The Royals Next Door
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4.8 • 4 Ratings
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- £3.49
Publisher Description
One of PopSugar's Top Summer Reads of 2021!
An ordinary summer goes royally awry when a prince and princess move next door, bringing their handsome bodyguard with them, from New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle.
Piper Evans: elementary school teacher by day--avid romance reader and anonymous podcaster by night. She has a quiet, reclusive life, taking care of her mother, who lives with mental illness, avoiding her regrettable ex, who bartends in town, and trying to make inroads in the tight-knit island community that still sees her, five years in, as an outsider.
And she's happy with how things are--really--until British royals rent the property next to hers and their brooding bodyguard decides she's a security threat. Piper quickly realizes that one person's fairy tale is an ordinary woman's nightmare as a media frenzy takes over the island and each run-in with Harrison Cole is hotter and more confusing than the last. But beneath Harrison's no-nonsense exterior lies a soft heart, one that could tempt a woman who's sworn off attachments into believing in white knights.
But when Piper finds herself smack in the middle of a royal scandal that rocks the island she'll need more than Harrison's strong arms to shield her--she'll have to do a little rescuing herself. With careers, hearts, and friendships on the line, Piper and Harrison will have to decide what they're willing to give up for a chance at their own happily ever after.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This lighthearted romance from Halle (Bright Midnight) imagines the life of the civilian neighbor to a Prince Harry and Meghan Markle–inspired royal couple. Elementary school teacher Piper Evans has her hands full with work, an obnoxious and hard-to-avoid ex, and her mother, who has dependent and borderline personality disorders. She has no time for the rumors that British Prince Eddie and his glamorous African American wife, Monica Red, are moving to her small British Columbia island—until they and their entourage rent the house adjacent to hers. Most intriguing is Harrison Cole, the royal couple's handsome, hard-ass bodyguard. Harrison is dedicated to his job and determined not to let his attraction to scatterbrained Piper distract him from his duty, but Piper, needing an outlet for all the pent-up angst in her life, meets his stern attitude with plenty of sass, and sparks fly. When the paparazzi catch wind of their relationship, Piper and Harrison become front-page news, jeopardizing Piper's mother's well-being and both of their careers. The improbable premise offers plenty of wish fulfilment, though the fun is somewhat marred by the handling of Piper's mother's mental illnesses, which are filtered through the burden they place on Piper. Still, the sparkling love story will appeal to fans of Jasmine Guillory.
