Do you like cheesy Netflix movies like a Christmas prince or princess switch?

Do you like predictable short stories and love at first sight tropes. Then this book is for you!

This literally felt like I was watching those Christmas movies (that I love) but written out in a book. I will say that the plot was lacking and very predictable and there wasn't a lot of dialogue or anything that made me believe that these two had a real reason to be In love. I guess the chemistry wasn't very believable. I may just be a cheesy movie watcher and not so much a cheesy book reader.

I loved that there was royalty involved because that usually gets me immediately but I just wish that it had been written much better. It is a very short novella so if you are in a feel good kinda mood then pick this one up.

I read McKinlay’s Wait For It last year and loved it - her layered, complex writing resonated with me, so I was excited to read more from her. Unfortunately, this was a total miss. First, the ENTIRE plot is described in the blurb; every part of the book is spoiled before you even begin. And neither character is likable - the heroine acts like a moody teenager, and the hero’s weak excuses don’t hold up under scrutiny. I didn’t like either of them, and their love story was difficult to root for. I don’t expect a ton of depth in a novella, but this was SUPER cliché and not executed very well. The romance itself flies by, but the overall story drags. It didn’t work for me on any level, which is unfortunate because the foundation of a light and fun royal romance is here - a handsome stranger, a bit of miscommunication, some chemistry. It just didn’t come together in a satisfying way.

Normally, I’d give a few details about the storyline, but the blurb tells you everything there is to know. So let’s skip right to some notes on the audiobook. I enjoyed the female narrator’s voice, which made this an easy and relaxing three-hour listen. The story is single perspective, so the narrator voices every character, and her attempt at European accents left a little to be desired. I had no trouble understanding her or differentiating between the characters though, so that was fine. The story is low angst with no steam, so it’s the perfect listen for a workday. It was over before I knew it, and the overall audio quality is solid.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I thought it was cute! I enjoyed the story of Molly and Albert and found it was humorous and flirty for valentines day! I think the story flew by so fast! I thought there could've had more scenes with Molly and Al or even Molly's friends. I listened to it all in one go so I would recommend this one to friends!

Thanks again!

This romcom novella is short and sweet, and was absolutely perfect for listening while I was working!
The narrator made this for me, her voices for the side characters were excellent and each clearly had their own personality. The bookish settings were a nice touch, and Molly and Al's whirlwind romance was entirely believable despite the short length. I really enjoyed this, and I'm definitely going to be digging into this authors back list!

Molly is heading back to her office during an event at the Museum of Literature, so excited to change into comfy clothes that she starts undressing in the empty hallway before she even opens her office door… Aaaand as soon as she opens it, she finds a (handsome, charming) man sitting at her desk.

Loved this novella!!! This is a perfect, cheesy, Hallmark-ish Valentine’s Day story and Jenn McKinlay hit every trope included perfectly. Molly and Albert totally hit it off and fit together like puzzle pieces. We have insta-love, modern-day viscounts, Jane Austen puns, and book themes. Total win and a necessary read this Valentine’s Day.

Loved the audio version of this, as Sara Young did a fantastic job! Thanks to Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

Royal Valentine

Calling all Hallmark Lifetime ROM Com lovers. Here’s your fairytale romance read.

Seriously if you’re into the fairytale prince finds himself a normal girl and falls madly in love at first sight then look for further at this quick read.

The main character Molly is a librarian and basically all her bibliophile dreams come true when she falls in love with a Lord and his family has a huge collection of historical books and a massive library. Cue swooning.

I loved that the setting was NYC. It’s one of my favorite places to read about since we lived there for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this Audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Okay, WOW! What a way to start off the Valentines season romance reads!
Such a cute read. This is the first book I have read that is set on Valentines Day. It was a pretty cheesy story (as you would expect with this holiday), but the setting was so perfect! I love a good NYC read, and even better when the setting changed when they went across the pond.
I felt like the pace of the main characters relationship was pretty fast moving, but then the twist halfway through slows it down a bit and even makes it a bit more intriguing. I liked both of the main characters, and started swooning when Jamie started talking about his love of books.
As for the audio, it was not my favorite. The copy that I received had static and echoing when I tried to listen to it on anything more than the baseline speed. I also did not care for the narrator much. I felt her annunciating was a little off, and she seemed a bit too over enthusiastic.
Overall, if you are looking for a fast paced, easy to binge in one day, romance book – this book is one to consider! It was very fun to listen to.

Royal Valentine AUDIO by Jenn MckInlay is an endearing novella in which an English viscount is forced to attend a gala in New York City featuring books that belonged to his family. While hiding out, he, Al he called himself, met the curator, Molly Graham, who was sneaking out, galas not being her cup of tea. They fell in love, although it was not verbalized, over touring New York together, then he was simply gone. He left her standing in front of the New York Metropolitan Opera. She searched for him. She contacted hospitals, she called where she though he was a student. Not only was he gone, he didn't exist, apparently. She was devastated. Remember this is a romance. Something she forgot when the family insisted she accompany the books to England when it was time to return them. Once there, she discovered many things that changed the way she looked at herself and her world.

Molly was a woman who had been hurt. She vowed to not let it happen again. She would never allow herself to be lied to. She was intelligent, talented, and introverted. Al was romantic, well-mannered, and intelligent, and he had the most charming accent. It was no wonder they fell in love. This is a novella so the plot was not complicated. It is a romance so the conclusion is forgone. The journey to that conclusion was enjoyable. I recommend it as a short read, or in this case, a short listen.

Sara Young is the narrator and I didn't love her rendition. I can't put my finger on it except to say Jenn McKinlay's voice is so present in her stories and Sara is not that voice. Young is too shallow.

I was invited to read a free audio of Royal Valentine by Dreamscape Media, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #jennmckinlay #royalvalentine

A cute novella that brings together royalty and romance with some sprinklings of the arts, hidden identities, and a willingness to take a chance on true love. While I wanted to love and adore this book, I found myself just enjoying it. Despite loving the premise, I just did not really connect with the characters. Others may feel totally different. It moved at a fairly quick pace, even for a novella, and the love story itself felt a little rushed. I loved the last few chapters the best and they more than made up for the rest that seemed to fall a little flat for me. Lord Insley is a charmer for sure and it is hard not love him.

I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

The love for books really shines in this novella that includes drool-worthy book collections, lots of Austen references, and Regency Era styled parties. There was so much to enjoy, but I felt the writing lacked finesse. The author attempted to mix modern and old-fashioned writing styles and turns of phrase, which more often than not felt out of place instead of charming. Outfit descriptions filled much more time than necessary. The love story was cute and dreamy but completely unrealistic. Give me one legitimate reason Al couldn't find a SINGLE. MINUTE. to send a "family emergency" message! Molly lying constantly to her friend and herself but flipping out over Al hiding his identity from her was extremely annoying.
I guess what I'm saying is I have a love-hate relationship with this book. I don't think it's well-written, but I still kinda like it because fairy-tale dreams.

Thank you Net Galley for an audio copy of Royal Valentine by Jenn McKinlay. I love a good royal romance. This is a novella, but packs a lot of punch in 3 short hours. Very enjoyable!

Royal Valentine by Jenn McKinlay and audiobook Narrated by Sara Young is a great contemporary romance novella that I truly enjoyed.

I liked this quick jaunt through NYC and Bath, England. The descriptions of the landmarks and landscapes were great and very vivid.

I also enjoyed the play out of the alter-identity and the subsequent revealing between Molly and Albert/Jaime. It was entertaining, the characters had chemistry, were realistic, and likable. I enjoyed their progression and the happy ending.

The narrator was easy to listen to, and did a great job with accents and tone.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Dreamscape Media for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

2 stars

A cute love-at-first-sight novella. Includes books, period costumes, & nobility. Also includes senseless non-communication issues as the main conflict.

[What I liked:]

•Curator at a book museum? What a cool job, & one I wanted to read about. Kinda the main reason I picked up this book.

•There are some cute/funny moments. I will say that the last scene has a charming parallel to the meet-cute.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Ugh, why does the MC lie about stupid things to her best friend? She had such a weak motivation to lie, & she’d already gone on a long rant about how no lies are ever acceptable, not even small white lies to be polite.

•Aaaand the MC is a big fat hypocrite for not giving Al/Jamie a chance to explain, since she herself had been lying to Brianna for just as long.

•The main conflict had no real reason to happen…Al/Jamie could have texted Molly before the flight, emailed at any time, tried to get in touch with her through the museum, etc., etc. So many opportunities for him to explain existed, & he took none, which doesn’t make sense if he was actually in love with her. He didn’t have to explain *everything*, he could’ve just said there was a family emergency & apologized for leaving suddenly & explained the rest in person.

•Also, the MC is apparently a classist bigot. She decides she doesn’t deserve to be with someone rich because she grew up on a farm, & instead of talking to Al/Jamie about these concerns, she *lies* to him about why she thinks the relationship wouldn’t work 🤦‍♀️

•The MC complains about having to wear a Regency style dress to a party & complains about how uncomfortable it is…those are some of the most comfortable clothes ever! At least the women’s. Plenty of other historical eras had uncomfortable clothes for women, but not this one. Plus, fichus weren’t normally worn with evening wear.

CW: infidelity

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Rating: 3.5/5

This novella was so cute! It was a super quick read and it was closed door but I really enjoyed it.

I don’t think it’s ever explained why he lied about his identity. We know why he left without telling her, but not the motivation behind the lie. I’m assuming he just wanted to be normal but I feel like there needs to be an explanation when someone lies.

I also would have liked an epilogue as the ending is a bit abrupt.

I received an audiobook arc from Dreamscape Media and NetGalley.

I also purchased a copy of the ebook for my self.

A cute, short, whimsical story. But, as with most novellas, I couldn't help but wish for more. Had this been a full length book, I am certain I would have loved it. There was so much potential- I really wish we had gotten to know Al's grandfather better.

Fairy-tale themes can be very hit or miss for me. This one was a hit. Of course, it was more Austen than fairy-tale, so maybe that is why it worked so well.

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did a good job.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I understand that a novella is not going to have the same amount of time to develop a romance than a full-length novel would. That being said, it is still possible to create something magical with so little.

Royal Valentine is certainly a cute novella. We have the classic royal-in-disguise trope and there is some added fun with all of the Jane Austen references, but the Goodreads synopsis pretty much gives you the entire story. I wanted everything to just go a little bit deeper, to try something new with tropes that we all know and love. It's a sweet, short read if you want something to just zone out with, though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Not my favorite Jenn McKinlay book. Being a novella the story doesn't have a lot of depth and seems rushed. The overall writing is good because Jenn is amazing.

Pros: This romance novella is a fun read for Valentine’s Day (as suggested in the title). It has many elements that book lovers will enjoy—a main character with a job at the Museum of Literature, a Jane Austen exhibit, Regency balls, British nobility, a stately home with a library, etc. The plot is predictable as is expected for a romance, and the romance parts are closed door.

Cons: None really. This does what it sets out to do—the lower star rating is because it doesn’t stand out as anything special in the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph.

Didn’t like the story. It felt forced and not funny. A weak heroine and not so honest hero. It just fell flat for me.

I love this author!! The cupcake bakery mysteries is one of my favorite book series and I look for any of Jenn McKinlay’s books that I can find. This was a novella, I listened to the audiobook and it was under 4 hours long. The narrator had a good voice for the characters and made the storyline come more to life. It was a sweet, entertaining story and I would love to read more books with these characters!