Meh! Not my favorite at all. Great book for the time of the month but I would have been okay not reading this. It was a good palette cleanser for the next book though.

I am a huge Jenn McKinlay fan--I will read (or listen to) absolutely anything she writes. Unfortunately, this novella missed the mark a bit. While novellas are always challenging for romance--having to fit in an entire build and crescendo in less than half the length of a normal book--this one did not, in fact, seem too whirlwind, but rather suffered from multiple plot holes that I just couldn't set aside. When Molly meets Al, the two spend a glorious month together until he disappears without a trace. When they eventually meet again, he, of course, tries to win her back. But there is literally no reason Al could not have texted, called, emailed, or carrier pigeoned Molly even a simple "Sorry--family emergency. Had to go back to England. Will call when I can!" It's absolutely ridiculous.

The story is cute, and McKinlay's books are always a wonderful ode to book lovers--heroine Molly works at a museum of literature--so if you can get this one from the library, it's a quick read that may be worth your time. But I can't necessarily say it's worth your money.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own. The narrator did a fine job.

3 stars - 6/10

Royal Valentine put me in mind of The Prince and Me. Did I watch that as a teen and young adult entirely too much? Maybe... but as a girl growing up on the Disney princess drugs of Gen X and Millennials, I don't think I can be blamed.
The best part of this novella is that Jenn wrote an insta-love story that turned into a second chance. I often find that novella length stories can lack a timeline believability into why characters end with a HEA. In this case, I think the conflict and resolution added to the credibility of this modern fairy tale.
Love is the last thing Molly wants or needs so her month long love affair with a fellow academic, Albert, is too good to be true. Especially when he no-shows their last date and ghosts her for no apparent reason.
Jenn is an entertaining writer. I quite appreciate her voice in both contemporary romances and cozy mysteries, easily making her an author I will consistently reach for. I wish this had been a novel simply so that I could have had more of her humor and a deeper character arc.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the alc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

3.75 stars? The story was cute. Good light read. Very short. Left me wanting a bit more. It is a couple days later and the story did stick with me. I could see this turning into a Netflix type movie. Cute, light, fun. I appreciate the opportunity to preview this audiobook.

I do listen to audiobooks at 1.3-1.5 speed. The sound was a bit distorted at a faster speed. This is the first time this has happened to me after 200 or so audiobooks.

Overall I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook and thought it was an enjoyable and short listen, the narrator did a wonderful job of helping me know changes in character easily with changes in the way the words were spoken… I loved the dynamic voice work of this narrator.

Now, the actual story was okay. I feel like it moved too quickly to be truly invested in the love story of the main characters. The author glossed over the building of their relationship in a way that made it difficult to fall for the characters and feel for their love story as I didn’t get to ‘see it’ like I am used to.

I tried to remind myself that this was a short story, but still, I wanted more of the love story and wish it would have been longer to dig into the love story and them falling in love versus all of that part of the story getting skipped over.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC copy of this audiobook!

This was cute and a quick read. I didn’t like how the narrator made it sound like a children’s/ ya book in the beginning but once I got about half way through I didn’t feel that way anymore.

This is a cute, light hearted novella that will leave you with a smile. The storyline was short but still gave you a chance to get to know the characters of Molly and Albert and hope that they can find a way to end up in each other's arms. This book would make a wonderful Valentine's Day Hallmark movie!
The audiobook was well done. The narrator, Sara Young, did an amazing job with accents and gave warmth to the characters, especially Molly.
If you are looking for a quick romantic story this is the perfect choice! I am grateful to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Royal Valentine by Jenn McKinlay was an adorable audiobook! I loved listening to it leading up to Valentine’s Day! It was everything I hoped for in a quick one day listen! If you’ve ever dreamed of working in a museum or library and think fairytales might be a little impractical this one’s for you!

This book is written like the perfect Valentine's day contemporary of Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging that met Princess Diaries 2.

I received an audiobook ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator of this audiobook was a fantastic choice - she made Molly sound like a charmingly awkward protagonist, with her crazy hair and her "as close to pyjamas as she can get" wardrobe.

The subtle flirting and sass with the Tristan was perfect. Molly as a protagonist is so relatable, with her discomfort at "aiming high", wearing tight clothes, and trying to control the frizz around her curls.

Her encounters with the Lord were HYSTERICAL! When she thought him to be Albert George, professor, not Albert George the Lord, she flashes him within minutes of their meeting, and it continues from there.

Everyone who knows me knows that I have a weak spot for romance books. This is sadly one of those cases where I was disappointed. It wasn't bad, it was written well but, it was just so repetitive from beginning to end.

Molly has been through the whole love thing before and has been hurt. She doesn't believe in love at first site until one day she runs into Albert George, a professor in hiding and she just falls head over heels. The more time they spent together and she was ready to tell him how she feels and he disappears in the blink of an eye.
Molly and her friend are given a task from the museum to return something to the Whitmore Manor and she didn't think she would find the man of her dreams living there and none the less, he is a viscount!!!!!

There was too much yes I love you, no im not good enough to be with you and it drove be bonkers!!!!

This is a slight novel, both in terms of story and length. However, it's a pleasant journey with an enjoyable narrator. It's the kind of story you pick up because you enjoy the tropes -- secret nobility, miscommunications, ultimatums, best friends...

A fun, quick listen for fans of modern royal romance. Not too deep, yet it satisfies one's need of a Valentine book. Nicely read by Sara Young.

If you’ve been searching for a romance between a librarian and a royal, this novella is for you. Yes, that’s right, a love story with a librarian and a viscount. I highly recommend this story for anyone needing a palette cleanse between heavier reads or a short Valentines read.

Escaping the crowd at a work gala, Molly seeks solace back in her office. When she stumbles in, she’s not alone - there’s an attractive man sitting at her desk. Believing Al is a university student, the two begin to talk and strike up a friendship, where Molly plays tour guide for Al in the city.

After a month-long affair, Al suddenly disappears. After weeks with nothing, Molly sees Al again, but in England where she’s been sent on a work trip. But Al isn’t Al, he’s Lord James Albert George Insley Whitmore. What will happen next? Read it & see.


What I Liked:
the characters: did I mention this is a love story between a librarian and a viscount? I did? Ok, ok. Just checking.

the best friend: she’s spunky. I liked her alot.

the setting: a NYC library and then the English countryside, there’s nothing better.


What Didn’t Work for me

pacing: It starts slow. Once Molly and Al begin to date, it’s warp speed and we slow down again in the European setting. But honestly, it’s novella. It’s meant to be short & sweet.

instalove: see above.


Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. Royal Valentine is out now!

I needed something to clear my head after spending the last two weeks reading a book that I seemed to struggle with, so grabbing the audio for Royal Valentine was a perfect choice.

A novella, it was a quick listen, about three hours I believe. It was a cute Valentine's story, a bit cliche. It had more depth than I would have thought in a short novella so that surprised me. While I did enjoy the story, I felt it lacked the humor you would find in a rom-com.

The narrator had a pleasant voice, making it easy to listen to.

Royal Valentine was a quick sweet listen. Definitely a fluffy romance and a palate cleanser if you just finished an emotional darker read. The narrator did a good job with the different accents and moving the story along. I doubt I would have liked the story as well if I hadn't listened.
The author did a good job on balancing lightness, humor, character flaws, and love.

Thanks NetGallery for the ARC.

There is nothing new or original about this short story, and that’s perfectly ok! It’s an innocuous story that fits a few romantic tropes. The characters are lovely and likable and the situation and settings are interesting and romantic. I appreciated that the main character is “lush” and not a skinny model-type, yes, that makes her more relatable and charming. It would actually be a fun addition to my classroom library (I mean … Museum of Literature! Austen references! ) because the romance is PG … EXCEPT ONE STUPID SENTENCE! So, if you want a silly hallmark movie novel to take your mind off life for a couple of hours, this could be the book. For my classroom, no go.
As for the audiobook, I really didn’t like the narrator. She had a very immature voice and slightly over acted, making it seem like she was narrating a kids book rather than an adult romance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book so much. I wanted to be Molly so bad! I found her interesting from the start. I enjoyed that she had a different job- not a normal, cliche job you see in chick lit. This book has a nice love story in it, but also really drives home the importance of listening to and loving yourself. Molly thought she wasn’t good enough or came from the “right kind of place” for Jamie (Al). But he loved her for her, not based off her beginnings or job or what she considered plain looks. Cute romance story with a positive believe in yourself lesson too. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I started this audiobook I did not realize it was a short story (only 112 pages).

I feel like it was super fast paced. One moment she meets Albert and the next they are in love… wait what? I thought I missed something when I realized this occurred.

I did not connect with any character and personally felt there wasn’t much character development.

It was so cliche, but with that being it’s a short rom com that you can quickly read this Valentine’s Day/month.

Jenn McKinlay is a superb author and I really want to love this novella. Overall, the story was just okay but didn’t feel very original and that’s what caused a lack of engagement on my end. I was also not a fan of the narrator’s attempt at male voices, which also didn’t help with the rating. While there were moments that were cute, I think there was opportunity for more originality.

3.5-4 Stars

A really quick, but delightful Valentines read for anyone who is a fan of Jane Austen and/or The Prince and Me.

Because this is a novella, the pacing is quick, but it never felt rushed. Our characters have just enough time to have backstory without it feeling heavy or like there were gaps missing and because of this, you get lost in the story. The conflict is a bit meh, but it works because of how fast the story moves and the ending is highly satisfying.