I have really enjoyed reading Vivian and Malcolm's story. This is going to be my dream once the kids leave the house.... LOL. But seriously, thought-provoking about life and choices. Cozy, lovely romance. Great holiday read!

Dull and disappointing.

Centered around a mother visiting her daughter in England for the first time, I loved the idea of a middle aged mother getting her fairy tale. And while the mother was lovely, the guy she was paired with wasn't. I felt no chemistry between the characters and the dialogue felt flat. Hope Guillory's next is a return to form.

I tried to get into this one, but it just didn't hold my interest. I think I am getting tired of the sames characters repeatedly showing up in her books. I am ready for a new set of characters.

The huge plus: this is a seasoned romance featuring Maddie’s mother (Maddie from book 3). I wasn’t expecting a story about her but I liked that this was the next step in the series. Also any book that features a close mother-daughter bond such as this one is so sweet and comforting.

The premise is that Maddie is temporarily hired on by a Duchess of England to fill in as her personal stylist for the Christmas season. Maddie is able to make special arrangements to have her mother Vivian join her on the trip so that they won’t be apart for the holidays. How on earth she pulled that off, who knows but that is the sweetest gesture and induces all sorts of warm fuzzies. Even better: they both get to say at Sandringham! I can get behind that. It’s an exciting opportunity and she wants to share this once in a lifetime experience with her mom.

Except that I didn’t ever feel like Maddie and Vivian were in England or at Sandringham, specifically. The descriptions given of their surroundings were so vague and there weren't enough details to transport me to this exclusive royal abode. It would've been nice to have had more elaboration in order to better appreciate a sense of its long history and the grandeur of what Vivian was witnessing in addition to her "oh wow" responses. There were loads of mentions of scones which, don't get me wrong, I love scones but that's not enough to make me believe I'm in England and staying at a royal residence. I also didn't feel a clear distinction between Vivian and Malcolm's voices, either, and therefore, I didn’t catch on to their chemistry.

I wanted to love this story but I didn't get swept up in it the way I was hoping I would. Travelling to London, staying at a royal residence...such an incredibly wondrous experience and during the most magical time of the year, too, and it feels like a missed opportunity. When I think about the four books I’ve read in this series, The Wedding Date still stands as the best one for me.

~ Bel

This book was everything I wanted from a holiday novel, even though I read it in August. I loved that the family dynamics between a mother and daughter were equally balanced by the other plot points and that this built on Jasmine's other novels in an unexpected way.

My royal book club read this for December and it was the perfect choice to incorporate the royals and Christmas. Definitely a fun, escapist read for a time of year when you don't want to read something heavy or depressing. Although I haven't read her other novels, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by reading this on its own.

Jasmine Guillory is consistently fun and entertaining, and the latest in her series is no exception. It was nice to read a romance about someone who is not in the typical 18-35 age range. It was a little light but that's not a bad thing when it comes to holiday reads.

What an absolutely adorable holiday romance! This is my first Jasmine Guillory book, and it honestly couldn't have been a better introduction. I loved almost everything about it-- the characters, the conflicts with reasonable resolution and almost no drama, the royal-adjacent setting, the over-fifty romance (which we need so much more of). It's honestly just such a sweet, cute read. Couldn't think of anything better to end out my holidays / year with reading.

I was a great story.It wasn't predictable and I liked that they didn't always agree but the worked it out and kept getting stronger.
The fact that people are not perfect can be portrayed as something to aspire to and a modern day love story makes it more that a nice holiday read. It teaches us that fiction can teach us valuable lessons as well as entertain.

I have to admit that I was a bit nervous for this one. I generally have LIKED this series (minus the first, which I have not read) but have never fallen in love with the writing or even the characters. Guillory's books are such easy, quick reads, with some decent chemistry. I went into this one cautiously from early reviews and my own feelings in general.

I decided to put this one aside about 33% of the way in. The main reason is that it was just SO boring to me - the main characters were super polite and frankly lame to read about. I just decided I'd be wasting my time. There were so many pages about them riding horses and talking about horses and hanging out in stables that I lost so much interest. I'm not a fan of horses in general, which isn't why I DNFed obviously, but it didn't ADD any interest for me personally.

I was intrigued that the characters were older than others in this companion series, as it follows Vivian's mom. But dang, just because they're 50+ years old doesn't mean they have to be boring! I'm sure the chemistry would've kicked up if there were some steamy times but there was absolutely nothing grabbing me about this story. Royal stories are hit or miss for me, so that wasn't even a big enough draw.

Overall, I'm bummed. This series has been up and down, but mostly right in the mediocre middle for me. I don't know why I can't seem to quit adding Guillory's books to my TBR though!

I thought this was so much fun I gave it its own bonus episode of One Great Book. Transcript below:

One sentence description:

Hey readers, it’s Anne, and I’m here with One Great Bonus, your patron-only bonus episode of One Great Book Volume II. In these episodes, I get to tell you about one forthcoming release that I’ve read but hasn’t been published yet.

I didn’t want to tell you about the book I’m about to tell you about today. And by that I mean, I want to tell you about it, but not today—I thought it had too much in common with last week’s bonus pick, Christina Lauren’s Twice in a Blue Moon, to share right on its heels. Both books are in the romance genre, both are largely set in London. But there are a couple of reasons I’m going to share it anyway.

One, I thought it was a great book. Not great in the War and Peace sense (this is the part where you can say, how would you know, Anne? You’ve never read it! But you get what I mean) but great as in, a really fun read. And my second reason is I’ve been turning up a bunch of nothing when it comes to fall releases I want to share, and it’s not for lack of trying—or reading.

I got some validation/comisseration on that score a few days ago when I recorded a future episode of What Should I Read Next with Mary Laura Philpott. She’s the author of I’ll Miss You When I Blink, and a bookseller at Parnassus Books in Nashville. And you won’t have to wait long for that episode to air; because I spent all spring on deadline, and the first half of the summer traveling we’re on a tighter timeline than we usually are here at WSIRN HQ. It’s hitting your podcast feed on August 6. We were discussing how she really wanted to find backlist titles to enjoy, because a professional hazard for booksellers is that they are always reading forward.

I asked Mary Laura what she was looking forward to for fall, she paused. The new Elizabeth Strout will be big, of course. And Parnassus owner Ann Patchett has a new book coming out in September, The Dutch House, which you know, because I told you all about it two bonus episodes ago. We’re both looking forward to reading the new Jojo Moyes. But other than that, she said she’d been reading TONS and TONS of advanced review copies … and abandoning them 100 pages in. And then she said the terrible words: Maybe it’s just not going to be a good fall for new books.

I will say the terrific reads have been coming fast and furious ALL YEAR LONG—this year’s summer reading guide was either the easiest or hardest I’ve ever put together, depending on how you look at it, because there were SO MANY GOOD TITLES to choose from. January, February, March were all fantastic months for new releases. And we’re far from the point of issuing a final verdict on fall: I have dozens of books on my TBR, and I’m certain some of them are excellent. I just haven’t found them yet.

Which brings us to today’s book: ever since Jasmine Guillory burst on to the literary scene, she has been BUSY. And prolific. Her third novel The Wedding Party—which, for the record, I found underwhelming—came out on July 16, so I was very surprised to see she had another seasonal release coming out October 1. (To be clear, I don’t mean that as a dig. There are plenty of writers who write quickly, and well—Elin Hilderbrand springs immediately to mind. But it’s not the norm, and I never expect it.)

This new book is called Royal Holiday, and the action takes place mostly in England during—you guessed it—the Christmas season. If you’ve read Jasmine Guillory before, you’ll remember Maddie, Alexa’s best friend in The Wedding Date, who got her own Maddie-centered book in the new release The Wedding Party. Maddie is a personal stylist, and in a fortunate turn of events, she’s been hired to dress the duchess for the holiday season. She’s going to england, and she wants to bring her mom, who’s only been out of the country once before.

And so 54-year-old Vivian Forest, a black social worker from Oakland, suddenly finds herself in England living like royalty—literally. She was ready to encounter new people, and new experiences, but she wasn’t prepared to meet Malcolm Hudson, the Queen’s very handsome private secretary. He begins by showing her around just to be polite, but it soon becomes something more. It’s been ages since she met a man she actually enjoys spending time with, and how strange it is that the man she looks forward to seeing is in England, of all places, and working for the Queen. It’s totally bizarre to Maddie, but it’s also totally happening.

This book is fast and fun, and funny, you can fly through the 300 pages, and it will be an absolute delight for anyone who enjoyed Guillory’s previous works or is interested in royal life. I particularly liked how the protagonist was a 54-year-old woman who had her own life, her own career, her own child (who was part in the story, but not terribly often). And while this book is set firmly in Jasmine Guillory’s universe—you’ll recognize some character names here, and you might know their history—it is not the tiniest bit necessary to read the previous books first. And yes, this book is set during the holiday season, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it poolside in July, so don’t let the book’s setting stop you from reading it any time at all.

Royal Holiday is out October 1 from Berkley, so now’s the time to put in that library request or your pre-order. Readers, if you’re new to the Advanced Review Copy scene, this is another book that would be good to ask for. We talked more about that in last week’s bonus episode for Twice in a Blue Moon so go back and listen if you need a refresher.

Readers, I hope you enjoyed this One Great Bonus episode. Happy reading!

Vivian takes a holiday abroad and finds herself swooning over handsome Brit Malcolm.

This is a fun contemporary romance and as we have come to expect from author Jasmine Guillory, her characters are likeable and full of personality and humor.

I read this book with a smile on my face from beginning to end. Playful and sweet with undertones of maturity and seriousness, this is a lovely romance to bring alive the magic of Christmas. Unlike some Christmas romances, Royal Holiday doesn’t descend into schmaltziness with mawkish grand gestures. It retains the integrity of story with the genuine emotions of two adults in their fifties finding a second chance at friendship and love.

At Sandringham, Malcolm Hudson, private secretary to the Queen of England, lays eyes on Vivian Forest, social worker from California, at Sandringham and he finds himself instantly charmed. She carries herself with a refreshing forthrightness, a strong joyful sense of self, and an easy acceptance of those around her. She, in turn, is fascinated with this man with kind eyes and instant smiles, who goes out of his way to be considerate to everyone he meets and is so solicitous of her.

Vivian and Malcom spend many hours together over the next few days discovering common ground and each other’s personalities. Attraction simmers between them and their enchantment with each other deepens even as they ride horses and exchange quaintly formal notes by footmen.

And through it all, they laugh a lot. Laughter has a way of binding people together like nothing else. Attraction most definitely, but deep friendship, a meeting of souls, makes for a lasting connection, which they discover much to their surprise. That it happens so quickly to people of their age is cause for a lot of bemusement, but I liked that they give their affair their all, willing to live day by day. Guillory has them seize a chance at happiness, no matter how short, with both hands and hold on in trust and enjoyment. That this is a departure from their otherwise socially cautious selves is another indication as to the seriousness of their involvement.

I enjoyed reading how their respective careers come to play in bringing joy and understanding to each other. Their jobs are not window-dressing but essential to who they are and their worldview. At the end, like I said at the top, there are no grand gestures where one person sacrifices all for mutual harmony. Like two adults who have built successful lives with which they are happy, they discover ways to be together that are satisfying. That they are together isn’t in doubt, but their life together is unique and complex just like themselves, and they make it work lovingly and respectfully.

Whether you like Christmas stories or not, this is one book you will want to pick up and enjoy.

https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-royal-holiday-by-jasmine-guillory/

I love love love love Jasmine Guillory, and I think at this point I've accepted that I'm going to love everything she writes. I saved Royal Holiday to read a little closer to the Christmas season, and it was so lovely! Highly recommend for a cozy read while you cuddle up with a blanket over the holidays. It's slightly different than others in the "Wedding Date" series, but in a good way -- and it's equally heartwarming.

First, in the interest of transparency, let me just say that I LOVE Jasmine Guillory. Her books are some of my favorites, and this one is no exception. Vivian ends up going ot Britain with her daughter Maddie on a work trip (she's a sylist), and meets hunky Malcolm, who works for the Queen. They are immediately connected, and the fun and delightful encounters lead to lots of fun and great moments. Such a fun and quick read.

My heart is so full after reading this charming book. Jasmine Guillory has done it again with this one!

As the tittle suggests, it’s the perfect holiday read! I loved everything about this book.

Maddie was such a great character to root for in the first book so I was happy to see her in this one as well! Vivian is such a pure soul, her and Malcolm are GOALS and I adore them. Their chemistry and quirk is something I really liked, happiness for them is all I wanted.

I also enjoyed seeing Maddie’s relationship with her mother as well.

Overall, a delightful charming book!

A delightful escape! Fun and funny and full of lovely characters. Also, sexy and moving. I loved that it was a romance centered around an older woman.

A very fun read! Guillory has done a great job writing for different characters with intertwining stories while still having a command over space and place to keep each story distinct to it's respective cast of characters. Vivian was a joy and the Royal Holiday was a delightful read.

A holiday romance set in a palace, London, and by correspondence across the miles sounded delightful. Vivian and Malcolm show that the fifties can be fabulous and sometimes a low simmer can produce the most savory results.
Review

Royal Holiday is the fourth book in The Wedding Date series. It is standalone about the mother of a previous heroine.

Royal Holiday begins with hardworking long divorced and single mom, Vivian, being dragged along with her daughter from her Oakland home to spend the holidays on an English royal estate. Maddie is there to help the duchess with choosing her wardrobe and ensemble and keeping the duchess looking good while her friend is on maternity leave. Maddie chose to bring her mom along to support from the sidelines, but also get a much needed vacation of her own. Vivian is the kind of person who does all the giving and Maddie just wants her to let responsibilities go for once and take time out for herself.

Vivian does exactly that the very first morning after she wakes up and handsome Malcolm is in the kitchen begging his favorite scones from the chef. It was instant attraction and friendly smiles and banter as Malcolm steps aside from this slow week of duties as the Queen’s Secretary to show a pretty American woman around the estate and spend time with someone who draws him in from the start.

The pair form a swift holiday friendship with many encounters in isolation, but know this is temporary and they must go back to their own worlds 5,000 miles apart A shared kiss under the mistletoe heats things up to more than friendship, but New Year’s Day is fast approaching when Vivian will go home. They’ve come to mean a lot to each other from Vivian sharing about her life and Malcolm, his. What can they do to keep what they have? Should they keep what they have or let it go?

The book had a lovely holiday vacation surreal feel, sweetness between the characters, and a romance that took its time and didn’t rush things even though the clock was ticking. This pair of happy lovers could smile, laugh at even simple things, and enjoy everything about each other. For the longest time, I wondered if there was even going to be a conflict other than the obvious approaching separation. It made for a slow-mover, but I didn’t mind that much. I could set it down easily, but just as easily pick it up again. They did finally get beneath the surface with each other and stirred things up a bit. I liked the way they took turns communicating frankly, being the one to reach out, and also acting their age though they both came with a bit of baggage from former failed relationships. The solution to their main conflict was believable though came in a rush at the very end.

In the end, it was a delightful read that felt warm and cozy with a little spice. Perfect for a holiday romance and I can heartily recommend it to other contemporary romance fans who don’t mind a gentle pace and plot.

My thanks to Berkley Romance for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this story! The characters Vivian and Malcolm work very well together and their age being mature is a nice, yet different touch to the typical "holiday" read. They are both fun and funny much like they are in the previous stories. I would categorize this as a "slow-burn" romance that is full of passion and lacking the drama of typical relationships. The romance that ensues between Vivian and Malcolm is believable and sincere. The story takes place in England over the Christmas holidays and there is an element of a royal thread woven throughout so it becomes a delightfully entertaining plot that is enhanced by this fact.