4.25⭐
Royal Bastard was a wonderful read that drew me in from the start. As American inventor Nick travels to England and the home of his grandfather the Earl of Englefield for one reason, and one reason only, and that is to tell the Earl where he can stick his title. And I was really excited to see this story was set in England. But admittedly I was also a little nervous as sometimes authors can mangle the words we Brits speak or at least regularly use words we wouldn't. But I can safely say on this aspect alone Avery Flynn knocked it out of the park, and I could really tell she had visited the area this book is set in, although the village itself is fictional. The characters felt super authentic as did the language, although they were really missing that Yorkshire twang, but as that is really a dialect in itself I can see why Ms Flynn chose not to go there. But certainly they were all eccentric, welcoming, and delightful and I loved that; and the plot really drew me in. As did the main characters Brooke and Nick, who is understandably reluctant to be in England and anywhere near the man who rejected him and treated his mother so badly. And whilst this story had some emotional issues running through it, it was also sweet, entertaining and one hundred percent engaging, and genuinely I was charmed throughout, especially with the epilogue, which is why I would happily recommend it to others.

Nooooo! I don't want it to be over! 
And to think I almost didn't request this!
Royalty tropes are not my usual reads.  But reading the synopsis changed my mind. 

Our hero is Nick Vane, an American, who was allowed to keep the family name as ling as his father returned to England to fulfil his duties. Now his grandfather the Earl of Englefield is looking to make Nick his heir.  Brooke is the Earl's personal secretary tasked with getting Nick to the estate. Her persistence wears him down. And he finds himself flying to England.

Loved their chemistry.

Royal Bastard is the story of Nick Vane and Brooke Powell. Nick is an American that wants nothing to do with his grandfather, The Earl. The earl regrets pushing his son away and making him annul his marriage with the love of his life. He also has Alzheimer's and so needs to find his successor, as his son passed away without another heir. Nick goes to England just to put his roots to rest and tell his grandfather just how hard of a life he lived due to him. He feels abandoned and was forced to grow up quick with a sick mom and then in foster care; all he got from his dad was a check and so he resents them all. Brooke is the earl's secretary and the attraction to Nick is instant. It has a lot of battle of wills and their quarrels made for a fun read. I read it in one day and it was a nice break from life. Very fun and light hearted book. I can't wait to read more by Avery Flynn

I liked this book. It took me a bit to get into. I’m not a big fan of books written in third person it distracts me from the story for some reason. I found myself getting bored in some areas and skimming. I felt that the book was drawn out and in some parts of the story there wasn’t any closure on. I did like the banter between Nick and Brooke. There were some funny moments! I would like see Brooke’s sister Daisy get a book! I know many people that would enjoy this book so I would still definitely recommend this book.

Brooke had to teach Nick but was he ready to learn?

Nick is happy staying in Salvation and inventing things that made him money but there was something about all the letters and calls from Brooke Chapman-Powell to at least visit his grandfather, the Earl of Englefield. Brooke needed American Nick Vane to agree to be the next earl because if he didn’t, Dallinger Park would be sold and cause even more problems for the area when the factory closed.

Brooke’s job was to teach Nick to love Englefield enough to stay and become the next earl when his grandfather passed away. Nick’s goal was to visit and return to Salvation but finally meeting Brooke changed his mind and he learned to accept everyone knowing your business because that was life in a small village.

Royal Bastard is a funny cute romance with two very different people that end up teaching each other and falling in love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Brooke is the PA to the Earl of Englefield, and has been given the job to Nick, the Earls American heir how to be a proper Earl.
Nick is not interested in going to England, leave alone being an Earl, but Brooks persistence wore him down. Nick is clear, he will tell his grandpa what to do with his tittle, and return on the next flight to America. But one look at Brooke and all plans change.
This is a cute and fun read. Superb chemistry between Nick and Brooke, and their push and pull was entertaining. Brooke’s sister, Daisy was just hilarious. I really liked the secondary characters and the way they support each other. Overall an enjoyable read.

4 stars
Super cute story about a loner American, Nick, who is persuaded to go to England to became an Earl, because he is the only one left in his family. He is bitter and angry at his English family and his father for abandoning him. Now, his grandfather needs him to take over.

Brooke is the English secretary running the manor. She is the opposite of Nick. She is putting up with him for her town and school. But while they start off as enemies, they soon learn they are growing on each other.

Loved this story. It was cute and a great poolside read!

3.5 stars

ROYAL BASTARD follows Brooke and Nick. Brooke is the personal secretary of an Earl, who asks for her help in tracking down his heir- a grandson he rejected as a baby, and whose mother he paid off to keep the baby away from his family. To add insult to injury, when Nick's mother died, the Earl still wanted nothing to do with him and Nick was put into foster care. So when Brooke keeps reaching out, Nick wants nothing to do with it.

Brooke is worried what will happen to the properties the Earl controls if he doesn't have an heir, and she cares about her job. She bugs Nick until he agrees to come to England- to tell off the Earl in person. However, once he arrives, he learns more about the town and so gives Brooke a trial run to help him become more like an Earl. At the same time, Brooke and Nick are finding themselves undeniably attracted, which only grows as they get to know each other better.

Overall, this was a cute but predictable romance. It felt a bit slow in places and there are a lot of secrets being kept all around. I would have liked to speed up the first half a bit, though I do understand that this gives time to set up the characters and build a relationship. I did like the setup of the town and other settings, as this was an interesting look into the wealthy (or formerly wealthy) estates of England as they survive in the modern era.

This was a solid romance that I would recommend for people who love reading about surprise royalty and British Earldoms in the modern era. Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.