What do you think?
The Dandelion Princess
ELLA
A princess of Sondmark has no business crushing on her brother’s best friend. My fall out of love with Marc van Heyden—for sure this time. I’ve retired from writing overwrought fanfic about elvish princes and thrown myself into online gaming with my virtual besties. I haven’t sent him a taco cat meme in almost a year. That alone deserves a freaking sobriety pin.
I might’ve stayed strong—if a 9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake hadn’t upended everything. Suddenly, the man I’m trying to forget is half a world away on a humanitarian mission, and my self-control slips. What starts as a few harmless messages of support turns into flirty texts and late-night confessions.
Now he’s back, and I have to remember what I promised my fall out of love with Marc van Heyden.
For sure this time.
MARC
I’m busy running one of the country’s largest tech companies, but I’m also Crown Prince Noah’s oldest and most trusted friend. So when he asks me to keep his little sister—a dangerously unpredictable princess—from becoming a PR problem during a constitutional crisis, I say yes.
The catch? His sisters are strictly off-limits.
No one tests that promise like Ella. I’m supposed to ignore the way she slurps her ramen, smells like warm sugar, and looks at me over the rim of her glasses—but the effort is wearing me down. I can’t think. I can’t focus. And, gripped by an attraction I never asked for, I’m suddenly certain that kissing her just once would solve every problem I have.
A princess of Sondmark has no business crushing on her brother’s best friend. My fall out of love with Marc van Heyden—for sure this time. I’ve retired from writing overwrought fanfic about elvish princes and thrown myself into online gaming with my virtual besties. I haven’t sent him a taco cat meme in almost a year. That alone deserves a freaking sobriety pin.
I might’ve stayed strong—if a 9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake hadn’t upended everything. Suddenly, the man I’m trying to forget is half a world away on a humanitarian mission, and my self-control slips. What starts as a few harmless messages of support turns into flirty texts and late-night confessions.
Now he’s back, and I have to remember what I promised my fall out of love with Marc van Heyden.
For sure this time.
MARC
I’m busy running one of the country’s largest tech companies, but I’m also Crown Prince Noah’s oldest and most trusted friend. So when he asks me to keep his little sister—a dangerously unpredictable princess—from becoming a PR problem during a constitutional crisis, I say yes.
The catch? His sisters are strictly off-limits.
No one tests that promise like Ella. I’m supposed to ignore the way she slurps her ramen, smells like warm sugar, and looks at me over the rim of her glasses—but the effort is wearing me down. I can’t think. I can’t focus. And, gripped by an attraction I never asked for, I’m suddenly certain that kissing her just once would solve every problem I have.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2025
About the author
Keira Dominguez
8 books224 followersI'm a writer and a reader. If I review a book here, it's because I liked it, or the author is long dead and I have some things I'm tryna to work through.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 18, 2025
SHRIEKING. I am shrieking. We have been SERVED.
And yes, I did finish yet another Keira Dominguez book in less than 24 hours. No, I have no regrets.
Could this possibly have topped The Winter Princess for me? It just might have. 4.5 stars rounded up, because I had to stop reading to squee so many times. There was feet kicking. There was pillow pummeling. There were giggles and silent-strangled shrieks and other slightly feral noises.
And yes, I did finish yet another Keira Dominguez book in less than 24 hours. No, I have no regrets.
Could this possibly have topped The Winter Princess for me? It just might have. 4.5 stars rounded up, because I had to stop reading to squee so many times. There was feet kicking. There was pillow pummeling. There were giggles and silent-strangled shrieks and other slightly feral noises.
November 15, 2025
So so good. Love this story of Ella and Marc and can’t wait for the next installment! 💕
September 16, 2026
I’m not going to lie, this one lost me a bit - sorry Ella, but you and your family don’t actually just deserve to have all this money and power just because you were born?? You can’t be a fun escapist book with fun princess romances if you’re going to try and tackle the topic of ‘should there be a royal family/what should their privileges be’ and go down the line of…well they exist so they should be rich and not questioned by the government or the people. It felt…very right wing, I’m not going to lie. So I wasn’t feeling that.
On top of that, Ella in general was pretty annoying and childish, and I’m not a fan of the ‘trash panda’ girl gamer stereotype. Not to mention all the internet inaccuracies. Plus I felt lots of passages just kind of didn’t make sense? Like how we got from point a to b wasn’t clear.
Anyway, if you couldn’t tell this is by far my least favourite in the series - the rest are cutesy fun low angst escapist princess romances, this one felt more real world with characters I didn’t vibe with and seemed to take a position towards the monarchy that I simply don’t agree with.
Hoping Nate & Caroline’s book brings back the fun escapism because I have been waaaaaaiting for them!!
On top of that, Ella in general was pretty annoying and childish, and I’m not a fan of the ‘trash panda’ girl gamer stereotype. Not to mention all the internet inaccuracies. Plus I felt lots of passages just kind of didn’t make sense? Like how we got from point a to b wasn’t clear.
Anyway, if you couldn’t tell this is by far my least favourite in the series - the rest are cutesy fun low angst escapist princess romances, this one felt more real world with characters I didn’t vibe with and seemed to take a position towards the monarchy that I simply don’t agree with.
Hoping Nate & Caroline’s book brings back the fun escapism because I have been waaaaaaiting for them!!
September 21, 2026
3.5 stars. Too long and bloated but overall great romance and plot idea.
October 31, 2025
I love it when a plan comes together
November 19, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Marc Van Heyden & HRH Princess Ella
- Dual POV
- Slow burn with lots of kissing
- Gamer, Princess FMC
- Lord & CEO MMC
- Brothers best friend
- Eyes opened to the family/community she has
- Political war
✨ a few of my favorite things:
- Ella’s struggle between individuality and her love and dedication to her family
- Marc’s attentiveness to Ella
- Marc’s sacrifices for Ella
- Ella’s bonding with her community
- All the moments with the side characters
- Pére & Queen mom’s displays of love and affection for Ella
- Marc & Ella’s flirty moments
- Ella’s strong will and Marc’s gentle guidance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 4 of the Royals of Sondmark Series - Ella doesn’t realize the community of love and support she has. Everyone sees her as so self sufficient and larger than life that they don’t see her struggle. But there are so many bonding moments and moments where Ella’s eyes are opened to how much her people love her. My heart was so warmed by the bonding with , Caroline, Queen mom, Pére, Noah, her gamer friends, and especially her sisters. The bonding and love in the book was palpable.
Marc is so head over heels I thought he was going to implode if he didn’t get his girl. He shot himself in the foot so many times I lost count. But once he rallied and started fighting for his girl, I finally stopped mentally cursing him out 😂. Ella and Mark are very close and frequent go past the line of just friends, no matter what lies they tell themselves and each other. Their chemistry is tangible and their closeness and understanding is genuine and only possible through years of true friendship. They are very physically affectionate with each other and it’s clear how much the love and want each other.
As this is the 4th book, I’m so invested in so many of the side characters and previous MCs. We get so many scenes with side characters and I LOVED them. I’m so invested in this world and community. IM DYING FOR NOAHS BOOK 🥴 also want a book with Queen Mom & Pére. Very invested in them.
This book could be a standalone but you grasp the drama, Royal life, and dynamics better if you’ve read the other books. There is a lot of gamer lingo and two made up languages that take a second to get the hang of.
This is a closed door royal romcom with vague mild innuendo, Sondish cursing, and non-descriptive making out.
**Thank you so much to Keira for letting me read this gifted ARC. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**
Songs:
Both sides of the blade by Max McNown
From me to you by Max McNown
Snowman by Max McNown
Somewhere only we know by rhianne
All I Ever wanted by Dean Lewis ***
Marc Van Heyden & HRH Princess Ella
- Dual POV
- Slow burn with lots of kissing
- Gamer, Princess FMC
- Lord & CEO MMC
- Brothers best friend
- Eyes opened to the family/community she has
- Political war
✨ a few of my favorite things:
- Ella’s struggle between individuality and her love and dedication to her family
- Marc’s attentiveness to Ella
- Marc’s sacrifices for Ella
- Ella’s bonding with her community
- All the moments with the side characters
- Pére & Queen mom’s displays of love and affection for Ella
- Marc & Ella’s flirty moments
- Ella’s strong will and Marc’s gentle guidance
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 4 of the Royals of Sondmark Series - Ella doesn’t realize the community of love and support she has. Everyone sees her as so self sufficient and larger than life that they don’t see her struggle. But there are so many bonding moments and moments where Ella’s eyes are opened to how much her people love her. My heart was so warmed by the bonding with , Caroline, Queen mom, Pére, Noah, her gamer friends, and especially her sisters. The bonding and love in the book was palpable.
Marc is so head over heels I thought he was going to implode if he didn’t get his girl. He shot himself in the foot so many times I lost count. But once he rallied and started fighting for his girl, I finally stopped mentally cursing him out 😂. Ella and Mark are very close and frequent go past the line of just friends, no matter what lies they tell themselves and each other. Their chemistry is tangible and their closeness and understanding is genuine and only possible through years of true friendship. They are very physically affectionate with each other and it’s clear how much the love and want each other.
As this is the 4th book, I’m so invested in so many of the side characters and previous MCs. We get so many scenes with side characters and I LOVED them. I’m so invested in this world and community. IM DYING FOR NOAHS BOOK 🥴 also want a book with Queen Mom & Pére. Very invested in them.
This book could be a standalone but you grasp the drama, Royal life, and dynamics better if you’ve read the other books. There is a lot of gamer lingo and two made up languages that take a second to get the hang of.
This is a closed door royal romcom with vague mild innuendo, Sondish cursing, and non-descriptive making out.
**Thank you so much to Keira for letting me read this gifted ARC. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**
Songs:
Both sides of the blade by Max McNown
From me to you by Max McNown
Snowman by Max McNown
Somewhere only we know by rhianne
All I Ever wanted by Dean Lewis ***
December 26, 2025
Things I loved about Princess Ella:
🌼 Dandelions.
🌼 Her loyalty to her family. There's a particular scene in the book where you REALLY see where Ella gets her loyalty from.
🌼 Independence, with a strong desire to be seen and needed.
🌼 Her willingness to play politics without rolling in the mud.
Things I wanted to do while reading The Dandelion Princess:
🌼 Shake Prince Noah on several occasions. Honestly, I may have felt the compulsion to shake him even more than I always do with Nick from The Telling Touch. 😂 (I also wanted to shake Freya a couple of times, but I was too scared of Oskar's reaction to give it more than a passing fancy.)
The Dandelion Princess really raises the stakes for our favorite Royal Family of Sondmark. Each story before added a bit more complexity to the family dynamic, but it all came to a head on Ella's watch, and I was rooting so hard for them all through it all.
I had the best time reading this book and can't wait to do it all over again!
🌼 Dandelions.
🌼 Her loyalty to her family. There's a particular scene in the book where you REALLY see where Ella gets her loyalty from.
🌼 Independence, with a strong desire to be seen and needed.
🌼 Her willingness to play politics without rolling in the mud.
Things I wanted to do while reading The Dandelion Princess:
🌼 Shake Prince Noah on several occasions. Honestly, I may have felt the compulsion to shake him even more than I always do with Nick from The Telling Touch. 😂 (I also wanted to shake Freya a couple of times, but I was too scared of Oskar's reaction to give it more than a passing fancy.)
The Dandelion Princess really raises the stakes for our favorite Royal Family of Sondmark. Each story before added a bit more complexity to the family dynamic, but it all came to a head on Ella's watch, and I was rooting so hard for them all through it all.
I had the best time reading this book and can't wait to do it all over again!
November 20, 2025
I absolutely loved the first two books in this series about 5 total siblings - especially The Winter Princess - but book 3 was a little bit of a miss for me. I worried about this one - Ella is a gamer and computer geek, not my thing - but it exceeded my expectations by so much! Almost as wonderful a journey as The Winter Princess, her twin sister's book!
As always, the larger family story advances a bit as well (Mama and Pere Prime Minister Torbald), and as always we are all waiting for Noah's story!
As always, the larger family story advances a bit as well (Mama and Pere Prime Minister Torbald), and as always we are all waiting for Noah's story!
December 10, 2025
I’m not gonna lie, I’m finishing this book kinda pissed off.
I literally would die to experience the giddiness of reading The Winter Princess for the first time again, and I also really enjoyed The Midnight Princess. But this one was weaksauce as all get out.
The way we had to sit through Marc and Ella refusing to have a grown-azz freaking conversation for literally hundreds of pages and griping about some illusionary “conflict” between them when actually they just couldn’t frickin COMMUNICATE. ARGH. There was ZERO conflict (at least between the two of them), guys—just smoke and mirrors. Especially once everything went down with Freja, we were actually just running around in circles for absolutely no reason, complaining about how we’d rather be sitting.
I guess going to bougie, elitist private schools meant they’d never endured “do you like me check yes or no” notes, a void which carried them into adulthood?
Their little friends-with-benefits thing was SO ick and immature and riddled, again, with stupid, needless page-hijacking, juvenile miscommunication. Ugh. I didn’t like either of them much by the end because I was just so. freaking. annoyed.
That being said, this one read so much easier than the previous books, though Keira Dominguez still gets carried away slapping you with incoherently esoteric/niche, convoluted, nearly nonsensical similes in the midst of pivotal conversations that I’m sure make wondrous, cheeky sense in her mind—the place of Sondmark’s genesis—but are clunky, distracting roadblocks to us common folk.
GLAD I GOT THIS OFF MY CHEST.
Credit must be given: Keira is a Jedi master of world-building. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I could find tickets to Sondmark on Trip.com.
Anyway, don’t get it twisted. Despite this disappointment, I am seated in front of my phone, refreshing the Kindle app every five minutes until Noah and Caroline’s story comes out. It’ll be a long year, but no sacrifice, no victory.
I literally would die to experience the giddiness of reading The Winter Princess for the first time again, and I also really enjoyed The Midnight Princess. But this one was weaksauce as all get out.
The way we had to sit through Marc and Ella refusing to have a grown-azz freaking conversation for literally hundreds of pages and griping about some illusionary “conflict” between them when actually they just couldn’t frickin COMMUNICATE. ARGH. There was ZERO conflict (at least between the two of them), guys—just smoke and mirrors. Especially once everything went down with Freja, we were actually just running around in circles for absolutely no reason, complaining about how we’d rather be sitting.
I guess going to bougie, elitist private schools meant they’d never endured “do you like me check yes or no” notes, a void which carried them into adulthood?
Their little friends-with-benefits thing was SO ick and immature and riddled, again, with stupid, needless page-hijacking, juvenile miscommunication. Ugh. I didn’t like either of them much by the end because I was just so. freaking. annoyed.
That being said, this one read so much easier than the previous books, though Keira Dominguez still gets carried away slapping you with incoherently esoteric/niche, convoluted, nearly nonsensical similes in the midst of pivotal conversations that I’m sure make wondrous, cheeky sense in her mind—the place of Sondmark’s genesis—but are clunky, distracting roadblocks to us common folk.
GLAD I GOT THIS OFF MY CHEST.
Credit must be given: Keira is a Jedi master of world-building. If I didn’t know better, I’d think I could find tickets to Sondmark on Trip.com.
Anyway, don’t get it twisted. Despite this disappointment, I am seated in front of my phone, refreshing the Kindle app every five minutes until Noah and Caroline’s story comes out. It’ll be a long year, but no sacrifice, no victory.
January 26, 2026
2.5
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wasn’t a fan of this book. I do have to say that I absolutely loved Marc, he was such a fun, sweet and lovable character. But I just couldn’t connect with Ella or enjoy the miscommunication and the plot itself.
I’m excited to read about Noah and Caroline.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wasn’t a fan of this book. I do have to say that I absolutely loved Marc, he was such a fun, sweet and lovable character. But I just couldn’t connect with Ella or enjoy the miscommunication and the plot itself.
I’m excited to read about Noah and Caroline.
November 23, 2025
LOVED IT!! This book is everything I wanted and I’m obsessed with Ella and Marc! The TENSION and their explosive chemistry were off the charts!! This book was full to the brim with humor, depth, longing, and spine-tingling kisses. So many kisses!!
I love the depth of the family dynamics, the fictional countries, and the poetic language. I had to look up a lot of words, but not because I wouldn’t understand with context, but because I wanted to learn more from the author’s vocabulary.
I highlighted over a hundred passages. I really love how Keira Dominguez writes. Every word and every sentence is carefully selected to be meaningful and to pack a punch. She is truly a master in her craft and if you have not experienced it yet, you NEED TO!
This book could stand alone, but Ella’s story is so intertwined with her sister’s stories so it will be best enjoyed when read in order—and you’ll want to avoid spoilers when you inevitably want to go back and read the rest of the series.
🔥: Kissing/make-outs
Mild language
I love the depth of the family dynamics, the fictional countries, and the poetic language. I had to look up a lot of words, but not because I wouldn’t understand with context, but because I wanted to learn more from the author’s vocabulary.
I highlighted over a hundred passages. I really love how Keira Dominguez writes. Every word and every sentence is carefully selected to be meaningful and to pack a punch. She is truly a master in her craft and if you have not experienced it yet, you NEED TO!
This book could stand alone, but Ella’s story is so intertwined with her sister’s stories so it will be best enjoyed when read in order—and you’ll want to avoid spoilers when you inevitably want to go back and read the rest of the series.
🔥: Kissing/make-outs
Mild language
November 25, 2025
I really love Ella and Marc to death. Their friendship is beautiful and fun and sweet and they are delightful. I did struggle with what drove the whole romance plot forward, though. They essentially decide to become secret “kissing buddies” and the way it was thought of and framed out as purely an emotional release just was a big ick factor to me—which I struggled with because it didn’t truly match their character. It drove the sensual side of thoughts to be a little more prominent too. Obviously, they see the error of their ways and it did end well. The political side of things was done so well and I am very much looking forward to Noah and Caroline’s book!
CW: Frequent Making Out, More sensual thoughts, Mild-Moderate Language (22 uses of H***, 4 D***, & curses in their own “language”—>significantly more than previous books in series)
3.5 rounded to 4
CW: Frequent Making Out, More sensual thoughts, Mild-Moderate Language (22 uses of H***, 4 D***, & curses in their own “language”—>significantly more than previous books in series)
3.5 rounded to 4
November 28, 2025
AHHHH IT WAS SO GOOD
Ugh Brothers best friend is just the best. The tension, the romance, ahhh I love it all.
Ella had SO MANY layers and I loved seeing her in this book. It was beautiful.
Don't get me started on the swoony romance and kisses. 👌👌 Perfection.
I'm also loving seeing more depth to the parents. With each book we get to fall more in love with this family and it's a beautiful thing.
NOW SOMEONE GET ME NOAH AND CAROLINE'S STORY ALREADY!!
💋swoony kisses only
🤬Mild language
Ugh Brothers best friend is just the best. The tension, the romance, ahhh I love it all.
Ella had SO MANY layers and I loved seeing her in this book. It was beautiful.
Don't get me started on the swoony romance and kisses. 👌👌 Perfection.
I'm also loving seeing more depth to the parents. With each book we get to fall more in love with this family and it's a beautiful thing.
NOW SOMEONE GET ME NOAH AND CAROLINE'S STORY ALREADY!!
💋swoony kisses only
🤬Mild language
September 15, 2026
Eeeeeeek STOP I CANNOT HANDLE THIS 🙈
Truly this book was everything. The emotional rollercoaster of friends to lovers but with a twist my goodness!! I just am in love with these characters. I say this every time, but truly I think this is my favorite one so far....sigh because now I have to wait for the next one...
I loved him, and her, and them, and yay for complex characters with complex life situations that feel meaningful.
Favorite line: "When this is all over, I'll ask Uncle Georg for his private island. I'll march over the whole of it, wearing a straw hat the size of a small yacht, and curse the day I fell in love with Marc van Heyden."
Truly this book was everything. The emotional rollercoaster of friends to lovers but with a twist my goodness!! I just am in love with these characters. I say this every time, but truly I think this is my favorite one so far....sigh because now I have to wait for the next one...
I loved him, and her, and them, and yay for complex characters with complex life situations that feel meaningful.
Favorite line: "When this is all over, I'll ask Uncle Georg for his private island. I'll march over the whole of it, wearing a straw hat the size of a small yacht, and curse the day I fell in love with Marc van Heyden."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2025
Absolute perfection.
Full review to come soon.
Full review to come soon.
January 21, 2026
How does she outdo herself with each book? Just when I think she's created the greatest masterpiece of them all, she hits me over the head with a new one, somehow more masterful than the last. Easiest 5 stars ever.
February 7, 2026
Koreaboo Endgegner holyyy wie pick me kann man sein
March 15, 2026
3 Stars.
🎮 The vibes:
- Book 4 in the Royals of Sondmark series
- brother’s best friend
- Friends with benefits
- Gamer 🎮
- Asian culture
- Closed door (kisses only)
🎮My thoughts:
I want to caveat to this review with the information that a brother’s best friend dynamic is one of my favorites! BUT, I typically struggle with a friends to lovers trope, and I ESPECIALLY struggle with a friends with benefits vibe. So this book had some elements I loved and other things that honestly icked me out a little bit.
🎮I don’t dislike miscommunication in books because I truly think art reflects life in that front, and it’s easy to shout about miscommunication in books when it’s actually very realistic in our real lives. With that said, I couldn’t understand WHY these characters wouldn’t just say what they felt especially at the ages that they are. I didn’t see much of a reason for the hidden feelings other than as a plot device. It was bizarre to me that Marc suggests a friends with benefits situation to let off steam and that Ella was like “ok cool”. I felt bad for Marc at small moments but I mostly felt bad for Ella.
🎮 There were moments where I was just confused logistically or emotionally. Sometimes the writing would jump somewhere new, and I had to work to keep up. I also got a bit lost in the weeds with Marc’s backstory and what exactly he does for work/for the government. I understood he was torn in two directions but it never felt fully fleshed out to me. Other moments a character would be weeping, and I felt like I needed more emotional descriptions to help me understand what they were actually feeling because I felt emotionally lost a few times.
🎮 Overall, I have enjoyed the four books in this series. I’m excited for Noah’s story, and I am low key BEGGING for a Helena x Peré book. We need a second chance romance or something for these two.
Note / spice content: closed door (kisses only)
🎮 The vibes:
- Book 4 in the Royals of Sondmark series
- brother’s best friend
- Friends with benefits
- Gamer 🎮
- Asian culture
- Closed door (kisses only)
🎮My thoughts:
I want to caveat to this review with the information that a brother’s best friend dynamic is one of my favorites! BUT, I typically struggle with a friends to lovers trope, and I ESPECIALLY struggle with a friends with benefits vibe. So this book had some elements I loved and other things that honestly icked me out a little bit.
🎮I don’t dislike miscommunication in books because I truly think art reflects life in that front, and it’s easy to shout about miscommunication in books when it’s actually very realistic in our real lives. With that said, I couldn’t understand WHY these characters wouldn’t just say what they felt especially at the ages that they are. I didn’t see much of a reason for the hidden feelings other than as a plot device. It was bizarre to me that Marc suggests a friends with benefits situation to let off steam and that Ella was like “ok cool”. I felt bad for Marc at small moments but I mostly felt bad for Ella.
🎮 There were moments where I was just confused logistically or emotionally. Sometimes the writing would jump somewhere new, and I had to work to keep up. I also got a bit lost in the weeds with Marc’s backstory and what exactly he does for work/for the government. I understood he was torn in two directions but it never felt fully fleshed out to me. Other moments a character would be weeping, and I felt like I needed more emotional descriptions to help me understand what they were actually feeling because I felt emotionally lost a few times.
🎮 Overall, I have enjoyed the four books in this series. I’m excited for Noah’s story, and I am low key BEGGING for a Helena x Peré book. We need a second chance romance or something for these two.
Note / spice content: closed door (kisses only)
December 19, 2025
“I think of my avatar in BRIx, hefting one block at a time, each pixelated segment mined and moved. It doesn’t look like anything up close, but when you stand back, you see a castle. All spring, kiss by kiss by kiss, Marc and I have been building a future.”
ellamarc my cutiessssss
don't look at the time it took me to finish this book, it's totally on me and my new job not on them
I loved it so much, I always knew Ella's book was going to be special and it didn't let me down. she wanted freedom and a normal life but her love for her family and her devotion to protect them was so strong. she's such a good friend and sister and daughter even when no one seemed to see her efforts
no one but Marc, our best guy, the one that wasn't in love but didn't notice he was head over heels. also devoted to his family and friends, to duty and crown until that clashed with the girl who had always been by his side. when he got into conquer mode, ella (and me) didn't had a chance.
I loved seeing all my old couples back again, and I loooved how things got settled for noah's book with a certain person (if you've been here since book 1 you know who she is)
I can't wait to go back to this world even if it's for the final book of the series (even though I would oppose to get a book for the queen and peré, from when they fell in love in the arranged marriage or to a marriage in crisis now in the present...
“Is this what fate feels like? I imagine a thin red string tying her wrist to mine. I imagine ravelling it into my hand, pulling her closer and closer.”
ellamarc my cutiessssss
don't look at the time it took me to finish this book, it's totally on me and my new job not on them
I loved it so much, I always knew Ella's book was going to be special and it didn't let me down. she wanted freedom and a normal life but her love for her family and her devotion to protect them was so strong. she's such a good friend and sister and daughter even when no one seemed to see her efforts
no one but Marc, our best guy, the one that wasn't in love but didn't notice he was head over heels. also devoted to his family and friends, to duty and crown until that clashed with the girl who had always been by his side. when he got into conquer mode, ella (and me) didn't had a chance.
I loved seeing all my old couples back again, and I loooved how things got settled for noah's book with a certain person (if you've been here since book 1 you know who she is)
I can't wait to go back to this world even if it's for the final book of the series (even though I would oppose to get a book for the queen and peré, from when they fell in love in the arranged marriage or to a marriage in crisis now in the present...
“Is this what fate feels like? I imagine a thin red string tying her wrist to mine. I imagine ravelling it into my hand, pulling her closer and closer.”
January 23, 2026
This is so early-2000s original Disney movie-coded but with more kisses (bc let’s be real, Disney hardly had their couples kiss on-screen in the first movie), and I think the series is like a YA version of Bridgerton with each book featuring a different sibling (I think? I’ve never read the books or watched the show)
I picked this up even when I had another novel I haven’t even finished yet (a thing I once thought to be such a grave mistake) and I don’t regret it one bit. THIS is the kind of book for me. The humor, the banter, the unforced chemistry!!!, the youthfulness and simplicity of the characters, the yearning, and REALLY just getting to live in a different world from the one I live in every day—perfect!
It’s not every day I’m served with clean and lighthearted fun. Totally rereadable, great for decompressing.
Was not a fan of all the other stuff going on with the plot at first. I felt like I would’ve enjoyed it more had it been JUST about the romance between Ella and Marc and less about politics and Ella’s family life (personal preference, mostly related to simply wanting to unwind and not wanting to have way too many problems), but the closure of it all was utterly satisfying and delightful. I’m happy for all of them.
This is the first I’m reading from this series and I don’t think I can pick up the other books without a personal bias towards Ella now. Though I am very curious about how Noah’s story will go next.
PS: No wonder I love and relate to Ella so much; she’s a middle child too—and yes, girlie, don’t we all just want someone who already knows!
I picked this up even when I had another novel I haven’t even finished yet (a thing I once thought to be such a grave mistake) and I don’t regret it one bit. THIS is the kind of book for me. The humor, the banter, the unforced chemistry!!!, the youthfulness and simplicity of the characters, the yearning, and REALLY just getting to live in a different world from the one I live in every day—perfect!
It’s not every day I’m served with clean and lighthearted fun. Totally rereadable, great for decompressing.
Was not a fan of all the other stuff going on with the plot at first. I felt like I would’ve enjoyed it more had it been JUST about the romance between Ella and Marc and less about politics and Ella’s family life (personal preference, mostly related to simply wanting to unwind and not wanting to have way too many problems), but the closure of it all was utterly satisfying and delightful. I’m happy for all of them.
This is the first I’m reading from this series and I don’t think I can pick up the other books without a personal bias towards Ella now. Though I am very curious about how Noah’s story will go next.
PS: No wonder I love and relate to Ella so much; she’s a middle child too—and yes, girlie, don’t we all just want someone who already knows!
Did Not Finish
June 2, 2026Al 41 %, lo dejo. Ni siquiera saltando por encima esto me resulta atractivo. Friends to lovers en modalidad "dos tontos muy tontos", se gustan desde hace tiempo, pero no sé lo han dicho. Narrado en primera persona dual, suenan casi infantiles. ¿Ya no hay adultos en la novela romántica? ¿Internet nos ha vuelto a todos tontos y ñoños?
Ella es una princesa un poco regordeta, obsesionada con internet, y enamorada del mejor amigo de su hermano. Marc, es hijo de madre oriental, de un país imaginario clavadito a Corea del Sur, con su k-pop y k-drama, etc. Es empresario, filántropo, cooperante, perfecto y guapo y rico, todo muy improbable. Un héroe que tiene como gesto romántico ponerle a la heroína un sérum como parte del cuidado nocturno de la piel ya ves que no va a ser muy apasionado y varonil. No es ya que el héroe suene a la bestie de la heroína, ahora es ya su esteticién...
Al menos, yo no he sentido ninguna pasión, física, ni emocional, entre estos dos. Encuentro más anhelo en un Regencia tradicional, que no eran explícitos, pero tampoco suenan asexuales.
Si hay un público para esta historia, no soy yo.
Esta serie es una de cal y otra de arena. A ver si la siguiente es de una vez la de Noah, el príncipe heredero, y su inapropiado amor por la ayudante de su madre, la reina.
Ella es una princesa un poco regordeta, obsesionada con internet, y enamorada del mejor amigo de su hermano. Marc, es hijo de madre oriental, de un país imaginario clavadito a Corea del Sur, con su k-pop y k-drama, etc. Es empresario, filántropo, cooperante, perfecto y guapo y rico, todo muy improbable. Un héroe que tiene como gesto romántico ponerle a la heroína un sérum como parte del cuidado nocturno de la piel ya ves que no va a ser muy apasionado y varonil. No es ya que el héroe suene a la bestie de la heroína, ahora es ya su esteticién...
Al menos, yo no he sentido ninguna pasión, física, ni emocional, entre estos dos. Encuentro más anhelo en un Regencia tradicional, que no eran explícitos, pero tampoco suenan asexuales.
Si hay un público para esta historia, no soy yo.
Esta serie es una de cal y otra de arena. A ver si la siguiente es de una vez la de Noah, el príncipe heredero, y su inapropiado amor por la ayudante de su madre, la reina.
January 3, 2026
As soon as I saw the cover for this sweet story, I knew I had to read it. A gamer princess eating ramen with her cutie patootie friend who just happens to also be her big brother’s best friend? Sign me up. Ella and Marc are the epitome of yearning and will they won’t they.
I adored them from the moment I picked up this book. Ella is anything but the “perfect” princess and yet, she IS perfect. and Marc might be the first person to realize it.
read this book. Now I’m off to read the first three of the series. Sooo good.
Tropes:
brother’s best friend
friends to more
it’s always been you
content warning:
spice: none, kissing only, shirtless man
language: mild, infrequent
Read if you like:
smart + rebel with a cause FMC
he falls hard for her
casual flirting while in denial
amazing sibling groups
I adored them from the moment I picked up this book. Ella is anything but the “perfect” princess and yet, she IS perfect. and Marc might be the first person to realize it.
read this book. Now I’m off to read the first three of the series. Sooo good.
Tropes:
brother’s best friend
friends to more
it’s always been you
content warning:
spice: none, kissing only, shirtless man
language: mild, infrequent
Read if you like:
smart + rebel with a cause FMC
he falls hard for her
casual flirting while in denial
amazing sibling groups
March 3, 2026
I DNF'd but not because it's bad. I'm just not in the mood for young romance at the moment, especially a duel POV, which only doubles the angst while halving the tension. Again, not a failing of this specific book/author, just not a personal preference.
For what it's worth, it seems like a cute story about a not-like-other girls princess and her brother's best friend who've secretly loved each other forever, but both think the other only likes them as a friend even though they're constantly touching, sweeping hair out of eyes, etc. - none of which siblings do to or for each other unless it's the beginning of a violent trick.
Sorry. Like I said. Not in the right mood. *sigh*
For what it's worth, it seems like a cute story about a not-like-other girls princess and her brother's best friend who've secretly loved each other forever, but both think the other only likes them as a friend even though they're constantly touching, sweeping hair out of eyes, etc. - none of which siblings do to or for each other unless it's the beginning of a violent trick.
Sorry. Like I said. Not in the right mood. *sigh*
November 18, 2025
really enjoyed myself! was there some frustration? yes. was there angst? yes. was there misunderstanding that i wish was solved earlier (but understood the necessary timeline)? yes. were there so many swoon worthy moments? yes.
overall, i had SUCH a great time (per the amount of highlights i have). i am SO excited for the next installment. (confession: The Winter Princess has been my ultimate favorite so far — so while this one just didn’t quite tip the scale, i am wondering if the next one will.)
highly recommend.
overall, i had SUCH a great time (per the amount of highlights i have). i am SO excited for the next installment. (confession: The Winter Princess has been my ultimate favorite so far — so while this one just didn’t quite tip the scale, i am wondering if the next one will.)
highly recommend.
July 9, 2026
This installment picks up where "Midnight" left off, and I love seeing how Ella handles the fallout of the different situations in which she finds herself. Her longtime crush on Marc, Noah's best friend, reignites as they spend time together at events leading up to his little sister (and her best friend) Alix's upcoming wedding. I will say there was more regular language in addition to the made-up cursing the author has employed since the first book, which I am pretty much okay with reading. Thankfully, the big-deal expletives are in Sondish, as they are throughout the series. It was also super weird that Ella and Marc become "friends with kissing only benefits," I mean, who even does that? Noah and Caroline have a moment during this novel that I loved so much, I reactivated my Instagram account only to message the author.... the fifth Royals of Sondmark is in progress as of July 2026, and I am so here for their slow burn novel.
September 25, 2026
Wonderfully written
All 4 books are wonderfully written and beautiful, incredible stories. Love the twists and turns of plot and character growth. I didnt love Ella's childishness at the beginning but was glad when she stopped being like that so whole heartedly. However the loss in star is wholey because Noah and Caroline dont end up together!!!! Teases through all the books and then no resolution!!! Aaahhhh write his book please. Haha would recommend all 4 princess books, theyre delightful!
All 4 books are wonderfully written and beautiful, incredible stories. Love the twists and turns of plot and character growth. I didnt love Ella's childishness at the beginning but was glad when she stopped being like that so whole heartedly. However the loss in star is wholey because Noah and Caroline dont end up together!!!! Teases through all the books and then no resolution!!! Aaahhhh write his book please. Haha would recommend all 4 princess books, theyre delightful!
September 1, 2026
I love this series with all my heart and Ellas book was just the best!! 🤍🥹 Usually not a fan of friends to lovers but in this case it just made so much sense! I just love the way Keira creates such vivid and lively characters and Ella and Marc were just so full of charme and inside jokes, I loved reading every single page of this book.
(Also I‘ve been waiting for Noahs story since book one and I can‘t believe the next one will finally be his and Carolines story!!! 😭🤍)
(Also I‘ve been waiting for Noahs story since book one and I can‘t believe the next one will finally be his and Carolines story!!! 😭🤍)
December 3, 2025
I'm a fan of this series and was anxiously awaiting Marc and Ella's story. Although I wouldn't say it's my top favorite, I had a great time being back in Sondmark.
Pick this one up if you're a fan of friends-to-lovers romances.
(It is better if you've read the previous books first.)
4.5 stars
Pick this one up if you're a fan of friends-to-lovers romances.
(It is better if you've read the previous books first.)
4.5 stars
January 21, 2026
This book feels like a throw back to where this series started. It has great little-sister energy. I resonate more with Alma and Freya, but I still love Ella and Clara. And Ella has been the family glue through the series so it was fun to have her as the FMC and let her work through her own struggles.
January 16, 2026
(3.5) the first half felt kinda disappointing, but the second half pretty neat! so happy i could see my sheylas (Freja and Oskar) 😭 i really really really want a book about the parents now tho, its my dream
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