Love at first sight, is most certainly not what happened between Lady Ophelia and King Grantham of Athawick. And while Ophelia thought the king was handsome, he was definitely not charming, at least not to her, in fact, he seems to ignore her whenever possible! She and her family are in Athawick for the royal wedding and she is looking forward to returning home to England, but when her dearest friend Priscilla falls in love with Prince Remington and asks her to stay a bit longer, she agrees and will even try to get along with the king.

Grantham is far from indifferent to Ophelia, but with his country in turmoil and his obligations to the crown, he doesn’t have time to be distracted by the lovely Englishwoman. But when most of the guests leave after the wedding and his siblings busy with their new spouses, Grantham finds himself in Ophelia’s company much more often and his desire for her only grows. They form a friendship and share secrets, then they finally give in to the attraction and become lovers, always knowing that it is temporary. But when the leader of the rebellion is found, things come to a head and Ophelia is caught up in the crossfire – will Grantham be able to save her or will he lose the woman he has come to realize is the love of his life?

This was an exciting and informative addition to the series. The book has secrets, shocking revelations, great characters, steamy love scenes, wonderful secondary characters, a nail-biter ending with a surprising twist, and finally a HEA. I enjoyed this installment, but I found the beginning a bit slow and dragged out, but it picked up the pace in the middle and finished with a bang, and nicely sets up the final book in the series. This is the fourth book in the series and they are all interconnected, but each book can be read as a standalone, however, I would recommend reading them in order for the best reader experience.

*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.*

Grantham, the King of Athawick has struggled with his role, in dealings with his siblings and in trying to pacify the people of his kingdom, which is on the verge of an uprising. Yet the one woman who he wishes to connect with is Lady Ophelia, who seems to oppose his every directive, with her bright and passionate nature. Ophelia can’t deny her attraction to Grantham whilst also seeing beyond the façade that he projects to everyone.
Grantham’s inner turmoil is cleverly dealt with through this series, and it is in this book, that you finally get a glimpse of what life is for him. Whilst Ophelia has struggled with her past, her past hurt has only ensured that she has matured. Her strength of character is a perfect balance to Grantham’s insecurities. As the couple spend time together with the inevitable end of their relationship looming, their relationship becomes all the more interesting and intense.
I have enjoyed this series, and yet each book, including “To Kiss a King” are stand-alone stories. The characters are all well-developed such that their subsequent appearance in a new book, is always fleshed out and cleverly integrated.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have discovered an amazingly sensual, scorching hot series in the Regency Royals. The world-building in this series is magnificent. I adamantly advise reading these four novels in order as they build upon one another and to get the most enjoyment. I have been waiting for King Grantham’s story. King Grantham is bogged down with the responsibility and expectations of being King of Athawick. Grantham is thunderstorms and all things grumpy. He has distanced himself from the assistance of his family, which makes his loneliness that much more severe. Lady Ophelia is a guest to the newest Princess of Athawick. Ophelia is sunshine and vibrancy. Grantham is instantly drawn to Ophelia but is reluctant to let her in his inner circle.

I enjoyed Grantham’s love of his country and strict sense of duty. I also loved how only Ophelia could bring levity and light to Grantham. The connection and sensuality between the couple are electric. The plot gives answers to what is causing unrest in Grantham’s kingdom that has been present in all four books. The story is flawless in its delivery and has enough passion and intrigue to keep me raptly turning the page. I loved the close-knit family dynamic that blossoms throughout each book.

To Kiss A King is the fourth book in The Regency Royals series. I cannot recommend these books enough! Grantham and Ophelia’s romance is by far my favorite. Jess Michaels continues to create a sensual, romantic world full of vivid characters and plenty of desire that demands the reader’s attention. I received this book as an ARC. However, I took the time to read the first three books in the series; I am happy with that decision. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss one of these intricately, lovingly designed romances. I urge you to fall into the luscious world of Athawick; you will never want to return.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

To Kiss a King is the fourth book in the Regency Royals series. You really should read the first three before you tackle this one; there is duplication of scenes from previous books with the focus being another character’s perspective of what happened, so you really do need to have read the others. They’re actually pretty quick reads, so I suggest you grab them before you give this one a whirl.

Kudos to Jess Michaels for adding content warnings. Adding those don’t hurt anyone and can only help.

This book is about the last sibling in the Athawick royal family, King Grantham. We met the headstrong little sister Princess Ilaria in the first book, To Protect a Princess; loyal adopted sister Sasha Killick in the second, Earl’s Choice; and rakish brother Prince Remington in the third, Princes Are Wild. Grantham has been featured throughout the series, but we really haven’t gotten to know the real him. He may seem strict and cold and unfeeling, but we have seen in the previous books that he loves his siblings and his mother. His father was a terrible person, and he doesn’t want to be like him, but he also has a lot on his plate running the kingdom. There’s also a rebellion afoot, which we learned in the very first book when folks were trying to kidnap Ilaria. Grantham doesn’t have any friends, and has basically even pushed his siblings away—he feels the weight of the world (well, kingdom) is on him and it’s crushing him. But most of the subjects are very loyal to him . . . except for the rebels, of course.

Our heroine, Ophelia is the sister of the Duke of Gilmore. His HEA with Abigail is the story of book three of the Three Mrs. series: The Duke’s Wife. If you’ve read that book, you’ll remember her, but knowledge of that series is definitely NOT required to read this one. Again, I suggest you read the previous three books in the Regency Royals series because you’ll see more about Grantham and why Ophelia absolutely loathes him.

Ophelia’s best friend is Priscilla, our heroine of book 3 and married to Prince Remington. Priscilla actually had her sights on Grantham in the beginning, but Grantham is not looking for a wife. Grantham wants peace and quiet, logic and—frankly—boredom. Ophelia is like a whirling dervish, always moving, always loud and boisterous . . . Grantham actually describes her as a hoyden. She is 100% NOT the sort of woman he should find interesting, yet he does. And, as a result, he is super rude to her. Ophelia is sort of “stuck” in Athawick since they’re preparing for her bestie’s wedding to Prince Remington, which means she’s constantly running into Grantham. She can’t stand him, but she’s attracted to him. Everyone can see the heat between them from the beginning EXCEPT THEM. He severely represses his emotions, because we all know how THAT works out (but it’s believable because I’ve actually had to deal with people who do this).

The rebellion portion is an interesting addition and made this book unique. In most books, the subjects never complain about the monarchy, but we know that hasn’t always been the norm. So it’s nice to add that portion, as well as seeing how that affects the royals, not just the common people. And you can see how Grantham is torn about how to deal with it—with force or some other way? Who can he trust?

In general, it was a pretty quick read—I actually finished all of the four books in the series in a weekend—it WAS snowing so I had a lot of free time. There were some cute parts, such as when she had her interaction with Grantham’s statue and his reaction. I laughed out loud a few times. Jess Michaels’ writing is always entertaining, though this didn’t require a lot of focus or brainpower. Her books are always spicy, but this one felt a little subdued in the intimacy area. I liked the main characters enough to stay invested while reading—I felt sorry for Grantham with all he had going on to be king, and though I definitely didn’t love Ophelia in the previous book in this series, I started liking her in this one!

I would recommend this series. It’s different than many other historical romance novels—particularly with a fictitious kingdom coexisting with England. I REALLY liked the second and third books, and would give them 4 out of 5 stars each. This one is nearly that good. By the way, the matriarch of the kingdom, Queen Giabella, is wonderful and I would love to read a novella about her and her true love. A mature love story would be amazing.

4.5 stars

This is definitely my favorite in the series. I love Ophelia’s strength and wit. I love seeing Grantham’s barriers slowly lowered. They are a good match and help each other in support and understanding. I love seeing the family and spouses support and care for each other. The plot was really good but I expect more of a conclusion and change in the kingdom in the next and final book. I can’t wait for Queen Giabella and Dash’s book!

*Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

To Kiss a King by Jess Michaels
Regency Royals #4

Excellent addition to the series ~ Loved Ophelia and Grantham!

What I liked:
* Ophelia: strong, independent, charming, outgoing, intelligent, good friend, wise, taken advantage of in the past ~ Perfect for Grantham
* Grantham: groomed to be king, feels the burden of his position, avoids sharing the responsibility with his family, finds a soft spot to land in Ophelia
* Feeling that Ophelia and Grantham are equally matched
* Getting to know Athawick and the various players…and why it might be seeking democracy
* Seeing the couples that have already found their happily ever afters
* The relationship as it developed between Ophelia and Grantham
* The writing, plot, and lead into the finale
* Remembering Abigail’s story and how Ophelia played into it
* That the truth came out at the end of this book and the biggest trouble maker was exposed
* That there seems to be a clear way forward for Athawick, its people, and the royal family
* That Giabella & Dashiell will have their story next – and I can’t wait to read it!
* All of it really except…

What I didn’t like:
* The people and situations I was meant not to like…and it was so easy to dislike them!

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

A King needing some serious stress relief! A possible uprising and a dark past from a cruel father was definitely a lot for Grantham to bear alone, Enter Ophelia to take away some stress.

I liked watching Ophelia and Grantham's relationship blossom. This book really got to the heart of relationships and support for your partner including breaking down barriers. I liked the family interaction that this book had. Each family members rocked their unique style, but meshed together well.

This book was very steamy at all the right times (ahem, throne room)!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

He's a dour king, she's a hoyden...

The best for last. I really was looking forward to Grantham's story, he's the king and oldest brother of the royal siblings. He's dour, serious and carries the weight of his duty, though he is struggling with who to trust as his kingdom is riddled with unrest.

Ophelia is the perfect foil for him. She's vivacious, outgoing, fun loving, a hoyden. Everything he should not want, so of course, he's drawn to her. I loved their attraction though they both tried to ignore it or play it off.

There's plenty of yearning and steam along with some suspense. I enjoyed Grantham, so proper and dutiful, that you just knew when he finally fell it would be spectacular.
Recommend.

This story was good, but I LOVED the fiery, steamy scenes between Ophelia and Grantham! I loved the romance between a King and a non-royal. Throne room sex? Check. Library sex? Check.

I'm looking forward to Dash and Gia's story!

Thank you, Netgalley, for my arc.

A steamy regency romance. I enjoyed the build up of attraction between Grantham and Ophelia, soon leading to undeniable desire. A very well written story and a worthy happily ever after.

Finally Grantham story. By far the one I have enjoyed the most. Ophelia is such a jolly, fun character. She was very outgoing while Grantham was the opposite, even described as cold. Once they surpassed their dislike for each other it was plain sailing from there. The few sex scenes ties perfectly into the story.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley and all the opinions expressed here are all mine.

3.5 stars for Grantham’s story. Grantham is a gruff and grumpy king with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Ophelia is the opposite and he can’t handle the attraction he feels towards her. He finds comfort with her as they both try to overcome their pasts to find a future together.

Overall, the romance is okay, but it feels like Grantham takes more than he gives. The resolution of the uprising storyline was unexpected in some ways. While this has not been my favorite Jess Michaels series, I always enjoy her books and look forward to the next one.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

3.5 stars

This book was such a fun read. I read it in one setting. Ophelia and Grantham are perfect for eactother. She was the light and his sun through his dark times. Being raised by a cruel man he didn't give himself the opportunity to love, and I'm glad he did. The love scenes were sizzling hot. Loved the total abandonment where he was no longer a king. They were man and woman making love in true honesty. I would totally re-read this book again.

This is my first ARC of a Jess Michaels book, I have always enjoyed this author and appreciate the chance to review this one. This is the first book of this series that I have read, and I probably would have appreciated the back story and involvement with the characters of the previous books as a precursor to this one. Grantham and Ophelia were great characters, their interest in one another early in the book and later their love seemed very believable. The sex was great, not over the top or too glossed over.

I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
To Kiss a King is the fourth in Jess Michaels’ Regency Royals series. It can work as a stand-alone, although in my personal opinion, the elements I really connected to were the ways in which it overlapped with the previous books, so I can’t really say if I’d recommend starting here.
I was intrigued by the subplot concerning the rumored uprising, especially as political unrest in Athawick has lingered in the background in the prior books, and is the motivation for the royal family seeking alliances in England. It’s interesting seeing it from a more direct perspective, what with Grantham being the King.
I feel very mixed about the characters and the romance. Olivia was interesting enough, and I did like the way she got under Grantham’s skin. However, Grantham just didn’t do it for me as a hero. I can respect him for the position he’s in, and can acknowledge that he has layers and vulnerabilities, but ultimately as a person, I wanted more than what he gave.
I am excited for the direction the series seems to be heading in next (the Dowager Queen’s story!!!), and even though this book and series are a bit uneven, there’s enough that has kept me invested, along with my general enjoyment of Jess Michaels’ writing. If you’re a fan of steamy historicals, I hope you enjoy this more than I did, particularly if you enjoy grumpy heroes that need to be brought down a peg by sunshine-y, spitfire heroines.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book. I posted the review on my goodreads page on 02/01/2022.

This is the story of Ophelia and Grantham. Grantham is the King of Athawick, a somewhat stern man weighed down by the responsibility of his role. In contrast, Ophelia - the sister of an English duke - is a lively, charismatic young woman. They both feel an instant attraction when they first meet, but each dislikes the other for their personalities are so different. When Ophelia comes to stay at the palace in Athawick, however, they’re forced to reassess their feelings towards each other against a backdrop of rebellion from the people of Athawick.

I quite enjoyed this. The writing is very strong and it was very readable - I finished it very quickly because I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. I hadn’t realised that this was part of a series when I requested it, but I would like to say the author did a really good job at weaving in the past stories in the series. I never felt confused about anything whilst I was reading. The plotline involving the rebels was interesting and refreshing.

The dynamic between Ophelia and Grantham was an enjoyable one. I liked how their characters were drawn together despite their differences. They had good chemistry, and the book was really hot. I also really liked Ophelia’s character, too. Despite seeming a bit like a chaotic character, she was actually quite sensible and I liked how she took charge of certain situations. I wasn’t as keen on Grantham as I found his character a bit too harsh towards Ophelia sometimes, but I liked his relationship with his family, especially with his brother, Remi. I warmed to his character more after getting to see him with his family.

Overall this was a fun romp of a story. There was enough drama to keep me interested, it had a solid subplot, and a good, well-written romance at the centre of it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a steamy opposites attract, forced proximity, royal historical romance.

Since being crowned King of Athawick after his father’s death, Grantham has been struggling. His family defies his every order, his kingdom may be on the verge of an uprising and now his palace has been invaded by a woman. A very frustrating woman who seems hellbent on torturing him with her playful sweetness.
Lady Ophelia may be the special guest of the newest Princess of Athawick, but her attention is all on the king. The rude, grumpy, forever-frowning king. He needs to be brought down a peg and she is just the woman to do it. If only she can avoid any romantic entanglements that she knows from bitter experience can’t end happily.
Sunshine meets grumpy in this clash of wits and passion, but when a revolution comes knocking this king may have to choose between his kingdom or love.
Grantham and Ophelia are meant to be. The threat of revolution may rip them apart but will love overcome.
This is an awesome book which is part of a series.
Jess Michaels has done a magnificent job with this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

This is an enjoyable story that takes us back to Athawick and the Royal family. This story features the King of Athawick, Grantham, and Lady Ophelia. Since this is the fourth book of the series we are already familiar with these characters which gives leave for the author to skip redundant introduction scenes.

Grantham is a complex character. He has been raised to be King. He was raised to put the needs of the Athawickian people and the needs of a King over any other need or desire. He has in fact managed to relegate “Grantham” as secondary to “The King” — walling himself off from his family and any potential happiness. He does this so well that the man inside The King has almost been forgotten. Then Lady Ophelia bursts into his world and she lights his world on fire!

Lady Ophelia is a character who on the surface appears to be carefree and happy. She hides her inner pain well and doesn’t allow herself to be placed on a shelf and forgotten. After just watching her best friend Lady Priscilla meet and fall head over heels in love with Prince Remington (Princes Are Wild) Ophelia finds herself wondering what it would be like to have a loving relationship like Priscilla & Remi’s. At the same time she finds herself becoming enamored by the surliest man she has ever met and she wonders if she can help bring some happiness to his life even if only temporary.

Grantham of course doesn’t give in easily but Ophelia refuses to allow “The King” to push her away from the man she desires. These two end up in a brief battle of the wits but in the end desire & passion win, leading Grantham & Ophelia to burn up the sheets with their sizzling encounters.

Then feelings start to develop and emotional connections are made which will only make the parting all the more painful. They knew going into their brief affair there would be no happily ever after for them so when each of them realizes they are falling in love, they hide their feelings.

Will these two get past all the hurdles in their way to reach that elusive happiness or are they only to have their brief affair in Athawick?

I found this story to be very sexy but I was not able to connect with these two MCs as well as with previous books. I also felt like the “brief affair-to-love” situation mimicked Priscilla & Remi’s story too much, it was almost like reading the same book with different character names.

Overall I have enjoyed this series. The stories are not very angsty and they are predictable but the characters are fun. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!

3.5 Stars ⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥

Finally, King Grantham and Lady Olivia's story! In prior novels, King Grantham is described as being very tightly wound. Lady Olivia disparages him openly and finds him to be a killjoy. I really liked their previous interactions, it's what made me eagerly anticipate this book. However, I feel like we lost a little bit of their mutual hate and went straight to lust. If I hadn't read the previous books, I wouldn't have known they started out as enemies-ish.

I loved Grantham's back story and finding out what made him tick. I also found his self-castigation to be realistic and what I would expect from someone who is isolated from the people he loves. I also loved that Olivia becomes the bridge that connects him and humanizes him. I really felt like Michaels wrote a little bit of every woman's story in this book.

The rebel storyline was a little bit of a letdown after the hype from the previous books, but honestly, I wasn't that invested in it. I actually really loved how Grantham's journey pivoted. Like the others, this book is pretty steamy. The emotional payout in this book was deeply satisfying.

To Kiss A King, is by far my favorite of this series. I guessed a lot of what happened, it didn't take away from the book at all though. For Grantham, heavy is the head that wears the crown. Fortunately for him Ophelia is an awesome helpmate. Once they got over their disdain for each other that is.