A dual review of "Battle Royal" by Lucy Parker and "The Royals Next Door" by Karina Halle.

These witty enemies-to-lovers rom-coms are perfect for both fans of all things royal and readers who are eager for a variation on the trend. Rather than being princes or princesses themselves, the couples in these romances either work for or get sucked into the orbits of royal families.

In Battle Royal, the first book of her Palace Insiders series, Lucy Parker follows two London bakers at war with each other over lucrative, high-profile commissions.

In Karina Halle’s The Royals Next Door, a duke and duchess’s departure from royal duties leads to romance between two solitary people who find themselves unwillingly fascinated with each other.

Full Review: https://bookpage.com/features/26556-contentious-courtships-romance#.YTEY7Y5KhUA

This one was plucked right from the headlines!
But, I enjoyed the surly bodyguard attitude and the mother-daughter dynamic!

This was a great end of summer treat! Second grade teacher Piper's summer plans get shook up when two modern Royals move in next door and the sparks really fly between her and their gruff personal body guard Harrison. I really, really enjoyed this enemies to lovers/grump + sunshine, slow burn open door romance set on a small BC Island with great mental health representation and some not so subtle nods to Prince Harry and Megan Markle.

Highly recommended if you enjoy small town Canadian charm, women who unapologetically love romance books (Piper secretly has a romance podcast that she gets forced to defend because of her job), reading about the challenges of being a caregiver for a parent living with mental illness (Piper's mom has DPD & BPD), witty banter and steamy love scenes.

⚠️CW: mental illness, past toxic relationships, therapy, mentions of military-related PTSD & PTSD induced nightmares, invasion of privacy via nonconsensual photography

Piper has lived in a small town in Canada for a few years now but she has yet to feel like an insider. It doesn’t hurt that her main focus is her career, her sick mother and her secret love for romance novels. She doesn’t socialize as much as she should. When a British Royal couple moves in next door, her life starts to get more interesting.

Harrison is the royal’s bodyguard. The couple needs a break from their duties and Harrison is there to help keep the peace. The problem is that his new neighbor makes it hard. Some how she gets intwined in their lives and Harrison realizes he may want to keep it that way.

To be clear this is not the best book I’ve read by this author. However, it ticks enough of my boxes for me to read the book through in one sitting. It gives an enemy to lovers kind of vibe which is my favorite trope lately.

I liked Piper and her love for romance novels. I totally got her need to defend her love for reading them. Why should it be a secret? She deals with so much in life with her family and her own mental health. The author handles the subject matter very delicately. In fact, I actually learned a thing or two from reading Piper’s story.

Harrison and Piper’s chemistry is smoking from the beginning. Granted, Harrison is not initially feeling Piper but as he gets to know her, he falls hard. I liked that there is more than just the bodyguard thing to him. He is dedicated to his job but he wants more in life. I rooted for them to both be free of their burdens. The author really infused a good deal of humor and banter to help lighten some of the heavy tension that was laced throughout the book.

The story is full of low to medium angst as the author throws in a bit of scandal and drama. The two characters navigate it pretty well as they try to figure out if they have a future together.

If you want a light and easy contemporary romance story, then this is the perfect read.

~ Samantha

This is a fictional book about the Royals in our world, and this basic self-insert book was delightful! I saw a lot of twists and turns coming. However, I did enjoy it all the same. I have a soft spot for a young royal in real life, too, so I really liked this story.
Plus, the romance between the bodyguard and MC was sweet and funny. Would I mind more of this world? No, I wouldn't.

Pure summer fun + escapism! Piper is an elementary school teacher on holiday for the summer when she crosses paths with Harrison, a brooding + hunky protection officer. Piper's world is turned upside down when the Prince of England and his new bride move in next door....along with Harrison. Turns out he is more than meets the eye and Piper falls for Harrison's sweet side. Can their secret romance last? What a darling enemies to lovers + sunshine/grump romance! I love the character's off the charts chemistry (spin cycle, anyone?), their witty banter, the pop culture references (Harry + Meghan) and the mental health representation.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a really fun, romantic summer read.

As a Brit, I found the royal elements very entertaining. The author did a fun job of imagining what the couple might be like, and how their arrival would affect an out of the way community should royalty descend on them.

The leads in this book, though, are Harrison, the principal royal bodyguard, and Piper, the immediate neighbour of the new arrivals. She has enough issues of her own to deal with, without the crazy circus which sets up camp next door. Her behaviour towards Harrison is very amusing and be ready for some good chuckles as you imagine how the scenarios would have played out. Halle's writing brings this to life in a really fun way.

I definitely recommend this to you for some fun escapism!

On the scenic island of Salt Spring, Piper is a school teacher who pretty much keeps to herself. Taking care of her mother who suffers from poor mental health, she lives down a quiet road right in the coast.

When a royal British couple is rumored to be looking for a home on the island, Piper is equal parts excited and dreadful when they appear to be looking at the beautiful home just feet away from her own.

Along with the Duke and Dutchess is their right hand man and security Harrison Cole. He is an infuriating man always piercing her with his ocean blue eyes behind his ever present aviators. And while he is broody and intense at first, the banter and tension between the two become increasingly evident. But Piper always picks the wrong guys and the people closest to her and Harrison believe that he is in fact wrong for her. That doesn’t change the fact that the two cannot seem to stay away from one another.

Also, might I add, the Duke and Duchess in The Royals Next Door were the actual sweetest… Think along the lines of Harry and Meghan, with all of the strife they have gone through. This poor royal couple just needed a break from being British royalty. A break from the scathing media. I loved them!

This book just hit me in all the feels. Piper and Harrison individually were fantastic. Both strong and independent people. But together, their romance was a spark that fanned into a beautiful flame.

I very much enjoyed this steamy grump/sunshine romance between a teacher and a bodyguard to the royal couple that moves in next door. The royals have total Harry/Meghan vibes and I loved this fun take on “normal girl” thrown into a celebrity/royal world without directly being involved in a royal romance. There was so much to love about this book, and I appreciated how much it tackled some meaty subjects beyond just the love story. It made the book all the more captivating to read.

I confess, this is my first Karina Halle romance, but it certainly won’t be my last and I’m looking forward to diving into her backlist.

My expectations were really low going into this book because of the average ratings, but wow I was so pleasantly surprised! It was refreshing and sexy and the perfect end of summer read.

This book takes place in Canada in a quaint island town where our main character Piper is suddenly next door neighbors with a British royal couple looking to escape media scrutiny. There she meets Harrison their hot, broody, no nonsense bodyguard and instantly they dislike each other. So, of course this is an enemies-to-lovers quasi bodyguard romance, and I AM SO HERE FOR IT.

Piper and Harrison have such good banter and chemistry that I was literally screaming at them to bang already (sigh I need a life). They were so sweet with each other once the romance started while still maintaining a witty banter and off the charts sexual tension. The spicy scenes were also excellent, if you were wondering (which you were, don't lie).

This book also didn't have a dumb third act conflict that forces the couple apart for some stupid reason. It was so refreshing!!! Once they got together, they stayed together, while still maintaining the plot interesting. So, we STAN Karina Hale for that.

This book also dealt with more serious topics like mental health/illness (Piper's mother had 2 types of personality disorders), PTSD and childhood trauma (Both Piper and Harrison suffer from this), and media scrutiny and right to privacy, which was a big element in this book. The author also facilitated conversations about therapy, mental health and PTSD between the characters, and it was great to see mental health be discussed without preconceived notions.

Overall, this was a great book that took me by surprise. I will definitely read more by this author in the future.

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley, for providing me with this ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

This was the perfect book to finish up my August with! It’s summer time on an island in Canada and Piper doesn’t have much to fill her days. She’s an elementary school teacher, island life is quiet and she lives with her mom who is dealing with some mental health issues. She keeps to herself in this quiet town until the royals come to town.
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When the younger brother to the next in line to the throne and his American pop star wife….ahem Megan and Harry….move next door Piper needs to put up with the media attention and their handsome, aloof bodyguard Harrison. It’s not long before Piper falls into her own happily ever after, but at what cost?
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I loved this one! I also loved her enthusiasm for a Costco trip because really, who doesn’t feel the same? She also loves being a member of the club, just like the babysitters club. Yes, this definitely made my heart happy! Either way this entire book made me happy! It’s available today!
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Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This was such a fun read! As much as I love a good romance, there was so much more to appreciate in this book as well! Being proud of who you are as a woman, being inclusive of or respecting people who are different from yourself, and Piper and Harrison's relationship was the icing on the cake! I also loved that it takes place on Salt Spring Island in B.C, I think its the only book I've read that takes place in B.C and it made me want to check out the island now!

Piper is a single lady, and elementary school teacher, avid romance reader, and the new neighbor for Harry and Meghan…uhhhh I mean Eddie and Monica 😉

I didn’t know what to expect when I read this one, I really expected the Royals to have a lot more of an important role but that actually went to their PPO Mr. Harrison Cole and I won’t complain.

The Royals Next Door focuses a lot on mental health, acceptance, and also not shunning people who read romance 😉❤️

Piper is funny, kind, and once she breaks out of her shell all that is amplified even more. Harrison is brooding and moody and he has a British accent *swoon*. The two together make a funny pair and their banter is so good!

Halle does a fantastic job representing mental health awareness, importance of therapy for all, and inclusion of all people.

You’ll like this book if you enjoy
▪️British Royalty
▪️Fun Banter in Romcoms
▪️Sunshine and Grumpy trope
▪️Mental Health representation
▪️Laundry room scenes 🔥

Thank you to Berkley romance and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is the sweet romance of Piper and Harrison.

Piper is an ordinary girl. She’s an elementary school teacher who lives on an island with her mother in British Columbia. When the British Duke and Dutchess move next door, Piper’s life becomes a little more exciting. Now she’s dealing with media and their hot bodyguard, Harrison.

Harrison is a strict, follow the rules type of guy, but soon Piper has him shedding is hard, exterior. When Piper finds herself in her own scandal, both Piper and Harrison must decide what they want and what they’re willing to sacrifice to be together.

Such a cute story! It was fun getting to know both Piper and Harrison and seeing their relationship blossom. I loved the side story of the royal couple being the neighbors, and Piper and her mother becoming friends with them. If steam is your thing, there were some steamy scenes in the laundry room and at a private lake. Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it those that love the grump and sunshine trope.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“His sunglasses are up on his head. Which means, for the first time ever, I can see his eyes. And . . . dear lord . . . am I in trouble. Harrison’s eyes are this gorgeous blue, a color that flirts between the sky and smoky sage green…I swallow hard, unable to take my eyes away. At least until he raises his brow, those beautiful blues seeming to smirk at me. They seem to ask, Which do you prefer, my eyes or my ass? To which I’d say, That’s an impossible choice.”

Piper Evans, living in the guest house of a gorgeous seaside estate on Salt Spring Island, is less than thrilled to have her quiet life upended when the Royals move into the big house. Her mother suffers from mental illness and Piper is her sole caretaker. She’s also a school teacher, single, and happy with her simple life. Enter Harrison Cole, the sexy and feisty PPO on the island to protect the royal couple. Can he and Piper learn to get along for the sake of the Royals next door?

I am just loving all of the fun and flirty romances this summer! This one was no exception. The royal couple is based *not so* loosely on Harry and Meghan, but they’re not the good part. The good part is the broody and ornery bodyguard and Pipers unavoidable attraction to this man. Watching their relationship unfold, watching his protective nature kick in for a girl that is always doing the protecting, ahhhhh. So. Much. Ahhhhh. I loved it! I have been on a massive thriller kick as of late and this sweet and sexy rom com was a much needed change. If you love yourself a good enemies to lovers trope, look no further.

Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 'You transfix me' Stars!
ARC provided by the the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Karina Halle is one of my unicorn authors so you can imagine my excitement when she announced she was publishing a new novel with Berkley Romance and that it was all about royals. Not only is it about royals escaping their reality for a while and two opposites falling in love with each other, it’s also about a heroine and her mother who both are dealing with mental illness. This is a topic that I think needs to be talked about more and Karina does a wonderful job with it. You’ll love Piper and her magic love story with Harrison!

So, The Royals Next Door is Karina’s upcoming standalone release and her first novel published by Berkley. It’s about Piper Evans, a schoolteacher living in a remote island where people still think she doesn’t belong. Piper is also taking care of her mother (who has DPD and BPD) and she is an avid romance reader and podcaster. Enter Harrison Cole. Harrison is the royals’ main bodyguard and Piper’s new neighbor. He doesn’t like having her around much but that starts to change when they start really getting to know each other. Will these two polar opposites find happiness together?

“I know you keep me on my toes.”
“I annoy you,” I tell him. “There’s a difference.”
“You don’t annoy me,” he says. “You... transfix me.”

This is so different from what we are used to from Karina Halle. And that is a good thing! I am a big fan of hers and I am so excited she decided to dip her toes in this new troupe. Karina is mostly known for very steamy contemporary and paranormal romance and now she is bringing her slow burn romcom game with The Royals Next Door. I think she did a very good job and gave us unique characters and a beautiful love story. Moreover, she added the mental illness theme and I think that is very, very important. Many people suffer from mental illnesses and it’s not normalized, neither in society nor in books. Piper, her mother and even Harrison are dealing with some type of issue and Karina developed it in the story very well. And can we talk about how adorable this couple was? OMG, I loved them together and I am so happy they found their HEA!

“If you know how amazing you are, the world will be a better place.”
Where did I find this man again?
Oh right. The royals next door.

Therefore, I am rating The Royals Next Door with 4 STARS because it was a sweet delicious treat, a summer romance perfect for any moment and with a crew of characters that will steal your heart! Karina did a wonderful job with this new troupe and dipping her toes in mid-steam romance and also dealing with unusual themes like mental illnesses. I loved Piper and Harrison together, I loved Piper’s relationship with her mother and all the interactions with the rest of secondary characters, especially the royals. I cannot wait to see if Karina releases more titles with Berkley because I will surely check them out!

I mean from that blurb alone I knew I had to read this one!! Such a cute story with a great cast of characters. I really loved Piper!! She was so relatable & easy to love for me!! And I mean come on!! Who doesn’t love a brooding British bodyguard?! 😍 The steam level in this one was super steamy 🔥🔥🔥 Overall a really fun romance and I would definitely recommend grabbing this one!!

The Royals Next Door released today! Do y’all like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? If so, you will probably enjoy this book! I know I did!

The focus is not on the royal couple, although we see them often, but on Piper, the neighbor whose life gets thrown for a loop when they move in next door. Especially with the hot bodyguard that comes with them!

Piper and Harrison’s relationship was the perfect amount of buildup for me. I love when we actually get to see characters together for a bit, instead of just BAM at the end.

This is a great read to end the summer with!

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for the arc! ❤️

From the minute that I was introduced to main character, Piper I was smitten. She’s an incredibly interesting and multifaceted character that felt so authentic. She was relatable too, she’s a huge romance reader and even has a romance podcast. Then there’s Harrison, who just made me swoon. Their relationship evolved in such a believable way too, it was a slow burn but they wait was way worth it in the end. They start off as enemies, then become friends before they hook up so you get a little dash of a few different tropes which was fun. Add in a small town that isn’t the usually depicted warm and welcoming kind of place and a Duke and Duchess living next door and I was completely enchanted.

Not only were the characters here complex the story itself was as well. There was wonderful mental health representation, which was so refreshing to see and it was the perfect balance of light and dark since some of the topics explored were heavy, but they were portrayed perfectly. Lots of humor, funny banter and steamy sex, overall this was charming and delightful and I can’t believe this was my first book from the author?!

This was a super cute and fun read! It was sweet, fast-paced, and entertaining. I loved the grumpy bodyguard and the quiet school teacher coming together and was thrilled when they got to their HEA.

I really enjoyed Piper and Harrison's first meeting and the antagonism and banter between them. I was so curious about Harrison, he's probably one of the reasons I read this so fast because I was excited to learn everything about him. I loved learning his history and watching him fight his feelings. I enjoyed learning about Piper, what she had going on with her life, and her relationship with her mom. Some harder subjects were touched upon and I liked learning about the growth taking place for both Piper and her mom and their special bond. I loved Piper really growing and gaining confidence and putting herself out there and standing up for herself.

There were a lot of engaging scenes and sweet moments taking place. The details were good but not overly in-depth, there was just enough information to keep it moving along. There is definitely a slow burn happening between these two and I enjoyed the build. The story had a very ripped from the headlines feel and I liked the author’s lighthearted take on what would happen if a royal moved in next door. I liked the royal couple and the friendships that Piper formed with them and the friendships they had with Harrison.

This was an entertaining story that I had a hard time putting down because I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next. It was the overall entertainment value that hooked me and I really enjoyed it.