Crowns and Courtships: A Royal Romance Collection

by Claire Contreras, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lexi Blake

In the world of royalty, love is the ultimate game of power. Crowns and Courtships invites you into a world of princes, princesses, and royal intrigue, where love must navigate the pressures of the crown. From scandalous courtships to forbidden romances, these captivating stories will show that even in the glittering world of royalty, the heart’s desire reigns supreme.


The Naughty Princess by Claire Contreras
The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Arranged by Lexi Blake
and
Finale by Skye Warren

Reviews for Crowns and

“Steamy. Heartbreaking. Full of intense feels and sizzling hot chemistry. Each novella is a gem in 1001 Dark Nights’ crown.” ~ PP's Bookshelf

“A perfect introduction to the work of four amazing bestsellers, Crowns and Courtships is your escape into the delicious and sometimes scandalous lives of royalty.” ~ serendipitousbooknook

“Loved every single novella in this collection!” ~ andtheniwasbookish

“If you secretly fantasize about being swept away by your very own Prince or Princess Charming, then Crowns and Courtships is the collection for you.” ~ FYFB

“Whether you treasure royals or fantasy or look for a diverse read, you can find it all in this novella collection!” ~ sam_readerofbooks

741 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated into over fifteen languages. When she's not writing, she's usually lost in a book or hanging out with her family.

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Find her on:

TikTok: @clairecontreraswrites

Instagram ➙ ClaireContreras

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨

Crowns and Courtships: A Royal Romance Collection, a steamy romance collection from New York Times & USA Today bestselling authors Claire Contreras, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lexi Blake & Skye Warren, releasing March 25th!

This anthology of 4 short stories and novellas features all the royal drama, intrigue, and spicy romance!

✨The Naughty Princess by Claire Contreras

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
👑Princess x football star
✈️Jet Setting
🫂Forced proximity
🤫Secrets
🙋🏻Brothers’ friend
♥️HEA

While Pilar and Benjamin have been in the same social circle for years, she’s always harbored a secret crush. Little does she know that the pining was mutual. Ben has worked to keep his private life private and knows pursuing Pilar means he’ll be under the public eye even more. But will their secrets tear them apart?

I loved their deep exploration of each other and who they are beneath the glitz and glamor of their stations.

✨The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Tropes:
⚔️Vigilante FMC
🩶Morally grey prince MMC
🌃Urban Romantasy
🫂Forced proximity
💫Magical bonds
🧚Fae politics

In the years after tragically losing her mother, Briton has been exacting vengeance on the fae who targeted them. Her mission catches the attention of the fae prince and they reluctantly work together to uncover the mystery of the missing fae. The tension between them was exhilarating and the ending had my heart racing and eager to read more about their story!

✨Arranged by Lexi Blake

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
💍Arranged marriage
📚Scholar FMC
🙋🏻Playboy Royal MMC
💕Second chance romance
🏰Courtly intrigue
🧎🏻‍♀️Hidden mutual hobbies
♥️HEA

Kash and Day first met during university until tragedy forced Kash to take up the mantle as King. Despite years apart, they both long for what could have been between them. To ensure the stability of the country, Kash’s mother enacts a law requiring him to marry to retain the throne. But his mother has a particular blast from the past in mind that Kash never saw coming.

A sweet and steamy second chance romance follows, if only Kash can accept his deepest hidden desires…

✨Finale by Skye Warren

Tropes:
👀Dual POV
🏨Hotel Heiress
👑Duke MMC
💍Marriage of convenience
⛓️‍Bedroom rules
♥️HEA

Isabella agrees to marry Francisco to save her family’s hotel business. A battle of wills ensues as they explore the concepts of control, submission, and freedom to love. Isabella has quite an unexpected journey of growth and Francisco might have finally met his match.

Huge thanks to the authors and 1001 Dark Nights & Blue Box Press for the review copy opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Naughty Princess by Claire Contreras ⭐️⭐️

There was a weird comment about sexism that felt very out of place. There was this whole thing about his brother missing and then dying from drugs, but his brother wasn't a secret and he was told his brother was killed?? but he told her that it was a secret after he'd already told her and then out of nowhere. Seems like a lot of plot holes that could've been fixed. Overall I wasn’t super fond of the characters.

The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this it was so good and there was so much tension. Ugh. And angst. I should have expected that but didn’t LOL. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series as it was amazing. I wouldn’t recommend reading this until you have finished the wicked series as this takes place after and may have some spoilers in it!

Arranged by Lexi Blake ⭐️⭐️

I did like the sound of this but then it rapidly took a hard negative turn for me about his issues with his masculinity? Self confidence? Trust? It was such a big issue and I couldn’t get over that it seemed too quickly wrapped up for it to be real.

Finale by Skye Warren⭐️⭐️

I thought this book was like being thrown in the deep end. I wasn’t a fan of their dynamic frankly and felt a tad too much for me.



OVERALL: I wanted so much more unfortunately.

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel this collection is my favorite of all the trope collections released by 1001 Dark Nights so far. Steamy. Heart breaking. Full of intense feels and sizzling hot chemistry. Each novella is a gem in 1001 Dark Nights' crown.


Naughty Princess by Claire Contreras
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What happens when the princess decides to be reckless and fall for a playboy football player? Pilar has always been the good girl, maintaining the decorum and never the impulsive one. But Benjamin Drake is so charismatic & sexy and he doesn't just wants a princess. He wants Pilar. Full of royal twists and obstacles, it was a sexy and emotional adventure.

The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️million stars
Omg the only reason I have survived this fantasy novella is due the fact that the next installments of Caden and Brighton's story is right there. The Prince of the Summer Court still recovering from the spell of the evil queen and running on vengeance. The wallflower of the Order living for revenge after losing so much. Enemies? Lovers? Co fighters in a battle? This was absolutely packed with nail biting action, scorching hot chemistry and heartbreaking feels. The author's phenomenal writing just hooked me in and I am obsessed with this Wicked novella.

Arranged by Lexi Blake
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A king who never wanted to be the one and drowning his sorrows in a debauched lifestyle, returns to his country for the forced arranged marriage by his dying mother and finds out the woman is the one who got away. And she isn't the same sweet one. She is a powerhouse. And a Domme. Kashmir and Dayita's second chance romance was explosive and heartaching. Dayita and Kash both are strong and intense characters. The time is tumultuous too. They have to keep the country safe but their hearts are not. The tension about Dayita's passion and Kashmir's difficulty in accepting his needs almost destroyed it all. But love brought them together after an emotional rollercoaster.


Finale by Skye Warren
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story is one of the most steamy stories I have read from Skye Warren. A king. A heiress. An arranged marriage.Fransisco stole my heart with his depraved, dirty and dominating ways. He wants Isabella to submit to him and he wants to give her pleasure in every way. But Isabella is too strong and stubborn and fierce to give in to him completely. She loves his dark games and she has embraced her fantasies but she refuse to compromise with her emotions. She is the one to break the cold king down and make him accept all the heavy angsty swoony feels. The chemistry is mindblowing and so is the execution.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Jennifer Leigh (jenjenbookfan) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of Royal Romances published by 1001 Dark Nights & The Blue Box Press provided an entertaining blend spicy royal romances that include family drama, fantasy romance, different types of k!nk, and even some suspense!

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 — ★★★★

𝐍𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 is a novella in the Sexy Royals series by Claire Contreras, featuring a spicy romance for Princess Pilar and famous footballer Benjamin. I’m new to the series, but I enjoyed the family dynamics, expectations, the friends to lovers vibe, some drama, and plenty of chemistry. — ★★★★

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 is a spin-off novella to the Wicked Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout, featuring the first installment of the story of Brighton and Caden, the Summer Prince. I loved getting the chance to return to this world… the chemistry, the tension, the drama and suspense were fantastic! Getting more info on Ivy, Rem and Tink was also a plus!! — ★★★★.5

𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 is a novella in the Masters and Mercenaries series by Lexi Blake, featuring an entertaining and spicy arranged marriage romance for playboy King Kash and the one that got away, Day. I enjoyed the originality of the story, and Dayita’s obvious strength as a woman in her fight for women’s rights, as well as her power as a Domme. I’ll admit, that perspective of BDSM has never been my favorite to read, but it was well done. Kash’s behavior frustrated me at times, but he eventually won me over.😅 I look forward to more from the series. — ★★★★

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐞 is a novella in the North Security series by Skye Warren, featuring a scorching hot romance between Duke Francisco and Isabella in a business-related marriage of convenience. I love a possessive alphahole, but Fransisco broke the cardinal rule of BDSM for me in not being honest with Isabella about what was expected of her before the contract was signed. Then he expected more from her on their wedding night than I felt was right. The epilogue saved the story for me, showing the evolution of Francisco and the growth of their relationship. — ★★★.5

I received an ARC for free, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

[Miranda Baskin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this book and thought the concept of four different novellas surrounding royalty in some way was pretty cool! Because each story is different I wanted to give a brief review on each novella.

The Naughty Princess By Claire Contreras
I thought this novella had some really fun vibes. I liked that the main characters met on vacation so the setting of book seemed really dreamy. Overall I enjoyed this story and am interested to see what else this author has written.

The Prince By Jennifer L. Armentrout
This novella was my favorite out of the collection. It is a spin off of the Wicked series that this author has written and I loved seeing what became of the world after the main series. I really enjoyed how different the fae are in this series and the banter between the main characters was on point.

Arranged By Lexi Blake
I really enjoyed the plot with this novella. I enjoyed the friends to lovers plus second chance romance all mixed together and the suspenseful plot towards the end was very fun. It did contain a little too much spice for my liking but overall I enjoyed this story.

Finale By Skye Warren
I’ll be honest this novella was my least favorite of the collection. I had a hard time connecting to the story and the characters. The MMC was too rough and borderline cruel for me but the plot was interesting enough to finish the story.

You’ll enjoy this book if you like:
•Collection of Novellas
•Royalty
•Vacation Romance
•Fantasy Romance
•BDSM
•Arranged Marriages

I’d like to thank 1001 Dark Nights & Blue Box Press for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[LCH · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Naughty Princess ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed this story and the banter between our MCs. I can't wait to read more about her brothers.

The Prince ⭐️⭐️
As a NOLA native, there were things that I had trouble letting pass. As far as the setting goes, name dropping a few of our streets and mentioning beignets is hardly telling. I was frustrated that this was the first of its own trilogy placed after an existing trilogy, which I did not read and most likely won't. I had questions that felt unanswered, so I decided to read the remaining stories - The King and The Queen. And that was a mistake. While reading those stories were enjoyable in the moment, they conclusion was incredibly unfulfilling, and the tension with the Winter Queen's impending release fell completely flat.

Arranged ⭐️⭐️
I had a lot of trouble getting into this story. I feel like it was incredibly drawn out, but done with purpose so you can better connect with the characters. There was a lot of name dropping of characters who I assume are from earlier iterations in this series (this story being number 13.5), that it became difficult to keep track of who was who, and why they needed to be mentioned, during our MCs time in Dallas.

Finale ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed this story as well. Things moved very quickly in this one. I just wish that Duke Francisco communicated better. Reading his backstory from the maid, rather than in one of his POV chapters (he briefly touched on it), felt like an odd choice but it also helped keep the story moving.

I received a copy of this book via a GoodReads giveaway. Thoughts are my own.

[Kari Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Naughty Princess by Claire Contreras - Being royalty Pilar has always done what was expected of her. She feels like she is missing out on the fun that everyone else gets to have so she decides a trip to Ibiza is exactly what she needs. Benjamin is a football star who has a reputation as a player both on and off the field however there is a lot more to the man than his reputation. He and Pilar have been denying the attraction that they have for each other for a while so when they both find themselves in Ibiza it becomes a gamechanger.

Arranged by Lexi Blake – Kash has a reputation with women however his mother has decided it is time for him to do his duty and marry and she has chosen the bride, a woman from Kash’s past. Day remembers the man she used to know but isn’t certain about the man he has become and there is also the lifestyle she has chosen that he knows nothing about

Finale by Skye Warren - For Isabella loyalty to her family and the employees of their hotel conglomerate comes first which is how she finds herself marrying Francisco. She wasn’t sure what she expected of her marriage but it certainly that he would push her boundaries in the most decadent way possible. Francisco wanted Isabella long before the opportunity of an arrangement between their businesses. He knows exactly what he needs and desires from her and now he needs to convince her.

I haven’t had a chance to read The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout but I am looking forward to reading that story as well.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you secretly fantasise about being swept away by your very own Prince or Princess Charming, then Crowns and Courtships is the collection for you. From Clare Contreras comes The Naughty Princess as Princess Pilar falls for the bad boy of football but what secrets is he keeping from her? Or if you like a little more of a romantasy feel how about The Prince as Brighton falls for the enemy in the shape of a reformed Fae prince who’s got a lot to live down in Jennifer L Armentrout’s offering set in her Wicked world. Or perhaps an arranged marriage is more your thing as the playboy King of Loa Mali gets more than he bargained for as he finds his inner submissive when he discovers the nerdy girl he once knew at Oxford had grown into a leather clad Domme in Lexi Blake’s Arranged set in her Masters and Mercenaries world. And if you like a whole lotta spice with your romance then Skye Warren’s Finale featuring the exiled Duke of Linares and his bride where the servants are especially hands on as he trains his new wife in how he expects her to act. With fantastic storytelling and wonderful characters, these stories are only a hundred or so pages in length making each of these novellas was a quick and easy read and a fabulous way to lose yourself for an hour or two as you dream of your own fairytale ending.

[Ashley (andtheniwasbookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved every single novella in this collection! Let me break it down:

The Naughty Princess -- such a fun story! I loved the journey that our two MCs went on and there was a fun little twist from our MMC that surprised me and it changed the trajectory of the story.

The Prince -- I was obsessed from the get go. So much so that I had to stop reading this collection so that I could read the other two novellas to finish up this story! I probably still could have read more! This book had me in edge the ENTIRE time!

Arranged -- super intriguing! I haven't read anything else from Lexi Blake but I definitely got a gist for the types of books are also in this series. It was fun, naughty, and heart warming all at the same time.

Finale -- WHEW! This one was a bit heavy and out of my comfort zone, but I didn't dislike it. Definitely on the darker side of dark romance, but had an HEA. I would definitely read more about these two MCs!

Overall: recommend!
Spice: open door (some of these, that door is WIDE open)

[Kamila Mykhailiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I absolutely loved this collection. Amazing characters and wonderful plots. Very beautifully written stories and easy to read.

I read this collection in one sitting and I loved every second of it. The chemistry and passion between al of the characters was greatly portrayed and every author wrote a unique story to fall in love with.

Overall I loved this collection very much. If you’re looking for a royal romance then you’re going to love it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect introduction to the work of four amazing bestsellers, Crowns and Courtships is your escape into the delicious and sometimes scandalous lives of royalty. From a tortured fae prince to a pampered princess with a heart of gold, this collection has something for everyone. These authors prove that the stakes are higher than ever when falling in love with a royal, but that just means it’s worth more than all the riches in the land.

[Andrea Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely my favorite anthology by 1001 Dark Nights by far and not just because JLA is a featured author.

I loved court and royal tropes and this one was in the bag for it with all the great authors involved. I also LOVE forbidden romance and this one definitely showcased that micro-trope along with steamy parts of each story.


Includes:
The Naughty Princess by Claire Contreras
The Prince by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Arranged by Lexi Blake
and
Finale by Skye Warren

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

1001 Dark Nights brought together four amazing stories by four phenomenon storytellers in this romance collection.

Whether you treasure royals or fantasy or look for a diverse read, you can find it all in this novella collection!

It's available now on KU if you are looking got a read that is fun, romantic, and a little bit of something tantalizing.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh these books were just outstanding. The characters just immediately drew me in. I was just so in the action with them. They were just so compelling characters and it just pushed these stories over the top. I was just totally captivated by everything that was taking place and emotions just went for a ride.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this trope and collection of novellas and authors! Each book is well written and highly entertaining. They’re the perfect blend of drama, intrigue, romance, and steamy sexiness. Written in styles that are engaging and satisfying and hit all the right notes. Recommended!

[Maja Bubanj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jedina koja mi je stvarno bila za peticu je The Prince od J.L.Armentrout. Ove ostale tri su mi bile bla..ništa posebno ni novo.