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Royalty #3
Arriving
This is book #3 in the Royalty Series.
Alice, a small-town teacher who had lost her parents years ago, had always felt out of place. There was just something missing in her life that she could never seem to identify. When a man showed up to tell her that she was the long-lost daughter of a King and Queen who had been exiled from their country and were now dead, Alice didn’t believe him.
Nora, a Major in the Royal Protection Service of Kleinland – a small island nation in the North Sea – had always fought for the crown, including the war that was lost to the rebels. While Kleinland was now being run by a dictator, who’s intent on ruining her country, Nora volunteers to find and bring back the nation’s rightful heir, a teacher in America named Alice.
Alice is hesitant to believe and claim her title as Queen of Kleinland, but the Major could be very persuasive. She’s also very attractive, and Alice is wondering why she’s never thought of a woman the way she’s thinking about the Major when she should be focused on trying to oust a dictator with his army and regain control of her new country.
Alice, a small-town teacher who had lost her parents years ago, had always felt out of place. There was just something missing in her life that she could never seem to identify. When a man showed up to tell her that she was the long-lost daughter of a King and Queen who had been exiled from their country and were now dead, Alice didn’t believe him.
Nora, a Major in the Royal Protection Service of Kleinland – a small island nation in the North Sea – had always fought for the crown, including the war that was lost to the rebels. While Kleinland was now being run by a dictator, who’s intent on ruining her country, Nora volunteers to find and bring back the nation’s rightful heir, a teacher in America named Alice.
Alice is hesitant to believe and claim her title as Queen of Kleinland, but the Major could be very persuasive. She’s also very attractive, and Alice is wondering why she’s never thought of a woman the way she’s thinking about the Major when she should be focused on trying to oust a dictator with his army and regain control of her new country.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 14, 2023
153 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Pyland
80 books821 followersNicole Pyland is a bestselling author of lesbian romance novels, including No After You, All the Love Songs, and the series like Chicago, San Francisco, Tahoe, Sports, Boston, and more. Since 2017, she’s published over 30 novels (not including her What Happened After shorts), and more books are on their way!
Nicole grew up in Indiana, studying English & Film and then getting a MS in Behavior Analysis and moving to California, working by day as a Head of Training at a start-up. She lives with her wife and their opinionated cat, who spends his evenings helping her write stories by occupying half the chair.
Website: nicolepyland.com
Newsletter: nicolepyland.com/newsletter
Twitter: @nicole_pyland
Facebook: @nicolepylandauthor
Nicole grew up in Indiana, studying English & Film and then getting a MS in Behavior Analysis and moving to California, working by day as a Head of Training at a start-up. She lives with her wife and their opinionated cat, who spends his evenings helping her write stories by occupying half the chair.
Website: nicolepyland.com
Newsletter: nicolepyland.com/newsletter
Twitter: @nicole_pyland
Facebook: @nicolepylandauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 30, 2023
'Arc provided by The Author in exchange for my honest review'
**'Trying to have perfectionism when telling your story halts your skills, lower your many possibilities which eventually gives you the permission to tell any lousy story. Think before you put just any words on paper..'
Okay read!
Such a good concept but it was both trying and challenging to get through. Though 'ARRIVING' is somewhat of an engaging and surreptitiously okay written story, it's not without it's problems. This third book in the 'Royalty' series should be an exquisitely well told story about historical insights, family lineage, nice connections, developing friendships and all those moral boundaries etc. etc. etc.. Instead the storyline began with first person perspectives -- from Alice then few chapters in, Nora --- then further along, other character involved in their story which got a bit jarring. When i got to the ending, i had to go back a few times to re-read certain paragraphs searching for those minuscule moments of when & how they (Alice & Nora) connected romantically because i did not think they had any chemistry.
Ms.Pyland stumble in executing the storyline in this book #3 and i'm having it take a backseat to her other books #1 & #2 in this 'Royalty' series because of their exceptional overall storytelling quality.
**'Trying to have perfectionism when telling your story halts your skills, lower your many possibilities which eventually gives you the permission to tell any lousy story. Think before you put just any words on paper..'
Okay read!
Such a good concept but it was both trying and challenging to get through. Though 'ARRIVING' is somewhat of an engaging and surreptitiously okay written story, it's not without it's problems. This third book in the 'Royalty' series should be an exquisitely well told story about historical insights, family lineage, nice connections, developing friendships and all those moral boundaries etc. etc. etc.. Instead the storyline began with first person perspectives -- from Alice then few chapters in, Nora --- then further along, other character involved in their story which got a bit jarring. When i got to the ending, i had to go back a few times to re-read certain paragraphs searching for those minuscule moments of when & how they (Alice & Nora) connected romantically because i did not think they had any chemistry.
Ms.Pyland stumble in executing the storyline in this book #3 and i'm having it take a backseat to her other books #1 & #2 in this 'Royalty' series because of their exceptional overall storytelling quality.
June 7, 2023
From classroom to palace.
This is the third book of the Royal series and unlike the other royals in this series, Alice, is a complete stranger to the European world of royalty, having been raised American all her life. Alice, a school teacher, suddenly finds herself being thrust into the position of queen in a country she has barely even heard of. Kleinland is politically unstable and Alice is caught in the middle of an internal rebellion to have the monarchy reinstated.
For such an exciting storyline, I expected more action. But the bulk of the story was slow. Alice struggles to navigate the intricacies of her new role, which she tries to ease into by taking a crash course with the other royals while she goes back and forth with her decision to stay. I also found it difficult to understand why many people seem enamoured with Alice, whom I didn't feel was anything special. And on top of that, the romantic connection between Alice and her loyal bodyguard, Nora, took a while to take off.
That being said, it definitely got better and I ended up really warming up to the romance. The chemistry was there and I was quite invested in the story by the end. Not my favourite of the series but still a very enjoyable story.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book of the Royal series and unlike the other royals in this series, Alice, is a complete stranger to the European world of royalty, having been raised American all her life. Alice, a school teacher, suddenly finds herself being thrust into the position of queen in a country she has barely even heard of. Kleinland is politically unstable and Alice is caught in the middle of an internal rebellion to have the monarchy reinstated.
For such an exciting storyline, I expected more action. But the bulk of the story was slow. Alice struggles to navigate the intricacies of her new role, which she tries to ease into by taking a crash course with the other royals while she goes back and forth with her decision to stay. I also found it difficult to understand why many people seem enamoured with Alice, whom I didn't feel was anything special. And on top of that, the romantic connection between Alice and her loyal bodyguard, Nora, took a while to take off.
That being said, it definitely got better and I ended up really warming up to the romance. The chemistry was there and I was quite invested in the story by the end. Not my favourite of the series but still a very enjoyable story.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2023
Nicole Pyland’s Royalty series has been fun to read up until this book. This one isn’t bad, I just don’t feel the same connection and had as much fun as I did with the other books/ characters.
The books in this series are standalone, but we do visit with the royals from the other books, some more than others.
Where in the previous books all royals were aware of their heritage the Queen in this one has no clue. And it takes forever for her to come to terms with it and take on the responsibility. Alice comes to Kleinland, Nora is her protector and fighter for the constitutional monarchy. They need to remove a vindictive president, a bit of a dictator, from power. He’s supposedly dangerous but I never get a feeling for that. Nora deals with a lot of anxiety (PTSD) from the civil war, I don’t feel like we get enough of that either. Alice just packs up and leaves the States, we don’t get enough of a fallout or whatever from that either. It all falls a bit flat. Some of it is entertaining, just not enough…
I liked seeing the royals from the previous books, liked seeing more of Alex in particular, I hope her book will be fun.
For me, this book just takes too long to get down to the point. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I feel nothing much happens up until that point. And from that 70% mark everything just happens too fast. Just the pacing, the way this story is told, is off.
I mean, you have sex for the first time after a day or two of telling you like each other and you just tell that person you love them? Sure…
The books in this series are standalone, but we do visit with the royals from the other books, some more than others.
Where in the previous books all royals were aware of their heritage the Queen in this one has no clue. And it takes forever for her to come to terms with it and take on the responsibility. Alice comes to Kleinland, Nora is her protector and fighter for the constitutional monarchy. They need to remove a vindictive president, a bit of a dictator, from power. He’s supposedly dangerous but I never get a feeling for that. Nora deals with a lot of anxiety (PTSD) from the civil war, I don’t feel like we get enough of that either. Alice just packs up and leaves the States, we don’t get enough of a fallout or whatever from that either. It all falls a bit flat. Some of it is entertaining, just not enough…
I liked seeing the royals from the previous books, liked seeing more of Alex in particular, I hope her book will be fun.
For me, this book just takes too long to get down to the point. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I feel nothing much happens up until that point. And from that 70% mark everything just happens too fast. Just the pacing, the way this story is told, is off.
I mean, you have sex for the first time after a day or two of telling you like each other and you just tell that person you love them? Sure…
August 26, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
I only read this so i can read Alex book (my baby 🥺)
But I enjoyed it more than I expected and the sex scene was hot, although I felt the ending was rushed and I wanted more moments between Nora and Alice not just the sex scene
Anyway I can’t wait to read the next book 🔥🔥
I only read this so i can read Alex book (my baby 🥺)
But I enjoyed it more than I expected and the sex scene was hot, although I felt the ending was rushed and I wanted more moments between Nora and Alice not just the sex scene
Anyway I can’t wait to read the next book 🔥🔥
June 14, 2023
A fantastic slow burn romance with two strong minded women as the main characters. This is a nail biter as well since there is so much unrest in Kleinland. Staging a coup and becoming Queen of a foreign country is overwhelming at times. Alice grows ever closer to her bodyguard Nora as they become friends. Alice never hesitates when she realizes she has feelings for Nora. I love how all the characters from the series are there to help each other. I can’t wait for Alex to have her own story soon.
July 7, 2023
I´m positive I wrote a review for this book and is not there.
Considering that: this book was different compared to the previous two because the MC doesn’t know she’s even a member of a royal family; most of the time is spent trying to get her on the throne again. Oh! And she doesn’t know she’s into women too.
Considering that: this book was different compared to the previous two because the MC doesn’t know she’s even a member of a royal family; most of the time is spent trying to get her on the throne again. Oh! And she doesn’t know she’s into women too.
June 26, 2023
I mostly enjoy Pyland books! That doesn't mean she hasn't fallen a bit short on some of her romances. With that said, this is one of those romances that she has fallen a bit short. For some reason there is just not much chemistry between the mains and the flow of this book felt a bit forced. Every once in a while Pyland has a book that just falls flat for me. I was really glad when I finished it. I am still looking forward to the last book in this series.
July 22, 2023
This book is really different from the previous books because Alice had no idea about her royal blood and "her" country isn't even a safe place. I was surprised that someone who had to abandon her life in matter of days to embrace huge and unknown responsabilites, who finds herself in a life or death danger situation didn't totally crumble at some point. Maybe it was because Nora, her to royal guard in chief was there for her. I loved the pining and Nora's jealousy. I think it was the slowest burn I have ever read, but Pyland didn't choose an easy path with a character that has to face seeing her life shatter and her first time being attracted to a woman. I found the development of the relationship both delicious (from Nora's side) and frustrating at the same time with Alice being obvlivious of her own feelings during most of the book.
The resolution came fast and hard, making it feel a bit rushed, whether for their relationship or Nora's PTSD. I think the book could have used a few more chapters, taking the time to dwell more on Alice's romantic feelings and the new dynamic of their relationship.
Still, it was a really easy and enjoyable read.
Previous characters from book one and two make an appearance, giving you an update of their life, which is always pleasent.
I am looking forward to read book 4, with Alex and Bexley.
The resolution came fast and hard, making it feel a bit rushed, whether for their relationship or Nora's PTSD. I think the book could have used a few more chapters, taking the time to dwell more on Alice's romantic feelings and the new dynamic of their relationship.
Still, it was a really easy and enjoyable read.
Previous characters from book one and two make an appearance, giving you an update of their life, which is always pleasent.
I am looking forward to read book 4, with Alex and Bexley.
July 6, 2023
Another good book in this amazing series!! Loved the teacher being secretly a queen and taking back her country with the help of her bodyguard and all the other royals from the other books 🥰
Even though I enjoyed this story, I got to say that it’s my least favorite from the series. Anyways, can’t wait for the next one 😍
Even though I enjoyed this story, I got to say that it’s my least favorite from the series. Anyways, can’t wait for the next one 😍
June 15, 2023
Arriving feels slightly different than the earlier two books in Nicole Pyland’s Royalty series and one of the main things to remember about the entire series is that the group of friends is built throughout the books and the time frames are much larger between stories than they usually are.
Alice, an American school teacher struggling to pay rent, discovers her royal lineage when a team approaches her to take her rightful place on the throne of a small island nation at war with its dictator leader.
Nora, the Major destined to be Alice’s protector, has trained her entire life to complete this one goal, but what she didn’t count on was developing feelings for the future queen of Kleinland.
The love story is very one-sided, until close to the end of the book when the Queen realizes the feelings she is having towards Nora are not plutonic.
The characters are well-developed out and relatable, each with diverse backgrounds and the baggage to prove it. Pyland does what she does best – creates characters and gives them a unique voice and reason for being. The war, and the new country, are left in the background, never becoming the focus, which is finding the one person who you can rely on to be there under any circumstances, and against all odds.
Alice, an American school teacher struggling to pay rent, discovers her royal lineage when a team approaches her to take her rightful place on the throne of a small island nation at war with its dictator leader.
Nora, the Major destined to be Alice’s protector, has trained her entire life to complete this one goal, but what she didn’t count on was developing feelings for the future queen of Kleinland.
The love story is very one-sided, until close to the end of the book when the Queen realizes the feelings she is having towards Nora are not plutonic.
The characters are well-developed out and relatable, each with diverse backgrounds and the baggage to prove it. Pyland does what she does best – creates characters and gives them a unique voice and reason for being. The war, and the new country, are left in the background, never becoming the focus, which is finding the one person who you can rely on to be there under any circumstances, and against all odds.
June 20, 2023
Such a great slow burn romance between a reluctant Queen and her gorgeous bodyguard. Alice was living her regular life as a 7th grade history teacher, when a man with an accent comes to her with an unbelievable story. Knowing she'd been adopted by her parents, who were killed in an auto accident when she was 16, he tells her that her real parents were the King and Queen of Kleinland, a northern European country. Her bodyguard, Nora's father helped squirrel her out of the country after the coup that got her parents arrested.
She's convinced to go to Klienland . This is not only a slow burn, but a page turner as they try to stay safe while a coup is going on to depose the current "president dictator". I'm thoroughly enjoying this series!! I wonder if there will be a 4th book with Princess Alex and Bexley?? 5 stars
She's convinced to go to Klienland . This is not only a slow burn, but a page turner as they try to stay safe while a coup is going on to depose the current "president dictator". I'm thoroughly enjoying this series!! I wonder if there will be a 4th book with Princess Alex and Bexley?? 5 stars
November 27, 2024
Borders on WTF but love it anyway. I love that someone can turn up and say: "Excuse me you are a Queen" on a small kingdom and she says “OK!”. But Nicole Poland stays just this side of absurdity and by linking to books 1 and 2 just gets away with it. Recommended.
July 31, 2023
I keep repeating myself about this Royalty series that I love it because I really dooo!!! It inspires endorphins or serotonin or whatever happy chemicals in my brain! I can’t get enough.
Book 3 of the Royalty series was a bit different in that it was a bit like Princess Diaries and a bit Game of Thrones to a very very minimum level. Although the bodyguard trope was used, I didn’t mind it as much because it was a fun read. Yet again, the sisterhood of the lesbian monarchs have congregated and I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to the sapphic novel universe. Alex’s story is next and I cannot wait for August to come!
Book 3 of the Royalty series was a bit different in that it was a bit like Princess Diaries and a bit Game of Thrones to a very very minimum level. Although the bodyguard trope was used, I didn’t mind it as much because it was a fun read. Yet again, the sisterhood of the lesbian monarchs have congregated and I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to the sapphic novel universe. Alex’s story is next and I cannot wait for August to come!
June 15, 2023
slow burn at its FINEST
June 21, 2023
I am a big fan of Nicole Pyland but this one just didn't work for me. The slow burn that goes from 0 to 100, the complete lack of political intrigue and the complete obliviousness of Alice all amounted to a pretty frustrating read.
Let's start with Alice. I generally liked her and could empathize with her because she's thrust in this role that she didn't even know existed. I found her gradually getting into the role of Queen very satisfying. This story would have been much better without any of the romance and only with Alice slowly rebuilding Kleinland.
The romance is where I struggled hard. I understood Nora not wanting to try anything. She's just a soldier and Alice is the queen so I get her reluctance. However this was the same premise of Book 2. Ingrid was the secretary and Elin was the queen. I was already getting tired of that trope in the previous book so when the same thing happens here, although I understood the reluctance from Nora, I got pretty frustrated.
Then there's Alice's role in the romance. How is it that this person is so oblivious to any and all romantic interests. Her best friend has been in love with her for 10 years and she never caught on. I'll admit I was more annoyed with Bexley than Alice here. 10 years and not once have you had an honest conversation with Alice about this? Really?
When it comes to Nora, literally three separate friends at three different times have said to Alice that she and Nora have something between them yet she's flabbergasted when Nora finally makes a move? Even she herself confides with friends that she's getting romantic vibes from Nora, yet she's all surprised that Nora finally kisses her? How annoyingly oblivious and in denial can you be? The whole dating Maxwell situation did not help matters at all. I hate premises where one MC is pining on the other and the other oblivious MC dates other people.
When the romance does finally start at 80%, it then goes from 0 to 100 very quickly. They fall into bed very quickly and are exchanging I love yous within days. I get that subconsciously they were falling for each other from the beginning but the amount of pining from Nora and the complete denial from Alice was really grating on my nerves.
Finally let's talk about the president. The story painted a very dire situation of Kleinland and I was expecting an epic showdown involving a civil war and a lot of political intrigue. Instead the political situation actually gets resolved out of the pages. We're told 70% in that the coup is happening and basically overnight, the government is overthrown and people are celebrating the monarchy. We're not shown any of the action. We're told the coup is happening, we're told the president has been captured and we're told the president is dead. Sure, there were threats and attacks against Alice but that's par on course for a royalty themed story. I didn't ever feel that Alice was truly in danger against a dictator.
Overall, this book didn't work for me. I'm looking forward to Book 4 about Alex (finally) and Bexley. Although I am being cautious as it seems that Bexley is oblivious of Alex's crush too. I don't want a repeat of this type of romance.
Let's start with Alice. I generally liked her and could empathize with her because she's thrust in this role that she didn't even know existed. I found her gradually getting into the role of Queen very satisfying. This story would have been much better without any of the romance and only with Alice slowly rebuilding Kleinland.
The romance is where I struggled hard. I understood Nora not wanting to try anything. She's just a soldier and Alice is the queen so I get her reluctance. However this was the same premise of Book 2. Ingrid was the secretary and Elin was the queen. I was already getting tired of that trope in the previous book so when the same thing happens here, although I understood the reluctance from Nora, I got pretty frustrated.
Then there's Alice's role in the romance. How is it that this person is so oblivious to any and all romantic interests. Her best friend has been in love with her for 10 years and she never caught on. I'll admit I was more annoyed with Bexley than Alice here. 10 years and not once have you had an honest conversation with Alice about this? Really?
When it comes to Nora, literally three separate friends at three different times have said to Alice that she and Nora have something between them yet she's flabbergasted when Nora finally makes a move? Even she herself confides with friends that she's getting romantic vibes from Nora, yet she's all surprised that Nora finally kisses her? How annoyingly oblivious and in denial can you be? The whole dating Maxwell situation did not help matters at all. I hate premises where one MC is pining on the other and the other oblivious MC dates other people.
When the romance does finally start at 80%, it then goes from 0 to 100 very quickly. They fall into bed very quickly and are exchanging I love yous within days. I get that subconsciously they were falling for each other from the beginning but the amount of pining from Nora and the complete denial from Alice was really grating on my nerves.
Finally let's talk about the president. The story painted a very dire situation of Kleinland and I was expecting an epic showdown involving a civil war and a lot of political intrigue. Instead the political situation actually gets resolved out of the pages. We're told 70% in that the coup is happening and basically overnight, the government is overthrown and people are celebrating the monarchy. We're not shown any of the action. We're told the coup is happening, we're told the president has been captured and we're told the president is dead. Sure, there were threats and attacks against Alice but that's par on course for a royalty themed story. I didn't ever feel that Alice was truly in danger against a dictator.
Overall, this book didn't work for me. I'm looking forward to Book 4 about Alex (finally) and Bexley. Although I am being cautious as it seems that Bexley is oblivious of Alex's crush too. I don't want a repeat of this type of romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2023
2.5 ★
this one was a bit of a disappointment to me. i really enjoyed the first two books of this series, i have no idea what happened here. there was just something missing about this book that i couldn't really get into it? it all seems to happen so fast i could barely keep it up. there were a lot of small things throughout the book that annoyed me a bit, be it actions from certain characters or the dialogue or the way the chapters would end in a rather abrupt way. just small things that normally i would try to ignore and just push through but it happened enough times that it did bother me.
nora and alice’s relationship also happens so fast, i couldn’t really feel the connection between them. i don’t think there’s that point you can tell something shifted between them. i already thought everything was going a bit fast but after they tell each other they have feelings for one another, that’s when everything was really rushed and i found myself losing interest in the story. there were so many times i would finish a chapter and then go back a page because i thought for certain i missed something? it all felt so weird..
i quite liked alice and nora’s characters as their own, and would probably enjoy this book more if their relationship and feelings were better developed, especially nora’s feelings. i kept waiting for a time where she would fall apart after being pretty much forced out of the life she knew to rule a country she barely even heard of, i thought she came to terms with that pretty quickly as well.
i was also expecting to see more of the political stuff happening in the country. i mean, the entire reason alice is even there is to become the queen and strip the dictator acting as president of power. and while that does happen, it’s not showed it all and the readers have to content themselves with the “this happened and that’s that”. there wasn’t a confrontation of any kind and in the end the president does what he does and that’s all.
anyways, just got a bit frustrated with this one bc i love the series and i wanted to like this one too but it just didn’t work for me. i’m excited to read alex’s story and i hope i’ll enjoy that one more.
this one was a bit of a disappointment to me. i really enjoyed the first two books of this series, i have no idea what happened here. there was just something missing about this book that i couldn't really get into it? it all seems to happen so fast i could barely keep it up. there were a lot of small things throughout the book that annoyed me a bit, be it actions from certain characters or the dialogue or the way the chapters would end in a rather abrupt way. just small things that normally i would try to ignore and just push through but it happened enough times that it did bother me.
nora and alice’s relationship also happens so fast, i couldn’t really feel the connection between them. i don’t think there’s that point you can tell something shifted between them. i already thought everything was going a bit fast but after they tell each other they have feelings for one another, that’s when everything was really rushed and i found myself losing interest in the story. there were so many times i would finish a chapter and then go back a page because i thought for certain i missed something? it all felt so weird..
i quite liked alice and nora’s characters as their own, and would probably enjoy this book more if their relationship and feelings were better developed, especially nora’s feelings. i kept waiting for a time where she would fall apart after being pretty much forced out of the life she knew to rule a country she barely even heard of, i thought she came to terms with that pretty quickly as well.
i was also expecting to see more of the political stuff happening in the country. i mean, the entire reason alice is even there is to become the queen and strip the dictator acting as president of power. and while that does happen, it’s not showed it all and the readers have to content themselves with the “this happened and that’s that”. there wasn’t a confrontation of any kind and in the end the president does what he does and that’s all.
anyways, just got a bit frustrated with this one bc i love the series and i wanted to like this one too but it just didn’t work for me. i’m excited to read alex’s story and i hope i’ll enjoy that one more.
Read
June 8, 2023Arriving is the third in a series of connected, but not direct sequels. This book was different than the first two books for a few reasons. First, the royal Alice doesn't know she is royalty. Second, while this is a romance the plot is action-lite. Third, this book includes a character who is a late bloomer.
I liked this book, but it wasn't my favorite of the series, which is weird. I love Above All, Honor, The Sovereign of Psiere and Protecting the Lady. I usually dig the bodyguard/protection genre. Maybe since so much was happening in this book it felt a little bit like a whirlwind. Similarly to Alice, the American school teacher who is informed of her royal status and then whisked off to a war torn country, I needed more time with the characters to really get my feet on the ground.
All in all though, this book had a lot of fun twists and turns and Major Nora. Nora deserves all the hugs and medals. I really will be excited to see this couple again as the series continues .
I liked this book, but it wasn't my favorite of the series, which is weird. I love Above All, Honor, The Sovereign of Psiere and Protecting the Lady. I usually dig the bodyguard/protection genre. Maybe since so much was happening in this book it felt a little bit like a whirlwind. Similarly to Alice, the American school teacher who is informed of her royal status and then whisked off to a war torn country, I needed more time with the characters to really get my feet on the ground.
All in all though, this book had a lot of fun twists and turns and Major Nora. Nora deserves all the hugs and medals. I really will be excited to see this couple again as the series continues .
June 20, 2023
Arriving is the 3rd book in the Royalty series.
Alice is a history teacher who loves her job and students, but has felt like she has never quite fit in. She grew up struggling to make ends meet. Alice is blown away when she's told she's royalty, understandably not believing it at first. Alice has to decide to give up her entire life to start over in Kleinland.
Nora would do anything to protect the Queen, loyal soldier and firm believer in a brighter future for Kleinland. Nora was the one constant when there was so much instability in Alice's life. Alice felt safe and protected. She also provided comfort for Nora's nightmares from PTSD.
This is a slow burn and then inferno! Nora's a total badass who finds Alice to be a genuinely caring person who wants the best for people. Nora falls hard and constantly belittles herself - just a "soldier" - when comparing to the Queen. Alice finds Nora endearing and turning to her for assistance with her new role. Ultimately, she falls too. Loved the ending/epilogue.
She has great friends in Bex and Stan who try and help.
I enjoy the characters from the previous books. Palmer was a big help to Alice. Looking forward to Alex's story next.
I would have liked more exploration regarding the coup and the fallout. I typically do not read royalty books, but really enjoy how Ms. Pyland brings in the history and pageantry to this series.
Nicole Pyland is an excellent writer! Highly recommended series.
Alice is a history teacher who loves her job and students, but has felt like she has never quite fit in. She grew up struggling to make ends meet. Alice is blown away when she's told she's royalty, understandably not believing it at first. Alice has to decide to give up her entire life to start over in Kleinland.
Nora would do anything to protect the Queen, loyal soldier and firm believer in a brighter future for Kleinland. Nora was the one constant when there was so much instability in Alice's life. Alice felt safe and protected. She also provided comfort for Nora's nightmares from PTSD.
This is a slow burn and then inferno! Nora's a total badass who finds Alice to be a genuinely caring person who wants the best for people. Nora falls hard and constantly belittles herself - just a "soldier" - when comparing to the Queen. Alice finds Nora endearing and turning to her for assistance with her new role. Ultimately, she falls too. Loved the ending/epilogue.
She has great friends in Bex and Stan who try and help.
I enjoy the characters from the previous books. Palmer was a big help to Alice. Looking forward to Alex's story next.
I would have liked more exploration regarding the coup and the fallout. I typically do not read royalty books, but really enjoy how Ms. Pyland brings in the history and pageantry to this series.
Nicole Pyland is an excellent writer! Highly recommended series.
June 19, 2023
Arriving is the 3rd instalment in Nicole Pyland’s Royalty Series. It features Alice, a schoolteacher from Kansas, who doesn’t know that she is the Queen of a country in the midst of political unrest and her personal bodyguard, Major Nora Bakker, who’s trained her entire life to be a protector.
This instalment is very much a slow burn romance which makes sense given that Alice first has to come to terms with the fact that she’s the Queen of Kleinland and everything that role comes with, in addition to having to uproot her entire life and overthrow a dictator in the process. It makes sense that romance was not her focus and that it only starts to shift after she’s come to terms with everything and Kleinland begins to stabilize.
The chapters from Nora’s perspective were what really had me hooked from the beginning and it was heartwarming to see her start to open up throughout the story. I wish we had gotten to learn even more about her but I have hopes that we’ll see more of both her, Alice and Kleinland in the next book as the Royals from the previous 2 books make an appearance in this one.
While Arriving’s romance is a much slower pace than the previous two books, it’s still a very enjoyable read and provides some of the setup for Alex’s story in the final instalment which I am really excited for.
***received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review***
This instalment is very much a slow burn romance which makes sense given that Alice first has to come to terms with the fact that she’s the Queen of Kleinland and everything that role comes with, in addition to having to uproot her entire life and overthrow a dictator in the process. It makes sense that romance was not her focus and that it only starts to shift after she’s come to terms with everything and Kleinland begins to stabilize.
The chapters from Nora’s perspective were what really had me hooked from the beginning and it was heartwarming to see her start to open up throughout the story. I wish we had gotten to learn even more about her but I have hopes that we’ll see more of both her, Alice and Kleinland in the next book as the Royals from the previous 2 books make an appearance in this one.
While Arriving’s romance is a much slower pace than the previous two books, it’s still a very enjoyable read and provides some of the setup for Alex’s story in the final instalment which I am really excited for.
***received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review***
June 21, 2023
"Arriving" is the third installment in Nicole Pyland's Royalty series. In this book, Alice discovers that she is the Queen of Kleinland, a nation currently under the rule of a dictator. The opposition seeks to overthrow the dictator and enlists Alice's help.
Mayor Nora Bakker becomes a crucial figure in this endeavor, taking on the role of Alice's bodyguard. Nora, known for her unwavering loyalty, goes above and beyond to protect Alice. In return, Alice gradually breaks through Nora's facade, offering support for her PTSD.
The relationship between Alice and Nora develops slowly over the course of the book, with their communication and genuine concern for each other driving their connection. I was eagerly anticipating when their relationship would finally progress.
I must admit, however, that out of the three books in this series, this one appealed to me the least. I found that Alice accepted her position as queen too quickly, and the background and execution of the coup against the dictator felt rushed, lacking proper explanation and planning.
It was enjoyable to encounter characters from the previous books again, and I am highly anticipating Alex's story in the fourth book.
Overall, "Arriving" is another solid book by Nicole Pyland. She consistently delivers engaging reads, and it's always a pleasure to dive into one of her novels.
Mayor Nora Bakker becomes a crucial figure in this endeavor, taking on the role of Alice's bodyguard. Nora, known for her unwavering loyalty, goes above and beyond to protect Alice. In return, Alice gradually breaks through Nora's facade, offering support for her PTSD.
The relationship between Alice and Nora develops slowly over the course of the book, with their communication and genuine concern for each other driving their connection. I was eagerly anticipating when their relationship would finally progress.
I must admit, however, that out of the three books in this series, this one appealed to me the least. I found that Alice accepted her position as queen too quickly, and the background and execution of the coup against the dictator felt rushed, lacking proper explanation and planning.
It was enjoyable to encounter characters from the previous books again, and I am highly anticipating Alex's story in the fourth book.
Overall, "Arriving" is another solid book by Nicole Pyland. She consistently delivers engaging reads, and it's always a pleasure to dive into one of her novels.
September 27, 2025
Great story. Very different from the usual royal romance and more toward a bodyguard affair or even a thriller. Lots of triggers made it hard for me to read, but I thrived thanks to the good story.
Very well-paced. The external conflict was complex, and the final stage of resolution ended up getting resolved without the MCs, and it was rather quick. That was not very good, in my opinion, but it remained realistic and in the spirit of the setting, so I forgave it.
The internal conflict was resolved through communication and some insistence. That was good, but it also shows how it wasn't really a conflict, just a minor hurdle...
On a personal note, the story portrays an MC who suffers from what seems like severe PTSD, and while it triggered me to read about her nightmares and it raised unwelcome memories in my own soul, it was resolved too easily without therapy or even more than one conversation. No. Just no. The nightmares disappear as soon as the MCs start sleeping together. I wish it were this easy in real life. This was extremely unrealistic, and furthermore, it sends a dangerous message to readers who don't know better and may not understand the crucial importance of therapy in PTSD cases. Love, with all due respect, is not enough. This kinda ruined it for me, despite my appreciation for the book in general.
Rating: 3 stars
Very well-paced. The external conflict was complex, and the final stage of resolution ended up getting resolved without the MCs, and it was rather quick. That was not very good, in my opinion, but it remained realistic and in the spirit of the setting, so I forgave it.
The internal conflict was resolved through communication and some insistence. That was good, but it also shows how it wasn't really a conflict, just a minor hurdle...
On a personal note, the story portrays an MC who suffers from what seems like severe PTSD, and while it triggered me to read about her nightmares and it raised unwelcome memories in my own soul, it was resolved too easily without therapy or even more than one conversation. No. Just no. The nightmares disappear as soon as the MCs start sleeping together. I wish it were this easy in real life. This was extremely unrealistic, and furthermore, it sends a dangerous message to readers who don't know better and may not understand the crucial importance of therapy in PTSD cases. Love, with all due respect, is not enough. This kinda ruined it for me, despite my appreciation for the book in general.
Rating: 3 stars
June 11, 2023
Arriving by Nicole Pyland is the third book in the Royalty series. Alice lives a quiet life as a teacher at a local school in Kansas, a job that she loves. Her adoptive parents have passed, leaving her with a select close circle of friends. Alice has known since a young age that she was adopted, but has never probed into her history.
Nora is a Royal Guard who is more than capable of handling herself. She lives on the island of Kleinland which is currently in the throes of a civil war. Nora is sent on a mission to bring back the rightful heir. As Alice and Nora’s lives become intertwined, Alice’s turns upside down as she learns about the past and her intended future.
Although different from the prior two books in the series, I found the story engaging and an easy read at a slower pace, despite everything that was going on. That said, the epilogue is packed with detail. Nora, rather than Alice, had me hooked from the start. I would love to hear more of her character and hoping to see the couple in the next book. I also liked the fact that the characters are around mid to late 30’s. Seeing the queens and families from the previous books is like coming back to old friends.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
Nora is a Royal Guard who is more than capable of handling herself. She lives on the island of Kleinland which is currently in the throes of a civil war. Nora is sent on a mission to bring back the rightful heir. As Alice and Nora’s lives become intertwined, Alice’s turns upside down as she learns about the past and her intended future.
Although different from the prior two books in the series, I found the story engaging and an easy read at a slower pace, despite everything that was going on. That said, the epilogue is packed with detail. Nora, rather than Alice, had me hooked from the start. I would love to hear more of her character and hoping to see the couple in the next book. I also liked the fact that the characters are around mid to late 30’s. Seeing the queens and families from the previous books is like coming back to old friends.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
June 18, 2023
Another great addition to the series!
As the third book in the Royalty Series, this one has a different feel to it. The book has a bit more action and adventure mixed into the romantic storyline. You've got Alice, who finds out her birth parents were the late King and Queen of Kleinland. As the only remaining heir, her country needs her to step into the role of Queen to save them from the dictator who has taken over. Then you have Nora, the Major who is tasked to protect Alice, the same way her father tried to protect the King and Queen while they were imprisoned.
The relationship between these two is definitely a slow burn. You have Nora, whose main focus is on protecting Alice at all cost while gearing up to stage a coup on the country's dictator. Then there is Alice who cares for Nora, and slowly realises she's not as straight as she thought she was, all while coming to terms with being a Queen she never expected to be in a war torn country she never knew about.
While this book is different from the rest, I liked the inclusion of action and strong female leads who want to protect each other. This book was definitely another great addition to the series and one I will read again.
As the third book in the Royalty Series, this one has a different feel to it. The book has a bit more action and adventure mixed into the romantic storyline. You've got Alice, who finds out her birth parents were the late King and Queen of Kleinland. As the only remaining heir, her country needs her to step into the role of Queen to save them from the dictator who has taken over. Then you have Nora, the Major who is tasked to protect Alice, the same way her father tried to protect the King and Queen while they were imprisoned.
The relationship between these two is definitely a slow burn. You have Nora, whose main focus is on protecting Alice at all cost while gearing up to stage a coup on the country's dictator. Then there is Alice who cares for Nora, and slowly realises she's not as straight as she thought she was, all while coming to terms with being a Queen she never expected to be in a war torn country she never knew about.
While this book is different from the rest, I liked the inclusion of action and strong female leads who want to protect each other. This book was definitely another great addition to the series and one I will read again.
June 14, 2023
I really enjoyed Arriving book #3 in the series. It isn’t quite like the others, but I think that’s why I like it so much. If you follow Pyland at all she did mention the Royalty Series would not be like her regular Series Books and Arriving is in fact different. It’s a love story at the heart of it, albeit a very very slow burn, BUT there is so much more to this story than that. Alice and Nora have a lot a baggage they need to deal with on their journey along with an intense fight to win back their kingdom. There were some intense thriller moments and as I was reading I thought, obviously nothing bad is really going to happen, but also thinking, what if it does… dun dun dun. That being said the story still follows suit in having the main characters from books 1 & 2 make an appearance, and once again has amazing side characters that step up and become the support system that the main characters need and deserve. BUT one thing I really love is how this story sets up the final one of the series yet to come out. So I feel like this book gives a lot here. I won’t lie… this story is a journey that has a lot to tell but it’s a good journey if you give it a chance.
June 14, 2023
The third book in Nicole Pyland's Royalty Series is Arriving, where we meet Alice Smith - an unassuming school teacher who has no idea she's a royal. Taking us from America to Kleinland we discover, along with Alice, what it takes to step into the shoes of royalty and represent your country.
At her side is Major Nora Bakker, her protector and guard, chosen to bring her to Kleinland and keep her safe. Kleinland is a small country that's been in political turmoil with the hopes that raising the monarchy will once again bring peace and power to the people. In comparison to other Pyland books, this saw a little more action and serious themes throughout.
The bond between Nora and Alice was a true slow burn with so much care, communication and growth with each other and their own inner demons.
While it was still a good read, it’s not my favourite in this series. Though to be fair, Pyland sets herself to a very high standard in my opinion. This book series can be read as stand alone but I do still recommend reading the Royalty Series in order to get the most out of them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
At her side is Major Nora Bakker, her protector and guard, chosen to bring her to Kleinland and keep her safe. Kleinland is a small country that's been in political turmoil with the hopes that raising the monarchy will once again bring peace and power to the people. In comparison to other Pyland books, this saw a little more action and serious themes throughout.
The bond between Nora and Alice was a true slow burn with so much care, communication and growth with each other and their own inner demons.
While it was still a good read, it’s not my favourite in this series. Though to be fair, Pyland sets herself to a very high standard in my opinion. This book series can be read as stand alone but I do still recommend reading the Royalty Series in order to get the most out of them.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 19, 2023
Ok, so picture this, you're living your best life, and along come some man who tells you everything you know about yourself is a lie, you are heir to a Kingdom and it's time to go home and claim your birthright. Well, you happen to be a history teacher, so you know a little about this country and the state it's in.
Add to this mix a dashing war hero who's the head of the Queen Royal guard and is escorting her to her new country, and you've got yourself a story.
Read it to see how Alice is convinced to leave all she's ever known to go into an unstable country knowing next to no one, and hoping that these people who have been plotting her return for all these years know what they're doing.
I thought this was well done in the time we had, i.e. we didn't have a mini-arc 3 book trilogy here. This could have easily been much much longer. You have a lot of people from a plot with lots of moving parts and I don't think anything got lost in the shuffle. I could have used a little more time in the epilogue, but, I'll live. We get glimpses of the other couples in previous books, so I am sure that will be the same here in the following books. Overall I enjoyed this.
Add to this mix a dashing war hero who's the head of the Queen Royal guard and is escorting her to her new country, and you've got yourself a story.
Read it to see how Alice is convinced to leave all she's ever known to go into an unstable country knowing next to no one, and hoping that these people who have been plotting her return for all these years know what they're doing.
I thought this was well done in the time we had, i.e. we didn't have a mini-arc 3 book trilogy here. This could have easily been much much longer. You have a lot of people from a plot with lots of moving parts and I don't think anything got lost in the shuffle. I could have used a little more time in the epilogue, but, I'll live. We get glimpses of the other couples in previous books, so I am sure that will be the same here in the following books. Overall I enjoyed this.
June 22, 2023
Arriving is the latest book of Nicole Pyland's Royalty series, and Nicole once again did not disappoint. I loved how each installment of the series is a stand-alone from the other, and has references of the couples from the other books. Reading about how the relationships of other couples turned out after their books ended is always a plus to me as a reader.
In this book, we meet Alice and Nora. Alice is a history teacher who lives a relatively normal life and has a small network of trusted best friends. One day, her world is shattered as she finds out from a stranger that she's the heir to the throne of Kleinland that no one knew about. Nora is part of Kleinland's secret/protective service and was tasked with protecting Alice at all costs. Though the circumstance in which they met were less than ideal, their chemistry leapt off the page when they first meet. Though I felt that this story was a longer slow-burn, loved the experiences they went through together before they became a couple.
Recommend read, and can't wait for the next book already!
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
In this book, we meet Alice and Nora. Alice is a history teacher who lives a relatively normal life and has a small network of trusted best friends. One day, her world is shattered as she finds out from a stranger that she's the heir to the throne of Kleinland that no one knew about. Nora is part of Kleinland's secret/protective service and was tasked with protecting Alice at all costs. Though the circumstance in which they met were less than ideal, their chemistry leapt off the page when they first meet. Though I felt that this story was a longer slow-burn, loved the experiences they went through together before they became a couple.
Recommend read, and can't wait for the next book already!
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
June 19, 2023
Alice is a school teacher in Kansas who gets a big surprise from a stranger who claims she's the Queen of a small island country in the North Sea called Kleinland. Her country is in turmoil and they believe bringing back their monarchy could stabilize the government. Alice is suddenly in a new world and now I'm under the protection of Royal Guard Nora Bakker.
I liked this newest addition to Pyland's Royalty series though not quite as much as previous ones. I liked Alice and Nora and felt they had good chemistry. I'm always up for a bodyguard trope and the unknown royalty angle here was fun too. We also get a few scenes with the two previous couples as well and I always love revisiting their stories. Princess Alex of UK also features in this book a lot and I liked getting to know her before her own story in the next book of the series.
This book however had a lot more going on in it than the previous two and add in that it is a toaster oven trope on top of it all. The result is that everything goes a bit too fast with a bit too little explanation leaving me not quite as invested in the story. I'd have liked to see a bit more detail on some of the story lines here and also the whole coup just seemed to happen a bit too easily.
This is still a very worthwhile read and I am loving this series, I can't wait for the next one!
I liked this newest addition to Pyland's Royalty series though not quite as much as previous ones. I liked Alice and Nora and felt they had good chemistry. I'm always up for a bodyguard trope and the unknown royalty angle here was fun too. We also get a few scenes with the two previous couples as well and I always love revisiting their stories. Princess Alex of UK also features in this book a lot and I liked getting to know her before her own story in the next book of the series.
This book however had a lot more going on in it than the previous two and add in that it is a toaster oven trope on top of it all. The result is that everything goes a bit too fast with a bit too little explanation leaving me not quite as invested in the story. I'd have liked to see a bit more detail on some of the story lines here and also the whole coup just seemed to happen a bit too easily.
This is still a very worthwhile read and I am loving this series, I can't wait for the next one!
June 17, 2023
This book is a slow burn love story that took awhile to hook me. It was initially slow to develop but took off in the last few chapters. It did feel a little rushed at the end, especially the final coup which seemed a little too easy after all the build up, but it was worth the wait.
There is a lot I enjoyed about the book. As always with a Nicole Pyland book, the main characters are well developed and likable. Major Nora is both a badass and a softy with those she loves. The premise is unique to the Royal series and quite creative as a pathway to becoming a Queen. I really enjoy the way this series melds the characters from the previous books in such a natural way. The updates on the lives of the other Royals are one of my favorite parts.
I recommend this book, especially to anyone who has started the Royal series. Each book builds upon the previous stories and this one is essential as it introduces Bexley into the group. I look forward to Alex’s story and the last chance to read more about all of the Royals.
There is a lot I enjoyed about the book. As always with a Nicole Pyland book, the main characters are well developed and likable. Major Nora is both a badass and a softy with those she loves. The premise is unique to the Royal series and quite creative as a pathway to becoming a Queen. I really enjoy the way this series melds the characters from the previous books in such a natural way. The updates on the lives of the other Royals are one of my favorite parts.
I recommend this book, especially to anyone who has started the Royal series. Each book builds upon the previous stories and this one is essential as it introduces Bexley into the group. I look forward to Alex’s story and the last chance to read more about all of the Royals.
June 14, 2023
Imagine one day your a teacher and the next you find out your Queen? Alice lives in a small time where she was adopted but lost her adopted parents at a young age. She doesn't want for much and is content, even though she has always felt that something was missing. One day a man appears telling her is the last descendant of a royal line that she was placed with her adopted parents to keep her alive. There is a revolution and her country now needs their queen. She doesn't believe him. She then meets Nora, a Major who was sent to protect her and bring her home. Again Alice is reluctant but then agrees to see things for herself. She and Nora develop a connection and Nora helps Alice navigate within the new country and they find themselves falling in love. Nicole Pyland's ability to develop strong characters with strong personalities and the ability to have them weave into hearts is amazing. If you want to see strong women help make changes you'll love this story.
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