A great follow up to the first book. I loved the idea as a whole and it kept my interest from start to finish.

Oh how I LOVE a JEM book, and this was no exception. What a conclusion to an amazing duet filled with angst, drama, heartbreak, scerects, lies and off the charts chemistry between Adeline and Josh. My poor heart definitely broke apart a couple times of time while read this, but was mended with a fairytale ending. 
This duet is a must read!!

Adeline has to learn to be the Queen even though her heart is crying out to just be with Josh. Josh and Adeline have to work hard to keep their relationship alive as everyone is pulling them apart.

The book was a little slow and drawn out in spots. I liked and hated Adeline throughout the book. I adored Josh and his hot ways.

Better than the first one. I wish there was a third one. Hot and it was a quick read. I was sad when i was finished reading it

What can I say about Adeline and Josh? I've never read a book by JEM...I know everyone gasped just now but I haven't and I didn't know what to expect going into it and it definitely wasn't this. This was like what FSOG should HAVE been and wasn't for me. I mean, I'm probably one of the only people who haven't read the series and DNF'd at 15% because it was unbearable and unbelievable. I'm just picky that way. Now had this been made into a movie, I might have watched it. 

Josh is an American movie star and it's frowned upon that he be convorting with the Princess...but it doesn't matter because the heart wants what the heart wants. Adeline, on the other hand, is a complex character to me because she doesn't know what she wants. She's confused all the time. Even the ending was out of left field. I will warn you that this book ends on a cliffhanger and it sucked! Not the book but the cliffhanger - I really hate them! But I also loved them so good because you have to wait for the second part. This book did have a lot more sex than I'm used to and I did skip over some parts I thought were unnecessary. This isn't a book for anyone under the age of 18 and the language is crass and crude. I wouldn't let my daughter read it if I had a daughter. That still doesn't mean that I didn't buy this book to have signed by the author at a signing from our local book store!!

The conclusion I have been waiting for is finally here! I am a huge fan of Jodi Ellen Malpas, she is a phenomenal writer that pulls you in. I always know when I pick up one of her books I am going to love it, His True Queen didn’t disappoint.

I loved Adeline and Josh. Their story was frustrating at times as well as heartbreaking. Things happened that I didn’t see coming. All the secrets and revenge pulled me in and had wondering what was going to happen.

This duet was perfection and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.

This was a book that I wish I could rate on the back half alone. I loved THE CONTROVERSIAL PRINCESS and couldn’t wait to read the conclusion to Adeline and Josh’s story but the first half didn’t hold my attention. Fortunately the story did pick up and then from that point on I didn’t want to put it down. Just when I though their hurdle was conquered, one final secret is revealed that propels Adeline and Josh into their HEA and their sweet and funny epilogue.
(3.5 stars)

Oh my word….this picked up right where book 1 ended and let's say that it was a rollercoaster that had me wanting to jump off!!!

I thought Josh Jameson was pretty hot and intense in The Controversial Princess, well this American Man made sure that everyone knew who he was and that there was no way in hell that anyone would keep him from "His True Queen."

I felt for Josh and Princess Adeline because it honestly seemed that there was no way for them to have their happily ever after.

Talk about lies, deceit, secrets and revenge.....now that is some family drama there. I was hooked from the beginning because I just had to know: who, what, where, why, how and would they.

Josh & Princess Adeline's story proved that no matter how much people are against you, love will always prevail in the end. Be ready for a ride that will have you wanting to kick some "arse" but just hang on because in the end when the secrets are revealed, love eventually wins!

Honestly, I was not thrilled with this book. I had such high hopes with it being a royal romance. I soon realized that it had a book before this one, so I bought it on Amazon to catch up. However, the story didn't really speak to me. I found it hard to remain interested in the book. The sex scenes were not enjoyable to me and made me feel a bit uncomfortable. The book also seemed to linger on and on in between "events", like pages and pages of Adaline sulking and moping. It was a tough read, in my opinion.

5 <b> Spoke and Mirrors being cleared </b> Stars
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Josh and Adeline have been through the ringer and are faced with some very large choice. Adeline decides she has give up love for Josh in order to gain the love of her country. We left book 1 where Adeline planned to give up her legacy to be with Josh but in book 2 we realize love may find a way.. but it may not be a path you can take any more
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the controversial princess takes the country and the world by storm as she comes into herself as royalty and leaves behind her fears of failure to make everyone proud.

This book is a slow burn which has a lot to do with the length of the book and the author wanting to tie up all the loose ends to prevent a trilogy.

Their love is riddled with eroticness, death, tragedy, loss, fear and the unknown. An ocean may keep them apart, a crown may ruin Josh’s reputation but will the whole of England end their love?
Can you love your man and your country?

Love it! The best conclusion for this story. Adeline is the strong, beautiful, rebellious princess and Josh is the hot Hollywood heartbreaker all women wants.
I received a ARC from Netgalley for a honest review.

Unfortunately I had to DNF the first book and thus rendered this one unreadable. It is a great disappointment to me that I didn't like the first book, but I did try and I tried on multiple occasions to pick it up and finish it but it just wasn't gelling well with me and unfortunately I do not enjoy spending time on books that I don't love because I read for enjoyment. Here is my review of the first book, however, in hopes that it'll justify my decision to drop the duology.

Jodi Ellen Malpas and I have a difficult relationship. Some books of hers I love (the Protector), and others I despise (this man trilogy). I hoped this one would be one of those that I loved, but sadly that wasn't the case. I was "reading" this one for a month and a half, but I just couldn't bring myself to get through it. I put it down and never picked it back up again and now unfortunately I have to let it go into the pit of misery that is my DNF shelf. It is unfortunate because I anticipated loving this one so much that I actually requested an ARC for the second book but needless to say I won't be continuing on with it.

I just found this so, so boring. It felt so much like "I went horse riding, and then I met this man, and then we talked about horses, and then I rebelled against my father, and then my royalty was pulled into question because I had sex, I'm a princess that nobody likes..." and it just felt like a carousel of the same things over, and over again. Nothing was happening and nothing at all was compelling me to continue reading; I just didn't think that anything could make it better, or more interesting. I didn't forge a connection with the characters - not even close - and the plot seemed to be stagnant.

I also started to get a few red flags with the main male characters (and other male characters') behaviour. There was a lot of entitled boys in the few chapters that I read, and I ended up feeling massively uncomfortable overall which was one of the reasons that prevented me from reading it. The whole novel just felt so old fashioned - like they were a royal family in the 1800's, with the Dad getting to decide who she dates/what she does/where she goes, and it felt like the whole plot pivoted on arguments with her Dad and rebelling against him which is amusing the first time, but after it happens a few times it starts to become tedious.

- The writing was good
- The plot was going nowhere
- The characters are uninviting and unappealing (particularly the men)
- The power structure is completely mismatched to the setting
- It wasn't sexy, it was more... uncomfortable than anything
- But... at least the writing was good. Right?

I hate leaving negative reviews and this one pains me more than most because I assumed I was going to love this book. Romantic book with royalty as the centre of it?! Yes please! That is exactly my jam. But this one missed the mark massively for me. It really upset me how little I liked this actually. I honestly expected to love it because this is right up my street. However if the plot appeals to you, please do give it a go! I'm sure that it might just be the right fit for someone reading this review.

As I say, I hate leaving negative reviews but I feel that it is important for me to give fully transparent and honest reviews to my followers.

OMG when i saw i got an ARC of this book i was so happy, I loved the first book and couldn't wait to read this, Jodi really has out done herself with this, I had no idea what to expect when i started this, I won't give anything away other than to say you will be shocked with how there story plays out, It shocked me and i love books that do this to me. This really really is a must read from Jodi.

This review is for the entire duet.

This story is engaging and as close to real life as possible. If you are a fan of the British Royals, you will find echoes of Princess Margaret and Princess Diana here.

Adeline is third in line to the throne. She figured she would never EVER ascend to the throne. Living within the rules of what royal females are supposed to do is driving her crazy. There is no point or goal in her life. She is not allowed to work or educate herself. She is supposed to marry and bear children while doing charity work. That is all. She is supposed to be eye candy at the arm of some man who will be pre-approved by Royal family. This is why she rebels at every chance she gets much to the chagrin of the King, her father.

There are secrets upon secrets being kept. She is not part of the "inside" group that knows about these secrets, but due to unexpected circumstances, she is suddenly thrown in the middle of this hurricane of plots and subplots regarding the ascension to the throne.

The love affair between Josh and Adeline is steamy and passionate. They are drawn to each other, and as stubborn as they both are, this cannot help but make life complicated for Adeline and those who care for her. This is a gripping story, yet full of fun and mischief along the way.

I would have given this duet a 5 star review but for the character of Josh and the complications in the second book. My suspension of disbelief could only go so far. As far as Josh is concerned, he sometimes got on my nerves because he was too much of a caveman. He is very in love, but he has a tendency to over react.

This is not a standalone. If you are reading reviews in order to see if you want to read the first book, stop. The plot of the entire second book is a giant spoiler of what happens in the first. The second title picks up days after the events at the end of the first, so there are no spoilers of the second book in this review...but there are spoilers of the first one.

Josh and Adeline. At the end of the first book, Adeline's entire world is shaken and something she never believed would be possible all of a sudden...is.

Adeline is the Queen of England. And, she doesn't want to be. She wants her life, she wants to be so far down the line of succession that no one will ever expect her to rule...and she wants the man she loves. The man who is acceptable enough to date a princess, but not to date a queen.

This book is all about a woman who knows what she wants, and who is willing to try to change what she wants for what she believes is good. It's about a woman who is strong enough to bend, who is strong enough to deny herself for the good of her country, or to atone for a wrong she feels she has done.

Josh, however, isn't all that interested in the decisions that she is making that make it impossible for them to be together, and he isn't particularly worried about the protocol and the expectations of Adeline and her new royal life.

So, the forbidden relationship commences. And, there were places where it felt a little over the top...but, it worked. This is a story about the Queen of England...so, if things feel a little wild, or a little more than normal, it's because she is the queen.

The end of the book is satisfying. The happily ever after is what you want, and it is charmingly on Adeline's terms. She gets what she wants, and she knows it is what she wants. And, as she gets what she wants, so does Josh.

The romance in this book is scorching. The attraction is believable. I believed that Josh would risk all to be with Adeline and that she would be willing to thwart convention for what was in her heart.

I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it.

Second and last in The Smoke & Mirrors Duology erotic romance series and revolving around the Queen of England and a hot Hollywood actor.

This ARC was sent to me by NetGalley and the author for an honest review.

My Take
The story idea was cute but so bogged down with all the whining!!! Then there's Josh and his inability to think of anyone but himself. No, I get the point that I'm supposed to believe he is so madly in love with Adeline, that he doesn't care about anything else, but he's constantly making her life so much more difficult. As a hot, sexiest-man-alive Hollywood actor with his own publicist and army of bodyguards, he should at least partly understand her problems.

Yeah, Malpas using first person protagonist point-of-view from Adeline's perspective ensures that we know how helpless Adeline is whenever she sees Josh, the puddle of lust into which she melts, unable to think. The sex…the spanking… And it certainly puts a twist on how one thinks of a queen.

As for how much Josh loved her…oh, I melted. I could see another reason for Adeline to love him, that he loved her for her. Although Malpas didn't give us other than these two reasons for why they loved each other. I'm thinking back over the story and can't really remember any shared interests other than the sex and Adeline "getting it" that he loves her for her.

Now my understanding of bastardy and illegitimacy is that a child born within "holy wedlock" is the child of the husband. Unless the husband repudiates the child. I can, of course, understand the character's anger and frustration over the sudden reveal, and I do understand the why of going on that drinking binge. And I really can't whine on about this because Malpas did slide her reasoning as to why the family decision affected him as it did. It just rubs me the wrong way…and mostly, probably, because the whole story itched at me. Then there's the reasoning about David. Why is bastardy only working one way?

I have got to wonder if Malpas ever heard of that "heir and a spare" saying? Why would a Spanish princess assume that one legitimate son was enough, and that she could fool around now? Why is the Heir Apparent not the Heir, and why isn't he the Prince of Wales?

The good bit is that underlying theme of standing up for yourself and not being a sacrifice. No kidding! Of course, I never did understand why Josh was such a horrible choice. Yes. He's a Hollywood actor. Yes. She's the Queen of England. Probably needs to get some outside blood into the family. And if she's supposed to marry to protect the throne, why would Haydon be such a great choice? Don't royals usually marry foreign royals to cement relations? And look at Harry marrying Meghan? She's an actress. And, and, and, "oh my gosh", biracial… *please note the sarcasm!*

Yeah, I was annoyed about that break-up too. How can Adeline not think of this at the time?? It jumped out at me, so I figured I'd keep reading and eventually Adeline would "get it".

Another whine on my part is more of a mechanical nature. When I opened up the eARC, I kept paging forward trying to find the beginning. When I tried to find the Table of Contents, all I got was the Epilogue. So, finally, I start to read that epilogue (the only entry in the TOC), and as I'm reading, I kept expecting to be taken back to the beginning of their romance, so imagine my surprise when it ended so abruptly.

I was very annoyed and about to write a scathing review, when I suddenly thought to think. Yeah, who knew you had to think about thinking??? Those (primarily) two- and three-line paragraphs in the epilogue (with all the interruptions of the author's name or the title), paragraphs that were actually part of the sentence in the previous chunk of paragraph…that was the same formatting in the front of the book. Maybe I hadn't missed the start…well, actually, I must have missed the start. I had thought all those little chunks were part of the usual front matter of *gush, gush, praise, praise*, so I stopped reading them, paging forward to try to find the start.

So I went back. I carefully paged forward, a swipe at a time. Looking. Hunting. And I found the start! How annoying is that!? And if you're going to list an Epilogue in the TOC, why isn't the rest in there?

So, back to the actual story, with the plotting, lying, and scheming that goes on so horrendous. The Royals are merely puppets with their advisors essentially doing as they please.

So, who should read this? Anyone who likes lots of sex and spanking…

The Story
A cruel turn of events rips Josh Jameson's and Princess Adeline's worlds apart, and Adeline is more bound than ever. Trapped by the dictates of tradition and protocol, she must put her love away.

Yet Josh refuses to lose the woman he loves.

The Characters
Adeline Catherine Luisa Lockhart is the woman who wants not to be Queen Adeline the First. Damon is the head of Adeline's security. Adeline's personal staff includes Jenny as chief lady's maid (I think) and Olive as maid. Kim is her secretary. Stan and Spearmint are her horses.

The thirty-three-year-old Edward is her only remaining brother and is now the Fallen Prince who "steps down". Mother, a Spanish princess, is now the widowed Catherine, Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother. Mary-Ann is Mother's chief lady-in-waiting. Victoria, the Duchess of Sussex, is Adeline's father's sister. She and her husband, Phillip, HATE Adeline. Matilda is their daughter and is friends with Adeline. Matilda is dating Santiago, an Argentinean. Uncle Stephan and Sarah are on Adeline's side and make it very apparent, lol. Prince John had been the Heir Apparent. Alfred had been king, Adeline's father, and Catherine's husband. Princess Helen, the Duchess of Oxfordshire, is now a pregnant widow.

Josh Jameson is a Hollywood actor. His father, Senator Jameson, was a friend of the late king's. Bates is in charge of Josh's security and is a friend of Damon's. Tammy is his ticked-off publicist.

Royal Aides and Friends
Major Davenport had been the late king's best friend and personal secretary; he's recently acquired a dog, Cathy. Sir Don is the late king's chief advisor and Lord Chamberlain, and David Sampson had been another of the king's advisors. Doctor Goodridge is the Royal family's physician.

Sabina Sampson runs the Royal stables, now that her husband, Colin, died. David is her son. Haydon Sampson is her grandson.

Claringdon Palace is…
…Royal government central and the official home of the reigning monarch. Sid is the Master of the Household. Gert is an old-school maid. Other royal palaces seem to include Evernmore and Kellington, which is Princess Adeline's home. Dolly is the cook.

Gerry Rush. Hallie Green makes appearances at a gentlemen's club and is a favorite of third-rate newspapers. Madame Beaumont makes wedding dresses; Frances is one of her assistants. Mr Hinde is the director of the Royal Ballet.

President Ed Twaine is the leader of the United States and married to the surprising Melitza. Tia Piper is a really hot actress.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a black-and-white photo of Josh in profile, facing left, and is a perfect complement to the cover of the first story. In the background we see the back of a woman wearing a tiara, her long hair curling down her back with a blurry background of stone stairs. All the text is white and starts with an info blurb is at the very top with the author's name under it. A story query is to the left of Josh's chin, and the title is centered at the bottom.

The title is all about Josh's real love for His True Queen.

Jodi again proves she is the 'true queen' when it comes to romance, plot twists and alpha men! 

His True Queen is a rollercoster of emotions. Adeline has to work through a big changes in her life after what happened in The Controversial Princess. Her life had been turned upside down and she is misarable.

The story is about sacrifice, about what you are willing to give up, about determination. About setting your priorities.Puttingg others ahead of yourself.

I truly admired Adeline in His True Queen - as a character, she reached her full potential from TCP and became a powerful woman, rising above the issues. Up to date, she is my favorite female heroine from all of Jodi's books.

And Josh...Oh my is he a dream come true! He is such a great character - alpha man in love! No better combination! 

The book is amazing! Strong characters, wonderful and well thought-through plot, suprising twists...this book has it all!

5 stars!

I did enjoy Josh and Adeline's romance. I have to admit I had some concerns with Josh's forceful behavior in the beginning of this duet but my concerns were resolved. I became very invested in the story. I added more selections from this author to my TBR. Thanks Everafter Romance and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

*advanced copy provided by Social Butterfly in exchange for an honest review*

In short:
Hero 5/5 | Heroine 5/5 | Plot (Point, Originality) 5/5 | Writing Style 4/5 | Steam 4/5 | Romance 5/5 | Angst-Suspense 4/5 | Darkness 0/5 | Humor 3/5 | Secondary Characters 5/5 | Drama-Conflict 5/5 | Mystery 0/5 | Twists 5/5 | Pacing Steady | Action 3/5

The first part of the Smoke and Mirrors duology, The Controversial Princess was phenomenal, so I was excited to see where His True Queen would take us..

His True Queen picks up where The Controversial Princess left off.

This is a sweet duet. It has hardships but it is full of love and passion between the American Boy and His True Queen.

This was a fantastic read from the beginning till the end, what a ride!I was anxious to see what will happen after the end of the first book. So many things happening in this one, I was on the edge most of the time.

Josh and Adeline's love for each other gets stronger even though nothing is easy for them.Josh is exactly what she needs even though he pushes her a lot but this is exactly what she craves.I felt every bit of frustration and sensual desire these two were going through.They were so passionate.

Overall, I can say this series are fantastic there is plenty drama, many things happening to keep your interest and the romance was intense and sensual.