's feistiness slowly brought the prince to his knees. It's not just her dessert pies that catch the prince's eye.
This was such a fun and light read. Prince Nicholas is an absolute doll, I loved him. He pretends to put on that whole player act, but it clearly isn't very good. The way he knocks down Olivia's walls that she's put up to protect herself, and not only seduces her like the royal hotness that he is, but he cares for her so sweetly it made my heart ache.
I wouldn't say the story line was outrageously original, but I was always excited to listen to the next chapter and the ending made me oh so happy. The writing style fit the whole fun and flirty vibe, which was exactly what I was looking for with this read. And the spice surprised me with the contrast against the whole real life fairy tale schtick.
Olivia was a bit annoying and ungrateful at times, but I get her trust issues due to her father. I can forgive her for her pettiness, which she made up for in cheesy whit. You know I'm a sucker for good banter. And boy did they have it!
nayru_66's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
rjordan19's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 - There’s a mix but I found a lot of them just a touch short, or already started when we enter the scene
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person from both the hero and heroine
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in (I didn't note this, but I want to say it's chapter 1 or 2??)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 8 months later
Format: bought audiobook
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Chase’s Royally series.
Basic plot:
Nicholas goes to New York City to fetch his rowdy brother and meets a waitress that he instantly wants in his bed. Instead he gets a pie in the face.
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- hero has dimples!
- royalty
- flying lessons
- summer fling
- New York City / country of Wessco setting
- class difference – prince and the pie making waitress
- higher steam – 5 full scenes plus a few extras, fades, and shorts scenes
First line:
My very first memory isn’t all that different from anyone else’s.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this one. I did the audio and really adore Shane East as a narrator. The first ¾ of the story for me was just really sweet and cute. Big Cinderella/fairy tale vibes and a lot of fun. I liked the character development revealed through their discussions together. I loved how they spent the majority of the book together. If it had kept on that track, I would have been happy I read it and rated 4 stars...BUT. BUT! The ending ohhhh my gosh. It was so angsty and good to me. The ending just had me on the edge of my seat. My eyes were watering and I almost cried. I was angry – ANGRY – when people talked to me and made me stop listening. So, so good. I love that bite of all of is lost, a bit of cruelty, hurt, angst.
I don’t usually read contemporary but I really had fun with this one. I’ll be continuing with this series!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- loss of parents remembered (plane crash)
- death of mother of heroine and emotional withdrawal of father
- alcoholism
- collections pressure and harassment by collection agency
- stalker behavior
- so there’s no infidelity here because the hero is not engaged yet to anyone but there is talk of a coming marriage the whole time they are in a relationship
- domestic violence/fighting – hero and his brother get into a fight, punching, etc but it’s not too rough (no lasting injuries)
- remembrance of hero’s girlfriend getting pregnant and 17 and miscarrying
- mention of attempted suicide
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Chapter 9 – kiss
Chapter 10 – 🔥kisses, mention that she’s NOT hairless and he loves it, breast play, oral for her, missionary, and a blow job that fades
Chapter 11 – remembrance of sex
Chapter 11 – kisses
Chapter 13 – 🔥we enter an already started scene that ends up in a titty fucking scene
Chapter 18 – 🔥on a vanity, hero shaves the heroine’s legs and quim, oral for her, sex on the vanity with no condom
Chapter 19 – blow job that’s very short
Chapter 19 – 🔥brief bj, missionary
Chapter 20 – her on top (short)
Chapter 22 - 🔥missionary
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 - There’s a mix but I found a lot of them just a touch short, or already started when we enter the scene
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person from both the hero and heroine
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in (I didn't note this, but I want to say it's chapter 1 or 2??)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, 8 months later
Format: bought audiobook
Should I read in order?
This is the first in Chase’s Royally series.
Basic plot:
Nicholas goes to New York City to fetch his rowdy brother and meets a waitress that he instantly wants in his bed. Instead he gets a pie in the face.
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- hero has dimples!
- royalty
- flying lessons
- summer fling
- New York City / country of Wessco setting
- class difference – prince and the pie making waitress
- higher steam – 5 full scenes plus a few extras, fades, and shorts scenes
First line:
My very first memory isn’t all that different from anyone else’s.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this one. I did the audio and really adore Shane East as a narrator. The first ¾ of the story for me was just really sweet and cute. Big Cinderella/fairy tale vibes and a lot of fun. I liked the character development revealed through their discussions together. I loved how they spent the majority of the book together. If it had kept on that track, I would have been happy I read it and rated 4 stars...BUT. BUT! The ending ohhhh my gosh. It was so angsty and good to me. The ending just had me on the edge of my seat. My eyes were watering and I almost cried. I was angry – ANGRY – when people talked to me and made me stop listening. So, so good. I love that bite of all of is lost, a bit of cruelty, hurt, angst.
I don’t usually read contemporary but I really had fun with this one. I’ll be continuing with this series!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Spoiler
- loss of parents remembered (plane crash)
- death of mother of heroine and emotional withdrawal of father
- alcoholism
- collections pressure and harassment by collection agency
- stalker behavior
- so there’s no infidelity here because the hero is not engaged yet to anyone but there is talk of a coming marriage the whole time they are in a relationship
- domestic violence/fighting – hero and his brother get into a fight, punching, etc but it’s not too rough (no lasting injuries)
- remembrance of hero’s girlfriend getting pregnant and 17 and miscarrying
- mention of attempted suicide
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Spoiler
Safe sex:
Spoiler
Yes, condoms used but eventually they rely on heroine’s birth control onlyChapter 9 – kiss
Chapter 10 – 🔥kisses, mention that she’s NOT hairless and he loves it, breast play, oral for her, missionary, and a blow job that fades
Chapter 11 – remembrance of sex
Chapter 11 – kisses
Chapter 13 – 🔥we enter an already started scene that ends up in a titty fucking scene
Chapter 18 – 🔥on a vanity, hero shaves the heroine’s legs and quim, oral for her, sex on the vanity with no condom
Chapter 19 – blow job that’s very short
Chapter 19 – 🔥brief bj, missionary
Chapter 20 – her on top (short)
Chapter 22 - 🔥missionary
haechans's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t know what to feel about Livvy immediately taking back Nicholas after he humiliated not only her but also her family. I mean, granted he did give up his country for her but just. I felt like it wasn’t enough for what she went through in those last days in the palace.
ryleehull's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook. How can a book be dumb and lovable? I think this one is
erinarkin20's review against another edition
5.0
Great story, fantastic narrators. Loved this and while I generally don't listen to romance on audio this one was perfect because Shane East's voice is amazing.