I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Right off I was excited to read the newest release from Jasmine Guillory (loved her other 3 novels). "The Royal Holiday" is all about Ms. Vivian and her romantic experience, while on a much needed vacation with her daughter Maddie. It was wonderful to experience "Love" through Mom's vantage point (middle age, work-a-holic).

I did not enjoy this installment as well as the other 3, but a great read all the same.

Thank you.

REVIEW COPY - Pub Date 10/1
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The last installment of The Wedding Date “series”, The Wedding Party was enjoyable but didn’t knock my socks off. However, this upcoming release was delightful. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

It was a nice change of pace to read a story about a middle aged couple. I am here for “young love”, but this was a pleasant departure. I enjoyed watching their characters address the issues that come with taking a risk on love after being single for so long.
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The whole story line just warmed my heart. A vacation romance isn’t in the cards for me as I am blissfully married, but I love living vicariously through the pages of a book. Add it to your TBR for a fun, slightly spicy read.
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This is my favorite of the series after The Wedding Date.

I really enjoyed reading this romance between a couple in their 50's. I"m not too far from that age so it was great to read a book where the characters weren't in their 20's or even 30's. There is still romance to be had as you get older! I have read Jasmine Guillory's other books and really liked them and thought it was great to see more of Maddie's mom. I loved how Vivian spent years providing for her daughter and doing the right thing and then after meeting Malcolm she realized what really made her happy and she took the risks necessary to follow her heart.

Ugh. Dude. This book was soooo underwhelming! I usually adore Jasmine Guillory’s work, but Royal Holiday was a serious let-down.

Maddie Forest’s mother Vivian goes with Maddie to England for Christmas, as Maddie has a styling job for the Duchess over the holiday and they still want to spend Christmas together. Vivian is up for a big promotion at work, and she believes this will be the last time she can truly relax once she takes it, so she goes along. On their glorious vacation, she meets Malcolm Hudson, private secretary to the queen, and they have a whirlwind romance, but with an expiration date.

Even as I’m writing it, I know that summary is dry. But I honestly can’t spice it up! This is one of the driest and most boring books I’ve read in a while! I have several complaints, but I want to start by prefacing: it feels like this is the book Guillory’s publisher was pushing for, to release for the Christmas season, so she just kind of threw it together and called it a day. I mean, The Wedding Party only came out in July! An October release, just two and a half months after the third book in the series??? That’s quite literally all you need to know about why this book was so bad, but I’ll continue.

Guillory rose to fame, I believe, because her books were meet-cutes with sparks. Characters were really likable, but they had depth, and their romances captured that depth. She infused a good degree of humor, and it was like she reinvented the wheel. But I’m telling you, if you’ve enjoyed any of Guillory’s books in the past, skip this one. Vivian and Malcolm had no magic. NONE. There was no romantic tension, no reason in my bones to believe they could possibly not work it out, and therefore nothing to get excited and anxious about while I read. It was like some picturesque romance where everything is perfect all the time. It was bizarre and totally out of left field for Guillory.

Which brings me to another point: this plot line was so unoriginal, it produced absolutely nothing noteworthy. Take-vacation, meet-new-man, fall-in-love, so-on-and-so-forth, I’m-not-spoiling-this-trash-plot-for-you-because-I’m-nice-like-that. I think they were hingeing on “she’s older and he’s older and they’re not teenagers anymore so they can’t fall in love like that!” being their main redeeming plot point, but I’m telling you, it was not. In fact, they still acted like totally irrational teenagers by the end of the book. Like I said, Guillory’s characters are often really well-rounded and therefore, their actions in the climax of the book make sense – and are believable. However, I had zero understanding of who Vivian and Malcolm are as people. I understand some of their attributes, the circumstances of their life, et cetera… but nothing about those revealed anything about the way they acted in the last fifty or so pages of the book. It seemed out of character when I first read it, but after a time, it seemed like I didn’t really know the characters at all.

I just all around didn’t enjoy this book, really. I think they relied too heavily on it having some sort of Christmas magic for people, or on the characters being older, but it gave the whole thing a light and flouncy air that was more reminiscent of old romances, which I just can’t buy into. Really not a fan. The more I criticize it here, the more my opinion of it is lowering.

I enjoyed this one so much--it's my new favorite by Jasmine Guillory! In Royal Holiday, Maddie and her mom, Vivian, travel to England at Christmas for a much-needed break for Vivian and a job styling the royal family for Maddie. Vivian, a vivacious and beautiful lady in her early 50s, meets Malcolm, the royal secretary to the Queen. Guillory spins a fun and charming story of their time together in England, including horse-back riding, sightseeing, picnics, and holiday food sampling. You will have to read the book to find out if this pair's romance extends beyond the holiday season! Reading this book feels like a trip to England; it's a light-hearted story that is perfect for Anglophiles and romance readers alike. Thanks so much to Berkley and Netgalley for the preview copy!

This is only recommended for die-hard fans of the author and readers who can't imagine the holiday season without a Christmas romance. General romance readers can skip this one entirely.

Although the main characters are genuinely likeable people, the writing has some problems that make this book overall sub-par. It feels very much like the author is on a deadline, and it comes out in the writing as being very repetitive. The author also didn't transition well to her new lead characters, older than those in her previous books: it felt awkward, like she was nervous to get up close and personal with what new love must be like for someone in her 50s. The settings are lovely and beautifully-described, but they can't carry the book.

Cute! The dialogue, while quite similar to that in her other books, doesn't feel as forced - perhaps because the characters are more mature?

I find Guillory to be an engaging writer who just doesn't quite cross the finish line for me to make me love her books. The beginning is slightly too long, this book had a lot of set up which I didn't think it totally needed. I would have accepted the premise much faster than Guillory got there. I liked the characters and I was invested in their happiness but I couldn't quite get there. I was very enthusiastic about this premise and think it did live up to it but just wish it had been a little bit better.

I loved the idea of this one. I'm older myself and hooray for more *seasoned romances* but overall the story fell flat. More telling than showing and never quite had that spark I was looking for.
It was a nice read but not that compelling characters, swoony romance I was looking for.

I love Jasmine Guillory, but this wasn't one of my favorites. A very vanilla love story that is fun, but doesn't really keep you interested.

Great Holiday addition to a fabulous run of books! I’ve made it clear that I love Guillory’s work and she’s a definite must buy (See: The Wedding Party, The Proposal, and The Wedding Date). Royal Holiday is a wonderful addition to the series featuring Maddie’s Mother Vivian (from The Wedding Party) who accompanies her up-and-coming stylist daughter to England to style a Duchess for her holiday engagements. Vivian needs a holiday and Maddie doesn’t want to spend a Christmas away from her mom. But while her daughter’s working Vivian makes the acquaintance of Malcolm Hudson, the Queen’s private secretary. Of course, sparks fly. This is a sweet, refreshing holiday romance with older main characters, and a wonderful royal backdrop.

I have loved the previous books by this author so, of course, I would not pass up the opportunity to request this one. While I still enjoyed it, it didn't quite meet the standard set by her first three books. It is a very charming story, and given that I am the age of the main character, I thought it was great to tell the story from that perspective. But it didn't quite have the energy or oomph of her other books. It took me awhile to get into the story, but even then, I didn't feel that I couldn't put it down. While it was still a well written book with a cute story, I'd have to say I was a little disappointed.

Also, I wonder if these characters will be used to set up a new storyline with the daughter and if, perhaps, characters from her previous books will make an appearances since the main character lives in the Bay area and works in a hospital. Hmmnn, guess we'll have to keep reading to find out!

Vivian gets a free trip to England via her daughter who is taking over the duties of stylist to a Duchess over the Christmas holidays. While acquainting herself with the mansion of a cottage where they are staying, she meets Malcolm, the queen's private secretary. Attraction is immediate and flirting ensues. At times the situations come together too easily, and even the major conflict isn't between Vivian and Malcom. The reader can tell how it will end, but the journey, including a glimpse into the royal life, is worth it. The characters are not twenty-somethings and think of the issues involved in a transatlantic relationship and how they will affect the other people in their lives. An enjoyable modern day fairy tale.

I know it’s still summer, but I couldn’t pass up reading this holiday book written by Jasmine Guillory. If you’ve kept up with her ‘Wedding Date’ series, you know the leading lady of this story is Maddie’s mother. I couldn’t wait to read her love story. It was so sweet and super adorable.

Vivian is a busy social worker who doesn’t vacation nearly enough. When her daughter Maddie asks her to go on a work-trip with her around Christmas, she can’t say no. Who could refuse Christmas with their only child and a trip to England? While Maddie is styling a member of the royal family, Vivian plans to read, relax, and site see. She doesn’t plan on Malcolm Hudson.



Malcolm works directly for the Queen and happens to be in the same place as Vivian. When he first sees her, he’s mesmerized. He gives her a tour of the grounds and after that, they fall into a sweet friendship with some kisses and loads of flirting. Before they know it, Vivian is set to go home. But Malcolm convinces her to stay a few days longer with just him. That time is so special between them.

When Vivian is set to go home for real, these two decide long distance would be too hard and part on good, friendly terms. They still keep in touch, though. I loved their relationship and the pen-pal way they stayed in contact. I especially loved how each of them was going through something big in their life and the other was there to lend an ear and helped them through it.

This book was a sweet romance. By the end I was charmed and had a big smile on my face. If you’re looking for a fun, romantic, holiday read, check this one out!

Vivian’s daughter has an opportunity to spend Christmas with royals in England where she unexpectedly finds love.

I really liked the concept of this book. The idea of a middle aged woman finding love is wonderful! I also found the description of the countryside was well done.

However, overall, I don’t think this book was for me. I didn’t fully connect to Vivian’s story, possibly due to her age. The dialogue and writing style was not my favourite either.

Such a cute little story. Made me think of my mother, as she's close to Vivian's age. Single mothers who find success in love are always at the top of my favorites list. Thinking of my mother the entire time while reading this, I'm thankful there weren't many love scenes throughout. lol - I can relate to Maddie in many ways., so it was nice to see this spin-off of her story.

(3.5 stars)

Royal Holiday was really cute and just as wonderful as the rest of Jasmine Guillory's books. I am a sucker for English romances, especially with royalty, or royalty adjacent, involved.

I really liked that our MC and LI were a lot older than we see in typical romance novels. Your life doesn't stop when you get to your 50's. I loved getting to hear about social work and all the different aspects I didn't know they helped with. I loved that her daughter was a stylist and that I got to learn a little bit more about what they do.

Overall, it was really cute and sweet. The older MCs were refreshing and I love the cover. It's a cute one to pick up this holiday season!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Vivian is a hard worker who never takes time for herself. So when her daughter Maddie snags a job dressing the Duchess over the holidays, Maddie doesn’t give her a choice, and the two are off to London. On day one, Vivian meets Malcolm and is instantly drawn to him. They spent time together during Vivians week in England, but both know the week will end before they know it.

This was a super quick read for me. While this was still a 4 star read for me, I don’t think it quite lived up to the same hype as The Wedding Date, The Proposal, or The Wedding Party. It was still a great book that I do recommend though! I loved watching Vivian and Malcolm as they helped each other grow and find themselves. I wish Maddie played a bit of a larger role, but knowing Jasmine, the next book may just center back around her!

Thank you to berkley publishing and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book in advance!

Another great addition of Guillory's Wedding Date series. This addition features Vivian (mother of Maddie from "The Wedding Party") and Malcolm (a dashing royal employee. Unlike the other books in the series, "Royal Holiday" focuses on a middle-aged romance. However, it is still spicy, somewhat awkward, and adorable. Vivian and Malcolm are such a likable pair, you'll wish they had an entire series dedicated just to them.

Loved this story of an older woman on holiday in London who happens to encounter a handsome man who works for the Queen. Anglophiles will love this book!