Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson felt like a brilliant ode to the history of England, specifically the Tower of London mixed with a romance involving a woman, Maggie, rediscovering herself in the throes of epic life changes & the dashing Royal Guard, Freddie, that keeps crossing her path. The fact that Maggie called the Tower of London her home was enchanting to me. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard has an early 00’s romcom movie vibe to it & I mean that in a fantastic way!

One of my life’s biggest dreams is to visit Europe, but specifically London. Because of this, I adored the setting. I was enamored with the detailed descriptions of the area & the fascinating inclusion of its’ history. It made me want to go visit even more. The fact that they created this beautiful love story in the midst of it is incredible.

There was a bit of a stalling in the momentum of the story in the middle. However, near the end, I was drawn back in & eager to see where things went. I ended this book completely charmed with a smile on my face.

I was a big fan of Freddie’s co-workers & friends. I was charmed by the eclectic group of people that called the Towers their home.

To those looking for a romance with a unique setting, fellow admirers of England &/or anyone looking for an easy & lovely love story, I would recommend Falling Hard for the Royal Guard, which is out May 2, 2023!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Avon for the free arc, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will add to Amazon after release date & add links once I do!

This book gives Pick Me Girl vibes. This book is stuffed to the brim with tropes it can be quite confusing. however the overall story was very good!

I was invited to read this book by the Publishers in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading the parts of the book which gave historical information about the Tower of London. I had no idea that people lived in it. This part of the book was very interesting and engaging for me.
Unfortunately I think that I am probably a little older than the intended audience for this book. Sometimes this doesn't matter at all if the characters are well developed and the storyline is strong. Sadly I didn't find this to be the case in this book. Even when I was younger I would not have gotten away with being hungover or late or absent from work as often as Maggie does in this book.
Maggie did have a hard time with the bullying at work as well as the behaviour of her ex. I found it hard to believe that nothing was done about either problems.
The actual Romance plot didn't come until much later in the book and then I think that it seemed very rushed.
This book was good in places but I think that it would be enjoyed by a younger audience.

I had no idea people live inside the Tower of London! That is amazing information. I love that the proof came with a little map of the Tower as well, because all of Maggie's travels around it are described in detail.

Overall I liked this - it's a nice, frothy, gentle romcom, the kind you can predict by about four % in but still enjoy. However there are a couple of issues, and I will just say one here as I don't want to spoil too much:

We're supposed to be on Maggie's side in terms of her job, and the bullying is absolutely unacceptable, no question there. However Maggie is consistently late or not working - she spends a whole day finding the best places to sleep off her hangover. This is not the actions of a good worker! Kevin was cruel and mean, but he was right to be frustrated with her.

I really did enjoy this, and I think a Hallmark version would be amazing. I recommend it for a holiday read, or if you're interested in the Tower as there's plenty of history woven into the story. A sweet, cute read.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard was one of those books that I was really excited to read. A woman who falls in love with a member of the royal guard? I mean, how cute is that?! Add the fact that she lives in the Tower of London and just lives in this really cool military world was fascinating to me. Then you add Freddie, who is a royal guard that rotates through her area, and I was just ready for a swoon worthy read.


Excerpt, this book just didn't work for me like I'd hoped. At the first encounter, Freddie is incredibly rude and pompous, and I felt like we were never really given a good reason, other than he was distracted with personal problems. Then he does a 180 and starts flirting with Maggie, and I will be honest, it took me a moment to switch gears and forgive him. He seemed sweet and quiet and after a while I forgave his first impression. However, I was not a fan of his wish-washy behavior towards Maggie. He'd go from almost kissing her, and joking around, to throwing up walls, retreating behind his military mask, and physically retreating from her presence. It was hard to root for the guy when he was just as much of a hot mess as Maggie was.


Speaking of Maggie, I wish she had a bit more character development. She's just this flighty woman who just does not have her life together. From a relationship that went wrong that she can't seem to break away from, to the "mean girls" at her work, to the security cameras always watching her every move and spreading gossip about her... it just seemed too much. It was as if the whole world was out to get her. I mean, the girl couldn't even order a pizza without it being an ordeal, and I just wish that the author had spent more time developing Maggie and the characters, than the life of living in a location like the ToL.


When the conflict arises and things come crashing down, just to get their happily ever after, I just felt disappointed. For all of the back and forth, the obstacles, and just lack-luster romance aspect, I was hoping for something more than just a quick fix and a pretty ribbon tying everything up nicely. A lot of things were left unanswered, and I felt like they were just there to pose chaos for Maggie and Freddie. Things take place that have zero repercussions... and I just felt gypped of an honest outcome. In the end, I felt like I read more of a history novel on the royal guard and beefeaters and what their roles are, than I did of a lighthearted romance.

I thought I would love this, or at least enjoy it, but unfortunately I really didn’t. This was pretty boring; it was a lot of her being down on herself and the romance portion came pretty far back. This just wasn’t a fun read for me. But, the historical facts, descriptions of the Tower and life for those who live there, and all that was amazing.

This book was an adorable, sweet weekend read. The characters were charming and the plot was so fun! I read this on the weekend in the spring, but it would be a great summer beach read!

This was an ok read, it was just too slow for me. I liked where it was set and loved the ravens but the storyline didn’t keep me interested sadly.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard is a captivating tale that boasts a compelling storyline, a superb setting, and a charming protagonist. The characters are well-crafted, and the plot is executed flawlessly, making for an enjoyable read. The author's ability to create a vivid and immersive setting is truly impressive. From the grandeur of the royal palace to the bustling streets of the city, I was transported to a world that is both enchanting and believable. The lead character is a cheeky and endearing individual who captures my attention from the very beginning. Their journey is filled with twists and turns, making for a thrilling and engaging read.

This book is Jane Austin meets Bridget Jones diary and all your favourite books under one cover. I loved this brilliantly funny, cleaver and informative book.

After following Megan on her Tiktok platform I was curious as to how good the quality of the book would be. I was not disappointed! Falling Hard for the Royal Guard has a truly unique story and I loved the insight into what life might be like inside the Tower of London. There were many historical references and some tales that could only be known from an insiders point of view which were interesting.
The storyline itself follows Maggie a relatable young lady who works a miserable job in the ticket office with horrible colleagues and has just ended a long term relationship with a controlling partner who has completely isolated her from her friends. Maggie's life in the tower is less than desirable until a chance meeting one night with the royal guard turns her world upside down. Not only this encounter with the guard but meeting his friends seems to bring out her confidence and give her renewed enthusiasm for life again.

I look forward to reading more novels from Megan

I love royal romances! The cover of this book was adorable and the plot sounded like it would be a great book. Unfortunately, I could not make it past 8% and most of that was after I had scanned past a lot of text looking for actual dialogue and waiting for the two main characters to actually meet. I never fully understood why Maggie is living in the Tower of London. I don't think we were given enough background.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to like this book but I just didn't. I think that it should have been dual pov. There were times when Freddie just disappeared and I would have liked to know what he was doing at the time. We did eventually find out but I didn't feel like a plot twist was necessary. As the reader it would have been fine to know that information from the beginning. The pages we got at the end of them together were really cute and I wish we got more of that throughout the book.

I received an arc through netgalley.

This read was a total delight! What a fabulous debut for Megan Clawson. With history weaved throughout about the Tower of London, we follow Maggie and Freddie's love story. Maggie is a ticket person at the Tower of London and her encounter with Freddie changes everything. A heart-warming romance, this was a cute, memorable read. Highly recommend!


I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A cute take on the bodyguard romance, with a swoony male lead, It was a really fun weekend read, I flew through this book and could not put it down!

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson is a unrequited love rom-com set in and around the Tower of London.

Maggie is a ticket seller at the Tower and she also lives there with her father, a Beefeater.

This novel is full of history and interesting facts about the iconic building.

This is a must read for fans of royalty, palaces and history👑

Maggie lives in the Tower of London, and whilst there meets soldier Freddie, a man she quickly begins to fall for.

I adored Maggie, and would happily read more books about her life. She was fun and funny, and I enjoyed seeing her confidence grow. The only downside was that I didn't really like Freddie, and thought their romance was a bit lackluster. There were other characters that I thought she had more chemistry with!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

DNFed at 40%

I can absolutely see the appeal of this book. Maggie is a really fun and sympathetic character, the setting is super unique and really cool to be immersed in, and the premise is really intriguing. I loved all the scenes with Maggie and her dad and the Beefeaters, and the times where Maggie explores the beauty and history of the tower, and I think this book will definitely have an audience.

Unfortunately I struggled to get into this story. I just felt so bad for Maggie! So many horrible things happen to her and I just had a hard time watching her get embarrassed again and again and again. Her boss and coworkers felt unrealistically mean, and now that the romance has started I'm not connecting with Freddie much as a love interest. I really like Maggie and wish her all the best, but I just wasn't excited to pick this book up.

2.5 stars

I follow Megan Clawson on TikTok so I was excited to get approved for the arc of her debut book. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting through the book because there was barely any interaction between the two leads in the first half. I also didn't like Maggie. However, it was a cute original idea and I enjoyed learning facts about the Tower of London.

This is not a rom com. The tone is more angsty new adult. I really wanted to read it for the Tower of London setting, but I just could not. The heroine is a mess, and there's nothing charming about her to make up for it. The book is just relentlessly sad and depressing. DNF at 14%

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.