He laughs. He actually laughs.
I gawk at him. “What’s the date today?”
“It’s July 6,” he says. “Why?”
“Because I want to remember it as the day I made Harrison Cole laugh. I’ll celebrate it every year by making offerings to the Holy Saint of PPOs, leaving tidings of aviator sunglasses and stiff upper lips.”
He’s shaking his head at me. “And you said I wasn’t normal.”
“It takes one to know one.”
Karina Halle’s newest romance The Royals Next Door brings all the fun, sweetness, and snark you need to make your summer great. Following Piper Evans, an elementary school teacher living in a tight-knit island community that ousted her after she called off her wedding to the town’s revered fiancé, the romance-loving, podcast-making mess of a woman’s life is turned upside down when British royals rent the property next to hers. When Piper runs into their very stoic, unfortunately very sexy bodyguard Harrison Cole, a slow-burn hate-to-love romance commences and suddenly, the Royals aren’t the only ones that find themselves in the spotlight.
You had me at bodyguard and royals, honestly. Karina Halle knows how to pen a romance that will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book and this was no exception.
A lot of the elements concerning the royal couple Prince Eddie and Monica are clearly inspired by Meghan and Harry and I was hooked by the spin Halle put on that real-life story. We have Eddie and Monica who want to escape the press for the summer and spend some time away from the ruling thumb of the monarchy. And we have Harrison, the bodyguard who would gladly take a bullet for them.
Piper and Harrison’s slow-burn romance was well-paced and really drew me in from the get-go. Their witty banter and sweet moments made me swoon and most of that can be attributed to their expertly developed characters apart from their romance. Piper has a lot on her plate—her mother is living with her since she struggles with borderline personality disorder and dependent personality disorder and needs Piper’s help—and even though she is a quirky, upbeat character, we also get to see the darker parts of Piper, including her fears of not fitting in with the townspeople, her worries about her mother’s future, and her own mental health that suffers from the pressure she is under. Halle provides authentic mental illness representation that will make many readers nod their head because it is so realistic and doesn’t shy away from the not so pretty parts of it. Meanwhile, Harrison is a closed book at the beginning of the novel but slowly unravels his own traumatic past and why he is as loyal as he is. I loved how individually, both of these characters had a lot of baggage, but once they got together, they realised just how nice it can be to have someone who will help carry the load. And though this didn’t quite include the level of steam I’m used to from Halle’s books, there is enough chemistry between Piper and Harrison to make you fan yourself while reading.
There are a lot of elements of this story that I’m sure readers will adore, but one that warmed my ice-cold heart was the calling out of the stigma surrounding reading romance. Piper has a romance podcast which she does anonymously because she can imagine the backlash if someone were to find out an elementary school teacher discussed smutty scenes online. And when the secret inevitably comes out, Halle really doubles down and exposes the double standards for women, the ridicule and downright dismissal romance readers face. Piper holds her ground and fights for her right to read what she wants in private as long as she doesn’t let it interfere with her teaching—which it never has—but it was just so enlightening (and aggravating that it is a thing at all) to read a romance that actually articulates the stigma readers of that genre have faced in the past and are still facing. Who doesn’t remember dismissing a romance book as “guilty pleasure” when someone asked them about it? I loved how Halle called out the people who would shame someone for enjoying reading a romance— it’s 2021. If people still think romance isn’t one of the best genres out there, they’re not picking up the right books.
With characters that leap off the page, an enchanting royal couple to root for and a slow-burn romance to make you ache, The Royals Next Door is the perfect summer read that will keep you reading all night long.
The Royals Next Door is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 31st 2021.
Will you be picking up The Royals Next Door? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
I will definitely be picking up this book! I was intrigued by the synopsis at first but your review pretty much sealed the deal!