This book was a fun and engaging trip to take given that it's an east and uncomplicated read. I don't know that it blew me away in the same manner that other modern day romance novels have but it did keep me engaged long enough to read it in one sitting. Anyone who likes mysterious strangers and headstrong princesses will find something to love in this book.

A funny and sweet romance with a little mystery thrown in. It's a fun read for anyone who enjoys light romance.

I have an odd (seeing as I'm an American) affection for all things royal, and the blurb for this book seemed right up my alley. Luckily I was not disappointed as the story was tons of fun. It was everything I'd hoped it would be and even a little more in some ways. I loved the characters, the plot, and the setting. It all came together to make the perfect escapist read. I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you're as fascinated by the royals as I am.

I consider myself somewhat of a royal reading enthusiast. I devour anything royal themed, and this book scratched that itch, but was also a bit of a surprise (in a good way!). In addition to the standard fare romance, there was a great, more thriller-y plot line. This is a good Sunday one-day read when you want something easy, but that also holds your attention.

I loved this book so much! Great story with surprising twist and a wonderful ending. Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Recommending this to all of my friends!!

Being a fan of all things Royal and especially Royal romances, I had high hopes for it and it didn't disappoint. It takes the usual Royal trope and flips it on it's ear. It's got banter, mystery, romance and a sharply developed plot. Thea aka Princess Theodora is engaging, whip-smart and funny. Her chemistry with the sexy Scot, Nick, was off-the-charts. I read this in one-sitting and I highly recommend it!

REVIEW

This is not your standard princess story, and that is a very good thing. Princess Theodora of Drieden, or Thea, is jilted by her fiancé on her wedding day. Her grandmother, also known as the Queen, had been talking about changing the order of succession when she was going to be a new bride, but the newly single princess finds herself exiled to a lonely island instead for some R&R - and not a tropical one.

Back from her seclusion, Thea feels the need to break free from the castle walls and finds herself in a local bar, where she meets a sexy Scot named Nick. Things, however, are not as they seem. Nick’s a British spy in search of his brother, who happens to be Thea’s cold-footed fiancé.

Meeting Nick launches Thea into a caper that leads her into an adventure beyond what she could have ever expected. While a princess, Thea’s no damsel in distress. She’s bold and capable and takes matters into her own hands - confronting her destiny. Royal wedding watchers and rebels alike will enjoy this book. Add it to your TBR list, as it debuts on October 9, 2018.

What a fun read. I was expecting a straight-up romance but this was so much more...mystery, espionage, intrigue. I totally loved Thea. She was real. And Nate was no slouch either. Want to read more from Ms. Emory.

To give you a clue on how I felt about this book, THE ROYAL RUNAWAY ruined my post-Royal Wedding haze. Yes, the Royal Wedding that happened less than a week ago (per writing this review) for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that I couldn’t escape from social media, and subsequently ended up enjoying. I really wanted to like this book - I really did. There’s a super cute cover, a tight and engaging premise, and in general just sounded like a fun ride. Instead, I get lackluster chemistry, lackluster character development, and a cardboard love interest. Around the 50% mark, I was looking at the time to see how fast I could finish it. The answer? Not fast enough.

We start the book with the incredibly spoiled and privileged main character, Thea, being jilted by her fiance who she only agreed to marry out of duty. We never really get to explore her feelings about this whole event, as she’s shipped to an island to recuperate and explains in her narrative that she cried a lot and slept very little. All this for a man she never really loved. WHAT was her reasoning for this? A LOT of her actions did not make sense, which made me incredibly frustrated and disgruntled with her. It’s one thing to make a realistic mistake and grow from it, it’s another to continually make illogical decisions, backed by illogical reasoning, to create unnecessary scenarios. And that’s exactly what this privileged princess did.

“Other women felt like princesses on their wedding day. Me? I really was a princess. I had the tiara, the palace, the framed certificate, and everything.”

So Thea “grows” from being a runaway princess to someone who plots for a bigger ambition. I guess that’s the only character development there is? She gets blackmailed by this mysterious spy from another country and ends up trusting him because of his big muscles and sexy Scottish burr. He just… is so dark and dangerous, y’know? How can you NOT trust a man who blackmailed and lied to you? Sooooo dreamy. Thus, she runs away from her duties and “prison” (aka the palace) to help him figure out what happened to his brother, also known as her currently missing fiance.

I did not feel the chemistry the whole book. 50% into the book, they have shared 3 kisses or so and I was NOT on board with it. Nick, the love interest, is incredibly untrusting of Thea and doesn’t let her help out. The first half of the book is him dragging her to places while being on the run. Then they go back to the palace so Thea can participate in some court intrigue to figure out what’s happening. That part of the book got marginally better, as Thea was actually using her brains and experience as a researcher to discover what was going on. The end and resolution, unfortunately, ruined this bit of enjoyment I had for it.

There is more court intrigue and politics than romance. There is more characters complaining of their richness and “duties” than romance. There is more pro-monarchy propaganda than romance. Seriously, I really hesitate to recommend this to romance readers. The mystery of where Christian went to is interesting, but that’s about it. What is romantic about this kind of dialogue:

“‘Of course I trust you,’ he said in what was a very placating tone as he pulled LE MONDE across the table, pausing on a story before absently creasing the upper corner of the page.
‘Then why won’t you answer my questions?’
‘Because you don’t need to know the answers.’ It was as if he’d reached over and patted the top of my head. I hated being patronized.”

And she CONTINUES to let him patronize her. There is no apology. The unequal distribution of power and knowledge between Nick and Thea is honestly quite infuriating. Rather than deviate from the stereotypes that everyreader is tired of, the author ensures that Thea stays in the shadows and gets saved by her man. IN FACT, almost every ‘life-changing’ decision she makes in this book is for a man. The only other decision was to keep the throne.

Okay, the throne. Monarchy. It’s a loaded word, considering the histories surrounding this type of government. The bit of political intrigue adds a dimension where someone is lobbying for a Republic. Instead of thinking about the possibilities and seeing it from their side of view, Thea uses it as an opportunity to defend her family and the monarchy. I don’t have anything against the monarchy, but this was incredibly infuriating. It’s from such a privileged point of view. Thea and her siblings complain about being in a prison and whatnot, when their “duties” are composed of visiting hospitals. Instead of using their monetary and family advantage towards good, they complain about it, and then emphasize it. There is no nuance to the whole conflict, “Oh, I’m a sad and lonely princess who only lives for her duties.” Marrying a man you do not love for the sake of duty is viable evidence for this statement. Having to go to fundraisers and showing national support is NOT viable evidence, and the book never distinguishes this line. Princesses just want to roam around and have fun, after all.

I wish I could say the writing was at least good, but it did not enamor me. I have no idea how and why Nick and Thea fell in love with each other. NO IDEA. Their relationship feels more platonic than anything.

I’m guess I’m glad I read this book, because it reminded me of why I stay far away from royalty romances. (The ONLY exception being A PRINCESS IN THEORY by Alyssa Cole, which was so good. The only royal romance I enjoyed the past decade, honestly.) This wasn’t even a romance, to be fair. It’s not funny (unless you’re laughing at how utterly implausible so much of the plot was) and it won’t “leave you cheering for the modern-day royal,” as the blurb advertises. Thea had so much potential but stayed a stale princess from start to finish. The love interest was a crusty potato whose only saving grace were his muscles. I don’t think I would recommend this to anyone, but maybe this appeal to other romance readers. So perhaps come in with low expectations and an open mind.