Book Summary: 

Ultra-private, ridiculously handsome Crown Prince Arthur has always gotten by on his charm. But that won’t be enough now that the Royal Family is about to be ousted from power once and for all. When Prince Arthur has to rely on the one woman in the kingdom who hates him most, he must learn that earning the love of a nation means first risking his heart.

Twenty-eight-year-old Tessa Sharpe, a.k.a. The Royal Watchdog, hates everything about Prince Arthur. As far as she’s concerned, he’s an arrogant, lazy leech on the kingdom of Avonia. When he shocks the nation by giving her the keys to the castle, Tessa has no choice but to accept and move in for two months. It’s lust at first sight, but there’s no way she can give in to her feelings—not if she wants to have a career or a shred of pride left when her time at the palace ends…

Can two natural enemies find their forever in each other’s arms, or will they ruin each other to save themselves?

My Review:

Shockingly Funny – I get it now! This book had me in hysterics at the beginning. I laughed so hard during the first two chapters my sides hurt. As a first time reader of Melanie Summers, I wasn’t sure if I would like a royalty themed book. Yes, I enjoyed the Eldovia series by Jenny Holiday immensely but I was cautiously optimistic with this one. Prince Arthur won me over before I even got past the first page!

Deemed the dullest member of the Sharpe family, the constant butt of every joke, all Tessa wants is a little respect. Longing once again to be a distinguished journalist, she bides her time bringing in revenue as a photography blogger, running blogger and product tester, and with her attention garnishing Royal Watch blog – calling out the Royal Family and leading the charge to bring down the monarchy. Little does she know, she may be the one thing that can actually save the family she openly despises. That is if Prince Arthur can do the impossible, convince his biggest critic that Avonia needs the Royal Family. 

This book is a balance of hilarity and deep sincerity. From the first couple of pages, I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. With that being said, not every page is stomach holding, side splitting humor but when Melanie brings it, she doesn’t hold back. There are so many touching moments as well when Arthur drops the act and shows the boy behind the man. Those are the moments where Tessa steps into her own as the nurturing, caring individual she is – showing how she shines above the rest of her siblings. I also enjoyed the boldness that was Princess Dowager Florence. That woman had no shame!

I swear Tessa had the worst luck out of anyone! The crazy thing is that it doesn’t break her. She represents “what doesn’t kill you, makes your stronger!” The sad part is that her intentions are always pure but it just doesn’t work out for her. Even in her high moments, she is quickly reminded where her place should be and pulled back down. Her brothers were just awful. There really is no other way to describe them. To have four people who have gone out of their way to make you feel less than at every turn, I agree that if that didn’t toughen her up to be a part of the Royal family, nothing would!

While Melanie had hot and spicy scenes, I will be honest – her intimate scenes were even better. Their first kiss was incredible and the way it was written, there was so much said within that moment. It wasn’t driven by lust, it was driven by connection and desire to be completely open to one another – that scene sticks in my mind more than anything else.

While the vast majority of the story was very surface, there was an underlying tone of owning and accepting who you really are. Arthur and Tessa both wore mask, pretending to be what was expected of them. Those around them just accepted it at face value (with the exception of her best friend and his grandmother and sister). When they were together, despite their original motives, they were able to truly see each other for who and what they were – strengths and weaknesses. I understand the foundation was built on lies but when you think about it, what two people in real life are 100% honest with each other or upfront about their intent? Not condoning the behavior but highlighting how it relates within the story.

A quick and absolutely delightful read, I can’t wait to continue the trilogy. I plan on getting my hands on the bonus “The Royal Engagement” before jumping into The Royal Wedding. Not going to lie, secretly hoping the King gets his and can’t wait to see what Grandmum says next!