I finally got around to reading this book. Why did I wait so long? Like seriously this author is freakin amazing! Do you like books with witches and goblins what about a prince that can use his kiss as a weapon? Well if you do. Then this is your book. I honestly felt like I was in the books living the lives of zach and Ivy. Such great worldbuilding and The chemistry between this two will have your head spinning! Obviously this book is center around kissing but its so much more then that. I do not want to spoil this wonderful fantasy book for anyone. Get this book now!!!

Wow, I loved this one! Such an exciting world, and I really enjoyed the characters and the magic system.

A special thank you goes to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC early. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

tw: unwanted sexual innuendos

I really debated about the rating of this book. I sat here for a good 10 minutes, thinking about how I wanted to rate this. For a little while, after reading, I just left it unrated because I wouldn't make up my mind. The middle of the book is when it really started to pick up. The ending alone really made me want to give it 4 stars. But the beginning just felt so slow.

One of the biggest things is that I just couldn't get fully into the book. The concept was awesome with the use of Kisses providing protection and strength. It's seriously unique. But I just wasn't the biggest fan of Ivy and Zach. I liked them together, just not apart. Both felt just dull with very similar personalities.

I think what my problem was that it was more fantasy driven then I thought it was going to be. I thought the use of magic was going to be like in the Kingfountain series, where it was there but it was more set in the background. So it definitely took a while for me to get over that.

One thing this book does well is the female/male friendships. Bromley and Ivy are very best friends, nay family. I love seeing this in books, especially YA. Although one could argue that there is some power imbalance as Brom is Ivy's page. But I don't really think that was an issue here. Ivy treated Brom like an equal.

Overall, this wasn't bad. This rating is the highest of 3 (three) stars. As much as I loved the ending, it couldn't boost the rating up to 4 (four) stars. But I think a lot of people who enjoy fantasy would like this book.

This book was incredible! Full of action, fantasy, emotion, and lore it checked all the boxes on my happy reader list. I appreciated Ivy from the moment I first met her. This was no regular princess with a damsel in distress issue. She comes from a line of warriors, who fight on the front line for their people, but they also suffer. The price paid for their power is steep. In a land that doesn’t believe in love, they are paired for power, and bloodlines. It’s a cold, callous society, full of responsibility and burden that’s shaped Ivy, but not broken her just yet.

Seeing Ivy grow and go on her own journey of self-discovery as she comes of age during a mission that will save her kingdom or see it in ruins was a page-turning good time!

Prince Zach swept into her life and turned it on its ear with his unorthodox style, and different believes. The back and forth between them as they tried not to kill each other and find even ground so they could save their people was entertaining to watch. There were plenty of sweet, heartfelt moments, but it didn’t turn the tale into a sugar fest.

This takes the meaning of true loves kiss to a whole other level. It’s a must-read for fantasy fans. Full of adventures, quests, spells, and monsters, it’s sure to satisfy.

I actually really enjoyed this book. It has a bit of a weird concept - drawing power upon kissing someone - but the author makes it work.

I liked the characters and the plot and how the whole thing was done. The romance was a bit cliched, but in a good way. The villain reveal was done well in my opinion and it also had a bit of an important message - though rather subtle.

My Overall Opinion : This was an quick, enjoyable read which I think most YA audiences would like.

*** Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC! ***

"It's what you do before going to fight evil queens and deadly dragons: you confess."
~KISS OF THE ROYAL

If you're looking for a fantasy that has a different way of using magic, you've just found it.

In this society, the only way to beat back evil forces is with a Kiss. The magic lives in the bloodline of royalty, so princes and princesses everywhere are able to use the Kiss. Princesses bestow the kisses and use battle spells, healing spells, and other spells to help their partner in battle. The magic flows into the prince for battle or healing purposes. In return, they host the prince's Sense and are able to sense trouble at a more heightened level. They are one another's shield and protection on the battlefield. They are bound, with tattoos on their hands, and if one partner is too ill to go on or becomes deceased, they must go through a painful separation process.

When Princess Ivy loses her fifth partner on the battlefield, she despairs. She wants to be out their fighting. Her Kiss is the most power of them all, and she can heighten any prince's prowess on the battlefield. She may now be forced to retire and become a child bearer. Luckily for her, a convey from another kingdom is on the way, and with them, her next partner.

Her new partner, Prince Zach, is half Royal, half Romantica. The Romantica are heretics. They believe Kisses mean so much more. That they convey True Love. That their meaning has been lost over time. Nobody else believes True Love exists. Kisses are professional. Once in a while, the royals may feel the need to work off a bout of Lust, but it's dangerous and not recommended. When Ivy and Zach become bound, Ivy knows they'll be able to attack the heart of evil once and for all. The only problem? Due to his heretic roots, Zach refuses to kiss her in the name of battle. Can the two overcome their differences and find a solution without compromising their morals?

Even though it's not a fairy tale, KISS OF THE ROYAL has that fairy tale core of True Love's Kiss. If it didn't have that at its core, it may be a very different book. Princesses give up a lot more than Princes do in this world, and they don't even realize it. Upon bestowing their Kiss and sharing their magic with their prince, they become weaker. They become someone extra to protect in battle. Princes lose their innate Sense of their surroundings, which can also be life-threatening in battle, but not ton ther same extent. At times, I was bothered by how poorly princesses are treated in this world--and they don't even know it. I was glad to see that this world contained more than one kingdom and more than one way of thinking. Zach is a good balance to Ivy. She knows her Kiss bestows the strongest magic. It hurts her pride when her Kiss doesn't work on her ailing partner and stev Zach keeps rejecting her battle enhancing abilities.

But at the same time, Ivy's feelings on True Love and its existence change and evolve so much. There is so much more going on than what meets the eye and the stakes are higher than ever. I really liked learning more about this world and its curses and its solutions. I wasn't sure about the book going into it and by the end, I really liked how fairy taleu-esque it was. I loved the power of True Love and the way its abilities to transform and heal were used in battle. I thought the book got stronger as it went along and enjoyed where it took me.

While not without its flaws, KISS OF THE ROYAL is a fun, easy read with a magic system I haven't seen before, so it's still worth a look! I had fun with it and I wasn't quite ready for it to be over when I got to the end, because I wanted to spend a little more time with the characters!

Opinion:

Goblins, dwarves, griffins, dragons, curses, witches, magic, Princes, Princesses, KISSES!

Oh my word, it MUST be another fairytale!

But NO! It isn’t! It’s BETTER than JUST another fairytale. This is the tale that puts all those other stories of fairies and….tales…to rest! ENOUGH of those sputtering damsels in distress. Poison apple this, lost slipper that! “But It can all be cured by TWU WUV’S FIRST KISS!”

LADIES! Get a HANDLE on yourselves!

HON-EST-LY!

“By the seventh day of constant agony, I wished I hadn’t already killed the dwarf who cast this locking curse on me. I wanted the opportunity to kill him again. Slower this time.”

-Ivy, Kiss of the Royal

In Ivy’s world, the ones with royal blood are the ones that fight on the front lines of battle. With the four kingdoms in a five-hundred-year battle against the Evil Queen and her dark forces, the need for royal warriors is in high demand. A partnership between a Prince and Princess is a force to be reckoned with, but the kiss that a Princess can bestow on a Prince is even stronger. Each kiss can heal a Prince of a curse put on them by a troll or dwarf, and it can also give the Princes the warrior power of ten men. The more pureblood a royal is, the stronger the kiss and magic. As Ivy is a direct descendant of the original Queen Myriana, her kisses are the most powerful. But with the death of her fifth Prince, Ivy must find another partner to go into battle with. Enter, Zach. Zach is unlike any Prince Ivy has ever met, and to say he is unorthodox is an understatement. Soon Zach and Ivy are given a dangerous task that holds every kingdom’s fate in their hands, but Zach refuses to kiss Ivy or cooperate with her in any way. With two very different outlooks, these two must come together to defeat a common enemy.

A prince that won’t kiss a princess?!? Color me SHOCKED and SPEECHLESS, and heavy on the sarcasm! 😉

Let’s just dive right in, shall we?

So where this story differs from our regularly scheduled fairytale programs, is that these Princes and Princesses are bred to be warriors. Literally. Princesses are sent to a place called Frieda to be paired with Princes and produce strong royals to be trained for war. Once a Prince or Princess has gone through training, they are bonded with a partner who matches their skillset or power. The more pureblood a royal is, the stronger they are. In this story, the Princesses are the real heroes. As the Princes charge into battle, the Princesses stay back an act as their eyes and ears; firing at anything that gets close to their Princes. If a prince goes down, their bonded Princess gives them a healing kiss and saves their lives. But these Princesses can kick ass too! They train just as hard as the Princes, and I love it!

Obviously, the main aspect of this story centers around kissing. When I started reading I kept thinking what a funny concept this was. For these Princesses to just be running around kissing Princes like it’s nothing? Oh, no big deal! But due to how these royals are raised, it isn’t a big deal. They believe in lust, but they don’t believe in love. They believe that love is a fantastical thought and idea that the “Romantica” created, and that there is no such thing. For these royals who put their lives on the line each day, kissing is what keeps them alive and fighting. It is a weapon, and that’s it.

But for Zach, that isn’t the case. Zach is a Saevallan Prince who travels to the Crown City of Myria with his Saevallan army to aid in the battle against the dark forces. He is rumored to be the best swordsman and fiercest warrior they have, which isn’t a lie. But Zach is unlike the rest of the royals. He was raised on the streets, didn’t acknowledge his royal blood until recently, and best of all…he was raised as a Romantica. DING DING DING. ROOOOMAANNNCEEE. So naturally the pairing between Ivy and Zach would be a formidable one, except for the part of Zach not wanting a partner. As a Romantica, Zach doesn’t agree with using the “kiss” as a weapon because it means something different to him. Which is true…but there is WAY more to it that I obviously can’t tell you.

As one could guess, a romance develops…but a difficult one at that! A boy who was raised on love and a girl who was raised to not even think it was real? Talk about complicated! As the two set out on their task, they encounter countless battles and dangers. Though I was a bit miffed about that ending, it wasn’t a complete issue for me. I wish the author would have wrapped everything up JUST a little better. I feel like I missed a ton of important moments between the ending of the story and the epilogue. I felt like this could have been elaborated on more because it left me feeling a bit rushed.

There is a ton of action in this story, a few close calls, countless arguments between Ivy and Zach, and a truly different outlook on the normal fairytale. These characters are developed in a way that showcases their fierceness, as well as their innocence and value. The reader is encased in a battle between doing what one is taught, and doing what one wants and feels. It is SUCH a different outlook and take on the “true loves kiss” idea and it is done PERFECTLY! I’m only wishing this was a ten part series…I want more, more, more!

“When had I become someone who struggled with the difference between a kiss and a Kiss?”

-Ivy, Kiss of the Royal

Kisses are usually understood as a form of affection or respect, while in this novel they are a source of enormous power against darkness. The Royals have been using the power of kissing for years to defeat their enemies but they absolutely don't believe in love. Kisses are just weapons and there is no feeling in them. But the Royals are wrong.
Princess Ivy needs a new partner and Prince Zach seems appropriate. But if on the one hand she wants to be kissed to win the war, he refuses in the name of love. She wants to convince him for power, he wants to show her that a kiss is more than an instrument and that love is a beautiful feeling. To all this are added mysteries, discoveries and memories of the past that make the story even more intriguing. What was thought to be a gift is actually a curse and it will be discovered that love is the magic that wins over everything.
When I read the plot I didn't think I would have liked it so much. Ivy and Zach are a fantastic couple and I loved their dialogues.
The author mixes fantasy and romance with a unique and compelling style. The setting and the characters are well described and you can't help but fall in love with it.
Knowing that it is a self-contained made me feel joy and sadness at the same time. The ending is perfect but I loved the story so much that I wanted a sequel.
The Duga really made a good impression and I hope to read more of her soon. I'm always looking for a good fantasy and she did a great job with Kiss of the Royal. Really congratulations!

I enjoyed this story and the characters. I thought Duga's twist on this fantasy story added something that I don't normally see. I loved that the Ivy was such a strong character. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. Because of the strength of her magic, she needs a strong partner. Unfortunately she is partnered with Zach, a prince who believes her magic is dangerous.

I loved how Duga projected Ivy's frustration and struggle with Zach and as they eventually begin to work together, she realizes emotions aren't a bad thing.

The world building and writing were really well done and I loved the idea that there is power and magic in a kiss...of course in this story it is for battling the forces of darkness.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book which I received
through Netgalley.
I loved Kiss of the Royal!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital ARC of "Kiss of the Royal" by Lindsey Duga. My favorite part of this book is the romance. It is sweet and swoon worthy. My only reason for not purchasing this book for the library is that there are many YA fantasy romances that have similar feels and are by more prominent authors or receiving more notice so will be read more often. This book was a great ride though and will suggest it to students.

I LOVED! This book!
I honestly wanted to read it because the cover is just so vibrant and pulls you towards it. But then I read the synopsis and was just like... yes. I need it right this minute *grabby hands*
Everything about it just worked haha. And I was not disappointing at all in what I got into as I flipped pages

I actually cannot say enough good things about this one.
I am such a sucker for high fantasy. And this one gave me all the things I love in one.
And the story itself was just so unique and fun to dive into. And I love when an author gives me something fresh and exciting.
Plus Ivy is one of my favorite heroines here recently. She was just such a strong lead, and had so much fire in her. And the way she looked out for everyone made me love her even more.
Her character would just keep getting deeper and deeper. And I loved seeing all the layers that made her up. And the relationships that she formed with the others around her (Not just the romantic ones either. But her friends and mentors as well too)

And oh man Zach. He is not at all what I was expecting! But I honestly loved him just as much as Ivy. His character was so intense and smart. And I just adored how he wasn't afraid to stand up to her and sort of try to put her in her place.
The two just interact so well. And made for such a cohesive pairing. The whole story in general was like that though.

One of my favorite summer reads by far this summer and a for sure 5 Star Read

I really love this book! It’s different and unique. I have never read another book like this.

Ivy is a princess of the Legion. They believe that a Royal Kiss is all it takes to defeat darkness. The Royal Kiss makes your battle partner strong. Fast. Someone who can defeat darkness without injury. What happens when you realize everything isn’t as it seems?

Ivy, Zach, Brom and Millennia are my new favorite heroes. Their love, strength, honesty, loyalty is something to envy. The compassion they show for others is unreal and they put all others before themselves. I really enjoyed reading about them and I was a little sad that I didn’t hear more of Brom near the end.

I was so hypnotized by this book that I felt like Myriana had placed a spell on me. I read it day and night. I could not stop reading it. It was just that good. I’m sad to see that it’s over. I really wish there was a second book.

I’ve never read a book by Lindsey Duga. I dove straight in because the cover is gorgeous. I’m proud to say that she has made a lifelong fan and supporter. I can’t wait to read more books by her. She is truly a master with words.

I could not get into this book so I ended up listing it as did not finish. The writing wasn't clicking properly for me.

When I first read the title and I knew this was gonna be cheesy and it was cheesy, no doubt about it. I thought the whole Kiss thing wouldn’t bother me. But it just felt super duper cheesy and yet I was very intrigued by it.

I liked Zach. I expected him to be moody, broody and mean, but he was actually super funny, charismatic and gentle. It was really refreshing to read about a male character who was funny and dorky, but still strong and but kicking.

Ivy was plenty fun too. She has to deal with a lot. Especially as her beliefs were challenged and her world is put upside down. I totally understand her struggle and warring emotions when you are told that everything you believe in is untrue and that your whole way of life is just a big nope. I think everyone can relate to that a little. And boy does she struggle coming to terms with it. She is stubborn and determined to do what she thinks is best, but sometimes her judgment was clouded and she didn’t truly open her eyes to possibility. Her stubbornness was quite admirable, but she grows throughout the book and gains a better perspective of the world.

The World was quite fun. I wish the creature/monsters were more developed but the magic was great and the battles were great. Again the cheesiness did have me cringing just a little, but it was a good world.

Okay so the romance — it was clearly a heavy point of this book. It was nicely done. Slow burn and all. It was literally the answer to many problems for *reasons.* I shipped the ship. The two bumped heads a lot, but they were able to grow aside each other. The only only thing that had me kind of ummmmm was that Ivy really changed for Zach, but Zach didn’t change much himself……………………………

Unfortunately there were things I did not like about this book, one of them being the squeaky clean ending. This did not work for me. Duga had set up a great battle with a great beast. There was magic to be had. Excellent fighters at the wait and she delivered it with a two second end. No fighting needed. And while I get why she chose to end the battle in that way………………….I wanted more……………action. More risk. More. More. More.

That being said. Backstory was really lacking for me. This story had a great history to go with it and Duga lends it all in one big info dump flashback right before the battle. Come on…..I wanted it to trickle into the story slowly. For her to give us an understanding of the history without giving it all away in one go. But no.

Overall, it was a fun book. It could have used maybe a little more oompf and you have to be comfortable with reading some cheesy lines. It’s a fast(ish) read, so I think many of you, should you choose to read it, will fly through it!

*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
3.5 stars

Deciding on a rating for this book is/was difficult for me. I flew through reading this-- thinking I'm not sure if I like this as I can't stop reading. I'm pretty sure I read this book in 4 or less hours. Even figuring out what was making me feel off, I couldn't figure out until I sat down and sincerely thought about the book afterward.

Let me start by saying, I think the concept is really interesting, I liked the writing, and it was all super easy to read and understand. Mostly, I think it is the characters that drew me in the most :) The writing made it easy to care for them quickly. The romance... hit and miss, but I like how they worked together and trusted one another. It progresses well.
This is an easy book to like.

The thing is I think the world-building needed an extra push. For me. As is though, I think this book would work really well for middle grade to high school level, especially for a more reluctant reader... maybe. I'm still trying to figure out what appeals to them, so take this with a grain of salt.

I also didn't understand why it was Royals only fighting. At first like-- oh they have magic, they we find out there are separate mages... who we can only assume aren't fighting?? and no commoners fight, even though we then see Brom helping along the way. See how I don't really understand? To be honest it is this whole Royals only fighting thing which makes this book so hard to write because it is the basis of the darn story. Who is a Royal anyhow? Nobility from other countries too?? HOW?? I have so many questions. But, I just rolled with it and was able to enjoy the book.

How there are dark themes in this book that aren't explored, but are clearly there. Such as child abuse, women as breeders, and killing people of certain beliefs. We see Ivy's horror at becoming a breeder, but she accepts that it will happen eventually as it does with all the men and women. They also don't get to pick their partners... so, it has a super icky feeling to it. Add to that the fact that Ivy's mother hits her and people try to defend the mom and <i>no consequences come to the mom except for an almost forgiving moment at the end??</i> that hit me sooooo wrong. Only Zach sees it as wrong and he doesn't say much about it. Also, massacre of a religious group is mentioned like it is no big deal. The more I think about this stuff not being explained the more I want to lower my rating.

Don't go into this wanting a complex read-- this is fun and simpler with a few dark moments that aren't really talked about. The ending comes a bit fast and a bit anti-climatic for my tastes, but I do think this is a book that many younger readers will enjoy.

Kiss of the Royal was Lindsey Duga's debut novel and it was an enjoyable reading. It had good and funny characters, the story was interesting and I liked the main idea. But there were also many flaws: the worldbuilding needed more development, the characters more depth and the final battle was solved too quickly and in an easy way. All in all, it wasn't bad but remarkable either.

When I first heard of this book, I was immediately interested. I mean, come on – a war against the Forces of Darkness, a magic Kiss and forbidden romance? Count me in. And I was not disappointed. Kiss of the Royal was filled to the brim with action, tension and romance. Plus, I can’t resist a hate-to-love story, and this was definitely it.

I absolutely loved Ivy. She’s feisty, a total badass, but underneath the powerful fighter is a vulnerable, sweet girl. She’s caring and has a big heart, but she doesn’t believe in love. Zach is also an amazing fighter, but he does believe in love – and therefore a heretic. But despite the differences in their beliefs, Ivy and Zach are surprisingly similar to each other, I think. They both put their everything into fighting the Forces of Darkness, because of personal reasons. They both put up a façade to hide their true feelings. I loved them both. They were complex characters, and I liked unravelling all the different layers to them.

Then there’s the romance. As a hate-to-love story, there was plenty of tension. At first, they fight – all the time. They can barely be civil toward each other. But there’s also tons of attraction there – or Lust, as Ivy calls it – but the farther they get into their trip, the more they start to open up to each other. And while the romance was a bit cliché – like True Love’s Kiss – I didn’t mind it, because there was tension and it was an amazing love story.

The plot and world-building was great. It was well-paced and original, and lots of fun to read. And the plot twists… wow. They came out of nowhere and left me reeling. The world-building was also great, and totally original. At first, I wasn’t totally convinced with how many Royals there were (there were so many!), but it turned out to be really cool. All of it was just really fun, and original, and a world perfect for every fantasy fan.

Kiss of the Royal was the perfect fantasy – it was fresh and new, fun and exciting, filled with clichés but still original. With a fierce and feisty heroine, tension-filled romance and an exciting plot, it’s a new favourite of mine, and a must-read for every fantasy reader.

Kiss of the Royal blends magic and mythology with a sprinkle of romanticism and turns it into a fantasy filled with characters you will fall in love with, a story you can’t help getting immersed into, and a blossoming romance you will be rooting for up until the very end. Duga has created a world that is wonderufl. It is a standalone book! Clean romance considering we are all waiting for the *first kiss*

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

I pretty much stick with contemporary novels and romances. With that being said, I really did enjoy this book! I was pleasantly surprised. It started off a little slow, with a lot to explain about the world they live in. Once Zach showed up things started to get interesting. Cute dynamic between the two characters.