I really enjoyed this one. It made me want ALL the scones. The first 1/4 of the book was a bit repetitive with the dialogue. But once it moved past that it was even better. I loved seeing a romance between individuals who were older and have experienced more life. It was refreshing to see main characters who weren’t in their mid- to late-twenties. Super fun holiday themed book.

Royal Holiday was a fun and quick read! While it’s the 4th in the series, it could be read as a stand-alone.

Maddie from The Wedding Party gets a great opportunity to step in as the stylist for the Duchess of Cambridge to dress her for the holidays! The only downside is it means being away from her family for Christmas - so she convinces her mom Vivian to take vacation and go with her. Once there - Vivian meets the Queen’s personal Secretary Malcolm. They hit it off right from the start - but living 5,000 miles apart this could never become anything.

I really enjoyed that Vivian and Malcolm are in their 50s. So many romances are couples in their 20s - but people are falling in love at all ages. I’m glad for this representation.

It was fun to imagine being Kate Middleton’s stylist - especially since as I was reading this a major news article I kept seeing was about how she wore the same coat 4 times. Shocking!! I’m sure her stylists are kept very busy.

I also really appreciated the communication between Vivian and Malcolm and the ways we got to see them both show personal growth through the story. Because this generally was handled so well - it made one time with very poor communication stand out to me and not feel realistic - but overall this was still a great story. And while it’s peripherally about Christmas/New Years, I think this could be read and enjoyed at any time of year.

Thank you very much to Berkley and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

I loved this book! It was a sweet, slow-burn romance full of passion and no over-the-top drama. It was entertainment based purely on the real-life circumstances and situations between Vivian Forest and Malcolm Hudson, ... okay, as real life as one can get being Vivan is in England because her daughter is working as a stylist for the Royal family, and Malcolm is the Queen's private secretary ... their romance was believably sincere and lovely.

You may remember Vivian's daughter Maddie from the 'Wedding Party'? In 'Royal Holiday', Maddie has the opportunity to go to England over Christmas to help prepare the princess for the royal Christmas festivities. Because Maddie has never been away from her mother at Christmas, she invites her along. With Maddie being working all day and into the night, Vivian is left to entertain herself. When the very handsome and intriguing Malcolm suggests he show her around, Vivian can't resist his charm, and goes all-in on her royal holiday!

Rarely do we get romance stories with older characters and when we do, they are relegated to secondary ones. I was so excited to read about new love and second-chances experienced by older characters. I wish we had more of them!

I was provided a review copy by Berkley; this did not influence my opinion of the book nor my review.

Well this was a sweet romance. Another fun read from Jasmine Guillory. I feel like it was missing some of the depth of her earlier books but this would be a perfect book to read during the holidays.

A light romance set cleverly behind the scenes of Meghan Markle's new life in Britain. The mature characters make a refreshing change from the typical romance couple.

Vivian accompanies her daughter to England on a job to style "the Duchess," and a sweet romance ensues with Malcolm, the Queen's secretary. I have loved all of Jasmine Guillory's books so far, but at the beginning when I realized this story was about a woman who is my mom's age I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it. I should have know Guillory would still pull me in. I really enjoyed this charming story and the foods and settings made it so cozy!

Royal Holiday is the fourth book in Jasmine Guillory’s popular romance series, The Wedding Date. I actually haven’t read the first three books in the series but requested this one from Netgalley because I was in the mood for a holiday romance and I loved that this story is set in London and has royalty in it.

The synopsis promises a charming and fun holiday romance and it really delivers. I especially loved that the main characters, Vivian Forest and Malcom Hudson are a more mature couple. Vivian is in her fifties and is visiting England for the first time with her daughter, Maddie, who is there for work. Maddie works as a stylist and has been tasked with styling a duchess over the holidays. What this means for both Maddie and Vivian is that they will actually be staying in a royal household. Talk about a bucket list trip for Vivian! Almost as soon as she arrives at the royal residence, Vivian finds herself face to face with the handsome and very charming Malcolm, who is about her age and who works as the private secretary to the Queen of England.

Vivian and Malcolm hit it off right away. I thought their time together was just so sweet. Malcolm takes her on several special sightseeing dates because he wants to make her trip as special as possible. Both Vivian and Malcolm haven’t had the best of luck in the relationship department so this second chance at love for both of them really warmed my heart.

About the only thing that would have made this an even more satisfying read would have been if I had felt a little more strongly about Vivian and Malcolm and their long-term prospects as a couple. As I moved through the story, however, I found myself feeling content however the author chose to end the story. If it was just a holiday fling that ended as soon as Vivian went back home to America, fine. And if it ended with the two of them together, making a go of a long-distance relationship, fine. I like to feel a little more invested in a relationship than that. Regardless though, it really was a sweet story reading about their dates and watching them flirt with each other a little more each day.

Royal Holiday actually reminded me of one of those heartwarming Hallmark Christmas movies that are so popular every year. If you like second chance romances and you’re looking for a charming little Christmas story to get you in the holiday spirit and put a smile on your face, Royal Holiday is your book.

2.5 stars

This book was just okay for me. I didn't find myself invested in the characters. It took me a really long time to finish this book because I didn't find it engaging.

I'd hate to think that I can't relate to characters older than me, but that may be some of why I'm not rating this book higher.

Having absolutely loved The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory, I was really excited to learn she would be releasing a second book in 2019! Unfortunately, I think I was maybe just not the target audience for this romance. The main characters are in their 50s (one of which is the mother of Maddie from The Wedding Party) so I found a lot of that to be hard to relate to especially from a romantic perspective. What I did like was the Royal tie-ins, like crown jewels and Buckingham Palace references - because who doesn't love a good royal component to their books?!

Guillory's writing is sharp as ever here but this one just was not for me. I'll be first in line to pick up her 2020 book (right after I confirm the age range of the characters)

*Note - I love reading books about characters of all ages, generally. There was just something in a romance novel that I couldn't get around the ages with.

I found this book very enjoyable. It was nice to see a main character who wasn't 22 years old. She was mature and confident and I liked her.

Ahhhh I loved this book so much! It just felt like a cozy sweater and immediately put me in the holiday spirit! Love that it was inspired by Doria. I really appreciated the older cast of characters because it's not something we see often, so to me it was very refreshing. Jasmine painted vivid pictures of the surroundings that I enjoyed and immediately wanted to hop on a flight to the UK. This was a fun, light read with a hug. Big fan.

Royal Holiday is a Hallmark Christmas movie waiting to happen. It’s a picturesque bit of fantasy that’s blessedly low on drama and high on sweetness.

Vivian Forest is a social worker with a clear love of her job and the people she helps, which won me over immediately. Vivian rarely does things for herself, so when her daughter, Maddie, talks her into taking a vacation to England where Maddie has been asked to dress a member of the royal family, Vivian packs her bags and is along for the ride. I loved seeing someone as hardworking, kind, and generous as Vivian get to sit back and enjoy herself. But life as the guest of royalty isn’t all tiaras and scones. There’s also the Queen’s sexy private secretary, Malcolm Hudson. Malcolm is the picture perfect version of a holiday fling. He’s handsome, sweet, and I seriously envied the private tours he took Vivian on.

Malcolm and Vivian are both in their fifties, know their own minds, and generally avoid manufactured drama, which I liked. Vivian’s time in England is the stuff of dreams, from picturesque walks on royal grounds to a private visit to the V&A and more. I adored being whisked away from reality by author Jasmine Guillory and was happy to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride. Malcolm and Vivian’s love story glides with relative ease, keeping with the overall lighthearted tone of the book. I think it had potential to be more than a fluffy read had Ms. Guillory delved more deeply into both characters. It’s a pity, because Vivian and Malcolm both hinted at rich and interesting histories, so I would have loved to see them better fleshed out. And as much as I like a sweet read, I will say that Royal Holiday edged into saccharine territory more than once. Someone laughing or giggling on almost every page (most of the time for reasons I couldn’t understand) for the first three-quarters of the book was distracting and made me wish for tighter editing. But even with these issues, I think Royal Holiday is the kind of warm and cozy book you’d want to escape with on a cold winter’s night.

You could definitely tell it was an "in-between" kind of book as the writing wasn't as nuanced as what I'm used to from Guillory. I didn't particularly enjoy the characters, but that's probably because I would prefer reading about people my own age. I'm think older romance fans would enjoy. Cute, just not for me.

I have enjoyed the previous books in The Wedding Date series, and I was really looking forward to this jaunt across the seas, however, it did fall flat for me.

I did like that our leading couple were an older couple (it is getting harder and harder to get into a lot of these NA/college aged books as I am getting older). I did like the holiday fling aspect of the story, but once it moved from there, it just lost some of it's magic for me. I think we had to suspend way too much of our belief in this story than the previous Jasmine Guillory stories, and it takes you right out of things.

I am sure plenty of others will absolutely love everything about this book, but this one and I were not a great fit.

I love Jasmine Guillory's n0vels. I really never thought that I would willingly read a series of heterosexual contemporary romances. Each of her novels takes a familiar trope and that fund with it. Perhaps it's because each book stars a different POC, or because it acknowledges complicated relationships. And queer people exist.

This book features the falling-in-love-while-on-vacation trope. This time, however, it features two people in the their mid-fifties. Who have sex. And enjoy it.

A warm, cozy romance, featuring 50-somethings who are amazing at their careers? Yes please. Vivian gets to come along with her daughter Maddie to the Palace while Maddie styles the duchess, and crosses the path of the very handsome and eligible Malcolm, who works for the Crown. There is a lot of focus on scones, and the weather differences of England in December versus California, but I found it charming overall (might be a bit much for UK readership). I really enjoyed the focus on Vivian's career/vocation and her struggle about what to do next, and her frank questions for Malcolm about what it's like to be a black senior staff member to the monarchy. Mixed in with plenty of escapism and the odd royal run-in or two! Despite the setting, it did feel grounded in the relationships between the characters (main romance, as well as their bonds to family members) and is well worth picking up.

I am a fan of Jasmine Guillory’s writing so I was really excited to receive a copy of Royal Holiday from the publisher for review. A trip to England, a chance to meet royalty and a vacation romance rolled into one sounded like the perfect read. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me. I’m not sure if it was because Vivian and Malcom are a bit older and in a different stage of their lives than I am but for some reason I had a difficult time connecting with the main characters and that’s a must for me to get pulled into a romance. The concept was adorable and there were some aspects of the plot I really enjoyed so I’m sure other people will really love this book.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Not too long ago, I had done a blog post about the lack of "mature" heroines in romance novels, and shortly thereafter, I heard about this book. Obviously, I was really excited about it. I would like to think, that love is a possibility at any age, and I enjoyed reading this "seasoned" romance.

Both Vivian and Malcolm were wonderful characters. They were interesting, witty, and I enjoyed getting to know them. More importantly, I adored seeing them get to know each other. I loved their interactions and thought they really well suited for one another. I found myself enjoying their time in England a LOT. The walks, the riding, the museums, the notes - I thought it was all really sweet, and I smiled as their attraction and affection grew. As a matter of fact, I never wanted to leave the holiday "bubble".

It was great seeing these two get their second chance at love. Their romance was sweet, endearing, and passionate, and I was all about this ship. I did want a little more from the ending, but overall, this was a very pleasant and charming read, which was quite fun and left a smile on my face.

3.25 Stars / 1 Steam Fan

I wanted to love this book until the sex scene and then the ending. THAT ENDING SUCKED!! I also think that ending drops it out of the romance genre and places it into the women's fiction category. Vivian is the mother of a previous character and joins her daughter in England for the Christmas season. While on the grounds of the Duke and Duchess, Vivian meets Malcolm and their mutual interest are explored. I liked the swift romance between Vivian and Malcolm but I think it started to do too much once it moved from a holiday fling to the possibility of forever. This one just missed the mark.

This specific video review will be included in the September 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

I was a little disappointed by this book. I loved the previous books before this one! I had a hard time getting into this book. What I did like is that it’s a diverse book in the world of romance because the main characters are in their 50s.