Royal Spin: an irresistible new royal romance for 2026

by Omid Scobie, Robin Benway

Lauren Morgan knows how to craft the perfect story - it's literally her job. But when she loses her dream role at the White House press office and her DC life unravels, she jumps at an unexpected opportunity from Buckingham Palace to become their Head of Communications. It's the fresh start she desperately needs.

Her first task? Rescue the royal family's battered reputation. No pressure.

Lauren can handle scandal, protocol, and palace politics - but she's not prepared for Oscar, a disarmingly charming royal reporter, or the handsome, free-spirited Duke of Exeter. Both are tempting. Both are off-limits.

But as the headlines heat up, so do her feelings - and suddenly, the truth isn't so easy to spin. And when someone from her past resurfaces, it won't just be the royals making front page news...

ROYAL SPIN is a whip-smart romcom that pulls back the palace curtain to reveal a world of unexpected romance and high-stakes drama. A perfect escape for fans of Emily in Paris and Red, White & Royal Blue .

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult, Adult Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance

Audible Audio

First published February 10, 2026

About the author

British journalist and writer best known for co-authoring the book Finding Freedom. Scobie's work focuses on the British royal family.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

The only reason I didn't rate this a five-star is because of the ending. If I knew it was just the beginning of a series, and there was a second book coming, that would be different, and I would have given it the full five stars. However, it really needed at least another hundred pages or so.

Otherwise, I really loved this. Readers who are interested in politics and/or royal drama will find particular enjoyment in this book.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Royal Spin and I'm left wanting more! I'm curious how a director of communications and a reporter continue to make a relationship work. I can definitely see how this story and these characters will be perfect for a TV series. I loved Lauren's bold personality. The Duke was so dreamy he felt too good to be true. And Joy needs an entire book of her own. I found Royal Spin to be an enjoyable read with romance, comedy, and a touch of drama.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Parental abandonment recounted

[Cate - Catethereader]

Unfortunately, this is not the right book for me. While I’m grateful to the publisher for sending me an arc of this, I literally can’t finish it.

It says it’s romance, but 100 pages in and there’s no romance whatsoever. More than that, there’s no plot. I get the reason why the MMC moved to London, but it was too underwhelming for me.

But the thing that annoyed me the most was the use of pop culture (?) and different shops and restaurants and bars and so on. We have One direction, Call her daddy podcast, Beyoncé, Zayn Malik, The Crown, Netflix, Zoom, The office, Fornica desk, LinkedIn, Uber, Krispy Kreme donuts, Google docs, Super Bowl, VapoRub, Pokémon, Tk Maxx and even ChatGpt. I stopped after reading how the MMC planned on using ChatGPT for something trivial.
But why would an author use so many pop references? I was ok in the beginning, even if the first one was used on the second page of the book. I got annoyed after the third one and I got mad at the ChatGPT one.

I still think this is a book you should read if you want something extremely easy, but I don’t think you should have expectations.

[Ali Fredrickson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%

I’m sorry. This was royally… bad. The sheer amount of pop culture and celebrity references was ASTOUNDING and had me cringing every single time. I counted 10 by about 15% and then lost track. It was excessive to say the least. I think with more editing and.. idk less cheese this could be cute? But it just did not work for me.

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Royal drama and a love triangle? I had to pick this up!

Coming straight from the White House press team, Lauren is hired to take on the role of Acting Director of Royal Communications at Buckingham Palace. I’m admittedly such a sucker for any kind of inside scoop about the royal family. Of course, this story is completely fictional, but I loved the fun peek behind the curtain and the subtle cultural shifts Lauren has to adjust to!

And yes, there is indeed a bit of a love triangle! And both options have their own touch of forbidden! There’s the Duke of Exeter, the Queen’s nephew Lauren is tasked with reintroducing as a working member of the family. And then there’s Oscar Mason, a royal reporter she keeps finding herself in flirty, off-the-record banter with!

I think I was just expecting more scandal. There is conflict, but nothing that felt particularly explosive or exciting. For a book centered around royal PR and a potentially messy rebrand, I thought things would get a little juicier. I won’t say who Lauren ends up with, but I think the romance might have felt more exciting if it had gone the other direction.

(spice level: closed door)

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun insider look at what it's like to work behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace to keep the Royals out of the scandal sheets. There's a light romance, lots of British humor and I thought it was overall just an enjoyable read. Definitely recommended if you want a feel-good story and love juicy British family gossip. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Harleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Royal Spin offers a behind-the-scenes look at working at Buckingham Palace from an American point of view. It follows Lauren as she leaves her job at the White House after her boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend (yikes I know) and finds herself as the new Communications Director at the Buckingham Palace.

This book was funny and relatable at times, but there wasn’t much romance. Even though it was marketed as a romance novel, it was a pretty low stakes rom-com that didn’t have much of a plot. It didn’t bother me as I enjoyed reading the character growth of the mc especially as a woman working in politics.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc! All opinions are my own.

[SuzieQuzie7973 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Omid Scobie and Robin Benway for sharing this ARC with me, in exchange for my honest review.

Royal Spin is a yummy look at what it's like to work at Buckingham Palace. Lauren, an American White House press reporter, takes a job working at Buckingham Palace in Communications. This book is funny, romantic and just the right amount of drama. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.
If you liked Red White and Royal Blue, then this book will be right up your alley!!!
I most definitely recommend this book to y'all.

[Ryan Dufour · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing worse than being bad is being boring and holy hell was this book so boring.

The plot is paper thin, the characters are wildly uninteresting, and every moment unearned. Also seemingly nothing happens and plot issues are resolved in the same chapter. There’s also like 0 romance in a book that cues itself up as a tawdry romance novel.

A complete waste of time even for my time which isn’t as valuable as others. 🤮

[Jamison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this one, especially as someone who works in DC and does political communications it sounded fun. Excuse me for hoping for some Olivia Pope style ass kicking, and being sorely disappointed because there's none of that! There isn't even a plot! Girl goes through a humiliating break up at the White House, crashes out, moves to London and takes a job with the Royal Family and gets a boyfriend, that about sums it up.

It's not even like she's great at her job and dodging shady British tabloid reporter after shady British tabloid reporter. She's just fine at her job. Not particularly terrible, but certainly not great. There are no like big hurdles or scandals she has to overcome. Even the "big shocking reveal" that causes her any sort of conflict is laughably tame and pretty lame. The cover and description also tease a love triangle...and there isn't one like at all? The actual "love story" felt forced with no chemistry and everyone (other than Joy) just felt so bland -- I needed everything dialed up several notches, especially the ending.

I came away wondering what the point of this one was and why was it written, truly could've been an email...actually less than an email, a text message.

That said thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

[Anne Chatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland, dry, boring. Don’t bother

[Phoebe (readandwright) Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you William Morrow for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I’ve always been drawn to royal fiction and I have to admit I was drawn to this book after seeing Scobie’s name on the cover. I read Finding Freedom, his book following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, so I thought it would be a juicy read. And it was! I liked it and was entertained, but I didn’t love it. There’s a love triangle (ish?) aspect that I wasn’t wild about. And it definitely felt like it took some aspects from Meghan’s life and story to create some drama for the main character.

Synopsis:

“She can handle the press...but can she handle the Palace?With the British monarchy reeling from a wave of scandals, young American politico Lauren Morgan is plucked from the White House press office to breathe new life into the Buckingham Palace communications team and improve the royal family’s streak of bad headlines. But the Palace is an institution steeped in tradition and strict protocol, and Lauren quickly discovers that change is far from easy, or welcome, especially when you’re dealing with culture clashes, displeased royal aides, and a risky new love interest—or two.Just as Lauren finds her footing at work—and with a charming royal reporter who may be more than just a press contact—an unexpected encounter from her past threatens the career she’s worked so hard to build. And when scandal looms over the dashing duke who Lauren has developed a special bond with, she finds herself torn between duty, loyalty, success, and happiness.From London’s high society clubs to the sacred corridors and rarely seen spaces of Buckingham Palace, Royal Spin is a fun, humorous, and heartfelt novel that reminds us of the importance of chasing your dreams, and that the most rewarding journeys are often the messiest.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Concept—As a CJ Craig stan, I am always fascinated by press offices and how they spin stories. Getting a behind the scenes look at that was really entertaining and one of the reasons why I liked Royal fiction.

The Romance B-Plot—This is not a Romance by any means but I did enjoy the stakes of this romance!

What Didn’t Work For Me:

The Love Triangle (ish)—This isn’t a love triangle, but there was a professional boundary that was crossed that I didn’t love in regards to the Duke character. I didn’t really connect with it’s necessity to the story.

Character Authenticity:3/5 Spice Rating: N/A Overall Rating: 3/5

Content Warnings:

parental abandonment (past)

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Royal Spin” by Omid Scobie & Robin Benway is a light and easy romp about a young woman from the White House press office who moves to London to run the Buckingham Palace Communications team.
As she tries to improve the recent streak of Royal bad headlines she finds herself dealing with her own turbulent past.
The story is entertaining with a theme of personal growth and the importance of following through on your dreams.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jordon Abel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Royal Spin is an enjoyable and thoughtful read that goes beyond surface-level gossip. It’s a great choice for readers who like contemporary fiction with strong voices, modern themes, and plenty of intrigue.

[Sarah Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

FMC is not mature enough to make it believable she’d have any of these jobs

[bookishy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Royal Spin was a lot of fun! As an English philology student, it was so incredible to get a little bit of insight into the PR workings of the Royal family. Lauren was such a likeable character, and it was interesting to see her find her footing as an American in the United Kingdom. Dealing with the royal family was the most interesting part of the book for me. I think the authors could have skipped the love triangle between Lauren, Oscar and the Duke. While Lauren is very good at her job, the love triangle was a bit icky for me. I would've much rather seen a proper relationship development between Oscar and Lauren rather than Lauren being instantly attracted to the Duke and Oscar simultaneously.

Royal Spin was a quick and fun read, with rather simple writing. It would be much better if the authors focused on one: romance or the workings of the Royal family, because 300 pages is not enough to develop both aspects.

Thank you to littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the copy of the book!

[Emi🫧 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to thank William Marrow, as well as Netgalley for providing me with the eARC of this book.

This was a cute book!! It was easy to read, even if it did feel like the pace was slow. Our main girl Lauren is head strong and confident. She leaves behind a betrayal from her boyfriend and best friend. In doing this she moves across the seas and goes forward working for Buckingham Palace.

Here we meet her soon to be “bestie” Joy. Honestly, from the beginning I LOVED Joy’s character. She’s the perfect person to take on as a best friend in a new country. She was at Lauren’s side and had her back from the minute they met. Even when (in my opinion), Lauren didn’t deserve it. She was probably my favorite character in this book.

We also have Oscar and Jasper. I really liked Jasper. His character really showcased how just because he’s a royal, doesn’t mean he’s not human. He makes mistakes, gets in sticky situations, and has feelings just like everyone else. His character wasn’t perfectly polished, but it wasn’t exaggerated in chaos either, which I appreciated.

Oscar’s character didn’t do much for me to be quite honest. I never really formed much of a connection with him and found myself not really caring about him. He wasn’t bad though, so no complaint there.

The 3rd act drama was, in my opinion, unnecessary. I definitely think the story could have skipped that and kept moving. I understand wanting to add a conflict to develop the characters and story. I just really don’t think it was needed. It did put me off a little bit unfortunately.

This story wasn’t really a romance in my opinion. There were some romantic aspects, but it wasn’t the point of the story. There’s nothing wrong with that! I just feel it’s important to know when going in, if you think this is a romance book, it’s not really. I would say it leans more into women’s fiction, as it mostly is following Lauren’s journey.

One thing that I noticed, was that this story was packed with metaphors. The characters would use them at least once every couple pages. That’s not an issue per se, just felt a little redundant.

Anyways! It was a cute story and I did enjoy it regardless of the minor details.

[Persephone · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Who okayed this to be published? I think AI could write better. It certainly would’ve had a more cohesive flow.

[Jensen Potrykus · Rating 3 out of 5]

A closed door, minimally on-page romance for people that care more about royal press coverage than happily ever afters.

Release Date: Feb. 10 2026
Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️
Things to Know:
• Closed Door "romance"
• 2 separate workplace "romances"
• "Who is she going to choose!"
• Main character needs therapy
• Managing the image of the royal family
• Odd amount of anti-protester rhetoric

I just really cannot find it in myself to care about books that say "romance! workplace romcom!" and then.... have like 2% romance. And not really be funny at all. Trying to put this in the same category as Red, White, & Royal Blue is also wild.

For being the head of communications for the royal family, you would think Lauren would be good at communicating. Well, you would be wrong! She does a really great job of hurting those around her and then throwing herself a pity party for how bad she is at everything.

We end at a place where neither "romance" is really romancing, and the other just gets swept under the rug and I guess we are supposed to pretend that never really happened, because Lauren sure as hell isn't going to actually tell the other man that she was kissing someone else. 😐 She literally goes through a bit of self reflection about how she would be upset if HE was kissing another woman, but then ends that with "oh well! I already did it so what's the point in telling him!" Girl...

The plot kind of jumped all over the place in a messy way. Things feel like they have no stakes at all, seeing as big "this is going to ruin us all" stories never get printed and all the talk of using lower members of the royal family as collateral also just doesn't amount to anything.

I think if you are interested in royalty and how the media covers them, this could be a decently quick read. However, don't expect it to blow you away.

---

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an eARC of Royal Spin by Omid Scobie and Robin Benway.

[Abby D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book because on one hand, how it was described was pretty accurate to how it read, but at the same time, I feel like there should’ve been more to the story.

Lauren is a director of communications who used to work at the White House but after her life is flipped on its head, she finds herself now working for Buckingham Palace. She now has to learn how to navigate life in Buckingham and her relationships with an imperfect duke and a royal reporter.

I think this book leaned too heavily into the romance marketing that it has both in its description and in its Goodreads genre classification. The “romance” is at most a subplot, and even then, it doesn’t feel very high stakes at any point. I was honestly waiting for one of the guys to do something wrong so that it felt more like a difficult choice, but it just never happened, which is fine, but not when the book is being labeled as a romance. It was definitely more of a fiction piece than anything else. It was really heavy on the press director work, and for that reason, I didn’t love it because that isn’t an interest of mine. That doesn’t mean the book wasn’t well written or not interesting, it just didn’t align with my interests. If you are into the royal family or press coverage or anything like that, this book might be for you. It just wasn’t it for me unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely ate this book up. It was such a fun read and I could not put it down! It reminded me a lot of Emily in Paris. Sort of like a train wreck you can’t stop watching but in the best way possible. I cringed and screamed at a lot of Lauren’s decisions just like I do when I watch Emily.

Lauren Morgan has just accepted the position as director of royal communications at Buckingham Palace, leaving behind her horrid ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend in Washington DC. Having spent the past 6 years in the White House press office, Lauren is no stranger to crisis management. Despite the constant push-back and resistance from her new, old-school bosses, she continues to prove herself as a valuable asset to the team. She surrounds the royal family with positive press and it seems there is nothing she cannot fix, except maybe her own mistakes.

Lauren is my favorite type of FMC and I absolutely adored her. She is living her best life in London with new friends and two wonderful men fawning over her. She definitely makes some poor decisions as she navigates this fresh start, but that’s why we love her! I actually liked all the characters in this story and thought the character development was great. Joy is a fierce and loyal friend and Una is constantly providing humor with her mysterious life. Lauren’s love interests (spoiler-free) both have great qualities but the romance felt secondary to the story to me.

I just enjoyed every minute of this book. I’ve seen some stuff online about this being the beginning of a series and I sure hope it’s true because I want more! Luckily it’s already being adapted for television so we can all be excited for that!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Whitney]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4/5 stars

If a book gives The Crown + The Prince and Me vibes, I’m already in — and Royal Spin absolutely delivered. Anything involving royal families is pretty much an automatic add to my TBR, and this was such a fun, cozy, and quick read.

This is a closed-door royal romance, making it a great pick for readers who prefer low or no spice. The banter and chemistry between Lauren and Oscar were a highlight for me — playful, swoony, and genuinely enjoyable to read.

I especially loved Joy and related to her the most. As a single mom millennial, she felt incredibly real and grounded, and I adored every scene she was in. I also appreciated the strong female characters and the growth we get to see throughout the story. Plus, the Harry Potter references were such a fun touch — particularly the Platform 9¾ moment, which made my inner Potterhead very happy.

My only small critiques are purely personal preference: I’m not a huge fan of love triangle situations, and at times Lauren felt a little whiny, which slightly pulled away from her otherwise strong female character vibe.

Overall, Royal Spin is a charming, fast-paced royal romance with great banter, strong friendships, and cozy vibes. Perfect if you’re looking for a light, feel-good escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[callistoscalling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy; all thoughts are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 No trip to London is complete without a trip to Buckingham Palace, and if you’re lucky you may just catch a glimpse of royalty. But for American Lauren, her new job in public relations lands her right in the heart of this iconic landmark. But it’s not all fun and games and high tea in the transition from The White House to the royal house but Royal Spin provides a comically fun and fantastic chance to be in the rooms of this 830,000 square feet abode. Book friends, we are in a safe place to admit that at least at some point in your life you’ve been curious about the monarchy and Omid Scobie and Robin Benway wet that whistle with a bright cast of characters. Royal Spin is out now and a perfect fictional escape from America if you need it…

[Genevieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you goodreads for the giveaway. I was excited about this book from the synopsis on the back however the actually story didn't live up to expectations. Nothing happened in the first third of the book. Nothing!!! I was bored and it was slow going. The FMC had a bad breakup and she fled and got a new job at Buckingham Palace. That was the first third! She is the communications director for the palace and she is awful at communicating. She is a hot mess in her personal life and let's it completely derail her professional life (therapy can be a good thing!). There was no romance in this story and I didn't find anything to be funny. This book wasn't for me. It was a whole lot of nothing much going on.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to William Morrow for a gifted copy for honest review.

I love a royals book- even fake royals- and this one, co-written by famed YA author Robin Benway and Omid Scobie, who has made a name for himself writing about the real royals, is a really fun, low-stakes story about an American woman who runs away from a life-blow up in the states to a job managing communications at Buckingham Palace. It still manages to feel a little gossipy even though it is fiction, and the characters feel fresh and real. I was very entertained.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I think the only thing keeping it from being 5 stars is I wish the relationships (romantic, platonic and familial) were developed more. I loved the banter between Lauren and Joy and could have had much more of it. It was fun getting a peak behind the curtain of the stressful minutiae of Buckingham Palace’s communications team. The explanation of the importance of the royal family and what they mean to people was excellent.

[Lauren Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC on Kindle!

This is not my usual type of book I read but I absolutely adored Royal Spin! I gave it a 3.5 star rating overall.

The book was so fun to read and creative. An American working as the Communications Director at Buckingham Palace, what could go wrong!? The perfect mix of drama, comedy, and even a dash of romance. I loved how real and relatable it was.

For me, I was left wanting more!! I felt like some storylines needed more closure and I still had some questions.

If you love books with strong friendships, juicy royal family gossip, and finding yourself, you will love this book!

[Laura Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a new royal novel that doesn’t have a main character whose whole arc revolves around having a mother who is a fictional ripoff of Princess Diana. It’s cool too to read a story from the PR/comms perspective from someone who has so much insight to how it actually works.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this one… and it was ok. But I wanted more.