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Thrones We Steal: A Hate to Love Arranged Marriage Royal Romance
My life couldn’t have been more perfect. A handsome fiancé. My dream career. My family’s beautiful estate. I should’ve known it was too good to be true.
When an old diary resurfaces, it reveals a scandal buried for over a century and destroys everything I thought I knew. Thanks to the biggest royal disgrace of the nineteenth century, I’m not just nobility.
I’m the rightful queen of Wesbourne.
On paper, it sounds like a fairytale upgrade. Money. Power. Fame. And the chance to make a difference in the country I adore. All I have to do is give up the life I’ve built and the man I love.
Oh, and one other small thing. I'll have to marry the crown prince.
Yes, he’s gorgeous and charming and his voice makes your body sing. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for hesitating. But they don’t know him like I do. They don’t know that he destroyed me last time.
If I say no, this country will crash and burn in a civil war, and I’ll be responsible. But if I say yes, he will annihilate what’s left of my heart.
Thrones We Steal is perfect for readers looking
Contemporary royalty romanceHate to loveMorally gray MMCsChildhood friendsArranged marriages and forced proximityProtective playboy princesSlow burn love stories
Thrones We Steal is the first book in a duet. The second part of Henry and Celia’s story can be read in Castles We Storm . This story may not be suitable for everyone. Please see sample for TWs.
When an old diary resurfaces, it reveals a scandal buried for over a century and destroys everything I thought I knew. Thanks to the biggest royal disgrace of the nineteenth century, I’m not just nobility.
I’m the rightful queen of Wesbourne.
On paper, it sounds like a fairytale upgrade. Money. Power. Fame. And the chance to make a difference in the country I adore. All I have to do is give up the life I’ve built and the man I love.
Oh, and one other small thing. I'll have to marry the crown prince.
Yes, he’s gorgeous and charming and his voice makes your body sing. Everyone thinks I’m crazy for hesitating. But they don’t know him like I do. They don’t know that he destroyed me last time.
If I say no, this country will crash and burn in a civil war, and I’ll be responsible. But if I say yes, he will annihilate what’s left of my heart.
Thrones We Steal is perfect for readers looking
Contemporary royalty romanceHate to loveMorally gray MMCsChildhood friendsArranged marriages and forced proximityProtective playboy princesSlow burn love stories
Thrones We Steal is the first book in a duet. The second part of Henry and Celia’s story can be read in Castles We Storm . This story may not be suitable for everyone. Please see sample for TWs.
- GenresRomance
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2026
About the author
Jessica Jude
9 books446 followersJessica Jude writes emotionally-charged kissing (among other things) books about royals and the elite. Her aim in all of her stories is to make you fall in love with the characters and use up box after box of tissues. Her characters are strong and independent, who make plenty of morally gray decisions. She likes her women fierce and her men possessive.
Her favorite scenes to write are arguments. She's been known to stir up drama in her own life when she gets bored, and her family is glad she has an outlet for her occasional Blair-Waldorfism. She lives in a big old house in the midwestern United States with her high-school sweetheart. She has dreamed of being an author since she was six and wrote her first book about a girl named Mary who got lost in the woods. Mary was eventually found, but sadly, the book was never published. Jessica is a homebody who loves to travel, a coffee candle junkie who doesn't drink coffee, and a very-loud-at-home introvert.
Find tropes and trigger warnings for her books at https://www.jessicajude.com/
Get exclusive bonus content by joining the fancy-schmancy Privy Council (aka email list) at https://www.jessicajude.com/newsletter
Watch BTS footage on Instagram @JessicaJudeBooks
Her favorite scenes to write are arguments. She's been known to stir up drama in her own life when she gets bored, and her family is glad she has an outlet for her occasional Blair-Waldorfism. She lives in a big old house in the midwestern United States with her high-school sweetheart. She has dreamed of being an author since she was six and wrote her first book about a girl named Mary who got lost in the woods. Mary was eventually found, but sadly, the book was never published. Jessica is a homebody who loves to travel, a coffee candle junkie who doesn't drink coffee, and a very-loud-at-home introvert.
Find tropes and trigger warnings for her books at https://www.jessicajude.com/
Get exclusive bonus content by joining the fancy-schmancy Privy Council (aka email list) at https://www.jessicajude.com/newsletter
Watch BTS footage on Instagram @JessicaJudeBooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
May 9, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ | arc read
“The happiness is only temporary,” I say. “The pain lasts a lifetime.”
This story truly went above my expectations.
I already loved the world of Wesbourne from the Hand of Revenge stories, and I am so excited to now finally read about the queen and where she came from!
The first book truly is a rollercoaster of emotions and a whirlwind fairytale. The ending? Chef's kiss. It absolutely has me wanting more, so I am glad I can instantly move on to book two and read more about Celia, Henry and all that involves Wesbourne.
Jessica, you outdo yourself constantly and I am excited to stay on this journey you created!
"Great loves are worth sacrificing everything for, even our fairy-tale dreams."
“The happiness is only temporary,” I say. “The pain lasts a lifetime.”
This story truly went above my expectations.
I already loved the world of Wesbourne from the Hand of Revenge stories, and I am so excited to now finally read about the queen and where she came from!
The first book truly is a rollercoaster of emotions and a whirlwind fairytale. The ending? Chef's kiss. It absolutely has me wanting more, so I am glad I can instantly move on to book two and read more about Celia, Henry and all that involves Wesbourne.
Jessica, you outdo yourself constantly and I am excited to stay on this journey you created!
"Great loves are worth sacrificing everything for, even our fairy-tale dreams."
September 21, 2024
The reason I picked this book was the fact that the old diary, combined with royalty romance, intrigued me. The mystery and suspense about getting royalty rights was something that led me to reading the first part of the book. However, at a certain point, the pace of the book slowed down a lot and there was a lot of internal monologue around her decision, which took too long in my opinion. I feel that there were quite a lot of plots within this book that all sequelled to the next book (I hope?), regarding the history, side characters, the MMC, etc. That said, I had a really hard time connecting with Henry, the MMC, as his emotions were all over the place without any explanation from him or background explained from the past. It is described as a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers but I'm not sure if I agree on that, since it mostly felt like friends to enemies to lovers (from FMC POV) to enemies to not so much enemies but also distant lovers (at least from FMC POV)? The actions and feelings of the MMC were very confusing in this regard. There were certainly good elements in this book, but I would really wish to advise the author to connect the plots better to get the book to a higher level and thus rating. Now, the book felt like a really long introduction into the rest of the series. I would always like to see some of the plot elements worked out in a single book and not bridge all plots to the sequel(s). All in all, I have to say, this book is a 2.5 rounded up for me, even though I really wished there was more to the book based on the blurb. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 20, 2026
thank you author agency for the ARC!!
my first time reading this author and i can’t wait to read more! the first little bit of the book i immediately was intrigued by the dynamic of cecelia, henry and harrison, and beatrice. i felt like the author does a phenomenal job leaving breadcrumbs that keep you guessing. the book has some suspense, romance, yearning, and a lot of emotion. i keep alternating between loving and hating henry so we’ll see what book 2 brings! overall a 4-4.25 star read for me. i loved the world the author created and i can’t wait to read book 2!
my first time reading this author and i can’t wait to read more! the first little bit of the book i immediately was intrigued by the dynamic of cecelia, henry and harrison, and beatrice. i felt like the author does a phenomenal job leaving breadcrumbs that keep you guessing. the book has some suspense, romance, yearning, and a lot of emotion. i keep alternating between loving and hating henry so we’ll see what book 2 brings! overall a 4-4.25 star read for me. i loved the world the author created and i can’t wait to read book 2!
April 27, 2026
ARC Review!!
Omg what a roller coaster of emotions packed into 40 chapters. When I say I bawled i am not exaggerating! There were tears streaming down my cheeks like Celia for almost as much time in the book as she cries! It makes it hard to read when your eyes are so blurry! I desperately need to read the next book because as good as I am at picking storylines, for the life of me I can not figure out what Henry’s deal is!!!
Omg what a roller coaster of emotions packed into 40 chapters. When I say I bawled i am not exaggerating! There were tears streaming down my cheeks like Celia for almost as much time in the book as she cries! It makes it hard to read when your eyes are so blurry! I desperately need to read the next book because as good as I am at picking storylines, for the life of me I can not figure out what Henry’s deal is!!!
Read
May 19, 2026Thrones We Steal by Jessica Hyde is the revamped and updated version of her original Wesbourne story. Here we meet Celia and Henry as they try to reunite and get a second chance at love.
I loved the Hand of Revenge series, and this one did not disappoint at all. While I didn’t get the happy ever after I wanted, I’m hopeful it will come in the second or third book.
Thank you, Jessica Jude, for this advanced copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved the Hand of Revenge series, and this one did not disappoint at all. While I didn’t get the happy ever after I wanted, I’m hopeful it will come in the second or third book.
Thank you, Jessica Jude, for this advanced copy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 20, 2026
Thrones We Steal is a childhood best friends to hate to love to sort of hate or really hate by the end. It had a little mystery and some unrest in the country of Wesbourne.
There were moments that I enjoyed reading, Celia being engaged to another man but to save the country she loved she needed to make a choice. Nice, right? Until it wasn't. I understood that part and the one person that she needed to marry was Henry, the heir to the throne and her childhood best friend until he did something to her that up until the end we don't know what it really was. There were things throughout that were brought up a couple times but not really given more time to explain why it or they were the way it was. Henry broke her heart when they were teenagers and she wanted nothing to do with him and she wanted him away from her sister. Of course that does not happen, Celia and Henry both act like everything is fine between them, that is until Henry acts like a jerk and Celia goes back to hating him.
That pretty much happens from start to end. I liked the back and forth banter between them until it became too much.. I get it (maybe it's me) but it just became repetitive for me. The sweet moments between Celia and Henry were nice until it became to real or too much for Henry and he broke Celia's heart again. Again, it would happen again and again.
There were things that left me wondering and not liking once I finished.
- Henry is a playboy, he is seen around the whole world after he and Celia get married with other women on his arm (with a look in his eye that suggest there is something more happening) so is he cheating and the whole country he is the heir to the throne not care? Was it all a ruse and he is just playing into the imaging of playboy and he is faithful to his wife? Henry's POV would have helped, I think with this or if just sticking with Celia's POV have a point in the story where this comes up between them.
- Celia being engaged to another man and her sneaking out a couple times to see him.. the drama, I actually liked because she loved him and things were left unfinished but at this point she is already married to Henry and she does kiss her ex-fiancé and wants to have an affair with him and goes about asking the King on how she can do that. So were they both cheaters, Henry just more than Celia kissing another man?
- Henry coming clean to Celia about being ab*sed as a child by his father, yet Celia does hate his dad for what he did and goes to him for advise and there are no consequences for him.
- The unrest in the country when it was found out that the King and everyone before him were not the rightful heirs and it was the descendants of another child the King and Queen had some 200+ years ago. That was resolved once it was announced the Henry and Celia were getting married, the brink of civil war just vanished?
This is probably a me thing, but the chapters being titled after songs hyphenated with the artist that sings them, that was a no for me. I did not like that. If there is going to a song that fits both MC's from start to finish it would be Hot n Cold by Katy Perry.
In the end there were good parts that I liked, just too much of things that felt like needed more development that could have brought more to this story. I have started book 2 and I am already not liking Celia as Queen..
There were moments that I enjoyed reading, Celia being engaged to another man but to save the country she loved she needed to make a choice. Nice, right? Until it wasn't. I understood that part and the one person that she needed to marry was Henry, the heir to the throne and her childhood best friend until he did something to her that up until the end we don't know what it really was. There were things throughout that were brought up a couple times but not really given more time to explain why it or they were the way it was. Henry broke her heart when they were teenagers and she wanted nothing to do with him and she wanted him away from her sister. Of course that does not happen, Celia and Henry both act like everything is fine between them, that is until Henry acts like a jerk and Celia goes back to hating him.
That pretty much happens from start to end. I liked the back and forth banter between them until it became too much.. I get it (maybe it's me) but it just became repetitive for me. The sweet moments between Celia and Henry were nice until it became to real or too much for Henry and he broke Celia's heart again. Again, it would happen again and again.
There were things that left me wondering and not liking once I finished.
- Henry is a playboy, he is seen around the whole world after he and Celia get married with other women on his arm (with a look in his eye that suggest there is something more happening) so is he cheating and the whole country he is the heir to the throne not care? Was it all a ruse and he is just playing into the imaging of playboy and he is faithful to his wife? Henry's POV would have helped, I think with this or if just sticking with Celia's POV have a point in the story where this comes up between them.
- Celia being engaged to another man and her sneaking out a couple times to see him.. the drama, I actually liked because she loved him and things were left unfinished but at this point she is already married to Henry and she does kiss her ex-fiancé and wants to have an affair with him and goes about asking the King on how she can do that. So were they both cheaters, Henry just more than Celia kissing another man?
- Henry coming clean to Celia about being ab*sed as a child by his father, yet Celia does hate his dad for what he did and goes to him for advise and there are no consequences for him.
- The unrest in the country when it was found out that the King and everyone before him were not the rightful heirs and it was the descendants of another child the King and Queen had some 200+ years ago. That was resolved once it was announced the Henry and Celia were getting married, the brink of civil war just vanished?
This is probably a me thing, but the chapters being titled after songs hyphenated with the artist that sings them, that was a no for me. I did not like that. If there is going to a song that fits both MC's from start to finish it would be Hot n Cold by Katy Perry.
In the end there were good parts that I liked, just too much of things that felt like needed more development that could have brought more to this story. I have started book 2 and I am already not liking Celia as Queen..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5🌟
Gosh this book is a quick read that I couldn’t get enough of! I didn’t want put it down. With a mix of Royal life and everybody else’s life, as well as super relatable feelings regarding love. This is a fun book that is also a hard hitter. Love isn’t black and white. This book dives into the nuances of love that many of us would rather not acknowledge…but we all know is there. And given the fact that the author is able to deliver some hard hitting truths about love with an abundance of wit and banter makes this book one I will love forever. It’s set in a fictional country that is described as an island between the US and the UK. I would say that the residents are a mix of what you’d find in the US and the UK as well. I liked it! Wesbourne sounds like a place I would love to visit! This is book one of a completed trilogy and I am excited to dive straight into book two. This book doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger but it also leaves you wanting more. There are a lot of unanswered questions in this book so I would recommend managing your expectations there. This book is building us up for the next two where I do believe we will have all of the answers to our many questions! Thank you to the author for the eARC. This voluntary review is my honest thoughts and opinions about the book. This book does contain open door spice near the end; I would rate 2/5 🌶️🌶️. I think you’ll love this book if you enjoy:
👑 modern day royal romance
🤍childhood friends to enemies to lovers
👑Bridget Jones x Princess Diaries vibes
🤍banter
👑love triangle
🤍arranged marriage/marriage of convenience
👑slow burn to spice 🌶️🌶️
“Friendships have never come easily for me. When you show people your vulnerable side, you give them the opportunity to hurt you.”
“How do I choose between two right options?”
“The greater the love, the greater the loss.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that. I didn’t ask you for anything,” I spit out.
“You’re my wife. You didn’t need to ask.”
“…No man has the ability to destroy you.”
“How do you get over someone?” The words tumble out. Preambles are overrated anyway.
“With great love comes great risk. Those we love the most have the most power to hurt us.”
We are damaged and broken and beyond redemption. But how do you unspool someone from your heart when they’re the very thread holding it together?
I meet his eyes, as black as the night we just came through, and I feel him rooting around in my soul. “I can’t breathe when you look at me like that,” I whisper. “I don’t know how else to look at you.”
“The power to hurt you? But darling, that’s what makes love so magical. It’s not worth much if you can’t trust enough to risk getting hurt.”
“Is this how you woo all of your dates?” “There’s only one girl in the world I’d ever do this for.” He gazes at me. “She’s sitting right in front of me.”
Great loves are worth sacrificing everything for, even our fairy-tale dreams. And sometimes the best fairy tales are the ones we write ourselves
5/5🌟
Gosh this book is a quick read that I couldn’t get enough of! I didn’t want put it down. With a mix of Royal life and everybody else’s life, as well as super relatable feelings regarding love. This is a fun book that is also a hard hitter. Love isn’t black and white. This book dives into the nuances of love that many of us would rather not acknowledge…but we all know is there. And given the fact that the author is able to deliver some hard hitting truths about love with an abundance of wit and banter makes this book one I will love forever. It’s set in a fictional country that is described as an island between the US and the UK. I would say that the residents are a mix of what you’d find in the US and the UK as well. I liked it! Wesbourne sounds like a place I would love to visit! This is book one of a completed trilogy and I am excited to dive straight into book two. This book doesn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger but it also leaves you wanting more. There are a lot of unanswered questions in this book so I would recommend managing your expectations there. This book is building us up for the next two where I do believe we will have all of the answers to our many questions! Thank you to the author for the eARC. This voluntary review is my honest thoughts and opinions about the book. This book does contain open door spice near the end; I would rate 2/5 🌶️🌶️. I think you’ll love this book if you enjoy:
👑 modern day royal romance
🤍childhood friends to enemies to lovers
👑Bridget Jones x Princess Diaries vibes
🤍banter
👑love triangle
🤍arranged marriage/marriage of convenience
👑slow burn to spice 🌶️🌶️
“Friendships have never come easily for me. When you show people your vulnerable side, you give them the opportunity to hurt you.”
“How do I choose between two right options?”
“The greater the love, the greater the loss.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that. I didn’t ask you for anything,” I spit out.
“You’re my wife. You didn’t need to ask.”
“…No man has the ability to destroy you.”
“How do you get over someone?” The words tumble out. Preambles are overrated anyway.
“With great love comes great risk. Those we love the most have the most power to hurt us.”
We are damaged and broken and beyond redemption. But how do you unspool someone from your heart when they’re the very thread holding it together?
I meet his eyes, as black as the night we just came through, and I feel him rooting around in my soul. “I can’t breathe when you look at me like that,” I whisper. “I don’t know how else to look at you.”
“The power to hurt you? But darling, that’s what makes love so magical. It’s not worth much if you can’t trust enough to risk getting hurt.”
“Is this how you woo all of your dates?” “There’s only one girl in the world I’d ever do this for.” He gazes at me. “She’s sitting right in front of me.”
Great loves are worth sacrificing everything for, even our fairy-tale dreams. And sometimes the best fairy tales are the ones we write ourselves
May 20, 2026
Jessica Jude’s Thrones We Steal made me realize I would absolutely survive about fifteen minutes in a royal family before publicly crying in a hallway, accidentally starting a constitutional crisis, and falling in love with the emotionally unavailable prince anyway. Honestly, this book felt like The Princess Diaries got older, emotionally unstable, and started attending therapy while secretly hooking up with Gossip Girl-level chaos behind palace doors.
Published by Jessica Jude, thank you so much to the author for the gifted ARC because this story completely hijacked my emotional stability and refused to give it back.
Celia’s life is already perfectly mapped out when a buried royal scandal changes everything she thought she knew about herself. Suddenly she’s no longer just a duchess quietly working at the Wesbourne Historical Society planning a future with the man she loves… she’s the rightful Queen of Wesbourne. Which sounds romantic until parliament basically says, “Congratulations on your trauma. You now have to marry the crown prince to prevent civil war.”
And unfortunately for Celia, that prince is Henry.
Henry — beautiful, emotionally repressed, frustrating, protective, confusing, and fully committed to ruining my blood pressure for 369 pages straight. This man had me wanting to simultaneously hug him, shake him, and throw my Kindle across the room. The tension between Henry and Celia is absolutely brutal in the best possible way because underneath all the banter, resentment, and forced proximity is years of heartbreak neither of them ever truly survived.
“We are damaged and broken and beyond redemption. But how do you unspool someone from your heart when they’re the very thread holding it together?”
EXCUSE ME??? Jessica Jude really said emotional devastation for everyone.
What I loved most about this story was how deeply emotional it felt beneath all the royal glamour. This isn’t just a romance about crowns and scandal. It’s about grief, sacrifice, duty, identity, and loving someone even when they hold the power to completely destroy you. Celia especially carried this story beautifully. Watching her slowly lose the life she wanted while trying to protect an entire country genuinely hurt.
And that ending? Jail. Immediate jail.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 stars
If you love messy royal drama, childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers tension, emotionally unavailable princes, arranged marriages, slow burn angst, and books that make you stare at the wall afterward questioning your emotional wellbeing… this one absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR.
Now tell me honestly: do you love emotionally chaotic fictional princes or do you prefer your book boyfriends emotionally stable for once? 👀
#ThronesWeSteal #JessicaJude #RoyalRomance #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #EnemiesToLovers #ArrangedMarriage #SlowBurnRomance #BookReview #KindleReads #ContemporaryRomance
Published by Jessica Jude, thank you so much to the author for the gifted ARC because this story completely hijacked my emotional stability and refused to give it back.
Celia’s life is already perfectly mapped out when a buried royal scandal changes everything she thought she knew about herself. Suddenly she’s no longer just a duchess quietly working at the Wesbourne Historical Society planning a future with the man she loves… she’s the rightful Queen of Wesbourne. Which sounds romantic until parliament basically says, “Congratulations on your trauma. You now have to marry the crown prince to prevent civil war.”
And unfortunately for Celia, that prince is Henry.
Henry — beautiful, emotionally repressed, frustrating, protective, confusing, and fully committed to ruining my blood pressure for 369 pages straight. This man had me wanting to simultaneously hug him, shake him, and throw my Kindle across the room. The tension between Henry and Celia is absolutely brutal in the best possible way because underneath all the banter, resentment, and forced proximity is years of heartbreak neither of them ever truly survived.
“We are damaged and broken and beyond redemption. But how do you unspool someone from your heart when they’re the very thread holding it together?”
EXCUSE ME??? Jessica Jude really said emotional devastation for everyone.
What I loved most about this story was how deeply emotional it felt beneath all the royal glamour. This isn’t just a romance about crowns and scandal. It’s about grief, sacrifice, duty, identity, and loving someone even when they hold the power to completely destroy you. Celia especially carried this story beautifully. Watching her slowly lose the life she wanted while trying to protect an entire country genuinely hurt.
And that ending? Jail. Immediate jail.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 stars
If you love messy royal drama, childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers tension, emotionally unavailable princes, arranged marriages, slow burn angst, and books that make you stare at the wall afterward questioning your emotional wellbeing… this one absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR.
Now tell me honestly: do you love emotionally chaotic fictional princes or do you prefer your book boyfriends emotionally stable for once? 👀
#ThronesWeSteal #JessicaJude #RoyalRomance #Bookstagram #RomanceBooks #EnemiesToLovers #ArrangedMarriage #SlowBurnRomance #BookReview #KindleReads #ContemporaryRomance
May 22, 2026
Thrones We Steal completely pulled me in from the very first chapter and refused to let go.
This was my first book by Jessica Jude, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last.
What I expected was a royal romance. What I got was a story filled with suspense, political intrigue, emotional tension, yearning, secrets, and twists that constantly kept me guessing.
Every time I thought I had figured out where the story was heading, something shifted and completely changed my expectations. I loved never feeling entirely certain of what would happen next.
At the center of the story are Celia and Henry.
Celia’s entire world is turned upside down when a shocking discovery changes everything she thought she knew about her life and her future. Suddenly she finds herself thrust into a position she never expected while carrying the weight of responsibilities she never asked for.
Watching her navigate those challenges was one of my favorite parts of the story. She is forced to make impossible choices while trying to balance duty, family, love, and her own happiness.
Then there’s Henry.
And honestly? Henry is exactly the kind of morally gray MMC that keeps you emotionally conflicted the entire time.
He can be frustrating, protective, charming, infuriating, and impossible to ignore all at once. His history with Celia creates so much emotional tension that every interaction between them feels charged with years of unresolved feelings.
The childhood friends dynamic added another layer of emotional depth because their relationship wasn’t built on instant attraction. There was history between them. Shared memories. Old wounds. Lingering feelings. And that made every scene between them even stronger.
The arranged marriage and forced proximity elements only intensified the tension. Neither character can truly escape the other, forcing them to confront feelings they’ve spent years avoiding.
But beyond the romance, what really stood out was the suspense woven throughout the story. The royal politics, family secrets, shifting loyalties, and unexpected revelations kept me turning pages long into the night.
This book genuinely felt like an emotional rollercoaster.
By the time I reached the end, I immediately needed the next book because there was absolutely no way I was walking away from these characters after everything that happened.
If you enjoy:
👑 Royal romance
🖤 Morally gray MMCs
💕 Childhood friends
💍 Arranged marriage
🔥 Forced proximity
😤 Hate-to-love romance
👑 Political intrigue
✨ Emotional tension & yearning
🌙 Family secrets
📖 Duet series
then Thrones We Steal should absolutely be on your TBR.
⭐️ Overall Rating: 4.5/5
🔥 Burn Level: 4/5
🌶️ Spice Level: 3/5
💧 Emotional Impact: 4.5/5
Thank you to The Author Agency and Jessica Jude for the ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own.
This was my first book by Jessica Jude, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last.
What I expected was a royal romance. What I got was a story filled with suspense, political intrigue, emotional tension, yearning, secrets, and twists that constantly kept me guessing.
Every time I thought I had figured out where the story was heading, something shifted and completely changed my expectations. I loved never feeling entirely certain of what would happen next.
At the center of the story are Celia and Henry.
Celia’s entire world is turned upside down when a shocking discovery changes everything she thought she knew about her life and her future. Suddenly she finds herself thrust into a position she never expected while carrying the weight of responsibilities she never asked for.
Watching her navigate those challenges was one of my favorite parts of the story. She is forced to make impossible choices while trying to balance duty, family, love, and her own happiness.
Then there’s Henry.
And honestly? Henry is exactly the kind of morally gray MMC that keeps you emotionally conflicted the entire time.
He can be frustrating, protective, charming, infuriating, and impossible to ignore all at once. His history with Celia creates so much emotional tension that every interaction between them feels charged with years of unresolved feelings.
The childhood friends dynamic added another layer of emotional depth because their relationship wasn’t built on instant attraction. There was history between them. Shared memories. Old wounds. Lingering feelings. And that made every scene between them even stronger.
The arranged marriage and forced proximity elements only intensified the tension. Neither character can truly escape the other, forcing them to confront feelings they’ve spent years avoiding.
But beyond the romance, what really stood out was the suspense woven throughout the story. The royal politics, family secrets, shifting loyalties, and unexpected revelations kept me turning pages long into the night.
This book genuinely felt like an emotional rollercoaster.
By the time I reached the end, I immediately needed the next book because there was absolutely no way I was walking away from these characters after everything that happened.
If you enjoy:
👑 Royal romance
🖤 Morally gray MMCs
💕 Childhood friends
💍 Arranged marriage
🔥 Forced proximity
😤 Hate-to-love romance
👑 Political intrigue
✨ Emotional tension & yearning
🌙 Family secrets
📖 Duet series
then Thrones We Steal should absolutely be on your TBR.
⭐️ Overall Rating: 4.5/5
🔥 Burn Level: 4/5
🌶️ Spice Level: 3/5
💧 Emotional Impact: 4.5/5
Thank you to The Author Agency and Jessica Jude for the ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own.
May 20, 2026
In Jessica Jude's Thrones We Steal, readers dive into a world of Wesbourne, an island nation nestled in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that blends both American and British lifestyles.
Celia Chapman-Payne is living her life. She has her dream job at the historical society, she’s engaged to be married in a few months, and is content with her life as a duchess. Everything changes when a diary reveals secrets that shatter everything everyone knows about their royal family, and Celia is now at the center of it. A hidden affair led to an illegitimate child, and now the rightful line of succession for the throne ends up with Celia as being the rightful heir. As chaos erupts throughout the nation, she now has to decide to drop everything she’s known and take up the crown along with their non-negotiable conditions, or go back to her life in the background of society.
I love that Celia is a historical buff. She loves her country, and holds up their ideals as she makes life decisions. While she could be selfish, she works for the greater good for her country. With that being said, this can lead her to have blinders on what is actually happening in reality. Through the story, she has mental images of the people in her life, but never learns about their reality and struggles because people don’t want to ruin it for her. They'd rather her continue living with rose-colored glasses than smudge them.
Her relationship with Henry is going to be an epic romance, once they actually admit it to the other. Even as children, they instinctively knew that the other makes their world brighter, but events led them to go separate ways, and where there was once happiness is now marred with anger and hurt. With the diary secrets unfolded, they work together to try and legitimize the truth with facts, even going on their own little mystery hunt for clues. I know there is so much more to her and Henry’s story, but I assume the author is letting us readers hang on the edge until the series concludes.
All in all, it’s a great introduction to a story that’ll have readers waiting on edge to see how Celia manages to rule Wesbourne, and how her relationship with Henry will play out in this planned trilogy.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Jessica Jude for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My intentions are to write feedback that reflects my genuine thoughts and is written with the book’s genre and target audience in mind. I aim to review fairly and respectfully, focusing on the story’s purpose.
Celia Chapman-Payne is living her life. She has her dream job at the historical society, she’s engaged to be married in a few months, and is content with her life as a duchess. Everything changes when a diary reveals secrets that shatter everything everyone knows about their royal family, and Celia is now at the center of it. A hidden affair led to an illegitimate child, and now the rightful line of succession for the throne ends up with Celia as being the rightful heir. As chaos erupts throughout the nation, she now has to decide to drop everything she’s known and take up the crown along with their non-negotiable conditions, or go back to her life in the background of society.
I love that Celia is a historical buff. She loves her country, and holds up their ideals as she makes life decisions. While she could be selfish, she works for the greater good for her country. With that being said, this can lead her to have blinders on what is actually happening in reality. Through the story, she has mental images of the people in her life, but never learns about their reality and struggles because people don’t want to ruin it for her. They'd rather her continue living with rose-colored glasses than smudge them.
Her relationship with Henry is going to be an epic romance, once they actually admit it to the other. Even as children, they instinctively knew that the other makes their world brighter, but events led them to go separate ways, and where there was once happiness is now marred with anger and hurt. With the diary secrets unfolded, they work together to try and legitimize the truth with facts, even going on their own little mystery hunt for clues. I know there is so much more to her and Henry’s story, but I assume the author is letting us readers hang on the edge until the series concludes.
All in all, it’s a great introduction to a story that’ll have readers waiting on edge to see how Celia manages to rule Wesbourne, and how her relationship with Henry will play out in this planned trilogy.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from Jessica Jude for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My intentions are to write feedback that reflects my genuine thoughts and is written with the book’s genre and target audience in mind. I aim to review fairly and respectfully, focusing on the story’s purpose.
June 16, 2024
While scrolling through potential reads, I noticed this book and was immediately drawn in by the summary. Modern royalty? One of my absolute favorites.
Celia is a Duchess of the fictional country of Wesbourne, conveniently situated in between the UK and America, drawing influence from both cultures. With an overbearing mother and a wild-child for a younger sister, Celia appears to be the only level-headed, though slightly uptight, member of the family. When her best friend and coworker at the historical society urges her to read a mysterious diary, the Duchess Celia quickly becomes the true heir and future rightful Queen of Wesbourne. The thing is, the country is divided on accepting this fact so parliament hatches a crazy plan to bring together the pre-exiting royal family and Celia and her family.
This book is marketed as a romance, steamy was even used in the descriptors where I first saw it, but I will mention that I believe this to be primarily a contemporary drama about Celia becoming the Queen. 3/4 drama. 1/4 romance. Henry is gorgeous and a playboy and has all the makings of being a perfect lover, but it isn’t until 90% that some action other than kissing happens. I’m only mentioning this in case you’re going into this thinking you’re getting heavy spice.
But spice isn’t everything and this book was amazing in other aspects. I found Celia to be very interesting, and her devotion to her country was admirable. She gave up everything dear to her for the love of her country and her people. I see great things for her in coming book(s)!
One thing I wasn’t a big fan of was a bunch of different plot points that seemed to be thrown in there to raise the word count or try to add depth but just didn’t hit the way the author was hoping. One of those things being a triggering event that happened to Henry growing up. It was mentioned so casually and not given much attention, so to me his trauma did not touch my heart the way it should have.
At the end I was excited to see what’s next for Celia and Henry. The little spoiler about what the next book is going to be about has me on the edge of my seat waiting to read, as *minor spoiler alert* close quarters is one of my favorite tropes! I can’t wait to see where this series goes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Celia is a Duchess of the fictional country of Wesbourne, conveniently situated in between the UK and America, drawing influence from both cultures. With an overbearing mother and a wild-child for a younger sister, Celia appears to be the only level-headed, though slightly uptight, member of the family. When her best friend and coworker at the historical society urges her to read a mysterious diary, the Duchess Celia quickly becomes the true heir and future rightful Queen of Wesbourne. The thing is, the country is divided on accepting this fact so parliament hatches a crazy plan to bring together the pre-exiting royal family and Celia and her family.
This book is marketed as a romance, steamy was even used in the descriptors where I first saw it, but I will mention that I believe this to be primarily a contemporary drama about Celia becoming the Queen. 3/4 drama. 1/4 romance. Henry is gorgeous and a playboy and has all the makings of being a perfect lover, but it isn’t until 90% that some action other than kissing happens. I’m only mentioning this in case you’re going into this thinking you’re getting heavy spice.
But spice isn’t everything and this book was amazing in other aspects. I found Celia to be very interesting, and her devotion to her country was admirable. She gave up everything dear to her for the love of her country and her people. I see great things for her in coming book(s)!
One thing I wasn’t a big fan of was a bunch of different plot points that seemed to be thrown in there to raise the word count or try to add depth but just didn’t hit the way the author was hoping. One of those things being a triggering event that happened to Henry growing up. It was mentioned so casually and not given much attention, so to me his trauma did not touch my heart the way it should have.
At the end I was excited to see what’s next for Celia and Henry. The little spoiler about what the next book is going to be about has me on the edge of my seat waiting to read, as *minor spoiler alert* close quarters is one of my favorite tropes! I can’t wait to see where this series goes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 21, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Celia is Duchess of Whitmore, that is until one day a diary is found claiming that she is the rightful Queen of Wesbourne. Wesbourne is an islansd set in the Atlantic Ocean, settled between United States and United Kingdom. Parliment demands that she must leave her fiancé and marry the Crown Prince to prevent civil war.
Celia and Henry are toxic and addictive. But, they are also an emotionally messy perfection. Their history runs so deep that every interaction between them had me stressed in the best way possible. I was having multiple feelings throughout this book. May have wanted to toss my Kindle a few times, but hey thats what makes for a good story.
You can feel the love, resentment, longing, and heartbreak bleeding through every page in this book. Jessica Jude really knows how to make two people destroy each other while also making you want them to be together anyway. 😩
What I loved most was how layered this story felt. There is not just romance. There are secrets buried everywhere, political tension, family expectations, betrayals, old wounds, and the crushing pressure of a crown that could ruin everything.
Celia being forced into a life she never wanted while dealing with a man who shattered her heart is DEVASTATING and Henry… that man is walking emotional damage wrapped in privilege, power, and charm. The kind of man you know will ruin your life but you still volunteer anyway.
The chemistry in this book is INSANE. The tension alone had me screaming half the time. Even the smallest moments between them carried so much weight that I was giddy one second and wanting to throw my Kindle the next.
OMG that cliffhanger tho!!!! Jessica Jude really looked us dead in the eyes and chose violence. I honestly just sat there staring at the wall afterward trying to process it all. 😭
If you love:
👑Royal Romance
👑Enemies to Lovers
👑Childhood Friends
👑Slow Burn
👑Love Triangle
👑Forced Proximity
👑Arranged Marriage
👑Playboy Prince
…then you NEED this book NOW.
I am officially consumed by Wesbourne now and honestly this duet WILL probably ruin me, but in the best way, ofcourse. I would like to thank Jessica Jude and The Author Agency the for ARC and introducing me to Henry and Celia.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Celia is Duchess of Whitmore, that is until one day a diary is found claiming that she is the rightful Queen of Wesbourne. Wesbourne is an islansd set in the Atlantic Ocean, settled between United States and United Kingdom. Parliment demands that she must leave her fiancé and marry the Crown Prince to prevent civil war.
Celia and Henry are toxic and addictive. But, they are also an emotionally messy perfection. Their history runs so deep that every interaction between them had me stressed in the best way possible. I was having multiple feelings throughout this book. May have wanted to toss my Kindle a few times, but hey thats what makes for a good story.
You can feel the love, resentment, longing, and heartbreak bleeding through every page in this book. Jessica Jude really knows how to make two people destroy each other while also making you want them to be together anyway. 😩
What I loved most was how layered this story felt. There is not just romance. There are secrets buried everywhere, political tension, family expectations, betrayals, old wounds, and the crushing pressure of a crown that could ruin everything.
Celia being forced into a life she never wanted while dealing with a man who shattered her heart is DEVASTATING and Henry… that man is walking emotional damage wrapped in privilege, power, and charm. The kind of man you know will ruin your life but you still volunteer anyway.
The chemistry in this book is INSANE. The tension alone had me screaming half the time. Even the smallest moments between them carried so much weight that I was giddy one second and wanting to throw my Kindle the next.
OMG that cliffhanger tho!!!! Jessica Jude really looked us dead in the eyes and chose violence. I honestly just sat there staring at the wall afterward trying to process it all. 😭
If you love:
👑Royal Romance
👑Enemies to Lovers
👑Childhood Friends
👑Slow Burn
👑Love Triangle
👑Forced Proximity
👑Arranged Marriage
👑Playboy Prince
…then you NEED this book NOW.
I am officially consumed by Wesbourne now and honestly this duet WILL probably ruin me, but in the best way, ofcourse. I would like to thank Jessica Jude and The Author Agency the for ARC and introducing me to Henry and Celia.
September 3, 2024
So, really 3.25-3.5. I really enjoyed this book, and I really felt for all of the challenges that Celia went through and the emotional rollercoaster of her journey. Celia was such a relatable character with her love of comfort and cozy.
I'm also really, really glad that the author took the time to use actual UK words and phrases. It's a personal pet peeve when authors set their stories in another country but don't match their prose to that country. There were only a few minor tells that were easily missed, but those important details kept me immersed in the story!
That said, I think maybe the story started a little early, as the pacing was slow and didn't really pick up until about 25-28% of the way through.
It maybe could have used another pass over to look for some awkward wording, like the word "rips" used in the same sentence 3 times. It wasn't that distracting, though, so I wouldn't necessarily take anything away from it.
The other disappointment was that it felt like there were certain backstory elements that were never alluded to, and just all of the sudden happened. They felt more like a plot device rather than being part of the character from the very beginning. Perhaps the hints were more subtle than the author intended, or I just missed them.
The last thing that really kept me from rating it higher was that, aside from Celia, the other characters' emotions flipped on and off, sometimes without a logical build-up or reason for such an intense shift that the emotional rollercoaster gave me a bit of whiplash. At some points it hindered my ability to connect with these characters, especially Henry, so I think it would've helped to have maybe better dimensionality to their emotions to see them as dynamic characters struggling with feelings, and thus sudden outbursts or changes in emotions don't feel so exaggerated. It's also possible that the author intended this as part of Celia's POV of others, missing these emotional cues.
Despite that, I loved this story, and I can't wait to see what's in store for our fairy tale.
I received this book as an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm also really, really glad that the author took the time to use actual UK words and phrases. It's a personal pet peeve when authors set their stories in another country but don't match their prose to that country. There were only a few minor tells that were easily missed, but those important details kept me immersed in the story!
That said, I think maybe the story started a little early, as the pacing was slow and didn't really pick up until about 25-28% of the way through.
It maybe could have used another pass over to look for some awkward wording, like the word "rips" used in the same sentence 3 times. It wasn't that distracting, though, so I wouldn't necessarily take anything away from it.
The other disappointment was that it felt like there were certain backstory elements that were never alluded to, and just all of the sudden happened. They felt more like a plot device rather than being part of the character from the very beginning. Perhaps the hints were more subtle than the author intended, or I just missed them.
The last thing that really kept me from rating it higher was that, aside from Celia, the other characters' emotions flipped on and off, sometimes without a logical build-up or reason for such an intense shift that the emotional rollercoaster gave me a bit of whiplash. At some points it hindered my ability to connect with these characters, especially Henry, so I think it would've helped to have maybe better dimensionality to their emotions to see them as dynamic characters struggling with feelings, and thus sudden outbursts or changes in emotions don't feel so exaggerated. It's also possible that the author intended this as part of Celia's POV of others, missing these emotional cues.
Despite that, I loved this story, and I can't wait to see what's in store for our fairy tale.
I received this book as an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 20, 2026
Thrones We Steal by Jessica Jude was so good with its blend of modern royalty, scandal, and emotionally charged romance. This is the kind of book that takes a seemingly perfect life and flips it upside down in the most dramatic way possible.
Celia Chapman-Payne starts out with what looks like stability: a fiancé, a career she’s built for herself, and a life that feels secure. But everything changes when an old diary surfaces revealing a shocking truth tied to a nineteenth-century royal scandal. Suddenly, she is thrust into the possibility that she may actually belong on the throne of Wesbourne as its rightful queen. That alone would be overwhelming, but the situation becomes even more complicated when stepping into that role means giving up her entire life as she knows it and facing a country watching her every move.
And then there’s him. The crown prince. The man she is forced back into proximity with, despite a history between them that is anything but simple. Their dynamic is tense and emotionally loaded from the start, especially as the arrangement surrounding the throne begins to entangle their lives in ways neither of them can escape.
What really worked for me in this book was the constant undercurrent of tension throughout the story. The combination of royal duty, public pressure, and unresolved personal history creates a feeling that nothing is ever truly stable anymore in her life. The romance is a slow burn with a strong push and pull dynamic, full of miscommunication, history, and emotional restraint that makes every interaction feel significant.
This book also leans heavily into the politics and consequences of royalty. It is not just a fantasy of crowns and luxury, but a story about what it costs to step into power and how quickly personal identity can get lost in duty, expectation, and scandal.
If you enjoy modern royal romance with arranged marriage dynamics, slow burn tension, friends to enemies to lovers energy, and morally complicated relationships wrapped in scandal and emotional stakes, this absolutely delivers.
*Thank you so much to The Author Agency for this ARC*
Celia Chapman-Payne starts out with what looks like stability: a fiancé, a career she’s built for herself, and a life that feels secure. But everything changes when an old diary surfaces revealing a shocking truth tied to a nineteenth-century royal scandal. Suddenly, she is thrust into the possibility that she may actually belong on the throne of Wesbourne as its rightful queen. That alone would be overwhelming, but the situation becomes even more complicated when stepping into that role means giving up her entire life as she knows it and facing a country watching her every move.
And then there’s him. The crown prince. The man she is forced back into proximity with, despite a history between them that is anything but simple. Their dynamic is tense and emotionally loaded from the start, especially as the arrangement surrounding the throne begins to entangle their lives in ways neither of them can escape.
What really worked for me in this book was the constant undercurrent of tension throughout the story. The combination of royal duty, public pressure, and unresolved personal history creates a feeling that nothing is ever truly stable anymore in her life. The romance is a slow burn with a strong push and pull dynamic, full of miscommunication, history, and emotional restraint that makes every interaction feel significant.
This book also leans heavily into the politics and consequences of royalty. It is not just a fantasy of crowns and luxury, but a story about what it costs to step into power and how quickly personal identity can get lost in duty, expectation, and scandal.
If you enjoy modern royal romance with arranged marriage dynamics, slow burn tension, friends to enemies to lovers energy, and morally complicated relationships wrapped in scandal and emotional stakes, this absolutely delivers.
*Thank you so much to The Author Agency for this ARC*
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved this book and was thrilled to receive an ARC to review. From the very first chapter, I was completely hooked and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next.
The setting deserves its own moment—Wesbourne, a fictional island nation between North America and Europe, is so vividly brought to life. The descriptions strike this perfect balance between old-world charm and modern luxury, and honestly, if it were real, I’d be booking a flight immediately. It feels immersive, rich, and full of potential, especially with the hints we get about the political landscape that will clearly play a bigger role as the series continues.
Now, the characters. The MMC? A solid 10/10. I loved Henry from the second he appeared on the page. He has that confident, magnetic swagger, and his banter is chef’s kiss. The way he casually drops “baby” like it’s a weapon? Unfair. Truly.
Celia, our FMC, goes through a lot in this book, and you really see her working through it all. At times she’s almost too kind for her own good, but that just makes me more excited to see how she grows throughout the series.
The side characters definitely make an impression—some more frustrating than others. Bea, the younger sister, tested my patience more than once and clearly has some maturing to do. And the parents? Between Celia’s overbearing mother and Henry’s absolutely awful father, it almost feels like a competition for worst parent—but let’s be honest, Henry’s dad wins that title by a landslide.
That ending? Brutal. This book completely rips your heart out and leaves you desperate for the next installment. It’s an emotional roller coaster from start to finish, and such a strong, addictive introduction to the trilogy.
Buckle up—you’re going to feel everything.
The setting deserves its own moment—Wesbourne, a fictional island nation between North America and Europe, is so vividly brought to life. The descriptions strike this perfect balance between old-world charm and modern luxury, and honestly, if it were real, I’d be booking a flight immediately. It feels immersive, rich, and full of potential, especially with the hints we get about the political landscape that will clearly play a bigger role as the series continues.
Now, the characters. The MMC? A solid 10/10. I loved Henry from the second he appeared on the page. He has that confident, magnetic swagger, and his banter is chef’s kiss. The way he casually drops “baby” like it’s a weapon? Unfair. Truly.
Celia, our FMC, goes through a lot in this book, and you really see her working through it all. At times she’s almost too kind for her own good, but that just makes me more excited to see how she grows throughout the series.
The side characters definitely make an impression—some more frustrating than others. Bea, the younger sister, tested my patience more than once and clearly has some maturing to do. And the parents? Between Celia’s overbearing mother and Henry’s absolutely awful father, it almost feels like a competition for worst parent—but let’s be honest, Henry’s dad wins that title by a landslide.
That ending? Brutal. This book completely rips your heart out and leaves you desperate for the next installment. It’s an emotional roller coaster from start to finish, and such a strong, addictive introduction to the trilogy.
Buckle up—you’re going to feel everything.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Celia is a Duchess, 21st in line for the throne of Wesbourne, working as the director of the Wesbourne Historical Society, and planning her wedding to her fiance who she loves dearly. When her associate presents her with an old diary that highlights a nineteenth century scandal, she is faced with a choice, bury the evidence and pretend she never saw it, or bring it to light and take her place as the rightful queen of Wesbourne. When the choice is taken away from her and civil war is threatened, parliament presents her with the only option that could save the kingdom, to marry the crown prince.
While on paper the idea seems like a simple one, it would mean leaving everything she holds dear behind: her home, her job, and her fiance. But as appealing as Prince Henry may be on the surface, Celia knows another side of him, and she, more than anyone, knows the power he has to devastate.
I received an early copy of this book from the author and I absolutely loved it. I devoured it in a matter of hours and immediately started the second one, even though it was the middle of the night. Celia has always had to be strong for those around her, and while I didn’t necessary agree with the way she went about things, I also couldn’t fault her for any of her actions. It’s clear right from the beginning that there is history between Henry and Celia, and while the author drops pieces of information throughout the book, you just know there’s more to their story. Everytime Henry is vulnerable with Celia and appears that he’s going to let her in, he turns around and devastates her again and again, often in the most humiliating ways. In the end it’s hard to see how things could ever work out between them, but with three books in the series I’m sure it will be a wild ride.
While on paper the idea seems like a simple one, it would mean leaving everything she holds dear behind: her home, her job, and her fiance. But as appealing as Prince Henry may be on the surface, Celia knows another side of him, and she, more than anyone, knows the power he has to devastate.
I received an early copy of this book from the author and I absolutely loved it. I devoured it in a matter of hours and immediately started the second one, even though it was the middle of the night. Celia has always had to be strong for those around her, and while I didn’t necessary agree with the way she went about things, I also couldn’t fault her for any of her actions. It’s clear right from the beginning that there is history between Henry and Celia, and while the author drops pieces of information throughout the book, you just know there’s more to their story. Everytime Henry is vulnerable with Celia and appears that he’s going to let her in, he turns around and devastates her again and again, often in the most humiliating ways. In the end it’s hard to see how things could ever work out between them, but with three books in the series I’m sure it will be a wild ride.
May 20, 2026
The genius of Thrones We Steal is that it understands royal romance isn’t really about crowns—it’s about sacrifice. About duty colliding headfirst with desire, and whether love can survive the machinery of monarchy.
This book leans fully into every trope it promises—arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, childhood history—and somehow still manages to feel emotionally fresh. The royal reveal could have easily become melodramatic, but instead it becomes the catalyst for a deeply personal identity crisis. The heroine suddenly has to decide whether obligation to a country outweighs obligation to herself.
What elevated the story for me was the emotional maturity beneath the glamour. The romance isn’t built on insta-love or superficial attraction; it’s built on old wounds, unresolved tension, and years of hurt quietly simmering under polished royal smiles.
The prince is peak “walking red flag wrapped in expensive tailoring,” but the book wisely gives him emotional depth beneath the playboy exterior. His dynamic with the heroine absolutely crackles. Their banter is sharp, layered, and often masking vulnerability neither wants to admit aloud. Every conversation feels like emotional fencing.
I also appreciated how immersive the setting was. The author captures the suffocating nature of monarchy beautifully—the constant scrutiny, the political calculations, the performance of perfection. Wesbourne feels tangible rather than decorative, which gives the romance higher stakes.
The pacing occasionally lingers in the emotional push-and-pull, but honestly, for slow-burn lovers, that’s part of the appeal. The tension is exquisite.
Overall: dramatic, emotionally addictive, and filled with the kind of yearning that should probably qualify as psychological warfare.
This book leans fully into every trope it promises—arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, childhood history—and somehow still manages to feel emotionally fresh. The royal reveal could have easily become melodramatic, but instead it becomes the catalyst for a deeply personal identity crisis. The heroine suddenly has to decide whether obligation to a country outweighs obligation to herself.
What elevated the story for me was the emotional maturity beneath the glamour. The romance isn’t built on insta-love or superficial attraction; it’s built on old wounds, unresolved tension, and years of hurt quietly simmering under polished royal smiles.
The prince is peak “walking red flag wrapped in expensive tailoring,” but the book wisely gives him emotional depth beneath the playboy exterior. His dynamic with the heroine absolutely crackles. Their banter is sharp, layered, and often masking vulnerability neither wants to admit aloud. Every conversation feels like emotional fencing.
I also appreciated how immersive the setting was. The author captures the suffocating nature of monarchy beautifully—the constant scrutiny, the political calculations, the performance of perfection. Wesbourne feels tangible rather than decorative, which gives the romance higher stakes.
The pacing occasionally lingers in the emotional push-and-pull, but honestly, for slow-burn lovers, that’s part of the appeal. The tension is exquisite.
Overall: dramatic, emotionally addictive, and filled with the kind of yearning that should probably qualify as psychological warfare.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶
👑 Royals
💒 Arranged marriage
💔 Hate to love
🔥 Slow burn
🎢 Emotional rollercoaster
"We are damaged and broken and beyond redemption. But how do you unspool someone from your heart when they're the very thread holding it together?"
Let me just start by saying, I just finished Thrones We Steal and I am NOT ok 😭 I am usually all in reading about fictional characters' emotional rollercoasters, but this one hit me hard.
Jessica Jude is the queen 👸 of creating characters that keep you emotionally invested. In Thrones We Steal, Celia is a duchess working for the Wesbourne Historical Society and she stumbles upon a discovery that could rock the royal family and the country of Wesbourne. This discovery also throws her back into the orbit of Henry, the crown prince. Celia and Henry used to be best friends but after she confessed her love 10 years ago, he immediately rebuffed her and they haven't spoken since...until now.
My heart broke several times for Celia over the course of Thrones We Steal. She went from living a somewhat normal and predictable life to completely having her world upended in the name of doing what's best for her country. I'm also truly curious about Henry's story because it sounds like there's a lot to unpack.
This was a true hate to love and slow burn which I loved. The heat didn't pick up until about the last 10% so make sure you really love those 2 tropes!
Now, I'm off to stare at a wall for awhile, contemplate my life choices and decide if I'm emotionally prepared to start book 2, Castles We Storm.
🌶
👑 Royals
💒 Arranged marriage
💔 Hate to love
🔥 Slow burn
🎢 Emotional rollercoaster
"We are damaged and broken and beyond redemption. But how do you unspool someone from your heart when they're the very thread holding it together?"
Let me just start by saying, I just finished Thrones We Steal and I am NOT ok 😭 I am usually all in reading about fictional characters' emotional rollercoasters, but this one hit me hard.
Jessica Jude is the queen 👸 of creating characters that keep you emotionally invested. In Thrones We Steal, Celia is a duchess working for the Wesbourne Historical Society and she stumbles upon a discovery that could rock the royal family and the country of Wesbourne. This discovery also throws her back into the orbit of Henry, the crown prince. Celia and Henry used to be best friends but after she confessed her love 10 years ago, he immediately rebuffed her and they haven't spoken since...until now.
My heart broke several times for Celia over the course of Thrones We Steal. She went from living a somewhat normal and predictable life to completely having her world upended in the name of doing what's best for her country. I'm also truly curious about Henry's story because it sounds like there's a lot to unpack.
This was a true hate to love and slow burn which I loved. The heat didn't pick up until about the last 10% so make sure you really love those 2 tropes!
Now, I'm off to stare at a wall for awhile, contemplate my life choices and decide if I'm emotionally prepared to start book 2, Castles We Storm.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐
“The greater the love, the greater the loss.”
I definitely don't want to give anything away but the author nails a lot of these tropes. The hate to love? Yup... And it's a messy messy ride. Their childhood friendship? So sweet. And some secrets are there too. Arranged marriage? Executed perfectly. Love triangle drama? Nailed it.
I have such a love/ hate relationship with these characters but in the best possible way. I have sooo many questions and I'm so glad I can start book 2 as soon as I'm done writing this because WTH!
This was such a rollercoaster. The drama, the tension, sprinkled with some spice and a little bit of mystery. I found the world building to be absolutely fantastic but honestly I think Jessica jude accomplishes this in all of her books.
Celia, the FMC goes through hell and back throughout this book. Henry the MMC.... Half the time I'm swooning half the time I want to slap him. He's so hot and cold and just WHY?!?!? He takes playboy to a whole new level. He irritates me but I'm rooting for them at the same time which is sooo frustrating 🤣 I have so many questions and I can't wait to see how this unfolds.
That ending!!!!! My heart.. It was brutal hence the im glad I don't have to wait for book 2. Because no 😭 I love this authors books. I love her writing style and how I can get totally immersed into the world she's created. 🖤
✔️Hate to love
✔️Modern royal romance
✔️Childhood friends to lovers
✔️Love triangle
✔️Forced proximity
✔️ Arranged marriage
✔️Playboy prince
✔️Slow burn
✔️First person POV
“The greater the love, the greater the loss.”
I definitely don't want to give anything away but the author nails a lot of these tropes. The hate to love? Yup... And it's a messy messy ride. Their childhood friendship? So sweet. And some secrets are there too. Arranged marriage? Executed perfectly. Love triangle drama? Nailed it.
I have such a love/ hate relationship with these characters but in the best possible way. I have sooo many questions and I'm so glad I can start book 2 as soon as I'm done writing this because WTH!
This was such a rollercoaster. The drama, the tension, sprinkled with some spice and a little bit of mystery. I found the world building to be absolutely fantastic but honestly I think Jessica jude accomplishes this in all of her books.
Celia, the FMC goes through hell and back throughout this book. Henry the MMC.... Half the time I'm swooning half the time I want to slap him. He's so hot and cold and just WHY?!?!? He takes playboy to a whole new level. He irritates me but I'm rooting for them at the same time which is sooo frustrating 🤣 I have so many questions and I can't wait to see how this unfolds.
That ending!!!!! My heart.. It was brutal hence the im glad I don't have to wait for book 2. Because no 😭 I love this authors books. I love her writing style and how I can get totally immersed into the world she's created. 🖤
✔️Hate to love
✔️Modern royal romance
✔️Childhood friends to lovers
✔️Love triangle
✔️Forced proximity
✔️ Arranged marriage
✔️Playboy prince
✔️Slow burn
✔️First person POV
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thrones We Steal was an emotional rollercoaster that I could not get enough of.
This book broke my heart over and over again, and somehow I just kept falling deeper into the story with every chapter.
The MMC is the kind of character who completely gets under your skin. He’s frustrating, magnetic, addictive, and impossible to walk away from. I was right there alongside the MFC, hoping, waiting, wishing, and hurting with her through every emotional twist.
One thing I really appreciated was that not everything about the MMC is immediately explained. There are glimpses into his backstory and pieces of understanding, but not full clarity. Rather than taking away from the story, it actually heightened the emotional tension and mirrored the uncertainty and turmoil the MFC experiences herself. I was crying one moment, laughing the next, then completely wrecked again a few pages later. I genuinely have not reacted this emotionally to a story since watching Good Will Hunting.
This was the kind of book where I had to stop reading just to collect myself and peel my heart off the floor before continuing.
Alongside the romance and emotional chaos, there’s also a royal mystery woven through the story that keeps the plot moving beautifully. By the end, I was absolutely devastated for the MFC. Completely shattered.
*cries while immediately reaching for book two*
I received this book as an ARC, however, this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings, shared voluntarily.
This book broke my heart over and over again, and somehow I just kept falling deeper into the story with every chapter.
The MMC is the kind of character who completely gets under your skin. He’s frustrating, magnetic, addictive, and impossible to walk away from. I was right there alongside the MFC, hoping, waiting, wishing, and hurting with her through every emotional twist.
One thing I really appreciated was that not everything about the MMC is immediately explained. There are glimpses into his backstory and pieces of understanding, but not full clarity. Rather than taking away from the story, it actually heightened the emotional tension and mirrored the uncertainty and turmoil the MFC experiences herself. I was crying one moment, laughing the next, then completely wrecked again a few pages later. I genuinely have not reacted this emotionally to a story since watching Good Will Hunting.
This was the kind of book where I had to stop reading just to collect myself and peel my heart off the floor before continuing.
Alongside the romance and emotional chaos, there’s also a royal mystery woven through the story that keeps the plot moving beautifully. By the end, I was absolutely devastated for the MFC. Completely shattered.
*cries while immediately reaching for book two*
I received this book as an ARC, however, this review reflects my honest thoughts and feelings, shared voluntarily.
May 15, 2026
I recently had the opportunity to read an early copy of Jessica Jude's re-release of her first ever series. I just finished the first one “Thrones we Steal” and really enjoyed it!
Tropes:
Hate to love
Modern royal romance
Childhood friends to lovers
Love triangle
Forced proximity
Arranged marriage
Playboy prince
Slow burn
Triggers:
Sexual abuse of child (off-page)
Death of parent (off-page)
Death of animal
Terminal illness (off-page)
Substance abuse and overdose (off-page)
Verbal/emotional abuse
Explicit sexual content (Chapters 37-38)
Language
Celia is next in line for the throne and is to be arranged to marry the “playboy prince”, Henry. But what she really wants, is to marry someone else and she’ll do everything she can so she doesn’t have to marry Henry.
I didn’t too much care for Henry in tis book and hopefully the second book will change my mind. What he done to Celia at the end was not right. I really hoped that wasn’t how things were going to turn out.
I felt really bad for Celia, especially when she was thinking she wasn’t better looking than all the models.
“That’s the thing about addiction—it never makes any sense, but reason is the furthest thing from your mind. In the same morbid way traffic slows to crawl around in accident as people rubberneck, I’m drawn to this. I analyze each women’s hair, body, fashion choices, lip shade, eye color, makeup, and curves. I question everything about them, then scrutinize myself.”
“I miss him the way you miss your heart when it’s no longer in your body. And that’s the most dangerous thing of all.”
Tropes:
Hate to love
Modern royal romance
Childhood friends to lovers
Love triangle
Forced proximity
Arranged marriage
Playboy prince
Slow burn
Triggers:
Sexual abuse of child (off-page)
Death of parent (off-page)
Death of animal
Terminal illness (off-page)
Substance abuse and overdose (off-page)
Verbal/emotional abuse
Explicit sexual content (Chapters 37-38)
Language
Celia is next in line for the throne and is to be arranged to marry the “playboy prince”, Henry. But what she really wants, is to marry someone else and she’ll do everything she can so she doesn’t have to marry Henry.
I didn’t too much care for Henry in tis book and hopefully the second book will change my mind. What he done to Celia at the end was not right. I really hoped that wasn’t how things were going to turn out.
I felt really bad for Celia, especially when she was thinking she wasn’t better looking than all the models.
“That’s the thing about addiction—it never makes any sense, but reason is the furthest thing from your mind. In the same morbid way traffic slows to crawl around in accident as people rubberneck, I’m drawn to this. I analyze each women’s hair, body, fashion choices, lip shade, eye color, makeup, and curves. I question everything about them, then scrutinize myself.”
“I miss him the way you miss your heart when it’s no longer in your body. And that’s the most dangerous thing of all.”
May 19, 2026
Emotional tension, royal drama, and slow-burn chemistry. Thrones We Steal by Jessica Jude is a high-stakes royal romance built on legacy, betrayal, and the kind of love that refuses to stay buried—no matter how much it hurts.
The story follows a young woman whose life is turned upside down when a resurfaced diary reveals a centuries-old scandal that changes everything she thought she knew about her identity. Suddenly, she isn’t just nobility—she’s the rightful queen of Wesbourne.
What follows is a sharp collision between duty, desire, and emotional history, especially when she’s forced into an arranged marriage with a crown prince tied deeply to her past.
This book thrives on:
* hate-to-love tension
* arranged marriage dynamics
* royal identity and duty vs freedom
* emotional trauma from past relationships
* political pressure and civil unrest
* forced proximity and unresolved history
The chemistry between the main characters is intense and complicated, shaped by history that refuses to stay in the past. Every interaction feels layered with meaning—what is said, what is withheld, and what still hurts too much to acknowledge.
At its core, this is a story about choosing between personal happiness and responsibility to an entire country—and realizing that sometimes both choices come with loss.
The emotional tension stays high throughout, balancing romance with political stakes and internal conflict that keeps everything constantly on edge.
The story follows a young woman whose life is turned upside down when a resurfaced diary reveals a centuries-old scandal that changes everything she thought she knew about her identity. Suddenly, she isn’t just nobility—she’s the rightful queen of Wesbourne.
What follows is a sharp collision between duty, desire, and emotional history, especially when she’s forced into an arranged marriage with a crown prince tied deeply to her past.
This book thrives on:
* hate-to-love tension
* arranged marriage dynamics
* royal identity and duty vs freedom
* emotional trauma from past relationships
* political pressure and civil unrest
* forced proximity and unresolved history
The chemistry between the main characters is intense and complicated, shaped by history that refuses to stay in the past. Every interaction feels layered with meaning—what is said, what is withheld, and what still hurts too much to acknowledge.
At its core, this is a story about choosing between personal happiness and responsibility to an entire country—and realizing that sometimes both choices come with loss.
The emotional tension stays high throughout, balancing romance with political stakes and internal conflict that keeps everything constantly on edge.
May 22, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
|ARC|
⋆ hate to love
⋆ royal romance
⋆ playboy prince
⋆ forced proximity
⋆ arranged marriage
________
This was a whirlwind omg! Thrones we Steal is a hate or love royal romance where we follow our FMC Celia as she tries to navigate that she might be the true heir to the throne and our MMC Henry as he gets thrown into an arrangement with someone he can “no longer stand”. We watch as truths are revealed and as these two royals are arranged to get married in order to ease the Crown. We watch as the fight each other, as tension grows and as their future starts to unfold.
I’m so excited to get to know these two omg! This was the most perfect intro to both Henry and Celia! Honestly I am so excited to get a deeper look into Henry because I can’t just tell there is so much to his character! Celia is a super fun character also. Im so excited to get more of her personality in the next few books!
Jessica my absolute queen! Every book I read from her just exceeds expectations! This one took me a bit to get into but the build up that she has created has me hooked and I’m so excited to see where it goes!! The angst and uncertainty of this first book is just gonna make this series so much more satisfying when you finish it!! Definitely so excited to read the rest of the books!
Overall, I enjoyed this first book! Thank you so much Jessica Jude for the ARC! Can’t wait to read the next ones!! 👑📓🤎
|ARC|
⋆ hate to love
⋆ royal romance
⋆ playboy prince
⋆ forced proximity
⋆ arranged marriage
________
This was a whirlwind omg! Thrones we Steal is a hate or love royal romance where we follow our FMC Celia as she tries to navigate that she might be the true heir to the throne and our MMC Henry as he gets thrown into an arrangement with someone he can “no longer stand”. We watch as truths are revealed and as these two royals are arranged to get married in order to ease the Crown. We watch as the fight each other, as tension grows and as their future starts to unfold.
I’m so excited to get to know these two omg! This was the most perfect intro to both Henry and Celia! Honestly I am so excited to get a deeper look into Henry because I can’t just tell there is so much to his character! Celia is a super fun character also. Im so excited to get more of her personality in the next few books!
Jessica my absolute queen! Every book I read from her just exceeds expectations! This one took me a bit to get into but the build up that she has created has me hooked and I’m so excited to see where it goes!! The angst and uncertainty of this first book is just gonna make this series so much more satisfying when you finish it!! Definitely so excited to read the rest of the books!
Overall, I enjoyed this first book! Thank you so much Jessica Jude for the ARC! Can’t wait to read the next ones!! 👑📓🤎
May 19, 2026
Thrones We Steal by Jessica Jude absolutely wrecked me in the best way possible. Henry and Celia, once childhood best friends, are now grown up and barely speaking, living completely different lives. Celia is engaged and content with where her life is headed, while Henry is Wesbourne’s infamous playboy crown prince. But the second a diary comes to light, everything changes—because Celia is actually the rightful Queen of Wesbourne.
The entire country is thrown into chaos, and suddenly the only solution is for Henry and Celia to marry and rule together. What could possibly go wrong when there’s years of history, unresolved feelings, and chemistry that never truly disappeared?
I was not prepared for the emotional pull this book had on me. You could feel Celia being torn apart by every decision she had to make. Does she stay loyal to the life she built and the fiancé she loves? Or does she step into a role she never asked for and marry the crown prince for the sake of her country? Every choice carried weight, and you could feel that pressure alongside her.
And Henry? There is so much more to him than the playboy persona everyone sees. The tension between these two had me hooked from the start, and knowing their history only made every interaction hit harder. Book one left me desperate to know what happens next because that ending? I need answers immediately.
The entire country is thrown into chaos, and suddenly the only solution is for Henry and Celia to marry and rule together. What could possibly go wrong when there’s years of history, unresolved feelings, and chemistry that never truly disappeared?
I was not prepared for the emotional pull this book had on me. You could feel Celia being torn apart by every decision she had to make. Does she stay loyal to the life she built and the fiancé she loves? Or does she step into a role she never asked for and marry the crown prince for the sake of her country? Every choice carried weight, and you could feel that pressure alongside her.
And Henry? There is so much more to him than the playboy persona everyone sees. The tension between these two had me hooked from the start, and knowing their history only made every interaction hit harder. Book one left me desperate to know what happens next because that ending? I need answers immediately.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you, Jessica Jude for this book and for accepting me in you arc team again! I have come to love the Westbourne high class, and Celia is such a character!
Thrones We Steal is the story of how Celia, a Duchess in her own right, finds out that she was actually supposed to be queen, because a great-great-great mother of hers, Queen Helen, had actually had an out of marriage relationship and the line that came after her relationship gave the current King. Everything changes after the discovery of that certain diary and the proof, all her life goes out in flames, and her love for her country makes Celia make the most heartbreaking decisions.
This is the beginning of her love story with Prince Henry. The guy who was her friend for many years, who broke her heart at 15 and yet breaks her heart again. Henry has huuuggge baggage, has a hidden agenda yet he definitely has feelings for Celia.Deep, hidden and confusing feelings. I cannot wait to read the next book, to see what comes next for them, because for Celia, I do believe Henry is endgame.
I loved this book! It's a real roller-coaster of emotions and Celia is definitely a down to earth and relatable character.
I have received this book as ARC from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thrones We Steal is the story of how Celia, a Duchess in her own right, finds out that she was actually supposed to be queen, because a great-great-great mother of hers, Queen Helen, had actually had an out of marriage relationship and the line that came after her relationship gave the current King. Everything changes after the discovery of that certain diary and the proof, all her life goes out in flames, and her love for her country makes Celia make the most heartbreaking decisions.
This is the beginning of her love story with Prince Henry. The guy who was her friend for many years, who broke her heart at 15 and yet breaks her heart again. Henry has huuuggge baggage, has a hidden agenda yet he definitely has feelings for Celia.Deep, hidden and confusing feelings. I cannot wait to read the next book, to see what comes next for them, because for Celia, I do believe Henry is endgame.
I loved this book! It's a real roller-coaster of emotions and Celia is definitely a down to earth and relatable character.
I have received this book as ARC from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thrones we Steal
👑👑👑👑👑
Reading this book felt like watching a 2000s romcom in the absolute best way; I loved every minute of it.
I felt for Celia throughout the entire book while also cheering her on every step of the way. The choices she had to make were monumental. The choices she has to make for Wesbourne are insane on their own, and add in the man she’s loved for most of her life—holy hell, Jessica—let the poor girl live!
Jessica writes her men so well; I simultaneously want to cuddle them, pummel them, tell them they will be okay, and then throw them to the curb while the FMC screams “I love you,” as I cheer her on to get her man. But it works in the best book way.
The slow burn of Henry and Celia was so good; I was waiting for something to happen but wasn’t rushing it. At the end of the book, I’m so sad for Celia and so mad at Henry, but he needs to get his head right and work on things so he can’t break Celia’s heart anymore. I’m so thankful that book two is on my Kindle, ready to go!
Jessica, you are a queen in your own right, and I love being part of your team!!
👑👑👑👑👑
Reading this book felt like watching a 2000s romcom in the absolute best way; I loved every minute of it.
I felt for Celia throughout the entire book while also cheering her on every step of the way. The choices she had to make were monumental. The choices she has to make for Wesbourne are insane on their own, and add in the man she’s loved for most of her life—holy hell, Jessica—let the poor girl live!
Jessica writes her men so well; I simultaneously want to cuddle them, pummel them, tell them they will be okay, and then throw them to the curb while the FMC screams “I love you,” as I cheer her on to get her man. But it works in the best book way.
The slow burn of Henry and Celia was so good; I was waiting for something to happen but wasn’t rushing it. At the end of the book, I’m so sad for Celia and so mad at Henry, but he needs to get his head right and work on things so he can’t break Celia’s heart anymore. I’m so thankful that book two is on my Kindle, ready to go!
Jessica, you are a queen in your own right, and I love being part of your team!!
April 26, 2026
Review of Advanced Reader Copy Received from Author.
I have read other series from Jessica Jude so I was excited to pick up this series and delve into another area of Wesbourne.
Celia has some decisions to make, and whilst I felt that her indecision was a little drawn out in the beginning her story picked up and I was drawn into her world and was rooting for her as the book went on! I really began to feel for her and wanted her to get a win!
Whilst I loved Henry’s character - Jessica writes her men so well that you really feel for them - I felt that some of his story could have been expanded because it was like there was a back story that was touched upon but just left me feeling a little frustrated that some of his actions just happened and weren’t fully explained or understood.
That being said, I really enjoyed Henry and Celia’s story and my heart broke a number of times throughout the story. It has left me wanting more, and I cannot wait to start the next book in the series to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have read other series from Jessica Jude so I was excited to pick up this series and delve into another area of Wesbourne.
Celia has some decisions to make, and whilst I felt that her indecision was a little drawn out in the beginning her story picked up and I was drawn into her world and was rooting for her as the book went on! I really began to feel for her and wanted her to get a win!
Whilst I loved Henry’s character - Jessica writes her men so well that you really feel for them - I felt that some of his story could have been expanded because it was like there was a back story that was touched upon but just left me feeling a little frustrated that some of his actions just happened and weren’t fully explained or understood.
That being said, I really enjoyed Henry and Celia’s story and my heart broke a number of times throughout the story. It has left me wanting more, and I cannot wait to start the next book in the series to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 21, 2026
In the beginning of the book, Jessica gives us the warning (I'm paraphrasing) that she isn't responsible for damage to books/ereaders. When I say that I wanted to throw my kindle after I finished is correct. I had to hold myself back because that ending.....
Celia and Henry had me questioning, cheering, rejoicing, yelling, and angry in a span of one book. I think my brain is broken and I still have so many questions about Henry. Henry is an enigma that I don't think we will fully understand until the end of the series. All of this started with a diary that was found written by an ancestor on the throne and the whole country was turned upside down, including Duchess Celia and Prince Henry.
This book was very well written as is all of Jessica's work is and each chapter was named a song that gave the vibes of the chapter that she was going for which I think is pretty cool and they all matched pretty well to the chapters. This is the first book in the series and there are some dark themes talked about in this as well, so please read the trigger warnings first.
Celia and Henry had me questioning, cheering, rejoicing, yelling, and angry in a span of one book. I think my brain is broken and I still have so many questions about Henry. Henry is an enigma that I don't think we will fully understand until the end of the series. All of this started with a diary that was found written by an ancestor on the throne and the whole country was turned upside down, including Duchess Celia and Prince Henry.
This book was very well written as is all of Jessica's work is and each chapter was named a song that gave the vibes of the chapter that she was going for which I think is pretty cool and they all matched pretty well to the chapters. This is the first book in the series and there are some dark themes talked about in this as well, so please read the trigger warnings first.
May 8, 2026
I received this as an ARC, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read ❤️
"A mischievous glint lights his eyes. "Should we do it now or would you prefer a more romantic setting?"
"Just get it over with," I hiss.
"Your wish is my command."
"In that case, why don't you go squat in a cactus patch?"
Henry and Celia... oh man oh man... what a love story. This book has it all! Other man drama, other women drama & royal intrigue.
When Celia, a duchess who wants to serve her country and her people finds out about a journal that could destroy it all, she wants to keep it hidden to keep the status quo. Her sister on the other hand wants nothing more than help her royal prince out and release whatever Celia and Henry are fighting about.
Turns out this does more damage than good and turns the country into a powder keg, people who want to keep the king on the throne and people who want to see the rightful heir sitting on the throne. Parliament ends up making a decision that upends not only Celia's life, but also Henry's, and pitting sister against sister.
Celia does the only thing she knows to keep her country from imploding; she agrees to their demands and marries Henry. Celia must give up the life she wants with her fiancé to keep country safe. Her sister Bea, who claims she is in love with Henry is furious. Not only has Celia just lost their family home but also taken her man.
Little does Celia know that Henry has loved her from a distance for so many years. To say their marriage is rocky is an understatement, they must stay married and become King and Queen to save their country. Henry's parents abdicate the throne, and Celia is generous and gives the former King a dukedom within the country.
This book was so good, so many twists and turns, and the ending was truly heartbreaking. Absolute must read for fans of a good royal romance.
Contemporary royalty romance: 👑 🏙️ 💎
Hate to love: 🤺 ❤️🔥 🔪
Morally gray MMCs: ⚔️ 🌒 ⛓️
Childhood friends: 🚲 🌳 🧸
Arranged marriages and forced proximity: 💍 🔒 📜
Protective playboy princes: 🏎️ 🛡️ 🥂
Slow burn love stories: ⏳ 🔥 🕯️
"A mischievous glint lights his eyes. "Should we do it now or would you prefer a more romantic setting?"
"Just get it over with," I hiss.
"Your wish is my command."
"In that case, why don't you go squat in a cactus patch?"
Henry and Celia... oh man oh man... what a love story. This book has it all! Other man drama, other women drama & royal intrigue.
When Celia, a duchess who wants to serve her country and her people finds out about a journal that could destroy it all, she wants to keep it hidden to keep the status quo. Her sister on the other hand wants nothing more than help her royal prince out and release whatever Celia and Henry are fighting about.
Turns out this does more damage than good and turns the country into a powder keg, people who want to keep the king on the throne and people who want to see the rightful heir sitting on the throne. Parliament ends up making a decision that upends not only Celia's life, but also Henry's, and pitting sister against sister.
Celia does the only thing she knows to keep her country from imploding; she agrees to their demands and marries Henry. Celia must give up the life she wants with her fiancé to keep country safe. Her sister Bea, who claims she is in love with Henry is furious. Not only has Celia just lost their family home but also taken her man.
Little does Celia know that Henry has loved her from a distance for so many years. To say their marriage is rocky is an understatement, they must stay married and become King and Queen to save their country. Henry's parents abdicate the throne, and Celia is generous and gives the former King a dukedom within the country.
This book was so good, so many twists and turns, and the ending was truly heartbreaking. Absolute must read for fans of a good royal romance.
Contemporary royalty romance: 👑 🏙️ 💎
Hate to love: 🤺 ❤️🔥 🔪
Morally gray MMCs: ⚔️ 🌒 ⛓️
Childhood friends: 🚲 🌳 🧸
Arranged marriages and forced proximity: 💍 🔒 📜
Protective playboy princes: 🏎️ 🛡️ 🥂
Slow burn love stories: ⏳ 🔥 🕯️
Review of advance copy
So emotional and so good
This story follows Celia Chapman Payne, Duchess of Whitmore until an old diary that surfaces reveals that she is the rightful queen of Wesbourne.
From that moment on her life changes, having to give up the man she loved and was to marry, being forced into an arranged marriage with the crown prince Henry who she has history with.
This story sure does have some very emotional moments with Celia certainly having a hard time of adjusting to her new life with Henry.
A slow burn story with plenty of angst with lots of tension and some spicy scenes towards the end.
There is drama and unanswered questions and an ending that has you racing to read the next story in this trilogy.
Great first book.
Thank you Jessica Jude and The Author Agency for the opportunity to read this story.
4.5 Stars ⭐️
This story follows Celia Chapman Payne, Duchess of Whitmore until an old diary that surfaces reveals that she is the rightful queen of Wesbourne.
From that moment on her life changes, having to give up the man she loved and was to marry, being forced into an arranged marriage with the crown prince Henry who she has history with.
This story sure does have some very emotional moments with Celia certainly having a hard time of adjusting to her new life with Henry.
A slow burn story with plenty of angst with lots of tension and some spicy scenes towards the end.
There is drama and unanswered questions and an ending that has you racing to read the next story in this trilogy.
Great first book.
Thank you Jessica Jude and The Author Agency for the opportunity to read this story.
4.5 Stars ⭐️
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