I haven’t read the prequel, but I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to read a highly talked about grumpy sunshine moment! Thankfully, this was stellar as a stand-alone, but I will still add the prequel to my list.

Pet is the personal assistant to a royal family member, Johnny. Matthias is Johnny’s bodyguard. A tabloid rumor of an affair sparks a fake dating relationship between Pet and Matthias. Opposites attract, workplace romance, and grumpy sunshine? Sign me up please!

Overall, this was an adorable read full of laugh-out loud moments. The parrot moment had me on the floor 😂🦜. I wish the romance had been a little more fast-paced, but of course, others may love the slow-burn progress.

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Lucy Parker books is always going to make me smile, and Codename Charming absolutely did that!

I was so excited to see Pet's romance after meeting her in the first book. I loved her ability to look on the bright side of life even after being dealt so many crapy things in her life. She didn't shy away from standing up for Matthias and not letting anyone say a bad word about him, so in that way she really was just as protective as him.
Who does't love a bodyguard trope and Matthias was just so likable. I feel like he really was an example of the adage an action speaks louder than words, because although he did have some lovely sweet words it was all about his actions for me. He was so thoughtful and did so many things both big and small that showed how much he adored Pet even before she realized it.

The fake dating trope was so fun, and I loved the added twist of having to fool the paparzzi!
I loved that the witty humor I've come to love and expect from her books was there in this book, but it also hit on some serious topics for both Pet and Matthias.

My only critique really is that at times some of the descriptions or explanations (even when explaining funny moments) just seemed a bit too long. I found myself skimming those parts hoping to get back to the dialogue between Pet and Matthias. I feel like it took me a minute to really get absorbed into the story but once that happened it was such a wonderful escape!

DNF, I'm not sure. There was just a lot going on all at once and I could not comprehend it. All the characters were introduced at once and I had no idea what was happening. It was like I was expected to know who everyone was within the first page. And the setting was incredibly unclear.

I love grumpy heroes and this one takes the cake! I love the way he loves the heroine and their banter is off the charts! Perfect balance of swoon, humor and spice. 🔥

I am a huge Lucy Parker fan and was thrilled to get an early copy of Codename Charming, book 2 of her Palace Insiders series, thanks to @netgalley, @avon, and @harpervoyager

✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ Coworkers
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Forced Proximity (aka Trapped!)
✔️ Hurt/Comfort

I loved the grumpy/sunshine pairing of a stoic bodyguard who has cut himself off from emotion (Matthias) and a chaotic pixie personal assistant who is also dealing with a traumatic past (Pet). And I loved that they needed to fake date in order to stop the paparazzi from writing that Pet is having an affair with her boss (which she isn't). Coming up with mission codename charming happens early in the book and was one of my favorite scenes.

One of my other favorite moments occurred when these two were trapped together and fireworks ensue.

My only critique is that it felt like there were a lot of B storylines/mayhem that felt more distracting to the romance vs enhancing. But that is a small complaint; this book was delightful and perfect for those who love romcoms and like funny banter as well as off-the-wall situations (the parrot). 4⭐️

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Codename Charming by Lucy Parker

This was such a cute book! I absolutely loved it! The story moved along well without any big gaps or slow moving sections. I really liked the characters, I thought they were well fleshed out and were believable as a couple.

Picking up Codename Charming is like catching up with a friend you've been missing. I loved it!

In this follow on to Battle Royal, you're getting a royal adjacent workplace romance with fake dating. Between Pet who'a PA and Matthias who's personal security for Johnny Marchmont, the hapless husband of Princess Rose. When the paparazzi glom onto the idea that Pet and Johnny are having an affair, the royals come up with a fake dating scheme to divert attention.

There's a little bit of. a Beauty and the Beast thing going on here with Pet and Matthias being dubbed #tollandsmoll (lol) and the two find themselves actually falling for each other. But never admitting it, despite major attraction between them.

I loved the cheeky humor in this one. Lucy Parker drops some zingers in the first 30% that actually had me laughing out loud. But I think what really sets it apart is that there's a secondary plot that keeps this from being just a standard fake dating story.

A solid, sexy, slow burn for summer and beyond.

Thank you NetGalley and author for this ARC!

I enjoyed it a lot! Such a cute book. This book is a fun and flirty romantic comedy. I highly recommend this and will most definitely will be reading again.

An adorable unexpected romance and story of found family with tabloid drama and clumsy royal shenanigans.

What was meant to be a cover story for the press to make them stop lying about Johnny, turned into a real life romance between Pet and Matthias and it was adorable to read as they figured it out together.

4.5 I absolutely adored this book, just like I knew I would! Lucy Parker has a way of writing that just constantly keeps me engaged. I couldn't put this book down! I loved the romance in this! The way the main characters relationship developed gave me all the butterflies! Such a cute and fun read!

OK, this book was just stinking adorable. I really liked <i>Battle Royale</i> and so had high hopes for this one, and I was NOT let down. Pet and Matthias are THE couple.

I really liked Pet in the last book, and am so glad to see how she developed and bloomed into a beautiful character in this book. She had some things to overcome from her past, but she is a strong enough person that she could do it. And on her own, too, without anyone "fixing" her. Matthias was a lot of fun. The grumpy/sunshine trope is a fun one when done well, and though I see Matthias as more serious than grumpy, it was still immense fun to see him open up to Pet.

I loved the appearances from Rose and Johnny (even though the royals' subplots kind of slowed the pacing down a little?) and lord, that sweet Johnny and his inability to walk in a straight line without falling over is just adorable.

Overall, this was a really fun read, and I look forward to the next book from Lucy Parker.

Codename Charming convinced me to be a Lucy Parker fan for life, including purchasing the book that comes before this one. It is the perfect grumpy sunshine trope with the perfect amount of sweetness. I was rooting desperately for the HEA, and would follow these two into a whole new world of books. Recommend to any lover of contemporary romance.

She’s the sunny personal assistant to the new Royal and he’s the grumpy bodyguard, when a scandal threatens their favorite royals what better way to divert attention then to fake date...but it’s starting to feel very real. Petunia De Vere or “Pet” is the bubbly and sweet personal assistant to Johnny Marchmont, the new husband of the princess. Pet loves her job but there are definitely challenges but thankfully theres Matthias, a intimidating and strict bodyguard who just somehow always seems to catch Pet when she’s in danger. Matthias might seem scary but Pet knows that underneath that exterior is a very sweet and caring person. Matthias has made it his life’s duty to protect Johnny, and he can’t help but want to make sure Pet is protected and happy too. While Pet and Matthias might be polar opposites both of them just want to protect the people they care about. When the media starts spreading rumors that Pet is Johnny’s mistress ( which couldn’t be further from the truth) The Royal team decides to come up with a plan to squash the rumors once and for all, have Matthias and Pet stage a fake relationship, which they both agree too. Yet the more time Pet and Matthias spend together and “pretend” to be in love the more they are falling for one another. Can they take this relationship from fake to real? This was a really cute and sweet fake dating romance with a grumpy x sunshine and a tall x small trope. Pet and Matthias were both so sweet and caring for each other and their romance was just so cute. I had a blast with this one and would definitely recommend it for fans of fake dating romances!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

When Petunia (Pet) is injured at a royal event saving the princess’ consort, her life changes overnight. Suddenly she’s working as a PA for Johnny, the well-meaning but accident-prone royal consort. Matthias is Jonny’s protection officer and helps Pet as they try to guide Johnny through social events with limited mishaps. To quash a newspaper rumor accusing Johnny of infidelity, Pet and Matthias agree to a fake dating scheme. But what happens when the relationship starts to feel real?

Lucy Parker is one of my favorite authors!! Codename Charming is without a doubt one of my top reads of the year. I loved Battle Royal and yet somehow I love Codename Charming even more! Pet and Matthias have an outstanding dynamic and so many excellent tropes. They’ve got a height difference, grump/sunshine, protective bodyguard, fake dating, and witty banter. I love the deep connection that Pet and Matthias have. They’ve both gone through challenges in life that would’ve made it understandable for them to be closed off or shut down and instead they always connect and work together. They are both such sweet and caring characters; I felt so invested in them and loved the progression of their romance.

I really enjoyed the cameos from Battle Royal, especially the glimpses of Dominic and Sylvie. The royal palace is filled with memorable side characters who provide hilarious commentary on Pet and Matthias’ relationship and step in to help as needed. Codename Charming is such a delightful treat of a book. Lucy Parker has created a world that I can’t get enough of! I hope to see more stories from it in the future. This would be the perfect read for readers who love royals, fake dating, grump/sunshine vibes, and a seriously sweet romance.

Thank you so much to Lucy Parker, Avon, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book since forever! After finishing Battle Royal and seeing that Pet and Matthias would have a book, I’ve been counting the days to read this. It was everything I wanted!

So, Battle Royal was my first book by Lucy Parker and while I loved it, I struggled with the writing. I was expecting the same in this book so I was ready for it, but I have to say the writing in this book feels so much lighter. I’m so glad this was the case because I was able to enjoy Pet and Matthias more. Fake dating was so fun in here! I love it when the fake part isn’t very fake because both of them are tremendously attracted to each other but haven’t said it yet. Matthias was the epitome of protectiveness, but Pet was very close to him, always ready to fight anyone who dared to make him feel ugly or not valid. My favorite part of their relationship was how deeply they cared about each other even before getting together.

This book has a lot of side plots, just like the first one. I enjoyed seeing Johnny and Rosie so much, and Pet’s journey to figure out her roots. Matthias’s past was heartbreaking and made me love him even more, and I would have liked to see him reuniting with his best friend’s family after all. And you’ll also see Dominic and Sylvie! I missed them so much!

This book was totally worth the wait.

Rating: 4/5
Steam level: Open door, 1-2 scenes, medium level of detail

ARC provided by Avon and NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

A fun take on the fake dating trope and a perfect summer read. I enjoyed this more than Battle Royal but I did have the same issues with this one - namely that these books are longer than they need to be and that dulls the momentum a bit.

I loved Lucy Parker's Battle Royal and was so happy to see that side character Pet De Vere was getting her own story. Pet is the personal assistant to Johnny Marchmont, the ridiculously accident prone royal husband from Battle Royal. Johnny has a knack for causing all kinds of mayhem wherever he goes, including at least one time that he knocked Pet off a stage and directly onto the head of Matthias, one of his bodyguards. Pet and Matthias are a perfect sunshine/grump pair, and she makes it her mission to become his friend. When a really terrible, misogynistic paparazzo with an axe to grind catches an image of Johnny and Pet just after one of Johnny's accidents and publishes it as evidence of an affair, his PR team comes up with something to change the narrative - a fake romance between Pet and Matthias, who have been captured in enough compromising situations (thanks to Johnny's various accidents) to have a small but loyal community of shippers online. This is a romance, so what happens isn't a huge shock, but one thing I really loved about this book is that Matthias is presented as not at all conventionally attractive - he thinks of himself as ugly and several accidents involving his face have left him battered and scarred. But Pet thinks he's lovely and I found her fierce defense of his looks against any detractors (including Matthias himself) to be completely adorable. There were some parts of this story that seemed a bit more surface-level than what I remember from the first book (Pet's search for her birth father, for instance, didn't feel completely developed to me), but I loved Pet and Matthias so much that I was still in it from beginning to end.

Thank you to Avon Publications and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Codename Charming! Codename Charming is the follow up book to Battle Royal, but it can be read as a standalone. I definitely read reading Battle Royal though because that is a wonderful book!

What is the book about?
Petunia De Vere is still trying to find her place in the world especially in her career. She thrives as a personal assistant, but wants to make sure she’s seen competent and capable in her role. Her boss, the clumsy, whimsical and charming, Johnny Marchmont doesn’t make that simple. Due to one to many falls and accidents, the royal press is determined these incidents must indicate a scandal of an affair between Pet and Johnny. In order to squash the rumors and keep the press hounds at bay, a fake relationship, i.e., Codename Charming, between Pet, and Johnny’s Personal Protection Officer, Matthias, is formed. But what happens when a fake relationship creates real feelings? Both Pet and Matthias must work through the personal walls they have built if Codename Charming is going to be a success.

My review:
I couldn’t wait to dive back into the world of Palace Insiders, and this book didn’t disappoint. Pet is such a bubbly character, and you cannot help but smile and root for her along the way. And if Pet is the sunshine then Matthias is the grump to go along with it. He wasn’t as much of a grump but sort of a broody recluse body guard, yes please. Also, the man kept scissors and paper in his pocket for her, STOP. My heart broke for Matthias at times because I felt like he took the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay. I loved getting glimpse of Dominic and Sylvie’s lives post Battle Royal and how their relationship was progressing as well!

If you like ___________, then this is the book for you!

- Grumpy Sunshine
- Bodyguard Romance
- Fake Dating

This was cute! It took me a bit to get into the premise since I didn't read the previous books, but the great thing about romance series is you don't have to. I loved the quietly protective Mattias, but wish there had been less build-up to his backstory - lots of long, detailed dreams of his previous life and the ghosts that haunt him that just pulled me out of the main story.