2.5/5 Stars

Thank you to ghe publisher for the early review copy.

I really wanted to love this one, but I just wasn't interested in their story. I felt like the chemistry felt very forced. She acted like she hated him when he first arrived and then just melted under his touch and started sneaking around with him again. His flaws and his apprehensions to them being together was well written though.

DNF at 62%. This book was not for me, unfortunately. I have enjoyed several of Karina's other titles but this one fell extremely flat. There was no emotional connection with the characters. The flashbacks felt unnecessary and I overall just did not enjoy this book.

This book was simply not my cup of tea. I do love a royal-adjacent setup, but the Male MC is exactly the kind of brusque, overbearing male character I strongly dislike. I found him too off putting to want to see anyone fall in love with him. He just pushed exactly the wrong buttons in me, and I didn't like any of the other characters enough to make up for my disinterest in him.

If you like tough guy heroes who give off a lot of implied aggression, this might be for you! But it wasn't for me.

The Royals Upstairs tells the story of a quiet Swedish Nanny and the loud Scottish royal bodyguard with commitment issues. I'm beginning to think that Nanny romances just aren't for me. Maybe its the stage I'm at with my own children? IDK, The Royals Upstairs was fine, but it wasn't a book I'll remember.

3.5 stars overall.

When James starts a new job as a PPO for the Prince of Norway's family, he is startled to find Laila working for the royal family as well. Things with Laila didn't end well two years ago, and neither are sure how to navigate their situation. Is she willing to forgive his poor behavior? Or will the Norway winter compete with Laila as the coldest thing in his life?

This was a fun second-chances romance, with the added interest of forced togetherness and working for royalty as secondary tropes. Laila and James have great chemistry, and the secondary characters were easy to distinguish from each other and had their own part to play in the overall story. I wasn't a huge fan of the sudden change of heart for James, but overall it worked out to balance the emotional baggage both characters have from their youth and ultimately gives the two their HEA.

Recommended for fans of second-chance romances with plenty of spice.

This is a companion novel to Karina Halle's "The Royals Next Door" as MCs James and Laila used to work for the same royal family as Harrison. "The Royals Upstairs" takes place afterward and there is a brief post-HEA glimpse of Harrison and Piper. But, that being said, "The Royals Upstairs" can stand on its own. Halle's new novel is well-written, naturally, and was a cute second-chance, dual POV romance. It was fine. I didn't totally vibe with it, but that could be my mood at the moment. It's fine, not a book I need to reread but that could also just be me.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Karina Halle. And The Royals Next Door was one of my favorite reads. The Royals Upstairs...I don't know why but I struggled with this one for a few reasons. I still love it because it's Karina Halle...but I think I had a hard time reconciling the two MC's and their relationship after how they behaved toward one another.

First off, thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I didn't love it but it wasn't horrible either. When I saw this adorable cover and read the synopsis about a royal bodyguard for the Norwegian family who unexpectedly encounters his old fling, offering them a possible second chance, I knew I had to read it! The Royals Upstairs is the next book in a series, which I didn't realize before reading it. However, it can be read as a standalone, although I feel like reading the previous books would have enhanced my experience. The story started off really strong but soon began to drag, causing me to lose interest quickly. Additionally, the characters lacked depth and the chemistry between them was basically non-existent. Despite having a lot of potential, the storyline ultimately fell short in its execution. While I enjoyed it taking place in Norway and the second chance romance trope, I was unfortunately left feeling underwhelmed. ⭐️⭐️.💫

✨2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars!✨

3.75 stars rounded up

I love Karina's writing style and humor! This book was a little heavier than some of her other rom-com type novels, but I still really enjoyed it.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and I really loved Leila and James' story. I do think Leila is a little more forgiving and understanding then I would be.

The royals Upstairs is a second chance romance between a bodyguard and a nanny for a royal family. It was very heart warming and I loved there romance, but I do wish there would have been a little bit more going on plot wise outside of the relationship.

Overall this was a very solid read.

Ok, I'm going to be honest here. I am not a fan of angst. Especially second chance angst, so the first part of this book was hard to get through. HOWEVER, when the characters started softening towards each other, I loved it! The setting was a whole character on its own and the royal family was hilarious and enjoyable! The steam and pinning were great and the third act conflict was very well done! Overall, I enjoyed this story!

Thanks to Berkeley for the opportunity to read and review this book via Netgalley

At first glance, I thought this cover was more about the royals than the book was actually about.

This is a story for sure about second chances, enemies to lovers, with some self growth and facing fears mixed in.

I breezed through the book, but to me, the spice was starting to become a bit redundant. It was pretty similar in most of the spice scenes and most could have been dropped and the plot would continue just fine. by later scenes, I was starting to scan quickly because I could tell it was super similar to the scene before it.

However, I did like the plot in seeing them both come from hard backgrounds and get to a place of allowing someone else into their hearts.

I plan to share my spoiler free review on 9/8/24 on my instagram.

When I first read The Royals Next Door - I immediately fell in love with the story and the writing style. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time connecting with the characters and the storyline in The Royals Upstairs.

This was ok. I’ve definitely read better. I didn’t hate it but I just wish it was a book I couldn’t stop thinking about. Instead I instantly forgot everything I read.

Unfortunately did not like this one and it was mostly due to James and his characterization. He was pretty terrible to Laila in the past, never really apologizes, and when she says she doesn't want to get involved again, very aggressively pressures her to do just that.

Kinda cute, kinda underwhelming. Maybe I expected too much. The first time I tried to get into it I made it about 30% and couldn't even tell you what had happened. I figured maybe it was me and the headspace I was in so I put it down, read something else and came back to it when I was looking for something fun and fluffy. Sadly, I was just kind of bored. I found myself spacing out and having to reread lines multiple times.

Ultimately, if you're a fan of the series/author, read it and make your own opinion.However, if you're new to this author's work, you might want to start with one of their more acclaimed titles, like The Royals Next Door to get a better sense of their style and storytelling strengths. Sometimes a particular book just doesn't resonate, and that's perfectly okay. Everyone has different tastes, and what falls flat for one person might be a perfect escape for another.

A steamy romcom about a royal bodyguard and royal nanny, say less! A quick, easy read that is cute and just made me smile. I loved the relationship between the staff and royals, it was very endearing and made me want to read the book about the prince and princess. I do wish that there had been more focus on the development of the relationship, especially with a second chance romance we need to see why a second chance is even worth it besides just being near each other. It jumped from hate to lust to love pretty fast.
3.5⭐️ rounded up

I enjoyed the previous Royals book, but found this one to be lackluster and low on chemistry between the main characters. Had a hard time getting into it.

This one was very fun! I've had some good luck with Halle's contemporary romance, and this is no different. I adored Laila! And I really could almost feel the cold and the snow with the great descriptions! I really enjoyed this, and I will add it to my recommends list!

I love Karina Halle’s books! They are so fun. I love royals + Americans. Always makes for a fun story. I liked this one and her other royals book!

The Royals Upstairs by Karina Halle is a captivating romance filled with tension and excitement, all while delicately exploring themes of mental health and trauma recovery. I am eagerly anticipating delving into more works by this talented author.