The Royal Runaway follows a future queen on an exciting mystery after her fiance disappears just before the wedding. When they believe that he may have been kidnapped, she and her Scottish would-be-brother-in-law (and spy!) uncover secrets with high stakes for the monarchy, the nation, and her life. This book is a fun royal rom-com take on a political thriller. There was more action and politics than I expected going in, but it really worked for me. Love a fun cliched romance but also love a mystery that doesn't play second fiddle? This is perfect for you! Probably one of my most fun reads in a while.

Very nice story. I liked the storyline and the characters were well thought out. I really enjoyed reading it.

Thank you Gallery Books & Netgalley for the eARC of this book!
I thought this book was a lot of fun. Princess Theodora of Dreiden was seeming left at the altar, and she’s trying to get over the humiliation of it all. When she meets a dark, Scottish stranger in a bar after sneaking out of the castle, she embarks on a search to find out what really happend to her fiancé, and what is really going on in the kingdom.

A princess who is second in line to the throne. A hot Scot. A Roman Holiday-esque adventure. A murder mystery.

This gorgeous book has it all—and it’s certain to hit the spot for all of those people who love their romance with a hefty dose of suspense and/or royal aficionados whose heartstrings are still resonating from all the love and romance on the other side of the pond (must be nice).

Theodora “Thea” Isabella Victoria knows how to play the role of princess because, in her words, “I really was a princess. I had the tiara, the palace, the framed certificate, and everything.” But in a real departure from a princess story, Thea’s fiancé, Christian Fraser-Campbell, a duke, abandons her at the altar, resulting in her ignominious exile to Perpetua, a territory of Drieden (the name of her kingdom), for four months.

After returning to the palace and her responsibilities as second in line to the throne, she escapes to a bar—as she is sometimes wont to do when her life’s demands become too much. There, she meets a man named Nick who makes her wonder if her betrothed deliberately left her at the altar, or if someone made him disappear. Now the hunt is on, and our runaway princess wants answers as the questions become more and more complicated…

The Royal Runaway kept me engrossed from beginning to end. First, there is Thea, the whip-smart narrator with a dry sense of humor; a beautiful historian of sorts who is also an able escape artist. Then there is the romance (sighhhhh)*, and a conflict between royal duty and the need to escape, which Emory thoughtfully plays up throughout the book.

And it’s all very well done. Somehow the book manages to be both effervescent and weighty, so that I was quickly turning the pages, lulled into happiness by the romance and adventure, and then occasionally shocked by the reminder that the stakes regarding Christian’s disappearance were actually quite high.

In short: The Royal Runaway is a lovely book that packs a wallop.

**The romance scenes in this book are *fade to black*, so this book is highly recommended for those who like to read exciting and charismatic romance stories that are also less explicit.

The Royal Runaway being the first of the two and something I don’t usually read. It’s an adult book. I do not think I have ever reviewed an adult book on here up until now but on occasion, I do read them. I have a few others on my TBR currently and I intend to review them when I get to them. I was given the chance to read this book a little early as an ebook ARC. The book, however, is out now. I did read it and enjoy it, but it did take me a little longer than I thought it would to read (I will talk more about that later). But let’s get down to business (to defeat the Huns).

SPOILERS AHEAD

The Royal Runaway, this book was marketed for fans of the Princess Diaries and I can see why (I absolutely love those books and anything even close to them I must devour). In this book, Princess Theodora of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent gets jilted on her wedding day. Leaving her with little to no answers as to why it has happened. Now after the wedding, she has spent a few months away from the palace and now she is back in action at the palace, business as usual. Except she still has questions and nothing feels right still (cause getting jilted at your own wedding while the whole country is watching will not just go away)! So one night after her return she sneaks out of the palace and goes into a pub. In the pub, she meets Nick. However, as the night goes on and Theodora is more and more excited to get to be normal for a night, she learns of Nick’s real intentions for being there. Nick is the brother of her ex-fiance and is ready to blackmail her to get what he wants. Now the two must work together to uncover what really happened on her wedding day.

This book was released on October 9th and I would recommend reading it, however, I will say the start was a little slow for me (that may be due to the time of day I was reading it, or reading it after long days at work). However, once the story of Thea and Nick got going I was hooked. I could not be stopped from reading this. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads!

Not at all what I was expecting! I went into it expecting something along the lines of Princess Diaries type of story, but was more of a political thriller. Very surprising, but I overall really enjoyed it.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. I went into it thinking it would be a fun rom com in the realm of Princess Mia. What I got was part contemporary romance, part political thriller, not really any comedy, but it worked for me.

Thea is a different kind of character. She is strong and stubborn, but duty bound. Lovable but kind of quirky. I liked her. This book isn't just about the obvious plot; it is about figuring out yourself and learning how to deal with warring perspectives on your life. Thea struggles throughout the book with her desire to runaway and her duty as a Princess. I think the book did an excellent job wrapping up her character development in a way that stayed true to herself. For all the ways Thea was unique, Nick really wasn't. This doesn't mean I didn't enjoy his character, but there was nothing crazy remarkable about him as a love interest or <spoiler> spy </spoiler>.

This book was very much so not what I was expecting. We get a lot of political thriller aspects when more of why Thea's fiance left her at the alter comes to light. The book was thorough in it's research, which, while great, could also be very confusing at times. I don't know much about international affairs, so often the jargon could be hard to follow and slowed down my read.

Overall, this book was really enjoyable. I would definitely recommend it, but maybe not if you are looking for a Princess Diaries kind of feel. The characters are solid and the character development is great. I liked the way the plot progressed, and I was very pleased with the ending. There was even some thriller/mystery thrown in that I was not expecting!

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley. As always, thank you Netgalley.

I liked the idea of this book, but there was something about the execution that just didn't sit well with me. It is definitely a quick and easy read, light with some fluff. But overall, it's just...confusing? With a spy/mystery book, I expect some kind of lead up, a constant build up to the climax. Instead, this one has a lot of sitting and waiting. And confusion about the role of a princess.

Mostly, I think my biggest issue with getting into this book is that it's clearly written like an American wanting to play princess, you know? The constant use of "soccer" rather than football, the lack of Scottish or British euphemisms....it took me out of the book a bit.

My final gripe is just that Thea doesn't quite make sense. She's partially portrayed as this princess that wants to run away from it all, but then she's also the only sibling who understands her role in the monarchy...not that we do.

Overall, the story is just a light, shallow look at a royal spy story. It's not poorly written - I read it in about a day - it just doesn't do much for any genre.

I received a free Kindle version of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books, in exchange for an honest review:


After reading The Royal We a few months ago, I was pleasantly surprised when I came across another royal tale!


Synopsis: After Princess Thea is jilted at the altar and after months in exile to recover, she is back in the spotlight. As her duties are ramping up, Thea sneaks out of the palace and meets a sexy Scottish man, who just so happens to be her ex-fiancé's brother! What follows is a royal adventure filled with espionage, family secrets, and, of course, some steamy romance.


I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
This was a really quick and fun read for me. I love anything with a royal twist, so this was right up my alley.


I really enjoyed this book because there was a distinct mystery plot right alongside the romance. Neither storyline overshadowed the other.


Thea was a very likable protagonist. She was headstrong and valued her independence as well as her duty to her family and her country (major Mia Thermopolis vibes).


The romance between Thea and Nick was a bit rocky at the start but turned into a very loving and understanding relationship (just wait until the end 😉).


The mystery that unfolded was a bit unrealistic, but entertaining nonetheless. I was hooked from the very beginning and continued to be until the grand finale.


I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a light, entertaining read!


"I already knew I could rule a country by myself. But I could rule the planet with Nick." -The Royal Runaway, Lindsay Emory

I requested this book based on the comparison to The Royal We, because I absolutely loved and devoured that book. I don’t think this book compares to that, BUT it is a good book on its own. The plot is something that I’ve not yet read, and sometimes that’s hard to find. Overall I enjoyed this book.

If you know my reading tastes at all, you know that word “royals” in a contemporary novel hooks me every.single.time. That’s why I’ve had my eye on The Royal Runaway for a while now, and it’s comp titles are The Princess Diaries and The Royal We (two of my favorite contemporary reads EVER) so I screamed when I was approved for it on NetGalley and immediately dove in once I knew I had some good, solid uninterrupted reading time.

The Royal Runaway features a small, imaginary European country (Genovia, anyone?) called Drieden and centers on Princess Thea, second in line to the throne after her reluctant crown prince father. Knowing that her father would NOT make a good king (nor does he want to be one), Thea’s been brought up with much of the pressure of being a crown princess and the knowledge that she will probably see herself on the throne sooner than most would anticipate.

The story begins in the aftermath of her royal wedding disaster, where she is left at the altar by her fiancé, who didn’t even bother to show up at the wedding. After spending a few months in isolation while the scandal died down, Thea returns to her home country only to be swept up in a conspiracy situation that involves spies, murders, political corruption and, interestingly enough, a psychic.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Royal Runaway was not a romance novel, but much more of a spy story. When Thea finds out her ex-fiancé may be in danger and perhaps skipped the wedding by force, she teams up with Nick (a Scot, presumed dead, who’s now a spy) to find out what really happened and face some of the corruption in her country head on. I was not a fan of Nick and Thea’s relationship personally, but there weren’t too many romance scenes. I was 100% there for the scheming, betrayals and political intrigue and think that this book honestly could have stood on its own without the romance. Things did take a weird turn when a psychic/astrologer got involved (still not REALLY sure what her role was in everything?) but I also don’t think realistically a member of a royal European family could jaunt around Europe solving mysteries unnoticed so I’m acknowledging a certain suspension of disbelief was needed to enjoy this story.

What I really enjoyed about this story was that Thea was a truly intelligent protagonist, and unapologetic about it. She has a true passion and love for her country’s history and politics and is always spouting off anecdotes and mini history lessons about her royal ancestors (I loved all the alternative history in relation to the other European nations) and though pretty much every characters gives her crap for being a history nerd she never cares. She’s also not a ~special snowflake~ character who miraculously has everything come easily to her and becomes a kick-butt heroine- she really has no idea what to do with a gun or how to defend herself but manages to get herself out of some tough situations with her quick thinking and princess training.

Overall: The Royal Runaway was an extremely fun and quick read that covers some of my favorite topics in fiction. I really looked forward to sitting down and reading it and definitely see the potential for a sequel based on some loose ends at the end of the story, which I would definitely read!

Title: The Royal Runaway
Author: Lindsay Emory
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Thea just wants a night out on the town without the pressures of her job breathing down her neck. But, as Princess Theodora Isabella Victoria of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent, a no-stress night out of the castle isn’t really an option. Except Thea’s been sneaking out of the castle for years.

It’s been a rough four months since Thea was left at the altar. She was exiled until the rumors died down, but now she’s back on princess duty: attending a myriad of events, all with her perfect princess smile firmly in place.

But on her secret night out, she meets Nick, a sexy Scottish stranger, and decides it might be time to stick her toe in the waters of romance again. Until Nick turns out to be a British spy in search of his brother—Thea’s ex-fiancé—and intent on uncovering the conspiracy behind his disappearance. Even if it goes all the way to the crown.

I thoroughly enjoyed this snarky, page-turning read. Thea’s rebelliousness was fun to read, and she’s down-to-earth for a princess (not that I know any). Nick was a perfect foil for her attitude and adventuresome spirit, and their banter made this even more fun to read.

Lindsay Emory is a Texan and an author. The Royal Runaway is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Theodora is a princess in a land called Drieden. She is known for her antics of slipping away from the palace and doing her own thing. However, on her wedding day, she is not the one to runaway from the palace. It is her fiance that disappears. Months after that horrible day, Theodora returns to her duties at the palace and again finds herself escaping the palace in the middle of the night. This time though, she meets a handsome and mysterious stranger, Nick. Turns out, Nick is not who he said he was but in reality is Theodora's ex-fiance's brother. Nick believes that his brother didn't just runaway, but that this is a much bigger and also dangerous situation than Theodora was aware of. As Nick and Theodora search for the truth, Theodora struggles with her loyalties to her royal position and finds herself falling for Nick.

Many readers are comparing this to "The Princess Diaries", which is completely true. I also believe it has a hint of "Roman Holiday" as well - the classic movie with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck., where the Princess runs away from her royal responsibilities and falls for someone who can't quite be trusted. However the two characters' connection is real. "The Royal Runaway" contained many aspects to make it an enjoyable read. It starts with the mystery of why the princess' fiance didn't show up for the wedding and turns the story into a romantic thrill-ride. I'm also secretly glad that it did not have the same slightly depressing ending as "Roman Holiday" but gave the reader some happy closure. I definitely enjoyed this fun romantic read.

A fun and easy read for fans of contemporary royal fiction with a light-dose of mystery and suspense. After being left at the alter, Thea is trying to get her life back to normal. That is, as normal as life can be for a princess and heir to the throne. To retreat from the looming responsibilities and duties of princess-life, Thea is an expert of sneaking out of the castle. When she meets sexy Scotsman Nick at a local bar, she doesn't realize that this man is not what he seems. While Nick is Scottish, and sexy, he is also presumed dead ex-military turned spy and reluctant heir to a dukedom. On top of that, he's also brother to Thea's ex-fiance. To Thea's surprise, her ex has been MIA since the day of their wedding. Nick is willing to go to extreme measures to find him, even if it means blackmailing a princess. Together the discover the secrets that prevented Thea from her walk down the aisle and that could destroy the monarchy Thea was raised to rule over. In their pursuit of the truth, Nick and Thea also discover that they have undeniable chemistry. However, that's not enough to secure their HEA.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thrilling romantic adventure read! This book is not boring. It keeps your interest the entire way through. It was extremely hard to put down. LOVE

Nothing special, but cute and a light, fun, read. Exactly what I'd expect from the genre and description.

Now this was just FUN!
Readers of Ally Carter's Heist Society and Gallagher Girls could really enjoy this one.
What I loved: I wanted to read something a little bit different, and this book delivered. There was murder, mayhem, and ROMANCE! What more could a girl want!?!
What I liked: The MC is a princess, but she's smart. She's not just living in the big castle, she knows things. Maybe not all the right things, but she knows things.
What I hated: Can't say I hated anything about this one!
Overall...4.75 stars. A fun, fast paced read. This one will be easy to recommend to readers!

I enjoyed The Royal Runaway! It was a very cute book about a made-up country, a hilarious Princess, and a playful romp full of spies and mystery. The writing was addicting. I did think that there was A LOT going on in the plot, and maybe a bit of a lack of resolution, but it was surely creative.

This was a fun book. It took me a while to connect with the main character, Thea. Her logic doesn't always seem very clear and she makes some spectacularly bad choices. As the book progressed, so did her character, and it became easier to empathize with her. I did like that this really is Thea's story. She might be strongly attracted to her new friend, but she knows how to keep her head. I never did quite like Nick. Too gruff with her a lot of the time. It felt as though Thea shared every thought and feeling with him and he shared very little. I would have liked things to feel a little more equal.

The ending was great. Thea really comes into her own by the end of the book and it becomes clear just how far she's come since the book started. The ending was very satisfying.

Though the story feels fairly complete, there is room for another book or two. I'm happy with where things ended, but would be willing to continue reading Thea's story if it should continue.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I love everything Royal and this book was fictional royal fun. I didn't know what to expect but I loved the bit of mystery as well as the free spirit of Thea and the seriousness but intriguing side of Nick. This is just a fun read that I enjoyed!