Hi y’all!

Happy Spring and Happy May! What a crazy time of year with so many exciting, fun events happening. If we can make it to June, things should settle down a bit. But for now, we’re trying to soak up every moment of the end of the school year!

I am so excited to review Royal Gone Rogue by Emma St Clair! I loved book one in this series, Royally Rearranged and was so excited to be back in this world. Emma does it again! After all the anticipation, I absolutely loved it!

Book Summary: “I need to find the perfect woman to be my queen. Love was never supposed to be part of the arrangement.

I’ve always done things by the book–that’s the burden of being the heir to the Elsinorian throne. So when my father grows ill and my coronation seems imminent, I intend to find my future queen the same way … with logic and a list of eligible women who fit a detailed set of data points. My brother agrees to cover for me at the court, and I set out to offer a common woman the chance to be something more. Only … nothing goes according to plan.

Alessia is far more than she seemed on paper, and she stirs feelings I never imagined having. The next thing I know, I’m washing dishes in her grandfather’s restaurant, hoping to win her hand and her heart. Meanwhile, my absence in Elsinore has been noticed and the whole kingdom is wondering if I’m abdicating the throne. Though I love the simple village life, I need to return home, and I won’t do so without Alessia.

The only problem: I might not have mentioned the fact that I’m the crown prince of Elsinore.”

The characters are fantastic and easy to cheer for. I love all of Emma’s characters and this novel was great to get to know some characters from the previous book better. It’s so fun to get inside Phillip’s head and get to know him. We get so little about him in the first book that it was all the more fun to have his story at the center of this one. Love his logical mind and unexpected falling in love. I also enjoyed getting to know Callum better and see a redeeming side of him too. Alessia was also fantastic. She has overcome a lot and I admired her dedication to her Nono and her kind heart. Loved how she brings out the best in Phillip. Love her support system and how her Nonos and best friend help her reach for her dreams even when she is scared.

Phillip and Alessia’s romance is a surprising and beautiful love at first sight. I love that they are instantly drawn to each other and how they can confide in each other. Love how easy their life is together in her hometown and how they strengthen each other and see each other beyond titles and jobs. Also all the swoony kisses and smolders. 😀 Their chemistry is electric and I love it!! Also loved the nicknames — “just Phillip” and Sia. So sweet! Theirs is a complicated relationship with Phillip’s duties to his country and Alessia’s loyalty to her Nono. They have to take risks and change things that they thought they wouldn’t have to change. But I love their journey and how they find a balance between duty, family, and love.

I love the settings in this book — the beautiful Italian coast and the contrasting beauty of the Elsinore kingdom. Getting to know Phillip away from Elsinore was a rare treat. In Alessia’s hometown, he lets his guard down and works hard in new ways. He comes to understand himself and his duties more clearly. And I love how he falls in love with Alessia and her community. Contrasting his experience is Alessia’s in Elsinore. I loved the light moments with Phillip’s siblings in the kitchen. And the ways she finds a niche for herself in a world of dutiful boundaries. The ways they blend their two homes is beautiful amidst the challenges they have to overcome together.

I absolutely loved this novel! Great characters, beautiful settings and fantastic romance. Such a satisfying ending and beautiful happily ever after. Can’t recommend Emma’s books highly enough! I love them!

What are some of your favorite royal reads?
Any Emma fans out there? Which are your favorite Emma novels?