I do love a ripped-from-the-headlines book, and The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle delivers on that front, although the royals in question are definitely side characters and just the means to get the hero onto the heroine's small island in British Columbia.

I enjoyed this book and found royal bodyguard-in-charge Harrison, the hero, to be super hot with all his tattoos and obvious attraction to Piper, the heroine, and sweetness to her mom. The whole thing was a little bit angsty for my taste in rom-coms, but it was definitely an enjoyable fast-paced read, without a lot of extraneous drama--a nice tight focus on the romance. Sometimes I don't mind a big plot-heavy story, but other times I just like to cut to the chase, and this definitely falls into the latter category.

The cover doesn't really reflect the story.

ARC courtesy of #NetGalley, opinions my own.

This was a really cute romance, and I thought that it was unique in that it was royals-adjacent, rather than one of the main characters being a royal themselves.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a DRC of The Royals Next Door!

Full disclosure- I started this book the day after The Oprah Interview, so I was primed and ready for some royal drama. In the Royals Next Door, we see a royal couple move into a small island community, looking for some peace and quiet, and bringing drama for the next door neighbor. Piper Evans is a school teacher by day, romance book podcaster at night. She lives on the island with her mother, who lives with mental illness, and is trying to become part of the island community that she has lived in for years. Then the Royals move in next door. The British prince and his former American-celebrity wife (yes, that does sound familiar) are looking to escape the British tabloids for a while, and settle into the house next door to Piper. Since the two houses share a driveway, Piper is drawn into their world- despite the misgivings of royal personal protection officer, Harrison Cole. Harrison is quiet, serious, and dedicated to his job. And he can see no good coming of Piper's close proximity to royalty. Of course, the snark between Piper and Harrison is really just hiding their spark. But as they get closer, the realities of dating someone royalty-adjacent and the demands of a job with the royals may become too much.

I loved this take on a royalty rom-com. I've seen lots of romances where one side is royalty, or discovers their royalty, etc. But to have the romance be between a "normie" and a royal employee, especially with one as close as a PPE, was a refreshing take on the genre. This book also tackled some really important concepts, such as mental health, independence, and community. A cute read for anything who enjoys rom-coms.

If you're a fan of the Royals, you'll love this fictional tale of what it takes to exit the family and the extreme pressures brought upon by the press. Oh, and a quirky romance and a good laugh here and there. Highly recommend this one!

This was a fun book, but a bit too ripped-from-the-headlines for my tastes. I really liked Piper (although this is the third book I've read in as many months where the main character was named Piper) but Harrison was kind of dry and I couldn't really get a good mental picture of him. I think that's just a problem I have with a lot of first person narratives. I loved the setting of the Gulf Islands and I think anyone interested in contemporary romance or anything dealing with royalty will find this both sexy and charming. 4 stars

I really enjoyed this one, and I l o v e d that there was no miscommunication issue. I hate when couples get together, one was lying/hiding, or they just don't TALK to each other - it's an annoying, overused trope. So, I liked that this had a plot point that the characters handled together, rather than them breaking up for a bit over it.

Biggest gripe was some of the side characters felt like caricatures, but I loved the mental health depictions that were done with care. Fun read!

This was super cute! It was obviously based on Megan and Harry but I love them, so this was adorable.

The main characters had great chemistry and I really loved their story!

The author also has a character with BPD and DPD and while I’m not overly familiar with either, she wrote them with respect and I think that’s hugely important. It’s nice to seem more mental health in novels that’s portrayed realistically and not romanticized.

The Royals Next Door was so much fun! I couldn't put it down! Piper Evans is a schoolteacher, caretaker, and romance podcaster. She's lived a tough life, and even though she's been on the island for years, she's yet to branch out of her hermit life. Then the royals move in next door, along with their bodyguard, Harrison. Well wouldn't you know it, the two of them end up in a big scandal on the island!

Piper was really wonderful, and her life was complicated and emotional. I really loved any interaction between her and Harrison, and even the royals, Eddie and Monica.

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
A small island is in an uproar with the arrival of the Royal Duke and Duchess of Fairfax. A shy schoolteacher is swept up in the commotion and finds love with the grumpy, yet dashing, bodyguard.

I have to hand it to any book that manages to be exactly, 100% what you expect it to be. Life changing? No, probably not, but sweet, and fun, and one of those books where you wake up days later wondering what the characters are up to - I love that.