This one was a tough one for me.

It lacked a little in the romance and felt like the author was trying too hard to add funny moments but the funny moments were a little cringe worthy and gross. I wanted to help Maggie not have all those misfortunes happen to her by protecting her from herself. I understand the author was trying to make the character feel real and authentic but it was a little too much and felt forced.

There were some good moments throughout which is why I give it 3 stars

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK, Avon for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn to the cover and who doesn't love a light romcom. There were some funny moments but otherwise I felt like I just had to push my way through it. I felt bad for Maggie most of the time with being in a dead end job, terrible co workers and boss, an ex who cheated, and awful luck on the Tinder dating app. I did like the guards she befriended, they were funny and made the story.

Overall, it was an OK read for me.

Thank you so much for the review copy! I really loved this book. It was such a nice mix of really interesting history of a Royal castle intertwined with a charming romance.

I'm not normally the biggest reader of romcom type books, but was intrigued by the setting of this one, and it was that setting at the Tower of London that made this an enjoyable read. Megan Clawson is obviously very knowledge on the subject for obvious reasons, and that shone through, this feeling part fiction, part history lesson which I loved. The descriptions and a familar setting made it very easy to picture and a lovely easy read as a result.

Yes it's a bit clichéd and very predictable, but no the worse for that. I thought it was a lovely cosy rainy day read!

thank you to Avon Books, netgalley, and Jennifer Haymore for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest review <3
I tried so hard to like this book and I could not get into it at all. Maggie and Freddie didn’t excite me as much as I had hoped; the book was a bit slow-paced. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish this.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 😍❤️

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard tells the story of Maggie, the daughter of a Beefeater and who gets to live in the Tower of London!! Maggie is an amazing FMC!! I want to be her best friend!! Her ex who is the biggest idiot (I was trying to use a nice word for Goodreads) that just won’t go away and Tinder is no help so she decides to swear off men for good. That is until she meets Royal Guard Freddie (swoooooon) but how do you get to know someone who’s job it is to ignore you? It’s like they Zing and they just can’t stay away from each other!! 😍❤️

Please please read this book to find out guys!! It’s so so gooood!! Freddie is my new book boyfriend, I’m completely in love!! It’s definitely going to be one that I reread forever!! If you like anything Royal this one is for you!! 5✨

Anybody that knows me knows that I will always jump at the chance to read a royal love story. Harry and Meghan remain my favorite members of the royal family, but I still can't help but be fascinated by William and Kate, their kids, King Charles, Queen Elizabeth, and other members of the royal family. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard was the perfect book to read during coronation month, the coronation of King Charles that is. I felt like it really helped me even more so get in the mood. Maggie was a great lead character, and there were many times I forgot that I was reading a fictional story. She is so genuine and likeable and flawed that she seems very real. There is something super swoon-worthy about Freddie, the royal guard she falls in love with. I have always wondered who the men were behind the uniform and distinct hats, and I felt like this book gives you an inside look at that. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to my followers, and I think it is going to be one of my favorite romances of the year. Thank you to the publisher for giving me a chance to read a digital copy of this book!

I tried so hard to like this book and I just could not get into it at all. While I could look past a boring plot, vicious side characters, and an uninspired main character who is truly bad at her job, it was the romance that dropped this whole book to unredeemable levels for me.

Freddie is gone most of the book and I cannot for the life of me figure out when he found the time to fall in love with her since he truly does not know her at all.

There were some cute moments between the two but nothing drastic enough to save this "romance" book.

Special thanks to #AvonBooksUK, #MeganClawson, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of #FallingHardfortheRoyal Guard.

Falling Hard For The Royal Guard transports you to the captivating sceneries of the UK, particularly the Tower of London. I was drawn to this book on NetGalley due to my longing for the UK and the intriguing concept of the unyielding Royal Guards who steadfastly maintain their composure while protecting the palace. Megan skillfully weaves in the fascinating tradition of changing guards, which has always captivated me.

While this book delves into a slow burn romance, it also addresses themes of grief and, in my opinion, touches on gaslighting. As Megan's debut novel, I had high hopes for it and wanted to give it a 5-star rating. However, I struggled to immerse myself in the story. Perhaps my preference for a faster-paced romance influenced my experience, or maybe the various plot elements failed to seamlessly intertwine, creating a sense of suffocating chaos. The narrative occasionally felt akin to an autobiography, which is not inherently wrong since the author drew inspiration from her own life. I also found it challenging to connect with the characters, and the issues in the workplace, as well as the development of the relationship between the protagonist and the main character, progressed at a frustratingly slow pace for me.

Furthermore, the chemistry between Maggie and Freddie felt lacking. I longed to feel the flutter of butterflies and experience the goosebumps that come with a compelling couple, but unfortunately, those sensations eluded me within the pages of this book. My apologies!

Despite my reservations, I appreciated the opportunity to explore the author's culture and gain insights into life at the Tower of London. Learning about the Royal Guards proved particularly enjoyable. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard does offer moments of charm and humor, making it a worthwhile recommendation for those seeking a book set in the UK, complete with witty banter, the friends-to-lovers trope, and forbidden romance.

A great debut novel. I loved the descriptions of the characters that occupy the Tower of London and their close-knit, supportive community. Lovely love-story with many ups and downs.

The story of Maggie and Freddie. I loved the London setting and both of the characters. A great read.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson is a slow burn rom com. I’m not usually a fan of slow burns, but yet I loved this book. I loved all of the characters especially Maggie and Freddie. The history told in this book was amazing and actually contains quite a bit of history about the tower of London. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant debut novel from Clawson. It was a perfect mix of romance in an unusual setting. Maggie and Freddie were a lovely friendship/couple to root for throughout the novel. There were a few funny moments which gave insight into life at the Tower of London.

However, there were a lot of issues with this book. I really wanted to love this book, but too many things stopped me. The novel just felt like too much of the author’s life. From being a redhead, father a beefeater, boyfriend being a royal guard, and, of course, the name ‘Maggie’ being very close to the author’s name too. The dates which Maggie went on throughout the book felt too cliched and the constant issues with her workplace. It all didn’t mix together. The plot felt very haphazard in various places.

It was a disappointing read for me, but I will still try other books from this author.

This was a tough read, I tried to enjoy it but found I couldn't connect to anything I was reading.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful romantic comedy, this one is different though, as well as the will they won’t they , the setting. This is set in the Tower of London, so as well as the room com elements there is a lot of history and information about the tower and the people who call it home. It was throughly enjoyable and highly recommended for that slightly different style.

Having never read a contemporary story set in the Tower of London, it was interesting to learn about the community that resides there.

As Maggie finds her way in the world, missing her mom and dealing with feeling awkward, I found her to be a very relatable character. I especially enjoyed her love for history and the many stories she shared with Freddie as they toured the Tower.

I did have to wonder about Freddie though and why he simply didn't reveal who he was to Maggie much earlier in the story. So, as much as I enjoyed Maggie's connection to Freddie, there were times I was disappointed with his character.

I also found certain things to be more confusing than they needed to be. For example, at first, I couldn't figure out if the ravenmaster was a person or a figment of Maggie's imagination.

Overall, though, this was a fun royal romance. The banter was entertaining, and the close-knit community of the beefeaters was endearing.

Thank you to Megan Clawsom, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

“I find it fascinating that the ways we organise twenty-six of the same letters in black and white on a page can make you feel something.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re looking for a new Royal read for the coronation weekend, then I absolutely recommend this one. Was this a groundbreaking read? No… Was it cute, fun, and perfect for a quick holiday read? Absolutely.

If you enjoy learning about the history of London, you will probably love this book. Personally, I didn’t know that people live inside of the Tower of London, so that was interesting to read about, but the romance just didn’t hit the way that I wanted it to :/

Personally, I didn’t think that Maggie and Freddie had much chemistry, which was a shame, because I wanted to root for them. I can’t even pinpoint an issue, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace? I don’t know. It definitely wasn’t a bad book, it just didn’t feel special to me and didn’t leave an impression. The banter was very witty and reminiscent of Bridget Jones, though, so if you enjoy that vibe then this is probably the book for you! ☺️

But definitely pick it up if you enjoy:
💙 Friends to lovers
💙 Forced proximity
💙 Forbidden romance
💙 Witty banter
💙 History about London

(*Thank you to Avon books for kindly sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🩵)

I'm sorry, I lost interest in this book, I thought I'd pick it back up but everytime I try i can't go on for more than a page. The concept was really nice and I love the title and cover but they've lost me at the execution. DNF 33%

*Gaslighting, stalking, grief, slut-shaming, dysmorphia*
When Maggie bumps (literally) into the newest Royal Guard, she's immediately enamoured with his eyes. But she's sworn off men after her ex repeatedly cheated on her. Can Freddie change her mind?
I really wanted to love this book. I loved the original blurb, especially knowing that people live in the Tower grounds, but not really understanding how that actually works. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it, and I considered not finishing it several times.
Firstly, the blurb didn't really represent the actual story. I thought I was getting a rom-com, but there were some very odd plot choices and characterisation, in my opinion. The main character, Maggie, was a walking, talking disaster. I understand what the author was probably aiming for, and there are plenty of great examples of 'clumsy and/or quirky girls' in romancelandia, but here the character is reduced to repeated falls, bumps, paranoia, talking to herself or the ravens (almost exclusively in a derogatory manner), or being hungover.
The biggest issue with the story is that Maggie has ZERO agency, self-worth, or backbone for the majority of the story. She spends great chunks of the book putting herself (and others) down, allowing everyone around her to do the same, including her ex. The amount of workplace bullying simply wouldn't fly, although I was sometimes surprised she even had a job, given the number of times she was either late or just wandered off to talk to someone mid-shift.
It was hard to root for her. Her ex is a walking, talking red flag and a stalker, yet she doesn't block or report him. He takes up WAY too much of the plot, which consequently means that the actual romance suffers. Freddie, the titular love interest is okay on a superficial level (because that's all we really got). There's another subplot with a dating challenge (not with Freddie), plus a sham engagement, further diluting the actual romance. There was also very little humour (which is essential in a rom-COM) and what there was didn't work for me.
Maggie's constant references to her being watched and gossiped about felt to me like, rather than needing love, she needed to learn to love herself first and I felt she would have benefited from therapy, rather than a man. I did appreciate the narrative surrounding grief after the loss of her mother.
Though I have since learned the author is known for her historical content on social media, I personally found the descriptions of every nook and cranny of the grounds a little tedious at times. They are well-written, and I'm sure those not familiar with the Tower will learn a lot, but most of it wasn't revelatory to me, and It definitely didn't add to the actual story, or drive the plot forward. These descriptions would have worked better in a factual book.
I realise this is Clawson's debut, and I truly wish her well in her writing career, but I feel like she might be better suited to historical nonfiction based on this. Not for me.

Overall Rating: ❤️
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: *Unfortunately, lots of confused faces and eye rolls so I gave up marking them*

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard is published on 27th April in the UK*

OK, so I requested this because I was seeing lots of buzz about it, and because the coronation is coming up and I thought it might be a good option for a post for my blog about Royal-adjacent romances/novels/books. But. But. But. This did not work for me. I see that for other people it has, but for me it was the opposite of what I am looking for in a romance novel, in pretty much every way. It's one of those books where if I had read the sample of this on kindle, I wouldn't have bought it, but having requested it from NetGalley on the basis of a fun looking blurb and comparisions with novels that I liked, I soldiered on (sorry, couldn't resist a pun) to the end in the hopes that it would improve. But it didn't.