This was a sweet novella, perfect for Valentine's Day! Molly meets Albert hiding out in her office after an event at the library she works for. They connect instantly, spending the next month exploring NYC & falling in love. Until one evening he stands her up and completely disappears from her life without a word. They meet up again where she finds out who he really is and why he left so abruptly. He tries to win her back but she's not having it.

A super sweet novella about Molly, a registrar at the Museum of Literature who had been hurt by lies in the past, so she does not easily trust men. She meets Al, in an absolutely adorable yet mortifying way, but they quickly fall for each other. Until one day he just doesn't show up, no text, no call, no note, just gone.

She and he best friends Bri are sent to Bath, England to return borrowed materials to a prestigious family. There she will learn the truths behind Al's disappearance. Will he get a second chance?

This story is very predictable, very cheesy and very sweet. I think it is a perfect way to spend 3 hours.

I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator was pleasant. She did great on the accents. I didn't get tired of hearing her talk.

All in all this is a wonderful novella, that will give you a little step into a modern day Jane Austen story.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audiobook.

This was cute, but not memorable. Very cheesy and that's not my cup of tea, but it's a very sweet novella for romance lovers. Overall, this is a light read with nice characters that you care about, but the story isn't the most realistic and it kinda feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie.

This was a sweet novella, a cute romance perfect for Valentine’s Day. I found myself wishing this were a complete novel, because everything happened so quickly. Some of the dialogue is a bit juvenile and everything comes together a little too neatly, but this audiobook was not a bad way to spend a few hours.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the chance to review this book.
"Royal Valentine " was a cute book, but for me it was too sweet. It was definitely insta-love, understandable as it's a novella. There was little more going on than a cute love story, but it was nice to listen to to escape the world.

This novella has everything that I have come to love about Jenn McKinlay. Sara Young does an excellent job of bringing this story to life. Molly Graham meets Albert George by chance at a museum event. They decide to ditch the event and do some sightseeing and spend the next month together. Then Albert abruptly disappears on Molly. Weeks later she is tasked with overseeing the return of Jane Austen materials to England where she runs into Albert, whose full name is James Albert George. He had to leave her unexpectedly and wanted to see her again, so he requested for her to be the one to bring the materials back.

I loved the story. It is a cute, quick read just in time for Valentine's Day. The narration was well done and made you feel like you were in the story.

I received this audiobook from Dreamscape Media and Net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't usually read novellas or short stories that aren't part of anthologies, but I couldn't help myself with this one--the cover alone! ROYAL VALENTINE was the perfect novella to get me in the Valentine's day mood. It took me through the streets of New York all the way to Bath, England, and I loved the voice. Perfect for people looking for a small dose of the warm fuzzies!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ARC for the exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this cute and clever whirlwind of a novella based on the description!

The narrator was not my cup of tea, but I kinda enjoyed listening while cooking nonetheless. I feel like I may not have been able to fall into the story as much by listening to it and felt like some bits were kind of glossed over and hurried along to effectively pull the heart strings. There were some details in how characters were described that didn’t sit well with me.

As one of seven kids from Vermont, I certainly loved that storyline detail :)

He fell first, deception to revelation, Museums, NYC, Bath, Jane Austen inspired. It had all the right ingredients, but didn’t quite hit the mark. Cute for a hallmark-esque quickie!

2.5 Stars

This book was a fun, easy listen. I wanted a little more depth to the characters or a little longer story. It was just what I needed for a quick read though.

This is a very short (novella-length) romance that unfortunately hits far too many clichés and tropes. None of the characters feel real or organic or even fleshed out and the plot is just silly. If you are looking for some mindless entertainment, this will do. But it is very much a Twinkie - sweet and not very filling.

Molly Graham is a nice but simple girl who enjoys her job as a book conserver at a literary museum. When she finds a strange man in her office during a museum gala, she is at first suspicious. But assuming he is just a grad student, she shows him around New York. Then, after months of great dates, he ghosts her at a show and she doesn't hear from him again. That is, until she is required to go to England to return some valuable Jane Austen books and suddenly there he is.

As written, Molly is not a very interesting character. She is simple to the point of simplistic and her motivations barely seem to extend beyond subsistence. It was hard to understand why a man would fall madly in love with her at first sight when she acts and sounds pretty brain dead. It would have been nice to have the love interest actually interested in her brain, too; but then, we would have had to see she had one. Similarly, her best friend is vacuous and feels like an amalgamation of every BFF in every contemporary romance. The 'humor' in the book consists of scenes such as Molly yelling at the guy in her office with one breast falling out of her Regency dress and causing her to flash him. It was kind of dumb.

The love interest is similarly cardboard - no one acts like he does and it is almost a case of TSTL (too stupid to live). His reason for not contact Molly for a month was ludicrous and clearly felt like a writer's device to cause drama. In such a short book, it was glaringly problematic.

I listened to an audio version and the narrator was fine. She couldn't really elevate the situation and I am not quite sure about the Brit accents - but the novel was similarly pedestrian so you probably won't care. If anything, since the book is so simple, it makes a better listening than reading experience. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This was a cute insta love story. I personally am not a big fan of insta love, but I like the author and gave it a shot! I think it’s the perfect quick read for Valentine’s Day. I loved the museum talk and her coworker best. The narrator spoke well and clear. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am always a little unsure of novellas because I find they just don’t give me enough to feel like I got a whole story out of them. But this did such a good job of leading me into the love story that it honestly felt like a full book to me. I really enjoyed it and loved the conflict that happened. Normally the miscommunication trope can be a little over used but I think this did such a great job of having miscommunication for a reason and I really appreciated that in the story.

What a sweet little holiday novella, perfect for Valentine's Day! Introverted Molly is a jaded academic who no longer believes in love, fairy tales, or happily-ever-after. Her coworker and best friend Brianna is extroverted and idealistic, believing that if they can just aim a little higher with their romantic ambitions, they'll find the loves of their lives - hopefully at the Valentine's Day gala for the opening of their Austen exhibit at the Museum of Literature. And while Brianna does find her prince charming at the event, Molly - ever the introvert - tries to slip out early. Except when she starts to remove the uncomfortable period costume she was forced to wear to the gala while walking into her office, she meets someone else who couldn't stand another moment of the event... Albert George, a charming and attractive British academic seeking refuge in her office. Her moment of awkward half-undressed embarrassment gives way to flirtatious banter and a romantic evening around NYC, which then leads to a whirlwind month-long affair. But when Molly is stood up for a date and unable to get in contact with Albert, she fears the worse... either she's been ghosted or something terrible has happened to him. Growing increasing despaired and frantic, she starts calling everyone she can think of to try and track him down, only to find out he isn't an academic at all. When she's tasked with returning the Austen materials back to the owner in England, she comes face to face with Albert again... except he's not who she thought he was at all. Now she has to decide if she's willing to set aside her pride and prejudice in order to get her happy ending.

This was a lovely short royal romance story. Given it's length, there isn't extensive time spent on the actual relationship between Molly and Albert - the first half of the book was spent on the buildup and the second on the fallout and reconciliation, but not much during the monthlong affair between them. Which is maybe why I couldn't seem to understand the connection between them and why Molly was in such despair after it all fell apart and why it was so hard for her to forgive him - I was hoping for more. But overall I enjoyed this book and it was the perfect length to enjoy in just one day, and the narrator was pleasant and I thought the accents were well-done without being too pronounced.

5 ⭐️
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Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio-ARC of this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Oh I LOVED this novella. I'm still swooning! 😍

Royal Valentine follows Molly Graham, a registrar for the Museum of Literature in New York, as she falls for a man, "Albert George" who accidentally uses her office as a refuge during a museum gala. They both get swept up in a whirlwind romance while he's in the US to do some work for a University (she believes he's a doctoral student while he is actually a visiting lecturer at Columbia). When he mysteriously ghosts her, she's left to think the worst and is taken by a major surprise when she travels to England for a work trip and finds out his true identity: James Albert George Insley Whitmore, a Viscount in line to be an Earl! In a story about love at first sight, telling the truth, and nerding out over books together, a truly romantic story blooms just in time for Valentine's Day.

This was SUCH a sweet story and I loved how vivid McKinlay's characters are! Even though it was only a novella (the audiobook lasted about 3 hours and 15 minutes total), I felt like a got to experience a full romance from start to finish. I would've even loved an epilogue to get to luxuriate in the ending even more! I really connected to the characters and I believe that's very much in part to narrator Sara Young's fantastic embodiment of all the characters. The accents were fantastic! Overall such a gem of a story and I was thrilled to listen in.

Jenn McKinlay hasn't disappointed me yet and I hope to keep on reading her fantastic books!

ALC Review

Thank-you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to review this ALC.
Royal Valentine
Out Now!

3/5 Story
3/5 Audiobook

Want a cute fun read this upcoming valentines day?
Check this one out.


Royal Valentine was what I expected and also not what I expected.
This was a simple listen to it as I work type of audiobook.
I'm a sucker for a British hero because ACCENT!
I also really like the normal girl gets the prince type of stuff because fairytales.

I liked the story well enough but the pacing became an issue for me after the first act of the novella.
It was missing crucial moments that would have improved the enjoyment of the book for me.
I also had a few issues with the lead Molly but that's a matter of personal opinion although I will say that her stance on the issue that I had for her made the third act seem longer.
I was missing the romance in this and although I liked "Al" we didn't get to be properly smitten with him.

The audiobook was very good, but again the material seemed to be the issue and a good performance couldn't save the pace of the story.
Sarah Young is very good as Molly and her vocal range for her female character's is very good. However her performance for the British accents and tone for the male characters left something to be desired.

Overall this is a cute story and I would check out both the writer and the narrator again.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

This is a short, sweet, and fun romance novella. I recommend this as a bite sized treat, like a box of Valentine's Day chocolate. I'm not trying to be rude or put you off the story, but don't go into this with high expectations. This book is supposed to be a brief condensed version of a potentially longer story. 

I liked the audiobook narrator. She has a sweet voice that makes the characters charming to listen to. 

I do understand the valid criticism that the synopsis spoils the entire story, so don't read that. (I didn't read it until I was about 35% of the way through, so it didn't really matter, but it was a tad annoying.)

Do you believe in fairy tales? How about love at first sight? Whether you answer yes or no, buckle up and see if this story can either change your mind or confirm your belief? The narrator did an outstanding job of bringing these characters and their story to life! This is a novella so it is shorter than a full novel, but packed with a well written plot, a sweet romance and of course a happily ever after which is just the perfect thing for a Valentine's Day themed book. Jenn McKinlay continues to hoover at the top of my favorites list as she continues to create characters that are relatable and lovable!

#bookreview Royal Valentine by Jenn McKinlay

☺️ the good ☺️
- The premise of a Regency themed ball on Valentine’s Day was such a cute setting for the beginning of the book. The settings were wonderful, everything was there for a good story and it just flopped for me.
- I liked how much the main character loved books and worked with old books and etc.
- Supportive bestie Bree is a little over the top, but it’s very clear she loves Molly and wants what’s best for her.


🤨 the bad 😒
- The descriptive passages about everyone’s attire and faces and etc were terribly annoying.
- The whole book is cheesy af and not in a fun way.
- Al has got to be the worst name for a romantic lead 😒 This may be a personal thing, but it’s very weird.
- Overuse of the words “introvert” and “extrovert” and explanation of both 😒
- The excuse for disappearing on her for a month wasn’t good enough to forgive him, in my opinion. Texting is a thing. Phones are a thing. No excuse for not contacting her in some way.


😍 the beautiful 😍
- The cover is cute. That’s the best thing I can say about this cheesy af book.


rating: ⭐️⭐️
steam: 👎
feelings: 🥱🙄
my face while reading: 😕😒😑🥱

Thanks to the publisher for the audiobook via NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the prerelease of this audiobook.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The plotline was compelling, and I enjoyed that it was centered around Valentine's day. Holiday-themed novels are always a delight! I really appreciated the novel setting (a museum of literature) and I always love it when the main character as a unique (non-stereotypic job) - in this case, a registrar at the museum. The chemistry between characters was swoon-worthy. The only thing that bummed me about the book was how quickly it ended. I didn't want my journey with the characters to end. This story would make a wonderful movie!!

Sweet, quick love story. I definitely would have enjoyed if this had been longer and fleshed out more! But it hit the spot for something quick and fun.

I just wish a narrator who could actually do an English accent had been chosen. That was a little frustrating.