Unroyally Yours

by Emma Lord

The Princess Diaries meets The Bodyguard in this sparkling novel of royalty and romance, secrets and spies, from New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.

Rosie’s name is synonymous with loyalty and protection. Part of an elite security training program for teenage recruits, her instincts are great. Her impulse control? Not so much. After an assignment gone wrong, she’s shipped off to Europe on probation. If she messes up, she can’t come back. Her job? To go undercover as the bodyguard for the long-lost prince of Marilova. There’s just one problem: Rosie already knows him.

Nick’s life has been a whirlwind ever since his identity was uncovered. Now he’s been thrust into the spotlight as heir of Marilova, and tensions have never been higher. The Queen will spare no expense to keep him safe—including hiring a bodyguard. Except, Nick doesn’t want Rosie’s protection. They worked together years ago. He even saved her life once. But he has his reasons for keeping his distance.

As a plot against the royals unfolds, Rosie and Nick are thrust into an intricate web of secret alliances and courtly games as they unravel who wants Nick off the throne. But tensions have always existed between Nick and Rosie, and she wonders if she can protect the prince while also protecting her heart.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Young Adult Romance, Royalty, Contemporary

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 20, 2027

About the author

Emma Lord is an NYT bestselling author of rom coms for teens and adults, a BuzzFeed senior writer, and dessert gremlin living in New York City. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. Her sun sign is Cancer and her moon sign is whatever Taylor Swift song is about to pop up on shuffle.

Reviews

[☕︎︎𝐋𝐞𝐱𝐢✞ (𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐢𝐚) · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIRST : Thank you to Wednesday Book, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for and advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!


♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


FIVE. FREAKING. STARS.😍🙏

I’m speechless holy crap…🥺


THIS WAS MY FIRST EVER ARC TOO YAYAYAYAYAY! THIS HAS SET MY EXPECTATIONS CRAZY HIGH🤭.

When I first started requesting arcs, I already had the mindset of getting rejected so you can imagine how EXCITED I WAS TO OPEN MY EMAIL AND SEE I WAS APPROVED FOR THIS ARC!!!😍😍😍 I no lie starting screaming so loud my brother got so mad at me and told me to shut up countless of times🥹👍.

I kept screaming like the good sister I am😛


ANYWHO….CAN WE TALK ABT THAT ENDING?!?!! WHAT THE HECK EMMA?😭😭😭

You caught me off my guard like crazy I started crying😰. But seriously HOW CAN I WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK AFTER THAT DIABOLICAL ENDING…? The book hasn’t even come out yet😭🙏. AND I HAVE TO WAIY FOR THE NEXT ONE💔🥀.


Other than that…this book was SO good bro😍😍😍. It kept me hooked and I was in fact attached to every single character🤭.



♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕♛♕



Characters ! ✨




Rosie : BADDIE ALERTTTTT🗣️🔥🔥🔥. This girl had me saying “okay period” countless of times😍. She was an amazing character AH! Guys I literally love her sm🤭 ALSO POOR GIRL- SHE HAS WAY TOO MUCH ON HER PLATE FOR A 19 YEAR OLD😭🙏. #justiceforrosie💔
Geez I can’t even begin to imagine what will happen with her next book js bc of how crazy that ending was🥀. I have faith that she won’t disappoint next book tho!🤭🤭🤭.




Nick : I HAVE WRITTEN A BEAUTIFUL POEM FOR NICK INSTEAD OF STUDYING FOR MY POEM
QUIZ ON THE MORROW👹

Nick, Oh Nick
You thought you could trick? *insert devious chuckle*
Poor, sweet boy is in love
Gorgeous as a dove
Because he is in love (duh!)
Everyone loves him
Including me
It’s obvious to see
Can you name a berry after me too-
WAIT WHAT WDYM
STOP NICK STOP
ACTUALLY?!?!!!!
OH NUH UH
WAIT THE BOOKS OVER?!?!?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
*cries in le confusion*

I might’ve included my reaction from a certain scene😰.
Anyway I did REALLY LOVE Nick in this book OH MY DAYS UGH IM ON MY KNEES FOR THIS MAN🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️. GOSH- I think uh- my poem said the rest of my thoughts😰👍.



Maxwell : Two words. Marry. Me😍. I love grumpy guys in books🤭.




Eleanora : ACTUAL QUEEN (literally lol)😍👍.



Luxe : I fear we have the same personality🥹🙏



Arlene : She was cool <3



Mitch and Hank : They have crazy dad vibes🤭. Even tho Mitch wasn’t rlly in this book he still gave dad vibes lol😍👍. I have a feeling we’ll see a lot more of him in the next book tho!




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Quotes ! 👑 (Minor spoilers through quotes!)




It’s just miles and miles of…pink.

- HEAVENNNN😍😍😍



Arlene turns to Luxe. “Hit her for me will you? I’m too lazy to reach.”

Luxe pats me faintly on the shoulder. “Pretend that hurt.”

“Ow,” I say, deadpan.




“But I know enough that I can’t help but want to know more. It’s your most irritating trait.”




“No! You, engaged! Me, bodyguard!”




“You can leave. This was a perfectly good reading spot before the two of showed up.”

- LIKE I SAID….MARRRYYYY MEEEEEEE🤭🤭🤭




It’s turns out even getting kidnapped in Marilova is an aesthetic.




“Are you okay?”

“She asks, from her hospital bed.”




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Overall ! 💕



I will be going crazy in April of next year recommending this to every single breathing soul on this app😍🙏.



I actually loved this book so much like- UGH I NEED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABT IT BUT I LITERALLY DONT HAVE ANY BOOK FRIENDS IRL😭👍

That’s alright tho lol bc I can rant to you guys :3

This book will rank in my top romances for freaking sure🤭🤭🤭

I can’t say much abt the book rn bc I don’t wanna crazy spoil it…TRUST ME WHEN I SAY YOU NEED TO READ THIS🥺🥺🙏.


As of content, this book has a decent amount of language, pretty heated kissing/making out, and a bit of LGBTQ+. If you’re not comfortable with any of these then I wouldn’t read this if I were you!


I would 100% recommend this to you if you enjoy books with…


👑 Royalty

💕 Clean Romance Books

👑 She’s His Bodyguard

💕 Crazy Cliff Hanger

👑 Lost Prince

💕 Trust No One

👑 EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER AND DENIAL

💕 Kinda…Love Triangle?


*cue Chandelier*

*cue me, yes, swinging from a chandelier screaming this song👹*



I DID MAKE A PLAYLIST TOO MUAHAHAHAHAHA


https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Qx...


Hopefully you guys will be able to access it!🤭

If you can’t- I named the playlist :


• 👛 Unroyally Yours ♕ •



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Post-read ! 👛

THAT ENDING WAS SO EVIL FOR A ROMANCE BOOK WHAT😭😭💔. EMMA THIS ISNT FUNNY IM ACTUALLY CRYING😭 I can’t wait for the next book seriously…rtc😭

[haddy ｡⋆୨୧˚]

please be young adult please please please

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woo baby! Emma Lord, how I love you. Thank goodness that this is going to be a series…especially with that ending. I was seriously hooked from start to finish. I had to pry the book out of my hands to get some sleep. I would have read it in one sitting.

[Marijke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

This book follows Rosie, who is part of an elite security training program for teenage recruits, when she is shipped off to Marilova, on probation. Her mission: to go undercover as a bodyguard for the long-lost prince of Marilova. Turns out, she already knows him. They have worked together and he even saved her life once. As a plot against the royals unfolds, Nick and Rosie get thrown the mystery of who wants Nick off the throne.

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. You get introduced to Rosie right when she makes the mistake that brings her to Marilova, she sees this assignment as punishment. But when she gets to Marilova she doesn’t just meet Maxwell, the prince’s cousin, but also the long-lost prince of Marilova, Nick. Nick whom she knows, Nick who has saved her life, Nick who she distanced herself from. There is clearly something unsolved between them and I like how you see them working through it throughout this book.

Through the chapters you learn more about who Rosie is, who Nick is, what their relationship is and was but you also witness them trying to build it back up again. You notice Rosie struggling to trust people which might be a good trait when it comes to her job as bodyguard and protecting Nick, but the trait makes any form of relationship difficult for her. You do really see her growth towards the end of the book.

The book is written in a single POV, Rosie’s. I think it would’ve added more depth to also read through Nick’s POV, especially because I feel like there is a lack of communication between the two. I also would’ve liked to see more of that and also their history in detail because I think that’d make their relationship stronger.

What I also absolutely loved about the book is the mystery aspect. I was hooked, did not want to put it down until I absolutely had to, looking forward to picking the book back up again. I thought the political aspect in this book added more meaning to the story as well, it was woven into everything Nick and Rosie had to do, I can’t imagine the book without it.

Overall, I give it 4.25 stars! I'm very much looking forward to the second book, and will also definitely read more from this author than I have so far.

[Damani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

There were things that I liked about this book but some things I didn’t.
It reminded me of the princess diaries/ princess protection program mixed with some KC undercover, I liked that aspect about it and I enjoyed the story line, I just found myself not being able to fully get into the book.

There were many times in this book that I felt like I skipped a page because one second one thing was happening then something entirely different the next with not much context in between.

The ending definitely made me intrigued for a sequel.

There was also a lot of typos, not really a big deal because it was easy to figure out what was trying to be said, but it just made it feel like the editing might have been a bit rushed.

Thanks to Netgally for this arc.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The concept of a teenage bodyguard being assigned to protect a long-lost prince she already knew, was too far-fetched for me. The combination of royal intrigue, romance, and secret identities was interesting, though the story didn’t quite work for me. It may appeal to readers looking for a light YA royal romance with a touch of mystery.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy.

[sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and I need the next one ASAP! Unroyally Yours is not at all what you may expect - it's funny, yet serious and deep; it's romantic, yet grounded and surprising; it's action packed, yet builds relationships and develops the characters. As a teen girl myself, I appreciated that it was a true YA: no sex scenes, no explicit discussion, cute & somewhat intense but not steamy kisses. I also liked that a large portion of this book wasn't about the romance, but focused on the main character's development, as she learns to trust. I'm excited to see how that is further explored in the next book. Thank you Emma Lord, for never disappointing!

[Talia Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teenaged me would’ve loved this book. That being said, adult me liked it quite a bit. I used to be the biggest Emma Lord fan. Tweet Cute is one of my favorite books, but in the last few years I’ve been a little disappointed with some of her books, so I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one. Mostly it was silly and fun. Don’t go into this book expecting it to be a serious book, but it’s nice to have some fun books that aren’t meant to be taken seriously sometimes.

The premise of this book sounds similar to Princess Diaries and it is very similar. Nick is living out his Princess Diaries dreams and it’s honestly so fun for me. The vibes are there. Our main character, Rosie, is not living Princess Diaries but we can still enjoy those vibes. Rosie wasn’t my favorite character ever, but I liked her well enough. I have to leave my logic at home for some of the plot lines in this book, but I did that and it was fun. Although there are a couple that I wasn’t quite able to get past (aka why is there no actual security in the palace? The claim that they’ve never needed it is false and the whole premise of this book is that the KIDNAPPED infant prince was found. Idk about you but to me having someone of the royal family get kidnapped kinda means you need some security. That I’m pretty sure is just a plot hole). There was a part in the middle that dragged quite a bit for me. Sorry but the democracy plot line is literally so boring to me and that being the only conflict lasted too long. But then it picked up and I got really into it. I won’t spoil the ending but I really liked it and I definitely want to read book 2 now (except I read this one as an ARC so I have to wait extra long which sucks).

I just had one big hang up in this book. It’s huge actually and I can’t handle it. Please someone, anyone, intervene before this book gets published and change “Bloom Doom” to literally anything else. I had to pause reading this book every single time “Bloom Doom” was on the page. I’m sorry, but it’s just the worst name you could have ever picked. I cannot handle it. It’s just too stupid for me. I can handle a book about a 19 year old bodyguard protecting a prince in some fake European country with sparkly soil and an extreme berry obsession, but I cannot handle the name “Bloom Doom.” I can’t be the only one, right? Please someone fix this. There’s still time and it wouldn’t even be that hard. Just choose something not stupid and *replace* and fixed. Please…

Other than that one big hang up, I swear I had a lot of fun. It was the chaotic and fun Emma Lord stuff that I love. Also, ngl I was not even mad about the love triangle stuff. I thought it made the book more interesting

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. These opinions are my own

[Shirley Switzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Diary vibes with a bit of conspiracy theory and “who’s telling the truth” hooks for the reader.

Positives: the author did a great job of making both MMC’s appealing in their own ways. Readers will have incentive to cheer on either choice. The story stays pretty action driven and is easy to keep on reading once you’re into the book.

I admittedly had a rough start with this one though. I couldn’t connect with the FMC - she wasn’t particularly like-able to me. There is mention of magical soil in the country of Marilova, but otherwise no other magic mentioned aside from the FMC’s gut intuition that something bad was about to happen. So sparkly soil felt kind of out of place given there weren’t other elements built into the world to be fantasy-esque. Throwing in the superstar psychic at the beginning of the book felt a little bizarre, as well. I carried on and did get into the plot and was able to enjoy the story. There was a lot of back and forth with Nick and Rosie’s relationship which can be frustrating, and not much explanation into their past to give the reader a clear picture of how they initially caught feelings for one another. The only background given is one intense scene, which to be fair, is significant to their history. However, it would’ve been nice to have some flashback scenes to build up their previous relationship to make sense of them falling fast after reconnecting. There are a few other plot lines that felt confusing or forgotten that I trust will be clarified in a later book.

Spice level: mild, but with several passionate kisses and descriptions of their hips and bodies pressed hard.

Language: high level of cursing throughout book

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC opportunity 📖

[reese b · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosie, our heroine, is tough, smart, and has a touch of trust issues. She is a paid bodyguard who likes to operate as a lone wolf . However, her next assignment is not only personal but a punishment. When she messes up on the job she is sent to Marilova, a beautiful country that just had a long lost prince reinstated to be a bodyguard for the prince and learn to work with a team. chaos ensues.

I really enjoyed this book! Much like the description says it reminds me of the Bodyguard and the princess diaries rolled into one. This book has the feel of the romcom with the suspense and humor of Miss Congeniality. I loved Marilova. The idea for the kindom and its imports was so unique and fun.
This book had me second guessing my instincts to the end. There is a sort of love triangle in it (no spoilers) and I had a firm belief in one over the other.
Im interested to see how the next book plays out! Emma Lord I am interested.

Thank you Netgalley, Emma Lord, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Anna Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's honestly hard to put into words exactly what I thought of this book. I was completely engaged with the story and always excited to pick it back up, which says a lot because there were definitely moments where the writing style didn't quite work for me. At times, the prose felt a little dense and took away from the flow of the story, but I think that's more a matter of personal writing preference than anything else.

That being said, I was hooked. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next, and WOW...that ending has left me DISTRAUGHT.

Like, when is the next book coming out?! Because I NEED answers!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it early. Even with my mixed feelings on some of the writing, the story itself had me invested all the way to the end, and now I'm just sitting here wondering what happens next.

[Baylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC! All thoughts and opinions in this review are completely my own.

I will admit that it took me a bit to get into the book and for it to hold my attention. I had to push through in the beginning to not DNF just simply because I wasn't fond of some of the wording and lingo that the author user. But once I got passed the initial hump, I couldn't put the book down, nor stop thinking about it. Witnessing the FMC learn to trust herself throughout the book gave me some courage for myself. For her to go to a new country, with people she didn't know, shows a strong character in my opinion. Especially with how she handled it. The twist at the end I didn't see coming but I had a small inclination that things weren't actually adding up in the way the author was taking it. I initially planned on giving the book a 3 star rating, but by the end, the author definitely had me changing my mind

[sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

“people love you for you. not just what you can do for them.”

i really enjoyed “The Princess Diaries” feel of the book. i liked the book for the most part. it had some great funny and suspenseful moments. however i felt the plot fell flat in the last 20%, i was kind of skimming more towards the end.

also, i know it’s part of the country’s culture but you do not have to repeat the fruit so many times😅

overall, a pretty cute and summer read at a palace.

thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be the kind of dumb I could relax and enjoy but it was kinda...too dumb.

If it had been a made for TV movie (it's giving Princess Protection Program) I would have watched it in the background while playing Nintendo but as a book it was not it for me. I will say I kept almost DNF-ing and then for some reason I would persist. But it was just like...so so sweaty.

[Liralen]

3 stars; review to come April 2027

[Mora]

No one is more disappointed in my own disappointment with this book than I, a huge Emma Lord fan.

As per usual, I like Lord's writing style, and I like how she writes characters, especially those who have history. I don't think that aspect was as strong as in most of her other books. However. I also thought it set up for a sequel well, especially since Lord has previously written only standalones; the revelations that string the two books together feeling presaged and not out of nowhere just for the sake of sequel. In fact, I liked and was surprised by some of those reveals. I also liked Rosie's character arc and the way it developed and then regressed at the end but in a different way - now she doesn't trust people not because no one had ever been there for her, but because she HAD trusted people and had seen where that had gotten her. And finally, I liked the complications in Maxwell's character and in Rosie's relationship with him (and how at the end she decided they were on the same team). I am a little more on the fence about Nick, since a lot of things come out of nowhere with him in a way that feels inconsistent and not on purpose.

However. The worldbuilding and the plot/world elements we are expected to believe in order to push the plot along stretched my ability to suspend disbelief until it snapped. At first, it was mostly that the entire security team for the royal family and castle for a small European country seemed to be a) a teenage bodyguard for one of the princes, b) two recent college grads hired two weeks ago who handle all tech and all communications, respectively, before which they appear to have had no one to do this, and c) one (1) middle-aged professional who supervises all three of them for some reason. There's a reference to palace guards in the last 20% of the book - would be nice if they did anything at all or had been referenced at all at any other point. There's active security threats in cameraless areas, and the queen shows up on the scene. There's a violent protest, and a week later the queen is giving a public speech with no security presence. The characters kept insisting that they had never needed cameras or guards before this because the country had no violence and thus the royal family was always safe. I do not think this was a good enough excuse. Also, no one debriefs her about anything, including basic and job-critical information. I understand that this is so the audience doesn't get an infodump and Rosie can realize things in real time. However, it's sloppy if I'm supposed to believe these people are professionals.

However, some of the plot holes, especially towards the end, are so major that I really hope they are addressed before publishing. The primary reason Maxwell believed some of the things he did (which informed his actions) was that Rosie had an app on her phone she'd used at the candy shop. Why in the WORLD would she? It's established she got a new phone after she joined up with FYP, and even if it wasn't, why would she still have it after not only quitting the job but leaving that life behind forever? The characters also acted incredibly and uncharacteristically stupid in order to move the plot along. I understand Rosie is a teenager and this is a YA book and teenagers should be allowed to act like teenagers and make stupid decisions. HOWEVER. She is also a professional and has been trusted with this assignment. Ignoring a call from a friend she'd asked to look into a critical and suspicious lead, taking SO MUCH intel (especially at the end) at face value when there's huge reason to suspect the motivations of the person delivering it, failing to tell other characters information they had no logical reason not to pass on, etc.

I wanted (and expected) to like this book more than I did. However, the major plot holes and baffling worldbuilding decisions overrode even the positives about characters and character relationships for me, which is hard to do.

[Prapti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, if I’d known this book was going to be a love triangle... or more like a love square if we count the engagement situation, I definitely wouldn’t have picked it up in the first place. So maybe I’m already coming into this with a bias because I really don’t like this trope. Unfortunately, I also didn’t end up caring much about any of the characters.

Rosie’s main love interest is clearly supposed to be Nick in this book, but there’s also something going on with Maxwell, Nick’s cousin, and I don’t see that being left unaddressed after the way this book ended.

Maybe I would’ve liked Nick more if we’d gotten his POV, but as it stands, I really didn’t like him. The constant push and pull between him and Rosie drove me insane. He’d kiss her, then immediately push her away. Then he’d go spend time with his “would-be” fiancée because he HAD to, only to come back and tell Rosie that he’s technically not engaged yet and it’s all just a political arrangement. I genuinely could not care less. Either stand by your decision and fight to be with her or leave her alone.

The thing that frustrated me the most was that he never actually chose Rosie. He kept waiting until the easiest way out presented itself instead of making the hard decision himself. And do you know what Rosie tells Maxwell she wants? To be chosen. At this point, I’d be really disappointed if Nick is the endgame. He needs some serious character development in the next books if he really is the endgame, because this wasn’t it.

I actually liked Maxwell the most out of everyone. He had more personality but I also didn’t buy his feelings for Rosie either. There were hints throughout the book, but I never really understood WHY he liked her. At least with Nick, they have history. With Maxwell, it felt like his feelings came out of nowhere.

The last 20% was absolute whiplash. There were so many twists packed into such a short amount of time that I barely had time to process one before the next one happened.

And I really have no idea who’s going to be the endgame. At the beginning I would’ve confidently said Nick. Then I switched to Maxwell. And after that ending... I honestly don’t know. Rosie says she loves Nick, so there’s that, but Maxwell just comes across as the more interesting character right now.

That ending was also not what I expected at all. I do feel like there’s more to it, though, or maybe it’s just one big misunderstanding.

Will I read the next book? I honestly don’t know. Part of me wants to stay far away because I have zero interest in love triangles, no matter how well they’re written. The other part of me has this terrible habit of needing to know how things are going to end once I’ve already started a series... even when I’m not really liking it. 😭 So I guess we’ll see.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unroyally Yours by Emma Lord follows Rosie, a 19-year old bodyguard hoping to work towards a career in security. Following a mishap during a mission for her training school, she is sent to the country of Marilova to protect the newly found prince from a potential internal threat. Unbeknownst to her and the prince, Rosie and him have already met: three years ago they worked together at a candy shop when Prince Archibald was just Nick. Now, Rosie must protect Nick and discover who within the palace is threatening him, all the while hiding her true identity as a bodyguard from the public and confronting her romantic feelings for Nick.

I read Emma Lord's book Tweet Cute a few years ago and thought it was a fun, light-hearted romance. Unroyally Yours, while having cute moments, is more suspenseful and rife with romantic tension and the potential for physical threat/harm. Lord's ability to write well-rounded characters individually interacting with this tension is at the heart of this book. The political intrigue and unique world of Marilova was potent throughout the book.

Each secondary character is well thought out and distinct, with their own relationship and individual struggles. Rosie's own internal journey (learning to trust) is well written as she grapples with her past and the unstable present. Nick's own character is more opaque, but there are glimpses into his own potential motivations and aspirations.

There is the potential for a love-triangle in the next book. When I started this book I was hesitant about the idea of a love-triangle, however, I think Lord did a good job of creating romantic tension/build-up alongside deceitful acts (trying to be vague to avoid spoilers), which paves the way for more than one love interest.

This book was so fun to read. I read the whole thing in under 24 hours. I think the pacing was well done, and the ending has me questioning where the next book will take us. My only frustration is that I have to wait a while for book two.

Disclosure: ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Wild · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you combined the Bodyguard with the Princess Diaries, flipped it so the bodyguard is female and the princess is a prince you'll have the basic premise of Unroyally Yours by Emma Lord.

Book one in the Unroyals series introduces us to Rosie, the highly trained nineteen year old bodyguard assigned to protect the newly recovered, long-lost Prince Archibald. She's got great instincts, but tends to be a loose cannon who rushes in solo and cannot seem to manage to be a team player. This is a problem.

Prince Archibald is new to royal life and the kingdom of Marilova, having been kidnapped as an infant and recently returned. He's also the same boy Rosie worked with years ago, the one she teased relentlessly, and who's as shocked to see her as she is him. He also doesn't want Rosie to guard him and keeps trying to push her away. This too is a problem.

Campy at times, compelling at others, the storyline weaves multiple plot points together. There's the relationship dynamics, Rosie needing to hide her role as bodyguard, threats against Nick's reinstated position as heir, a sort-of love triangle, Rosie learning to trust security team side characters, and Nick's introduction to Marilova's citizens. There's a lot going on with this one, but it never feels convoluted just complicated.

There were some lags in pacing and some areas that were a bit transparent on where the story was headed. Also, a few secondary characters could've been fleshed out a bit more. Overall it's a decent read with some funny moments and some surprises along the way. It ended on a cliffhanger, but what's revealed wasn't a surprise to me at all. That's one of the areas that was transparent to me. I did enjoy the Bodyguard x Princess Diaries vibes. There's no doubt this is written for a young adult-new adult audience who prefers low key intrigue, campy vibes, crushes, and royal family dynamics due to the lack of graphic violence and spice. If that's your vibe, then definitely add Unroyally Yours to the tbr!

Read as part of SMP Early Readers via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and freely given.

[Boundbybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and @dilemmalord for this ARC! I truly couldn’t be more grateful. 🫶📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

📖 Book Review: Unroyally Yours by Emma Lord

I honestly didn’t think this book was that bad, but believe me when I say I am ABSOLUTELY CONFLICTED about who Rosie is actually going to end up with 😭 My delulu mind says Nick, but OMG Max is also too good to be true 😭🙏

After that CRAZY ending, I genuinely crashed out for a good five minutes because I simply cannot live with what Cat said on, like, the second-last page. 😭 The acknowledgment page came up so quickly afterward, and I genuinely had no idea what to expect anymore.

I did think the writing felt kind of chaotic at times since SO many things happened within what felt like 20 pages, and I started to lose track of what was even going on. That being said, I definitely didn’t hate the book! I really enjoyed the plot and the setting. I haven’t found many books with a modern royal monarchy setting, so it was honestly such a cool concept to experience! 👑

I also thought the book had some great content and really lovable characters. I just wish the pacing toward the end hadn’t been so rushed because, honestly, I probably would’ve given this a 5⭐️otherwise!

Overall, a fun royal romance with a unique setting, lovable characters, and an ending that had me questioning EVERYTHING. 😭👑

#netgalley #stmartinspress #wednesdaybooks #unroyallyyours #emmalord #bookreview #bookstagram #arc #arcreview #yareads #romancebooks #bookrecommendations

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 because I did like some parts

This book was totally silly and unserious, and at times it was a fun read. It gives Princess Diaries vibes, and I loved Princess Diaries.

Unroyally Yours has a ridiculous and unrealistic plot, but it is also purposely written that way. It's not a book that is meant to be taken seriously, it's just for fun. And it was fun at times. But also ridiculous, and I couldn't totally buy into the concept.

I found myself very frustrated in the last half of the book because I felt like the story was meandering around aimlessly. And as it got closer to the end, it was not wrapping up all the plot points. It wasn't until the last few pages that I realized this is the first book in a series. So that made it make a little more sense...but still I did not like the way it left me hanging at the end.

Also I did not like the main love interest at all. I don't think I am supposed to?? That's my hunch for where the story is headed at least. But it was annoying to read about this relationship because I really was not a fan. And that was a big part of this story. There is a love triangle (square?) in this one. If there has to be a love triangle, I feel like all angles need to be explored and this one felt lopsided in one direction.

Even though I didn't love this one, I still might read the next book to see what will happen next? I'm a little curious if it will lead to a better ending in book 2.

[Sarah (thehireader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d just finished a heavier read so I was excited for a YA royal romance, but this was a bit of a mess and missed the mark for me.

Some things I liked: found family (I’m always a sucker for found family!), Rosie’s growth (although it was somewhat undone by the end), and the messaging that you don’t need to earn love; you don’t need to prove your worth to be in people’s lives.

Now for what didn’t work for me: Perhaps I missed something, but I felt like Rosie and Nick’s connection was underdeveloped and random. Maybe I misunderstood the depths of their backstory, but what little we were shown seemed insufficient to lead to the type of bond they seemed to have. Insta-love is common enough in romance nowadays that I’ve come to somewhat accept it, but I was confused here because it read like insta-love when in actuality they were supposedly harboring these deep, long-lasting feelings for one another.

The pacing was very inconsistent. Certain parts felt rushed, others lasted too long, and except for a part towards the final third (before it got too messy and confusing for me), I didn’t feel particularly compelled to keep going. I did start to feel invested in the final third of the book and was enjoying the drama and palace intrigue but then the plot went completely off the rails and became way too convoluted. Ultimately, I was intrigued by where the story left off, but not so much so that I’m going to continue the series.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read with a really interesting twist in that Rosie was the bodyguard for Nick and I really liked that. It was a mix of romance, royal drama, and mystery, but at times I was really confused about what was happening. Rosie and Nick have history, and I understood why she had feelings for him, but their constant back and forth drove me a little crazy. Nick and Rosie would pull each other close and then immediately push each other away, and I kept wanting them to just make a decision. I wish we could have had a male point of view - ideally both Nick’s and Maxwell’s would have been nice to be able to understand what they were thinking. Maxwell actually ended up being my favorite. He had more personality and was more interesting to me, although I definitely wasn’t completely convinced by his feelings for Rosie. I got pretty confused at the end with all the different pieces and people and I eventually quit trying to figure out exactly what was happening. The ending definitely left me curious about what will happen next. I have no idea who Rosie will end up with or what was actually going on in those final scenes, but I’m hoping there will be another book and we will get more details and a nice clear ending. Overall, I did enjoy this book and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next.

[bookendipity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC!

It deleted my original review of this so I'm posting it again!

Let's get one thing clear from the start:I was not planning on CRYING for a princess rom-com at any point in my life... but here we are. 😂

I'm almost speechless after that ending.

Thoughts on the book before the plot twist -->

This book was so utterly charming! It gave Barbie movie vibes but in the absolute best way. I was so impressed with Emma's ability to create a country so full of life and surround the reader with details about marberries, traditions of Marilova, etc, so fully that I felt like I knew it personally.

This book had:
-a compelling narrative.
- no spice
- characters that had depth and were easy to like
- intrigue and intricate plot
- well-developed theme
- intentional setting and attention to detail about lore and history of Marilova
- highlightable moments and quotes
- a witty mc that was actually funny

My only complaint would be that I felt the pacing was slightly off sometimes. Otherwise, I loved it!

There is a lot of cussing in it though, so keep that in mind. :)

I would also like to mention that the romance was very cute but occasionally frustrating because there were a lot of tense moments that got interrupted 🫠

After plot twist (no spoilers) --->

So, I was not expecting that AT ALL. And I definitely shed a few tears because of the absolute betrayal I felt to my core 😭💔

With that being said, I applaud the author for the creative direction and I am already dying for the sequel.

⭐4.75 stars
Absolutely recommend! It comes out April 20th, 2027 so make sure to mark that on your calendar!

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book.

3.75 stars —> rounded up to 4

Well, that was something. I honestly spent the first half, or more, of this book not liking it very much. I don’t feel the first half was written well - it was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, as people like to say. It felt like the heart and connection were missing. I maintain that the story should have started with “Three years ago…” and have the entire backstory between Rosie and Nick, instead of sprinkling it in.

The Mar- (and pink and sparkly and magical) everything was just too much. It was pseudo-fantasy-esque. It did not go well with the last third of the book.

So, that brings me to the last third or so of the book. It really takes a turn, and for the better! This story is not just a romance, and I would argue it isn’t actually a romance; it’s a fairly decent YA mystery with a romance subplot.

The me who seriously almost didn’t finish this books is very surprised to say that I will probably read the next one, when and if it comes, to see how the story pans out.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a complimentary advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Oooh boy, you’re in for a ride!

Firstly, I am always going to love when tropes are subversive, so when you have a female, teenage bodyguard? I was sold already! Add the kidnapped prince component, and the tiny little detail that this was written by the AMAZING, STELLAR, WONDERFUL ***Emma Lord*** and you know you have a winner.

I love the background, how the sweets shop played into everything, the detailed setting, the berries, the side characters… it’s all great! But the star of the show is definitely the tension between Nick and Rosie—will they, won’t they, bodyguard vs subject, commoner vs royalty, and they had a ton going against them! In the end, it all worked out… or did it?

My only complaint is that the pacing in the last third of the book felt rushed. Lots of characters were introduced at once, and it got confusing to keep track of.

With that being said, I totally did not see the last (3rd? 5th? I lost track) plot twist with Nick!!! I can’t wait to see how that plays out in the next book!

4.5⭐️, can’t wait for release!

[Olivia Klassen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGally for providing this arc read.

I stopped at 30%

This books had a lot of potential to be a great book, but for me personally a lot of things just didn't click for me.
I just feel like why are we letting a literal teen guard the prince when he's in so much danger. Sure, I understand she's super trained and all of this but still.
And for punishment were sending her to protect the prince when she's already known for being.
"Impulsive," or "reckless."
It just doesn't make sense to me, I'm sure we can find someone so much better than her.
Also,
when she gets to the palace why is she finding all these blind spots and a window unlocked?
Please a queen and king live here, why are you telling me the windows are unlocked and there are barley no cameras.

If it says it's a teen book why is there swearing literally every page.

The last point is why was there a who did this to you scene as soon as they met??
Sure, they knew each other as kids but I'm not even 100 pages in.

I'm sure with more research and thought it could be a great book, but what we have right now isn't working for me.

[MeLing Canales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC through Net galley and I was interested in this because, one the cover is adorable and two princes diaries is one of my favorite movies! I loved the fact that in this our FMC is the bodyguard and the prince the main love interest. Rosie is a girl with a past and a lot of trust issues who has learned to use her instincts to get to where she is and she’s good at her job.

The aspects that I enjoyed the most in this book was actually seeing Rosie grow and learn to trust other people. Rosie is used to being alone and has to understand what working with a team means. The staff in Marilova becomes favorites for me, Luxe and Arlene are such fun being total opposites! They had me giggling a few times.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one! I rated this four stars because just when I thought the plot was predictable she got me! The ending had me running back to make sure there will be another because the cliffhanger UGH!! If you like a YA book with some humor, a small aspect of a love triangle here, strong friendships, I would recommend this one!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a rule, I generally stay far away from royals books as I’m just not interested. However, another rule: always read an Emma Lord book. I followed that rule instead and I’m mostly glad I did. This was a sweet rom com with a spy/mystery twist, and a little bit of a magical realism as the marberries had a it of a magical tinge. The ending was NOT what I expected with the rest of the book. I really wished that this book had had alternating perspectives, as I think it might’ve helped me to get some of Nick’s/Max’s (who REALLY was the MMC? Mostly I think Nick, but Max had his moments too!) thoughts and motivations… but maybe we’ll save they for book 2. I’ll definitely have to pick that one up with the cliffhanger of this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Gianna Sizemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
I love the fact that she is the bodyguard! I really liked Rosie. She was a complex character, which is getting more rare. I felt like I actually knew Rosie, and it wasn’t just words on a page. I don’t like Nick. He kept wanting her one minute and then the next he was ignoring her. I loved Maxwell. He seemed the most genuine and likable out of all of the characters. I might be a little sad if him and Rosie aren’t endgame.

I don’t like it when a book ends on a cliffhanger, but I definitely will read the next one. I wish that the plot was a bit more spread out, considering like 5 plot twists happened in 20 pages. I would have loved if the plot wasn’t so rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It was a fun read with a lot of plot twists. Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read Unroyally Yours early!