So I really, really, REALLY wanted to love this book. A royal romance written by an author that actually grew up in the Tower of London? Yes, please! The cover is so eye-catching, and the story has such a great hook. Alas, I just couldn't get into it.

There were things that I loved about this book. Firstly, I enjoyed getting an "inside glimpse" into what happens inside the Tower. I had no idea that there was a pub for Beefeaters, for example. I also loved Maggie's character growth from a shy, "I-won't-stand-up-for-myself" type of gal to a more bold, assertive version of herself (I was also cheering for her when her date stood her up and she stayed at the restaurant and ordered a bottle of wine for herself — serious girl boss energy).

Unfortunately, I found the writing repetitive and cliche at times (I was facepalming every time the author said "like moths to a flame" or "hit her like a ton of bricks"). I also found the beginning a bit slow, and there were a few times that I was tempted to give up after Maggie blushed or fell over for what felt like the seventeenth time. The writing really improved towards the end, but I think I was already mentally checked out at that point.

That being said, I have so much respect for any sort of debut author, and I'd be willing to try another book by Clawson in the future! Plus I feel much more educated on the Tower of London, which is always a bonus.

This is a jewel of a five-star read. I really enjoyed this story, there is just a lovely fluffiness to this story, but there is also an undercurrent that has an edge to keep it from being too light. There are some perfect British moments in this story, they will keep you hooked and make you smile. Maggie was a sweetheart and I just adored how she came out of herself, from peeking at the guards to jumping in with them. Watching her come out of herself with the aid of some boys will keep you hooked all the way through. I simply loved the details of this story as well, and it made me so desperate to go and visit the Tower again, I haven’t been since I was a child and loved getting to know all of the details, especially getting to know the Yeoman Warders and all of the different characters they are, seeing them in so much detail beyond the red tunics. I can’t forget the royal guards that all play their part, but this time its Grenadiers that shine their brightest shine and bring a beautiful light to this story as well as Maggie’s life.

As a lover of a royal romance, it was nice seeing a different side of things in this book.

Maggie lives in the Tower of London with her Beefeater father after breaking up with her ex (who is a massive jerk). Within the book you see Maggie start to find herself again and understand her worth and what makes her happy.

There are lots of fun, lighthearted bits in this book, but there’s also a lot of sad moments that underline the fact that everyone is going through something you don’t know about.

One of my favourite bits was finding out where the bloomin ‘go to the pub and wait for it to blow over’ zombie apocalypse quote is from.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

Thank you for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So I have to confess to being in a bit of a reading slump at the moment which I think took a bit of enjoyment out of this book for me. However with that said this is a really sweet, fun book. I loved the setting and elements and history we get as our main character Maggie lives in the Tower of London. The story follows Maggie as she makes friends with a group of Royal Guards and navigates bring newly single, exploring online dating and general life living in the Tower if London. It’s definitely a fun book and has a unique setting that makes it different to other romcoms.

Seeing so many people loving this made me really want to love it too. Unfortunately I just didn't quite connect to our leads, which makes a romance tough. I think it might have been how frustrating Maggie can be - although I'd imagine this is what a lot of people enjoyed about it. It's a fun concept though, I hope it finds its audience.

Love is in the heir in this royally good rom com debut. Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read!

5⭐️ this is the debut novel by Megan Clawson and oh wow this book is fantastic!
This book is so fluffy and full of humour it’s a perfect light hearted easy read! I devoured this book in just over a day I could not put it down. The author gave a great insight into the history of the Tower of London and it’s inhabitants.
I fell in love with Maggie and Freddie, they are just perfect together.

I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book

Margaret Moore lives in an actual castle but for some reason her happily ever after has eluded her. After breaking up with her ex after years of a terrible relationship, he now won’t leave her alone and visits her work trying to get her back. Did I mention she lives in the Tower of London? After a particularly bad run in with her ex she literally runs into a gorgeous guy... who just happens to b a Royal Guard. Maggie now can’t stop thinking about Freddie, the cute guard but he keeps giving her the hot and cold. One moment he’s inviting her to hang out the next he’s distant and hasn’t contacted her in months. Maggie wants her happily ever after so she starts going on Tinder and getting help from some very fun and sweet Royal Guards but for some reason she can’t keep away from Freddie. Yet when Freddie returns, he is pretty adamant that they are good friends... yet the more he draws her into his life the more she discovers that he has complicated secrets and that maybe they were just never meant to be. Unfortunately, despite how cute this sounded, it fell flat for me. The story felt bland and definitely needed a bit more. Maggie and Freddie didn’t really feel like they had any chemistry and Maggie’s entire personality consisted of either being clumsy, crunk, or embarrassed and awkward about standing up for herself. Honestly, the romance never felt there and I just didn’t find myself interested in any of the characters or the story. It felt Hallmark-esque, but without any of the fun. Despite how cute this could have been it just didn’t meet my expectations. Though this one didn’t work out for me, definitely give it a go if you are looking for some English romance with a castle, royal guard, and secret royalty.

***Spoiler: Freddie turns out to be a heir to a Duke... who just happens to also have a fiancee and he never told Maggie. Maggie confesses her feelings after finding all of this out and he tries to explain that he does love her but he is in an arranged marriage set up by his parents because thats all they want and Maggie doesn’t want to ruin his family relationship or reputation and says they have to end whatever was going on between them. Later on she runs into his fiancee who tells her he called off the engagement and stood up to his father and then maggie runs to him and they get together.***

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon Books UK, Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I was SO excited to be approved for this book - and I did enjoy it. However, it didn’t quite have the “vibes” I was expecting.

Overall it reminded me much more of a Beth O’Leary style romance, World and character building, day to day low stakes vibes, as opposed to a medium/fast pace steamy romance that I’d expected.

I enjoyed the book, the characters, and the glimpse into a life inside the Tower of London, however, I feel like this was a bit too long and wordy. I think it could do with another serious edit, to keep the reader a bit more engaged throughout.

I’ll still be purchasing this when it’s released, as I’ve been looking forward to it since the author first started talking about it!

Falling hard for the Royal Guard follows the life of Maggie, who lives with her dad within the grounds of the Tower of London as she tries to get her life back on track after a break up. It was fun to read the details of life living inside the Tower grounds (had never even realised people actually lived there!). The writing style was great and super readable, My only disappointment was that I felt there really wasn’t as much romance as I had expected from this book, and after a slow start the ending felt quite rushed. But all in all a very enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgalley, for giving me the opportunity to read this debut novel from Megan Clawson. Everyone who knows me very well, will know that I have a soft spot for some of the Royals. So, I couldn’t hesitate to request this ARC.

The story is about Margaret (Maggie), who recently got out of a horrible break up. She moved back in with her dad who is a beefeater at the Tower of London. And yes, they do live there. This place is basically like Big Brother. Everyone who works there, lives there and they definitely gossip a lot. Maggie works as a ticket seller at the tower. But her colleagues are treating her like garbage. They patronize and bully her. And it certainly doesn’t make it better that her ex-boyfriend stalks her at her workplace. The only friends she has is her cat and crows.

But one day she bumps into this handsome Guard. The first meeting certainly did not go well. Freddie/the Guard basically snaps at her for bumping into him. When Maggie stands up for herself, he feels bad and apologizes to her the next time he sees her. Maggie is immediately attracted to this guy and she can’t help but to find out more about him. Even though their attraction is undeniable, Freddie keeps his distance from her. Maggie will not wait for her prince on a white horse, so she decides to set up a Tinder profile and have a couple of dates. But only if they would go well…. And what does Freddie think of this Tinder dating?

Overall, the story was good. I loved the plot and I was so looking forward to the ending. But the problem was that it took a long time for Maggie to finally have her happy ending. The writer wrote so many sad scenes in the book that I couldn’t help but feeling bad for Maggie all the time. She constantly gets hurt and rejected by everyone around her. And yes, there were many scenes that Maggie cries. I wanted to jump into the book and hug the girl. I do feel the Tinder date scenes were funny though. I can imagine a lot of people might be able to recognize themselves in here. 😊 When Maggie finally got her happy ending, I felt relieved but not satisfied. There were no intimate scenes in this book. I know a romance book shouldn’t be only about that. But there were almost no kissing scenes. I feel Freddie and Maggie deserved one proper intimate scene.

A brilliant Debut novel which I couldn’t put down and binge read !

I enjoyed the amount of history which was in the book especially with how much an important landmark the Tower of London is. It was interesting to find out a bit more history of the guard and the beefeaters. I loved watching Maggie grow as a person, however at times I wanted to shake her by the shoulders as she is treated horrendously and legs people get away with it

This book is the perfect romcom. I absolutely loved it!

Maggie is such a relatable character (other than her living in the Tower of London!). Her insecurities and anxieties were well-written and something that most of us feel. I loved that she wasn’t the perfect female MC.

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard has swoony romance, funny moments, a little heartbreak, and kept me wanting to read until I got to the end. I also loved the little facts about the Tower of London and it’s history that were sprinkled organically throughout the story.

This is one I’ll definitely be recommending to others!

Such a lovely book to read. I love how it was about the London Tower, Royal Guards and a romance. It’s the perfect British book written in one.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Royal Guards and to get a bit more insight into them - even through this book - is super interesting. They are always doing their utmost, following protocol, looking smart and oh so serious.

Freddie is a dream come true. He’s handsome, kind and caring. Despite his job (which turns out to be wayyyy more than at the start) he likes to follow his head and heart.

And Maggie, a strong minded woman who won’t let anyone stop following their dreams for her but still is true to herself and her heart.

So, Maggie and Freddie… the perfect couple. They went through a lot to get to where they needed to be but I loved it. A slow burn romance indeed. I chuckled a few times at their scenarios and/or situations they found themselves in but overall, it shows how much they’ve grown together.

It was a fab, easy read. I found myself wanting more but that was greed because the ending was perfect!

Thank you to @netgalley, @meganambxr and @avonbooksuk for allowing me access to this ARC!

For Megan Clawson's debut, Falling Hard For The Royal Guard is an immediately captivating story full of humour, romance and royal history. As Maggie finds her feet in the world of the Tower of London, her life gets a surprise when she runs into Freddie, a guardsman who shows her the hidden world of the Tower of London, and the lives of those protecting it. A definite for lovers of romance, history and London royals, Maggie is a fun filled character with genuine heart who's story will hook you in from the get go.

Maggie lives with her father, a beefeater, in the tower of London. A spectacular and unusual home setting. A history buff who has been unable to find a suitable job Maggie works in the tower ticket office. A job she loathes, with people she dislikes and is taunted by. Her life life is no better until she literally bumps into a rather dashing guardsmen. Their story unfolds following many twist and turns. Likeable characters and well written. Great holiday read

The character of Maggie was so wholesome and quirky, I adored her. I don't think I ever read a rom-com book with a royal guard as the love interest, so it was pretty refreshing. Also, let's all admit royal guards are 😍😍😍 I loved how Maggie grew into herself, the beginning of the book with her constant clumsiness, I'll admit, was a bit much, but I loved Maggie's growth.

All the information that Megan Clawson added to the book about The Tower of London was fun to read. I had no idea that people lived there! I'm so happy that I was able to read this book, it was the perfect rom-com weekend read ❤️

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard 3/5 ⭐️
🗓 May 2nd, 2023
💂🏻‍♂️Slow Paced
💂🏻‍♂️Royal Guard Love Interest
💂🏻‍♂️ Clumsy Heroine

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

I found this a book of two halves, the insight into living inside the Tower of London and then Maggie and Freddie. I loved all the descriptions of the different parts of the tower and the ceremony of the keys but I also loved Freddie’s colleagues and the way they befriended Maggie. Such interesting characters were intertwined with the stories and my favourite had to be the raven keeper.

Both Maggie and Freddie had obstacles preventing them from being more than friends but I really wanted Maggie to find her happily ever after. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it

This was a brilliant story but I got frustrated with the way it was written. The main character was frustrating at times. I loved all the tower information. There was lots to like and it did have a perfect ending

I loved this book for so many reasons and one of the main ones is that a lesser known fact about me si that I grew up in the Tower of London as my dad was - and still is- a Beefeater and this book brought back so many memories of living there through my teenage years and still going back there to visit my family now. And yes it really is hard to get a takeaway delivered to one of the most famous buildings in London.
Now back to the book - the story is so compelling and cute and the writing is so engaging that I read this in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I loved it