It was a quick read indeed. While some parts were enjoyable most of it was cliche. Everly's character was cool but very forgiving.

Happy Friday y'all! I'm so excited about a long weekend! Wooo for more time for reading! I was supposed to have a pool day this weekend, but it's supposed to rain most of the weekend and be in the 60s, so definitely not pool weather, but for sure reading weather! Speaking of reading, I was transported back to Valeria this week with Royal Trouble by Jennifer Bonds (thank you so much to Entangled Amara and Netgalley for letting me read an e-ARC of this book) and man y'all, I love Valeria and this royal family. (Also, side note, this is book two in a series- if you haven't read book 1 yet, don't read this review- read my review for book one, then read book one, and then come back here).

Royal Trouble 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

It’s time for everyone’s favorite bad boy, Prince Alexander Stanley, to clean up his act. Given the rare opportunity to lead a new royal program that aids veterans and their families, Xander can’t afford to be making scandalous headlines anymore. He has only two months until the program launches. No more overindulging. And definitely no more women.
Then halfway into it, his good behavior streak is threatened by a devil in a fuchsia dress.
Everly Wilson has kept a secret for years. She was the mastermind behind the celebrity dirt website Royals Gone Wild, which exposed some of her home country of Valeria’s juiciest secrets. But once she was out of school, she left the website and her past behind, moved to New York, and became a serious writer.
A seriously broke writer. If she doesn’t find a fresh story to earn her top dollar, she'll be out on the street, with nothing but her laptop and a stack of unpaid medical bills to keep her warm at night.
But when a friend’s wedding brings her back home, it seems like the fates have aligned to deliver her the scoop of the year. Prince Alexander is suddenly on a mission to clean up his act, avoiding the escapades he once embraced—and she’s determined to be the one to catch his inevitable screwup. So when things between them start to heat up, and Xander's walls start coming down, Everly might be the one royally in trouble this time...

I barely remember Xander from Liam and Elena's book, but man do I remember how fun these books are! I love Valeria and the royals and the fact that both Everly and Elena are New Yorkers. I also love the interjections from the Daily Scoop- they're such trashy gossip articles, but at the same time, they're fun to read too. The story moved along at a great pace and while there were a lot of cliches within the book, they didn't detract from the reading experience in any way. I really enjoyed Everly as a main character and I wish we could have had more time/focus on her relationships that she has with her father's family. I also loved that Lotte made a recurrence in this book and that she was just as mean and vicious as she was in book one- the girl wants to be in the royal family and she's going to do whatever she can to make that happen. Now, I cannot wait to read Pippa's story!!! Royal Trouble came out on May 24, so make sure you go grab it today!

First of all... A huge thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! I didn't realize that this book was the first in a series until I started it. If I had known that I probably would have gone back and read the first one before this one. I always like getting the context of the characters before I read the book. with that in mind, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book. I thought it was a fun and fast-paced romance, It had all of the elements of a classic rom-com, with a royal twist. The characters were very compelling and I really liked their chemistry. If you want to fall into a modern royal love story this is the book for you!

Royal romances are such a ride on the wish-fulfilment train. This book verrrrryyyyy closely parallels a certain other famous second son. From the naked billiard playing photos to the charity work with veterans families. Xander is definitely the picture of a playboy prince - except when he's not. His life in front of the media has been filled with drunken debauchery - but away from that lens he has been a solid leader in the military and a devoted brother and son. His teenage years were full of entitled rich kid things - that led to him being targeted by a Royals Gone Wild blog that shared his exploits with the world. Basically - Xander lived down to the public expectations of him. A lot of this stemmed from his uncertainty about his parentage - and how that was splashed across the the media as speculation. What Xander doesn't know is that Everly Wilson was the source of the Royals Gone Wild blog and is now back in town looking for a story to sell to help pay her mother's daunting medical bills.

Everly's father is a Duke -and she is the product of his extramarital affair with her mother who was the nanny for his other children. Her relationship with her father and half-siblings was non-existent other than the Duke paying for her education.

I liked Everly and Xander a lot. They have both been scarred by their past and their relationships with their families. They also have quite a history that Xander isn't fully aware of at the start. All of this has the potential for a BIG lie - but Everly comes clean to Xander about the past fairly quickly - and definitely before things progress too far between them. I truly appreciated her honesty and taking responsibility for her past actions. That level of maturity isn't often seen in romancelandia. Xander is also at a crossroads in his life - and trying to change to be a better person and live a more meaningful life. He shows a lot of growth in the book and in how he handles every situation. Extending a lot of trust and openness out to Everly - even in the face of everything that has gone on.

I feel like this is definitely a firm 3.5 stars - and I am definitely fully invested in the series at this point. I felt like there were a few loose ends left in this story - so I am interested to see if they are eventually resolved.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own. And BTW - you totally don't need to have read the first book to read this one. Though - the first book was great - so I recommend it!

This was a fun royal romance! Bad boy Prince Alexander Stanley needs to clean up his image. He's been tabloid fodder for too long, and with the looming deadline of his brother's royal wedding, Xander can't afford another scandal. He's also supposed to head up a new charity to aid veterans and their families.
Everly Wilson has kept a big secret. She's the writer behind the infamous tabloid site Royals Gone Wild, where she exposed some of Valeria's biggest secrets. But after leaving school, she left the site behind and tried to become a serious writer in New York. Now she's broke and needs a fresh story to earn her enough money to pay off her mom's medical debt. A friend's wedding brings her back home to Valeria, and she might have found just what she needs- a royal rebel trying to change his reputation. Everly plans to get close and be there when he inevitably messes up. But as they grow closer and things heat up, Everly discovers Xander might not be who she thought he was.

I really enjoyed this one. Although it gives me very strong Prince Harry vibes, I didn't mind. It was a fun and easy read that kept me engaged and wanting more. I like that it didn't rely on the common romance trope of misunderstanding leading to mega blowups. Everly and Xander talked things out. And I liked that Everly's secret wasn't used to cause massive drama either. Not to say there isn't some drama and fights- this is a romance novel- but it wasn't overdone or cheesy.
It's nice and steamy too, which is great. Overall, I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a fun royal romance or even just a good contemporary!

Who doesn’t love a British story?! This one was cute and well written, thank you entangled publishing for this fabulous ARC. I unfortunately did not read the first book in the series so I was a little lost
But I always enjoy a story about a troubling and scandalous prince!

A fun, fairly light romance novel! this author was new to me, and I did not realize when I requested this book that it was the second in a series. Thankfully, it worked well as a standalone.

I am a total sucker for the royal/ commoner trope. This one also includes delightful aspects of reformed rake and enemies to lovers tropes. The MCs, HRH Alexander, aka Xander, and Everly had fabulous banter together., and their chemistry was amazing.

Xander has retired from his military service and is working to reform his reputation ahead of his elder brother's wedding. He thinks having a steady relationship will help with that. He is also working to start a new foundation and career and trying to sort out who he is now.

Everly went to high school in the fictional country of Valeria where the story takes place. She is the illegitimate child of a duke, and moved to NYC after graduation because she hated feeling like an outcast. She had a lot of anger , especially towards the nobility and royalty she felt looked down on her, including Xander. She is now a writer, which ends up playing a big part in the plot. She is also trying to take care of her mother's medical bills following her cancer treatments, without telling her mother that she is paying them.

Some things I liked in the story were the aforementioned banter between the characters. There were also some great steamy scenes. The wine cellar- WOW. I could have used more of that, to be honest. I also liked a lot of the character development. Seeing Xander and his brother grow closer, seeing Everly grow up and branch out was also great. I also liked that what I originally thought was going to be the main conflict between the characters was actually resolved around the halfway point, and then there was a new layer added to the story.

That being said, I felt like there were some loose ends when I finished the book. Like, Everly reconnecting with her half siblings. And a lot of the story line including her mother. I was also not sure what her final writing project was about. I think those things could all have used additional detail. And a follow up on Lotte at the end, too.

Overall, it was a fun read. I don't know that I will go back to read the first book in the series, but I would maybe pick up the next one.

If you are looking for a quick, fun, steamy, royal novel I totally recommend this one. I will start by saying I had no idea this was book 2 in a series but that didn’t make a difference. This book can totally be read as a standalone without needing anything from book 1 to fill in blanks.

I truly enjoy a royal romance, especially an enemies to lovers romance. This story follows Prince Alexander “the spare” who is attempting to tame his image from the wild party boy to someone who is actually worthy of a royal title and budding author Everly Wilson who is also the illegitimate child of a duke. She hopes to use her connections with the nobility to boost her onto the job scene.

The book was fun and easy to read, I really liked the tabloid articles that were positioned every few chapters. It was like seeing the story from another angle but it wasn’t solely focused on the press. This book also didn’t have miscommunications or secrets the characters dealt with the conflict, although expected, quickly and well.

I loved the banter between the two characters, they were entertaining. Each of them have back stories that pulled on your heart strings. Everly was snarky, yet totally enjoyable and Xander (Alexander) was a little more cheeky and cocky but a sweetheart at his roots. The steam level was good as there was a lot of build up with their chemistry creating a well rounded slow burn.

Royal Trouble was so fun to read! Thank you so much @netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for this advance copy of “Royal Trouble” by Jennifer Bonds. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. You can pick this one up now where ever you get your books!

I should probably preface this review by stating that I’ve never read a true romance novel before, but my curiosity outweighed my demure sensibilities with Royal Trouble.

I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of Jennifer Bonds’ storytelling. I thought that the shared experiences between her two protagonists, Prince Alexander and Everly Wilson, helped to make their whirlwind romance more believable.

Their trust issues, although at times forced, were made more relatable considering their lived experiences in the public eye. It was frustrating to see these characters undervalue one another, and fail to give each other the benefit of the doubt, but this complexity certainly made them more human.

That being said, the dialogue in the text could certainly have been more natural, and there wasn’t much distinction between each of the characters. Although they were believable, for me they never crossed over into the territory of lovable.

And I’m all for a good consensual sex scene, but the intimate scenes in this novel lacked description, instead favouring repetitive vulgarity. You can only use a four letter word so many times before it loses meaning altogether.

Would I read another novel from Jennifer Bonds? Probably not. But it certainly wasn’t a waste of time either.

Growing up Everly’s life was less than idyllic as her peers treated her like she was beneath them as although her father was royalty her mother was the hired help. She has moved to NY however her mother’s health is creating a financial burden and the only solution she can see if writing on expose on Prince Alexander and his activities.

Xander acknowledges that he hasn’t made the best choices in the best, but he is determined to do better. When he reunites with Everly there is no denying the chemistry between them but when you combine a prince who wants to keep his private life out of the tabloids and a woman whose career depends on him being in the tabloids will it end in heartbreak or happy ever after?

This story finds a perfect balance between humor, heat and emotion as both Xander and Everly must overcome their pasts before it destroys the future they could have together.

The twists and turns in this book had me hooked! Everly grew up resenting her father, as she was the product of an affair and he reluctantly acknowledged her after paying for her education in his country where she attended with her half siblings who also didn’t speak to her. Being an outcast, she created an online blog airing all of the dirty laundry she could find on the elite she went to school with, including the royalty in the country. Years later, she is struggling to find work in the states, and in a desperate attempt to gain employment, she reveals her dirty secret after ending it. Given the task of going back to the country and getting a juicy story in return for a job, Everly goes back and infiltrates the group she ran from so many years ago, except both she and her former classmates have changed. Prince Alexander’s reputation is becoming more of a problem and his parents have taken matters into their own hands to keep him out of the papers, but when he gets reintroduced to Everly and she doesn’t fall for his usual charms, is fuels his determination to date her even more. But as they get to know each other, Everly realizes how much both of them have changed as well as how damaging her blog was and ends up not fulfilling her requirements for the job, although others have already written what she was supposed to, and things keep getting out. This book had me guessing who was behind everything and what the aftermath of it all would be once it came out, and I loved it! This was my first read from Jennifer but won’t be my last!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This book completely hooked me from the from the moment Everly said she was writer behind the Royals Gone Wild website. I just knew this book was going to be so much fun. And it definitely was. I really enjoyed Everly and Xander and their character growth throughout the story. The writing was solid with great conflict. Who doesn't love a great book about Royals? I'll definitely be reading more from this author. Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

I really liked the first book in the Royally Engaged series, so I was looking forward to reading Royal Trouble.

Xander and Everly had a lot to work through. He is rehabbing his reputation and taking the lead on a new royal project. She is a struggling writer who previously ran a website all about the royals. As the two of them grew closer I was curious how and when everything would come to light.

The characters and story came together for a fun, quick read, and I enjoyed this book even more than the first one!

I really enjoyed this book. I would really recommend it if you are looking for a good palette cleanser.

Royal Trouble is a modern reformed rake with a prince hero and a writer heroine. They used to go to an elite high school for royalty and nobility together where she started a blog dishing the dirty details about all the snobs she went to school with. After high school, she left that life behind and moved to New York to be a writer. Now she is being forced by a new job opportunity to go back to the life she left behind and find the new scandal to report. She runs into the biggest jerk and rake she's known, Xander Stanley. Only problem? He is hard set on winning her and showing her he isn't the man he used to be.

This is the second book in a series. I didn't read the first book, but I was still able to understand this one. I appreciate that the author didn't info-dump what happened in the first book as many authors tend to do.

This book was a fun, easy read. I really appreciated that the book didn't get caught in the perry issues that we tend to see in typical royal romances like this, The book also didn't fall into the trap of the miscommunication or hiding secrets that will eventually blow up. The conflict was a little expected but it was dealt with quickly and well.

I didn't think I'd like the hero as much as I did. Though he was basic, he was sweet and he just needed someone to be proud of him. And he was extremely sexy during steamy scenes too.

The heroine wasn't my favorite, I will admit. She felt angry and guarded all the time for no reason. We were told why she is angry and guarded but we don't see an interaction or on paper showing off the way she was treated so her behavior just came off as annoying. I do like that she came clean with Xander when things were getting serious with him.

I wish we got more than just Xander and Everly. I wish we got to see more of them living their lives outside of each other without the other interrupting or entering the scene. I also wish we got better romantic development between the two. Despite getting a lot of scenes with Xander and Everly, there was a lot of sexual chemistry, I was just not getting the romantic chemistry.

The steam in this book was very entertaining and I had a great time. I didn't expect the book to be so steamy. I was pleasantly surprised.

Overall, this was a fun read. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great palette cleanser or a simple royal romance between a rakish prince and a normal girl.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 stars (rounded down) | 🌶🌶🌶/ 5 steam

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Jennifer Bonds, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 out of 5 stars!

The sibling of the hero from the first book of this series finally gets his own book! This royal black sheep meets his match in the heroine, an independent woman burdened with familial financial problems. What happens when the hero takes charge of his life and the heroine needs scandalous news for financial gain while the couple falls in love under this inauspicious conditions?

This is an enjoyable addition to the Royally Engaged series. Though the hero isn't a fave type of mine, there are strong personality traits that redeemed him in my eyes. I also commiserated with the heroine and her troubles, though there were some that could have been resolved with open communication from the start. It's also nice to see cameo appearances from characters introduced in the first book. Overall, I look forward to more of this Jennifer Bonds series.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

If you are a fan of rom coms , you will realize this book is pretty predictable within first few chapters. At one point I was ready to DNF this but luckily it picked up pace and the storytelling was okay. It doesn't drag the mystery to thenlast page but rather let the truths out .. though I would have liked a more sorted conversation about it. All in all , it's an easy read if you need a break from heavy intense books. You can read it as a stand alone.

Royal Trouble is the second book in the Royally Engaged series, but can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the first book, A Royal Disaster, yet and I could follow everything just fine. However, Royal Trouble does contain some spoilers for A Royal Disaster, so keep that in mind!!

The story follows prince Alexander and author-to-be Everly Wilson. Everly can't seem to find a publisher willing to publish her book, so she has to look for a job at a magazine. However, the magazine only wants to hire her after she's proven herself by using her connections in the royal family for an exclusive story. Will she be able to focus on her task as an author without getting distracted by swoon-worthy prince Alexander?

This book was the perfect steamy romcom I needed after all that ya contemporary. Don't get me wrong, I love ya contemporary, but I just have to read some smut sometimes. Royal Trouble felt like a mixture of Gossip Girl and A Christmas Prince, two of my favorite things in this world.

The book was fast-paced and easy to read. That usually decreases the quality of books in my eyes, but not in this case. The writing style matched the story perfectly. I LOVED how the book also includes tabloid articles. It shows how events that occur are completely twisted in the tabloids, which unfortunately also happens in reality (unfortunately).

In short, if you love Gossip Girl and A Christmas prince, and if you enjoy some smut from time to time, this is your book!

This was a great fluffy, steamy romance. I really like Xander and Everly, and thought they were cute and funny. Again, very steamy. Loved it. I also liked how the serious bits were woven into the story and like how the serious didn't detract from the fun and vice versa. Well balanced.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read ROYAL TROUBLE. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I am not the target audience for this book. The first couple of chapters the characters were objectifying women to the point that it became unbearable to read. I DNFed this book and I don't know if I'll read more by this author.

This book was everything I wanted out of my romance. It was witty, it was steamy, and it made me love both characters. Xander is such a misunderstood love of a man and the whole book I just wanted to hug him and tell him he’s worthy. Everly was such a great heroine who did some serious introspection that made it believable and made you root for her. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!