royal romance – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Modern Royal Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Amanda Schimmoeller
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 26th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One prince. Twelve women.
A broadcasted dating competition where only one will become queen.
Prepare to be royally entertained.

Prince Liam was never supposed to be king. Now he has ninety days to find a bride or lose the throne. In his final moments, the king shared one last wish—that Liam would star as the lead in a royal dating show and marry the woman of his choosing. Even though he has vowed to never love again, Liam reluctantly agrees to take on the role, hoping to gain the support of the Wistonian people. But then the one person who has the power to break down his walls shows up as a contestant in the competition.

Lady Charlotte never planned to return to the Wistonian Palace. And she definitely didn’t plan to court the man she has secretly been pining over for years. In a competition where most women would do anything to win, she simply hopes to survive with her heart still intact. But things never seem to go according to plan.

A Royal Competition is Book 2 in the Royal Hearts series. This is a sweet, closed-door romance and can be read as a standalone, but it would be most enjoyed after reading A Royal Obligation.

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy!

OH HOW SWEET.

That’s the vibe of this whole book. It is SWEET. If you need something that doesn’t have a lot of angst with two people who are clearly into each other, pick this one up. I appreciate that it never came off as a love triangle or anything. You know the endgame from the beginning and it was cute watching them realize how much they loved each other.

I adored Liam and Charlotte. I liked their personalities and strengths. Both exhibited many good qualities and I liked seeing them separate as much as together. Honestly I could have used even more time of them together because I liked the banter and tender ways they look after the other.

There’s a little bit of drama, definitely some reminiscent pieces of The Selection Series and Princess Diaries 2 (my personal fav), and some good kissing scenes too. This was my first by Schimmoeller, but won’t be my last. I have my eyes on the third book in this series!!

Note: I read this without having read the first and didn’t have any issues!

Overall audience notes:

Modern Royal Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: grief surrounding loss of parents

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Emiko Jean
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: May 18th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity… and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.

In a whirlwind, Izzy travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.

Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?

A NEW FAVORITE GEM.

I don’t know why I DNF this book the first time I picked it up, because it was AMAZING. OH MY GOODNESS. Maybe the audio really brought it to life to me, I just know everyone else needs to read this too.

Izumi was one of the best YA main characters I’ve ever read. I adored her positive outlook and her pure nature. She was kind to everyone around her and not afraid to apologize, learn, and do better. Izumi was passionate about learning her Japanese heritage and I liked the conversations about being Asian-American in the US and balancing cultures as she lived in Japan.

Talk about an absolutely PRECIOUS romance between the princess and bodyguard!! It was everything. I loved all of the tiny moments they got together, that ending had me absolutely swooning and I just couldn’t get enough.

Also, Izumi’s Dad was amazing??? I had big fears he was going to be closed-off, upset, whatever it may be after finding out about having a daughter. BUT NO, HE WAS SO WONDERFUL. I loved the way he loved Izumi and how they both worked through getting to know one another and all that entails as a parent/child relationship.

I could truly keep going. I have nothing but good things to say about this absolute gem and will be talking it up for awhile.

Overall audience notes: