By now I think I would read a training manual if it was written by Jasmine Guillory. I have read and enjoyed all her books. I love the characters she creates and their witty and heartfelt HEAs.

This book is from the emerging Romance subgenre called Seasoned Romance. The main characters of Royal Holiday are in their early to mid-fifties. It was delightful to watch their attraction grow through the handwritten notes and later the postcards they sent to each other. Seasoned Romances show that there is no age limit on opening up your heart to someone and taking a chance on love.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC

Honestly, I didn't care.

I really enjoyed The Wedding Date and The Proposal, but one thing I did notice at the time was that Guillory's characters didn't seem particularly differentiated - their inner voices all sounded the same to me. As she's written two more books, this problem has only increased. I can't tell her narrators apart. Vivian sounds like Malcolm, even though they're supposed to be very different people in their gender, nationality, profession, etc and they sound indistinguishable from the much younger narrators of her previous books.

My other objection is purely personal, and has nothing to do with the quality of the book, but I'm just generally less interested in late-in-life romance. It doesn't appeal to me - maybe when I'm older!

I love Jasmine Guillory! Her books always make me happy, and Royal Holiday was no exception. Royal Holiday starts with Vivian taking a trip to England with her daughter Maddie. (I believe Maddie was the heroine for The Wedding Date, but I haven't read that one yet; I had no trouble following this book, so if this is your first Guillory you'll be fine.) This is a work trip for her daughter (who is a stylist), so Vivian has time to herself to explore. She meets Malcolm, the private secretary to Queen Elizabeth, and the two immediately hit it off. As an aside, sometimes the way authors approach royals can be weird, but Guillory hit it perfectly, I felt. She makes references to Meghan Markle and Brexit, but I liked the way she didn't focus on them; she lets her characters be the story. I also liked that she was obviously referring to (though not naming) Meghan and Harry as opposed to making up royals, calling them "Reghan and Barry," and having them be overly prominent. Anyway, both Vivian and Malcolm were wonderful, full characters. They were warm and fun, but imperfect. I loved that they both made mistakes but were willing to talk them out. It was also so nice to read a book with 50-somethings who are mature and not overly insecure, and who approached their relationship in a realistic way. This was another fantastic book from Jasmine Guillory, and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next. (Oh and I'm even more excited for The Wedding Date now!)