Royals - Book Review

Royals by Rachel Hawkins

⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins serves up a deliciously royal romance, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Huntley Fitzpatrick. 

Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond. 

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself. 

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings her signature humor, love of Americana, and flair for romance to this page-turning Princess Diaries turned-upside-down story.

My Review

Page Count: 296 pgs./8 hrs., 1 min.

Genre: YA Contemporary

Series: Royals, Book 1

Narrator: Amanda Leigh Cobb

I was expecting this to be a cute, fun, fluffy read, and I was not disappointed. Daisy and her adventures in Scotland are hilarious, and the characters are a lot of fun. I didn't have high expectations for this book, so I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had reading it. 

I know there are unrealistic aspects to this book, and yes, the characters could have been fleshed out and developed more, but I was in the mood for something light, so these shortcomings didn't bother me. If you are looking for a happy book, this is it!

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The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from the Publisher: 

An instant New York Times bestseller!

By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.

Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

My Review: 

I'm on the fence about this book. At times, I really like it, and then sometimes I think it is just OK. The fairies in this book are incredibly cruel, to the point that it was hard to read at times. The fairies that go to school with Jude enjoy bullying her to the breaking point. Jude grew a lot in this book; her character development was the best by far. I liked that she finally stood up for herself, but I felt like some of her actions went too far. Overall, I think that she is a strong female character who finally found her voice. There were also a lot of plot twists that were well done. I was not expecting the ending!

I gave this book four stars because I am so indecisive about it. I feel like if I really loved it, there wouldn't be a question of how many stars to give. I will continue with the series, but I don't think this book quite lived up to the hype. 

Trigger Warnings: suicide, physical abuse, bullying

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To Kill a Kingdom

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description from Publisher Fiewel and Friends: Lira, a famous siren, must prove herself by stealing the heart of the man, a prince, threatening their race in this dark and action-packed debut.

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most--a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby--it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good--But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

Alexandra Christo's debut is a dark and richly imagined take on The Little Mermaid that will leave readers breathless.

My Review: This novel has all the "biggies:" love, war, kingdoms, hate, alliances, and mythology. Who wouldn't love that? Princess Lira is a famous siren known as The Princes' Bane, and she is tasked to kill Prince Elian, who prides himself on being a siren killer. This novel is told in dual narrative, giving readers a glimpse into both Lira's and Elian's points of view. 

Because this was a take on "The Little Mermaid," I was a bit skeptical of how good the book would be, but the synopsis was intriguing and sounded unique enough to avoid cliches. I was immediately drawn into the story from the first line: "I have a heart for every year I've been alive." This book is well paced, and the action and character development are really good. I was enamored at the climax of the book, and even though I predicted part of the ending, the journey to the ending was what made it all worth it. 

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars, and I cannot wait to read the next book from Alexandra Christo!

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