3.5 stars

Every girl dreams of becoming royalty. Especially American girls. It seems so out of reach for most of us. In Royal Affair you have the average American girl who meets a future duke that turns her world upside down. Not exactly in the way most of us dream about, but oh the fun they have! That is the story we get in Royal Affair by Parker Swift.

Lydia Bell is a bit on the naïve side, but after losing her father she is determined to find her way. Though she seemed to sweet and innocent most of the times, I loved when she gave and good as she got.

Dylan Hale is a dirty talking future duke who is confident, determined and controlling. Especially in the bedroom. For reasons he holds close, he does not do relationships. Sexual hookups are all he wants and needs, or so he thinks.

When Lydia and Dylan meet, the attraction is instant, but he is clear from the start, he does not do relationships. He is happy with no-strings attached sexual relationships and that is what he proposes to her, but it needs to be kept secret. Though this may not be exactly what Lydia wants, she wants him more. So, Dylan introduces her to a new world of sexual experiences.

Though I did enjoy Lydia and Dylan’s story, there were many similarities to other very popular books. However, I was intrigued enough to read this through and loved how things are never as easy as you want them to be. I am looking forward to the next part of the story in the next book.

DNF'd at about 24%/Chapter 9
I really liked the start of this one. I was completely in it. Was finding myself involved in the characters stories and how they intertwined. Unfortunately, around the 24% mark I got a sense that Dylan was about to say somethings that were way to reminiscent of another book. Something that always makes me cringe a bit because it makes me think of this other book and sets the tone for everything to come. Could I be horribly wrong about where I expect things to head? Of course. Should you not read it? No way! My hang ups may not be yours. Lydia and Dylan are very likable characters that are worth taking a chance on.

New series and new author to me!I'm always happy when I explore new authors!I enjoyed the story and the writing was really good!The heroine is perfect!She is sassy an ad sweet and her in combination with the hero was perfect!

I have to admit, I went into this book with a slightly bad attitude. A rich guy, part of the aristocracy, that is wanting a “secret” relationship. One that he warns is just sex, will not lead anywhere, and no one can know about it. Basically, a royal booty call.

Have some self respect, sister!!

And that is completely not what I got. Instead, Royal Affair turned into a sweet and kinky story with main characters I adored, antagonists I despised, and an author that has me stunned that this is her debut novel.
Dylan is my new book boyfriend. He’s smoking hot, dominant/kinky as hell, polished and really sweet. His stalkerish tendencies were actually pretty cute, and I loved watching him fall in love despite himself. I was worried I would resent him for his “sex-only” relationship request, but it was pretty apparent that there was more to this guy than met the eye. The fact that a Royal fell for an every-day woman like Lydia made him even more likeable.

As I said, I was anticipating some eye-rolling on my behalf at Lydia being a doormat and going along with this farce of a relationship, but I truly liked her! She didn’t allow herself to be walked over and I felt that her and Dylan were a good match. She stood up to the “Earl of Perv” and gave as good as she got. The sex was also non-stop, so what’s not to like?!

Royal Affair is the first of a trilogy of novels, but although there is a soft of cliffhanger ending, it’s a full book in itself. It was sexy and sweet and a great start to a series I know I will enjoy!

4.50 Stars
Title: Royal Affair
Author: Parker Swift
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Cliffhanger/Three book series!

I still can't believe Royal Affair Parker Swifts debut novel! Dylan and Lydia’s sexually charged affair will fog up your e-reader screen with all of their royal sexcapades. This book captivated me from the first to the last page.

Dylan is British royalty and Lydia is an “ordinary” woman.
After a chance meeting, the two embark on a sex-with-no-strings relationship. Lydia and Dylan have a “don’t ask, don’t tell” arrangement. Dylan insists he doesn’t do relationships and no one can know about Lydia. Their sex-only relationship ends up on the fast track to becoming something more. The two are faced with insta-feelings and paparazzi. Can they navigate a relationship under the watchful eye of other British royalty and the paparazzi? BOOM. What a great twist and cliffhanger ending! I have to say that I didn’t mind it at all since I knew this was a three-book series. If anything, the ending left me wanting more! If you are looking for a fast-paced romance with a side order of sexy smut, this is your next one-click.

This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter. A review copy of this book was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this book as I did not engage with this story at all.

I really tried to get into the book but I found myself just taking bits at a time, not really getting into it all. The story started off well, I like Lydia right away but then it just all started to fall apart at the party. Dylan was not appealing to me and then to get through the book and find out it's a cliff hanger on top of it all! To drag this out, when I think their story line could have been nicely been summed up in one book... It was just a no go for me.

This was the best romance novel I've read in years. This is without a doubt the best romance novel I've read through NetGalley! Highly, highly recommend.

This is not exactly what I had in mind when I thought of the ‘royal romance’ genre but it is a royal romance. It is different and unique in its own right.

Dylan Hale is a hot and sexy alpha male who has taken to Lydia in a major way, this book is hot and steamy but it doesn’t end there. There is also passion and a believable plot line. Some romance books can be so far fetched and deviate from reality but this one didn’t.

They meet and sparks fly, the chemistry is palpable and so tense at the same time which I really liked because it meant the tension would lead to hot and steamy scenes. I was not disappointed.

There are some ups and downs in this book but it was so well written that I didn’t want this book to end at all! I think if you’re looking for a royal romance that is edgy and different, this is one for you!

This is the first book of three which I didn’t realise so the ending kind of threw me a little bit but I did enjoy this read and will be looking forward to reading the rest of their story!

THIS BOOK!! I am in awe of this being a debut author's work. It is so entertaining. It is definitely sexy. It is emotional. It is so well written. I am so in love with the sexy alpha Dylan. He will definitely have a place on my book boyfriend's list. This will definitely be an author that I will continue reading and I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book and find out what the author has in store for the readers and the characters.

Although, there was a definite 50 Shades similarity thing happening, Dylan and Lydia were so fun to read, so interesting, and so HOT. I need the next book NOW!!!!

Received in exchange for a honest review.

For a debut novel, Parker Swift did excellent in having you engrossed in the love story and fall in love with the characters. We get a entertaining story and a ending that has you happy but wondering what is meant by that message and who is Dylan Hale?

Dylan is sexy, arrogant at times but also very sweet. he has a past that shames him but also holds him back from love. That is until Lydia. Lydia who tells him like it is. Lydia who is sassy and catches Dylan’s eye.

These two have chemistry from the start and even though Dylan thinks he should stay away he just can’t. He gets closer and closer to her. He falls for her but fights it. Lydia is everything he didn’t think he wanted or should have. Smart, sexy, sassy and kind. She gives Dylan all she has and at times you wonder about the power struggle here. Dylan wants control of everything but it does go to far and hurts Lydia. He forgets that people have feelings and he can’t control them. When he finally goes beyond what Lydia can handle we see the pain and grief come in. We also see Dylan finally confront himself, his past and his feelings. He does some swoony moments to give us the HEA but we also end with a wee bit of a mystery having us wonder what obstacle is next to be thrown at this adorable couple.

A fun sexy and sassy start to what should be a wildly entertaining romance and the obstacles that are placed in front of Dylan and Lydia and how they handle them together and apart as they strive for a HEA of forever will be a fun sexy read as it has started off this way.

I would like to thank Parker Swift, Forever Publishing and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.

Review By Stephanie

Wow what a great debut novel! I must admit I was a little nervous when I saw debut writer but Parker did a great job with this story!

Ok so I am a huge sucker for a hot British accent throw in royalty and stick a fork in me! So when I read the description I was like hells yeah! Dylan Hale is the future Duke and he plans on living up to his playboy status…just sex no love!

Last sentience….Royal Affair is a good read that was full of steamy moments that will leave you wanting more….I can’t wait for Royal Disaster!

I enjoy the royal trope, but there are some aspects of it that drive me insane, namely..fake countries. So, I was glad that this one was set in London. No, I realize this is not something that should really matter to the story, and I realize there are a lot of them out there, very popular ones, set in fake countries.

I liked Dylan a lot. I htought he seemed realistic and oyu can understand the need that he has to protect her from the paparazzi. The rationale for this was, possibly, a little over the top and unnecessary, but at the same time, I was not able to object to it all that much.

I thought the author did a good job with Lydia and her acceptance of him not only being royal, but what that meant for their relationship. I liked the evolution as she got closer to him, and wanted to be more than a fling and his arc around the same plot development, but with him being afraid of exposing her to the life he lives.

There were some issues with jealousy that were a little repetitive and I felt that he kept telling her the same things over and over, but maybe this is what happens when you date royalty.

I knew this was a trilogy going into it, so the cliffhanger ending does not effect my rating.

If you are a fan of Regency romances and wondering how those titled gentlemen are faring in today’s world, then “Royal Affair” by Parker Swift is the book for you. If you are into steamy scenes and high fashion, then “Royal Affair” is for you!

The story of Dylan Hale, heir to a dukedom and Lydia Bell, New Yorker and NYU graduate, “Royal Affair” is a tell-all in how the millennial children of the peerage cope in this era of social media and tabloid news dominance.

With their chance meeting in Canada, Dylan and Lydia found themselves attracted to each other. When Lydia moved to London to pursue a career in fashion, Dylan was immediately at her side seducing her to start a torrid love affair.

While they try to keep their relationship low profile and purely physical, the chemistry and attraction between them cannot be denied. Add the fact that Dylan is truly one of London’s most eligible bachelors, women compete for his attention. Though Dylan truly has eyes only for Lydia, the peerage has another opinion. And Lydia is left to wonder where she belongs in Dylan’s life.

A fun read that easily becomes your guilty pleasure, “Royal Affair” is Rated M for Mature due to sexual content.

Reviewing books can be a tricky and difficult thing sometimes. The way that I choose what books to read is very arbitrary and I only end up writing reviews for some of those (for a variety of reasons that generally ends up being as simple as not having enough hours in the day). Sometimes, I am motivated to write a review by online conversations about a book that happen with other reviewers. This is the case for Parker Swift’s Royal Affair (mostly prompted by discussions around this review of the story at TBQ’s Book Palace).

I read Royal Affair back in January after a couple of starts and stops. I distinctly remember opening the egalley of this romance and seeing this sentence at the end of the table of contents: “Don’t miss the thrilling next installment of Dylan and Lydia’s story.” I was rather ticked, to be honest, because nowhere in the summary (that you can see above) was there any mention of a cliffhanger ending, of this book not having an HEA, or of the fact that this book is the first of three books for Dylan and Lydia’s story. I would not have requested a review copy via NetGalley had I known that this wasn’t a complete HEA. Lesson learned (for like the 80th time now - maybe it will stick this time).

To be clear, I don’t have a problem with duets, trilogies, hundredologies, etc over which one romance is told. However, I do not want to review them until the romance is complete. I can’t appropriately judge a romance without the HEA - and frankly do not want to. And I don’t want to buy them UNLESS THIS INFORMATION IS GIVEN UP FRONT. I want to know BEFORE I decide to buy, and chances are I will want to wait until the romance is complete until I read it.

I do want to note that this information is clear on the Royal Affair book description page at etailer sites. Unfortunately, I do not generally look at etailer sites when choosing which review books to read - so I will take some of the blame upon myself. But ultimately, I think there is room for improvement in the way that publishers and authors make this information known IN ADVANCE.

Ultimately, I did read Royal Affair, and my overall reaction was not bad (unlike that of the reviewer in the above link). I did connect to both Lydia and Dylan. I agree that he is a total alphahole, but assume he has some deep, dark tortured secret that makes him a douche which may make him more sympathetic. We just don’t find out what that secret is in the first book in this trilogy. But it was my conversations with the author of said review (and others) that prompted me to vent my frustrations with reviewing multi-book HEAs. I do not feel as if I can fairly review part of a romance (and if I were going to review part of a romance it would always be the part with the HEA). With this series, I actually do want to see what happens next and plan to read the next two installments - just not until the third book is out (hence I will not request review copies of them).

So in case it isn’t clear, I don’t really know what to say about Royal Affair. It started out decently for me, but I don’t know where it is going, whether or not Dylan will be redeemed enough to be worthy of an HEA or how the HEA will unfold. Maybe ask me in mid June after the third book is out and I will be able to let you know

4 Royally Amazing Stars!!

First off Ms. Parker Swift what an amazing debut book. Great Job!!

Going into Royal Affair I wasn't exactly sure of what I was in for. Once I got started I just couldn't put the book down.

Lydia is spending the summer babysitting for a rich family until she packs up and moves to London to work for a new fashion designer. This all happens after the death of her last living relative, her father. While babysitting she runs into the sexy Duke Dylan.

Dylan is a sexy, hot, alpha, Duke in London who hates having his life broad-casted in the media. So to avoid the media he distances himself from people he care about and doesn't do relationships. However he is so taken with Lydia that he just maybe willing to give up his rules.

Royal Affair is a total funny, hot, suspenseful emotional must read. This is a 2017 you HAVE to read that should be on everyone's TBR list!! The characters, Lydia and Dylan, you will really connect with. The chemistry between these these 2 are so off the charts. Lydia is a female character who speaks what's on her mind and not back down from a challenge. She has no problem at all calling Dylan out. Dylan, Dylan, Dylan is just totally sexy, hot, alpha male. He knows what he wants and goes after it and isn't afraid to actually admit when he screws ups.

Oh and the ending of Royal Affair OMG what a curve ball. I totally didn't see that coming at all!

Royal Affair by Parker Swift is the first book in her Royal Scandal series. Told solely from Lydia's POV, this book is a sensual romantic story that is continued throughout the three book series. As the story of Lydia and Dylan continues throughout the series there is a small cliffhanger that will bridge into the next book but this installment is wrapped up quite well.

Lydia is a girl who has dealt with loss, and now has a plan for her life. Leave New York and go to London to work with an up-and-coming fashion designer. A chance encounter during her summer job leaves her aching for Dylan and paves the way for them to meet again once she arrives in London.

Dylan is a private man. Oh sure, he may be the son of a Duke and sought after by the press, but private he remains. When he meets Lydia, she starts to break down the walls he has carefully and purposefully erected around his life and, to their possible detriment, he may never be able to keep her out completely.

What happens when the upper crust meets the American in their midst? Well - it was an extremely well-written story. The pacing was great. I loved the characters, I felt their pain. There was plenty of angst without it being overdone and the sex was H O T! Enjoy!

It was ok.

I'll admit that I had very mixed feelings on this one. I started reading it and enjoyed it and then my level of enjoyment decreased. The back and forth and hemming and hawwing and the whole sex only thing. It felt a little too close to Fifty Shades for me at times.

I almost DNF'd but I really wanted to finish it and see how the ends were left open for the next book. I read this one knowing that it was part of a trilogy so that wasn't a big deal to me.