I enjoyed Falling Hard for the Royal Guard, but didn't love it. With that in mind, I thought that Love at First Knight sounded very interesting. It was. It was also not the lighthearted rom-com I was expecting. It's impossible to root for Teddy to win (you'll see when you read it), and I wasn't a huge fan of Daisy. 2.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley Harper 360, Avon, and Harper-Collins for the free electronic Advanced Reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fresh take on romance! Anxiety, awkwardness, LARPing, and some really witty banter. For an anxious person, it’s so hard when someone volunteers you for something or takes away your choice. But Daisy gave it a shot and meets Teddy, who she loathessssss. They shouldn’t work, they have every reason not to, and yet this slow burn is paced perfectly.

Daisy Hastings grew up in a family of nerds, so it's no wonder she loves her live action role play (or LARPing) and is her strongest, most outgoing self as her alert ego. Plain old Daisy is overly anxious and prone to panic attacks when put in new situations. When her father secretly applies for a summer job for her at the Tower of London, she grudgingly agrees to try. Teaching children swordplay sounds right up her alley, but first she needs to help train one of the new hires. From the start, Theodore Fairfax and his arrogance rub her the wrong way and she decides to put him in his place. But when she finds out he's the black sheep distant relation to royalty, she's sure she's getting fired. But there's just something about him she's drawn to, even as he continues to purposely annoy her. Will she be able to survive the summer and prove to her family she can make it on her own?
This is my second book by this author. I'm glad the characters from the first book appeared in this book too. I loved the banter between Teddy and Daisy and how he calls her Petal. The LARPing was funny to a point, but I thought way too much time was spent in the battle, and then the ending of the book felt rushed. 3.5 stars rounded up.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been having bad luck with a great many of the ARCs I have tried to read lately. I must be getting more particular with age.. jinkies!

I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley because I had read the previous book from this author that was also set in the Tower of London and involved an awkward girl and adorable interactions with her future love. In this book, Daisy gets an opportunity to work at the Tower of London as a summer camp instructor for children wanting to become knights. While she excels in the program, she totally screws up when she lets Teddy distract her.

This story seemed to go a bit too long - otherwise I would have given it 5 stars. It was a clean and pleasant read!

I’ve been following the author on TikTok for a while and was excited to read this book. The story incorporated LARPing, a unique idea!

The MFC is Daisy, who has high anxiety and has never left her hometown. Her father submits an application for her to teach at KNight School (LARPing) in London. She almost backs out when she gets the job because she is too scared to leave her home and parents. She decides to go…and it is an excellent thing for her. I found her extremely naive and often annoying (really, I wanted to slap her with a wet noodle)

The MMC is the royal bad boy…who I think is misunderstood…but also annoying.

This book had promise, and I can see why so many people enjoyed it. It was a slow read for me and not my favorite this year.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper 360 | Avon for the arc!

I’m literally obsessed with this. This was so damn cute and fun and I loved the banter! Definitely a favorite of mine.

Thank you to Megan Clawson and Harper 360 for the ARC!

I never thought I’d enjoy a book about LARPing!🗡️
This was such a cute story about overcoming your anxieties and embracing yourself, with a meet cute mixed in! The mental health was so well articulated, it actually spiked my anxiety at times! 🙈 As well, it was a bit hard for me to imagine a viscount falling for a LARPer at first but as the story progressed the idea won me over!

If you love enemies to lovers, found family, quirky characters, and stories representing mental health, I recommend you check this book out when it releases on 05/07/2024!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Fun premise and enjoyed the LARPing aspect. A little slow and too YA for me though.

The premise was super cute. I liked the FMC, Daisy. Her anxieties and desire to be alone were so relatable. However, once the book was set up, I was expecting it to move quicker. Instead, it had a slow, plodding pace the entire time. And Daisy thought the worst of everyone allllll the time. Which yes, was a character flaw she was aware of, but that didn't make it any less annoying.

The MMC was Mr. Darcy coded but he didn't have the disinterested charm to pull it off--he was just a jerk. Also... nicknaming someone named Daisy "Petal" is the most cringe-inducing nickname I've read in a while. Bleh. I hate even thinking about it.

The idea was cute, but ultimately this author's writing wasn't for me. It was over-explanatory and slow.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Royal romance and I have to say I really enjoyed it! It was also my first romance that incorporated LARPing which was unique and cool to learn more about.

Daisy was so quirky and lovable, I found it easy to be invested in her character. (Which speaking of quirky, I absolutely loved Bobble. We all need a friend like her in our lives.) And I think most of us here can agree we love a good misunderstood bad boy and Theo definitely fits the bill.

Overall this was a classic enemies to lovers that had some amazing banter and characters. The only thing I wish we had gotten more of was dedicated one on one time between Daisy and Theo. But I will definitely be keeping Megan Clawson books on my radar!

I thought Love at First Knight was sweet if not a little boring. It read more like Young Adult than Women’s Fiction. I found myself several times checking how far into the book I was which is never a good sign. The best books for just engross me I never even think of checking how much I have left to read unless its to make sure it doesn’t end anytime soon.
Daisy felt incredibly naïve and her happy ending with Teddy felt like it missed the mark. It felt more like a happy ending for now. It did not feel like she had life in order at all. I liked the premise of this books but can’t say I would recommend it to anyone or read it again.

Thank you avonbooks and netgalley for the eARC of Love at First Knight by in exchange for an honest review.

Love at First Knight is a contemporary romance set in the same universe as the author's first book Falling Hard For the Royal Guard and I do admit to being glad that Maggie and Freddie make a cameo appearance in Clawson's new book.

I adored Love at First Knight. Some of the issues I had with Clawson's first novel are fixed in this one. Daisy is a whole personality with a family, a life, and interests outside of her love life. She's just a real of a character as Maggie, but I felt the story that Clawson built for Daisy and Teddy felt more realistic and the requisite romance happily ever after more achievable. I love how Daisy and Teddy's relationship developed naturally from picking at each other as co-workers, to helping each other as friends. The scenes of non-antagonistic banter made me smile and I loved Daisy's Grand Gesture at the end of the book.

The characters felt fresh with each one distinct as a whole personality. Daisy's relationships with her family take center stage when needed, and I saw her development both with them and with Teddy. For his part, Teddy came across as less wooden than Freddie did in Falling Hard and I felt like I knew him as a character. There was no instalove and the relationship just felt like it built naturally.

The whole last third of the book was just utterly delightful and I smiled my way through it. Clawson is going to be an auto-buy author for me. I've flow through both of her books in about three days and I'm sad there isn't another one available.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the arc for review purposes.

This was a super fun enemies to lovers romcom set in the author's Royal series and also takes place in London when Daisy, a LARP loving woman with extreme anxiety takes a chance on a summer job teaching the "Knight school programme" the only problem? There's a disgraced distant royal relative, Theo who is doing all he can to get kicked out of the program and at the same time risking Daisy's place in the program.

I loved the mental health and #ownvoices Neurodiversity rep in this book and the way the two MCs finally got to know each other once they opened up about their deeper insecurities. Great on audio and another great read by Megan Clawson! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review! Plus the adorable pink cover was impossible to resist!

This book was cute, fun and fits into a very certain niche. I am not one that is into live action role play but found an appreciation for through Lady A and all her shenanigans. This book did fall a little flat for me as the characters came across as immature especially with their students. Daisy and Teddy acted 16 not in their early 20s. When I was 23 I had been in a classroom for a couple years and couldn’t be that reckless with kids. Overall, a fun read but mediocre for me.

Daisy Hastings is a major homebody, but her alter ego, Lady A, is a skilled knight and talented LARPer. When her dad secretly gets her a job at a summer knight school, she’s more than anxious about it. At the school, she meets Teddy Fairfax, who is dead set on causing as much chaos in his life as possible. When his chaos risks Daisy’s chance at securing her job, enemies are created.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this! So much of the story made my little nerd heart swell. Daisy/Lady A is such a complex character and I loved her arc throughout the story. The confidence she gained with the help of a few other characters made me so happy. The author was able to implement the main characters’ personally challenges in a way that made them feel so relatable, and I adored all the side characters mixed in as well!

Thank you very much for the ARC copy. I really enjoyed this, it was delightfully cute and I loved the neurodivergence representation in it. I think my only critique is that there is this sister sub-plot that I wish had more established in the beginning because it has a lovely conclusion to something I feel like never got started. Same with the final chapter before the epilogue, I would have liked one more of Teddy and Daisy actually getting their moment, possibly when he bails her out. Otherwise, this made me smile a lot and was an incredibly fun time. I definitely want to check out this author's other books!

3.75 stars!!

I came in thinking this would be a cute little romcom but honestly it was much more a journey of self discovery, a focus on confidence and being true to yourself!!! Plus a side of romance of course!!

Daisy Hastings is not quite your average 23 year old- she’s anxious and still lives at home, she spends her time LARPing with her family and is an excellent swordsman and brave elf lady. Her father applies for her to teach at a summer camp Knight School, giving her an opportunity to both show off her skills and get away from home out on her own for a little!!

Life in London is a huge adjustment for our gal, but her eccentric roommate makes it bearable. Unbearable, however, is having to babysit a party boy Royal being punished into working at the camp as well. She couldn’t care less about his title, and so she banters with the best of them trying to get under his skin the way he does hers. Watching her grow in self confidence and this man absolutely eat it up is so rewarding!! But honestly just her growth is great to see- the best way to succeed in life is to just be who you are!!

Thank you to Megan Clawson and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for a honest review!

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Must read

•anxiety rep
•royal romance
•royal mmc, nerdy fmc
•loathe to love
•slow burn
•closed door

*possible mild spoilers*

Daisy is a 23 year old who comes from a small village and has stayed there basically her whole life. Her and her family do LARPing with a community they have built up. For the most part she’s satisfied with her slow, quiet life. Although there’s a part of her deep down that longs for more, she just can’t bring herself to step out of the comfort of life as she knows it. Daisy suffers from pretty intense anxiety and while she can tear down orcs, elves, and other make believe monsters on the battlefield, she struggles with bringing her confidence from her fantasy life over into the real world.

She ends up being signed up to work at knight school (against her will). She gets there and all is well until a rogue viscount is constantly getting under her skin and in the way of her doing her job. Lots of tension and flirty banter! Theodore Fairfax has been sent to work at knight school as a last ditch effort to save face. He’s determined to screw it up so they will send him away and he will finally be out of the press’s prying eyes. Long story short there is a lot of head butting between Daisy and Teddy and Daisy ends up losing her job!! She goes back home just for Teddy to arrive on her doorstop in a sort of grand gesture and confesses he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her ❤️❤️❤️ They compete at Helm’s Geek together, just to arrive back in Daisy’s village with another hurdle they have to leap over. Daisy ends up performing her own grand gesture weeks later which leads to her being arrested for trespassing on royal grounds 🤣

I also LOVED the little side plot between Daisy and her sister. Daisy feels jealous of her sister bc she is going to uni and seems to be able to navigate through life so easily without the anxiety Daisy deals with. Her and Marigold seem to drift apart over the years, then they have a reconciliation at Helm’s Geek and a heart felt moment after Teddy leaves the village.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“The worst of all? From the moment his lips melted against mine, I was prepared to slay a dragon for just one more taste of him, for one more chapter in his tale.”

“I watch my sister across the dining table, wondering why she got to be her, and I am stuck with myself…. The guilt of resenting someone you love so deeply is overpowering. How can I be jealous of someone I only wish the best for?”

“If you actually start thinking of other people as people, and not just characters in your quest, you’ll realize that we’re all just trying.”

“You showed me that I can fight, that I can choose my fate, so I chose you.”