About the Book:
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.
My Review:
A lovely, refreshing break from the thrillers I’ve been reading lately! I am fascinated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story and especially with their journey leaving Britain and living in Canada for a bit.
Did they have neighbors? Did the locals know they were in the presence of royalty? Karina Halle takes idea and expands it into a charming, contemporary romance featuring Piper, a local schoolteacher who also runs an anonymous podcast by night. She lives a quiet life and takes care of her mother who suffers from mental illness. This book brings all the intelligence and depth that Karina Halle is known for, with a guaranteed happy ending!
What most people might find thrilling – the media frenzy that results when British royalty moves in next door – Piper finds horrifying and stressful. But the brooding bodyguard Harrison might just tempt Piper into welcoming love into her life again. He’s rough on the outside but the gruff exterior hides what just be a knight in shining armor!
Scandal ensues, conflicts are resolved, and Piper and Harrison have a chance at a lasting relationship and also a true kinship with the British royal couple he is sworn to protect. There’s lots of hot and steamy moments and a plot that is literally borrowed from the headlines. It all makes for a wonderfully romantic novel that is perfect for the last days of summer.
I loved the British Columbia setting and the scenery is described very vividly. I also loved that Piper’s podcast involved the romance community! Overall, ‘The Royals Next Door’ is a fun, escapist novel with a fair amount of steam. Nothing too heavy but with an intelligent heroine and broody, sexy hero who were very relatable characters.
(Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
