I've been a fan of Karina Halle for a while now, so when I found out she was writing a bodyguard romance, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Safe to say, this one did not disappoint! I loved the dynamic between Piper and Harrison -- these two were HOT HOT HOT!

Sometimes you just need a good royal rom-com and this one is perfection! The side characters are very obviously inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but the main romance is between their body guard Harrison and the next door neighbor Piper.

Piper is easily one of my favorite female characters in romance. She is so relatable and lovable. It was easy to root for her happiness. There was a lot of banter and laugh out loud moments as well as some good steam once you get over 50% in. I truly loved this one and I will definitely read more by Karina Halle.

This book is so, so fun from start to finish! I was worried it would feel too predatory toward real-life people it may or may not be based on, but they’re really just side characters that allow for additional charm and commentary on the media’s treatment of royals.

Our actual main characters are delightful, with great grumpy/sunshine vibes and banter. I’ll never get over the bodyguard trope, though it’s executed differently here than usual. A romcom in its purest form—one I can imagine easily as a instant classic movie.

I received a digital advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Piper Evans lives a recluse life with her mother on a small island. Her tiny life bubble is burst when none other than Prince Edward and his wife, Duchess Monica decide to move next door to get away from the prying eyes of the British press. With them comes a brooding bodyguard named Harrison Cole that she can't seem to get away from. With this new addition to the neighborhood comes a realization that Piper needs to do some soul searching on her own. Will it work for this home town teacher/ romance podcaster?

I can admit I don't read enough rom-com, girl-meets-boy types of books like these, but I didn't expect to have such a layered look at mental health like this had. Beyond that, it was a light, fun book that would be a great beach read or curled up in front of a fire read.

This book was absolutely adorable! I loved that we got a royal adjacent romance! Harrison is a royal bodyguard and Piper is an elementary school teacher, romance podcaster, and neighbor to the newly married Royal Couple (this was totally based on Harry and Megan).

The sparks flying between Piper and Harrison were very obvious from the moment they met and I really enjoyed seeing the gruff Harrison fall for Piper!

This book is a slow-burn, low steam romance (Karina Halle's other books are steamier) that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though I am not a fan of slow-burn romances. In this case, it really helped develop Harrison and Piper's relationship.

This book also deals with mental illness, in the form of Piper's mom, and how the people taking care of them are greatly affected by it. I love how this book shows how Piper's decisions and relationships were greatly affected by this situation.

Ultimately, I didn't really want the book to end!

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

I love romance in a royal setting, I think because it's not a life I live and not one that I can (at least realistically) achieve for myself. Let's just go with that and ignore that I am also unlikely to become a personal trainer for a sports team, ok? Thanks.

Anyway, Harrison and Piper meet when royals move into the house next to her. Yup, it's fun and it's kind of exciting...although also a little irritating. And there's Harrison. He's frustrating. He's maddening. And, he's hot.

Never a good thing...unless you are in a romance novel, and then all of that becomes a great meet cute and set up for a story.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

It's been a very long time since I've read a Karina Halle book! I was long overdue and I must say, I was surprised by how fun and wholesome The Royals Next Door was but unsurprised that it still had her usual high steamy factor.

Piper Evans is an elementary school teacher, romance reader who runs an anonymous podcast on the genre, and primary caretaker for her mother who struggles with mental illness. That latter paired with the judgement she feels from her small island town regarding her ex-fiancé weigh heavily on her but she keeps a smile on her face regardless. When British royals rent the property next door to hers and bring security detail with them, including a very hot and brooding bodyguard named Harrison, it pretty much shakes up her entire world (and that of their island community).

So if you've ever wondered what it must've been like for Prince Harry and Meghan to move to Canada for have some semblance of a normal life, then this book is for you. It's very obvious who this story draws inspiration from and I personally enjoyed Halle's imagination on the subject. Especially the Harrison part. Harrison and Piper immediately clash and it's classic enemies-to-lovers, except being enemies didn't last very long. Which I didn't mind at all since their banter and sexy times were definitely more fun and I appreciated that while there was some drama, it wasn't overly angsty. But there's more to the story than royals and romance. The book speaks honestly and positively about therapy, dealing with mental illness, and on a lighter note, the enjoyability of the romance genre and how people need to stop looking down on it.

Do I recommend? I do! Like I said, if you like royals and romance, this is a fun and quick read that I'd recommend checking out.

This was so cute! I liked how influenced it was by recent royals in a way that respected the subjects of the source.

I am. HUGE Karina Halle fan and this book did not disappoint. I love that. there is a mental health representation, that the Female Main Chanracter has a romance podcast. I love the grumpiness of the bodyguard. Yes this was Megan/Harry fan fiction and i am here for it.

I loved this. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it was wonderful. Piper made me feel so found in a character, she had so many of the same characteristics that I have. I definitely related to her, her past relationships, her mental health struggles, the therapy, the mental health in the family - all of it. And then one day, I found my happily ever after, just like she did, and it was beautiful. I'm enthralled with this book and will definitely be picking up more from this author. One I would whole-heartedly recommend.

Fun and quirky. I really enjoyed the hero although the heroine did a few things that weren't well thought out for a teacher. Otherwise a cure love story.

I absolutely adored this book. It was more than just a cutesy love story! Piper Evans is a school teacher with a secret romance novel podcast, and Harrison Cole is a bodyguard of the British Royals, Monica and Eddie who move next door to Piper and her mom. Through all of the craziness of the move, Piper finds herself drawn to Harrison and though a slow burning romance, it definitely gets steamy! Piper and Harrison are both weary of relationships for a variety of reasons so it’s really empowering seeing the growth they both accomplish as the story goes on. The mental health aspect of the book was extremely well done. Many of the main characters struggle with their mental health and I loved the representation of mental illnesses in the story. Additionally, The Royals Next Door also covers the controversy of what teachers do in their spare time. Some feel like teachers always need to be “on” and it’s frowned upon when we do things that are “not school appropriate” in our free time. I love how Piper handled this controversy.

I've loved Karina Halle for so long and The Royals Next Door is just proof of why. Funny, hot, and overall entertaining.

This e-copy was kindly given to me by Netgalley and the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

I quite enjoyed this romance. The setting was such a fun feel (small, island town in Canada), the movie like royals moving in next door (cue special ops in trees), the topics Halle divided into (caring for mentally ill mother, own anxiety/depression, being a teacher and owning femininity) where just awesome and refreshing. I really loved that our main character, she had a romance podcast where she talked all things smut, romance novels and gossip- it was such a fun addition and even the point in the plot where she had to come to the defense of her enjoying that form of literature- I was pumping my fist in the air for her. The romance was sweet and spicy and I was so rooting for them the whole time. Like, hunky ex-military turned body guard who loved to bake, come on... total swoon worthy.

This is one of those books I could easily see becoming a great movie.

This was a quick, fun, lighthearted read! I know the royal couple was inspired by Meghan and Harry, which was a bit *too* on the nose at times. There was quite a bit of focus on the royals, which I didn't entirely mind, but I would've loved more one-on-one time with the main protagonists. Overall, I enjoyed the romance between Piper and Harrison, which was steamy and only mildly angsty (thankfully).

Surprisingly deep and moving. It was obviously a fictional take on Prince Harry/Megan Markle and I am neutral about them and their situation however I liked that in the book they were not the focus and more of a side character. I really liked this one and was sad when it was done. Thanks Net Galley for an advanced read!

Light and sweet.. perfect book after a crappy day!
What’s more than exciting than to have royalty move next door?
To have their their very handsome body guard move next door as well ;)

I'm glad I'm not the only one whose fascinated by European royalty! What I love about this book is the way that the author explores the darker side of fame/royalty. It's a fresh take on what it means to be a royal.

Pleasantly surprised by this romance. Beside reading about a typical new love, the novel brought many important issues like mental health, belonging in a community, mother/daughter relationship and it made the characters and the storyline quite enjoyable. Even though the Royal couple in the story shares big similarities with Prince Harry and Megan, the author is able to make us focus on Piper, the insecure teacher living with her not too stable mother and Harrison, the tough bodyguard with a gentle heart.

A few thing bugged me, first, the fact that the book is based in Canada but the author does not use the appropriate terminology for "favourite/flavour". The author writes the American version instead and it's too bad.

And PIper mentioned that she has the tendency to pick the wrong guy and by the look of it, Harrison seems completely wrong for her but in the magic of words, everything ends well and they live happily after.

However, I enjoyed the aspect of Piper defending her hobby in front a reticent school board; it was interesting to hear the arguments brought up for her case.

All in all, I would recommend this to my romance lovers friends

What would you do if Harry and Meghan moved next door and they brought along their handsome body guard? This is the predicament Piper finds herself in.
Piper is a second grade teacher, she loves romance books and she has her own podcast where she discusses them. She lives on a small island in Canada and everyone knows everyone. Her day couldn’t get worse a student throws up in her purse and she has to toss it, which includes her license. When she stopped on her way to pulling into
her driveway by a handsome guard named Harrison, she stays at a cottage with her mother that shares a driveway with a mansion. Harrison refuses to let her by until she can prove she lives there. This is when she learns the Duke and Duchess of Fairfax are her neighbors. Piper and her mom become friends with the Duke and Duchess and even Harrison, soon Piper begins to see the other side of the grumpy Harrison, the softer side and they begin a friendship and soon more. Conflicts soon arise between the paparazzi and Piper and Harrison see their relationship may have issues and Piper will have to discover her own voice and that she’s stronger that she realizes! You guys I loved this book so much!! I couldn’t put it down it was steamy in certain pets FYI, but Piper was adorable and Harrison was everything!! This book will be one of my top books five stars!!