⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars | It's been a very long time since I've read a Karina Halle book! I was long overdue and I must say, I was surprised by how fun and wholesome The Royals Next Door was but unsurprised that it still had her usual high steamy factor.
Piper Evans is an elementary school teacher, romance reader who runs an anonymous podcast on the genre, and primary caretaker for her mother who struggles with mental illness. That latter paired with the judgement she feels from her small island town regarding her ex-fiancé weigh heavily on her but she keeps a smile on her face regardless. When British royals rent the property next door to hers and bring security detail with them, including a very hot and brooding bodyguard named Harrison, it pretty much shakes up her entire world (and that of their island community).
So if you've ever wondered what it must've been like for Prince Harry and Meghan to move to Canada for have some semblance of a normal life, then this book is for you. It's very obvious who this story draws inspiration from and I personally enjoyed Halle's imagination on the subject. Especially the Harrison part. Harrison and Piper immediately clash and it's classic enemies-to-lovers, except being enemies didn't last very long. Which I didn't mind at all since their banter and sexy times were definitely more fun and I appreciated that while there was some drama, it wasn't overly angsty. But there's more to the story than royals and romance. The book speaks honestly and positively about therapy, dealing with mental illness, and on a lighter note, the enjoyability of the romance genre and how people need to stop looking down on it.
Do I recommend? I do! Like I said, if you like royals and romance, this is a fun and quick read that I'd recommend checking out.
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