Q: What’s the last book you binge read?
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The Royals Next Door
Karina Halle
Pub Date: 8/31/21
#arcreview
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Sexnotized! Love that word!!

This book was so cute and definitely a good weekend read.

Piper is a school teacher on her summer break living in a small town in Canada that all of a sudden is a buzz with press and traffic. She gets stopped by a large man in a suit and aviators while she’s trying to get home. As she’s trying to prove her residence and just proving her quirkiness with the mess in her car, she finally gets let past to find out the news the house next door is being purchased by royals.

Harrison the bodyguard comes by repeatedly on behalf of the Duchess and himself. There is so much chemistry.  And I wish I had a washing machine in my unit just btdubbs. (My husband likes when I send him scenes from my books tmi. Sorry). Piper thinks Harrison is this image of perfection but there is so much happening under the surface and from his past that make him think he is unworthy. A suit and a hot body look great but don’t make him better or worse than her. Fing Joey. Side note the gossip mill in the town is ruthless and Piper has been talked about constantly.

There are parallels to Meghan and Harry with the royals. I loved how they took her under their wing and since they shared the same property spent time together.

There was also some fighting against romance reading stigma which I’m here for. I’m constantly talking to people about and think it’s so healthy to read about sex and love.

Some of the characters had mental health conditions they were living with DPD, BPD and PTSD which there was some interesting info in the author’s note.

Def recommend! 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Synopsis:

An ordinary summer goes royally awry when a prince and princess move next door, bringing their handsome bodyguard with them, from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.

Piper Evans: elementary school teacher by day–avid romance reader and anonymous podcaster by night. She lives a quiet, reclusive life, taking care of her mother, who struggles with mental illness, avoiding her regrettable ex, who bartends in town, and trying to make inroads in the tight-knit island community that still sees her, five years in, as an outsider.

And she’s happy with how things are–really–until British royals rent the property next to hers and their brooding bodyguard decides she’s a security threat. Piper quickly realizes that one person’s fairy tale is an ordinary woman’s nightmare as a media frenzy takes over the island and each run-in with Harrison Cole is hotter and more confusing than the last. But beneath Harrison’s no-nonsense exterior lies a soft heart, one that could tempt a woman who’s sworn off attachments into believing in white knights.

But when Piper finds herself smack in the middle of a royal scandal that rocks the island she’ll need more than Harrison’s strong arms to shield her–she’ll have to do a little rescuing herself. With careers, hearts, and friendships on the line, Piper and Harrison will have to decide what they’re willing to give up for a chance at their own happily ever after.