Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of "The Royal Runaway" by Lindsay Emory.
This book wasn't quite what I expected. It sold me on its comparison to "The Princess Diaries"--which are hilarious, sweet, and goofy books. "The Royal Runaway" isn't that. It did have a pretty hot, sexy romance, but it was more of a spy novel than chic lit. Or maybe it's truthfully a combo of both, but it was a lot more spy novel than I expected it to be and I'm not much of a spy novel reader.
That being said, I still thought it was a cute book and I did like Princess Thea and Nick. I was impressed with the amount of world-building Emory did--creating an entire country with a fleshed-out history, economics, political systems, etc. This book might seem like light fun, but Emory goes deep into some really technical, complicated topics that I didn't always understand. But again, I'm not a spy novel reader.
So I guess the success of this book is I still mostly liked it even though I'm not a spy novel reader, mostly because of the romance and the royalty aspect. I was a little disappointed that I didn't love it, but all around it was enjoyable enough to get a pass from me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing this eARC.

This book was recommended for fans of <i>The Royal We</i>, but I really think it bears more resemblance to the movie <i>Chasing Liberty</i> (to be clear, I love this movie and Mandy Moore, so this is NOT an insult. Bex in <i>The Royal We</i> is dealing with the choice to marry the man that she loves and to take his family and circumstances with him, but Thea in <i>The Royal Runaway</i> is the heir - she didn't make the choice, but she has to live with it. She doesn't always cope well, and has a bit of a runaway problem, but she has been raised to someday be the queen.

I liked this book, it was a fun ride, with plenty of alternate history for the fictional nation of Drieden, a hot Scot in the mix, and a sassy heroine. It isn't as character driven or really as romantic as <i>The Royal We</i> (our lovers are in difficult situations a lot of the time), but the romance/action mostly worked for me. If you like a twisty plot, royalty, and the movie <i>Chasing Liberty</i>, I think you'll like this one! It would make a fun romp of a movie. Please cast Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.

I am such a deep fan of anyone living out their writing dreams, and give Lindsay mad props for accomplishing my dream of being a published author and I love the cover design. However, this review is pretty lukewarm. I'll try to be nice, because that's my personality, but it wasn't my favorite. This book follows a modern day princess of the fictional country Drieden who is left at the alter on her wedding day. As a character she is meant to be "spunky" and "modern" while still displaying all the decorum fit for a princess. However, I thought she fell a little flat. I thought it was strange that she didn't seem too upset that her fiance left her. It made more sense as she explains her reasons for marrying the man, but at the same time those reasons didn't seem to fit with her purposed personality. As she discovers strange plots surrounding the disappearance of her fiance and the strange apperance of her fiance's reportedly dead brother, things start to get mysterious. I didn't buy her chemistry with the brother for a second, which was disappointing to me because I love a good love story. I found it forced and strange how she always changed in front of him just to be flippant. There was just nothing "there" for them to become a couple.
I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. I hate writing those words. But it just fell flat to me.

Charming read, a good mix of intrigue and romance, and the author's effort to create a culture and history of a fictional country is appreciated - sets up nicely for a sequel, perhaps?

'Royal Runaway' is a fun romance/adventure. Perfect for a quick, light read. If you enjoy Evanovich's Fox & O'Hare, you might enjoy Lindsay Emory's Princess & her rogue with a brogue. The two main characters are good partners in their hunt for the princess' missing fiance.

This was a cute, slightly more serious than I was expecting, read. I went into it expecting yet another knockoff The Princess Diaries but was pleasantly surprised to find it had a lot more depth and plot.

It wasn't perfect, but it was a good, solid book that would make a great beach read. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Fluffy. A little bit funny, a lot ridiculous. Requires much more suspension of disbelief than my usual picks, but even still it was entertaining enough to finish. The title feels a bit misleading, as Thea never really seems to run away...she just sort of flounces off and disappears for a few days but doesn't really go far. But anyway...

The plot is a bit...farfetched. Hence the required suspension of disbelief. The locale is obviously based on England, but the author has invented another country (I suppose so no one can say she's dissing the actual British royal family?) and culture. Said country and culture is pretty much England...except England is also mentioned. Color me confused, for the first few chapters until I gave up trying to understand and just rolled with it. Then there is the issue of Princess Thea's fiance' abandoning her at the altar, and all the other super-secret-squirrel-stuff...and then there's the other guy, who, yes, sounds hot, but in a very generic sense. Oh well, it was still cute.

I struggled a bit to really connect with and feel for the characters. Both Thea and Nick are just kind of...flat. Not in an annoying way, there just didn't seem to be a lot there other than Nick's oh-so-attractive-secretivenss about his past life and Thea's terribly, exhausting choices between family duty and her heart's desires. Oooookay, first world problems much? That is, at least, pointed out in the book. Thea needed a backbone. Nick needed to think more with his big head instead of his little one, all James Bond style.

The end was a little rushed, but it tied up all the loose ends nicely. All in all The Royal Runaway was a light, quick and easy read but without a whole lot of substance - which sometimes is exactly what is needed.

To say I loved this book is an understatement. I thought this was one of the most enjoyable books I have read recently. The Royal Runaway kept me entertained and intrigued the whole way through. I decided to read this book because I loved the Princess Diaries but I must have missed the part in the description where it said this was a mystery spy novel. I could not stop reading this book, it captured me from start to finish. The Royal Runaway is not your typical royal book filled with fairy-tale and wonder. It is filled with romance, intrigue, humor, history (although on a fake town), and mystery. This is a great summer book that will swallow your time up and take you on an exciting adventure. The only problem I had with this book is at times it wasn’t as descriptive as I would have liked to have been. I felt like the author could have elaborated some sections for pages and pages but she stopped and left you wondering. If you want a quick, easy to digest, fast-paced, fun and intriguing read, the Royal Runaway is the book for you!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A fun summer read that is a bit like a mashup of The Princess Diaries and Bond! It's the winning combo of mystery, romance, sassy banter and SPOILER ALERT spies!

The Royal Runaway surprised me. I opened it with the expectation of reading a fun summer beach read in the vein of The Princess Diaries and instead I got a spy novel, plus a fun summer read. So obviously, I loved that.

Crown Princess Thea has just returned from exile after her fiance ran away on their wedding day. Nick is the Scottish asshole who starts as a distraction, but quickly becomes her partner in unraveling the mystery surrounding her ex-fiance's abandonment. Obviously Nick is stupid hot (and I did mention, Scottish, right?) so the chemistry is unavoidable even as the danger surrounding them ramps up to a satisfying climax.

Pun intended.

I must thank Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of The Royal Runaway. I found it to be a great summer beach read that I had trouble putting down. No, Princess Thea is not your "normal" princess and this is not a "normal" fairytale - which is probably why I loved it. Thea has an edge to her. She's been jilted, she's smart, she's been raised to lead a country, but she's human and she had doubts. There's more to her than meets the eye. I would love to know more of Nick's back story, and maybe there's another book in the works to tell it. The similarities between the two and their understanding of each other grow with the story. I must admit that I am a fan of Lindsay Emory. Without fail I get sucked into everything that she writes. I can't wait to read more by this amazing author.

It was an interesting, quick read that mixed some real world royal name dropping with a made up kingdom as the main royal family with a staunch, non rule bending matriarch at it's helm. It was at times predictable but had a few times where it threw me for a loop with how it ended and who was betraying who. Had love, romance, running away (obviously), rules, and overall craziness. A great beach read and I can see how people who enjoyed The Royal We would definitely be interested in reading this one!

The Royal Runaway by Lindsay Emory is about Princess Thea and how she gets left at the altar by her fiancee Christian. After being away for months since being left at the altar Thea is back and causing her bodyguards a headache as ever. She sneaks out of the castle in order to not be a princess for awhile. While doing so she meets Nick, a strong mysterious man. Thea learns from Nick that her fiancee leaving her at the altar might not be what it appears as no one has heard from him in four months either. This was a book I couldn't put down. I stayed up all night reading it. I do wish that there had been more at the end, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I would recommend this to those who enjoy a good princess story.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Not your standard royal book, thank goodness! This book was so good I’ve preordered copies for friends plus since this is my first by this author I had to order a few of her older books. I thought this would be fluffy and it was a little but in a very good way. Loved it. Go buy it now, you won’t be disappointed!

Such a fun read! I loved the characters and really enjoyed the kingdom that the author created. The book was fast-paced and did include a few good twists.

I went in hoping for something like Princess Diaries and that was not what I got. It had a interesting plot with good characters. I recommend this novel to romance/action fans.

I couldn't put this one down!!! It had mystery, romance, intrigue, humor, wits and so much more. I absolutely loved the characters and the story. It moved fast, kept me wanting to know what was next and had me guessing at how it was going to end.

This was a light, breezy read perfect for the beach or a lazy day at home. The story grabbed me from the get go and kept me interested throughout. There is a bit of something for everyone in this book: romance, political intrigue, spying, marriage, romance, mystery, etc.... I was excited to see how it would all come together in the end. The main character is a princess but she is not one to just sit back and let things happen. She and the Scottish rogue she finds herself embroiled with made a great match and I enjoyed their story.

A royal wedding that never was. A jilted bride. A missing fiancé. A dark, mysterious stranger.
Yes, it is as predictable as it sounds.
Yes, it is as addictive as it sounds.

If you loved The Royal We or Romancing the Throne, then definitely add The Runaway Princess to your list.

Princess Theodora (Thea, to her close family and friends), is left by the alter by her Scottish duke fiancé. After four months in seclusion in a remote island, she returns back to the main city of Driesden and immediately escapes the palace for a secret night on the town. She meets a handsome stranger. She meets a handsome stranger. He unwittingly ends up blackmailing her, and then they find themselves on a goose chase to find out what happened to her fiancé, which leads them to a plot to overthrow the very monarchy she belongs to.

It's a brain candy book at its best. I thought the writing was strong, the character development was solid, and I particularly like how Queen Aurelia, Princess Thea, and the women overall were written in this story. They're complicated, conflicted, strong, vulnerable, and stubborn. They are what women are in real life, and I deeply appreciate that we write princesses who we view in this sort of historical antiquated lens much in the same way.

There were a couple twists that I had mistakingly thought I solved, and the predictably sweet ending.

This was a fun vacation read. Royal We meets spy adventure story. It dragged a little in the middle, but the fictional country is detailed and feels authentic, the characters are interesting, and the plot was intriguing. I'd read a sequel if there is one. 3.5/5 stars.