I really enjoyed this book and have to say author Jess Michaels has written a story that will keep you interested from cover to cover. Ilaria and Jonah’s tale was the perfect blend of romance, passion, and even some humor. I will be back to read more from this author!

4 ⭐️

Second chances--we just love those! That's what a chance meeting and forced proximity gives our couple. She is a princess, expected to marry to serve her country. Princess Ilaria is devasted. And... still in love with the totally inappropriate crush from a previous meeting... Jonah. He a Captain and nowhere near elevated enough to qualify to marry her. He wants to though...deep inside... he just needs to get there. This is a great story of where there is love, there is a way. I was wondering how the author would guide them there. Well done!

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was fast-paced and held my interest. I enjoyed this book and would read others by this author.

I have been waiting for Jess Michaels to write a royalty book. Along with this being a book about royalty, which I love, I also love a good bodyguard story. Hunky hero protecting a princess? Yes!

Princess Ilaria is the only princess of Athawick who is touring with her family in London. She is to marry an Englishman to strengthen the island’s relationship with the British Empire. Captain Jonah Crawford met the princess a couple of years ago and now they meet again in the ballrooms of London. There is a threat against the princess and Captain Crawford has agreed to protect the princess as she explores a bit of freedom and passion before she marries.

I enjoyed meeting these characters and this book sets up the story, characters and conflict for the future books. The romance in this book was good but it took a while for me to be invested. The beginning was a bit slow and the romance needed more substance. Ilaria and Jonah have good chemistry but I felt they were exploring this attraction between them but I wanted more. More depth. More of a reason to be together besides the obvious attraction. It took until about half way for me to be onboard. The stakes were higher around this time, more conflict revealed and so there was more urgency to enjoy the time they could have together. It also took me a while for me to understand the characters a bit more. Jonah seemed kind of bland in the beginning and Ilaria was a bit foolish and naive. After a bit I liked them more individually and then together.

Any time the Donville Masquerade is mentioned or visited I’m so excited. I love seeing Marcus and Annabelle again (The Scoundrel's Lover). I also love the small mentions and cameos of characters from other books which is always so much fun.

I’m actually more interested in the other characters’ books. Maybe since this first book sets up the characters and future books, I will be able to sink into the stories faster. I can’t wait for Sasha’s story!

*I received this via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This author did such a great job telling the story. She knows how to weave a tale that keeps you intrigued and wanting more throughout. She blends a great plot along with pages that sizzle and even adds a sprinkle of humor, which is a great combination for keeping readers hooked. Ilaria and Jonah's journey was fantastic.

This is my first time reading a book by Jess Michaels and it won’t be my last. For a historical romance it was surprisingly steamy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Princess Ilaria, youngest sibling and only sister to the new King of Athawick, has come to London with her family for the Season. Her brother hopes to find a prominent husband for her to help solidify the relationship between Athawick and Britain. Ilaria is crushed by this as she had hoped to marry for love after watching her mother suffer throughout her marriage to Ilaria’s father. At her first event after arriving in London she sees the one person thought to never see again.

Captain Jonah Crawford is in London on business when he receives an invitation to a soiree to celebrate the arrival of the royal family of Athawick. While serving in the Royal Navy, Jonah was chosen to accompany the Prince Regent to visit the island two years before, and became friends with Grantham, then Prince of Athawick. When he arrived and first laid eyes on Princess Ilaria he thought her the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Now he would have to watch as she was paraded around to every eligible bachelor in London. After speaking with Grantham, now the new King of Athawick, he is asked to keep an eye on her to make sure she is safe.

This is one of my favorite tropes, they clearly love each other but are separated by circumstance. Princess Ilaria needs to marry some with a title to help Athawick’s relationship with Britain. Jonah knows that because of his place in society he can never hope to marry Ilaria. After each encounter Ilaria falls more and more in love with Jonah even though he tries to stay away from her. I did feel like the end of this book was a little rushed, or maybe just vague. Perhaps will we find out more about the situation in further books though. Overall I very much enjoyed this book and it is a great start to a new series!

This is the first book in the Regency Royals series by Jess Michaels.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I love the idea of this book and this new series. I’m starting to really love this author. Her writing is really good.
All of Society is atwitter about the arrival of the Royal Family of Athawick, a small island country with important ties on a tour to celebrate the coronation of a new king. Or at least…that is the reason on the surface for their Season in London. Princess Ilaria knows the real truth: her family wishes to marry her off to a man of title and influence, in order to strengthen their own “special relationship” with the British Empire.
Captain Jonah Crawford was part of the Royal Honor Guard that accompanied the Prince Regent on a visit to Athawick two years ago and it was there he first laid eyes on the princess. Since then, much has changed in his life, including a resignation from the position he loved and the undertaking of responsibilities he never asked for. But seeing Ilaria sparks hungers that he cannot deny.
As they continue to encounter each other, their desire grows, but so is the danger lurking around every corner. And when Ilaria requires a bodyguard, Jonah volunteers. Will burning passion turn to love? And will love be enough to save them when the worst comes to pass?
Jonah was, by far, my favorite character. He is brave and smart, but also sweet and passionate. You can see from the start the way he can´t keep his mind, and his hands, away from Ilaria. I have to confess that I did have some issues with her. In some passages of the book she seemed almost bratty, but she is a royal princess, so maybe that’s expected? Together this can light up an entire city…that chemistry! So good! The sexy times were amazing, but also this aghast dance they have to endure because of their impossible future.
I loved the secondary character and I’ll be waiting restless for the rest of the books. The end felt a bit rushed, thought. To know that Sasha and her earl are going to have their own story was an amazing surprise.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book starts off pretty slow, but then turns into a a ~spicy~ whirlwind, ending of course with a Happily Ever After.

I really enjoyed the characters, they were fleshed out well, I could really imagine them as real people.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

Good start from this new serie. The author set up the tone for the future books to come. This one is Ilaria and Jonah story. It's a slow burner at the beginning but it gets hotter and hotter. I can't wait to read Sasha story.

I voluntarily reviewed this book and the opinions expressed here are all mine.

Princess Ilaria realizes what’s expected of her, to marry a man of title and influence to strengthen her family’s ties to the British Empire. Captain Jonah Crawford was part of the Royal Honor Guard meet Princess Ilaria two years ago, he became quite enthralled by her, but left knowing his feelings could not be returned. But now he’s trusted by her brother the king, to keep her safe, but who’ll keep their heart safe? Jonah and Ilaria has always has an attraction to each other, a little flirting when they first met. Ilaria want to marry for love not her country and she knows her duty to her family doesn’t include Jonah. A captivating story of what the heart wants, it wants, its love and not logical as their hearts yearn for each other knowing it can never be. I voluntarily read and reviewed this extraordinary story.

To Protect a Princess introduces us to Princess Ilaria and brings back favorites from previous Micheals books, Marcus RIvers, and Captain Jonah Crawford.

Ilaria is in London to make an advantageous match that will help her brother King Grantham secure England as a political ally. She meets Jonah again two years after his previous trip to the Kingdom Athawick with the Prince Regent. Now they are forced to confront their attraction for each other.

Compared to the back half of the novel, this book starts out a bit slow, but once it gets started, it burns pretty hot. Lots of steam. I loved how quickly Ilaria and Jonah realize their love and attraction for the other. They have a lot of obstacles to overcome and it's nice when they get their happy ending.

I am also looking forward to Sasha, Grantham, and Remi's books.

A princess and a bodyguard.

I like this new series. There's a bit of the set up for the series. But good character progression between the Princess Ilaria and her bodyguard guard, Jonah. Plenty of sparks. I liked their chemistry very much.
Recommend.

4.5

Princess Ilaria from Athawick was going to England, along with her family. She was not looking forward to it because she had been told she would marry to form an alliance. That is what happened to her parents. It was miserable. She went to her room and met Sasha Killick. Sasha's parents died when she was a small girl and had come to live with them., the royal family.
Captain Jonah Crawford of the Royal Navy, until his father died. He was left with a small estate and money. So he had to give up his commission, to take care of the people on the estate. He loved the sea and missed it very much. He had met Ilaria when he was part of an honor guard for the Prince Regent and went to Athawick with him. There he had met Ilaria
I loved this book and couldn't put it down. 4 a.m. came really fast, LOL. The way people treated the Royal Family the interactions with people and each other. The excitement, the not knowing what is going on, a killer on the loose. It all twists around and adds to the fear, anxiousness, and restlessness.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed it.

A new to me author that writes fun and loveable characters. To protect a princess started good for me I loved that it was kind of a bodyguard romance, but Also second Chance. I enjoyed both The hero and The heroine and The Royal family. Sasha was also great and I am excited to Read her love story when it releases.
3,5⭐️

All of Society is atwitter about the arrival of the Royal Family of Athawick, a small island country on a tour to celebrate the coronation of a new king. Or at least…that is the reason on the surface for their Season in London. Princess Ilaria knows the real truth: her family wishes to marry her off to a man of title and influence, in order to strengthen their own “special relationship” with the England. The problem is that only one man has caught her eye and he does not fit any of the criteria required in a husband by her family. Captain Jonah Crawford was part of the Royal Honour Guard that accompanied the Prince Regent on a visit to Athawick two years ago and it was there he first laid eyes on the princess. Since then, much has changed in his life, including a resignation from the navy which, he loved and the undertaking of responsibilities he never asked for. But seeing Ilaria sparks hungers that he cannot deny.
The first in a new series & an original theme surrounding a family from a small fictional kingdom. A very well written book with strong likeable characters, the family of mother, three children & a body double who has become a surrogate fourth child are close & love each other. However Ilaria is not a happy princess as her eldest brother & king, Grantham wants to arrange a marriage for her. Ilaria is spirited & determined to enjoy herself. Jonah is just downright gorgeous, asked by Grantham to ‘keep an eye’ on Ilaria on one hand appeals to him to keep her safe but their electric attraction means he’s tortured from being near to her especially when she visits the Donville Masquerade. I was drawn in from the start & was thoroughly enjoying the book until Ilaria’s life is threatened & my enjoyment spiked , I love a romance with intrigue & mystery. I adored that some characters from other series made cameo appearances. I was engrossed in the pairs road to a HEA which was strewn with huge obstacles but it did make for a wonderful read. I look forward to the rest of the series.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I received aN ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Princess Ilaria of Athawick is being forced by her family to marry for a political advantage between their country and Britain, but she desperately wants to marry for love since she has seen how badly an arranged marriage can be first hand. She is headstrong and defiant, but she knows herself and what she wants. That includes Captain Jonah Crawford. They both know they can't be together, but that doesn't stop them from wanting each other desperately.

I'm a sucker for a royalty romance, and this one was really good. I've never read Jess Michaels before, but I'm super glad I took a chance on her. I enjoyed watching Jonah and Ilaria's relationship grow, and I could totally feel the emotion through Jess's writing. It's the little things that she made them do like holding hands or making their foreheads touch that conveys so much emotion, and I really appreciated how much detail she put into the little things. The side characters were great too, and I'm really excited for the next book. Hopefully, we get some more clues about the mystery because this one does end on a little cliff hanger.

My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer because I was enjoying it so much. I will absolutely be reading more by her!

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

To Protect a Princess is the first of what seems like an exciting new series from Jess Michaels. I love political intrigue, and the way Michaels interweaves the interplay between the British and the royals from the fictional island nation of Athawick is well-done, in addition to foreshadowing how each of the Athawick royals are impacted by this new alliance.

Both Ilaria and Jonah are compelling characters, and their physical/sexual attraction was definitely palpable, as were the stakes around them, like her having to marry well for the sake of maintaining new alliances, and him merely being a member of her Royal Guard. But while the “spark” is there, I needed more to fully invest myself in them as a couple on the emotional front.

This book also felt like it was doing a lot of setup, which seemed at cross purposes with it also being fairly short. The relationship development overall suffered in the name of the world building of this new nation and their political alliance with Britain, so perhaps a longer book that allowed both to be fleshed out equally would have worked better.

I liked this one well enough, but this wasn’t my favorite book I’ve read by Jess Michaels. It is, however, an indicator that the series could be more fun as it goes along. And if you happen to like historical romance with political intrigue, and don’t mind/prefer a romance that develops through physical and sexual intimacy, you’ll enjoy this one more than I did.

I normally love Jess Michaels, so it is with a heavy hear that I only rate this book three stars. A few points...

1. This book is more erotica than romance. Which is fine, I like erotica, but it wasn't marketed as such. So when they barely know each other and then end up in a sex club together really quick in the story, I felt blindsided. It was just so out of character for both of them. She's a princess, he's a former military man, both seemed fairly vanilla. And then in comes this sex club out of nowhere, where he had clearly been since he's already a member and knows the owner...I was really confused.
2. Their relationship is way too insta-love for me. In a fated mates trope, this works. In a normal historical romance, it's not my thing. They seemed so lukewarm and then BAM, he's giving her oral and telling himself that he has fallen in love with her. Huh? When did that happen? And why? I didn't see their relationship develop, and I really needed that in order to fully enjoy the story.
3. And finally - she is a princess, and her behavior just didn't ring true for that character. Doesn't make sense that she would take sex so casually (I get that she's from another country where it's supposedly "freer" but....nope, still doesn't work). I don't need her to be a virgin, of course, but for a princess story, I didn't get the princess vibe.

I'll definitely give Jess Michaels a try again, but this book sadly just was not for me.

I have received an ARC of this book by NetGalley, and The Passionate Pen and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review. The Pub date of the book is July 20th. This review will be posted on my Goodreads, Facebook page and Instagram.
I'm so happy to know that it's going to start a new series. I absolutely love what Michaels writes and this one it's full of promises.
I started the book and read it in a couple of hours because I couldn't stop. I wanted to know more about the characters and how they were going to deal with the things ahead of them. The feelings, the passion, the tension.
Princess Ilaria and Captain Jonah were absolutely adorable, funny and strong minded characters. And oh boy, how they clicked in every moment.
I felt that they could have known each other a bit better but I liked them anyway.
It's not only a simple story with romance. There's so much more in here. Difficult themes and unfortunate situations. Mystery and problems that will make us think and feel all kinds of emotions.
And those secondary characters? I wanna know them better! It's for sure a new interesting series and I will read them all. I'm sold.
Obs: that cover is amazing!

Whoa, Jonah was so fabulous in this story. Not to say Ilaria is not fantastic also because she definitely is, and she is a princess. I usually am not drawn to fake countries with royal families but Jess’ writing is so amazing that of course I had to read it. Jess, you have changed my mind about made up countries and their royals. This is a very loving story and also sad. The sadness is due to the norms of the day – he can’t marry her not because he doesn’t love her but because he is a bastard and she is a princess. How are they going to get around this? Well, you don’t really know until the very end and I won’t spoil it for you. Let me just say that Jess writes these characters like they could be your friends and are keeping you in their confidence. The characters and settings were so beautiful. Oh, and let’s not forget Marcus and Annabelle Rivers (yay! loved this couple, but who doesn’t?). A feelgood story from an amazing writer.