This is a modernized version of the Cinderella story that focuses on the balance between one's personal life and one's public duty. Phillip still carries scars from a selfish decision years ago, so he's dedicated himself to serving his country above his own personal desires. Ella, on the other hand, has lived a life of forced servitude and wants nothing more than the freedom to chart her own course. Their instant and intense connection has them both rethinking their priorities.

It's a sweet love story, a little light on the drama but has a wonderful cast of characters and an open, honest approach to resolving the conflict. I read it non-stop and enjoyed every bit. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy to read and give my honest opinion.

Cute cover, but all this mess with the Royal Wedding had me grabbing this book. Have to tell you though, the blurb is longer than the book. I think the blurb is a bit more detailed too since I don't recall some of that in the book.
Ella is a nice play on Cinderella type novelette as she takes her stepsisters to the party. The only explanation that the author gives is that Ella is better at taking care of her stepsisters than they are of themselves. Need something done? Ella is much better qualified.
King Phillip is turning 30 soon and law says he must have a queen. He thinks Ella is a maid and decides to have one last fling. When he finds out she is nobility things change.
I think the author could have made the ending a lot more suitable than a guy begging for the girl. After the upset that drives Ella away, why would he choose the letters over a thief...kind of made no sense. Three stars of entertainment!

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

Cute modern version of Cinderella's story but with nicer step-sisters and step-mother. It was almost Cinderella meets The Bachelor until Phillip finds out that Ella was part of the nobility and he could marry her.

Parts were sweet when they would meet secretly and their note writing but it seemed like Phillip changed when Ella agreed to be his queen. He couldn't find time to see her and was already trying to change her. Granted, I thought that Ella was just a little to willing to be used by her family but Phillip didn't want her to change that! He wanted her to be a servant for the crown.

The worst was when he had to choose who to stab in the back and decided that it was Ella. I did not think that part made sense to me, he could have arrested the reporter and only one letter would have been revealed but he choose to let the reporter reveal all the letters if he kept quiet about the theft. One, if he kept the reporter jailed, one letter was a lot less exposure than all their letters, and two, even if the theft got revealed, Phillip was the king and could pardon the thief!

I am not sure that I could forgive as easily as Ella but the HEA was a good one!

5 Stars

ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This is book one in the Danover Royal family & it was off the charts good !! Like many of Leslie North’s books it’s a quick read & I only wish it was longer not wanting King Phillip & Ella’s story to end ... it was also great to read something that read like a Cinderella Fairytale so soon after the Royal Wedding of Prince Henry & Meghan Markle...

Great story with a great HEA ❤️❤️

King Phillip needs to get married by his 30th birthday to continue ruling. Ella needs to get one of his step sisters married to the King, to be free to return to America and pursue her dreams.
But when she starts falling for the King herself, will she be able to let go of her dreams ?
Royal service was like a modern age Cinderella story. It was well written and fast paced. I think the letter writing between them was very romantic and fairytale like.
Overall a very enjoyable read and I look forward to more in the series.

What else could you ask for motorcycles, horses, crowns, tiaras and hot steamy sex all wrapped up in one book!

Initially, I thought this retelling of Cinderella was terrific but it slowly lost my high rating. I though the author dd a good job with tweaking the Cinderella plot. Ella was not demeaned but wanted to "serve" her step family because of her love for them. Her step family was also not "mean"...just a little clueless. The plot could have been fleshed out more but I did enjoy how Ella and King Phillip enjoyed their letter writing. However, the plot twist just left me flat. Overall, it was a quick read but I will probably not go on to the next in her series. I was given an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good retelling of classic fairy tales and Royal Service does Cinderella quite proud. Just about everything you need to know upfront is in the cover description blurb.

Phillip is a charming man who wears the crown with pride and not a little hesitancy about his future bride. In order to rule he must marry, and that deadline to find a royal bride has about run out. He’s not looking forward to this get together at all, but one woman has caught his attention… even if she’s not in the running for his bride. Ella is a sweet and a determined woman. She’s about had it with her stepmother’s ways and if the only way she can find the freedom to do what she loves is to get her stepsister married to a king… then that’s what she’ll do. She didn’t expect that the man she found attractive was anything at all royal… but then one should never make assumptions, right?

I found Ella’s hesitation over giving up one kind of servitude for yet another to be completely understandable. Marrying a royal is not quite like hitching up with the guy next door. It’s a life time job as well as a marriage. So, I wasn’t surprised by Ella’s reactions to Phillip. I enjoyed their romance very much and I’m definitely looking forward to the next story in this series. Love a good romance involving royalty? Then you’ll want to pick up Royal Service, I believe you’ll enjoy yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This light-hearted romance is a wonderful twist on the classic Cinderella story. King Philip of Danovia has to marry by his thirtieth birthday or the crown goes to his younger brother. He is having problems choosing his bride, so his mother invites all of the eligible maidens to The Summer House Party.

Ella Fernstone has retreated to the role of servant/personal assistant since her father's death. Her stepmother is forgetful in her determination to make sure one of her daughters marry the king. Ella wants to escape and be able to pursue her own dream. Her goal is to have one of her stepsisters marry King Philip.

I enjoyed reading Philip and Ella's story. It was a smoking hot read! The characters were fun. I liked the Cinderella twist without the stepmother being evil. Ella's stepsisters were sweet. I can't wait for the rest of this series!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I loved reading the fabulous and fantastic romance story. I reviewed a copy from NetGalley. It's time for King Phillip to get married. Ella volunteers to help Phillip find the perfect, royal wife, but Phillip is more interested in Ella herself. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read love story.

A wonderful updated Cinderella story! Phillip was amazing and Ella independent and flirty. I enjoyed the quick read. I'll be looking for the next royal in the series.

This is a sweet Cinderella type book... only she isn't poor (just poorish) and she isn't forced to do what her step-mother has her do (she chooses to do it).
While helping her two step-sisters win the title of Queen and wife to the King, Ella falls in love with King Phillip. I thought this was a very sweet book and had some nice twists from the original Cinderella story.
This book does not appear to be part of a series. This is my first book by this author, but will not be my last.

A royal quickie.

Philip is the reigning monarch of the country of Danover, but if he wants to keep that title past his thirtieth year he needs to marry. Unfortunately, he's spent more of his time fixing up antique motorcycles than hunting for a wife, now he was three months left to meet and marry the woman who will be his queen.

Ella is not looking to be the Cinderella cliche. She has no interest in being queen, intact, she's only agreed to attend the party where the king is planning to select his bride to help her sisters. If one of them becomes queen her family obligations can be put to rest and she can fly back to the United States to work as a horse trainer, because horses are her real fairy tale. Of course while she's in town for the party there's no reason she can't consider having a fling with the sexy motorcycle mechanic the castle employs.

Royal Service crossed off all the must haves on the romance must haves. It was short, but definitely got all the major points correct, it was a little lacking in the storytelling area though. The amorous scenes were a bit dry and the plot itself short on emotion. So if you're looking to get really hot and heavy or shed a tear in between a laugh or two this isn't really the read for any of that. If you're looking for a simple romance this is exactly that. There was almost no conflict, even the step sisters and step mother characters aren't antagonists, there's no one to hate or get riled up about. In fact no other characters even feel fully developed. This is fluff, Fun fairytale themed fluff, but still lighter than air cotton candy, enjoyable and diverting, but lacking substance or any emotional nutritional value.

*** I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review,

This is a lighthearted and sizzling version of Cinderella. King Phillip is close to reaching his 30th birthday. Phillip has to either marry by then or allow his irresponsible brother to become king. His mother has set up a week long house party with all the eligible guests. Ella wants her one of her step-sisters to marry the king. Then Ella would be free to return to America to pursue a horse training business, Ella isn't sure if she wants to go from serving her step-family to serving a country From their first meeting, their relationship starts sizzling and their attraction builds. Due to his duties as king and his search for his queen, they exchange many steamy letters. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This was a fun read for me. There are many amusing scenes as well as some steamy ones. I enjoyed the book so much that I read it in one afternoon.

Royal Service, is a modern day Cinderella story. King Phillip is being heavily persuaded to pick a queen so there's a house party with all the eligible ladies in attendance. Ella is stepsister to two of the candidates. On the plus side Ella's stepmother is not evil. She truly only wants what's best.

It's a cute Cinderella story. I guess I enjoyed it, although the Cinderella parallel could've been fleshed out more. I definitely felt that the opening scene showed the MMC's reluctance to get married to the "eligible" women.

Royal Service is book one in the Royals of Danovar series by Leslie North. This is a sweet modern day retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale.

King Phillip Gregory Humbert Alcott is the King of Danovar. Phillip is almost thirty years old. It is the law that in order to hold the position of King, you must marry by your thirtieth birthday. Phillip is completely dedicated to serving his people and if that means choosing a wife by her ability to be a good Queen, that it would be a marriage of servitude only, not one borne of love, then that is what he will do. Phillip’s mother has invited all of the eligible women of their country to Summer House so that Phillip can get to know them and choose a bride. Only on the first day when the women are arriving, he sees her. He sees a woman who he thinks is a maid, but who awakens something in him he had given up on. But he owes it to his country to choose a proper Queen. Can he just seek out this woman for a fling? He has to find out who she is.

Ella Fernstone was born in Danovar but grew up in the States after her father died. She lives with her step mother and two step sisters. Ella is a giver, it just comes naturally to her. She is tired, though, of constantly giving to her family. She wants her freedom. She has promised her step mother that she will help to get one of her sisters married off to the King. Then she can start her own life. Her dream is to ride show horses and to teach others to ride. Horseback riding is her passion. The problem is that neither of her sisters is particularly interested in marrying the King. The first time she saw him, she thought he was a mechanic. He was covered in grease and in dirty, work worn clothes. But she felt something. He was a beautiful man, even with the grease on his face. She was so tempted by him. But she has to keep her eyes on the prize, getting one of her sisters married to the King.

Eventually Phillip discovers that in deed, Ella is not a maid but is an eligible possibility to be his Queen. But she has her mind made up. She is leaving. So Phillip is determined to spend as much time with her as he can. Maybe he can convince her to stay, to give him a chance. But if she still wants to leave, at least they’ll have this time together.

“Ella was trying to get out of a life of servitude, not add an entire country’s population to her list of people to wait on.”

Ella is falling fast for Phillip as he is for her. She has to decide what she really wants, What is most important to her.

“She fulfilled him, brought out the color and adventure in a life that had always been duty after obligation after responsibility. With her at his side, all of that would be so much more meaningful, a joy instead of a burden.”

This was such a cute story, and pretty steamy as well. This Cinderella has a bit of a dirty side! I loved how the relationship developed with these two, through letter writing. With all of today’s technology, I thought it was so romantic. Phillip had given up on marrying for love and Ella wanted her freedom. It is Ella that has to decide here if she can sacrifice that freedom for a love that is just beginning to grow. If she is cut out to lead a life of service to the country she was born to. Or, will she walk away to the life she had planned? I did enjoy this. It sweet and hot and even had a bit of a villain. I do look forward to more from this series. The next book is Phillip’s younger brother, Eric’s turn in Royal Treatment.