Royal Reluctance is the fourth book in the Love in Laandia series by Holly Kerr and my first book by her. Eight years ago Prince Bo married Hettie Crow in a secret wedding however a few books later she left the country without saying anything. Now while the pair are still married, they have not interacted over the course of the eight years, however Hettie has now returned and she's with someone that Bo never expected.

I found this to be a quick bingeable romance read that I had a good time with however at the same time I don't think it is one that will stick with me, nor do I think that Holly Kerr is an author who I will come back to in the future. There were elements that didn't work for me however there were also elements that I did enjoy.

I liked quite a lot of the main characters who we saw a lot especially Tema, Hettie and Bo's daughter and Abigail, Hettie's best friend. I loved seeing Tema and she always made me smile. Abigail was a fantastic friend to Hettie throughout the story which connects to one of my favourite things to see explored in books. Hettie and Bo were both characters who I enjoyed learning more about as the story went on, including their past, why they had acted the way they did and what they wanted from their future. I liked seeing their relationship develop and the pair begin to trust each other as the book developed along with seeing them grow on their own as they worked through the past things that in many ways had forced them to grow apart. I did also have a good time with some of the other characters that we met however I don't think we spent enough time with them to truly get to know them and gather thoughts on them.

Some of the things I struggled with in the book though included the number of characters and the pace in many ways.

I found that there were too many characters in this book and while I think that I may in many ways I might have had less of an issue with this if I had read the earlier books in the series however apart from this the book completely worked as a standalone. Both of the characters had large families and for a 300 page book we met a lot of other characters who lived in the surrounding area. This meant that I struggled to keep track of who all the characters were that got referenced throughout the story. I also would have liked to have gotten to know some more of the characters more however this wasn't possible with the book length and number of characters.

I also found myself struggling with how quickly these two characters moved, things felt like they only took place over a few days but their life massively changed and a lot happened which I struggled to keep up with. I would have liked for the characters to have slowed down and taken time to have more conversations about what would have been best for their lives. For the 300 pages a lot happened but it also felt like things needed to be a little slower.

My final issue with this book was the confusion that I felt about the setting. I still am not very sure where the country of Laandia is, however after looking at the authors social media I do think I have a little bit of a better understanding. There were historical events referenced that just confused me and other things mentioned just had be up and moving where I thought Laandia was on a map, this is another thing that potentially could have been fixed by reading the earlier books however the references about the history of the country just confused me and took me out the story instead of adding to my understanding. I don't need my contemporary romances to necessarily be set somewhere I know however with them being contemporary romances I do need to have an understanding of the location.

Overall, I did enjoy my reading of this book however for a mix of reasons I don't think I will come back to Holly Kerr. I also don't think it is a book that I will go out of my way to recommend in the future and do wish that some things had been different for me to have had a better time with this book.

This was such a great story for read. The way the story started and to see if there was a second chance at their royal romance story. It was kind of sad how he never knew about their kid but immediately stepped in as a father. Even from the moment Hettie came back into Bo's life you saw there was still a lot of love between them. It was good to read how they both matured and dealt with their problems in life. How the whole royal family grieved after the queen's death. I came into this series by this book and I can't wait to read the previous books in the series
5 stars

Sweet Royal Story !

3.5⭐️

🌷Both Bo and Hettie have a lot of things to work through, including their 8 year separation, family problems, grief, and growing into new roles.

🌷However, through it all, this book definitely had the swoony, emotional factor down. It also shows a lot of growth from everyone involved.

🌷Spice:0

🌷Language: 0

🌷Read this as an ARC. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

I am a fan of royal romance books, and have been reading Holly Kerr's Laandia books leading up to this one. It was sweet and funny book about second chances, misunderstandings and healing.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of Royal Reluctance by Holly Kerr

While I enjoyed the premise of this story, I felt a few things were a little far fetched for me. Both characters seemed selfish and their daughter was too knowing to not have previously said something to her mom about her father. I don’t know why, but for some reason, this just didn’t allow for me to connect with any of the characters which made me skip around the story until I finished it.
Just not the story for me.

I'm a suckered for a royal romance. Ever since I got into hallmark move and there is always a royal one in production.
This one was a goodie. I like the way it was written from each of our romantic leads Pov. It meant we got both sides. And often meant we changed views on situations in relation to who's side we were reading. Which is often the way. And did make me realise how both sides can and are often true it's just different people and miscommunication often lead to differing viewpoints.
There was a few surprises. Definite work to do for our second chance couple.
Why did they get married in the first place if she was to up and leave? Could they put their past behind them. Especially with certain family dynamics and a very very significant suprise on Hetties return

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

Wow!! What a great book!! This one was a page turner! Had me hooked from the first page! This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the writing style!!

First, I will publicly declare I am a sucker for royal romances. Having been an impressionable 13-year-old when Lady Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles, that real-life fairytale left an indelible impression on me, and since then, I have devoured everything royal. Some books are more formulaic than others and highly predictable (which can be a good thing). Still, a royal romance will occasionally surprise you with almost everything between the covers. For me, Royal Reluctance was that book. It is told in a back-and-forth narrative style, which is rare but allows the reader to get both viewpoints of the main characters, Bo and Hettie, almost simultaneously, which is refreshing. There are twists and turns throughout, and everything changes when you think you know what will happen. I loved this book for its sharp writing, well-developed characters, not-so-traditional plotline, and the fun of reading it one snowy afternoon. It is highly entertaining, keeps a quick pace, and draws the reader into Laandia, its rugged environment, the lovely royal family (most of the time), and the not-so-traditional romance of Prince Bo (People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive) and Hettie. It is a book that romance readers and royal genre fans should not miss. And folks should keep Holly Kerr on their radar as an author to follow.

This heartfelt royal romance follows Prince Bo of Laandia, who secretly married Hettie Crow eight years ago—only for her to leave the country weeks later. Now living a quiet life as a lumberjack, Bo is stunned when Hettie returns, forcing them to confront their painful past and decide if they can heal and move forward together.

Filled with humor, found-family dynamics, and emotional depth, the story explores themes of grief, insecurities, and second chances. Bo and Hettie’s journey is both sweet and compelling, with well-developed relationships and a protective, supportive cast. A low-spice royal/commoner romance, this book is perfect for readers who enjoy heartfelt love stories with realistic emotional growth.

Second chance romance fans, listen up! I’ve found a good one! Royal Reluctance by Holly Kerr is one to pick up on pub day.

This was a light hearted book and is part of a series that i had not read, but will certainly check out now. This is a second chance romance and all about found family - very sweet!

Cute book about a second chance romance between Bo, Prince of Laaandia and Hettie his estranged wife when they reconnect after 8 years and…SURPRISE…they have a kid.

I honestly wanted to give the book a good rating by like page three when the author writes something about “that obnoxious buffoon of a man currently running America”. SOLID GOLD right there.

this was a fun book to read. this is the first book that I have read written by holly Kerr but I ended up enjoying it. royal reluctance is the third book in the lobe in laandia series. bo and hattie were complicated characters with a history together. I kind of liked them and I kind of didn't. they had to grow on me. they were a second chance romance with a fast marriage and a secret baby. they had marriage and then everything had fallen apart so they hadn't seen each other in a while. it was interesting to read about them interacting. I liked how they didn't seem to just get mad at each other but really tried to work through their feelings. they had a lot to talk through. the progress their relationship was also complicated but in the end they made it work. I really liked the side characters and the family themes that were shown through this book. the characters felt real and they really had to grow. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy comtemporary romances with hints of drama. royal reluctance is a closed door comtemporary romance.

After eight years, Hettie returns to Laandia to see her childhood sweetheart, Prince Bo, to ask for a divorce...and reveal the secret that she's been keeping from him.

I love a book about a secret baby reveal (it's my guilty pleasure) and I found this book to be a quick and sweet read. Normally when there are fictional monarchies, they tend to be based in Europe (the Princess Diaries, every Hallmark movie) and I really appreciated that Laandia was off the coast of Canada, and had a distinctly Canadian feel - I wished I was reading my book with a Laandian snow outside the window with a cup of hot chocolate. This book can be read and enjoyed without reading the previous books in the series, but I will say that it probably would have been helpful to have a grasp on some of the minor characters in the book.

The book had wonderful themes of the importance of making a family - the relationship between FMC Hettie and her best friend Abigail, who is helping her raise her daughter, is really heartwarming, and about being able to rely on those around you - Bo is only able to grow when he seeks support from a therapist and his family. It's a great message in a time where we can all feel increasingly isolated.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the works of Sarah Adams or Melanie Harlow.

This was a fun book to read. This is the first book that I have read written by Holly Kerr but I ended up enjoying it. Royal Reluctance is the third book in the Love in Laandia series.
Bo and Hettie were complicated characters with a history together. I kind of liked them and I kind of didn’t. They had to grow on me. They were a second chance romance with a fast marriage and a secret baby. They had married and then everything had fallen apart so they hadn’t seen each other in a while.
It was interesting reading about them interacting. I liked how they didn’t seem to just get mad at each other but really tried to work through their feelings. They had a lot to talk through. The progress of their relationship was also complicated but in the end they made it work.
I really liked the side characters and the family themes that were shown through this book. The characters felt real and they really had to grow. I would recommend Royal Reluctance to those who enjoy contemporary romances with hints of drama. Royal Reluctance is a closed door contemporary romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.