I am honored to have received this arc title for my first review with Netgalley. The summary sounded amazing and I am usually a sucker for books like these. However I DNF’d in the first few chapters and here is why.
1.) the main character mentions “thinking about licking his purple eggplant” in the first chapter, and I just could not get beyond that. And the term eggplant comes up several more times either in reference to the the paint color that the prince gets covered in, or to his royal parts.
2. When Lena gets slammed in the press for covering the prince in paint, his solution is to make her be his girlfriend for “good press”. I’m sorry but WHAT? He doesn’t even run this by Lena. He just goes over there and tells her what’s happening. This is when I DNF’d.

One good thing that I liked about this book was the idea that the prince ACTUALLY wanted to rule. Most of these stories are about princes who don’t want to be King and want to run off so it was refreshing to have a character who was committed and ready to rule.

Also just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean other people won’t. I am seeing plenty of raving reviews and who knows. I may come back someday and like it more.
Thanks again to Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for letting me at least attempt to read it.

A Royal Disaster is the first book in the Royally Engaged series by Jennifer Bonds. A magically romantic story that sweeps you away to a world of drama and heated chemistry. This may be one of the cutest, most satisfying little romances ever!

Thank you NetGalley, Jennifer Bonds and Entangled Publishing for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Elena Murphy is a mess. Her ex-boyfriend is suing her for the most ridiculous reason. Her art studio is struggling and that was all before she threw a gallon of purple paint all over the Crown Prince of Valeria. In her defense, she was aiming for the alley wall, he just happened to get in the way. Now the media is eating her alive and the Prince’s fan girls are out to ruin Elena’s life. HRH, Liam, is in New York for a month on official royal business. He’s also looking for an excuse to avoid his parents and their attempts to set him up with a future wife. He sees dating Elena for the paps not only helps her ruined reputation (it was his fault after all), but he’s also hoping an American girlfriend is the perfect way to keep his parents satisfied for the time being. Neither of them expect the chemistry they share, but how would they ever make it work?
Truth? I’ve never really gotten into the whole royal thing, so I’ve never read any books about royal life except Red, White & Royal Blue, so this had big shoes to fill! I’m happy to report A Royal Disaster did just that! Elena was such a likeable female lead! She was down to earth, stuck to her guns and didn’t change who she was to fit into Liam’s life. Speaking of Liam, what a swoon-worthy male lead! He and Elena really were perfect together which makes their obstacles that much more important. I’m a sucker for a good romance and I really loved these two! This was just book #1 in Jennifer Bonds’ ‘Royally Engaged’ series and I can’t wait to see more of these two in the future!

Lena and Liam's story was a fun read from their hilarious meet cute to sweet HEA.

Jennifer Bonds did a great job making Lena and Liam relatable and interesting characters. They come from completely different worlds, but he supports her and her dreams and she cares about him and not that he's a prince.

I am looking forward to reading Liam's brother's story next since we heard about him but never met him.

A fast paced and funny book. Elena is a hot mess. Liam is a hot, dutiful royal. From their first disastrous meeting the attraction is obvious. Having the paparazzi give a running commentary on the relationship was a great way of adding humor to the story. Lena’s friend Nia and her family were great characters that added spice to the story with their input and conversations. Also loved the Easter eggs to go with the fairytale ending.

“A Royal Disaster” was a fun and quick read, but I struggled with whether this was supposed to be a rom-com or an actual romance. I really enjoyed the character interaction, and their chemistry was fire. Elena is an independent and sassy fiery woman, and Liam is everything you’d hope for in a Royal - charming, polite, but with a passionate and sexy side. However, when the characters weren’t together there was a lot of “telling” not “showing”. I wanted to keep reading to get to the good stuff, so it was overall enjoyable.

Received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from the publisher, Entangled Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! 

I just really liked this book so much. The narration itself is easy to follow and the switch between character perspectives felt seamless and comfortable. Both protagonists have their own unique voices and there isn't any space to confuse who's eyes we're the seeing the story through. It also helps that both characters have their own setting, bring their own responsibilities, fears and struggles to the plot .

Elena was a very simple character with some lovely layers to her personality that adds rather than takes away from the simplicity of her personality. She's struggling, she's strong, she's kind, scared, brave, unsure, confident. She's all those opposites that we see in ourselves and in the women we know and love. She's also got a fantastic habit of holding onto her principles and never lowering herself to or for something she wouldn't respect herself for. She's also got the craziest streak of bad luck, but like it was said in a famous KDrama, "Fortune and misfortune are like twisted rope, so they come by turns.", I do believe that there's a strange play of fate behind it all.

Now, Liam. I think he's certainly a good meld of a prince and a man. He's been burned many times but with each experience he's only further shaped himself into the King he wishes to be for his people, which is certainly admirable. He's dedicated, hard working, devoted to his cause, and figuring some things out for himself as the story goes forth. It's watching his growth into understanding that was rather interesting in the story.

The secondary characters are the absolute sweetest, with very defined personalities of their own and they are always there to offer support, understanding, loyalty and a good kick in the arse if their friend needs it. So essentially, they're exactly like all best friends in our lives.

I loved the writing so much. The story was fantastically convincing in most of the moments that most other books end up falling short on. The book did well throughout in terms of pace and even when the end was nearing, the book didn't feel suddenly rushed and thrown into action after a hundred pages of comfortable paced romance. It felt like the author knew exactly what they wanted to say from the very beginning.

I loved how the author confronts characters on their shortcomings and how real those shortcomings were. It's not often the hero of a story is brought to heel rather than just the heroine. The plot was simple and almost completely foreshadowed at a point in the beginning but that didn't ever take away for me how different this book is in comparison to very other one before it that tackled the same theme. (Though I will admit the number of times I've read the mention of the 'stirring' or 'coming to attention' of the hero's nether regions was a little cringe at times, I have no idea why--perhaps because of the timing?)

I'm hovering between a 4.5 and 5 star rating, so choose whichever you feel like at the moment. Cute, cute read with lots of light hearted moments and surprising depth. Happy reading and stay safe!

Elena murphy is having a bad day, she has just been sued by her ex-boyfriend. She needs an outlet for her frustration, and decides to paint her mural which happens to be on the neighboring wall. Just as she throws paint on the wall, a man walks by and gets covered by the paint. He is not just any man, he is the crown prince and the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor.
When Liam ducks in the alley trying to escape the paparazzi, he doesn’t expect to be covered by paint, and that’s exactly what happened. When a picture of Elena throwing paint on him goes viral, she starts getting targeted for it and losing business. Liam decides to help her get positive press and boost her business by pretending to be in relation with her.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was funny, cute and entertaining read. Liam is a swoon worthy hero, handsome and sophisticated, and a tiny bit vulnerable. Elena is a little clumsy, but so cute.
Overall a fun read.

I'm sorry to say I did not enjoy this novel and will not be publicly reviewing it. The plot, writing, and characters were all very basic, and while I was initially intrigued, that quickly wore off and I wanted to just skip through the rest from about the halfway point.

I really appreciated the Puerto Rican MC and family though- a lovely perspective on trope.

Rating 4/5

I adored the diversity this book promoted as well as the imperfections that really made our female lead shine. The author mastered the art of telling a romance fit for anyone to enjoy - complete with sarcasm, wit and sexiness that will have you devouring it in one sitting. I wish we could have seen more of Elena’s growth once she reaches the Palace instead of that whirlwind ending.

I loved the premise of this book and the overall characters and story line of A Royal Disaster by Jennifer Bonds. However, some of the items that were pulled straight from real life were just too cheesy for me. You name your royal character Prince William who is slated to take over as King, who romances a commoner and happens to have a brother that is known for having scandals....I wonder where those ideas came from? Despite that, I really did enjoy the banter between the two main characters. Elena is just so lovable as an accident-prone artist that has had some bad luck. You definitely start cheering for her from the beginning. Liam (Prince William) is also just so charming and the interactions these two have really were very enjoyable. Overall, I truly thought this was a pretty good book and would definitely recommend this book to others.

I did receive this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great romance. The dialogue between Liam and Elena was a joy to read. It was a very light story, but held me engrossed throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a Cinderella/ pretty woman escape for a few hours. It also reminded me of the princess diaries.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a fun royal romance. The quirky, clumsy girl agrees to a fake relationship with the steamy prince in town on royal business.
There are awkward encounters (a crotch covered in shrimp), steamy sex scenes (🔥🔥), and a lot of references to Pretty Woman (the best movie). So all-in-all, it's a winner.

I'm a bit meh about this. The story was okay if a bit too cliche for my personal tastes.
I think people who enjoy cheesy romances ( think The Christmas Prince) I would recommend this to them.
Unfortunately something about this book just didn't jive with me.

This book was a great Rom Com type of read. I really enjoyed the banter between Lena and Liam. It was your typical Cinderella story but with a hint of Pretty Woman. I loved that it took place in NYC with diverse characters. I'm a sucker for HEA which is what you can expect from a Cinderella story. I would recommend this to someone looking for a light, fun, feel good read.

This was a predictable but entertaining read. I loved Lena as a character. I love clumsy people as characters and the embarrassing but highly entertaining situations they find them in. There is something so relatable about Lena, she is witty and loyal, someone you just can't help but like.

I will be keeping a lookout for more books by this author as this book was a perfect, light read that was highly enjoyable. I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was looking for a happy regal romance to transition my TBR and this book was exactly that. The book follows Elena (aka Lena), a nickname that's used interchangeably, who's sworn off dating following a bad breakup and undercover prince Liam in back and forth perspectives. After a disastrous meet-cute, it's clear these two have so much heat and banter between them. When paparazzi pictures of the two of them go viral, he proposes a fake dating scheme to get the press off their backs and back his parents off of the idea of an arranged marriage right now. She repeatedly says "Ay Dios Mio" and that's the only applicable reaction to reading this steamy romance novel. It's a fun, quick, one-sitting read, and boy, does it bring the heat because there's so much tension between them, like things had to explode, and damn did they. It's smutty and good fun for a romance. I did get so wrapped up in the story that I just couldn't put t down and ended up devouring it in one sitting. Sure, it's predictably cheesy but it's just so darn cute. And then, that HEA gave me so many butterflies. Like, in general, I love a good royal romance and it's truly my favorite trope and this was the perfect addition. It was so cute, I just need a full freaking series with the continuation of their love story.

This is a sweet, fun, predictable royal romance. The thing I liked the most about it was the way the Puerto Rican culture was embraced by the author and by the Prince. Elena is just a good person - creative, smart, and kind. She is actually a perfect princess despite not having a pedigreed background and preferring her overalls to fancy dresses. Liam is also perfect - in that he doesn't ever step a foot out of line and puts his country above all other things. The two of them are very sweet together - but honestly, we don't actually get to see them together all that much.

So this was definitely a book that I didn't have particularly strong feelings about. Its nicely written and sweet - but didn't tug at my heart strings very strongly. I did giggle a little at some of the things that happened - but I felt badly for Elena that they were happening so that took some of the laughter away.

Overall - if you love royal romance this is a good fix - but definitely isn't in my top five or even top ten of ones I've read. If you need a light, feel good read with low amount of angst - this is for you!

Also - I should mention that can't tell if the author is heading towards a sequel for the characters in this book - or a different story about Liam's brother. Either would be ok!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

I'd rate this book 3.5 stars but round up to 4 because there are some really sweet elements in this Cinderella story.

Elena is a starving artist in NYC trying to make ends meet running her art studio and teaching community classes. Liam Stanely breaks into her back alley just in time to become part of Elena's latest mural and lo and behold he's a prince and Elena is the only single woman of age who doesn't recognize him! These two agree to a fake dating arrangement to buy Liam some time from his parents who are pushing him to settle down.

Fake dating is my absolute favorite romance trope, but this one felt even more unrealistic than some of the others. I would have liked to see more background to really know why Liam is proposing their arrangement. Generally, I would have liked to see more of Liam's background/family dynamic/etc. to help me care more about him and root for him more. This comes out in the very last chapter but I would have liked to see it throughout. Elena is an awesome leading lady - I love her relationship with her family, her best friend Nia, and even her crazy cat. Sometimes her clumsiness felt contrived but all in service of her caricature. This book is steamy, though not all of it in service to the story and some of the descriptions were cringe-worthy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the early copy in exchange for this review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I like the "prince/royalty" romance trope -- who doesn't have the fairy tale dream of one's childhood? However, after seeing a bit too many Cinderella-type movies on a romance channel, I had grown weary of the way-too-predictable storyline. So when I saw the title of this book, I hesitated for a few minutes before reading the description, thinking that it would be just a formula story. The description was intriguing enough, so I opened my eBook to check it out.

And I'm very happy to say I was wrong about this book! It isn't your usual formula story. There's a funny meet-cute involving the heroine, a can of purple paint, and the hero, who just happens to be a prince. So the story starts out embarrassingly funny, that progresses to just funny as the heroine, Lena, gets herself into a number of predicaments. It's fun to read about her and her lifestyle, and I could totally relate to her as a character. She's the type of person you would love to have as a friend.

Then there's our hero, the prince named Liam. Swoon-worthy! Not only handsome and sophisticated, but also just a tiny bit vulnerable. He appears to be arrogant to the outside world, but as Lena gets to know him, she realizes that is just the persona he was taught to portray as tfhe heir to a wealthy kingdom. But it's not who he really is; it's just a role he has to play.

I don't want to spoil the story for the reader, so I won't reveal any more of the plot. But, I highly recommend this book! I've added Jennifer Bonds to my list of "must-read authors" and can't wait to check out some of her other books. In fact, I'll probably add this book to my pile of books that I'll re-read because it was so entertaining. But don't take my word for it, check out the book yourself!

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in return for an unbiased review.