Princess Octavia of Avalonia and her younger sister Lili have been isolated from men their entire lives, due to their father's decree that no males between the ages of 7 and 30 were permitted on palace grounds. He refused to allow for any possibility that his precious daughters could somehow be "compromised." Their older brother, Crown Prince Leo, recently convinced their father to make an exception and hire a group of younger male palace guards, and Octavia, now 23, has been watching them train out the window for weeks. She's become convinced that the handsome head trainee, Gregor, is her one true love, so she sneaks out to try and meet him in the rose garden one day. Instead, she runs into Gregor's fellow trainee, Finlandorio "Finley" Bulgari, and accidentally confesses her love to him. The misunderstanding is quickly revealed, and Octavia is surprised to learn that Finley is actually her childhood friend "Dory." They were allowed to play together as young children but her parents separated them on Finley's 7th birthday; he and his mother, a palace laundress, moved into a cottage off palace grounds, though she kept her job, and Finley and Octavia haven't seen each other since. Even though he's drawn to Octavia himself, Finley agrees to act as a go-between for her and Gregor. Can he help his old friend obtain her heart's desire without losing his own heart in the process?
This book was absolutely adorable, and I think my favorite thing about it was that the author did such a fantastic job with the world building. The story had a true fairy tale feel to it, as if it took place in a world just slightly different from our own. Even though Octavia and Finley faced tough challenges and real (IMO draconian) consequences for their actions, their story somehow felt magical in a way that real life often doesn't. Beyond that, Finley and Octavia were super cute together. I really empathized with the awkwardness of Finley's position as third wheel, but at the same time found it sweet that he cared so much about Octavia as a friend that he was willing to set aside his own feelings to help her be happy.
Overall, I loved "Royal Rebel" and highly recommend it for all contemporary romance and romantic comedy fans. I look forward to the next book in the series, hopefully featuring Octavia's sister Lili.
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Enticing Journey Book Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "Royal Rebel"
You’ve never made a mistake like mine.
It’s bad enough being a bloomin’ princess.
It’s not all cake and tiaras.
There’s rules. Expectations.
Your internet is censored. Your cell phones are tapped.
And your father is literally king.
Mine made a law that no man between the age of seven and thirty is allowed to work inside the palace.
Which means I’m surrounded by kitchen staff, female guards, and a dusty old tutor named Maurice.
Now I’m twenty-three with zero experience around men. I’ve never even texted one.
But on the castle lawn, there are dozens of hunky new guards working out below the tower. I spy on them every day.
I’ve chosen one.
Kind. Beautiful. Strong.
I sneak through the underground tunnels to surprise him in the rose garden and tell him how I feel.
Except when I finally confess my love through the trellis, and we walk to the end of the hedge to begin our forbidden romance…
I realize I’ve accidentally propositioned the biggest playboy in the palace.
__
Royal Rebel is a standalone romantic comedy about a princess who breaks all the rules, overzealous donkeys that interrupt make-out sessions, and a hunky guard who thinks he’ll never, ever, limit himself to one woman — until he does.
Read an Excerpt from "Royal Rebel"
The Princess peers up at me. “Are you going to give me a movie screen kiss or not?”
Hell yes, I am.
If caution is a yellow flag, I fling it out of sight. I clasp the back of her head, threading my fingers through her hair. I pull her to me roughly until our bodies are flush together fully along their length.
I bend down and don’t wait for her to come to me. I pull her face to mine, delving instantly into her mouth. She opens in surprise as my tongue licks against hers. She’s warm honey and peppermint, yielding and soft.
After a moment, her body molds into mine. Her tongue comes for me, and her pulse flutters beneath my thumb at her throat. She lets out a sound and presses her pelvis against me.
With only a few inches between our heights, she lands where her body instinctively knows where to aim. I respond instantly, stiffening between us.
She pulls her face from mine, her eyes big as she looks up at me. “Is that…”
I want to grab her hips and grind into her. I’m fiercely in need. But I control myself. “It is.”
“What do I do with it?”
Oh, I could tell her.
She goes on. “Should I pretend it isn’t happening? It didn’t when I danced with that random guy. How often does it happen?”
I draw in a ragged breath. Her innocence is shocking, delectable. I want to break it wide open, right here, against a brick wall, pounding her until we both disintegrate into nothing.
Down, boy.
“You don’t have to talk about it. A guy knows it’s happening. It’s natural. Part of the process.”
“Already? Just from kissing? I thought we had to be naked. And ready to do that thing!”
“It can happen anytime.”
Her eyes go even wider. “Like at dinner? Or while driving a car?” She draws in a sharp breath. “Around your grandma?”
Okay, with that thought, I no longer have a problem. I let out a breath. “Probably not around a grandma. It’s a stage in the process. It’s not as obvious in women as men.”
“Is it happening to me?” She glances down at her jeans as if she might produce an erection or some other obvious sign. “Wait. Is that what they call a lady boner?”
I can’t stop myself from laughing. “Sort of. But not literally. You don’t have an outward sign.”
“What is my sign?”
Jesus. “A dampness. It’s called getting wet.”
“I’ve heard that phrase. They mean down there!”
“Yes.”
“It’s not pee, is it?”
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