This is an amazing start to the Regency Royals series by Jess Michaels. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. Jess Michaels knows how to write a fun and steamy historical romance story.

Ilaria, Princess of Athawick and Captain Jonah Crawford are not meant for each other, they come from different worlds, he is a commoner and she is a royal. The problem is, they can not stay away from each other. I loved the chemistry between Ilaria and Jonah and the banter between them as well.

This book has everything I enjoy in a book, romance, mystery, steam and great characters. I can’t wait to read about the rest of the family in the upcoming books!

Thank you NetGalley and The Passionate Pen LLC for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this story a lot!

Princess Ilaria of Athawick comes to England with her family to grow the relationship between the two nations, but she is also expected to find a suitable husband to help secure the political alliance for the future - in other words, a high-ranking member of the aristocracy. The only man Ilaria has ever wanted is Captain Jonah Crawford, a man she first met two years ago when he visited her country as a member of the Royal Guard visiting Athawick, but he will never be considered a worthy match to her family.

This book reminds me of the film, Roman Holiday, except it's better, because it's a romance written by Jess Michaels, so the reader will get a HEA and an amazing story to boot. I am never disappointed when reading books by this author even when it's in a trope I don't normally like (royal) - Jess can make me like them and want more!

This book is a true page-turner and took some fun, sexy turns I wasn't expecting!! I am excited to read more of the series and will definitely look forward to reading them.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read the ARC of this delicious book!

#ToProtectaPrincess #NetGalley

I love royal romances, especially like this one - Ilaria suddenly has to marry and she is not happy with that. Being a pawn is not fun. Naval commander Jonah caught her eye two years ago and she has never forgotten him - and he has never forgotten her. Chemistry is hard to put out when you need to do the right thing for your family's crown. But Ilaria is a target for rebels and Jonah has to whisk her away to safety and she finds what she needs in his arms. How can she ever give him up?
Beautiful story and lots of steamy parts too!

Great start to a new series. Jonah is very attracted to Princess Ilaria from another country, but he is too common to be considered for her. Ilaria’s brother, King Grantham, and her mother have decided to wed her off to someone else to help their alliance with England. Meanwhile, Jonah agrees to help watch over her to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.

Jess Michaels writes characters with great chemistry and romance and I look forward to seeing all the great secondary characters finding their HEAs.

I received a copy of this book to read and review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

such a great book and start to the series. I can't think of a character i didn't like. I always love tie ins with old characters. This family is one crazy wild ride that believe in love, family, and prectoing each other. i can't wait for Sasha's book.

I have read and enjoyed many of Jess Michaels historical romances in the past, including the Mistress Matchmaker series, the Scandal Sheet series, and the Ladie's Book of Pleasures series. As I have enjoyed her books in the past, I am always happy and eager to read anything new by her. It is nice to see some themes and characters carried through, including the Donville Masquerade, and Marcus and Annabelle Rivers.

So I would give this a 3.5+ stars - a solid start to a new series. This book started out a bit slow, was a wee bit predictable, and there is some back and forth from the present story line and two years prior to set some background. But still a solid start and I see where some of the other story lines are going, and am looking forward to seeing them.

A lovely start to a new series involving a fictional nation, an ally of England, and it's royal family. The heroine is the Royal Princess and during this royal visit to London, she finds out that she is going to be used to make an advantageous marriage to a titled English lord to cement ties between her nation and England.

But of course the heart wants what the heart wants, and she also meets up again with someone from her past. Captain Jonah Crawford met the Princess while part of the Prince Regent's party during a royal visit to the smaller nation 2 years previously. They saw each other, shared one dance, and minimal meetings. Nonetheless, they still forged a strong attraction that neither forgot, which flared anew when meeting again.

However, he is significantly below her status, and they both know that she is supposed to marry for the sake of political alliances. He also agrees, out of his friendship with her brother, the new King, to watch out for her, and keep her safe, especially in case she acts out.

... now I am thinking about is this is a Regency-era The Bodyguard... but minus Kevin Kostner and more Kris Holden Reid (think Dyson Thornwood from Lost Girl - look it up, I think he would make a yummy Jonah Crawford).

Not in a bad way - tortured forbidden love, danger in the form of a possible Royal betrayal/assassin, throw in some hot sex... Sprinkle some Daddy issues strewn throughout the various characters to up the angst quotient, and some timeless Royal watching intrigue, and good times can be had between the pages. It would also appear that the suspense factor will continue as a possible running theme beyond this book as well. That's fine - a touch of danger just adds more flavour. There is a HEA... but also a "to be continued" as well...

I wonder what will come out in Sasha's story - perhaps she looks so much like Ilaria for a good reason? There is a sneak peak at her story next, and am looking forward to it. There was something about the Earl of Bramwell that I liked and look forward to seeing his story flesh out too. Also, something is definitely up with the Queen and Dashiell. I presume that there will also be stories, with some hopeful HEAs for the bad-boy younger brother, and for the top Royal himself too.

Although a bit of a slow-starter, which is usual for series firsts in order to set up back stories and tone, once things start to heat up they really heat up! This historical nod to "The Bodyguard" is spicy, full of intrigues and a well rounded cast of characters that will leave you itching to read what comes next.

Ilaria and Jonah are a perfectly mis-matched couple, throwing sparks whenever they meet, while building a deeper emotional connection that has you rooting until the end for them to find a way to be together and then thrilled when they do.

I'm a big fan of Ms. Michael's ,steamy romance with heart, stories and anxiously await the next installment in the Regency Royals series!

When Grantham, the newly crowned King of Athawick and his family come to England, his sister Princess Ilaria is shocked to see the one man she never thought she would ever set eyes on again, Captain Jonah Crawford of the Royal Navy, a man she met two years ago when he accompanied the Prince of Wales on an official visit to Athawick. The two shared an immediate attraction and indulged in a bit of flirting, both knowing their time was limited and their futures incompatible.

Jonah is in London on business, after inheriting his birth father’s property, he had no choice but to sell his commission in the Navy and take up his responsibilities as a landowner – he rarely attends ton events, but is pleased to have the chance to see Ilaria again, she is just as lovely as he remembers and just as far out of his reach as ever. He knows he should stay away, but when her brother asks him to watch out for her as a favor to him, he can’t refuse.

After learning that her family means to marry her off to a British noble, Ilaria decides to rebel a bit and decides to sneak out to the Donville Masquerade after hearing her brother Remington’s description of the infamous club. There she happens to “run into” Jonah, he immediately tries to get her to leave, but Ilaria refuses and has a run-in with another guest before agreeing to go, but intending to return.

They do return and this time, Jonah gives in to their shared desire – but when he refuses to do more, she runs from him and is once more approached by the stranger – but this time the stranger’s intent is much more lethal. And soon her whole family knows of her escapades and the threat against her. Convinced that the attacks on Ilaria are part of a rebellion brewing in their country, Grantham wants to return home, but Jonah offers to protect Ilaria and hide her away until the threat is found. He vows to protect her with his life if necessary, but will he be able to keep his heart from breaking?

I enjoyed this well-written, nicely paced story with a distinct nod to the movie “The Bodyguard”. And while it mimicked aspects of the movie, it was definitely not a retelling, it is its own story, filled with secrets, forbidden love, very steamy (and abundant) love scenes, great secondary characters, cameos from Marcus Rivers and his wife Annabelle, a bit of intrigue, a dash of action, and the promise of a HEA. Honestly, I felt the ending was a bit disappointing, I thought the “solution” enabling them to marry was contrived and didn’t make sense considering his “responsibilities” in England (the ones that made it impossible for him to stay in the Navy), and I was not thrilled that the story ended without revealing who was responsible and sort of made it seem like it wasn’t that important – I do realize that the author most likely plans to keep using this “behind the scenes” villain throughout the series, but I still would have liked a bit more closure. Overall, I liked the book and I am all in for this series and would happily recommend this title!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Princess Ilaria of the small island nation of Athawick travels with her royal family to London for the season. Her family’s plan is to cement Athawick 's relationship with the Empire by marrying Princess Ilaria to a man of title and influence. But her heart belongs to Captain Jonah Crawford, who she met two years ago, when Captain Crawford was a part of the Royal Honor Guard that accompanied the Prince Regent on a visit to Athawick. In England, Princess Ilaria’s and Captain Jonah Crawford meet again, passion flares, but will they be thwarted by duty and an emerging dangerous threat?

Princess Ilaria is a feisty and strong woman, torn between rebelling and following her dream of a love match and following her duty to secure Athawick’s future. She plots to taste freedom before she submits to her marriage of duty. Captain Jonah Crawford knows a future with Princess Ilaria is not possible, but he will do whatever to allow her final taste of freedom and keep her safe.

To Protect a Princess the first book in the Regency Royals series, but readers of Jess Michaels’ previous books will recognize nods to characters and places from previous series.

For full disclosure, I usually avoid “princess” stories, which I know doesn’t seem to make sense since I have no problem with Ladies, Viscounts, Earls, Marquesses, Duchesses, Dukes, but apparently research into historical romances say this is a “thing”. The reason I wanted to read this title was because I have enjoyed many of Jess Michaels previous books and I am always interested in what she writes. I mention this because it may have influenced my view of the book.

I would honestly say this is not one of my favorite Jess Michaels novels. Perhaps because it is the first book of the series, there is some setting the scene and introduction of the characters so to speak, I felt things did not really get going until almost halfway through the novel. I found I did not feel invested in the leads until after this stage. Perhaps this due to my princess “thing”? I found I was much more interested in the other characters in the book, whose stories will be told in the coming titles (see the coming titles list!). I am looking forward to reading them.

I still enjoyed the book and I feel Jess Michaels fans will also; the action really picks up in the second half where the action and steamy times occur …

3 Stars

Many thanks to the Publisher, the Author and NetGalley for an advance copy in return for my honest review.

New series by the amazing Jess Michaels. Yes, Please!
Even though I really don't like the Royals and their stories in any genre, I couldn't stop reading this book. This Royal family is not different than any other in the Regency era with their scheming, their duties, and so on... But being from Athawick makes them a bit more empathetic, open-minded, and surprisingly decent.
Ilaria is one of the most feisty, liberal, and brave Regency heroines I've read out of Jess's books. She is a breath of fresh air among the ladies participating in the season and Captain Crawford is the epitome of a gentleman that can keep up with her.
There is steam, there is romance and there is adventure. The danger that looms over the Royals from Athawick is temporarily subdued but I can definitely see a continuing storyline there throughout the whole series.

To Protect a Princess is the first book in the Regency Royals series.
The Royal Family of Athawick, a small island country with a newly installed king is making the first trip to London to strengthen the ties between the countries. What was intended as a a trip to experience a London season and have the Royal family Princess Ilaria Doesn't expect to be handed over as chattel to strengthen chattel to strengthen the relationship. She had hopes to marry for love not duty.

Captain Jonah Crawford formerly of the British Navy met the Royal Family when the Regent visited Athawick. He was drawn to the Princess from the moment they met and now that they are in London he knows he will be hard pressed to subdue the feelings. And when danger surrounds the Princess he is the first to volunteer to protect her. With stolen moments the mutual passion ignites and it may be impossible to go back to the veiled longing of before. How to you walk away from your happiness for duty and circumstances?

Princess Ilaria, of the of the small island nation of Athawick, is in London for the season. Her family hopes to marry her to a British peer in order to strengthen the two countries' relationship. Former naval Captain Jonah Crawford has met the princess before, as part of the Royal Honor Guard that accompanied the Prince Regent to Athawick two years prior. Jonah doesn't have the pedigree to marry Ilaria, but he is trusted by her brother, the King, to help watch over her.

This is the first book in the new Regency Royals series, and it gets off to a strong start. Princess Ilaria and the Captain had an attraction during their first meeting in Athawick, and both are still feeling it even though they know her circumstances prohibit them from any lasting connection. Ilaria isn't happy about being married off, and she's determined to have a little fun before it happens. Jonah can't hold back for long, and soon a dangerous situation sets their powder-keg chemistry up in blazes.

I really liked these characters. They felt authentic, their actions believable. The brewing intrigue, turmoil, and conclusion kept my interest. The secondary characters were in play just enough that I want to know more about them and am looking forward to their stories. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Tropes: Royalty, Class Difference, Protector, Forced Proximity

* I received an ARC and this is my honest review. #ToProtectaPrincess #NetGalley

To Protect a Princess is book 1 in the new Regency Royals series and is off to a steamy start. Ilaria, Princess of Athawick and Captain Jonah Crawford make for an interesting romance because they are not meant for each other, the only problem is they can't stay away. Danger and desire turns to a wonderfully crafted love story.

Captain Jonah Crawford was part of the Royal Honor Guard two years ago when he first met Princess Ilaria. Their chemistry was explosive while each know they could never be together. It has taken him years to forget her, but when the royal family visits London, Jonah and Ilaria must fight their attraction to each other even harder. Ilaria's brother and king wants her to marry someone with a title to protect their small kingdom and she resists his attempts to pair her with a local peer. Is there any hope for Jonah and Ilaria?

This was another entertaining story from Ms. Michaels and the first in a new series. I loved Jonah. He was so honorable and tries to avoid Ilaria all to no avail. There is definitely lust between these two and there are some steamy sex scenes in the book, but I wish there was a little more romance. I really enjoyed the dual POV and the back and forth in time. It kept the story interesting.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

This book is so fun! I love this new royal series already. Ilaria and Jonah are great characters. The Royal family is fascinating! I'm already very interested in each of their stories.

Ilaria and Jonah have an amazing chemistry straight off. The story is delightful. I read the whole thing in just a few hours. It was time well spent. There is no cliffhanger. Jonah and Ilaria's story wraps beautifully, but there is a feeling that the real baddie is still at large. I have an idea about where this is going. Dun dun duuuun.

I super enjoyed Jonah as a character. He's a great hero. He is compassionate, gentle, strong, ginger, all good things. Ilaria is also excellent. She is strong and smart, kind and passionate. I adore her. This story heavily features the Donville Masquerade, which is always a great time. 

Highly recommend this series already.

This was a delicious beginning to what I think will be a great new series for this author. I like the premise – the royal family of a small island nation pays an official visit to England and end up finding love with the most unexpected – and perhaps inappropriate – people. I adored each of the characters and could feel them chaffing at the weight of the crown and the demands it put on them. Each member of the family finds their own unique way of dealing with that weight and I had to admire how caring and open they were with each other while displaying a united front to the public at large.

Captain Jonah Crawford loved the navy and was so very happy to make it his life’s work. He wasn’t exactly thrilled two years ago when he was appointed to accompany the Prince Regent on a Crown visit to the small island nation of Athawick, but he knew it was an honor to be selected. However, when he looked up to watch the royal family of Athawick greeting the English visitors, he was dumbstruck. The royal princess, Ilaria, had to be the most beautiful and alluring woman he’d ever seen – and when her eyes locked with his – well, it was all over for him. He knew nothing could ever come of that attraction – after all, she was a royal princess and he was … not. He knew their friendship would be a short one and would end when he left Athawick – all he had to do was protect his heart and fight the attraction until then. But … two years later …

Princess Ilaria, only sister to the new King of Athawick, is strong, beautiful, intelligent, and very independent – she’s also very shocked and dismayed to learn that her mother and brother intend to arrange a marriage for her. A marriage that will enhance the relationship between Athawick and England, but not necessarily one that will make her happy. They’ll give her some leeway in the selection – but not much. All of her life, Ilaria has witnessed her mother’s mistreatment and unhappiness due to an arranged marriage and she cannot believe they want that for her. She knows she’ll eventually have to go along with what they want, but, in the meantime, she’ll thwart their efforts as much as possible. She has to have some breathing room – some freedom. The man they are focusing on for her seems to be a nice enough man – not cruel – but she feels not one iota of attraction for him, nor does he seem to have any for her.

It doesn’t take long for Jonah’s and Ilaria’s attraction to rekindle – it happens as soon as they see each other. Jonah is determined to avoid the princess – until his friend, her brother the king, asks him to keep an eye on Ilaria to keep her safe because he is sure she is up to something. GRRRROAN! How can he keep her safe and protect his heart at the same time? Then, when she is in real danger from the political intrigue that has followed them from Athawick, he has no choice. Can he protect her, keep her safe, protect her reputation, and then manage to let her go to the marriage that will be arranged for her? He knows both of them are in for a lifetime of pain. Can they endure it? It appears they will have to.

I absolutely loved both Ilaria and Jonah. Both were such adorable, admirable, and honorable characters. I can certainly see where they could/would love each other, but I didn’t see that actually happen on the page – all I saw was the lust. They only started to get to know each other toward the end of the book when they were doing some soul searching. I also didn’t understand enough about the political intrigue that was threatening Ilaria’s life. Evidently, it will be the overarching mystery through the books in this series and I’ll be happy to learn more about it.

I can definitely recommend this book and this author. It is well-written and well-delivered with compelling characters and an engrossing mystery. Mostly though, it is a steamy, make-you-heart-beat-faster, romance that you will absolutely love.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ★★★★.25 stars


“He caught her upper arms gently and drew her closer.

‘Understand this, Ilaria. If a person cannot be with the person they love... they are always alone.’”


One Sentence Synopsis: Captain Jonah Crawford and Princess Ilaria have fallen in love but can never be together due to the princess’ arranged marital duties; while Ilaria is determined to live out her last days of freedom and debauchery, Jonah must go to any lengths to keep her safe.

Overall Thoughts: I tend to read steamier historical romances, and this one fits in perfectly with the rest. I genuinely enjoyed the romance, the angst, and the steam of this book. We got to see the beginnings of the romance in the next book, and I can say I’m genuinely interested to read on!

What I Liked:
The romance: I’m a sucker for a good princess/bodyguard romance! I adored the dual POV, where we got to experience both perspectives while they fell deeper in love and yearned for one another. Their love was so sweet, the type where you can’t wipe the stupid grin from your face while you read.
Characters: I found both Ilaria and Jonah to be very likable (save for the fact that Jonah is a redhead, so I mentally amended this...) and they made rational decisions, which is important to me in a good character. Even side characters like Bramwell and Sasha were interesting to me, and for this reason, I’m excited to read on!
The steam: PHEW! Although there were a limited number of sexy time scenes, the ones we got were quality. Everything that went down in the sex club had me sweating! I adored the scandalous nature of not only their environment, but also the actions of themselves/others.
The setting: HR settings typically make me roll my eyes in their rigidity of values, but this one was progressive in certain aspects! I enjoyed this HR where virginity was not the end-all-be-all of a woman’s worth.

What I Didn’t Like:
The Pacing: It took about 40% of the books for things to pick up, so I only wish the pacing had been a bit more spread about!

Read this if you liked: Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt and A Duchess A Day by Charis Michaels

Content Warnings: Physical assault (as listed in the Content Warning by the author at the start of the book).

Princess Ilaria is a intriguing character in this new series by Jess Michaels.
Jonah and Ilaria are a really nice couple in this novel of intrigue and love.
Jess Michaels has done it again. You can always count on her for the best and entertaining books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jess Michaels is definitely a good author for me and this book does not disappoint.

Ilaria is a princess and as such must do her duty and marry an English lord to strength her country's alliance with England. The only problem is that she is attracted to Jonah, an English man and illegitimate.

Jonah wants Ilaria but knows that he can't have her. But he can protect her when a dangerous threat emerges.

I liked Ilaria and Jonah together, even if the sex club seemed out of place. I liked the mystery and dnager. I liked the secondary characters and the set up to the rest of the series.

Can't wait for the next book in the series. Sasha's story.

There is nothing like a new Jess Michaels series to cure the duldrums!

The King of the small Island of Athawick is coming to London with his family in toe. Little does the King's sister. Princess Ilaria, know is that she is to be a pawn in securing the kingdom by being set up with someone of the Ton while on their trip. When Ilaria finds out this news she hatches a plan to thwart or at least postpone their plans. Luckily for her, a familiar face and friend to the family is in London, Captain Jonah Crawford.

Jonah has never forgotten Ilaria when he met her while visiting the Island as a member of the naval party with the Prince Regent a few years before. Although he discovered that she also had feelings for him at that time, nothing came of it because of the difference in their stations. He still does not meet the criteria to offer for her but when her life is threatened, he is the first one the family wants as her bodyguard.

Staying in such close proximity proves to be a challenge at keeping their desires at bay but they both are prepared to walk away once the threat is over, or are they?

This was a slow starter as all the characters of the series were introduced but once it got going, it was lovely. I like that Ilaria knew who and what she wanted and wasn't coy in letting Jonah know. With that, some things were pretty farfetched but that's what makes a good romance novel that you can get lost in.

I can't wait for more!