The Vibes:

—royal romance

—second chance

—right hand to the throne/princess

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Royal advisor Baas was forced to send away the princess he wanted and couldn't have, Shaya. When she unexpectedly returns—with circumstances much changed—he sees the chance to finally be with her. But secrets and enemies stand in their way, and Shaya has to make a decision about how much she's willing to risk for love.

The Review:

Disclaimer—I did read (after getting this ARC) that reading the first novel in the series, The Accidental Queen, would provide more insight to this story. I didn't feel particularly held back, but I wanted to advise other readers.

This is one where the premise is exactly what I love. Royals! Big swings! Second chance! Forbidden love! But the execution wasn't quite where I wanted it to be.

There's a lot I do appreciate. Baas is the kind of alpha hero we don't see a lot of anymore in traditional publishing. He's a MAN'S man, for better or worse (and for some readers, it's going to be a lot). I also found it rather surprising that Baas begins with this book married to another woman—albeit in an arranged situation wherein he's pretty clear about not being in love. I'm honestly uncertain about how I feel regarding how Jackson resolved that plot, but again, it's a big swing and I have to tip my hat to big swings.

Shaya doesn't make quite as big a splash as Baas, but she's an endearing heroine who makes refreshingly human decisions. She's not perfect! She's not meek and mild! She's also not a standard issue "rebellious princess". I definitely understood why he was obsessed with her, and understood his spell over her in turn.

All that being said, I did feel like this could use a closer edit. I wanted a bit more description, a bit less telling and a bit more showing from the prose. This is an epic story, and I didn't quite see the writing style as really backing that epic feel as much as it could have.

But look: If you want something hot and fun with a modern alpha, you may find something more than I did. I'm just a pretty picky customer.

And if you're looking to escape with a royal romance? Well. It's right there!

Thanks to Black Odyssey Media and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Ｅｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
4.5 ☆
Royal advisor, Baas, never stopped loving the woman he was forced to send away. When Shaya unexpectedly returns, he sees a long-awaited chance at happiness. However, winning back her trust and uncovering the secrets that led to their separation proves more difficult than navigating the royal court.

I would highly recommend reading book one, "The Accidental Queen," before starting this book to gain some background understanding of the two main characters, Baas and Shaya! I enjoyed this book so much; I read it in one day. Shaya really annoyed, irritated, and angered me, but she slowly grew on me at the very end. Baas is definitely a book husband, not a boyfriend. That's a real man! This storyline was really good. Highly recommend.

Thank you, Netgellay, and Black Odyssey Media for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.