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Falling Hard for the Royal Guard: Eine königliche Liebeskomödie
Königlich in Love?
Maggie Moore lebt zwar in märchenhafter Umgebung im Tower von London, ist aber weit vom Status einer Prinzessin entfernt. Stattdessen verkauft sie Eintrittskarten an Touristen. Keine Spur von edlem Ritter oder weißem Pferd! Ihre Freunde raten ihr zu Tinder, wo sie Schwindler, aber nicht den Richtigen trifft. Und als eine Begegnung auf spektakuläre Weise endet, gibt Maggie die Hoffnung fast schon ganz auf. Dann sieht sie Freddie von der königlichen Garde und spürt, dass sie die Liebe keineswegs abgeschrieben hat. Er könnte doch ihr persönlicher Royal Guard sein … Aber wie erregt man die Aufmerksamkeit von jemandem, dessen Job es ist, jegliche Ablenkung zu ignorieren?
Maggie Moore lebt zwar in märchenhafter Umgebung im Tower von London, ist aber weit vom Status einer Prinzessin entfernt. Stattdessen verkauft sie Eintrittskarten an Touristen. Keine Spur von edlem Ritter oder weißem Pferd! Ihre Freunde raten ihr zu Tinder, wo sie Schwindler, aber nicht den Richtigen trifft. Und als eine Begegnung auf spektakuläre Weise endet, gibt Maggie die Hoffnung fast schon ganz auf. Dann sieht sie Freddie von der königlichen Garde und spürt, dass sie die Liebe keineswegs abgeschrieben hat. Er könnte doch ihr persönlicher Royal Guard sein … Aber wie erregt man die Aufmerksamkeit von jemandem, dessen Job es ist, jegliche Ablenkung zu ignorieren?
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 27, 2023
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June 16, 2023
I'm just one of the lads. I've always been just one of the lads.
Not like other girls Maggie Moore is in a rough patch. After she catches her ex cheating on her for the third time, she's dumped him and is back to living with her dad...in the actual Tower of London. She's got a dead-end job. She's mid-twenties and feeling listless and hopeless and surrounded by her mean boss and mean girl coworkers. Until she bumps into a mysterious man...who ends up being one of the guards stationed at the Tower!
The more I learn about men the more I believe that we are not even the same species.
I requested this one because I was in the mood for something light and fluffy, and what I got was...a heated mess.
First off, we have Maggie Moore, called Margot by her ex because he's an inconsiderate asshole and that must be painfully spelled out, and Margaret by The Guard because he's Edward Cullen in non-sparkly British Nobility form. Anywho, just like Isabella Swan, Maggie has very little agency or personality beyond going to work hungover, being clumsy. She also talks to ravens, has a passion for history and is...get this...a ginger. Oh the inhumanity!
Anywho, her life basically is a revolving door of hanging out with her dad's friends, getting picked on by the mean girls and queer-coded boss (oh yeah, it's real bad) at work, getting verbally harassed by her ex at her place of employment, and basically being treated like she is Bridget Jones in the early 2000s.
I can't claim to be beautiful; I hardly have people falling over me to tell me that I am.
She literally does, though. And I understand why Maggie is so alone, because she is a victim of emotional manipulation and codependency in her previous relationship, combined with a very unhealthy dose of body dysmorphia (she constantly talks about how she's basically a dog at 5'9 and 168 pounds, while literally every man who sees her wants to be with her).
Her life doesn't pick up until she stumbles into Freddie The Guard, who is basically a walking pair of eyeballs attached to muscles, possessing even less personality than Maggie. Despite their inexplicable attraction (?), Freddie takes her into the guardroom and she meets the other members of his squad, and honestly she has more chemistry and conversations with them than she does at any time with Freddie, who literally peaces out any time things seem to require emotion.
The guards challenge Maggie to go on five dates so that she'll find the one (???) and Maggie goes on five dates with Tinder dudes, and it's literally the most clichéd dates imagined.
And then Freddie takes Maggie to this gala thing, and Maggie is like omg Freddie you're rich and famous and I had no idea, and everyone is posh and Maggie is looked down on because people automatically know she is Not One of Them and oh my goodness this book is so Wattpad-esque and filled with Not-Like-Other-Girls vibes (from a main character who calls herself a feminist yet thinks disparaging remarks about literally every single woman in the book and I don't think has a single conversation with another woman that isn't the other woman picking on her, cryptic messages from the grandmotherly ravenmaster person or about a man).
If you're thinking the plot is a mess, it is. There's this whole thing about cameras watching her every move and people gossiping about her for Reasons (??), and then the non-relationship with Freddie that I just did not understand because he literally ghosts on her at every encounter they have except when dealing with actual ghosts, and the five-dates side plot that went nowhere and her friendship with the guards that made me real uncomfortable as a military veteran (because Maggie views herself as One of the Guys and...long sigh of no, honey), and the sham-marriage subplot for Reasons (???) and, well, literally everything about this book.
I feel moderately bad about writing this review, since I feel like I have read a completely different book than everyone else, but these are my thoughts and feelings. The one thing I really appreciated was that the author knows her stuff about the Tower of London because she also lived there and grew up as a military brat, and while the moments the tower's history is talked about shines (along with when Maggie talks about writing), the rest is just bogged down around it and so messy. Again, I know that a lot of the things that happen in this book are based on personal experience, but also...I kinda feel like some of this could have been explored and examined a little better. There's a lot of of internalized misogyny and body shaming here.
I'll leave with one not quite out of context quote that, while somewhat counter-acted by Maggie's thoughts later on, also fuels much of my thoughts of the book. Not that women are not like this, and not that things like this do not happen (they absolutely do happen because people are horrible), but the way it's handled throughout this book just...I just wanted Maggie's problems to be solved with therapy instead of cured by being loved at last by a Deserving Man. Seriously. All her body image issues dissolved in the end because Freddie loves her, as do any lingering effects of a seven-year long emotionally abusive and codependent relationship.
Anywho, the book ends on this note of finding happiness and realizing that what you think will bring happiness (previously unmentioned anywhere in the book) is not necessarily the case, and that happiness is in a room filled with beefeaters at a bar...and also a man who loves you. Because Maggie had the beefeaters in the bar, but did not accept herself until Freddie declared his love for her.
'They all talk—you know that. Just be careful. You don't want to be getting a reputation, like that Lizzy Mackintosh.'
Lizzy Mackintosh was the sergeant's daughter where we lived on base in Germany for a while when I was only about eleven. She was beautiful, the envy of the entire garrison. The wives would watch her from her front door whilst her dad was away, and when soldiers started coming and going all day, always looking very grateful as they left, the rumors began that she was the woman they would go to, to cheat on their wives. They made her life hell, and we weren't allowed near her after that. It wasn't until a few years later, when her whole family had been posted elsewhere, that we all found out that she was doing a sport physiotherapy course at college and had been helping all of the troops who were injured from training and their military exercises. Dad always uses Lizzy as an example. She was doing a good thing, but in army communities gossips spreads like wildfire.'
Like...literally no one asked Lizzie or her dad or one of the soldiers she was treating? And were there no female soldiers on this post she was seeing? Wait...no. Because in this world, female soldiers do not exist unless they are Highlanders like the ravenmaster and long retired and isolated from the military community (I could probably write an entire thesis on women's roles in military communities based upon this book alone).
Edit: I've had a couple of folks apparently upset about my commentary on the Lizzie Debacle. To clarify: I am not denying that shit like this doesn't happen. I'm both a military veteran and military spouse. Trust me. I know. I've been Lizzie (except I was active duty not military brat). Shit like this is so common. What I had hoped to see, however, was a more nuanced take, instead of one that perpetuates this stereotype of slutty women adjacent to the military environment, which puts the onus on the woman to protect her "reputation" instead of folks working to change the environment itself.
Additionally, I got a comment about how "female yeoman warmers are rare" I guess as a way to say that "no shit there are no girls in the Tower," and...well. I'm not well versed on British bases, but I do assume that most bases contain more than just that one occupational specialty, some of which probably have a higher percentage of women, which means that it would have made sense for Lizzie to have one or two women soldiers who might have needed her help, not just men. My point here, is that military romance tends to erase women's service completely, making women soldiers either utterly nonexistent in a hyper-masculine world (leaving room only for the civilian heroine), or as Highlanders like the Ravenmaster (isolated, alone and token inclusion). And as a woman who served in a male-dominated military service, that makes me feel some kinda way, and it also reinforces this weird concept that women don't belong in the military, that their only place is to support their warrior man as wife, girlfriend or daughter.
Trigger Warnings for self harm, negative self-imagery, emotional and verbal abuse from an ex
Not like other girls Maggie Moore is in a rough patch. After she catches her ex cheating on her for the third time, she's dumped him and is back to living with her dad...in the actual Tower of London. She's got a dead-end job. She's mid-twenties and feeling listless and hopeless and surrounded by her mean boss and mean girl coworkers. Until she bumps into a mysterious man...who ends up being one of the guards stationed at the Tower!
The more I learn about men the more I believe that we are not even the same species.
I requested this one because I was in the mood for something light and fluffy, and what I got was...a heated mess.
First off, we have Maggie Moore, called Margot by her ex because he's an inconsiderate asshole and that must be painfully spelled out, and Margaret by The Guard because he's Edward Cullen in non-sparkly British Nobility form. Anywho, just like Isabella Swan, Maggie has very little agency or personality beyond going to work hungover, being clumsy. She also talks to ravens, has a passion for history and is...get this...a ginger. Oh the inhumanity!
Anywho, her life basically is a revolving door of hanging out with her dad's friends, getting picked on by the mean girls and queer-coded boss (oh yeah, it's real bad) at work, getting verbally harassed by her ex at her place of employment, and basically being treated like she is Bridget Jones in the early 2000s.
I can't claim to be beautiful; I hardly have people falling over me to tell me that I am.
She literally does, though. And I understand why Maggie is so alone, because she is a victim of emotional manipulation and codependency in her previous relationship, combined with a very unhealthy dose of body dysmorphia (she constantly talks about how she's basically a dog at 5'9 and 168 pounds, while literally every man who sees her wants to be with her).
Her life doesn't pick up until she stumbles into Freddie The Guard, who is basically a walking pair of eyeballs attached to muscles, possessing even less personality than Maggie. Despite their inexplicable attraction (?), Freddie takes her into the guardroom and she meets the other members of his squad, and honestly she has more chemistry and conversations with them than she does at any time with Freddie, who literally peaces out any time things seem to require emotion.
The guards challenge Maggie to go on five dates so that she'll find the one (???) and Maggie goes on five dates with Tinder dudes, and it's literally the most clichéd dates imagined.
And then Freddie takes Maggie to this gala thing, and Maggie is like omg Freddie you're rich and famous and I had no idea, and everyone is posh and Maggie is looked down on because people automatically know she is Not One of Them and oh my goodness this book is so Wattpad-esque and filled with Not-Like-Other-Girls vibes (from a main character who calls herself a feminist yet thinks disparaging remarks about literally every single woman in the book and I don't think has a single conversation with another woman that isn't the other woman picking on her, cryptic messages from the grandmotherly ravenmaster person or about a man).
If you're thinking the plot is a mess, it is. There's this whole thing about cameras watching her every move and people gossiping about her for Reasons (??), and then the non-relationship with Freddie that I just did not understand because he literally ghosts on her at every encounter they have except when dealing with actual ghosts, and the five-dates side plot that went nowhere and her friendship with the guards that made me real uncomfortable as a military veteran (because Maggie views herself as One of the Guys and...long sigh of no, honey), and the sham-marriage subplot for Reasons (???) and, well, literally everything about this book.
I feel moderately bad about writing this review, since I feel like I have read a completely different book than everyone else, but these are my thoughts and feelings. The one thing I really appreciated was that the author knows her stuff about the Tower of London because she also lived there and grew up as a military brat, and while the moments the tower's history is talked about shines (along with when Maggie talks about writing), the rest is just bogged down around it and so messy. Again, I know that a lot of the things that happen in this book are based on personal experience, but also...I kinda feel like some of this could have been explored and examined a little better. There's a lot of of internalized misogyny and body shaming here.
I'll leave with one not quite out of context quote that, while somewhat counter-acted by Maggie's thoughts later on, also fuels much of my thoughts of the book. Not that women are not like this, and not that things like this do not happen (they absolutely do happen because people are horrible), but the way it's handled throughout this book just...I just wanted Maggie's problems to be solved with therapy instead of cured by being loved at last by a Deserving Man. Seriously. All her body image issues dissolved in the end because Freddie loves her, as do any lingering effects of a seven-year long emotionally abusive and codependent relationship.
Anywho, the book ends on this note of finding happiness and realizing that what you think will bring happiness (previously unmentioned anywhere in the book) is not necessarily the case, and that happiness is in a room filled with beefeaters at a bar...and also a man who loves you. Because Maggie had the beefeaters in the bar, but did not accept herself until Freddie declared his love for her.
'They all talk—you know that. Just be careful. You don't want to be getting a reputation, like that Lizzy Mackintosh.'
Lizzy Mackintosh was the sergeant's daughter where we lived on base in Germany for a while when I was only about eleven. She was beautiful, the envy of the entire garrison. The wives would watch her from her front door whilst her dad was away, and when soldiers started coming and going all day, always looking very grateful as they left, the rumors began that she was the woman they would go to, to cheat on their wives. They made her life hell, and we weren't allowed near her after that. It wasn't until a few years later, when her whole family had been posted elsewhere, that we all found out that she was doing a sport physiotherapy course at college and had been helping all of the troops who were injured from training and their military exercises. Dad always uses Lizzy as an example. She was doing a good thing, but in army communities gossips spreads like wildfire.'
Like...literally no one asked Lizzie or her dad or one of the soldiers she was treating? And were there no female soldiers on this post she was seeing? Wait...no. Because in this world, female soldiers do not exist unless they are Highlanders like the ravenmaster and long retired and isolated from the military community (I could probably write an entire thesis on women's roles in military communities based upon this book alone).
Edit: I've had a couple of folks apparently upset about my commentary on the Lizzie Debacle. To clarify: I am not denying that shit like this doesn't happen. I'm both a military veteran and military spouse. Trust me. I know. I've been Lizzie (except I was active duty not military brat). Shit like this is so common. What I had hoped to see, however, was a more nuanced take, instead of one that perpetuates this stereotype of slutty women adjacent to the military environment, which puts the onus on the woman to protect her "reputation" instead of folks working to change the environment itself.
Additionally, I got a comment about how "female yeoman warmers are rare" I guess as a way to say that "no shit there are no girls in the Tower," and...well. I'm not well versed on British bases, but I do assume that most bases contain more than just that one occupational specialty, some of which probably have a higher percentage of women, which means that it would have made sense for Lizzie to have one or two women soldiers who might have needed her help, not just men. My point here, is that military romance tends to erase women's service completely, making women soldiers either utterly nonexistent in a hyper-masculine world (leaving room only for the civilian heroine), or as Highlanders like the Ravenmaster (isolated, alone and token inclusion). And as a woman who served in a male-dominated military service, that makes me feel some kinda way, and it also reinforces this weird concept that women don't belong in the military, that their only place is to support their warrior man as wife, girlfriend or daughter.
Trigger Warnings for self harm, negative self-imagery, emotional and verbal abuse from an ex
December 22, 2022
So I have to be totally honest and admit that this is not an unbiased review. I am very lucky to call Megan, the author, a very treasured friend of mine (and if you’ve read the book, my name may sound familiar). However, I believe that means I can testify to the care, attention and total commitment that has gone into this book. In crafting her story, she has dedicated herself to capturing the spirit of the tower and reflecting the essences of the women and men that live there. From checking with a beefeater over the proper term for the courtyard to ensuring the guards uniform on the cover was accurate, Megan has been meticulous. However, in doing so she has not written a stuffy history filled with tragedy and tudors, instead she has created an uplifting romance that is closer to the work of Dolly Alderton than anything you’ll find on the bookshelf of a reformation era history lecturer. Megan, as Maggie (the main character) says, lives in an interesting postcode. I believe this outstanding novel will give everyone as close a glimpse into what it’s really like behind those walls when the tourists have gone away than anything else that is available, in any genre.
It was a joy to watch this book come into existence (and just as much a thrill to read) and I am waiting with very baited breath to see what Megan will turn her brilliant mind to next.
It was a joy to watch this book come into existence (and just as much a thrill to read) and I am waiting with very baited breath to see what Megan will turn her brilliant mind to next.
June 14, 2023
I will try to write this review as respectfully as I possibly can - it doesn't have that many reviews/ratings so there is a bigger chance that the author will read this and I don't want to hurt her on a personal level.
This book made angry. At the 73% mark I was ready to DNF it, but at that point it became a hate read. Why?
Maggie: Our FMC is not great. Her main personality trait is that she has none. She is bullied daily at work, she's clumsy to a fault and honestly, she's just watching life go through her with no agency whatsoever.
She is a dormant woman who is incapable of standing up for herself when she's bullied by her coworkers and harassed by her ex - that she only dumped after she caught him cheating for the third time. She's also always late and slagging off at her work - I understand it's not your dream job, but at least show up on time. She also spends all her time talking to ravens...
Freddie: Freddie who? For a romantic interest and our mmc, he's absent from 99% of the book. He appears from time to time, leaves, appears, says hi, leaves... He's never there! How can Maggie be in love with a guy she barely sees and is never there?! How? And also, talk about Freddie - the self-serving, selfish guy. For the small time he spends on page, he doesn't make a very positive impression.
Plot and Romance - Nothing happens for like... Just ever?
Romance where? There is literally no romance in this book. The characters get together in the last chapter. There's even some sort of third act breakup, but how does that make any sense if the characters aren't even together? This is in no way, shape or form a romance book. If anything is a slice-of-live, coming of age novel where we get the read the daily life of our FMC and that is not what I signed for.
There's also a dating challenge that further dilutes the romance aspect of the book as it's not like our mmc is taking our fmc out on dates to boost her confidence - NO! She goes on disastrous date after disastrous date out of Tinder.
WHY AM I READING TINDER DATES GOING WRONG BETWEEN OUR FMC AND RANDOM GUYS IN A BOOK MARKETED AS A ROMANCE?!
I feel cheated by the cover, by the blurb and I am so angry. They don't match what I got and this book doesn't even deserve to remain on my shelves.
This book made angry. At the 73% mark I was ready to DNF it, but at that point it became a hate read. Why?
Maggie: Our FMC is not great. Her main personality trait is that she has none. She is bullied daily at work, she's clumsy to a fault and honestly, she's just watching life go through her with no agency whatsoever.
She is a dormant woman who is incapable of standing up for herself when she's bullied by her coworkers and harassed by her ex - that she only dumped after she caught him cheating for the third time. She's also always late and slagging off at her work - I understand it's not your dream job, but at least show up on time. She also spends all her time talking to ravens...
Freddie: Freddie who? For a romantic interest and our mmc, he's absent from 99% of the book. He appears from time to time, leaves, appears, says hi, leaves... He's never there! How can Maggie be in love with a guy she barely sees and is never there?! How? And also, talk about Freddie - the self-serving, selfish guy. For the small time he spends on page, he doesn't make a very positive impression.
Plot and Romance - Nothing happens for like... Just ever?
Romance where? There is literally no romance in this book. The characters get together in the last chapter. There's even some sort of third act breakup, but how does that make any sense if the characters aren't even together? This is in no way, shape or form a romance book. If anything is a slice-of-live, coming of age novel where we get the read the daily life of our FMC and that is not what I signed for.
There's also a dating challenge that further dilutes the romance aspect of the book as it's not like our mmc is taking our fmc out on dates to boost her confidence - NO! She goes on disastrous date after disastrous date out of Tinder.
WHY AM I READING TINDER DATES GOING WRONG BETWEEN OUR FMC AND RANDOM GUYS IN A BOOK MARKETED AS A ROMANCE?!
I feel cheated by the cover, by the blurb and I am so angry. They don't match what I got and this book doesn't even deserve to remain on my shelves.
October 3, 2023
Sometimes you need a sweet slow burn with a side of history!! (No spice, lots of talk about history and castles, cute moments.)
I think Falling Hard for the Royal Guard was cute and a good palette cleanser type of read - however... the absolute best part of FHFTRG is the commentary and scenes surrounding internet dating. It is absolutely as atrocious as the book makes it out to be. I myself have had many of the same experiences!
THOUGHTS:
- I learned a lot of history about the Tower of London, which I didn't expect? I thought I'd be reading more romance and such.. and while I'm not opposed to books with this kind of researched discourse throughout - I just wish I had known that before going in. The cover and book blurb make it seem like more of a lighthearted contemporary English romance.
- The main character and her spastic messiness... I'm not saying these types of humans don't exist in real life. However... as a person who personally tries to maintain a sense of orderliness and has their ish somewhat together... sometimes the secondhand embarrassment is hard to read. (Mostly because I've been through that time in my life in my teens and early twenties!) You'll really like this if you're still in that phase of your life!
- Last but not least - the actual romance and drama of the situation. The ex-boyfriend and how she dealt with him. I'm so glad that Maggie's character ended up in a position of self respect.. but I was saddened to read what she allowed herself to be put through.
NOTES:
- CWs: Verbal abuse in relationships
- 🌶️ - almost NO spice. just some warm and cuddly emotional moments!!
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
I think Falling Hard for the Royal Guard was cute and a good palette cleanser type of read - however... the absolute best part of FHFTRG is the commentary and scenes surrounding internet dating. It is absolutely as atrocious as the book makes it out to be. I myself have had many of the same experiences!
THOUGHTS:
- I learned a lot of history about the Tower of London, which I didn't expect? I thought I'd be reading more romance and such.. and while I'm not opposed to books with this kind of researched discourse throughout - I just wish I had known that before going in. The cover and book blurb make it seem like more of a lighthearted contemporary English romance.
- The main character and her spastic messiness... I'm not saying these types of humans don't exist in real life. However... as a person who personally tries to maintain a sense of orderliness and has their ish somewhat together... sometimes the secondhand embarrassment is hard to read. (Mostly because I've been through that time in my life in my teens and early twenties!) You'll really like this if you're still in that phase of your life!
- Last but not least - the actual romance and drama of the situation. The ex-boyfriend and how she dealt with him. I'm so glad that Maggie's character ended up in a position of self respect.. but I was saddened to read what she allowed herself to be put through.
NOTES:
- CWs: Verbal abuse in relationships
- 🌶️ - almost NO spice. just some warm and cuddly emotional moments!!
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
November 20, 2024
2⭐
Genre ~ women's fiction
Setting ~ London
Publication date ~ April 27, 2023
Publisher ~ Avon
Est Page Count ~ 368 (23 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 53 minutes
Narrator ~ Kathryn Drysdale
POV ~single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ slowest burn of my life, no steamage, references to cheating in the past
Maggie lives and works at the Tower of London. How cool is that? Since the author actually lives there I assume the setting to be described accurately. Not like I’d have a clue whether it is or not since I’ve never been, but still 😂
What I liked:
~ the facts, the secrets passages and the haunted cellar
~ Freddie's friends
What didn't work for me:
~ does this lady need another alarm clock? Because I'd like her to be on time for work just once please
~ there was an ex that needed a good throat punch and a black eye for good measure, maybe a knee to the nether region as well
~ the 3rd act (not breakup) royally pissed me off
~ undeveloped relationship
~ rude and mean coworkers
~ just about every single character is unlikable, except Dad, he was fine
~ marketed as a romantic comedy, but there was a little com, but nearly non existent rom.
Overall, this one didn't really work for me. As far as the secret passages and haunted cellar, if they're really there I wanna go!
Finally checked an old pb ARC off the list.
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
Genre ~ women's fiction
Setting ~ London
Publication date ~ April 27, 2023
Publisher ~ Avon
Est Page Count ~ 368 (23 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 53 minutes
Narrator ~ Kathryn Drysdale
POV ~single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ slowest burn of my life, no steamage, references to cheating in the past
Maggie lives and works at the Tower of London. How cool is that? Since the author actually lives there I assume the setting to be described accurately. Not like I’d have a clue whether it is or not since I’ve never been, but still 😂
What I liked:
~ the facts, the secrets passages and the haunted cellar
~ Freddie's friends
What didn't work for me:
~ does this lady need another alarm clock? Because I'd like her to be on time for work just once please
~ there was an ex that needed a good throat punch and a black eye for good measure, maybe a knee to the nether region as well
~ the 3rd act (not breakup) royally pissed me off
~ undeveloped relationship
~ rude and mean coworkers
~ just about every single character is unlikable, except Dad, he was fine
~ marketed as a romantic comedy, but there was a little com, but nearly non existent rom.
Overall, this one didn't really work for me. As far as the secret passages and haunted cellar, if they're really there I wanna go!
Finally checked an old pb ARC off the list.
Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X
May 7, 2023
I was so excited about this but damn, I was bored out of my mind reading this. There were a few nice bits, but overall... not my favourite read. I wasn't feeling the romance AT ALL, Maggie was EXTREMELY clumsy (literally everything went wrong, so she felt like a caricature to me), and why was almost everyone being a major dick to her? No, I didn't really enjoy reading this. Except for the history bits - those were nice additions.
April 28, 2023
Maggie Moore has just moved in with her dad, he’s a Beefeater and a career soldier. Maggie broke up with her boyfriend of seven years Bran, he’s calling her nonstop and driving her crazy. Maggie lives and works at an interesting place, the Tower of London and it’s a busy tourist spot. Maggie has always been a bit of a history buff, she sells admission tickets and her boss Kevin gives her a hard time for being late.
Maggie meets a soldier whose a member of the Royal Guards, Freddie Guildford, he and his garrison spend a week guarding the gates, wearing the iconic bearskin hat and the public do all sorts of funny things to try and get a reaction out of them. Maggie hasn't had much luck in the romance department, Freddie's friends encourage her to create a profile on Tinder, and all the men are either creeps or down right odd. The one person Maggie does fancy is Freddie, for some reason she always makes a fool of herself when he’s around and she has a habit of tripping over or falling flat on her face.
I received a copy of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson from NetGalley and Avon Books UK. I haven’t laughed so much reading a book in ages, Maggie is a curly haired pocket rocket and a clumsy one. Included in the story is information about the one thousand year old Tower of London, The Ceremony of The Keys, The Ravens and the Crown Jewels are kept here. A place of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and of course the odd ghost is still lurking around. You can tell the author has a personal connection to the iconic London landmark, and is Freddie Maggie's knight in shining armour and you will need to read the book to find out!! Five stars from me and I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic comedy.
Maggie meets a soldier whose a member of the Royal Guards, Freddie Guildford, he and his garrison spend a week guarding the gates, wearing the iconic bearskin hat and the public do all sorts of funny things to try and get a reaction out of them. Maggie hasn't had much luck in the romance department, Freddie's friends encourage her to create a profile on Tinder, and all the men are either creeps or down right odd. The one person Maggie does fancy is Freddie, for some reason she always makes a fool of herself when he’s around and she has a habit of tripping over or falling flat on her face.
I received a copy of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson from NetGalley and Avon Books UK. I haven’t laughed so much reading a book in ages, Maggie is a curly haired pocket rocket and a clumsy one. Included in the story is information about the one thousand year old Tower of London, The Ceremony of The Keys, The Ravens and the Crown Jewels are kept here. A place of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and of course the odd ghost is still lurking around. You can tell the author has a personal connection to the iconic London landmark, and is Freddie Maggie's knight in shining armour and you will need to read the book to find out!! Five stars from me and I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic comedy.
May 18, 2023
*Adorable Read*
**4.5 Stars**
This book is a Romantic comedy, it is set in The Tower of London which happens to be the place the Author Megan Clawson lives and the main character Margaret (Aka Maggie) lives there with her Dad who is a soldier through and through. She often wonders about her late mother who gave up her life to be a military wife. As they moved so many times it was hard making friends and Maggie saw it all from the perspective of her mother.
This is a cosy read with a touch of History thrown in but balanced perfectly, it also give you a snapshot of what life is like behind the scenes.
Maggie is looking for her fairytale especially given her last relationship with a serial cheater who has decided he wants her back, there is one Guardsman in particular Freddie who catches her eye. They have some awkward exchanges but with him being aloof it makes her curious. Before she knows it she is falling for him. He has a knack of disappearing just as she relaxes in his company, he holds back and disappears and she doesn’t quite know what to think due to the mixed signals.
She soon finds out more about the world he comes from and when she is invited to an event with him as friends it is an eye opener. Can she blend into their world or is Freddie carrying a secret that could stop the relationship before it even starts, will she give him the chance to explain?…..
I loved Maggie’s character especially as she comes across as real and not the usual cliched stick thin person. This was better than I expected especially the setting.
**4.5 Stars**
This book is a Romantic comedy, it is set in The Tower of London which happens to be the place the Author Megan Clawson lives and the main character Margaret (Aka Maggie) lives there with her Dad who is a soldier through and through. She often wonders about her late mother who gave up her life to be a military wife. As they moved so many times it was hard making friends and Maggie saw it all from the perspective of her mother.
This is a cosy read with a touch of History thrown in but balanced perfectly, it also give you a snapshot of what life is like behind the scenes.
Maggie is looking for her fairytale especially given her last relationship with a serial cheater who has decided he wants her back, there is one Guardsman in particular Freddie who catches her eye. They have some awkward exchanges but with him being aloof it makes her curious. Before she knows it she is falling for him. He has a knack of disappearing just as she relaxes in his company, he holds back and disappears and she doesn’t quite know what to think due to the mixed signals.
She soon finds out more about the world he comes from and when she is invited to an event with him as friends it is an eye opener. Can she blend into their world or is Freddie carrying a secret that could stop the relationship before it even starts, will she give him the chance to explain?…..
I loved Maggie’s character especially as she comes across as real and not the usual cliched stick thin person. This was better than I expected especially the setting.
February 14, 2023
3.5 ⭐
Thanks to social media, I discovered Megan Clawson from her Instagram page! I’m a history buff and love British history. When she announced her upcoming debut novel, I was so excited and knew I had to read it. My bookshelf is loaded with books on royals and their palaces.
What a delightful read - especially for anyone looking for a clean romance! It was the perfect mixture of history, humour, and romance. I learned so much about this unique postcode and the wonderful people who are fortunate enough to call it home.
I’m British and I loved the expressions - ‘skive off’, ‘earwigging’, and ‘ten minutes of kip.’ I’m sure those will have many running to Google!
I laughed out loud at her rope burn experience and was saddened by the lack of privacy - a trade-off for security - for those who call this home.
I can’t wait to see what Clawson has planned next. I hope it’s a sequel.
I was gifted this copy by Avon Books UK and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Thanks to social media, I discovered Megan Clawson from her Instagram page! I’m a history buff and love British history. When she announced her upcoming debut novel, I was so excited and knew I had to read it. My bookshelf is loaded with books on royals and their palaces.
What a delightful read - especially for anyone looking for a clean romance! It was the perfect mixture of history, humour, and romance. I learned so much about this unique postcode and the wonderful people who are fortunate enough to call it home.
I’m British and I loved the expressions - ‘skive off’, ‘earwigging’, and ‘ten minutes of kip.’ I’m sure those will have many running to Google!
I laughed out loud at her rope burn experience and was saddened by the lack of privacy - a trade-off for security - for those who call this home.
I can’t wait to see what Clawson has planned next. I hope it’s a sequel.
I was gifted this copy by Avon Books UK and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
July 26, 2023
My god, wat een super super leuk verhaal! Echt genieten geblazen. De omgeving, het geweldige hoofdpersonage, het liefdesverhaal. Ja, aanrader.
June 3, 2023
ik snap wel waarom maggies enige vrienden een paar vogels zijn
November 24, 2022
I do love books where I can picture the setting because it is local to me, and this was a perfect example.
Maggie, our heroine, lives in the Tower of London. Lives there. Yup, I didn't even know people lived there!
She lives in special housing for the Beefeaters, one of whom is her father.
She works at the ticket booth, a job she never thought she would be still at, all these years later, and she finds herself the butt of her colleagues' jokes as the clumsy, lumbering red-haired girl who can't even get a date.
But fate changes for her when she bumps into someone she thought was a lamp post, and he ends up being someone she spends plenty of time with as friends.
Maggie tells Freddie historical stories of the Tower of London, complete with ghost tales, and he introduces her to parts of the Tower that were out of reach, seeing as he is a part of the Royal Guard.
As she slowly lowers her barriers with him, she can feel there are parts of his life he is hiding, which she finds out most shockingly.
A great cast of characters, including the different Beefeaters, the rest of Freddie's troop, and the ravenmaster, with her cryptic yet apt words of wisdom.
I read it in a day. really enjoyed it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC.
Maggie, our heroine, lives in the Tower of London. Lives there. Yup, I didn't even know people lived there!
She lives in special housing for the Beefeaters, one of whom is her father.
She works at the ticket booth, a job she never thought she would be still at, all these years later, and she finds herself the butt of her colleagues' jokes as the clumsy, lumbering red-haired girl who can't even get a date.
But fate changes for her when she bumps into someone she thought was a lamp post, and he ends up being someone she spends plenty of time with as friends.
Maggie tells Freddie historical stories of the Tower of London, complete with ghost tales, and he introduces her to parts of the Tower that were out of reach, seeing as he is a part of the Royal Guard.
As she slowly lowers her barriers with him, she can feel there are parts of his life he is hiding, which she finds out most shockingly.
A great cast of characters, including the different Beefeaters, the rest of Freddie's troop, and the ravenmaster, with her cryptic yet apt words of wisdom.
I read it in a day. really enjoyed it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC.
November 27, 2022
2.5
I’m just a little disappointed because this wasn’t as cute and fluffy as I was expecting it to be from the blurb. The London history facts were cool and interesting but everything else seemed sooo exaggerated. From the gossiping and evil coworkers to the MC’s clumsiness, everything felt extreme. Plus there was hardly any interaction between MC and love interest and no explanation in the end for the love interest to keep leaving her on the spot like that. All the characters seemed very shallow and had no defining personalities.
Overall, disappointed ☹️
I’m just a little disappointed because this wasn’t as cute and fluffy as I was expecting it to be from the blurb. The London history facts were cool and interesting but everything else seemed sooo exaggerated. From the gossiping and evil coworkers to the MC’s clumsiness, everything felt extreme. Plus there was hardly any interaction between MC and love interest and no explanation in the end for the love interest to keep leaving her on the spot like that. All the characters seemed very shallow and had no defining personalities.
Overall, disappointed ☹️
November 26, 2022
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard is a humorous rom-com set in the Tower of London - a story of unrequited love between an unlikely heroine and a mysterious guardsman - written by debut author Megan Clawson.
Maggie Moore is a quirky-but-clumsy redhead 26-year-old living with her beefeater father in the Tower of London. Faced with the daily bitchiness of her ticket-office colleagues and narrowly avoiding her obsessive ex-boyfriend, Maggie seeks refuge in her love for the Tower’s steep history and its secrets and mysteries from lifetimes before her. 🏰
When she literally bumps into a man who looks like he’s just stepped out of one of Maggie’s classic romance novels, her new acquaintance introduces her to the life of the guardsmen behind their uniforms and what they get up to when off-duty.
Will Freddie be brave enough to reveal his true identity before Maggie’s heart catches her off guard? 💂🏻♀️👩🏼🦰
In Maggie, the author Megan Clawson creates quite an underlying complex character for such a lighthearted rom-com. While she seems to be vibrant and self-assured on the outside, there are times she struggles with body confidence and her place in the world. The ‘mirror scene’ in particular was a real heartfelt moment in the book - my heart really went out to Maggie. 😭💔 Freddie’s guardsman friends provide an additional layer of humour to the story, contrasting Freddie’s gentility and stiffness.
Don’t miss this humorous rom-com coming soon in Spring 2023 - you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and then you’ll swoon! For me, this is one of those books that you feel happy and glad to have discovered.
I highly recommend Falling Hard for the Royal Guard for fans of Emilia Clarke in Me Before You and all those romance lovers with an interest in London’s royalty, palaces and history.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Avon Books/Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Maggie Moore is a quirky-but-clumsy redhead 26-year-old living with her beefeater father in the Tower of London. Faced with the daily bitchiness of her ticket-office colleagues and narrowly avoiding her obsessive ex-boyfriend, Maggie seeks refuge in her love for the Tower’s steep history and its secrets and mysteries from lifetimes before her. 🏰
When she literally bumps into a man who looks like he’s just stepped out of one of Maggie’s classic romance novels, her new acquaintance introduces her to the life of the guardsmen behind their uniforms and what they get up to when off-duty.
Will Freddie be brave enough to reveal his true identity before Maggie’s heart catches her off guard? 💂🏻♀️👩🏼🦰
In Maggie, the author Megan Clawson creates quite an underlying complex character for such a lighthearted rom-com. While she seems to be vibrant and self-assured on the outside, there are times she struggles with body confidence and her place in the world. The ‘mirror scene’ in particular was a real heartfelt moment in the book - my heart really went out to Maggie. 😭💔 Freddie’s guardsman friends provide an additional layer of humour to the story, contrasting Freddie’s gentility and stiffness.
Don’t miss this humorous rom-com coming soon in Spring 2023 - you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and then you’ll swoon! For me, this is one of those books that you feel happy and glad to have discovered.
I highly recommend Falling Hard for the Royal Guard for fans of Emilia Clarke in Me Before You and all those romance lovers with an interest in London’s royalty, palaces and history.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Avon Books/Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 8, 2023
This novel is proof that a 3.5* rating is not a bad thing. Falling hard for the Royal Guard was interesting and an easy read. There are lots and lots o interesting facts to be found, and the setting is just wonderful. I really liked the friendship between Maggie and the guards. It was recommended to me as being very funny, but to me, the funny bits were mostly cringeworthy and most of the time I just wanted to scoop Maggie up and protect her with my life against those horrible colleagues, the haughty higher class snobs and her even more horrible ex. Although I admire the writer for letting Maggie be a real person who sweats and stinks on occasion, who vomits and even falls into a puddle of urine - she could have left those bits out if it were up to me. It gave the book an unnecessary dingy feel.
The romance is actually the least important part of this book, so don't read this if you want this to be solely about falling hard for a royal guard.
So yes, I definitely liked this book, but to me, the story wasn't funny, I felt mostly protective of and sorry for our lovely main character Maggie.
The romance is actually the least important part of this book, so don't read this if you want this to be solely about falling hard for a royal guard.
So yes, I definitely liked this book, but to me, the story wasn't funny, I felt mostly protective of and sorry for our lovely main character Maggie.
May 28, 2023
i really didn't like it and had to push myself to finish this sadly
May 14, 2023
This was such an entertaining Rom-com that I literally devoured! I loved the Tower of London setting and the little morsels of historical facts that Megan Clawson has snuck in (I definitely learned a few things I didn’t previously know) but it was protagonist Maggie that really kept me hooked!
Her Bridget Jones-esque clumsiness was hilariously endearing and I rather enjoyed her deliciously intense, slow-burn romance with Royal Guard Freddie. The ensemble cast of Guards, Yeoman Warders and even some pretty lively Ravens also kept things pretty pacey with all their humour filled antics.
Overall, an absolutely fantastic debut that any self confessed Rom-com lover and history buff needs to check out —and if you’re on TikTok I’d definitely recommend following the author (who like Maggie actually does live inside the Tower of London.)
Her Bridget Jones-esque clumsiness was hilariously endearing and I rather enjoyed her deliciously intense, slow-burn romance with Royal Guard Freddie. The ensemble cast of Guards, Yeoman Warders and even some pretty lively Ravens also kept things pretty pacey with all their humour filled antics.
Overall, an absolutely fantastic debut that any self confessed Rom-com lover and history buff needs to check out —and if you’re on TikTok I’d definitely recommend following the author (who like Maggie actually does live inside the Tower of London.)
November 7, 2023
Als ich das Buch begonnen habe, suchte ich nach einer Geschichte, die mich aus seinem kleinen Loch holt und zum Lachen bringt. Und genau das hat dieses Buch geschafft, die ganz eindeutig mit ihrem Humor und Situationskomik brilliert. Zwar habe ich mit der Hauptfigur Megs/ Margaret/ Megy sehr mitgefühlt, während ihre Hörbuchsprecherin ihr kurioses Leben im Tower of London wiedergegeben hat, aber so ganz hineinversetzen konnte ich mich nicht. Dafür bin ich von der Figur einfach zu sehr entfernt, aber dennoch war es sehr unterhaltsam, obgleich es an einigen ein wenig zu viel des Guten war. Dabei denke ich nur an ihre Dates, oder an ihre Flucht vor einer...
Aber ja, ich habe mit dem Buch genau das bekommen, was ich wollte. Eine leichte, seichte, witzige Liebesgeschichte und das ist es zu hundert Prozent. Es hätte für andere Leseumstände etwas mehr in die Tiefe gehen können und auch mehr Romanze mit Freddie sein können, der bis zum Schluss leider sehr farblos geblieben ist (trotz seiner roten Uniform) Hier kam von seiner Seite aus leider zu wenig, auch wenn er es am Ende erklärt hat, wie es ihm ging und was er alles getan hat. Das hätte ich gerne selbst gesehen/ gespürt/ bemerkt, anstatt es danach von ihm geschildert zu bekommen. (show, don't tell...)
Daher gute 3,5 unterhaltsam, witzige Punkte für ein Buch, das man gerne in schlechten Phasen des Lebens lesen kann. Danach geht es einem bestimmt besser! :D
Aber ja, ich habe mit dem Buch genau das bekommen, was ich wollte. Eine leichte, seichte, witzige Liebesgeschichte und das ist es zu hundert Prozent. Es hätte für andere Leseumstände etwas mehr in die Tiefe gehen können und auch mehr Romanze mit Freddie sein können, der bis zum Schluss leider sehr farblos geblieben ist (trotz seiner roten Uniform) Hier kam von seiner Seite aus leider zu wenig, auch wenn er es am Ende erklärt hat, wie es ihm ging und was er alles getan hat. Das hätte ich gerne selbst gesehen/ gespürt/ bemerkt, anstatt es danach von ihm geschildert zu bekommen. (show, don't tell...)
Daher gute 3,5 unterhaltsam, witzige Punkte für ein Buch, das man gerne in schlechten Phasen des Lebens lesen kann. Danach geht es einem bestimmt besser! :D
November 29, 2023
Dieses Buch habe ich beim Verlag angefragt, da es der Klappentext und das Cover unglaublich sympathisch wirken lassen. Auch wenn ich Monarchien nicht unterstützen möchte, haben sie doch etwas Märchenhaftes an sich. Maggies aktueller Stand als Ticketverkäuferin lässt auf eine Cinderella-Story schließen - und auf genau sowas habe ich eigentlich immer Lust.
Leider hatte ich aber riesige Probleme mit der Protagonistin Maggie. Denn wisst ihr, was ich hasse? Tollpatschige Protagonist:innen. Tollpatschigkeit ist nichts Liebenswürdiges, nichts Schönes, nichts Sympathisches und schon gar nicht lustig, zumindest nicht für Menschen, die davon tatsächlich betroffen sind. Menschen, wie ich. Tollpatschigkeit ist schmerzhaft. Tollpatschigkeit ist unangenehm. Tollpatschigkeit bringt einen in Erklärungsnot, denn wie soll man jemandem erklären, dass man sich ein Band gezerrt hat, weil man mal wieder über die eigenen Füße gestolpert ist? Tollpatschigkeit ist zeitraubend, denn Arztbesuche können dauern. Und Tollpatschigkeit ist teuer, denn zerbrochenes Geschirr muss ersetzt werden. Und vor allem: Tollpatschig zu sein ist frustrierend. All das spielte hier aber keine Rolle. Maggie war einfach tollpatschig, was fast schon in Richtung Slapstick-Humor ging. Für mich war das nicht lustig und trug für mich nichts Positives zur Geschichte bei. Wie soll man über sowas lachen, wenn man während dem Hören selbst gerade mit Verbrennungen auf dem Weg zum Arzt ist?
Auch mit anderen Aspekten von Maggies Persönlichkeit hatte ich so meine Probleme. So versinkt Maggie zum Beispiel regelmäßig in einer unangenehmen Mischung aus Selbstmitleid und Selbsthass, ohne den Willen zu zeigen, etwas an den Dingen in ihrem Leben zu ändern, die diese Gefühle in ihr auslösen. Maggie hat keine Ambitionen, keine Energie, kaum Lebenswillen, zumindest konnte ich als Leserin nichts davon wahrnehmen. Statt irgendwann an sich zu arbeiten, trinkt sie zu viel Alkohol, klagt den Raben im Schloss ihr Leid und hofft, dass sich irgendwann der perfekte Mann in sie verliebt und sie so aus ihrem Elend befreit. Ihre Stelle als Ticketverkäuferin behandelt sie im besten Fall stiefmütterlich. Sie kommt jeden einzelnen Tag zu spät, taucht dort verkatert auf, verschwindet mitten am Tag von ihrem Posten, um zu schlafen oder schläft einfach direkt an ihrem Posten. Aber nein: Sie kann nichts dafür, dass ihre Kolleginnen sie nicht ausstehen können und dass ihr Chef sie nicht mag. Natürlich nicht. So eine Kollegin wie Maggie liebt man doch, oder?
Doch nicht nur Maggies Kolleginnen werden Opfer von Maggies verzerrtem Weltbild. Alle Frauen, denen sie begegnet, sind Zicken und behandeln sie schlecht. Maggie hat keine einzige Freundin. Keine einzige weibliche Person, die ihr nahestehen würde, wenn man von ihrer verstorbenen Mutter absieht. Und sie will auch keine Freundinnen, denn sie ist ja ganz anders als andere Frauen. Würg. Kein Kommentar. Ihr könnt euch denken, was ich dazu zu sagen habe. Erst in der letzten halben Stunde begegnet Maggie dann zwei freundlichen Frauen, aber das war halt dann meiner Meinung nach schon zu spät, um an meinem Bild von Maggie viel zu ändern. Sagen wir es mal so: Wenn um dich herum nur Zicken sind und du keine einzige liebenswerte Eigenschaft erkennen kannst, wenn du die Frauen um dich betrachtest, dann liegt es vielleicht doch an dir und nicht an den Frauen um dich herum.
Aber wer weiß: Vielleicht liege ich ja auch falsch mit meiner Einschätzung von Maggie. Denn dieses Buch hat sehr, sehr viel positives Feedback erhalten und ich steche mit meiner Bewertung mal wieder voll heraus.
Was allerdings nicht nur ich bemängle: Das ist ein Liebesroman und Maggie trifft auch bereits in einem der ersten Kapitel ihr Love Interest. Freddie spielt aber für die Handlung bis zum Schluss nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Sie streiten, er rettet sie immer wieder mal und verschwindet dann wieder ins Nichts, aber das war es auch schon. Alles, was es an romantischer Entwicklung zwischen den beiden gibt, wurde mehr oder weniger in das letzte Viertel des Buches gequetscht. Das war mir persönlich zu wenig. Für mich persönlich hätte das bereits früher beginnen müssen.
Mein Fazit? Ich habe mir sehr gewünscht, dieses Buch zu mögen. Wirklich. Aber das war leider nichts für mich.
Leider hatte ich aber riesige Probleme mit der Protagonistin Maggie. Denn wisst ihr, was ich hasse? Tollpatschige Protagonist:innen. Tollpatschigkeit ist nichts Liebenswürdiges, nichts Schönes, nichts Sympathisches und schon gar nicht lustig, zumindest nicht für Menschen, die davon tatsächlich betroffen sind. Menschen, wie ich. Tollpatschigkeit ist schmerzhaft. Tollpatschigkeit ist unangenehm. Tollpatschigkeit bringt einen in Erklärungsnot, denn wie soll man jemandem erklären, dass man sich ein Band gezerrt hat, weil man mal wieder über die eigenen Füße gestolpert ist? Tollpatschigkeit ist zeitraubend, denn Arztbesuche können dauern. Und Tollpatschigkeit ist teuer, denn zerbrochenes Geschirr muss ersetzt werden. Und vor allem: Tollpatschig zu sein ist frustrierend. All das spielte hier aber keine Rolle. Maggie war einfach tollpatschig, was fast schon in Richtung Slapstick-Humor ging. Für mich war das nicht lustig und trug für mich nichts Positives zur Geschichte bei. Wie soll man über sowas lachen, wenn man während dem Hören selbst gerade mit Verbrennungen auf dem Weg zum Arzt ist?
Auch mit anderen Aspekten von Maggies Persönlichkeit hatte ich so meine Probleme. So versinkt Maggie zum Beispiel regelmäßig in einer unangenehmen Mischung aus Selbstmitleid und Selbsthass, ohne den Willen zu zeigen, etwas an den Dingen in ihrem Leben zu ändern, die diese Gefühle in ihr auslösen. Maggie hat keine Ambitionen, keine Energie, kaum Lebenswillen, zumindest konnte ich als Leserin nichts davon wahrnehmen. Statt irgendwann an sich zu arbeiten, trinkt sie zu viel Alkohol, klagt den Raben im Schloss ihr Leid und hofft, dass sich irgendwann der perfekte Mann in sie verliebt und sie so aus ihrem Elend befreit. Ihre Stelle als Ticketverkäuferin behandelt sie im besten Fall stiefmütterlich. Sie kommt jeden einzelnen Tag zu spät, taucht dort verkatert auf, verschwindet mitten am Tag von ihrem Posten, um zu schlafen oder schläft einfach direkt an ihrem Posten. Aber nein: Sie kann nichts dafür, dass ihre Kolleginnen sie nicht ausstehen können und dass ihr Chef sie nicht mag. Natürlich nicht. So eine Kollegin wie Maggie liebt man doch, oder?
Doch nicht nur Maggies Kolleginnen werden Opfer von Maggies verzerrtem Weltbild. Alle Frauen, denen sie begegnet, sind Zicken und behandeln sie schlecht. Maggie hat keine einzige Freundin. Keine einzige weibliche Person, die ihr nahestehen würde, wenn man von ihrer verstorbenen Mutter absieht. Und sie will auch keine Freundinnen, denn sie ist ja ganz anders als andere Frauen. Würg. Kein Kommentar. Ihr könnt euch denken, was ich dazu zu sagen habe. Erst in der letzten halben Stunde begegnet Maggie dann zwei freundlichen Frauen, aber das war halt dann meiner Meinung nach schon zu spät, um an meinem Bild von Maggie viel zu ändern. Sagen wir es mal so: Wenn um dich herum nur Zicken sind und du keine einzige liebenswerte Eigenschaft erkennen kannst, wenn du die Frauen um dich betrachtest, dann liegt es vielleicht doch an dir und nicht an den Frauen um dich herum.
Aber wer weiß: Vielleicht liege ich ja auch falsch mit meiner Einschätzung von Maggie. Denn dieses Buch hat sehr, sehr viel positives Feedback erhalten und ich steche mit meiner Bewertung mal wieder voll heraus.
Was allerdings nicht nur ich bemängle: Das ist ein Liebesroman und Maggie trifft auch bereits in einem der ersten Kapitel ihr Love Interest. Freddie spielt aber für die Handlung bis zum Schluss nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Sie streiten, er rettet sie immer wieder mal und verschwindet dann wieder ins Nichts, aber das war es auch schon. Alles, was es an romantischer Entwicklung zwischen den beiden gibt, wurde mehr oder weniger in das letzte Viertel des Buches gequetscht. Das war mir persönlich zu wenig. Für mich persönlich hätte das bereits früher beginnen müssen.
Mein Fazit? Ich habe mir sehr gewünscht, dieses Buch zu mögen. Wirklich. Aber das war leider nichts für mich.
April 4, 2023
okay welllll.... this was not what I had hoped and dreamed for.
honestly, this sounded like it promised some of my favourite parts of a good romance but I was a little let down. I saw the rating and thought ain't no way.. but there was, in fact, a way.
Reading this, I saw what I knew I could've liked buried under a lot of what I didn't and MOST of what I didn't like was how Maggie was written. You have a character who hated her job so she showed up late for it, hated her cheating ex who harasses her after the fact and receives no consequence for his actions, and hated her loneliness but made friends with every new person she met in this book (with the exception of her shitty boss and coworkers). She has no privacy and is sending her deceased mom life updates while having 0 on-paper connection with her father other than when she hangs out with him and his buddies. It just felt so back and forth and eventually became discombobulating. I went back a couple of times because it felt like her personality was so inconsistent at times that I must've misread it. I didn't, just to be clear. For Maggie, I guess the problems just felt very inward when they shouldn't have been. It made me consider HER the problem when she really wasn't. EXCEPT the fact that this girl was late for every other goddamn shift and it was driving me INSANE. GO TO WORK ON TIME.
Freddie and Maggie were cute but I didn't buy it. I think Maggie needed a life makeover before anything else and because I had my issues with her, it took me out of imagining her and Freddie together at all. I did like a lot of what went down towards the end of the book, ghosts and all, but it wasn't enough to change my mind. He kept dipping whenever he wanted and then he'd come back and invite her somewhere and run away then too. She was accepting crumbs and for what?
Overall, I didn't hate it but I definitely didn't like it as much as I had hoped I would. So many people seem to have enjoyed this much more so it's very possible that this was just me. Do what you will with this information.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
honestly, this sounded like it promised some of my favourite parts of a good romance but I was a little let down. I saw the rating and thought ain't no way.. but there was, in fact, a way.
Reading this, I saw what I knew I could've liked buried under a lot of what I didn't and MOST of what I didn't like was how Maggie was written. You have a character who hated her job so she showed up late for it, hated her cheating ex who harasses her after the fact and receives no consequence for his actions, and hated her loneliness but made friends with every new person she met in this book (with the exception of her shitty boss and coworkers). She has no privacy and is sending her deceased mom life updates while having 0 on-paper connection with her father other than when she hangs out with him and his buddies. It just felt so back and forth and eventually became discombobulating. I went back a couple of times because it felt like her personality was so inconsistent at times that I must've misread it. I didn't, just to be clear. For Maggie, I guess the problems just felt very inward when they shouldn't have been. It made me consider HER the problem when she really wasn't. EXCEPT the fact that this girl was late for every other goddamn shift and it was driving me INSANE. GO TO WORK ON TIME.
Freddie and Maggie were cute but I didn't buy it. I think Maggie needed a life makeover before anything else and because I had my issues with her, it took me out of imagining her and Freddie together at all. I did like a lot of what went down towards the end of the book, ghosts and all, but it wasn't enough to change my mind. He kept dipping whenever he wanted and then he'd come back and invite her somewhere and run away then too. She was accepting crumbs and for what?
Overall, I didn't hate it but I definitely didn't like it as much as I had hoped I would. So many people seem to have enjoyed this much more so it's very possible that this was just me. Do what you will with this information.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2023
Oh, boy. First, I should say that this was an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This might be a bit harsh, but it's honestly how I feel.
I first saw this book on TikTok and it looked so cute! It's completely different to what I usually read (okay, I actually can't remember the last time I read a contemporary romance), but the plot seemed lighthearted and fun and I had just been to the Tower of London in October.
Unfortunately, the book was cliche and over exaggerated.
It was hard to find Maggie likeable. She has to be the clumsiest person in the history of the world - to the point it's cringe-worthy. She can't even get into a car without bumping her head. (It's kind of a shock that she didn't choke every time she tried to breath) It got to the point that whenever she did anything, I was expecting it to go wrong.
I couldn't really see the appeal of Freddie other than he's hot. He's the king of Irish goodbyes, constantly just disappearing and then not contacting Maggie for months.
Maggie doesn't end up growing a backbone until 90% into the book. She finally stands up to her ex, telling him to shove off (the ex that she only left because her father pretty much forced her to after he cheated on her for the third time).
The coworkers are high school mean girl catty as are the rich people that she meets at a party. And Maggie is always the butt of their jokes. But I mean, with how she's always late for work or slacking off, I wouldn't like her as a coworker either.
Maggie is someone who doesn't like how her body looks yet she casts rude observations about others' weight. Here's a direct quote from the book:
'One particularly angular young woman steps forward, and I realise I can see each of her bones as if she were a skeleton wrapped up tightly in a sheet. She outstretches an arm that is so thin it looks as if holding up the weight of her hand for too long would make it snap in two.'
That's just rude!
Anyways, yeah. It might be a harsh review, but it's honest.
I first saw this book on TikTok and it looked so cute! It's completely different to what I usually read (okay, I actually can't remember the last time I read a contemporary romance), but the plot seemed lighthearted and fun and I had just been to the Tower of London in October.
Unfortunately, the book was cliche and over exaggerated.
It was hard to find Maggie likeable. She has to be the clumsiest person in the history of the world - to the point it's cringe-worthy. She can't even get into a car without bumping her head. (It's kind of a shock that she didn't choke every time she tried to breath) It got to the point that whenever she did anything, I was expecting it to go wrong.
I couldn't really see the appeal of Freddie other than he's hot. He's the king of Irish goodbyes, constantly just disappearing and then not contacting Maggie for months.
Maggie doesn't end up growing a backbone until 90% into the book. She finally stands up to her ex, telling him to shove off (the ex that she only left because her father pretty much forced her to after he cheated on her for the third time).
The coworkers are high school mean girl catty as are the rich people that she meets at a party. And Maggie is always the butt of their jokes. But I mean, with how she's always late for work or slacking off, I wouldn't like her as a coworker either.
Maggie is someone who doesn't like how her body looks yet she casts rude observations about others' weight. Here's a direct quote from the book:
'One particularly angular young woman steps forward, and I realise I can see each of her bones as if she were a skeleton wrapped up tightly in a sheet. She outstretches an arm that is so thin it looks as if holding up the weight of her hand for too long would make it snap in two.'
That's just rude!
Anyways, yeah. It might be a harsh review, but it's honest.
April 7, 2023
I wanted to like this book, I really, really did; however, it just fell flat. I found Maggie to be a caricatures of a corky, lonely, “I-want-to-be-loved” FMC. I wasn’t charmed by how she was always late for work, or her terrible dates and even worse ex-boyfriend. Her talking to the ravens was just weird and took up way too much of the book. The fact that she gave all the ravens names, and I was supposed to remember them was such a waste of pages. Freddie was fine, but that’s it. I kept waiting for the book to get better and it got a little better about half way through, but it wasn’t enough to redeem it. It was too chaotic, there were too many characters, and there just wasn’t chemistry. I liked the new approach and a little bit of the history aspect, but it just felt forced. The author’s forward also made me feel really guilty for not liking this book because she basically says it’s inspired by her life and relationship. I appreciate that her time living in the Tower of London and falling in love with a beefeater was probably fantastic, but it didn’t translate well as a novel. 2⭐️, 0🌶
December 6, 2022
Such a lovely book to read. I love how it was about the London Tower, Royal Guards and a romance. It’s the perfect British book written in one.
I’ve always been fascinated by the Royal Guards and to get a bit more insight into them - even through this book - is super interesting. They are always doing their utmost, following protocol, looking smart and oh so serious.
Freddie is a dream come true. He’s handsome, kind and caring. Despite his job (which turns out to be wayyyy more than at the start) he likes to follow his head and heart.
And Maggie, a strong minded woman who won’t let anyone stop following their dreams for her but still is true to herself and her heart.
So, Maggie and Freddie… the perfect couple. They went through a lot to get to where they needed to be but I loved it. A slow burn romance indeed. I chuckled a few times at their scenarios and/or situations they found themselves in but overall, it shows how much they’ve grown together.
It was a fab, easy read. I found myself wanting more but that was greed because the ending was perfect!
Thank you to @netgalley, @meganambxr and @avonbooksuk for allowing me access to this ARC!
I’ve always been fascinated by the Royal Guards and to get a bit more insight into them - even through this book - is super interesting. They are always doing their utmost, following protocol, looking smart and oh so serious.
Freddie is a dream come true. He’s handsome, kind and caring. Despite his job (which turns out to be wayyyy more than at the start) he likes to follow his head and heart.
And Maggie, a strong minded woman who won’t let anyone stop following their dreams for her but still is true to herself and her heart.
So, Maggie and Freddie… the perfect couple. They went through a lot to get to where they needed to be but I loved it. A slow burn romance indeed. I chuckled a few times at their scenarios and/or situations they found themselves in but overall, it shows how much they’ve grown together.
It was a fab, easy read. I found myself wanting more but that was greed because the ending was perfect!
Thank you to @netgalley, @meganambxr and @avonbooksuk for allowing me access to this ARC!
May 24, 2023
No. Nope.
From the low self-esteem magically cured by love, to the paper thin personality of the royal guard, to the long tiiiiresome anecdotes about the Tower of London (I get it, you author LOVED living there, enough of that) this is a cluster of boredom, insipidness and UGH.
Also, every single female character is a bitch. What is it, 2013?
This is the first 1 star in a long while for me, but I couldn't really give any other rating. Or any fuck, for that matter.
From the low self-esteem magically cured by love, to the paper thin personality of the royal guard, to the long tiiiiresome anecdotes about the Tower of London (I get it, you author LOVED living there, enough of that) this is a cluster of boredom, insipidness and UGH.
Also, every single female character is a bitch. What is it, 2013?
This is the first 1 star in a long while for me, but I couldn't really give any other rating. Or any fuck, for that matter.
May 31, 2024
Wie schön 🥰
Für mich war das eine RomCom genau nach meinem Geschmack mit sehr toller Wohlfühlstory 🥰
Das Buch stand schon länger auch meiner Merkliste und dann hatte ich es einfach ganz spontan begonnen und war direkt begeistert 🥰
Die Story hat mit dem Tower of London ein ganz besonderes Setting. Ich mochte den Vibe und die Atmosphäre total 🥰
Die Autorin hat es geschafft, dass ich Fernweh bekomme und mich direkt nach London wünschen wollte 😭❤️
Der Erzählstil ist so locker, leicht und witzig. Dennoch werden immer wieder ernstere Themen eingebracht und verleihen der Story die nötige Tiefe.
Zudem bekommen wir etliche Infos und historisches Wissen über den Tower of London. Und es werden authentisch die Eindrücke beschrieben, wie es sich an so einem Ort lebt und arbeitet. Hier habe ich gemerkt, dass die Autorin selbst mal zu den Bewohnern des Tower of London gehörte 😊
Maggie war als Protagonistin ein richtiges Goldstück ❤️
Ich mochte Maggies chaotische tollpatschige, witzige und sehr herzliche Art richtig gerne ❤️
Ihr Kennenlernen und die Slow Burn Romance mit Freddie habe ich so gespannt verfolgt und richtig mit den beiden mitgefiebert.
Aber auch die vielen anderen Figuren und Nebencharaktere wurden so witzig und sehr herzlich beschrieben 🥰
Der einzige Punkt den ich nicht mochte war das zum Ende hin Maggie sehr starke Selbstzweifel hat und sich dadurch vielleicht ein Stück selbst sabotiert und ihr Glück verbaut?!
Am Schluss geht aber doch alles gut und das Buch hat mich mit einen schönen Wohlgefühl zurückgelassen ❤️
Für mich war das eine RomCom genau nach meinem Geschmack mit sehr toller Wohlfühlstory 🥰
Das Buch stand schon länger auch meiner Merkliste und dann hatte ich es einfach ganz spontan begonnen und war direkt begeistert 🥰
Die Story hat mit dem Tower of London ein ganz besonderes Setting. Ich mochte den Vibe und die Atmosphäre total 🥰
Die Autorin hat es geschafft, dass ich Fernweh bekomme und mich direkt nach London wünschen wollte 😭❤️
Der Erzählstil ist so locker, leicht und witzig. Dennoch werden immer wieder ernstere Themen eingebracht und verleihen der Story die nötige Tiefe.
Zudem bekommen wir etliche Infos und historisches Wissen über den Tower of London. Und es werden authentisch die Eindrücke beschrieben, wie es sich an so einem Ort lebt und arbeitet. Hier habe ich gemerkt, dass die Autorin selbst mal zu den Bewohnern des Tower of London gehörte 😊
Maggie war als Protagonistin ein richtiges Goldstück ❤️
Ich mochte Maggies chaotische tollpatschige, witzige und sehr herzliche Art richtig gerne ❤️
Ihr Kennenlernen und die Slow Burn Romance mit Freddie habe ich so gespannt verfolgt und richtig mit den beiden mitgefiebert.
Aber auch die vielen anderen Figuren und Nebencharaktere wurden so witzig und sehr herzlich beschrieben 🥰
Der einzige Punkt den ich nicht mochte war das zum Ende hin Maggie sehr starke Selbstzweifel hat und sich dadurch vielleicht ein Stück selbst sabotiert und ihr Glück verbaut?!
Am Schluss geht aber doch alles gut und das Buch hat mich mit einen schönen Wohlgefühl zurückgelassen ❤️
July 19, 2023
In ‘Falling hard for the royal guard’ volg je het verhaal van de 26-jarige Maggie Moore. Ze woont in Londen, maar niet in een gewoon huis. Maggie woont in een kasteel, namelijk de Tower of London. Hier heeft Maggie de saaiste baan van de wereld. Daar komt nog eens bij dat ze maar niet de juiste man weet te vinden. Om haar zoektocht te vereenvoudigen, maakt ze een account aan op Tinder. Al snel volgen er enkele dates, maar deze zijn bijna allemaal een ramp. Er lijken geen leuke mannen rond te lopen in Londen, totdat Maggie de royal Guard, Freddie, tegen het lijf loopt. In eerste instantie lijkt Freddie maar een afstandelijk persoon. Kan Maggie zijn hart ontdooien?
De schrijfstijl van Clawson is zeer vlot. Het boek is een typische romcom boordevol humor, luchtige stukjes verhaal en de nodige dosis liefde. Verder heb ik enkele keren luidop moeten lachen omdat bepaalde gebeurtenissen gewoon erg komisch zijn. Daardoor las het boek dan ook als een trein.
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit het perspectief van Maggie. Zij is een leuk personage om te volgen. De auteur geeft een inkijk op het verleden van Maggie en daardoor bouw je een sterkere band op met het personage. Tijdens het lezen hoopte ik steeds dat de prins op het witte paard voorbij zou komen omdat ik het haar zo gunde. Naast het hoofdpersonage zijn er natuurlijk nog een heleboel andere personages die het verhaal afmaken. Zo zijn de andere royals guards zeker een geweldige toevoeging aan het verhaal.
Daarnaast geeft de auteur ook een deel geschiedenis mee aan de lezer. Het boek zit boordevol informatie over de Tower of London. Persoonlijk vond ik dit zeer leerrijk. Een stuk geschiedenis wordt op deze manier tot leven gebracht. Het voelde niet te geforceerd aan en ik ging mij ook niet vervelen door het stapsgewijs meegeven van de informatie.
Kortom, ‘Falling hard for the royal guard’ was een heerlijke romcom. Ik heb het boek met veel plezier gelezen en verslond het op één dag. Het personage, de schrijfstijl alsook de humor maken het plaatje compleet. Daarom krijgt het boek van mij 4,5 sterren.
De schrijfstijl van Clawson is zeer vlot. Het boek is een typische romcom boordevol humor, luchtige stukjes verhaal en de nodige dosis liefde. Verder heb ik enkele keren luidop moeten lachen omdat bepaalde gebeurtenissen gewoon erg komisch zijn. Daardoor las het boek dan ook als een trein.
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit het perspectief van Maggie. Zij is een leuk personage om te volgen. De auteur geeft een inkijk op het verleden van Maggie en daardoor bouw je een sterkere band op met het personage. Tijdens het lezen hoopte ik steeds dat de prins op het witte paard voorbij zou komen omdat ik het haar zo gunde. Naast het hoofdpersonage zijn er natuurlijk nog een heleboel andere personages die het verhaal afmaken. Zo zijn de andere royals guards zeker een geweldige toevoeging aan het verhaal.
Daarnaast geeft de auteur ook een deel geschiedenis mee aan de lezer. Het boek zit boordevol informatie over de Tower of London. Persoonlijk vond ik dit zeer leerrijk. Een stuk geschiedenis wordt op deze manier tot leven gebracht. Het voelde niet te geforceerd aan en ik ging mij ook niet vervelen door het stapsgewijs meegeven van de informatie.
Kortom, ‘Falling hard for the royal guard’ was een heerlijke romcom. Ik heb het boek met veel plezier gelezen en verslond het op één dag. Het personage, de schrijfstijl alsook de humor maken het plaatje compleet. Daarom krijgt het boek van mij 4,5 sterren.
May 20, 2023
’I find it fascinating that the ways we organise twenty-six of the same letters in black and white on a page can actually change you, can make you feel something.’
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson is a really lovely debut story from this Author. We weren’t sure what to expect, but loved the synopsis and we were feeling in the mood for a light romance read and that is just what we got. However, we got so much more than that, we got a history lesson and newfound knowledge. We’ve both visited The Tower of London several times, but we never knew people lived in there!
’I knew that falling for someone like you was always going to hurt. I knew that I would always have to live with the fact that I am just not good enough.’
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard was not at all what we expected and normally we’re not huge fans of romance where we’re told rather than allowed to experience and feeling like it’s a history lesson, however, we actually ended up loving this part of the story more than the romance, which became a secondary thread. It‘s really hard to explain as this book is not like our typical romance reads and on paper, we shouldn’t have enjoyed it a much as we did as the romance aspect was a tad underdeveloped and scarce. What absolutely wowed us was the detailed description of life in the Tower of London and the history of the guards, nobles, and royal lines. And we know this to be absolute as the Author actually lives in the Tower and her dad is a Beefeater. We urge you to go to Instagram or Tik Tok and follow Megan Clawson to find out more. Absolutely fascinating stuff!
Stories only make sense when you stick around for the ending.’
This story had copious laughter, high emotion, and a sweet slow burn romance. It was engaging, fascinating and so very lovely at times, with sweet Maggie, a heroine we can all relate to. They always say write what you know, and that is just what this Author did. A wonderful debut from Megan Clawson.
June 12, 2023
2,5 stars
Cute, fluffy, superficial/standard, chaotic, non-conclusive writing. Those are some of the key words I think of when looking back to this read. A read that unfortunately wasn't working for me, despite the fact that it was a quick read.
But I just didn't fall in love.
In general I think that the characters remained a bit ‘flat’ and standard and the Freddie character went from hot to cold in seconds; and sure, there’s an underlying reason for it, but it makes the way this romance develops just a tad too unbelievable seeing the time span of the story. There wasn’t really anything that stood out to me and the writing just wasn’t really my thing. It was lacking and chaotic most of the times and the story just didn’t really sink its claws into me the way I was hoping for beforehand - due to among other things because a lot of scenes are way too short and happen too quickly, so you just miss an in-depth development of naturally story-line development. A lot of scenes should've had more of a build up so that it was more believable I think. (like the gala scene for example. So frigging cliche how it all went and by that time the book was coming to an end, whilst the romance between these two on a believable lever, had barely taken off yet as it was.)
Overall, it was cute and fluffy, set in a really awesome setting; the Tower of London. The second part of the book was a bit better than the first I think; the story picked up a bit more. But I don’t know… it just didn’t really ‘come together’ because of the writing, can’t put my finger on it exactly and think that it’s more story elements combined that had me come to this conclusion.
The book in general is really well loved, so definitely pick it up if you think it’s your thing. I can totally see that it’s a book that ‘works’ for a lot of other readers, it's a good pick for when you just want a quick and simple written romance and it Does have it’s moments you know!
Cute, fluffy, superficial/standard, chaotic, non-conclusive writing. Those are some of the key words I think of when looking back to this read. A read that unfortunately wasn't working for me, despite the fact that it was a quick read.
But I just didn't fall in love.
In general I think that the characters remained a bit ‘flat’ and standard and the Freddie character went from hot to cold in seconds; and sure, there’s an underlying reason for it, but it makes the way this romance develops just a tad too unbelievable seeing the time span of the story. There wasn’t really anything that stood out to me and the writing just wasn’t really my thing. It was lacking and chaotic most of the times and the story just didn’t really sink its claws into me the way I was hoping for beforehand - due to among other things because a lot of scenes are way too short and happen too quickly, so you just miss an in-depth development of naturally story-line development. A lot of scenes should've had more of a build up so that it was more believable I think. (like the gala scene for example. So frigging cliche how it all went and by that time the book was coming to an end, whilst the romance between these two on a believable lever, had barely taken off yet as it was.)
Overall, it was cute and fluffy, set in a really awesome setting; the Tower of London. The second part of the book was a bit better than the first I think; the story picked up a bit more. But I don’t know… it just didn’t really ‘come together’ because of the writing, can’t put my finger on it exactly and think that it’s more story elements combined that had me come to this conclusion.
The book in general is really well loved, so definitely pick it up if you think it’s your thing. I can totally see that it’s a book that ‘works’ for a lot of other readers, it's a good pick for when you just want a quick and simple written romance and it Does have it’s moments you know!
December 6, 2022
This book is the perfect romcom. I absolutely loved it!
Maggie is such a relatable character (other than her living in the Tower of London!). Her insecurities and anxieties were well-written and something that most of us feel. I loved that she wasn’t the perfect female MC.
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard has swoony romance, funny moments, a little heartbreak, and kept me wanting to read until I got to the end. I also loved the little facts about the Tower of London and it’s history that were sprinkled organically throughout the story.
This is one I’ll definitely be recommending to others!
Maggie is such a relatable character (other than her living in the Tower of London!). Her insecurities and anxieties were well-written and something that most of us feel. I loved that she wasn’t the perfect female MC.
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard has swoony romance, funny moments, a little heartbreak, and kept me wanting to read until I got to the end. I also loved the little facts about the Tower of London and it’s history that were sprinkled organically throughout the story.
This is one I’ll definitely be recommending to others!
March 23, 2024
5⭐️ this is the debut novel by Megan Clawson and oh wow this book is fantastic!
This book is so fluffy and full of humour it’s a perfect light hearted easy read! I devoured this book in just over a day I could not put it down. The author gave a great insight into the history of the Tower of London and it’s inhabitants.
I fell in love with Maggie and Freddie, they are just perfect together.
I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book
This book is so fluffy and full of humour it’s a perfect light hearted easy read! I devoured this book in just over a day I could not put it down. The author gave a great insight into the history of the Tower of London and it’s inhabitants.
I fell in love with Maggie and Freddie, they are just perfect together.
I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book
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