OOOH, THIS BOOK! I absolutely adored Piper Evans, the main character in The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle. She’s a sweet, yet snarky elementary school teacher, living with and caring for her mother who struggles with mental illness. In her spare time, she reads romance novels, and discusses them on her anonymous podcast. Her quiet and reclusive living situation is turned upside down when a few British royals move to town, and buy the house next door. But her trouble isn’t with the prestigious couple themselves, it’s with their stern and overprotective bodyguard, Harrison. Piper and Harrison do NOT have an amicable first meeting, and the friction just escalates from there. Each encounter makes for a comical, intense, and entertaining read! Check this book out if you’re a fan of:
- Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
- Enemies-to-lovers tropes with witty banter
- Hot, buff, and mysterious bodyguards
- A gorgeous PNW setting
- Fun, lovable, and realistic characters
- Slow-burning romance novels with just the right amount of steam
This one is definitely going on my list of favorite contemporary romance novels read this year!
4.5/5 stars for The Royals Next Door!

4.5⭐️
This was my first bodyguard romance, even though it’s not exactly what I think a traditional bodyguard romance probably is…. But naturally there was forced proximity and I’m always here for that!!! 😍 I loved both of the main characters: Piper was quirky and sweet, but HARRISON - he was a dream book BF!!! The side characters were great, including the royal couple and Piper’s sweet Mom. There were some SERIOUSLY HOT and creative steam scenes in this book! Not a ton of drama between the couple, which was honestly refreshing! Halle really had an open narrative about normalizing mental health and therapy - which I loved!

This book is so much fun! Imagine if Meghan and Harry moved into the house next door to you, and they had a hot bodyguard that develops a thing for you, and you've got The Royals Next Door! It's fairly light on the royal content, as the book is about the non-royal neighbor and the bodyguard, but it does have that background. I would have loved more royal content, and while there are 1-2 steamy scenes, I would have liked more. All in all, this was a fun read and I will definitely read the sequel!

Piper é professora no ensino infantil de uma escolha nas ilhas britânicas no Canadá. Com uma mãe com problemas de saúde mental, Piper encontra conforto em se podcast sobre romances e em acompanhar celebridades. Quando o Principe Eddie e sua nova esposa, Mônica, se mudam para a casa ao lado da sua, as coisas começam a se complicar. Principalmente por causa do segura da deles. Harisson só tem uma missão, manter o príncipe e sua esposa longe dos holofotes. Piper não parece uma ameaça para o casal, mas Harisson não pode dizer o mesmo de seu coração.
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Eu tinha uma expectativa muito alta com esse livro, afinal a autora fez várias referências ao casal real Principe Harry e sua esposa Megan. Porém, apesar de ser um romance até gostosinho de ler, ele foi morno em muitas partes até engrenar.
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Piper é uma personagem com um passado conturbado e muito solitária por conta das cicatrizes emocionais que encontrou no meio do caminho. O ponto positivo é que a autora ressaltou a importância da terapia e de como isso foi libertador para a personagem.
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Meu grande problema com esse livro foi o fato de Harisson não ter sido tão bem aproveitado como eu gostaria. Ele tem um passado sombrio que não ficou tão bem explicado assim e isso me incomodou um pouco.
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O romance dos dois é um enemies to lovers com slow burn, ou seja, demora bastante para eles chegarem a um entendimento e isso para mim fortaleceu a relação construída na narrativa. Também há muitas cenas sensuais, então para quem curte, essa temática foi bem trabalhada.
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Enfim, foi uma leitura boa, mas não conseguiu superar as minhas expectativas.

This book was so, so good! The relationship between Harrison and Piper was everything, but beyond that, Piper’s relationship with her mother and both of their journeys with therapy added depth to the story.

Piper is the kind of character that I think all of us bookworms will fall easily in love with, probably because she too is a bookworm. She reads romances, and hosts a romance podcast, which allows for a really great discussion into the stigma that sometimes gets associated with romance as a genre.

My only complaint, and it’s not even that much of a complaint, is that the story of Prince Eddie and Monica felt like it tied a little too closely to Prince Harry and Meghan. I loved Prince Eddie and Monica as characters, but the similarities to Harry and Meghan took me out of the story at times.

Overall, I really loved this book, and think it’s a must-read for all my romance fans out there.

4.5 stars!

I’m not normally a big fan of the royal trope in my romance, but when I heard this was inspired by Meghan and Harry and featured a bodyguard, I was sold.

The Royals Next Door is about elementary school teacher, Piper, who lives on a small island in Canada with her mother who struggles with mental illness. Word gets out pretty quickly that British royals Eddie and Monica are scoping out places to live on the island, and pretty soon Piper realizes they are moving right next door to her. This would be great, except for the grumpy bodyguard, Harrison, who seems to like to make things difficult for Piper…

Karina Halle is one of my all-time favorite authors. I know whether I like her books or not, I’m going to get an entertaining and well written story. I love the grumpy hero who likes only the heroine trope, and Harrison was the best kind of grumpy hero. I loved Piper as this quirky, school teacher dealing with a lot in her life but trying to see the best in her situation.

What stood out the strongest in this book was the representation of mental illness with the characters. I love that this book had characters suggesting and seeking out therapy as a means to help others. The book also touched on PTSD and how it can alter decision making skills and how people approach situations in life without realizing the impact. All around I’m glad this book touches on these issues without being a super heavy subject because they aren’t always brought up or tackled in the romance genre when they should be.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited to read the next one when it is released. Hey, this series might make me a royals romance lover yet.

I was stoked to get my hands on this novel. This author pulls you in the pages every time. These characters don't disappoint.

Piper is... interesting. Taking care of her mother and being a teacher takes all of her time. She doesn't like to change her routine in order to fit her mother's schedule.

Harrison is by the books strict. After being in the military and working as the head bodyguard for royals, it comes with certain expectations.

The sparks between these two don't hit at love at first sight. They have a genuine relationship that starts as friends. However Piper dives headfirst into the connection once the fire is lit.
'All I can think about is Harrison. He’s taken over my thoughts and my heart and everything in between.'

The ending is what makes the book though. I was swooning before it was over.

This was such a fun read, and exactly what I needed right now. This is the perfect book to binge read in the last few days of summer. If you’re a fan of The Royals, you will absolutely love this book.

The characters in this book were amazing. Piper is a quirky romance reader and schoo teacher. She also helps take care of her mother, who struggles with mental illness. The mental health representation in this book was so well done. The chemistry between Piper and Harrison was HOT. There are some steamy moments in this book! The build up between them was so good!! Overall, this is a light and easy read. It does touch on mental health, but it’s still a light read. I highly recommend checking it out!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Will appear on the www.romrevtoday.com site soon,


THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR – Karina Halle

Berkley

ISBN: 978-0593334195

August 31, 2021

Contemporary Romance



Island off Vancouver Island – Present Day



Schoolteacher Piper Evans leads a fairly uneventful life with her mother, who happens to suffer from a personality disorder. When Piper isn’t teaching, she is reading romance novels and discussing them on her anonymous podcast. Her only claim to fame on the island is her breaking off her engagement to a local guy after she found out he was cheating on her, and she ended up getting the blame. But her otherwise quiet life is shattered when a royal couple moves next door, bringing with them their hot sexy bodyguard, Harrison Cole. Piper’s run-ins with Harrison are contentious at first, but she soon digs beneath his tough guy exterior to discover a man she’s starting to like…a lot.



After finally mending the fences, Harrison and Piper begin to explore their attraction for each other. But they realize that they need to keep it under wraps. Harrison’s employer, the prince and his pregnant wife, had warned him to not get involved with anyone while they’re visiting on the island. The paparazzi are looking to sniff out any story—or scandal—and Piper’s background could certainly provide some fodder for the tabloids, even if it’s benign. As Piper and Harrison try to sneak around, the more attracted they become to each other. What will happen when it’s time for the royals—and Harrison—to move on? Will Piper’s teaching job be in jeopardy if the school board decides they don’t want any potential scandal to taint their school?



THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR will tickle a reader’s funny bone while sympathizing with Piper’s situation in hating to have her peace and quiet suddenly shattered. Harrison is a pain in the rear at first after he prevents her from driving into her own driveway. Unfortunately, Piper didn’t have her driver’s license with her and couldn’t provide proof she lived there. It took the local cop to identify her before Harrison relented. When Piper is outside her own house, Harrison is always keeping a close eye on her. The antagonism between them soon turns into a friendship. She also gets invited to meet the royals, who turn out to be nice. Piper’s life is changing, but will it all come to a shattering end when her secret fling with Harrison is exposed?



There are several funny moments in THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR that is driven by Piper and Harrison, but one can’t ignore the antics of the minor characters. Piper’s mother has a personality disorder, and her daughter isn’t sure what kind of mood she will be in. The royal couple, Eddie and Monica, are trying to settle into a new life together with a baby on the way. Monica is reviled by the media, with a backlash to Eddie. Think Prince Harry and his wife. Meghan. They turn out to be cool and, in the end, will they support Harrison and Piper as a couple?



Sit down with a glass of wine and immerse yourself in some fun reading by grabbing a copy of THE ROYALS NEXT DOOR. Once you pick it up, you won’t want to put it down.



Patti Fischer

The Royals Next Door was my first Karina Halle, and while I did enjoy this book, it was not my favorite. I think the disconnect for me was that I never really felt the love between Piper and Harrison. I liked both characters, but I didn’t feel the steady building up of their relationship like I wanted to. Their banter at the beginning was awkward and not at all sexy. Piper was actually pretty mean to Harrison and referred to him as “soulless” before she even knew him. So, when the confessions of love came at the end, it didn’t give me the warm fuzzies that it was meant to. The connections between Piper and her mom and Piper and Monica felt stronger than her connection with Harrison, which made this book feel like women's fiction and not romance.

That said, I did really like the discussion of mental health. I also liked the funny thoughts that ran through Piper’s head. I laughed out loud in several moments. Piper’s defense of romance novels was also great. As a lifelong reader of romance, I appreciated this. I will definitely still explore more of Halle’s books, and I would recommend this to fellow romance readers.

A cutesy romance book that will have its second-hand embarrassing parts, but has great characters that keep you enthralled enough to have them tell their story. I had a bit of difficulty mentally situating myself around the royals themselves and their extremely similar rendering to our current royal family we all follow. I really enjoyed that this book did not center around them and stayed true to the main character and her love interest.
Piper Evans was, of course, a fantastically relatable character. Under cover romance reader, fear of judgement, social anxiety; it was like looking in a mirror (I’m sure for more than myself). I was really proud of her character growth and her acceptance of who she is.
Harrison Cole is the epitome of who you would want to live next door to you. He is just the person to help Piper find acceptance and be the male interest we would all drool over… that dryer scene!!
The book was great, definitely not a reading-fail

I do not even know where to start... I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so well done, and I did not want to put it down. I just adored Piper's character. She was funny, sweet, loved books, and just overall a great character to read about. Then you add her mom who deals with mental illness, British royals who move in next door, and a brooding body guard... you need nothing else. I truly loved this book, and would highly recommend to anyone who loves spicy romance!

Really enjoyed this one. All the characters were sooo likable and I was so excited for Piper and Harrison to kiss for the first time. I gained the whole time i read this. Definitely checking out other books by this author next!

This book was just “meh” to me. Nothing too special, though of course I always appreciate talk of mental health.

The characters in this were just ok, and then coupled with a slow burn romance and a pretty shitty little community, it got a little boring + forgettable.

While I enjoyed getting to know these characters and some of the scenes were pretty great, I was just underwhelmed by it all, even if the big royal similarities is what sold this book to me.

I don’t really have anything too harsh to say, perhaps this book just wasn’t for me. Oh well!

The absolutely perfect amount of end of summer feels that you will be craving especially with that fairytale aspect to it.

I read The Royals Next Door in a day - I was intrigued by the concept of a small island getting a taste of royal paparazzi. I liked how the heroine didn't spend too much time starstruck but still had to deal with the ramifications of having celebrity neighbors. I also liked how she stood up to the town busybody. The romance here was a slow burn and I couldn't stop reading.

Well this is a perfect romantic comedy. I loved the storyline and the setting. The concept was fun and it was set in an island near my home town! The meet cute was fun, I enjoyed the retelling of Harry and Meghan's story. It was pretty obvious that their story was the inspiration. But it was still super cute and I need to read more of this author's stuff!

This contemporary romance was absolutely everything! Piper and Harrison’s slow-burn with a side of Harry and Meghan inspo put an instant smile on my face. And leave it to Karina to bring realness awareness to mental illness and Piper’s care for her mother. Sweet, funny, and heartfelt. That’s how I feel about The Royals Next Door!

A lovely, refreshing break from the thrillers I’ve been reading lately! I am fascinated by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story and especially with their journey leaving Britain and living in Canada for a bit.

Did they have neighbors? Did the locals know they were in the presence of royalty? Karina Halle takes idea and expands it into a charming, contemporary romance featuring Piper, a local schoolteacher who also runs an anonymous podcast by night. She lives a quiet life and takes care of her mother who suffers from mental illness. This book brings all the intelligence and depth that Karina Halle is known for, with a guaranteed happy ending!

What most people might find thrilling - the media frenzy that results when British royalty moves in next door - Piper finds horrifying and stressful. But the brooding bodyguard Harrison might just tempt Piper into welcoming love into her life again. He's rough on the outside but the gruff exterior hides what just be a knight in shining armor!

Scandal ensues, conflicts are resolved, and Piper and Harrison have a chance at a lasting relationship and also a true kinship with the British royal couple he is sworn to protect. There's lots of hot and steamy moments and a plot that is literally borrowed from the headlines. It all makes for a wonderfully romantic novel that is perfect for the last days of summer.

I loved the British Columbia setting and the scenery is described very vividly. I also loved that Piper's podcast involved the romance community! Overall, 'The Royals Next Door' is a fun, escapist novel with a fair amount of steam. Nothing too heavy but with an intelligent heroine and broody, sexy hero who were very relatable characters.

(Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I really really loved this book! It was such a fun read, and I got so invested in the lives of all of the characters! This is my second book by this author but it certainly won’t be my last, and if you love books with royals and/or books with bodyguard love interests, I super recommend!

I also loved the fact that the main character is a romance lover who does romance podcast!!! I loved that she advocated for the genre at the end!