This book is a decent escapist read marred by one TSTL moment by the heroine.

Princess Thea of the fictional country of Dreiden is still trying to get over being jilted by her groom on her wedding day. Needing to escape the palace, she goes incognito to a bar, where she meets a very handsome Scotsman who might prove to be an excellent distraction. However, when he blackmails her into providing information about her runaway groom, Thea finds out that Nick is her runaway groom’s brother and, on top of that, a spy. A shootout in a museum puts the two of them on the run, and they must work together to figure out why her fiancé disappeared and why his coworkers are being murdered.

So, this is the kind of book where you just roll with the story, no matter how improbably it might be, so you can enjoy the romance that develops between the two leads. Mostly I was fine with that, until Thea, who up until that point seems sheltered and somewhat naïve but not stupid, does something that I found incredibly lacking in common sense. (Here’s a hint—if you have just been handed some incriminating information and aren’t sure who to trust, trust no one, right? That would be the logical thing to do.) And I really hate when an author has an otherwise reasonably intelligent character do something done to create a crisis. It’s annoying.

If you are in it for the royal romance aspect, this is a good enough read, if you can ignore that one moment of dumb.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***

This is my first time reading Lindsay Emory and now I’m going to have to grab another one of her books because man can this woman write!

Princess Theodora (Thea) gets abandoned at the altar on her wedding day. After going away to compose herself, she returns to the palace and the public eye. Boredom gets the best of her and she decides to sneak out of the palace one night, ending up at a local bar. There she meets Nick, a Scottish lad who is handsome and charming. Except the next time she sees Nick, she finds out that he isn’t who he made himself out to be. This revelation kicks off a whole chain of events that will change both of their lives, and the lives of everyone around them.

Thea is a solid character. She got her heart broken but she bounced back. She’s a strong, independent woman, but she’s not sure if the job of Queen is one that suits her. I love how she isn’t afraid to be sassy and how she was willing to risk everything to try and figure out what had happened to the man she once loved.

The connection between Thea and Nick was instantaneous. The had chemistry that sizzled right off the pages. Nick is everything that I look for in a book boyfriend; handsome, devoted, charming, and on the alpha side but not disgustingly so. I love how dedicated he was to figuring out what happened to his brother.

I loved the plot in this book. I was thrown totally off course not too far in, and there were twists and turns all throughout. There was drama, royal shenanigans, lots of hilarious moments, and a few times when I literally found myself on the edge of my seat. I fell in love with Nick pretty quickly and found myself hoping and praying that he would end up with Thea at some point. (I’m not going to tell you if he does or not — you’ll have to read it yourself to find out!)

Emory did an amazing job creating the world in this story. I felt like I was there with the characters, in the middle of a royal movie or something. I loved the characters as well. They were in these big, lofty places in life, but they were still relatable and people that I would easily call a friend if I could pluck them off the pages of the book.

This is a hilarious, suspenseful, and sexy read.

Five stars to this novel!

Rebellion, Romance and Royalty. I really enjoyed this book! In this story, the main character Theadora is currently a princess in her country and after her grandmother and father, she is in line for the throne. However she was set to marry a Duke from Scotland and actually gets left at the alter. After she disappears to recover from the duke jilting her, the man that mysteriously left the day of their wedding disappears as well, only no one has heard from him, including his own brother. After Theadora returns to her country to get on with her life, she runs into a few new people who help her seek out what exactly happened when her fiancée left and where he has been the entire time since the day of their wedding. This book was a long one for me, while it took a little longer than usual to get through, but I did really enjoy it. With the mix of mystery, romance and a royal princess in succession for a throne, it is so easy to fall trapped in the fairy-tale like story of a princess taking control of her life and who is in it. I received an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for and honest review.

"The Royal Runaway" is a fun read that transports you into one of the endless number of mythical soveriegn, city-state countries that dot the European fiction map. This time you are in Dreiden, 4 months after Princess Theodora (Thea) was left at the altar in what was to have been "the" royal wedding that would ground the monarchy firmly for the future. When Thea sneaks out of the castle one night and ends up meeting a mysterious Scotsman at a local pub her world is turned upside down as she is drawn into the mystery of what happened to her fiance. A mash-up of modern princess fairytale stories and international intrigues and tales of deception by those close to you, this novel provides a fast paced read that provides an breezy escape that resolves like any good princess tale - with a few strings that could be setting up for future adventures of Thea.

Free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Royal Runaway released October 9th.

I received a free copy of the book from the publisher. 

I absolutely love royal stories.  Even the real life ones are fascinating to me.  So when I was asked to participate in this blog tour I took the plunge, of course!  This is my first book by the author.   

The Royal Runaway features Princess Thea and a man named Nick.  As the story unfolds the reader learns more about who Nick is and what his agenda is with the Princess.  After being left a the alter by Nick's brother the two try to figure out where the missing fiance is and why he's suddenly disappeared! 

There are some parts in this book that were confusing to me.  Long bits of monologue where I'd be searching for some sort of dialog to go with what's happening at certain points.  The overall premise is entertaining.  I found myself wondering what the heck was happening in several places.  Thea and Nick have their work cut out for them and there was at least one spot where I wasn't even sure which side Nick was working for/on.  

Please have a go with this book and let me know your thoughts!  I'm always happy to chat about books!

This one was a fun read.I enjoy reading it! It was refreshing with a brilliant story,great characters and a romance with slow burn and tension.What makes this story unique is also the mystery and some twists.I can't wait to try more books from this author!

★★ 4.5 stars! ★★

Set in the fictional European monarchy of Drieden, The Royal Runaway reads like an Old Hollywood whodunit caper set in modern times. The story is part mystery, part suspense, and part romance, all told in the fresh voice of Lindsay Emory.

Princess Theodora isn’t necessarily happy with the royal status quo, but she’s resigned to the fact that she was born second in line to the throne of Drieden. This familial obligation has both dictated her upbringing and her decisions, but has also taken its toll on Thea and her happiness. Not only was she willing to settle down with a man who was deemed suitable by the queen (not for love), but she was humiliated by being stood up on her wedding day. Thea’s quite headstrong and loves to take as much time for herself as a busy schedule affords, which means she is adept at sneaking out of the castle unaccompanied.

Enter Nick, the enigmatic stranger Thea meets in a pub on one such excursion. He oozes danger and intrigue, which is exactly why Thea is initially drawn to him. The adventure they embark upon is both intriguing and dangerous. It’s definitely not all-danger-all-the-time and we get to see several tender moments develop between the characters. All of it had me flipping pages to get to the end, not only to find out who the culprit was but to see if there would be a happily ever after.

I’m so happy to have discovered the ‘make-believe monarchy’ trope. Not only are they a fun glimpse into modern royalty, with its juxtaposition of traditions and history balanced with current issues and struggles, but they are also highly entertaining. The Royal Runaway definitely checks all of those boxes and I recommend it if you are looking for a cozy, suspenseful mystery!
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“‘Once upon a time, women like us decided what was legal and what was right. We are true queens, Theodora. Born to lead.’”

I read “The Royal Runaway” right around the time of Harry and Meghan’s wedding and it was the perfect compliment to their real life love story. As a modern, feminist fairytale, it’s SUCH a charming read.

After Princess Theodora (Thea to those closest to her) is left at the altar, she spends time in exile regrouping from the public humiliation. Ready to face the world again, Thea plots short, undercover escapes outside the palace walls, only to run into more adventure than she anticipated. Thea is a our strong, admirable heroine, thrown into a larger mystery. The plot is exciting and such a shift from the typical romance novel. For readers looking for a fresh escape, "The Royal Runaway" delivers.

“This book is dedicated to all the women who have the power to change the world. That is to say, all of them.”

Part mystery, part adventure, part romance, The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory is her entry in the current trend of regal-themed romances. Princess Theodora is recovering from the humiliation of being dumped on her wedding day but discovers things aren't quite what they seem in this story of duty, self-discovery and love. It straddles the line of women's fiction and romance, but no worries, it's got the all important happy ending and an enjoyable ride to get there.

When Theodora returns to the palace after an extended stay on her family's remote island of Perpetua, she's finally ready to face the press in her first post-wedding-debacle interviews and resume her royal duties. Before facing her public, she decides to take some time for herself, slipping out of her home wearing a cheap disguise and heading for a small pub that she and her former fiancé Christian went to a few times. There, she meets Nick, who turns out to be much more than just a stranger with a Scottish accent like her ex. In fact, he's Christian's brother, and he is in Drieden to investigate Christian's disappearance.  Thea is shocked, mostly because she assumed that Christian crying off from the wedding was a case of cold feet. She didn't know that he's actually 'disappeared', nor that anyone in his family presumed him dead.

Things are complicated by the fact that technically, Nick, is supposed to be dead too, or at least that's what her bodyguards turn up when they investigate him for her. He'd 'died' on a mission in Afghanistan, conveniently avoiding his family ever since, including the man she was supposed to marry. So not only is her fiancé missing and presumed dead, but his brother is not what he appears to be either. It soon turns out that he's a British spy, and that Christian's disappearance is linked to a more complicated case. Thea finds herself on the run, caught in a web of lies and deceit and unsure whom she can trust. Tracking Christian's disappearance leads to the uncovering of a plot that could cost their lives. Will she and Nick even get a chance at a happy ending?

The author does a great job of creating the fictional country of Drieden, set in Northern Europe (think Belgium or the Netherlands as a comparison). The people speak Driedish and English, and the royal family is 'of the house of Laurent', an offshoot of the British royals from several centuries previously. Thea is well versed in the history of her country and her ancestors and speaks of them often. Her duty to crown and country has been drilled into her since childhood mostly by her grandmother who is the current Queen.Her parents are divorced and her father has shown no interest in becoming King. Though Thea is second in line for the crown, Driedish law states that the current monarch can choose their successor (within certain rules) so she's aware the duty will likely fall to her. Her younger sisters haven't shown the same sense of loyalty, both marrying people who their grandmother thinks are unsuitable and have been disinherited. Though Thea didn't love Christian, he'd been of the right background as the ninth Duke of Steading and he'd been amenable to a marriage of convenience - or so she'd thought until he'd vanished on their wedding day.

The story is told entirely from Thea's point of view. As such, Nick remains somewhat of an enigma as we don't always know what he is thinking or feeling. He's got a military bearing from his life in the service, and takes a role as bodyguard for part of the story as an excuse to get him into the castle. On the run, he's the expert, navigating them through canals on stolen boats, and through the countryside in 'borrowed' cars. There are lots of twists and turns, though I did find the story gets a bit bogged down in the middle. There's a psychic and a psycho (ha!) and just when you think you know what's happening everything changes.

The romance is secondary to the rest of the story, and its kisses only with closed door sex scenes. Since Christian isn't really in the picture and Thea is not pining for him, it leaves room for her and Nick to get closer as they delve into the mystery of Christian's disappearance. The ending could have gone in several directions but here the romance is clear and Thea and Nick figure out a way to be together despite their clearly different roles in life. This story is as much about Thea finding the inner strength that she'll need to be Queen as it is about her finding a life partner. The Royal Runaway is a fun romp with likeable characters, well executed world building and an original and entertaining romance.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

This book caught my eye on Netgalley with "Fans of Princess Diaries," and it did not disappoint.  I fell in love with Princess Theodora's feisty demeanor and confidence.  She was raised to be a princess and she is unapologetic of that fact, but she was she was still very relatable.  I absolutely loved her relationship with Nick, and they had great, undeniable, swoon-worthy chemistry.  The development of their relationship was gradual and believable, and  I was rooting for them the entire time.  The world building was fantastic, including a full and well-planned history of the country, Drieden.  It was a seamless addition to the world as we know it, and I wish it was a place I could actually visit.  The plot is super quick and definitely delivered on the promised twists and turns.  I'm not generally a spy novel person, but I really enjoyed the story of this one.  I never knew who to trust and it kept me guessing until the end.  The reveals were timed and spaced out well, keeping the pace and energy up.  There was plenty of action and I loved that it never got too dark.  They were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff at times, but it never got dragged down.  I think the idea of a romantic comedy/spy novel is really clever and original, and this one just worked.  It was an incredibly enjoyable read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun royal adventure.

The Royal Runaway was a first time read from this author and I enjoyed this story full of twists and turns! I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into when I decided to pick this one up. It was pretty low on the romance, but I quickly realized there was more to the story than Princess Theodora finding love. It was time for her to pave the path of her future.

The blurb is what sucked me into this book, I was so intrigued and couldn't wait to start as soon as it landed on my kindle. Who in their right mind would leave a princess at the altar?! Crazy, I tell ya. And that was just the beginning of a journey to find out the truth about the disappearance of her ex-fiance alongside a rather sexy Scot named Nick.

I absolutely adored Thea, she craved nothing more than to put duty aside and be her own person. To be free to do whatever she wanted to do, to have that bit of freedom. As the story progresses, we see a bit of her naivety fall away and the truth surrounding people she has known for most of her life, even her family. And that's when she started to take control back in her hands and do what she can to protect her people and country. I really loved witnessing her journey of coming from a low point and picking herself back up again into a much stronger person.

Nick was always quite a mystery throughout this entire book, I was curious about his true motives. It was evident that there was something strong between them, but he rarely let up about it. He made it pretty obvious that he was fighting his attraction towards Thea also while trying to stay on task of what he was trying to do, but you can only push for so long. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed with the clean romance in this one, but I know soooo many out there will appreciate that fact. It was still enough for me to just fall in love with these two!

I loved watching the growth in Thea, someone who grew to be a much stronger leader for her country. There were some moments in the middle that felt like things were moving a bit slowly, but it picked up right away to get you to the end.

From the adventure, the journey towards strength and confidence and the bits of love in between, made for a very enjoyable read! I'll definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

I was initially excited about this book after seeing the comparisons to two of my favorite royal romances. While it did have some aspects of these books, I found that it was significantly different. For a start, there was a great deal more intrigue and mystery than flat out comedy. The story also had a more realistic and dark view of royal life. I loved Thea as a character and I enjoyed following along with the mystery. Overall, it was a sweet story and an easy read. While it was not quite what I expected, I think it is worth checking out if like me, you can’t get enough of the royals and you like a little intrigue.

3.5 Stars

If you’re looking for a silly romantic comedy with just a touch of suspense to escape into for a few hours, this is your book. It’s advertised for fans of The Princess Diaries and I think that’s the perfect way to describe this. The plot may differ but that entertaining, fun quality with a touch of a fairy-tale is there. I found all of the characters to be highly entertaining and I really liked the dynamic between Nick and Thea.

This is a great book to read on the beach or after a bad day at work. It doesn’t take itself seriously and neither should you. It was just a lot of fun and left me smiling at the end.

Royal romances can be a hit-or-miss for me but The Royal Runaway is pure enjoyment! A jilted princess and heir to the throne left at the altar, her fiancé, Cameron, has gone missing, presumed dead, and a once thought to be dead brother who is in fact, very not dead, turns up to investigate why his brother has gone missing. All the ingredients for a royal-tastic misadventure!

I was honestly surprised by how the story played out. I assumed incorrectly that Thea would kind of self-destruct and fall in with the next guy to show up. Not sure why my thoughts went there but I was shown that I clearly had no idea. Instead, Thea is not so meek, and try as she might to forget Cameron as her family would have her do, she can't let go. There's just something odd about how it went down. Nick shows up and at first she thinks he's playing her but when he admits to being Cameron's long dead brother returned to life, she's not only intrigued but unhinged in a way because Nick's presence indicates that something has gone sorely wrong. Not one to stand aside and let everyone else do all the work, Thea insists that she and Nick work as allies to uncover the truth.

I liked the mystery surrounding Thea's fiancé and the danger that arose from digging into it. Nick, was sexy (I couldn't help but picture Gerard Butler because Scottish hottie action hero = Gerard Butler, right?). He and Thea exasperated each other most of the time but you knew where that was going. I mean, come on. Anyway, his dry humour was attractive. Thea herself was funny and smart and of course, rebellious. She and Nick sparred well together which was quite entertaining.

My only disappointment with the story is the revelation of the villain who felt one- dimensional to me. I was hoping for a bit more of a background but also understand that it makes sense why we wouldn't have much to go on beyond the reveal.

The Royal Runaway is a fun, action-filled romp. Throw in a delicious mystery and a budding romance and voila! You'll be kept guessing and entertained!

~ Bel

I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately I just did not. To start, I was initially on board with the whole Princess Thea being jilted because her fiancé left her at the alter. That would be upsetting and it would've made sense that she acted irrationally at times. However, then we find out she didn't really even like him and her whole being upset persona and actions made no sense. I didn't trust her as a character and couldn't root for her. Then there's Nick who was never fleshed out and just came across as an arrogant jerk. I'm all for alpha males but he didn't work for me and the two of them together I didn't buy at all. No chemistry. A major flaw in the story for me was whether this book wanted to be a thriller or a romance. I don't think it did either very well but picking one would've made it feel less scattered and confusing.

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. I read it fairly quickly and was invested in the story, but I felt a little confused the entire time. What I thought was your typical princess book turned into a spy chase, mystery, something-or-other book. That's not to say I'm not a fan of genre-bending books, but this iteration was not so successful for me. I guess that's what I get for not reading plot summaries well enough. Oops

I was impressed with Lindsay Emory's ability to build a world - Drieden felt like it could be a forgotten little country in Europe, but other than that a lot of plot points just felt lackluster. Thea sure seemed upset to be jilted by someone she didn't even really like, her adherence to duty was completely negated by her so-called "love of running away" (besides her jaunt with Nick this was more of a tell but not show kind of characteristic), and the romance between Nick and Thea just felt eh. Nick was a character of few words so I'm not exactly sure how we're supposed to fall in love with him. Maybe I'm just over overtly-manly men in 2018. I want that manliness balanced out with some moral fortitude and a vocabulary that extends past 20 words.

The story felt rushed, and the ending...wasn't really there. The bad guy didn't get caught, and the independent spy who faked his death to avoid familial duty somehow really easily gave in to the fate of being a consort in very, very public view? I'm not buying it. Maybe the details will be sorted out in a sequel, but I'm not sure if I'll be tuning it. This book wasn't terrible by any means, I was just hoping for something more.

Let's talk about books that are fun. I love books that are fun, silly romps even though they may not always be what is on my shelf. For instance, I am a die-hard Princess Diaries fan. I have read all of the Princess Diaries books and, even as an adult, I still love them.

Now, those who know me know that I am also a hardcore royal fan. I gush over the royal family - and even set up a 5 AM mimosa bar for the latest royal wedding. Royals are fun - let's stop pretending they aren't.

So with that being said, I had the pleasure of reading The Royal Runaway last week. It truly was a pleasure. This novel follows a royal princess who runs away (in a sense). This story takes on the fun of royalty and adds in a spy mystery and some romance. In other words, it is a fun, frothy read.

In the novel, Princess Thea is stood up at the altar. Can you imagine? A princess stood up at the altar? I. Can't. Even. That alone captured my attention.

Once she reenters the world, she decides it will be her mission to find out why her fiance did it since she has not spoken to him since the night before the wedding. But, when she meets a man who is also looking for her missing fiance, she begins to do things princesses should never do. Kiss strangers, run away from their own bodyguards, undercover national security breaches, and fall for unacceptable men.

It is not high-brow literature, but it sure is a fun escape read. If you are a fan of royalty, you will love escaping into this royal world.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this copy to read and review. It will be released on Tuesday!

I have many feelings about book. Let me hit on the good stuff. The characters, the setting, and the plot are all wonderful. The story hooked you right at the beginning and the mystery keep the pace going. I loved that the romance did not become the center of this novel and I believe that is its biggest advantage. Now, onto the bad stuff. As much as I worship authors and their publishers/editors, I have to admit they fail sometimes. For this book I have to ask why would you name the character Thea? The whole of the story had me thinking of Mia from The Princess Diaries series and not in a good way. If you want yourself to stand out among the thousands of others do not mimic. Even if it is something as simple as a name.

The Royal Runaway was a fun, royal adventure with lots of twists and turns. The story starts a few months after Princess Theodora is left at the alter with no groom. She meets a British spy when she sneaks out one night. He ends up being the brother of her former fiancé. They team up to find out what happened the day her fiancé disappeared.

The Royal Runaway was a fresh breath of air from my normal reads. There was a little mystery, romance, action, and girl power. Sexy bits were all fade out. I prefer the right to choose to read or not. There were a couple slow bits. Overall, I’m glad I got to experience this book.




I voluntarily read an early copy.

This is my first book by this author, and I must say it is a really good one.

The Royal Runaway was suspenseful, captivating with a touch of romance that made it even better.

This book is The Princess Diaries meet Spy Girl, and it’s amazing. So many twist and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thea isn’t your normal princess. She craves adventure and freedom. She’s brave, fun and spirited. I loved her personality. She rebelled whenever she could.

Nick is a cocky bad boy that doesn’t want to be tied down. He, like Thea, craves freedom. These two were perfect for each other. The romance between them was slow and small, but it was perfect.

I couldn’t get enough of this refreshing read. I must read more from Lindsay Emory.