Plot: In a magical world of an evil queen and ax-wielding dwarves, only those with royal blood had the magic to banish that evil power away. Because of the need for so many royal soldiers, the princesses and princes trained and reproduced with no real emotion behind it. Enter Princess Ivy, the no-nonsense princess who trained to stop a dragon's egg from hatching (and thus killing everyone) and Prince the Zach, the clumsy, but skilled swordsman, who refused to kiss anyone.



Kiss of the Royal read like a fairytale; there were mythologies, evil queens who came to be out of jealousy, and a journey to track down a dragon. I had a lot of fun reading this one, I thought that this book would have a more serious and darker tone, but it was filled with bantering and the overall journey kept me flipping pages. Kiss of the Royal centered around the idea of rejecting love for logic and reason. The notion was similar to Delirium, but I liked seeing how Duga explained the reasoning and highlighted how mythology could shift to meet the culture's needs.



Characters: Fans of constant bantering will absolutely adore Zach and Ivy together, I know I did! Zach and Ivy were like water and oil: Ivy acted with reason while Zach relied on his gut reactions. Zach was lovable from the start; he was barely tolerated by his own people and had a charming personality. It was heart-warming to see Ivy slowly come to terms with her growing attraction for Zach and what that meant regarding her upbringings. Another form of love that Duga explored was familial love and there were some precious side-relationships that I fell in love with.



Worldbuilding: Dwarves, dragons, and queens - oh my! The world was very much set in a fairytale world with equal parts fun and danger. I respected the amount of work Duga put in to craft the mythology and how she was able to play with perspectives.



Short N Sweet: Fans of lighter fairytales (with a lot of romance) will love this! I think Kiss of the Royal is the perfect summer read!

Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a young adult fantasy that takes the fairytale concept of "true love's kiss" and changes it in a unique and creative way that is completely different yet familiar at the same time.

For five centuries, the Legion has been fighting the Forces of Darkness lead by the Evil Queen. Combating monsters and curses, the Royals are trained for battle and blessed with a magic that can enhance their strength and spells through a Kiss. Royal Princesses and Princes are partnered to help each other on the battlefield as they continue to fight the Darkness. However, the Light is losing.

Princess Ivy, a direct descendant of Queen Myriana, who's sacred Kiss started the birth of the Royals, has struggled to prove herself to her mother that she is useful. However, when her fifth partnered prince falls to an incurable curse and she is left unprotected, Ivy has to find a new prince to partner with especially if she wants to complete her mission.

Prince Zach is a Romantica, unlike the Legion, he believes in Love and will not Kiss Ivy for the purpose of a weapon. He is more than prepared and willing to fight the Darkness without the aide of the Kiss. Two heroes with two different beliefs are partnered together to save the world as they journey to face the Darkness and the Evil Queen.

Overall Lindsey Duga has created some fascinating and intricate characters and a fun and entertaining journey within a fantastical world. I enjoyed the interactions between Ivy and Zach and what they were battling for.

(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

Sooo in LOVEEEE! Kiss of the Royal by Lindsey Duga is a wickedly entertaining and enthralling fantasy story filled with magic, myths, monsters, and royal princes and princesses battling forces of evil one KISS at a time.

I love romance stories, fairytales, and the idea that a “True Love’s Kiss” can defeat anything that is evil. When I first saw this book, the gorgeous cover and the title had me immediately intrigued. However, it was the unique premise that totally sealed the deal for me. I thought the idea about magical kisses and two unlikely heroes slowly falling in love as they battle Forces of Darkness was creative and so much fun. I expected to laugh, to swoon, and to have an epically awesome journey and I was not disappointed. In fact, I was so desperately charmed and hooked the entire time.

Some may find the idea of this book somewhat silly, and even cheesy, but I thought Lindsey Duga did fantastic at creating a world that’s different and undeniably enticing in its own magical way. The writing was mesmerizingly detailed and breathtakingly captivating that I was easily sucked into the story and could picture myself right beside the characters as they fought evil dwarves, griffins, wraiths, and curses. While some parts felt a bit slow, there were so many amazing surprises, thrilling battles, hilarious scenes, and heartwarming moments that made me excited and pleasantly entertained. I really enjoyed this story and the characters and that ending… I absolutely loved that ending.

The characters were incredibly badass, really fun, and likable. They had spunk, wit, and determination. Princess Ivy was powerful and the best in her Legion. She was stubborn and guarded, but also fierce, loyal, brave, and as much as she denied it, Princess Ivy let herself feel. Prince Zach won me over instantly with his charming personality, humor, and heart of gold. He was definitely my kind of hero – strong-willed, but adorably sweet, and courageous, but also vulnerable. I also really liked Brom and Millennia and enjoyed the roles they played in the story.

The romance was really slow burn in this one and I have to admit… I did get somewhat impatient a few times. Just when I thought this it for Ivy and Zach… after all the wait and pages and pages of me hoping for it…it’s finally going to happen…And then BAM. Nothing. I’m suddenly thrown off and the story moves on again. That being said, the anticipation and the delicious little tease here and there had me ridiculously swooning. It was frustratingly soooo good. I don’t want to say anymore, but my heart exploded into a million different FEELS and at the end of the day, that slow burn was definitely worth it.

This was a delightfully spellbinding read that kept me up late into the night! It was whimsical, fascinating, hilarious, and magical. It’s a wonderfully written YA fantasy story with exciting adventures, awesome fighting scenes, engaging characters, and swoony kisses. I loved this book and highly recommend to everyone who’s looking for something creative and fun.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley and for participating in a Blog Tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blog Tour Post can be found here - https://sincerelykarenjo.wordpress.com/2018/06/30/blog-tour-kiss-of-the-royal-by-lindsey-duga-review-favorite-quotes/

I’ve been trying for a while to read this book and to be honest I just can’t get into it. I’m a few chapters in and I’m very confused — and not in a good way. Not for me.

Princess Ivy is the purest of Royal blood and the magic in her kisses is very strong. Still, she has now lost her fifth partner due to the Forces of Darkness. Losing a partner is hard enough as it is, but to know that her magic did not work was too much to handle. Ivy did not want to be cast aside and moved to the countryside to produce heirs if a new partner could not be found. She wants to help her people and beat the Forces of Darkness so her people and all of the other kingdoms could finally find peace. Unfortunately for Ivy, there was really no one left in her kingdom that could match her level of magic.

With the Forces of Darkness growing closer and a threat to her people looming in the background, Saevall’s Kingdom steps in to help. There is a new prince nicknamed The Swordsman’s Prince that is said to be able to defeat hordes of trolls and monsters all on his own without the kiss of a princess. When Ivy first meets Zachariah, The Swordsman’s Prince, she can’t believe for one moment that he is the answer they have been in search of. Zach is like no other prince she knows. He tells jokes, looks like a commoner, is clumsy, doesn’t believe in partnerships, and worst of all *gasp* He is half Romantica.

Ivy is a Royal by blood. She leads by logic and reason, much unlike the heretic Romantica who lead by love and emotion. Ivy can not even grasp the concept of love and does not believe in it. She thinks most people confuse lust for love and she is having none of that nonsense, but yet as much as she tries to deny it, she can’t help but to feel attracted to Zach in a way that scares her. They have a chemistry together that she never had with any of her other partners and it brings out a side to her no one has ever seen before. He tests everything Ivy has grown up believing in.

Zach does not believe in kissing for magic. He can fight monsters and trolls quite well on his own, thank you. He believes kissing is between people who love each other. He does not believe that kisses should be used as weapons. His refusal to kiss Ivy is a shock to the kingdom, but yet his fighting skills are epic and rumors swirl about in the kingdoms of his latest victories. Zach, like Ivy, feels the same connection, but he sets out to show Ivy that there is another world out there that is not just based on logic and reasoning, that magical kisses could do more harm than good and that love is the strongest weapon of all.

OMG! I freakin LOVE this story. Ivy and Zach compliment each other in so many ways and yet, it takes them a while to figure out what truly matters in a world filled with dark forces threatening them at every turn. When they are sent on a mission for the kingdoms, they finally get to know one another. There is a lot of push and pull mostly on Ivy’s part as she grew up believing one thing and Zach slowly chips away at her defenses and beliefs. I sooooo love Zach! He is definitely a force to be reckoned with, strong in his own rights, passionate about his beliefs, and truly wants Ivy to see the other side. I was really, really looking forward to their first kiss, flipping through the pages like “Where is it, oh come on stop teasing me already!” I don’t think I ever screamed at a book like I did this one. Lindsey Duga really knows how to draw you right in and keep you hooked and desperate for that very first kiss.

The world-building in Kiss of the Royal is simply amazing. A world filled with goblins, monsters, and Griffins that all come to life and make you feel as if you can actually see them and feel them. You can see yourself in the forest taking everything in. Kiss of the Royal really brings to life the mythology, lure and magic of the kingdoms in such a way that you actually wish you were apart of it. Duga has a way with words that just draws you right into the scene and it is both magical and fascinating all at the same time. The fighting scenes were absolutely phenomenal and I could feel my heart racing as Ivy and Zach faced danger after danger. I found myself rooting for them over and over again. Ivy and Zach are by far my favorite book couple of the year.

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 I wish to live in. I am truly heartbroken that this is a standalone story as I would have loved to see and read more. Lindsey Duga, thank you for being an amazing writer. You have won me over and have taken me into a glorious ride into your fantasy world. I can not recommend this book enough and five stars is definitely NOT enough to express how much I loved this book. A definite add on to my keeper shelf. If Fantasy is your jam, you NEED to be adding Kiss of the Royal to your reading list.

This is a middle grade fantasy which I love! It did take me a minute to get into (like all fantasy.. getting to understand a diffrent world takes a minute) Once I got into it I fell for it. Pretty hard. This is a story about Kissing. Not just kissing but magical Kisses that help defeat the enemy. Or that at least is what Princess Ivy believes and she needs a partner. Zach however believes Kissing does more harm than good and believes in Love. Dangerous thing to talk blasphemy to a Legion Princess but Ivy needs a partner desperately to stop the darkness and Zach is her only choice. His swordsmanship is incredible but will it be enough. Zach has his beliefs and Ivy has hers and when you are at war and your partner doesn't agree with you on what the strategy should be... the fate of your world is in jeopardy. Can these two come eye to eye or is it heart to heart?
Absolutely love this story. Teaching about love and the power of true love along with fun, charismatic characters. Perfect middle age read. No swearing. No sex. Just kids taking down fantastical creatures!

Lindsey Duga has done an excellent job in keeping the reader excited and anticipating the next moment. This is going to be hard to review not because I didn’t like the book in fact I loved it but because I don’t want to give anything away.

There are 4 main characters seen in this book. Brom-Ivy’s paige and the person she sees as a brother, Ivy-the princess who is a direct descendant of Myriana, Millenia-the Romantica mage and very complex character and Zach-the prince who is a great swordsman and who steals your heart from the beginning.

Ivy is a warrior. She also cares. Something of an oddity for her people. They rule with logic and reason. Everything is done with emotion taken out of the equation so she is a breath of fresh air in that respect. The problem. She struggles with emotion. Buries it and uses logic to explain it away. She is powerful and kind but very confused. This gets worse when Zach becomes her partner.

Zach is a great swordsman and better person. He is a Romantica so for him a kiss must be from someone he loves. You swoon at his easygoing romantic side. He is fierce when he needs to be and kind and loving all the time. I love how he helps Ivy see the light so to speak in so many things. He doesn’t kiss just to kiss which for Ivy’s people just is wrong. A Kiss for them is to infuse magic and help defeat the evil. So this is a bone of contention for them. The different views and thoughts on what is really happening in the kingdom re why has evil multiplied and curses getting worse?

Millenia is a Romantica mage that Zach, Ivy and Brom meet along their way to fight the dragon. She has some strong views on royals like Ivy but it is a moment in a village that has her change her mind about Zach and Ivy.

Brom is loyal, kind and so sweet. I love how he is there for Ivy throughout the book believing in her.

The world building is stellar as is the buildup of the story. IVy and Zach are discovering themselves and how they feel as they journey to the mountain. For Zach he is comfortable with who he is and what he feels just uncomfortable with all that is going on around them. He sticks by his feelings on things and doesn’t waver and this does drive Ivy nuts but also has her rethink things. They face danger together and it is when Zach does something she doesn’t expect and the result is not usual that her mind starts to open up to other possibilities. Her heart is awakening more and more on this journey into many different types of danger. Danger of emotion, of the unknown, of defeat, of what is the truth and what isn’t and of Zach. Yes Zach for he is opening up her mind and heart and she is seeing so many different things that are warring at her.

The ending where Ivy finally figures it all out and Zach is there like Brom ever loving and supporting but also willing to sacrifice it all for her is so amazing and swoony you fall apart. He truly does take your heart. The story is a journey of love and seeing what love really is and how powerful it can be. For Zach this is already known and his journey is helping Ivy learn this and see his feelings are real. For Ivy the journey is figuring this out and it is fraught with confusion, anger, fear and danger for her. It draws you in with the unknown and tale of all that is going on around them and how her journey could affect everything. The entanglement of these two plots where Ivy is on her own journey into emotion and truth and where they are battling to save all is brilliantly and craftily written. There isn’t a moment where you aren’t pulled into the moment and engaged in what is happening and wanting more. A wonderful and amazing story of the power of love.

Kiss of the Royal did not turn out at all like I expected it too. I ended up loving the book and everything about it at the end. I am so glad I picked this one up.

After the death of her last partner, Princess Ivy needs a new one. Her Kiss is the only one that is strong enough to win the war against the Evil Queen once and for all. But the only way is to pair up with Prince Zach, a prince who would rather fight on his own, than be Kissed by Ivy in order to increase his powers and make him strong enough to win the war.

When I first started this book, I wasn't at all into it. I almost gave up reading around 10% in because I wasn't a huge fan of the whole "kiss" gives power idea, and I also thought that Ivy wasn't a well rounded character, but I decided to read a little bit more and I am so glad I did, because by the end I absolutely loved the book.

At first, I thought that Ivy was a little bit over confident and arrogant. She didn't seem like a character I would like at all, but after a few chapters you find out why she acts the way she acts, and we go deeper into her character and I actually started liking her. Throughout the story, she has a huge character development, and she truly turns into an amazing character that I just couldn't get enough of. She was finally being herself and while she was still the strong and confident woman, she wasn't as cocky and arrogant anymore. Ivy is just a great character overall.

I had a little bit of an issue with the story at first as well. The royals don't believe in love, their sole purpose is to fight in the war, the girls using kisses to give strength to the boys so they can go out and kill the monsters. And when they reach an older age or can't find another parter, their only purpose is to produce more heirs to keep the bloodline going. Clearly, I'm not a huge fan of that type of story, but eventually Ivy and Zach go off on an adventure and Ivy ends up learning a lot from Zach and does change her view point. So even though the story seems bad and sexist at first, it really takes on a new direction once Ivy and Zach go on their quest. So if you're like me and this is the reason why you stopped reading, then I'd recommend you keep reading a little bit more until you hit the part I'm talking about, because the book does get tremendously better.

I think Lindsey Duga did an amazing job with the plot and the world building of the story. The world that she created was very creative and entertaining, but it also felt very realistic. There were many different settings that the characters got to explore and I absolutely loved exploring them as well, the descriptions were perfect. The pace of the story was also great, there was enough action to keep the story interesting, but not too much where it got boring. This story had the perfect balance of everything, so overall the writing was amazing.

I definitely recommend this book to all the YA and Fantasy fans. If you don't like the beginning, please keep reading because this book does get a lot better. I definitely can't wait to see what Lindsey Duga comes up with next.

Meet your new obsession!
Kiss of the Royal was so incredibly enjoyable.
It was fun and exciting and unique and swoony and adventurous and scary and just OUTSTANDING!

The world of Kiss of the Royal was imaginative, to say the least.
A Royal’s Kiss is used for charms and spells. Love is considered to be utter nonsense, and frankly blasphemous.
I can’t remember ever reading something like this.

Duga wrote a compelling and charming story. Her characters were delightful and genuine.
Ivy’s character development was stellar! Zach was a stud and super crush-worthy. Brom (my favourite) was such a sweetheart.

If you like reading YA Fantasy, you need to pick this one up!

Kiss of the Royal releases July 3, 2018.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the eARC to review honestly.

Curses, witches, a dragon, and a magical Kiss. A beautiful princess. A handsome prince. You may think you’ve heard this story before, but trust me, you haven’t. Kiss of the Royal offers a unique take on the young adult fairy tale and fantasy genres. I mean, magic Kisses that protect the land and enhance the power of the princes? That’s definitely not a fantasy I’ve read before.

The premise of Kiss of the Royal had me intrigued and when I read the first line of the book, I was immediately hooked. The concept of transferring magic on the battlefield through a Kiss had me enamored and wanting to know more about this mysterious fantasy world and the brave and fiery Princess.

Princess Ivy has the strongest Kiss of all the princesses. But when she can’t break the curse on her prince, she fears the Forces of Darkness are getting more powerful. And the only way to stop it is to become partners with the prince of myth himself, Prince Zach. However, Zach refuses to be her partner at first, before something (or someone) changes his mind. The two must destroy the Sable dragon in order to ensure peace in the world, all the while fighting their growing feelings for one another.

The chemistry between Princess Ivy and Prince Zach seems to fly right off the pages. The intensity of their chemistry is wonderful and electrifying. Both are polar-opposites when it comes to political views; Princess Ivy thinks all she feels for Prince Zach is Lust, not Love, but Prince Zach would say otherwise. All Princess Ivy wants to do is defeat the dragon using her magical Kiss. She wants nothing to do with these feelings she shouldn’t be having for Princes Zach.

But Zach wants nothing to do with Princess Ivy’s Kiss. He refuses her time after time after time. This part was puzzling because I wanted to know why Prince Zach kept refusing Princess Ivy’s Kiss, since the Kiss was needed to save the world.

The pace of Kiss of the Royal was well-written and kept me interested from the first line to the last. I thoroughly enjoyed the fierce action scenes, and the many characters they both met on their journey. Kiss of the Royal is one book I will be adding to my shelf as a favorite of 2018.

Lindsey Duga brings a captivating and delightful new story to the young adult fantasy genre. This dazzling and lovable book lets readers know what it means to fight for your people and for what you believe in.

Kiss of the Royal comes out tomorrow, July 3, so pick up your copy at your nearest bookstore!

The story begins with Ivy, the victim of a curse, wakes up in bed and immediately receives bad news as soon as she manages to get out walking and get back on her feet. She comes out of the palace gates and the other princes and princesses show her the body of Kellan, the victim of a powerful curse. Someone tried to block the curse but only the Kiss of Ivy can save it because it is the partner that has been assigned. But her Kiss fails and Ivy enters the deepest despair, because this is the fourth partner that loses.
In the world in which Ivy lives, princes and princesses are divided by degrees according to their purity and the lineage that generated them. Ivy is a very powerful Myria Royal being one of the few royal princesses. In their world Romanticism is badly seen, they are people who are not emotionally attached to someone and use their kisses to evoke their power that can only use the women of the couple at most. For the Kisses the same criterion of birth is valid: for a stronger power it is necessary that two people of the same degree of birth be made partners. The Romantica people are heretics.
The Evil Queen is at the door and is more unleashed than ever. Moreover, the news of the birth of the Sand Dragon comes, which would be the most feared being, even more than the Queen, and the Royals have remained few to fight huge forces. So, they decided to combine his strength with that of Zach, a skilled and powerful Prince Royal warrior of Saevallan, but the son of a king and a Romantica.
What will happen in the kingdom? Will the two get along once and for all? will they succeed in defeating the dark forces that threaten their kingdoms? What will happen between the two?
The plot is really well done and certainly adds curiosity. It is beautiful that everyone should be convinced of something and how it has been structured. As soon as I heard about this release, I could not resist and I will never thank the publisher enough for giving me the opportunity to read it.
The cover is really beautiful, do not you think? I find it beautiful and I'm happy that the publisher has chosen this because it is representative as well as very beautiful (although it is pink and I hate the rose, know it xD). What do you think? The title is the simply resume up what the book is.
The story set in a magical and fantastic world. Ivy lives in the city of Myria and Zach lives in Saevallan. There are four kingdoms and everything in this story is exclusively fantastic. The era is not defined seems to wander in the Middle Ages but it is all approximate to what is understood but not definitive or specified.
The characters in this book are different but I think it is right to talk to you about the protagonists of this story. The story is seen from the point of view of Ivy but I want to talk to you about the two central protagonists of this story that I will talk about right now:
Ivy is a strong girl, with a Kiss from a single power, which requires an equally strong partner to win. After losing Kellan, his last partner, Ivy does not know what to do anymore. the only thing he knows for sure is that he wants to fight back on the front line as soon as possible to accept any person, even an initiate. It is independent, sagacious and enterprising as well as truly unique and incredibly powerful.
Zach is an unorthodox boy, or at least that's how he is described. It does not bend to the rules and even contradicts the heads of the council. His real name is Zacharia but he wants to be simply called Zach. his strength is said to come only and exclusively from the fact that he is skilled with the sword and in the fighting. The rumors about him are incredible and Ivy can not wait to see him at work.
The central theme live in the title itself and in the strength of the Kiss that will lead to the adventure our protagonist together with Prince Zach. Everything will change in their lives, nothing will be the same and if they want to win, the two will have to work together.
The style used by the writer is really easy and easy to read. The story is seen in the first person from the point of view of Ivy, a particular girl who will love you instantly. Zach, at least initially does not seem like much, maybe also because we will know it through the eyes of Ivy but slowly you will change your opinion, as it will change her too.
The only thing that has remained unclear within the story is Ivy's attachment to Kellan. Although there should not be such a deep attachment to Ivy, losing Kellan seems to have lost a part of herself. I can well understand that this has also depended on the fate of having to endure four losses and having to look for another but I found "strange" only this thing, that's all.
Despite this, the book is a light fantasy and super original. Until now I have never read such things. His style is very reminiscent of Holly Black and if you decide to read it you will not regret it! My word, I recommend it.
The book is fluent and is even a standalone, so do not worry, there will be no follow-up waiting and on one hand I'm happy because sometimes it takes beautiful self-conclusive fantasy books.
Lindsey Duga writes a unique fantasy with a world completely out of the box and overturned from every point of view. I'm happy that the starting point is not a real love story but that the protagonist is strong and independent alone, with the strength of her only Kisses, only for the purpose of fighting. And you pay attention to whom you will kiss, because it could be the Kiss that will make you powerful, much more than you have always believed!

My vote for this book is: 4 stars and half.

kiss of the royal tells the story of ivy, a princess of the legion, one who bears the mark of myriana and who’s kiss is magic. when her fifth partner is killed, a partnership is proposed to the swordsman of the west, of whom rumors and tall takes abound. zach is exceptional but he is half royal and half romantica and he believes that the royal kisses are causing more problems in their world than saving it.

ivy doesn’t know what to believe. but when zach agrees to be bound to her, he doesn’t fully realize the implications of bonding. on a quest to stop the kingdom from falling to the greatest darkness it has fced yet. but on this quest, everything ivy has been taught is called into question. and what she feels for zach and what he feels for her might be what saves them all in the end.

i so enjoyed this fantasy story. ivy and zach’s relationship is enjoyable to watch develop.

**kiss of the royal will publish on july 3, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled teen) in exchange for my honest review.

Kiss of the Royal is a young adult fantasy set in a world of princess’s, prince’s, evil queens, goblins, and dragons. The princess’s are paired with a prince in order to help combat the evil creatures of their world. The princess has a magical kiss that will bestow her prince with immense power and resilience while in battle. However, when Ivy’s latest partner is killed while in battle, she’s teamed up with a prince from another clan. A prince who is a bit unorthodox, but probably her best shot at defeating the evil dragon that is about the wreck havoc on their people. We follow these two while they not only battle evil creatures on their quest, but also while they learn to trust each other, battle their feelings for one another, and uncover the truth of their people.

I wasn’t overly sure what to expect with this novel. It has some fantasy elements mixed in with an obvious romance. However, when I started reading the book, I realized that Ivy’s people do not believe in love. In fact they go around freely kissing anyone in need of healing and/or an extra boost of power. Not to mention that when a princess is no longer needed in battle, she is “retired” to become a breeder where she will do her duty to try to produce as many children as possible with various men whom have royal blood. Thus, creating more members for their army. The thought was a bit disturbing, especially since no one saw anything wrong with it. Except for Zach, the prince she’s been paired with. He was raised by his mother who was a Romantica (someone who believes in love) and therefor has a completely different view on life. He refuses Ivy’s kiss over and over while in battle because to him a kiss means something, and it takes Ivy a long time to come to terms with it. It was interesting to see these two come together and learn to rely on the other. Not to mention the forbidden romance that was bubbling between them.

Kiss of the Royal was a great debut novel. There was the brewing romance between Ivy and Zach. There’s also quite a bit of action in this story. Not only do these two go on a major quest to find and kill the foretold creature that will end them all, but they come across some startling and life-changing discoveries along the way. Between battling griffons, breaking curses, and fighting an evil queen, there was a lot going on other than just Ivy’s internal battle over her feelings. This is a great story for anyone looking for a young adult fantasy with a touch of romance.

This book sounds so cheesy but I was really intrigued by it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found a book full of action and a fabulously fiery, female lead.
I really felt like all the characters here - primary and secondary, were given individual and realistic characters and all worked so well as a cast. They provided a background which could only be too real which really helps to engage the reader and bring the story to life. For me Ivy was a great protagonist - facing this internal conflict; knowing she is one of the most powerful Royals, trying to put aside her pride for the good of her land, and burdened with the knowledge that monsters will always be drawn to her and her partner first - she may be the most powerful but they definitely have the largest target on their back.
Throughout the book there is a really good pace to the plot, and it provides entertainment, action and definitely keeps the reader turning the pages. I continually wanted to know what was happening next!
All this was great, but I couldn't help thinking it was super cheesy every time she kissed someone. It kind of gave this over-romancey vibe that I just wasn't on board with. Though this is honestly the only thing that bothered me at all.
Overall I'm awarding this book 4*/5 - an enjoyable and action packed read with a good main character. If you don't mind PDA and love a high-fantasy then this is likely a great book for you! (I do mind PDA!)

Kiss of the Royal is a sweet and fun fairy tale-ish story with princesses and princes, dragons and danger, and love and loss. The plot was intriguing with the fresh idea of kisses being used to enhance magic and strength to overcome one's enemies. Kisses as weapons? I'm here for it!

The beginning was slow, and while it's definitely important to be introduced to the background of the characters and the world building, I had difficulty jumping into it. Once the action began, however, I was hooked.

I admired Princess Ivy's strength and her unwillingness to let the princes be the only ones to put their lives on the line for the kingdom's safety. At times she's stubborn and exasperatingly so, but that made it fun when her personality clashed with Prince Zach's.

Once Prince Zach shows up, events take an interesting turn, and I couldn't read quickly enough. I also couldn't decide if I liked him or not at first, but he soon became my favorite. His behavior and reputation were full of contradictions - what you see wasn't what you would get, and I loved that about him.

Zach lives by his convictions just as Ivy lives by hers. Though he's trained to be a soldier and a Royal, he still believes in love though he knows it's heresy to believe in anything other than logic. He refuses Ivy's kiss because he doesn't want to use a kiss as a weapon in battle. I loved the ways in which he challenged Ivy's belief that love doesn't exist. She's steadfast in believing that people mistake love for lust as she's been raised to think.

You can see when events begin to slowly change Ivy's mind, and she starts to doubt what she's always been taught. Kiss of the Royal tackles the theme of love, asking the question, is living worth it in a world without romantic love? When Zach stumbles his way into her life, his presence changes everything for her, and it was enchanting to see if they'd end up loving each other.

I'm taking off a star for the slow beginning, but otherwise I recommend this book if you're looking for a fresh, fun take on YA Fantasy with a solid overall theme and delightful characters. Frankly, I couldn't imagine Kiss of the Royal without Zach; he's lively and quirky and easily the most interesting character I've come across in a long time. He's the best part of this story and a character you aren't going to want to miss.

What if a kiss could be used as a weapon and love was regarded as heresy? In this imaginative and well crafted YA fantasy by Lindsey Duga, we are thrust into a world in the midst of a magical war of good versus evil. Princess Ivy is a direct Royal descendant, and her kiss is one of the most powerful in the land, capable of breaking curses and protecting her partnered prince , but she refuses to stand on the sidelines, and wants to be deployed on the battlefield. When her Prince is cursed beyond cure, a call is sent out to find her a new partner, and the result is not entirely to her liking. Prince Zachary is like no other Royal Prince, an adept warrior , he is determined to work alone and does not want to be partnered. It soon emerges that his background is somewhat unorthodox too,he is the son of a Romantic, a group of people regarded as heretics by the Royals because of their belief in true love and its power. Forced to embark upon a quest to slay a dragon that threatens the entire land, can their very different beliefs be reconciled so that they can work together ?
I loved this book, from the gorgeous cover, to the fantastic characters and thrilling pace of the adventure packed story , there was literally nothing that I can complain about. While there is obviously a romantic aspect to the story, it is incredibly well woven into a very dramatic tale. The world building and magical system is so well done, and unlike anything I have come across before, the idea of using magical royal kisses as weapons was such a clever and inventive one. I always love a book built around a strong, independent female character, and Ivy is that in spades, from her frustration at the limitations placed on her because of her sex, to the feelings of disgust she expresses at being regarded as some sort of a prize in a competition, her character really rings true to life, and because she is so believable it is very easy to be drawn into the story.
One other aspect of the book that I really liked was the relationship between Ivy and her page Brom, I loved that the importance and value of familial / platonic love was highlighted , and the book did not focus solely on the romantic love of Ivy and Zach.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own

I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for review.

This one was an interesting premise. Set in a world where logic reigns and matters of the heart, love specifically isn't real, and it considered heresy. Kisses are for battle, activating spells to fight forces of darkness. The only true feelings between men and women is that of lust, and coupling between them only for breeding more prince and princesses able to pass magic down through their bloodlines.

For Princess Ivy Myriana she is a princess of the pure blood, a direct descendent of their greatest Queen Myriana Holly. Her Royal sacred kiss is the strongest in the land, and their best hope of defeating the oncoming darkness. But she keeps going through partners, Five partners cursed or dead. Only through kissing a strong prince, they can activate the magic of the scared kiss, and can go into battle charged and protected with enough strength to survive their daily plight in the Legion, their top fighting force.
Partners aren't romantic, they're just a pairing of the strongest fighters together, a ceremony binds them together, to help share their combined strength. When they can no longer be deemed fit for fighting they are sent away to Freida to begin producing heirs. To build up the ever dwindling army.

A rebel group called the Romantica, thrive on the belief that only the power of true love can defeat the darkness, and love it's self is the strongest power of them all. They believe the power of the Royal's kiss isn't what it's all cracked up to be and could be making the gathering darkness worse. Ivy's newest partner will challenge her in way she never thought possible, can the power of true love really conquer all?

Where this book is not my cup of tea, I do think that it would be good for younger YA readers (more teens) as it is a lovely story of a gender twisted sleeping beauty it just wasn't for me.

*I received a free copy of this ebook through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This is one of those books that is kind of weird but I sort of like it. I can't figure it out. I will say that the book is different than I expected. I hadn't realize that the magic Kissing was something used by all the Royals; I had thought it was specific to Ivy. But oh well.

The premise of the story is rather odd. I mean, the people don't believe in love (it's heresy), and Kisses (yes, with a capital K) are used to complete magic spells for things like strength, protection, healing, curse breaking, etc. The stronger your Royal blood, the more powerful your Kiss. And although you can Kiss anyone really, it's stronger with your partner (princes and princesses joined together as battle partners). What confused me is that Ivy said at one point that a Kiss could be anywhere on the skin. So why are they all smooching each other's lips? Actually, maybe it's because they don't believe in Love, so they're trying to sneak in a fix of Lust (yes, they capitalize those words, too) in any legitimate way they can. I dunno. Still, I thought it was weird.

Oh, and since Love doesn't exist/isn't allowed, they're assigned breeding partners in an effort to get the most powerful heirs. Bleh. Creepy. Speaking of the breeding thing, I don't think Duga understand genealogy very well. Ivy's Kiss was supposed to be so powerful because of two things: 1) she's a pureblood Royal, and 2) she's a direct descendent of Myriana. Let's talk about number 1 first. How do you get a pureblood Royal? By only breeding together pureblood Royals throughout the line. Who were the first Royals? Myriana, her sister Saevalla, and Raed. So Ivy is essentially the product of 500 years of inbreeding. Hm. Okay, number 2. Guess what, every Royal in Myria is going to be a direct descendant; otherwise, they wouldn't be Royals. Even people who are only 1/8 Royal in the story are still direct descendants.

Anyway.

I think what I liked most about the book was the characters. It's funny how there can be a potentially good story that I have a hard time slogging through because I just can't get myself to care about the characters. But then there are stories that are only kind of mediocre, but I enjoy reading them because the characters are worth my time. I liked Ivy and Zach, so I wanted to know what happened to them. I like seeing characters change and grow, which is what Ivy did throughout the book. And in the end, I think everything in the story tied together and made sense.

Note: I can't recall anything bad. I mean, there's mention of how the Royals sometimes give in to Lust and have different sexual partners to satisfy their desires. But that's literally as bad as it gets--exactly what I said and nothing more.

“True Love’s Kiss is a story told by cult-believers – not Royals – because it’s a bloody fairy tale!”

Okay, before we get too far into the review I need to ask for some willing suspension of disbelief here. I’m going to get into what bothered me most about this story right off the bat. It was very hard for me to believe that there was this entire nation of people who thought the idea of Love was nonsense. Especially since nearly every person in this world at one point or another became incredibly emotional. I was skeptical that it took 500 years for two people to find each other and ‘fall in love.’ What the hell took so long?

But, okay, let’s put that aside and just believe for a second, this world could exist. Now we’re getting somewhere because this story was pretty good once I stopped obsessing over this detail.

"I’d never thought I would bend to Lust’s will so easily, submitting to petty emotions like jealousy, which the Legion taught so severely to evade… It was painfully apparent to me that one glance from Zach was more exciting to me than any Kiss I’d ever shared with another prince."

First off, the world building was impressive. I love that this was a stand alone & it is often so hard to create a world, especially one in the middle of a War with so little time to do it. It did take a few chapters to really get into it but I could tell that Duga really tried to spread out the information so as not to completely dump it on the reader right in the very beginning. There was a learning curve & I’m especially happy that a lot of my questions were answered by the end of the book. She left no stone unturned.

Ivy and Zach were pretty cute together. And while I generally like a little snark in my heroines, Ivy was honest and intelligent in a world that seemed so domineering and a bit sexist. I didn’t love that she just accepted the sexist aspects of her culture with the excuse that it was “logical” but I appreciated that she worked to change things regardless. Zach was goofy and a bit sarcastic to offset Ivy’s seriousness. Most importantly, I believed their relationship & completely understood what they liked about each other.

"Isn’t the irony hilarious? The girl I love begging me to kiss her everyday, and I have to refuse. And I have to. Not just for my own beliefs and this golden theory, but for my own sanity. Because a kiss would mean nothing to you, while it meant everything to me."

The romance was a bit of a slow burn. For most of the story Zach was fighting his feelings and Ivy was struggling to come to terms with her emotions and understand how she felt about Zach, especially since she was raised not to believe in Love (I know, ridiculous). But for a book with hardly any kissing, there was sure A LOT of Kissing (capital “K”). For the Royals, magic was cast with a Kiss – on the battlefield and off – and it was mentioned A LOT – like several times a page.

Kiss of the Royal was a cute, quick read. No, it was not perfect but I’m impressed with Duga & fully intend to see what she does next. I really do recommend it to any YA romance/fantasy fans out there with one warning: you probably won’t want your following read to have anything to do with K/kissing. 😀

"Love wasn’t logical. It was the opposite of everything the Legion taught. The Legion taught us to rule without emotion, to base every decision on reason and lead others to do so… Did the Legion teach us only of Lust because we needed to prevent the powerful, irrational emotions that accompanied Love?"