Book Review: The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle

The Royals Next Door is officially live! This entertaining romantic comedy was a fun, faced-paced delight and I had a wonderful time reading it.

The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle

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.

4 out of 5 stars

This was a super cute and fun read! It was sweet, fast-paced, and entertaining. I loved the grumpy bodyguard and the quiet school teacher coming together and was thrilled when they got to their HEA.

I really enjoyed Piper and Harrison's first meeting and the antagonism and banter between them. I was so curious about Harrison, he's probably one of the reasons I read this so fast because I was excited to learn everything about him. I loved learning his history and watching him fight his feelings. I enjoyed learning about Piper, what she had going on with her life, and her relationship with her mom. Some harder subjects were touched upon and I liked learning about the growth taking place for both Piper and her mom and their special bond. I loved Piper really growing and gaining confidence and putting herself out there and standing up for herself.

There were a lot of engaging scenes and sweet moments taking place. The details were good but not overly in-depth, there was just enough information to keep it moving along. There is definitely a slow burn happening between these two and I enjoyed the build. The story had a very ripped from the headlines feel and I liked the author’s lighthearted take on what would happen if a royal moved in next door. I liked the royal couple and the friendships that Piper formed with them and the friendships they had with Harrison.

This was an entertaining story that I had a hard time putting down because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. It was the overall entertainment value that hooked me and I really enjoyed it.

Complimentary copy received from Berkley Romance.