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A review by arishkh
Royally Screwed by Emma Chase
3.0
I loved Nicholas, I loved Emma Chase's writing and i loved her storytelling. The only thing I didn't like was Olivia's own naivete and her lack of ability to stand up for herself. I am drawn to strong female leads who don't take any bullshit from anybody and I just don't see that in Olivia.
Emma Chase boasts about Olivia's kind nature but I think she went too far by allowing her kind nature to be detrimental to Olivia's lack of self-advocacy. Throughout the book, Olivia has always been the observer: she has just went along with Nicholas's wishes. When Nicholas asked her on a date-she said yes. When Nicholas asked her to uproot her life for three months to explore a relationship that wasn't thought to last, she said yes. When the Queen makes a snide remark about Olivia being a whore, Olivia doesn't stand up for herself, she lets Nicholas do it. I can understand that she's the Queen and so Olivia would do her best to be polite, but Olivia doesn't even seem phased at being called a whore. I mean shouldn't she at least be hurt and not smilingly walk out the door when the Queen orders her to leave.
I feel like Chase took Olivia's kindness and honesty too far so that it morphed into spinelessness. i feel like one of the ways that Chase could have proved Olivia's kindness was to heal and encourage Henry to talk about what was distressing him. Rather she talks to him and doesn't know how to fix him and then gives up. After Nicholas jumps off the boat to save his little brother Henry, Nicholas forces his brother to talk about whatever is distressing him. Nicholas gives Henry a new perspective allowing him to cope. Olivia (again follows Nicholas's lead and gives him another method in which he could cope). Olivia's lack of initiative and self-advocacy hinders me from building a connection with the characters and thus the book.
Emma Chase boasts about Olivia's kind nature but I think she went too far by allowing her kind nature to be detrimental to Olivia's lack of self-advocacy. Throughout the book, Olivia has always been the observer: she has just went along with Nicholas's wishes. When Nicholas asked her on a date-she said yes. When Nicholas asked her to uproot her life for three months to explore a relationship that wasn't thought to last, she said yes. When the Queen makes a snide remark about Olivia being a whore, Olivia doesn't stand up for herself, she lets Nicholas do it. I can understand that she's the Queen and so Olivia would do her best to be polite, but Olivia doesn't even seem phased at being called a whore. I mean shouldn't she at least be hurt and not smilingly walk out the door when the Queen orders her to leave.
I feel like Chase took Olivia's kindness and honesty too far so that it morphed into spinelessness. i feel like one of the ways that Chase could have proved Olivia's kindness was to heal and encourage Henry to talk about what was distressing him. Rather she talks to him and doesn't know how to fix him and then gives up. After Nicholas jumps off the boat to save his little brother Henry, Nicholas forces his brother to talk about whatever is distressing him. Nicholas gives Henry a new perspective allowing him to cope. Olivia (again follows Nicholas's lead and gives him another method in which he could cope). Olivia's lack of initiative and self-advocacy hinders me from building a connection with the characters and thus the book.