Month: Feb 2020

Whitney has been in love with Derek Knightley since the day she was paired up with him in a mentor program. He leaves unexpectedly to go and run the London theme park leaving Whitney without a mentor and wondering what she did wrong. Since then she has spent the 8 years since he left wishing she could forget his existence. 8 years later Derek is back and the feelings Whitney felt for him come rushing back like a tsunami. 8 years ago Whitney would’ve had hearts in her eyes at even the slightest of advancement from Derek, now she’s built up her walls and wants to avoid him at all costs. Derek is confident and has decided that he wants Whitney in his life, and as the sole heir to the Knightley Kingdom he is more than used to getting what he wants.

I’ve read so many novels by R.S. Grey now and I know every time I pick one up that I’m going to love it. His Royal Highness is one of my favourite R.S. Grey novels. The whole story evolves around a Disneyland style park. I love Disneyland so a novel set in a theme park that revolves around a character who dresses up as the parks meetable Princess, where staff go through underground tunnels to avoid being seen by the public and even the owner of the park leaves in the castle itself…or so the rumour has it, was always going to be something I enjoyed. If you’ve ever loved going to Disney and wanted to read a romance novel that is set in a theme park like Disney then this is absolutely the book for you.

I had mixed opinions on Whitney. On the one hand I can completely see why she held a grudge against Derek for so long. He disappeared off the face of the earth, sent her one email saying sorry for not being her mentor anymore and didn’t even acknowledge the fact that she asked him out. I feel that if I was in her position I would’ve reacted in exactly the same way. However, when you read about it in a book it comes across as slightly irritating, Whitney had just turned 18 when they first met, Derek was much older and was getting ready to open the London branch of the theme park. At the time they were in completely different stages of their lives so you can see why Derek somewhat brushed her off.

As the book got going though and Whitney somewhat lets go off the past I started to love reading about her. She adores the park and couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. When in character Whitney gives every child the best experience they could ask for from a Princess and Whitney still lives in her dorm room on site to look after the younger members of staff. I instantly liked Derek, even in the beginning and he was very busy with the company he still took time for Whitney. I loved reading about Derek even more once he took on a low grade job in the park as Whitney’s Prince Charming – a meetable character.

This book is quite simply – fantastic. It tapped into my love of theme parks and romance novels perfectly. I loved the characters and I really loved the storyline. The romance part itself is a very slow burner but that doesn’t mean that you cant feel the tension between Whitney and Derek oozing from the pages throughout the story anyway. If you’re like me and love Disney style theme parks and romance books then you will love His Royal Highness. It has become an instant favourite book for me.

Synopsis – 

I’ve spent eight years wishing I’d fall out of love with Derek Knightley. Blowing out birthday candles, chasing after shooting stars, making it rain spare change into mall fountains – every time it’s the same wish: forget about Derek.

But the day he walks back into my life, I realize there are two things time has yet to soften: my feelings for him and his chiselled jawline.

It’s infuriating that my heart still races when he walks into a room. I refuse to fall prey to old unrequited love, so I decide the less I’m around him, the better. Avoidance is key.

Unfortunately, Derek isn’t going to make it easy. As a teenager, I would have crawled on my hands and knees to attract his attention. Now I can’t seem to escape it.

I’m not sure why he’s bothering. He’s not just out of my league – he’s out of my tax bracket. As the sole heir to the Knightley Company, he’s as close to American royalty as you can get. As for me, I’m just a part-time princess at Knightley’s flagship magical theme park.

I spend my days playing make-believe, but Derek has no use for fairy tales. His unwavering confidence makes it clear he think I’ll surrender in the end.

He’s just biding his time.

Making me sweat.

His Royal Highness always gets what he wants. And he wants me.

Laurie thinks she has her life pretty much worked out, she is doing great in a job that she loves and she found her soulmate in her childhood sweetheart Dan. That is, until Dan comes in one day and tells her its over, based on the excuse that he doesn’t want children and Laurie does. If this wasn’t heart-breaking enough, Laurie has to work with Dan and soon has to contend with the office gossips talking about Dan and his pregnant girlfriend. In a bizarre turn of fate Laurie gets stuck with the office playboy Jamie. Laurie wants something to stop the gossips talking about her and Dan’s relationship and Jamie needs a steady girlfriend to impress the bosses so he can get the promotion he’s after. They both agree to fake date, with photos of their perfect relationship being documented on social media. Soon, Laurie realises that she’s actually falling for her fake boyfriend and the lines between fake and real start to blur.

This book is fantastic. It plays into every single insecurity you have about being in a relationship so wonderfully. I was completely sucked into Laurie’s story and I was distraught when Dan left her. You know its a good book when you are drawn so heavily into the story that it starts to affect your own feelings in real life and this book definitely started to weave its way into my real life feelings the whole time I was reading it. It was like someone had taken out my own heart and stamped on it particularly during the early sections of this book. The author writes in such a realistic way which means that you can relate to the story and characters and that for me is the real strong point of this novel.

The characters have personality and that is something I like from this story. Jamie although from an outsiders point of view is seen as a playboy that sleeps around half of the females in the office so much so that his reputation follows him from job to job. However, from the minute he meets Laurie he treats her with respect, doesn’t try anything on, is this first to spring to Laurie’s defence and frankly just seems an all around nice guy. Laurie is understandably hurt and wants to hurt her ex even ten percent of how much he hurt her. However, she doesn’t use Jamie. She isn’t faking when meeting his family and friends, and even when they’re together they’re just having a good time as friends. Although Laurie, understandably, has her moments of being absolutely distraught that her long term boyfriend has left her, she doesn’t dwell too much on it. She’s too smart, independent and driven to stay in that depressive state and I like that. Even Dan, who you should hate for leaving Laurie so unexpectedly you cant by the end of the novel.

This is one of the best romance novels I’ve read in a long time. It’s such a simple concept a breakup which leads to a fake office romance but this book is so much more than that. It got into my brain, it was all I could think about until I got to the end and when I did finish the book it just made my heart so happy. The romance aspect of it isn’t full of sneaky fake kisses or anything like that, Jamie and Laurie are strictly friends with some well angled Instagram photos that make it look like they’re more. The friend aspect of this is what helps to make this book so good, its not a rushed romantic situation but you as a reader can definitely see the lines start to blur between fake relationship to friendship to real relationship.

Genuinely this is one of my favourite books I’ve read so I couldn’t recommend you buy this book more.

Synopsis – 

If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love and actually falling for your charming, handsome fake boyfriend…

Sam has had the worst day in the world, normally she has her life relatively on track but it’s the day of her grandfathers funeral and she just needs a distraction. Sam starts talking to the hot guy sat next to her at a bar and before she knows it they end up having a one night stand. They both agree beforehand that it would only ever be a one night thing to the extent that neither would know the others name. That night was the much needed fun that Sam needed except that when she walks into the office the next day, her new employee Ryan, just happens to be the guy from the night before. Sam has a strict no relationship with employee’s rule but will her heart let her make an exception with Ryan?

I really enjoyed the storyline. Its an office romance style novel except the roles are reversed with the female being the boss and they male being the employee. The company is just a small business and everyone is very friendly and supportive to one another so the arrival of moody Ryan causes a bit of a disruption. Top that off with the fact that Ryan is literally the only person at the company who can develop the companies new app before a rival business beats them too it.

Even based on the blurb the reader knows its going to be Sam and Ryan who have the one night stand but I really enjoyed reading it. I like how resistant he was to even talk to her and her constant need just to have someone to talk to – I feel like in those opening few chapters you find out so much about the two’s personalities. The characters on the surface constantly fit that happy, chatty vs moody stereotype but as you keep reading you realise that there is much more to these characters than that. However, some parts of the characters personalities such as Ryan’s constant need to be reassured by Sam started to get a little irritating at times.

Overall I liked this book. Is it going to be a book you read time and time again? No. But if you’re looking for a office romance book that’s nice and easy to read I would definitely pick this one.

Synopsis –

Sam Huxton doesn’t do one-night stands, especially not with men she’s just met! But the hot guy at the bar was hard to resist and one night is all they share – no names, no numbers, just some much needed fun…

Until the same guy walks into Sam’s life the next day as her new employee.  Sam never mixes business with pleasure and makes it clear an office fling with Ryan is off-limits.  But after-hours…one thing can lead to another. Can Sam trust her heart and her business with the new guy?