Member Reviews
Piper and Harrison are so great, Piper is a small town girl and Harrison being the strong British guy is a perfect match, I loved how they move together and work together throughout the story. their story is sweet and funny and passionate. I liked Piper becoming friends with the royals but also Harrison. I loved Pipers journey with her mother as well. So well done,
As soon as I started reading The Royals Next Door I had a feeling I was reading the best book ever.
The story pulled me in immediately. The book is written in first person, following Piper who was so easy to relate to.
We two, we are pretty similar, us both being book reviewers and know how it is to have a person relying on you to the point when it effects your life choices.
So when I say that the story hit close to home, I really mean it.
What also made this romance stand up from all the others I reas lately is the love interest, lovely Harrison the bodyguard who won me almost at first sight.
I am not the one to swoon over book characters, it is really rare that I give lots of my attention to guys I read about in my books but Harrison... he was like a giant teddy bear I fell in love with and I got attached to him.
I still can't figure out why, but he definitely stands out.
The story is basically a fan fiction about Meghan Markle and prince Harry (who are named Monica and Eddie) coming to Canada.
When I first heard it pitched like that, I wasn't interested in it, but after soooooo many people I trust started raving about it, I decided to give it a try and oh boy, how glad I am.
My life would be emptier without this lovely love story in it!
Mark my words, this will be one of my TOP 5 of 2021!
The novel contains some explicit scenes and also Harrison like to use F word, so keep that in mind.
Although it is fun and entertaining, the story also talks about mental health.
In my opinion, the author did a good job talking about serious topic in a way it didn't took a book to dark path.
Also, one thing I also appreciate was how Piper talked about romance novels.
We romance readers got called out at least once in our lifetime from bookish snobs, or have heard that romance is not a serious genre... and Piper dealt with that problem so well I applaud her (I am serious, I really clapped with my hands).
In the end, I want to encourage you to give TheRoyals Next Door a try.
Even if it doesn't sound appealing at first, maybe you will be pleasantly surprised, just like I was.
I was drawn to this title as a fan of The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. Unfortunately, I could not get into The Royals Next Door. I found the exposition to be silly and unrealistic, and I could not suspend my disbelief to get immersed in the plot. As a teacher, a description of a student puking into the main character's purse really felt like a reach for comedy that just didn't hit.
This was a DNF for me.
Oh my goodness, this one was such a blast! I fell in love with this story but even more, I fell in love with Halle's writing - so wonderful!!
3.5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, and it made for a very quick read! It was quite predictable, but despite that I was still able to immensely enjoy myself. Can definitely recommend this if you're looking for a quick and breezy read!
The Royals Next Door is a feel-good, heartwarming romance — just what I needed after reading a lot of thrillers lately! The royals in the story give off Meghan Markle + Prince Harry vibes. The main character, Piper, takes care of her mother who struggles with mental illness. Karina Halle wrote a character with mental illness in a way that felt layered and realistic. The main character grew a lot from the beginning until the end, learning to stand up for herself.
I loved Piper and Harrison’s banter. Harrison treated Piper the right way, and being with men who did not. The premise was super fun, and I loved every time Piper got to spend time with the royals next door. Light-hearted, entertaining, and swoon-worthy — The Royals Next Door had me hooked from beginning to end.
Unfortunately at 64% I decided to DNF this book. The premise and cover is what initially pulled me in. I thought some of this was cute but I was never fully invested and didn’t really feel a connection between the love interests. I also didn’t feel like I needed to continue on when I got to the spicy scenes which I kind of wasn’t expecting.
Thank you so much for the review copy.
THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR was a funny, quick read, rom-com. The Meghan and Harry vibes were over the charts. I recommend it to any royal family lovers. Piper is a school teacher by day, but love reading romance "on the side." She has "anonymous" romance podcast, that is her creative outlet. When a prince and princess move in next door. She also becomes a super sleuth, especially when it comes to the grumpy bodyguard Harrison. She may get into more trouble than she realizes.
If you love grumpy/sunshine spicy romances, pick this up!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5 Stars
🔥🔥 2/5 Steam Rating
📝 Grumo/Sunshine Trope; Small Town Romance
First of all, this book gave me MAJOR Meghan & Harry vibes, which I’m here for! They might plays a secondary character role, but it’s definitely there.
I thought that this was a cute romcom that had just enough spicy to keep it interesting, but not too much to turn some reader off. The banter was great between Piper & Harrison, it felt natural from the beginning. I enjoyed the premise of a small town school teacher falling for the Royal body guard. The relationship unfolds at a great pace, going from enemies- to friends- to lovers. I also appreciated how much mental illness played into this story and that it had an underlying theme of being okay to be who you are.
Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy of this book.
Did not finish this book. Something about it just did not grab me while reading it. Sounds great but just not for me.
Loved loved love! This was such a fun run - I immediately fell in love with the characters and wanted more. I laughed out loud at parts and truly felt for the main character in others. I thought this would be a predictable book, but the author had me guessing and loving every minute.
For someone who isn’t big on royal/rockstar romance, THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR by Karina Halle, totally alters my views on the trope.
Piper is a second-grade teacher on a small island in Canada, and she later becomes the neighbor of a British Royal Family whose bodyguard, Harrison, is the hot, popular star in online fandoms.
Piper and Harrison’s chemistry sparks the moment they first lay eyes on each other and I live for their banters throughout the book. Both characters are funny, full of layers and depths, and I can’t get enough of their smart comebacks (+steamy scenes).
Reading their story is like peeling back the onion; each discovery of their pasts intrigues me and leaves me wanting more. However, the ending is a wee bit weak for me as it lacks the dynamites the rest of the book presents.
Nonetheless, this book is still perfect for all rom-com lovers, and can serve as a great summer read. I’d HIGHLY RECOMMEND adding this to your TBR!
***Thanks to Penguin Random House International Sales and the author for the e-ARC via NetGalley.***
This was a great and quick read - interesting to take a local's view of invading celebrities and the resultant press.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House International #partner for the e-ARC of The Royals Next Door! 4/5 ⭐
This was such a well-written slow-burn romance! I loved Piper and Harrison's story so, so much. I am obsessed with the real-life British Royals, so finding a fictional story inspired by Harry and Meghan was such a treat. :') Seeing Piper and Harrison's friendship blossom into a beautiful friendship made me feel so happy. Yes, there were lots of bumps along the way. but the complications added a realistic touch to the whole storyline, I lost count of the number of times I laughed while reading it - which just goes to show how wonderful The Royals Next Door was as a rom-com!
The pacing of the book could have been better though. I felt like some things were happening repeatedly, and could be avoided in order to let the story flow naturally. I loved the side characters as well - especially Monica because her friendship with Piper was one of the highlights of reading the book for me. I also appreciated how the author included Piper's mother's mental health issues in the plot!
Overall, I would recommend reading this novel if you're a royal fanatic like I am, and want to escape into a cozy rom-com for a fluffy adventure!
okay wait I honestly wasn't expecting a lot from this book but I surprisingly really, really enjoyed it. this seemed like just a very fluffy romance, with not a whole lot of plot but a lot of vibes but I'm a sucker for Harry and Meghan and this was based on their real life and i really thought it was well done. this was genuinely so fun!
If you are look for fun and lighthearted this month, look no further than the Royals Next Door! This adorable romcom delivered lots of laughs as the Royals Eddie and Monica move to a small island in British Columbia. It’s pretty clear that these two are based of the real life Royals of Harry and Meghan.
They move right next door to Piper and her mother, who actually live in the guest house on the larger mansion’s property. They share a driveway which is where Piper meets Harrison one day. Harrison is Eddie’s main bodyguard and is extremely handsome. Piper and Harrison have great chemistry right from the start and it so cute to see their romance blossom. There’s a little back and forth where they try to bid their feeling, but we all know how this ends!
The book also covers some heavier topic such as Piper’s mother’s mental health and living at home to take care of loved one. It also discusses privacy and the expectations of the royal family.
This book was just so entertaining to read. I’m really looking forward to more from @authorhalle. Thank you so much to @berkleypub for my ebook copy. The Royals Next Door is out now!
The Royals Next Door is a great beach read or summer read. The banter between characters was enjoyable. Would recommend for light reading.
Piper Evan is a romance reading elementary school teacher. She lives with her mom to take care of her, as she has a mental illness. When she’s not teaching or taking care of her mom, she is making podcasts about the romance books she reads. I thought this was such fun touch to her character!
The royals are moving in to the house next door, and their bodyguard Harrison is extremely grumpy with Piper the first time that they meet. I loved seeing him open up to Piper and become more of a friend to her, which eventually led to more. I really enjoyed watching them realize they had feelings for each other that couldn’t be avoided anymore.
I liked getting to know the royals as well, and how Monica became friends with Piper. I felt like they were in the book just enough to keep it interesting, but not too much that I felt like I just wanted to get back to the romance.
4 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
This book was alright. Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.
There were plenty of things that I appreciated about this book, starting with the mental health presentation. Some mental health illnesses are specifically mentioned and others are shown or hinted at, but not specifically discussed. Although I do not suffer from any of these illnesses and therefore am not basing my opinion on experience, I think Halle did a great job with this representation. It felt authentic and still spoke to the heart of the issue.
Moving on to the characters, I, again, didn't love them and didn't hate them. I think Harrison was probably my favorite character in the book. He and Piper have some good banter throughout the book and he has the whole brooding, rude bodyguard thing going for him so that's a plus.
I did really enjoy Piper's development throughout the book. I didn't love her as a character, but she did start to grow on me towards the end, especially as she became more confident and self-assured.
Overall, I wouldn't read this book again, but I'd be open to another book by Halle. I've seen lots of great reviews about this one so if you're on the fence about reading it, maybe you should!
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The pacing and plot of this book drove me a little crazy at times and I didn't like how heavy handed the author was in comparing the royals in this book to Meagan and Harry and the commentary associated with it. It really took me out of the story.