I'm not sure why this took me 6 days to read when it really should've only taken me 2 at most, but wow. Finally sitting down to read this was probably the best decision I could've made today. I read the summary, saw that it was a bodyguard romance and the rest was history so I'm annoyed I took so long to read it but y'know what? I was just savouring my time with it.

Our story takes place on a small island, where Piper and her mom live tucked away in the guest house of a much larger, unused space available to rent. The last thing they'd expect is the Duke and Duchess of Fairfax to roll up with their security and be the next one to rent the space. Piper isn't even really sure what's going on until she leaves work one day and sees that the town is in chaos because of these two. Harrison is their personal bodyguard and, not knowing Piper lives on this new land they'll be taking up for the next little bit, gets off to a rough start with Piper. The two butt heads quite a bit as Harrison is a no-bullshit kind of man, trying to do his job and protect Eddie and Monica and Piper is new and unpredictable and throwing him completely off his game. The two might think they bother the other but it isn't long before they've become close and are spending a little more time together.

Piper and Harrison were so sweet. Harrison is unbelievable... truly. It scared me how quickly I hopped on the Harrison train honestly LOL. Piper holds herself back more often than not when it comes to getting to know anyone or letting them into her space. Always being treated like an outsider or like you aren't valued can clearly do a number on you and she's discovered that keeping to herself is what protects her best. Harrison shakes that up a bit and really "nobody puts Baby in a corner"s her. I LOVED IT. THE IMMEDIACY OF HIM PUTTING HIMSELF IN HER CORNER SUNG A SWEET SONG TO ME. He quickly feels protective over Piper and her mom and makes it very clear that his opinion of her is a strong one of admiration.

This was just good. It was sweet and lovely and perfect for how I'm feeling right now. I loved the dynamic between the royals and Piper and her mom. I know this is inspired by Harry/Meghan (who I love) and it was just *chef's kiss*. Harrison is lovely. The relationship he builds with Piper's mom made me so happy and Eddie and Monica being so nice and fun and not snobby and cold like a lot of royal-themed romances make their royals out to be was just refreshing. I just wish we had more. I enjoyed that the conflict wasn't this over the top, lack of communication-based conflict. They all just said what they needed to say and it was just NICE. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU KARINA HALLE.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

It's been a while since I've read one of Karina Halle's novels and this one seemed to be leaning towards the rom-com side rather than the dark and brooding romance side, so I thought I'd give it a chance.

Almost right from the start, this struck me as being more personal to the author and perhaps a little more of autobiographical fiction than I was expecting. The story takes place on the west coast, where I believe Halle lives, the storyline of royals running away to Canada was just in the headlines and it wasn't until I read the Acknowledgements that I realized that there were other elements of Halle's personal life that we also woven into the story.

In the end, this did turn out to be more of a rom-com story but it had some darker threads woven in. It wasn't all sunshine and slapstick, it dealt with mental health and it was refreshing to have a protagonist that had some real world challenges in her life. This was more realistic than any other romance novel I've read and I appreciated this new perspective.

This was JUST what the doctor ordered. It was so fun, I truly almost read it in one sitting (too bad for that pesky job and that toddler I have to parent). It has underlying allusions to the British royals (specifically Meghan and Harry) but was quite lovely in addressing the racism that Monica endures by marrying Eddie. But the story doesn't focus on the royals, they are just a nice back story. Piper was so authentic and I loved that the author did not shy away from her struggles with mental illness herself and through her mother. Also, can I say how much I loved that the author did not fall into the typical romance genre trope of having the love interest make a huge awful mistake he has to grovel to recover from at the end? Harrison and Piper's relationship unfolds naturally and they only get stronger throughout the experiences they share. Loved, loved, loved, this one.

This was a sweet read, funny and entertaining, but something about it didn't fully draw me in. I kept setting it down after a few pages, instead of being drawn into the story. I did enjoy the protagonist - Piper is a fiesty, fun character who is trying to figure out her life after leaving her fiance when he cheated and being a sole caretaker for her mother on a island where everyone knows the business of their neighbors. She's written as a clumsy, not well put together person, completely at odds as the potential love interest with the classy security guard who moves in. Things went a bit awry with the new neighbors. It felt like they were supposed to mimic Harry and Meghan to an extent, not an exact parallel but reminiscent of current events. Harrison, the body guard, is simultaneously always on duty but also the person who runs over the laundry when their dryer breaks. Harrison and Piper have an acerbic chemistry, and you're not quite sure they actually like each other until they actually find themselves together alone, and then the sparks fly. If you like the royals, or royal adjacent things, try this fun title for a summer beach read!

What a fun read! I enjoyed the story, Piper's growth as a character, and swoony Harrison. I devoured it in one day and wished there was more to enjoy.

It took me two tries to read this. The first time I was not excited about the first scene. As a teacher, I questioned that scene, as most teachers don't leave their purses out where students can get to them. Then I tried again. The second time, I read past that part.. It was worth it. I liked the plot and most of the characters. The Royals were too reminiscent of the real Royal soap opera. If I ignore that, I enjoyed the characters and was cheering the couple on. It was a fun read.

I have to admit right off the bat, that I really wasn't crazy about this book. While I'm somewhat fascinated with British royalty, this book made little effort to disguise that it was playing off of Prince Harry and Megan. The concept was cute, and the writing adequate but it would have been better if the royalty had been from some made-up locale, it was too real to get into as fiction.
That said, the writing was reasonably good. I'd like to see this author write another that wasn't quite so pulled from the headlines.

Cute, quick read with a fun twist of the romance NOT being about the prince (for once) but instead about someone in his inner circle. Steamy bits are playful played out and not in a manner I have read in a long while.

Love Halle's books!! This one was so much fun. The snarky, witty, dialog between Harrison and Piper made me giggle out loud. But my favorite part was during the School Board Meeting where Piper talked about small communities...that really hit home since moving to a tiny community, but I digress. Loved all the supporting characters, Piper's Mom was a hoot! And Liza! I want a Liza! Thanks for letting me preview this wonderful book.

While it was a sweet, sizzling, sexy romp this book was more than a rom com. It was an honest look at mental illness, childhood trauma, and commitment. I loved the absence of a miscommunication crisis and the happy ending.

I enjoyed this fun romance inspired by Meghan and Harry. A royal couple move next door to Piper, a teacher who lives with and takes care of her mentally challenged mother. This causes a seismic shift in Piper's life including signing NDAs, dodging paparazzi, and dealing with Harrison, the royals rigid but handsome personal protection officer. Harrison has never met anyone like Piper and is bemused by her ability to get into trouble easily. Of course, opposites attract so the story has a great ending. Recommended.

I enjoyed Karina Halle's When Sea Meets Sky, so I was excited to read this fun royals romcom that takes place on an idyllic island. The premise is hilarious (A Megan and Harry-type royal couple escapes the media frenzy on a small island), and the main character is lovely and definitely has a strong head on her shoulders. However, I was missing the heart of the story. I didn't feel that invested in the growing romance, and the many of the paragraphs were overwritten and kept taking me out of the story. While this is an OK beach read, it didn't have the same intensity as Halle's earlier works.

Predictable but fun. Perfect light reading. Deals well with issues around anxiety, friendships, and relationships.

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest opinion.

Following the storyline of Megan and Harry, a royal couple flees England to get some peace and privacy from the press in Canada. The couple moves in next store to a local teacher, Piper, who has a few secrets that she would like to keep private. Piper and Harrison, the royals bodyguard, get off to a rough start but have a mutual attraction. After the two start secretly dating, the press finds out and Piper is in danger of losing her job. This is a cute romance that parallels a real life storyline.

This is my favorite book of the year so far. It is fun and funny and quirky and I love the two main characters. I especially love that the characters showed a lot of flaws but had amazing parts of their personalities that allowed others to overlook their flaws. The scene with the school board is a teacher’s dream scene. Take them to task for butting in where they don’t belong. The sex positivity was on the money! And you can’t go wrong with some royalty on board.

The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle is a cute romantic story inspired by Harry and Meghan. The royals escape to Canada for an extended vacation and their bodyguard Harrison falls in love with Piper, the neighbor next door. This is a great summer read,

My first five star read of the summer!!! This is my first book by Karina Halle, so I was a little unsure going in what to expect. Such a fun, sweet story about the underdog and being unique during extraordinary circumstances. Just the right amount of steam, it was funny, engaging, and an utterly lovely story. I actually looked for companion books to see if this was a series, that's how much I wanted to stay with this group of characters. Bravo! And I will definitely be picking up more books by Ms. Halle!!!!

I really liked the authors portrayal of mental illness in this book. The relationship between Piper and Harrison was fine. I didn’t really care about it as much as I should considering it is a romance book. I was much more interested in the friendship between Monica and Piper. I thought the cover of the book wasn’t great. Did the cover designer even read the book? The book was about so much more then that. I loved the relationship between Piper and her mom. It was very complicated but I also thought Piper was super patient with her mom.

A fun, lighthearted romance inspired by the real life story of Harry and Meghan. Piper lives on a beautiful island in western Canada. She's a teacher at the island's public school, and lives with her mother, who struggles with mental illness. Soon, the royals (Eddie and Monica) rent the estate next door to their modest caretaker's cottage, and Piper's quiet life is drastically changed with an invasion of the international press and jealousy from the local residents. Suddenly, there is a very bossy royal bodyguard (Harrison) telling her what to do and where to go. This is a great book that is, at its heart, all about believing in yourself and living by your own values.

*Disclaimer: won’t buy because I am a HS librarian

Sooooo.....a couple of things. First, I agree with the author and MC about romance, while remaining firmly in the reading closet about my romance habit. Don’t know why. Well, maybe that’s not true. I’m just embarrassed. But this book helped.

Second, the plot and the characters are better than the writing, in general. I mean, some of the scenes were lovely, especially those where Piper’s mom get real with her and those where Harrison is so swoon-inducing. But the pacing was weird for me and I felt like some things were forced...like the depth of feeling in such a short time. That always bugs me.

However, it was a sweet romp with some interesting twists and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 💜📚