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Being Royal #2
How to Love a Prince
What happens when a playboy prince must find a respectable husband to redeem himself and secure the monarchy’s future when he unexpectedly inherits the throne?
When London-based playboy Prince Theodor unexpectedly inherits the Danish throne, he must clean up his scandalous image by finding an appropriate husband. But his planned redemption arc to audition fake boyfriends to fake marry creates another set of problems, until a fateful party on Corfu, Greece leads him to Greek Prince Stefanos, of the former Greek monarchy, and challenges his guarded heart as sparks fly.
It’s too bad they accidentally sink a yacht, which inevitably leads to more scandal, and they must start apart. However, Theodor and Stefanos can’t stop thinking of each other, leading to heated, secret encounters between Greece and England guaranteed to set the tabloids alight once their secret is revealed…
How to Love a Prince is a light-hearted royal romcom featuring fake dating, opposites-attract, and forbidden love in a holiday romance.
When London-based playboy Prince Theodor unexpectedly inherits the Danish throne, he must clean up his scandalous image by finding an appropriate husband. But his planned redemption arc to audition fake boyfriends to fake marry creates another set of problems, until a fateful party on Corfu, Greece leads him to Greek Prince Stefanos, of the former Greek monarchy, and challenges his guarded heart as sparks fly.
It’s too bad they accidentally sink a yacht, which inevitably leads to more scandal, and they must start apart. However, Theodor and Stefanos can’t stop thinking of each other, leading to heated, secret encounters between Greece and England guaranteed to set the tabloids alight once their secret is revealed…
How to Love a Prince is a light-hearted royal romcom featuring fake dating, opposites-attract, and forbidden love in a holiday romance.
472 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2026
About the author
Hayden Stone
8 books283 followersMore animal than mineral, Hayden Stone is a writer of queer fiction, especially with kissing. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. Hayden likes strong coffee and is owned by two cats.
Pronouns: he/him
Pronouns: he/him
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
June 22, 2026
this is, like the first one in the series, a lighthearted (for the most part) romcom where you shouldn't take things too seriously. I enjoyed it less than How to Date a Prince, but it was still a fun and easy read.
none of the characters in here are particularly likeable. I guess that's as real as the book gets. the "plan" James comes up with to make the public like Theo doesn't make much sense either. nearly every character puts so much pressure on Theo that I was surprised he didn't burst. still, the book ends on such a happy note, and I had a huge smile on my face reading the final chapters :)
none of the characters in here are particularly likeable. I guess that's as real as the book gets. the "plan" James comes up with to make the public like Theo doesn't make much sense either. nearly every character puts so much pressure on Theo that I was surprised he didn't burst. still, the book ends on such a happy note, and I had a huge smile on my face reading the final chapters :)
July 11, 2026
I previously read the first book in the London Arts series by Hayden Stone and marked him as a follow-up read. Then this book came out, but I hadn't read the first in the series, so I bought it and read that last week. This weekend I quickly transitioned into the sophomore of the series, realizing while Augie plays a small role, it's an entirely new set of characters. A Danish and Greek prince fall in love this time! Good chemistry, tho they came together too quickly to immediately fall. Tho perhaps love at first sight is a thing? Good writing - keeps the emotions in check but lets a few tears form at the right moments. Wanted more family time, but also enjoyed the parts we got. Looking forward to the third one!
June 12, 2026
i was hoping to like this more than i did, but unfortunately it fell short.
my biggest issue overall is how little time the mc's actually spend together. the first half was more enjoyable in the romance sense for me, esp with the trip to greece setting a whole mood. then the yacht disaster (which also for some reason kept making me feel like stefanos was being shady in a way beyond him not being out? like why did i kept thinking he was an imposter or scammer or something lol).
a large portion of the book is them separated communicating through texts, which for me just doesn't work in a romance. i did think as a reader i got to connect a lot with theo, but stefanos is an absolute mystery to me.
another issue is how stefanos's conflict is resolved SO quickly in the end bit, it's very anticlimactic for such a big problem it was made to be.
hopefully the next book in the series hits better for me.
my biggest issue overall is how little time the mc's actually spend together. the first half was more enjoyable in the romance sense for me, esp with the trip to greece setting a whole mood. then the yacht disaster (which also for some reason kept making me feel like stefanos was being shady in a way beyond him not being out? like why did i kept thinking he was an imposter or scammer or something lol).
a large portion of the book is them separated communicating through texts, which for me just doesn't work in a romance. i did think as a reader i got to connect a lot with theo, but stefanos is an absolute mystery to me.
another issue is how stefanos's conflict is resolved SO quickly in the end bit, it's very anticlimactic for such a big problem it was made to be.
hopefully the next book in the series hits better for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for letting me read this book. I’m going to be honest, I only read 6% of this book and it wasn’t good. Let me start out by saying that I most likely won’t read any other books from this series if my experience is like the one I had while trying to read this book. This book is a solid 1✨.
Firstly, the writing wasn’t good. I can’t tell you how bored I was trying to read this because of how dry the sentences were and how they were lacking a lot of elements that make the writing in a book good. The writing also wasn’t my favorite because it was both hard to read and it was so awkward. Whenever our characters interacted it was always very awkward. It was like they were seeing each other for the first time.
Secondly, I didn’t like our characters especially our main male characters. I’m not gonna lie when I say I don’t remember his name. But the prince of Denmark’s ex, Aiden was actually the most boring character I had even read about. He was lying to the press about the prince of Denmark and he just sounded annoying on the page. I didn’t like the prince’s friends James and Frankie because I really couldn’t tell if they were dating or just friends. Also the prince of Greece, he was just so predictable because with him and Theo (prince of Denmark) interacted I knew they were going to fall in love. Because it was just so insta-lovey and I’m not a fan of insta-love. Also Stefanos who is the prince of Greece, his name does not fit him at all. But he was the best character.
The writing also felt like the author was trying too hard because at some point Theo said something along the lines of “with every fiber of my being.” When I had read that I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling because of how cringey it was and it sounded like the author was trying to write things in that would be in a Hallmark movie. Which is not the right genre for this book and the author could have said something entirely different that would have made the chapter a lot better. I just want to thank NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book.
Firstly, the writing wasn’t good. I can’t tell you how bored I was trying to read this because of how dry the sentences were and how they were lacking a lot of elements that make the writing in a book good. The writing also wasn’t my favorite because it was both hard to read and it was so awkward. Whenever our characters interacted it was always very awkward. It was like they were seeing each other for the first time.
Secondly, I didn’t like our characters especially our main male characters. I’m not gonna lie when I say I don’t remember his name. But the prince of Denmark’s ex, Aiden was actually the most boring character I had even read about. He was lying to the press about the prince of Denmark and he just sounded annoying on the page. I didn’t like the prince’s friends James and Frankie because I really couldn’t tell if they were dating or just friends. Also the prince of Greece, he was just so predictable because with him and Theo (prince of Denmark) interacted I knew they were going to fall in love. Because it was just so insta-lovey and I’m not a fan of insta-love. Also Stefanos who is the prince of Greece, his name does not fit him at all. But he was the best character.
The writing also felt like the author was trying too hard because at some point Theo said something along the lines of “with every fiber of my being.” When I had read that I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling because of how cringey it was and it sounded like the author was trying to write things in that would be in a Hallmark movie. Which is not the right genre for this book and the author could have said something entirely different that would have made the chapter a lot better. I just want to thank NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book.
June 8, 2026
This was definitely a step up from How to Date a Prince for me. Getting rid of the reality show premise was an immediate improvement, and I found Theo's story way more interesting overall.
I really felt for Theo throughout this book. The man has an established life, a successful business, and a plan for his future, and then overnight he's told he's expected to become heir to the throne. Of course he's struggling with that. What frustrated me was how little grace everyone around him seemed willing to give him. Especially his family.
I could not get over Theo's sister being angry that he didn't want the throne. She got to walk away, fall in love, and choose the life she wanted, but Theo is somehow selfish for not immediately giving up everything to take her place? The double standard was wild to me, and I wish the book had dug into that more.
I liked the romance, but I also wanted more from Stef. He was sweet, supportive, and clearly cared about Theo, but it felt like his entire character existed in relation to Theo. We get hints about his own experiences, especially with coming out, and then the book just kind of moves on. By the end, I felt like I knew Theo really well and barely knew Stef.
Honestly, that's my biggest takeaway from this book: I just wanted more. More Stef. More family drama. More conversations about what Theo was giving up. More depth in general. Less fake boyfriends.
That said, I still had a really good time with it. It was cute, easy to fly through, and a lot more enjoyable than the first book. Not perfect, but a solid 3.5 rounded up to 4-star read for me.
I really felt for Theo throughout this book. The man has an established life, a successful business, and a plan for his future, and then overnight he's told he's expected to become heir to the throne. Of course he's struggling with that. What frustrated me was how little grace everyone around him seemed willing to give him. Especially his family.
I could not get over Theo's sister being angry that he didn't want the throne. She got to walk away, fall in love, and choose the life she wanted, but Theo is somehow selfish for not immediately giving up everything to take her place? The double standard was wild to me, and I wish the book had dug into that more.
I liked the romance, but I also wanted more from Stef. He was sweet, supportive, and clearly cared about Theo, but it felt like his entire character existed in relation to Theo. We get hints about his own experiences, especially with coming out, and then the book just kind of moves on. By the end, I felt like I knew Theo really well and barely knew Stef.
Honestly, that's my biggest takeaway from this book: I just wanted more. More Stef. More family drama. More conversations about what Theo was giving up. More depth in general. Less fake boyfriends.
That said, I still had a really good time with it. It was cute, easy to fly through, and a lot more enjoyable than the first book. Not perfect, but a solid 3.5 rounded up to 4-star read for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
✧ Genre: Gay Romance
✧ Tropes: Royals • Secret Relationship • Danish Prince/Greek Prince
✧ Rating: 3.25/5 ★
✧ Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
✧ Summary:
This was a fun, light-hearted royal rom-com about Prince Theodor unexpectedly becoming heir to the Danish throne after his sister steps down, forcing him to clean up his scandalous reputation and search for a suitable husband. But all Theo wants is Greek Prince Stefanos.
✧ Thoughts:
Compared to the first book, which I had mixed feelings about, I found this one a little less interesting overall, even though it was also significantly less cringe than How to Date a Prince. It was still entertaining and easy to fly through, but it never fully hooked me emotionally. The pacing dragged because of the repetitive “will they/won’t they” dynamic, and some plot points felt more dramatic than necessary. The writing style is okay.
The romance between Theo and Stefanos was cute, but it was heavily insta-lust, which I’m not the hugest fan of. Their chemistry was definitely there, the flirting and secret meetups where fun, and I enjoyed their romantic moments together—but I never completely fell in love with them. A lot of their relationship happens in short bursts between long periods apart, so I struggled to feel fully invested in their emotional connection, and it also made parts of the book a bit... boring.
As for the main characters—I liked Theo most of the time. I liked his anxiety, his grief over his father, and his struggle with suddenly carrying the weight of the monarchy. It made him and interesting character. However, he is very immature for someone who is 27 years old, but more importantly who is supposed to be a prince. I never really got the royal vibe. Meanwhile, Stef was sweet and supportive, but I never felt like I fully knew him outside of being Theo’s love interest. Not even his Coming Out was really adressed...
I liked some of the side characters, but surely not everyone. I liked his mother and sister, but I really disliked how Theo’s sister situation was handled. I understood why she didn’t want the throne, but I hated how Theo’s panic and frustration were treated as unreasonable by her and his mother. He was suddenly expected to completely change his life overnight, and it felt like they dismissed his feelings far too quickly. And, well, his ex is just stupid.
On top of that, Theo constantly seemed to get pushed around by the people around him, especially when it came to the fake dating scheme and public image expectations, which made me frustrated for him more than once. Which is also a reason I did not like James.
Oddly enough, I just never fully warmed up with James. I can’t even fully explain why, but every time he appeared, something about him annoyed me a lot. Even though I know he was supposed to be supportive and charming and his intentions were nothing but good, I just didn’t like him, and the whole fake dating thing didn’t help. The third book in the series, How to Find a Prince (coming out 2027), will have him as an MC, and I’m not sure yet if I want to read it. I’d like a fun romance by Hayden Stone, but I’m neither a fan of James or the blurb.
Overall, this was a enjoyable royal gay romance that’s easy to binge and fun in the moment, even if it wasn’t anything groundbreaking. I liked it, it entertained me and I had a good time reading it, but it also didn’t leave a huge emotional impact on me.
✧ Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
✧ Publication Date: 1st June, 2026
✧ Tropes: Royals • Secret Relationship • Danish Prince/Greek Prince
✧ Rating: 3.25/5 ★
✧ Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
✧ Summary:
This was a fun, light-hearted royal rom-com about Prince Theodor unexpectedly becoming heir to the Danish throne after his sister steps down, forcing him to clean up his scandalous reputation and search for a suitable husband. But all Theo wants is Greek Prince Stefanos.
✧ Thoughts:
Compared to the first book, which I had mixed feelings about, I found this one a little less interesting overall, even though it was also significantly less cringe than How to Date a Prince. It was still entertaining and easy to fly through, but it never fully hooked me emotionally. The pacing dragged because of the repetitive “will they/won’t they” dynamic, and some plot points felt more dramatic than necessary. The writing style is okay.
The romance between Theo and Stefanos was cute, but it was heavily insta-lust, which I’m not the hugest fan of. Their chemistry was definitely there, the flirting and secret meetups where fun, and I enjoyed their romantic moments together—but I never completely fell in love with them. A lot of their relationship happens in short bursts between long periods apart, so I struggled to feel fully invested in their emotional connection, and it also made parts of the book a bit... boring.
As for the main characters—I liked Theo most of the time. I liked his anxiety, his grief over his father, and his struggle with suddenly carrying the weight of the monarchy. It made him and interesting character. However, he is very immature for someone who is 27 years old, but more importantly who is supposed to be a prince. I never really got the royal vibe. Meanwhile, Stef was sweet and supportive, but I never felt like I fully knew him outside of being Theo’s love interest. Not even his Coming Out was really adressed...
I liked some of the side characters, but surely not everyone. I liked his mother and sister, but I really disliked how Theo’s sister situation was handled. I understood why she didn’t want the throne, but I hated how Theo’s panic and frustration were treated as unreasonable by her and his mother. He was suddenly expected to completely change his life overnight, and it felt like they dismissed his feelings far too quickly. And, well, his ex is just stupid.
On top of that, Theo constantly seemed to get pushed around by the people around him, especially when it came to the fake dating scheme and public image expectations, which made me frustrated for him more than once. Which is also a reason I did not like James.
Oddly enough, I just never fully warmed up with James. I can’t even fully explain why, but every time he appeared, something about him annoyed me a lot. Even though I know he was supposed to be supportive and charming and his intentions were nothing but good, I just didn’t like him, and the whole fake dating thing didn’t help. The third book in the series, How to Find a Prince (coming out 2027), will have him as an MC, and I’m not sure yet if I want to read it. I’d like a fun romance by Hayden Stone, but I’m neither a fan of James or the blurb.
Overall, this was a enjoyable royal gay romance that’s easy to binge and fun in the moment, even if it wasn’t anything groundbreaking. I liked it, it entertained me and I had a good time reading it, but it also didn’t leave a huge emotional impact on me.
✧ Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
✧ Publication Date: 1st June, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m bummed that I didn’t like this book.
From the description and cover, I thought it’d be a new favorite. Speaking of the description, let’s get into my first critique. The description is not 100% accurate to the actual story. In my own opinion, it comes off as a secret relationship or perhaps a fake dating plot… It’s not. Theo meets Stef before the fake dating scheme and news of his sister’s abdication. I also wouldn’t call what happens between Theo and Stef a ‘secret relationship’ for the first +80% percent of the book, they’re not even technically together. They meet up only a handful of times and only for at most a day, and they briefly text one another before weeks/months apart. I was frankly disappointed at the lack of a relationship developed between them.
The reason for the sister’s abdication was ridiculous. The way the other characters treated her reason to not want to rule as valid and treat Theo as if he’s unreasonable for freaking out was infuriating. It made me dislike the sister and actively not enjoy the book anytime she was on page (which was thankfully very little).
The ex-boyfriend plot line was also unsatisfying. Theo’s ex breaks up with him in the first chapter due to his falling for someone else. He then goes to the press and bashes Theo, telling all sorts of lies. Does Theo fight back? No. Aiden (the ex) also acts as if they’re still together, and Theo is ghosting him when Theo goes out on other dates despite the fact that he posted a picture of him and his new boyfriend on social media. The press could easily find that and expose Aiden for lying, but they don’t. Aiden and his smear campaign are such a big conflict at the beginning of the story, and in the end, it just goes… nowhere.
The ‘finding a fake husband’ scheme is also nonsensical. They decide to clean up Theo’s name after Aiden ruined it by making Theo go on multiple fake dates in public. Aiden’s whole thing was that Theo was a playboy and a cheat. Why would he go on multiple dates with different men to clear that up? How would getting a husband make him look like a better king? If this was a way to get him and Stef together, I could excuse it, but this plot point was a point of major contention between them as he was going on these dates while seeing him. It just added so much unnecessary drama.
The characters are either extremely unlikable or not noteworthy. James, in particular, was one of my least favorite characters. I had a hard time anytime he was on the page. The main character and love interest, while tolerable, seemed to have no personality. I couldn’t tell you a single trait either one of them had. Their dialogue (particularly in the beginning) was very stilted, unnatural, and awkward. It got a bit better towards the end, though I’m not sure if it’s because I grew to tolerate it or not.
Clearly, from the other stellar reviews, this is just a me thing. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time or something. Thank you, Netgalley, and the author for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
There’s also a continuity error in the book, though hopefully it’s just in the arc? (Spoilers) Theo tells James that Stef ended things on their trip to Edinburgh, but when Theo has a meeting, to tell James and Ethan what happened in the next chapter, James asks if he even made it to Edinburgh and why he was back early. He knows why?? Why does he suddenly have memory loss?
Tags/Warnings
.
.
.
Tropes: Insta-love/lust, Cheating
Triggers: Grief
Third act break-up: Yes.
OM/OW: Theo goes on multiple dates while he is seeing Stef, he only kisses one.
From the description and cover, I thought it’d be a new favorite. Speaking of the description, let’s get into my first critique. The description is not 100% accurate to the actual story. In my own opinion, it comes off as a secret relationship or perhaps a fake dating plot… It’s not. Theo meets Stef before the fake dating scheme and news of his sister’s abdication. I also wouldn’t call what happens between Theo and Stef a ‘secret relationship’ for the first +80% percent of the book, they’re not even technically together. They meet up only a handful of times and only for at most a day, and they briefly text one another before weeks/months apart. I was frankly disappointed at the lack of a relationship developed between them.
The reason for the sister’s abdication was ridiculous. The way the other characters treated her reason to not want to rule as valid and treat Theo as if he’s unreasonable for freaking out was infuriating. It made me dislike the sister and actively not enjoy the book anytime she was on page (which was thankfully very little).
The ex-boyfriend plot line was also unsatisfying. Theo’s ex breaks up with him in the first chapter due to his falling for someone else. He then goes to the press and bashes Theo, telling all sorts of lies. Does Theo fight back? No. Aiden (the ex) also acts as if they’re still together, and Theo is ghosting him when Theo goes out on other dates despite the fact that he posted a picture of him and his new boyfriend on social media. The press could easily find that and expose Aiden for lying, but they don’t. Aiden and his smear campaign are such a big conflict at the beginning of the story, and in the end, it just goes… nowhere.
The ‘finding a fake husband’ scheme is also nonsensical. They decide to clean up Theo’s name after Aiden ruined it by making Theo go on multiple fake dates in public. Aiden’s whole thing was that Theo was a playboy and a cheat. Why would he go on multiple dates with different men to clear that up? How would getting a husband make him look like a better king? If this was a way to get him and Stef together, I could excuse it, but this plot point was a point of major contention between them as he was going on these dates while seeing him. It just added so much unnecessary drama.
The characters are either extremely unlikable or not noteworthy. James, in particular, was one of my least favorite characters. I had a hard time anytime he was on the page. The main character and love interest, while tolerable, seemed to have no personality. I couldn’t tell you a single trait either one of them had. Their dialogue (particularly in the beginning) was very stilted, unnatural, and awkward. It got a bit better towards the end, though I’m not sure if it’s because I grew to tolerate it or not.
Clearly, from the other stellar reviews, this is just a me thing. Maybe I just read it at the wrong time or something. Thank you, Netgalley, and the author for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
There’s also a continuity error in the book, though hopefully it’s just in the arc? (Spoilers) Theo tells James that Stef ended things on their trip to Edinburgh, but when Theo has a meeting, to tell James and Ethan what happened in the next chapter, James asks if he even made it to Edinburgh and why he was back early. He knows why?? Why does he suddenly have memory loss?
Tags/Warnings
.
.
.
Tropes: Insta-love/lust, Cheating
Triggers: Grief
Third act break-up: Yes.
OM/OW: Theo goes on multiple dates while he is seeing Stef, he only kisses one.
June 1, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
ok so this started as a silly goofy fun time and i was doing a good job suspending my disbelief and just going along for the ride but unfortunately that didn’t last…
my favourite part of the book is theo. he is such a hot mess but i am endeared to him and enjoyed watching him get into weird situations.
now onto what didn’t work for me:
basically, the whole fake dating plot. it just didn’t feel necessary. i think it’s because the fake dating isn’t between the main character and the main love interest as it usually is. so since we knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere, it got kinda boring. it also didn’t really make any sense. at first they kept sending him on dates with different dudes. but since this is supposed to help salvage his reputation, wouldn’t back to back dates with different men just make theo look (for lack of a better word) slutty? because that kind of defeats the whole purpose. they do kind of reach this conclusion and have theo stick with eddie but i still feel like it didn’t work because i don’t think the fake dating actually accomplished anything. theo just laid low and his name naturally fizzled out of the news cycle. it felt like the whole trope solely existed in this story to keep theo and stef apart and create manufactured drama (well duh but you know what i mean).
i also didn’t like many of the side characters. i thought that freja was incredibly selfish and a bad sister. i hated james. he was just so annoying constantly pushing the fake dating as if it’s the only solution to theo’s problems even when theo had his doubts and didn’t really want to do it (very much my way or the highway and i’m like dude shut up). apparently the next book is going to be about him…
i wanted to like stef but instead i found him very bland. he was kinda just there, i feel like we never really got to know him therefore making it hard to be invested in their relationship. also both him and theo kept saying it was impossible for them to be together but it really wasn’t? like all of their worries were lowkey no big deals so it felt really forced keeping them apart.
i wasn’t a fan of the writing. theo and stef’s interactions were so repetitive, there was rarely any development. also the dialogue was very strange. many times it felt like the characters were having two separate conversations and i had to like parse together what was actually happening.
this book did send me down a rabbit hole learning about the fall and exile of the greek royal family which is actually fascinating stuff so thank you
honestly, you’d probably be better off if you just read (or reread) red white and royal blue. it does the two princes (or first son) secret relationship much better and without the weird fake dating drama.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
ok so this started as a silly goofy fun time and i was doing a good job suspending my disbelief and just going along for the ride but unfortunately that didn’t last…
my favourite part of the book is theo. he is such a hot mess but i am endeared to him and enjoyed watching him get into weird situations.
now onto what didn’t work for me:
basically, the whole fake dating plot. it just didn’t feel necessary. i think it’s because the fake dating isn’t between the main character and the main love interest as it usually is. so since we knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere, it got kinda boring. it also didn’t really make any sense. at first they kept sending him on dates with different dudes. but since this is supposed to help salvage his reputation, wouldn’t back to back dates with different men just make theo look (for lack of a better word) slutty? because that kind of defeats the whole purpose. they do kind of reach this conclusion and have theo stick with eddie but i still feel like it didn’t work because i don’t think the fake dating actually accomplished anything. theo just laid low and his name naturally fizzled out of the news cycle. it felt like the whole trope solely existed in this story to keep theo and stef apart and create manufactured drama (well duh but you know what i mean).
i also didn’t like many of the side characters. i thought that freja was incredibly selfish and a bad sister. i hated james. he was just so annoying constantly pushing the fake dating as if it’s the only solution to theo’s problems even when theo had his doubts and didn’t really want to do it (very much my way or the highway and i’m like dude shut up). apparently the next book is going to be about him…
i wanted to like stef but instead i found him very bland. he was kinda just there, i feel like we never really got to know him therefore making it hard to be invested in their relationship. also both him and theo kept saying it was impossible for them to be together but it really wasn’t? like all of their worries were lowkey no big deals so it felt really forced keeping them apart.
i wasn’t a fan of the writing. theo and stef’s interactions were so repetitive, there was rarely any development. also the dialogue was very strange. many times it felt like the characters were having two separate conversations and i had to like parse together what was actually happening.
this book did send me down a rabbit hole learning about the fall and exile of the greek royal family which is actually fascinating stuff so thank you
honestly, you’d probably be better off if you just read (or reread) red white and royal blue. it does the two princes (or first son) secret relationship much better and without the weird fake dating drama.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
July 3, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the ARC
(Apologies for the late review)
I'm sorry to say but this book didn't live up to my expectation. After the book 1, I had slightly high expectations from book 2 as I thought maybe I'd get to see more of romantic comedy. Instead, I was just REALLY embarrassed. I expected a gay disaster but Theo was just a disaster. An embarrassing one. Being gay is just a plus point. The amount of times I had to stop reading because of all the trouble he was getting himself into.
And the plot??? First of all, the whole "reputation makeover" was a very stupid plan. Who let James be in charge of all of this??? The whole fake dating thing happens somewhere past 30% in the book. And I fail to see what the point is. How is being seen with people with good reputation is going to help Theo's bad reputation? Wouldn't it actually tarnish the other person's reputation by being seen with someone like Theo? I really don't understand it.
One thing that I did like about this book is how they didn't gloss over the fact that he just lost his father. I like that they're actively bringing him up and how it all impacted Theo is being shown clearly. It is not just some sub-plot for character development that is mentioned twice and then forgotten about. Having lost someone recently, I understand the impact it can have on a person.
BUT
(Apologies for the late review)
I'm sorry to say but this book didn't live up to my expectation. After the book 1, I had slightly high expectations from book 2 as I thought maybe I'd get to see more of romantic comedy. Instead, I was just REALLY embarrassed. I expected a gay disaster but Theo was just a disaster. An embarrassing one. Being gay is just a plus point. The amount of times I had to stop reading because of all the trouble he was getting himself into.
And the plot??? First of all, the whole "reputation makeover" was a very stupid plan. Who let James be in charge of all of this??? The whole fake dating thing happens somewhere past 30% in the book. And I fail to see what the point is. How is being seen with people with good reputation is going to help Theo's bad reputation? Wouldn't it actually tarnish the other person's reputation by being seen with someone like Theo? I really don't understand it.
One thing that I did like about this book is how they didn't gloss over the fact that he just lost his father. I like that they're actively bringing him up and how it all impacted Theo is being shown clearly. It is not just some sub-plot for character development that is mentioned twice and then forgotten about. Having lost someone recently, I understand the impact it can have on a person.
BUT
June 13, 2026
This is a lighthearted romcom story featuring two princes who couldn't be more different from each other falling in love despite all the reasons they tell themselves they shouldn't.
Prince Theodor of Denmark at first comes off as a flat character - playboy prince, paparazzi fodder, and party-first-adulting-later brat. But as the story moves along and circumstances force him to clean up his act, we actually see a multi-layered MMC trying to make his way into the world. He's a business co-owner, loving son, loyal brother, empathetic friend, devoted royal, and deeply scarred from the death of his father. At times he seems immature or aloof but eventually matures significantly.
Prince Stefanos of Greece is calm, cool, collected, strikingly hot, and well-mannered. On the flip side he's also wishy washy, indecisive, afraid of what others might think of him, and has low confidence in himself when it comes to achieving his goals. His transformation over time shows him accepting and owning his sexuality and taking action on how he wants to live his life.
I really could've cared less of all the side characters because they felt either like a plot device (Aidan, Edward) or comic relief/annoyance (Ethan, James) but otherwise didn't bring much to the table.
The book could've used some polishing as there were many details spelled out that took up page space but added no value such as color/type/brand of clothing worn or detailed descriptions of furnishings. I glossed over all these. Additionally, it interrupted the pacing every time I came across these details.
There were multiple open door explicit spice scenes throughout. Nothing kinky or crazy but enough to get the point that these two went from lust to love over time.
Overall, this wasn't a bad story but I've read better with similar plotlines/characters so my expectations were higher and unfortunately this book missed the mark by just a bit. Many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance.
Prince Theodor of Denmark at first comes off as a flat character - playboy prince, paparazzi fodder, and party-first-adulting-later brat. But as the story moves along and circumstances force him to clean up his act, we actually see a multi-layered MMC trying to make his way into the world. He's a business co-owner, loving son, loyal brother, empathetic friend, devoted royal, and deeply scarred from the death of his father. At times he seems immature or aloof but eventually matures significantly.
Prince Stefanos of Greece is calm, cool, collected, strikingly hot, and well-mannered. On the flip side he's also wishy washy, indecisive, afraid of what others might think of him, and has low confidence in himself when it comes to achieving his goals. His transformation over time shows him accepting and owning his sexuality and taking action on how he wants to live his life.
I really could've cared less of all the side characters because they felt either like a plot device (Aidan, Edward) or comic relief/annoyance (Ethan, James) but otherwise didn't bring much to the table.
The book could've used some polishing as there were many details spelled out that took up page space but added no value such as color/type/brand of clothing worn or detailed descriptions of furnishings. I glossed over all these. Additionally, it interrupted the pacing every time I came across these details.
There were multiple open door explicit spice scenes throughout. Nothing kinky or crazy but enough to get the point that these two went from lust to love over time.
Overall, this wasn't a bad story but I've read better with similar plotlines/characters so my expectations were higher and unfortunately this book missed the mark by just a bit. Many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance.
June 28, 2026
Honestly, I hated every character in this book. The MC, a Danish prince, second in line but given all the freedom to do as he likes with his fashion design degree and job in London, initially sympathetic as the boyfriend who helped him through his grief over his Father's death dumps him and leaks false stories to the press, stories the MC never denies, never addresses, never directs to his royal PR team... He never blocks his ex and immediately throws himself into several other relationships to 'clean up his image'... The image that he is unfaithful, unserious and irresponsible? Partly, this is his 'friend's' idea... His 'friend' who thinks forcing him into an arranged loveless marriage is fine, that setting him up with his boring 53 year old cousin, nearly twice his age, is fine... No wonder his boyfriend wants nothing to do with him... It's made even worse by the fact the MC is 'in love' with the closeted Greek prince he attempted to forge a friendship with, crashed a Yacht with and then slept with a bunch, with very little room for deep conversation or connection beyond, I'm not coming out and you are too unstable... But let's sleep together again for luck...
Regardless, a loveless marriage is the least of the MC's problems since his Sister is abdicating the throne for some American... As if a Danish Queen would give up a) living in Denmark, b) serving her country, c) following her Father's will, to go to America with some ranch-owning dude who won't sacrifice anything for their relationship. As if their mother would let that happen... Especially when this MC is the next option. Man has barely been trained to be a person, let alone a royal one. Option three literally cannot be worse than 'abandons duty she prepared her whole life for and the country she is supposed to serve for selfish American' and 'Cannot stay out of the tabloids and will do anything except act like a decent human being'...
Anyway, great they get together in the end and he feels like he can be king with his Greek prince at his side... This world would literally collapse.
Regardless, a loveless marriage is the least of the MC's problems since his Sister is abdicating the throne for some American... As if a Danish Queen would give up a) living in Denmark, b) serving her country, c) following her Father's will, to go to America with some ranch-owning dude who won't sacrifice anything for their relationship. As if their mother would let that happen... Especially when this MC is the next option. Man has barely been trained to be a person, let alone a royal one. Option three literally cannot be worse than 'abandons duty she prepared her whole life for and the country she is supposed to serve for selfish American' and 'Cannot stay out of the tabloids and will do anything except act like a decent human being'...
Anyway, great they get together in the end and he feels like he can be king with his Greek prince at his side... This world would literally collapse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2026
I received an eBook copy of "How to Love a Prince" from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Theo is the second in line to the throne behind his sister, Freja. Just a year out from the death of his father and on his six month anniversary, Theo's boyfriend breaks up with him and goes to press with some very salacious(and fake) stories about his "party boy" ways. To make matters worse, less than 24 hours later, he bumps into Prince Stefanos at a club, causing tongues to wag. Prince Stef is quiet, and not in the press, and definitely not out. But Theo cant stop thinking about him, and Stef feels the pull to invite him to get away from the media circus in Greece. But as they deal with family drama, the media, exes, and what they want their public image to be -- the question becomes is it too much for a new and burgeoning relationship? Personally I found James, Theo's friend who tries to push him to date annoying and while it somewhat pushes the plot forward, there were other ways that could have happened. I also disliked Theo's mom and Freja dismissing his not wanting to be King/considering abdicating and the amount of pressure the put on him to take on the role so she can run off with her husband. All the conflict is wrapped up way too easily and without seemingly any big stakes- both families are okay with the princes dating, the media finds out and they deal with it, Theo is okay with becoming king and moving to a new place and giving his whole life in London up. It is way too happy and unrealistic without a lot more build up and conversations, and there definitely needed to be at least a confrontation with Freja instead of Theo taking all the blame for "ignoring her feeling" when she's doing the exact same thing. It was fine for what it was, but needed a lot more character building and actual conflict to make it feel like the happy ending is actually earned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2026
Dumped by text and sold out by a boyfriend he thought he could love.
This is someone who helped him through the worst grief of his life and then turned it into tabloid fodder.
He’s not even a year out from his beloved father’s death.
He’s being told that he needs a stable relationship to improve his image. Even though he just got out of what he thought was a stable relationship.
A night out to drink and dance away his pain, he meets a Greek god… I mean Prince.
Stefanos and Theo collide, literally. It makes for minor tabloid fodder but it is an adorable meet-cute.
On top of everything, his sister runs off with an American and is abdicating the Danish crown to… Theo. Theo who has a life and business of his own in London. Theo who has lived freely and openly for the last 27 years, secure in the knowledge that he would never be King.
Now, the guillotine of royal life and duty hang over him as he tries to navigate the chaos of his life.
Theo’s friends hatch a hare-brained scheme to set him up on fake dates.
To avoid this problem, instead of just saying no and putting his down, goes to Greece to see Stefanos.
The winter trip to Corfu, is full of flirtation and confessions of being happy the other is there.
This book was really emotionally vulnerable. While there’s not a lot of trivia about the characters lives or past, the emotional vulnerability is tangible.
The trip to Greece ends abruptly and it leaves me wrecked.
Theo and Stef’s attraction can be felt from their first interaction but here, you can feel Theo’s growing attachment. Stef’s quite honest about his feelings, conflicted as they are.
The chaos of Theo’s life is compounded with the trip to Greece.
Stef’s usually very calm and ordered life is suddenly in upheaval too.
I loved watching these two men navigate their growing feelings through chaos: both princely and very human
This is someone who helped him through the worst grief of his life and then turned it into tabloid fodder.
He’s not even a year out from his beloved father’s death.
He’s being told that he needs a stable relationship to improve his image. Even though he just got out of what he thought was a stable relationship.
A night out to drink and dance away his pain, he meets a Greek god… I mean Prince.
Stefanos and Theo collide, literally. It makes for minor tabloid fodder but it is an adorable meet-cute.
On top of everything, his sister runs off with an American and is abdicating the Danish crown to… Theo. Theo who has a life and business of his own in London. Theo who has lived freely and openly for the last 27 years, secure in the knowledge that he would never be King.
Now, the guillotine of royal life and duty hang over him as he tries to navigate the chaos of his life.
Theo’s friends hatch a hare-brained scheme to set him up on fake dates.
To avoid this problem, instead of just saying no and putting his down, goes to Greece to see Stefanos.
The winter trip to Corfu, is full of flirtation and confessions of being happy the other is there.
This book was really emotionally vulnerable. While there’s not a lot of trivia about the characters lives or past, the emotional vulnerability is tangible.
The trip to Greece ends abruptly and it leaves me wrecked.
Theo and Stef’s attraction can be felt from their first interaction but here, you can feel Theo’s growing attachment. Stef’s quite honest about his feelings, conflicted as they are.
The chaos of Theo’s life is compounded with the trip to Greece.
Stef’s usually very calm and ordered life is suddenly in upheaval too.
I loved watching these two men navigate their growing feelings through chaos: both princely and very human
May 24, 2026
When Theo gets dumped by his boyfriend on their sixth month anniversary the only thing that could make it worse is said ex running to the press with a defamatory tell all! Little did he know that the experience would lead him to the love of his life.
Prince Stefanos of the Greek Royal Family is hot, talented, passionate about his country’s history, and the perfect way for Theo to get over his crappy ex. Stef understands the pressure Theo is under, and though he cannot deny the attraction between them, Theo is his first male love interest and he has a lot of introspection to do after figuring out his feelings.
Theo was a lot easier for me to connect to than Auggie. Maybe it was his determination to do what he loved, or his romantic heart, or maybe it was just his raging anxiety. Either way he was an absolute sweetheart and I honestly found myself so angry about how the people around him treated him. He was justifiably angry with Aiden, but I felt he should have been a lot angrier with Freja too. His grief over losing his father is also a prevalent theme in the book and I was happy he decided to see a therapist for some help by the end.
The romance was spectacular, from the banter to the longing. The dates between them literally made me want to pause and swing my feet with giddiness. I also loved how unconditionally Ethan and James supported Theo through everything—even if poor James gor his heart broken in the end (but that just gives me another book in the series so I am not complaining much).
Overall this was such a sweet romance and I had a wonderful time devouring it in less than two days! I don’t usually go for contemporary romances but I am glad I started this series!
Prince Stefanos of the Greek Royal Family is hot, talented, passionate about his country’s history, and the perfect way for Theo to get over his crappy ex. Stef understands the pressure Theo is under, and though he cannot deny the attraction between them, Theo is his first male love interest and he has a lot of introspection to do after figuring out his feelings.
Theo was a lot easier for me to connect to than Auggie. Maybe it was his determination to do what he loved, or his romantic heart, or maybe it was just his raging anxiety. Either way he was an absolute sweetheart and I honestly found myself so angry about how the people around him treated him. He was justifiably angry with Aiden, but I felt he should have been a lot angrier with Freja too. His grief over losing his father is also a prevalent theme in the book and I was happy he decided to see a therapist for some help by the end.
The romance was spectacular, from the banter to the longing. The dates between them literally made me want to pause and swing my feet with giddiness. I also loved how unconditionally Ethan and James supported Theo through everything—even if poor James gor his heart broken in the end (but that just gives me another book in the series so I am not complaining much).
Overall this was such a sweet romance and I had a wonderful time devouring it in less than two days! I don’t usually go for contemporary romances but I am glad I started this series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2026
I received an advance review copy of How to Live a Prince from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This ended up being a solid three-star read for me. There were things I enjoyed, but I never quite connected with the romance in the way I’d hoped.
The biggest issue was the chemistry between the two leads. Their relationship leaned heavily on dry humour, but I found the banter didn’t really land for me. They often seemed to find each other hilarious, while I struggled to see the spark that was supposed to be drawing them together. As a result, their connection felt a little muted rather than electric.
I also found some of the conflict a little frustrating. The reason they had to stop seeing each other never felt entirely convincing, so the relationship angst came across as manufactured rather than inevitable. That made the central obstacle feel more like forced jeopardy than a natural consequence of the story.
The portrayal of the royal characters was interesting, but they often felt caught between being surprisingly childish and strangely world-weary, which made it difficult for me to get a firm sense of who they really were.
Towards the end, the pacing shifted quite dramatically. After a fairly measured build-up, the relationship seemed to resolve very quickly, and the novel finished before it felt as though it had reached a satisfying emotional third act. I was left wanting a little more time with the characters once they finally came together.
Overall, while this wasn’t quite the romance I was looking for, I think readers who enjoy quieter relationships and understated humour may have a better experience than I did.
This ended up being a solid three-star read for me. There were things I enjoyed, but I never quite connected with the romance in the way I’d hoped.
The biggest issue was the chemistry between the two leads. Their relationship leaned heavily on dry humour, but I found the banter didn’t really land for me. They often seemed to find each other hilarious, while I struggled to see the spark that was supposed to be drawing them together. As a result, their connection felt a little muted rather than electric.
I also found some of the conflict a little frustrating. The reason they had to stop seeing each other never felt entirely convincing, so the relationship angst came across as manufactured rather than inevitable. That made the central obstacle feel more like forced jeopardy than a natural consequence of the story.
The portrayal of the royal characters was interesting, but they often felt caught between being surprisingly childish and strangely world-weary, which made it difficult for me to get a firm sense of who they really were.
Towards the end, the pacing shifted quite dramatically. After a fairly measured build-up, the relationship seemed to resolve very quickly, and the novel finished before it felt as though it had reached a satisfying emotional third act. I was left wanting a little more time with the characters once they finally came together.
Overall, while this wasn’t quite the romance I was looking for, I think readers who enjoy quieter relationships and understated humour may have a better experience than I did.
July 30, 2026
Book: How to Love a Prince
Author: Hayden Stone
Genre: Humor & Satire, LGBTQIAP+, and Romance
Series: Being Royal
Setting: Denmark, Greece, and London
My Thoughts:
Y’all don’t even get me started on the Being Royal series and Hayden Stone’s writing. “Handle with Care” is still once of my favorite books ever – as you as reading this review, go read “Handle with Care” too. Y’all already know it took me a while to write this review, because I cried about reading. Letting go of Theodor and Stefanos after finishing this book was one of the hardest things I have done in terms of finishing a book this summer.
In terms of storyline and plot, it showed the price of the crown for these young royals and made Theodor and Stefanos seem like characters anyone could relate too. I personally found Theodor’s passion for his interior designing business and wanting to have a life outside of the crown to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time (*no spoilers*). In terms of Stefanos’ character, you can see throughout the story he truly wants to love Theodor but carries his own burden with his sexuality. Did I mention Stefanos can cook?
While this story was longer than I usually read, I am utterly in love with it and need another book (and bring back the characters from Auggie’s book too like we say in this story!).
Go ahead and give this book 1000/10.
A special thank you to Hayden Stone, Xpresso Book Tours, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Hayden Stone
Genre: Humor & Satire, LGBTQIAP+, and Romance
Series: Being Royal
Setting: Denmark, Greece, and London
My Thoughts:
Y’all don’t even get me started on the Being Royal series and Hayden Stone’s writing. “Handle with Care” is still once of my favorite books ever – as you as reading this review, go read “Handle with Care” too. Y’all already know it took me a while to write this review, because I cried about reading. Letting go of Theodor and Stefanos after finishing this book was one of the hardest things I have done in terms of finishing a book this summer.
In terms of storyline and plot, it showed the price of the crown for these young royals and made Theodor and Stefanos seem like characters anyone could relate too. I personally found Theodor’s passion for his interior designing business and wanting to have a life outside of the crown to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time (*no spoilers*). In terms of Stefanos’ character, you can see throughout the story he truly wants to love Theodor but carries his own burden with his sexuality. Did I mention Stefanos can cook?
While this story was longer than I usually read, I am utterly in love with it and need another book (and bring back the characters from Auggie’s book too like we say in this story!).
Go ahead and give this book 1000/10.
A special thank you to Hayden Stone, Xpresso Book Tours, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Theodore always knew his older sister was going to take over the thrown of Denmark, but when she unexpectedly abdicates and he's next in line he's not sure how to fix his messy, playboy reputation. Especially after a bad breakup sells likes to any tabloid that will listen.
With thoughts of fake dating a respectable man put in his head by his friends, he meets Greek Prince Stefanos by chance. Handsome and charming, they hit it off right away and what starts as a friendship quickly leads to more. But both their lives are complicated and it seems like their match is not meant to be.
Theo has a really interesting group of friends. While I understand his friend James was only trying to help him, DAMN was he every pushy about the fake boyfriend thing. I also truly cannot imagine the grief of suddenly and unexpectedly having to give up your currently career and life and having to take over a thrown you aren't prepared for.
While I really like Stef and totally feel for what he was going through with his own family, coming out etc, man he was really jerking Theo around quite a bit throughout the story. At one point in the story even I was thinking Theo just needed to move on!
But hey, this is romance about princes after all! And love is going to find a way. Overall the story was very sweet and fun. Theo was a charming and witty MC and deserved his happy ending!
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thoughts of fake dating a respectable man put in his head by his friends, he meets Greek Prince Stefanos by chance. Handsome and charming, they hit it off right away and what starts as a friendship quickly leads to more. But both their lives are complicated and it seems like their match is not meant to be.
Theo has a really interesting group of friends. While I understand his friend James was only trying to help him, DAMN was he every pushy about the fake boyfriend thing. I also truly cannot imagine the grief of suddenly and unexpectedly having to give up your currently career and life and having to take over a thrown you aren't prepared for.
While I really like Stef and totally feel for what he was going through with his own family, coming out etc, man he was really jerking Theo around quite a bit throughout the story. At one point in the story even I was thinking Theo just needed to move on!
But hey, this is romance about princes after all! And love is going to find a way. Overall the story was very sweet and fun. Theo was a charming and witty MC and deserved his happy ending!
Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
This book absolutely falls into the category of "the second book is better than the first one." Auggie and Thomas's story was cute, but I think Theodor and Stefanos' one was a lot better. The way their story and the feelings of the two protagonists evolve throughout the book seemed much more natural and less rushed than in the first book.
However, I think some topics, such as the father's sudden death or the resulting nightmares, could have been given a little more depth and analysis. I would also have liked more details on James and Frankie's relationship, but since the third book is supposed to focus on James, I understand why the author decided to overlook it a little. I also feel like not only the ending but various parts of the book are not very well developed, and the pace is too fast.
Side note: I was personally really interested in Edward's character, and I was really hoping to get the third book all for him, but my hopes were quickly dashed with the announcement of the main character of the third book. I get that he isn't a prince, but I would love to read the story of a fifty-three-year-old gay duke trying to find the love of his life.
Overall , though, the book is a cute story, and I would absolutely recommend it to those who are in search of a quick and spicy MM read about princes.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hayden Stone and Xpresso Book Tours for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book absolutely falls into the category of "the second book is better than the first one." Auggie and Thomas's story was cute, but I think Theodor and Stefanos' one was a lot better. The way their story and the feelings of the two protagonists evolve throughout the book seemed much more natural and less rushed than in the first book.
However, I think some topics, such as the father's sudden death or the resulting nightmares, could have been given a little more depth and analysis. I would also have liked more details on James and Frankie's relationship, but since the third book is supposed to focus on James, I understand why the author decided to overlook it a little. I also feel like not only the ending but various parts of the book are not very well developed, and the pace is too fast.
Side note: I was personally really interested in Edward's character, and I was really hoping to get the third book all for him, but my hopes were quickly dashed with the announcement of the main character of the third book. I get that he isn't a prince, but I would love to read the story of a fifty-three-year-old gay duke trying to find the love of his life.
Overall , though, the book is a cute story, and I would absolutely recommend it to those who are in search of a quick and spicy MM read about princes.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hayden Stone and Xpresso Book Tours for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 15, 2026
How to Love a Prince is a sweet M/M rom-com with a couple of mildly spicy scenes, but overall I found it a little underwhelming.
The chemistry between Theo and Stef is clear, and the attraction is believable from the start. However, much of their relationship develops while they are apart, communicating mainly through text messages. While the lust and initial connection are evident, I struggled to believe how quickly they fell in love when the story shows relatively little meaningful conversation or emotional development between them during that time.
Another issue was the imbalance in perspective. The novel focuses heavily on Theo, leaving Stef feeling underdeveloped. For a romance that is supposed to be about two people falling in love, I wanted much more insight into Stef’s life, thoughts, and motivations. As a result, the relationship never felt as fully rounded as it could have.
The ending also felt rushed. Conflicts are resolved quickly, everything falls neatly into place, and the story wraps up with a little too much convenience. I would have preferred a more gradual resolution and a deeper exploration of the characters’ challenges before reaching such a tidy conclusion.
Overall, it’s a cute and enjoyable read with likable characters and a charming premise, but the romance develops too quickly, the focus is too one-sided, and the ending ties everything up a little too neatly to feel completely satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy ❤️
The chemistry between Theo and Stef is clear, and the attraction is believable from the start. However, much of their relationship develops while they are apart, communicating mainly through text messages. While the lust and initial connection are evident, I struggled to believe how quickly they fell in love when the story shows relatively little meaningful conversation or emotional development between them during that time.
Another issue was the imbalance in perspective. The novel focuses heavily on Theo, leaving Stef feeling underdeveloped. For a romance that is supposed to be about two people falling in love, I wanted much more insight into Stef’s life, thoughts, and motivations. As a result, the relationship never felt as fully rounded as it could have.
The ending also felt rushed. Conflicts are resolved quickly, everything falls neatly into place, and the story wraps up with a little too much convenience. I would have preferred a more gradual resolution and a deeper exploration of the characters’ challenges before reaching such a tidy conclusion.
Overall, it’s a cute and enjoyable read with likable characters and a charming premise, but the romance develops too quickly, the focus is too one-sided, and the ending ties everything up a little too neatly to feel completely satisfying.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of an advance copy from NetGalley. No incentive was provided in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was a cosy read, there were some sweet moments and I enjoyed most of the story "arc" overall.
The positives - Theo and Stef are engaging, and there are some standout moments. Some of the other characters have enough about them to be interesting; Theo's mother, and sister in particular. James and Eddie also get some good moments, but I'll admit that I wanted more.The spice is moderate, but feels relevant to the story being told for the most part.
The negatives - a combination of lust at first sight, combined with a relationship development that had more meandering cul de sacs than a whodunit novel... I struggled to truly care about the angst moments. They also felt amped up given how little contact they actually had early on. The ex sub-plot feels like it's building and building until... nothing. The culmination feels lackluster to me, like there was a nefarious scheme that got cut in an edit and then needed to be tidied up. A bit similar with Eddie, James implements a plan, story develops, record scratch moment, he suddenly fades to barely a reference.
This is a fun, bingeable read that doesn't ask too much of the reader in my opinion. Go into it with middling expectations, and you won't be disappointed.
This was a cosy read, there were some sweet moments and I enjoyed most of the story "arc" overall.
The positives - Theo and Stef are engaging, and there are some standout moments. Some of the other characters have enough about them to be interesting; Theo's mother, and sister in particular. James and Eddie also get some good moments, but I'll admit that I wanted more.The spice is moderate, but feels relevant to the story being told for the most part.
The negatives - a combination of lust at first sight, combined with a relationship development that had more meandering cul de sacs than a whodunit novel... I struggled to truly care about the angst moments. They also felt amped up given how little contact they actually had early on. The ex sub-plot feels like it's building and building until... nothing. The culmination feels lackluster to me, like there was a nefarious scheme that got cut in an edit and then needed to be tidied up. A bit similar with Eddie, James implements a plan, story develops, record scratch moment, he suddenly fades to barely a reference.
This is a fun, bingeable read that doesn't ask too much of the reader in my opinion. Go into it with middling expectations, and you won't be disappointed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
How to Love a Prince, by Hayden Stone, is book 2 in the Being Royals series. This is Theo’s story, a Danish prince who unexpectedly inherits the throne from his sisterf. His boyfriend Aiden dumps him publicly in a very humiliating way, and Theo soon meets Stefanos, a member of the Greek royal family. Theo also works in interior design, marketing, and is a social media influencer. Other than having a bodyguard, his life in the book did not seem like a royal at all.
Theo and Stefanos are drawn to each other from their first meeting. Unfortunately, a lot of random things happen to them while together which delay them from becoming more than friends. The romance between them doesn’t really start until about 75% through the book, so it felt rushed and insignificant. Theo talked a lot about his feelings for Stef, but his actions didn’t always show his feelings. He starts a fake dating scenario with another man to improve his reputation, which frankly just didn’t make sense.
The pacing of this novel was slow, and it didn’t feel like much happened. I could have easily skipped a few chapters while reading and still follow the plot. I love a good royal romance, but this book just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Theo and Stefanos are drawn to each other from their first meeting. Unfortunately, a lot of random things happen to them while together which delay them from becoming more than friends. The romance between them doesn’t really start until about 75% through the book, so it felt rushed and insignificant. Theo talked a lot about his feelings for Stef, but his actions didn’t always show his feelings. He starts a fake dating scenario with another man to improve his reputation, which frankly just didn’t make sense.
The pacing of this novel was slow, and it didn’t feel like much happened. I could have easily skipped a few chapters while reading and still follow the plot. I love a good royal romance, but this book just didn’t work for me.
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 12, 2026
It was a light, entertaining royal rom-com that follows Prince Theodor after he unexpectedly becomes heir to the Danish throne when his sister steps down. Forced to abandon the life he built and repair his scandalous public image, Theo must balance royal duty while pursuing his feelings for Greek Prince Stefanos.
I enjoyed this more than the first book, mainly because it dropped the reality show premise, but it still didn't leave a lasting emotional impact. Theo's anxiety, grief, and struggle with suddenly inheriting the monarchy made him a compelling protagonist, although he often felt immature for a 27-year-old prince. Stef was sweet and supportive, but I never felt I truly knew him beyond being Theo's love interest, and his coming-out journey deserved more attention.
My biggest issue was how Theo's family dismissed his understandable panic about giving up his entire life while his sister was free to choose her own future. The repetitive "will they, won't they" romance and fake dating subplot also slowed the pacing. I never warmed to James, making me hesitant about his upcoming book.
Overall, this was a fun, easy-to-read royal romance with charming moments and solid chemistry. While it lacked emotional depth and stronger character development, it was still an enjoyable 3.5-star read.
I enjoyed this more than the first book, mainly because it dropped the reality show premise, but it still didn't leave a lasting emotional impact. Theo's anxiety, grief, and struggle with suddenly inheriting the monarchy made him a compelling protagonist, although he often felt immature for a 27-year-old prince. Stef was sweet and supportive, but I never felt I truly knew him beyond being Theo's love interest, and his coming-out journey deserved more attention.
My biggest issue was how Theo's family dismissed his understandable panic about giving up his entire life while his sister was free to choose her own future. The repetitive "will they, won't they" romance and fake dating subplot also slowed the pacing. I never warmed to James, making me hesitant about his upcoming book.
Overall, this was a fun, easy-to-read royal romance with charming moments and solid chemistry. While it lacked emotional depth and stronger character development, it was still an enjoyable 3.5-star read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Poor Prince Theo - always causing scandals, even when they're hardly his fault. This is definitely a romcom as far as Theo's issues are concerned. He's 2nd to the Danish throne, living in London, and about to go to a 6 month anniversary dinner with his boyfriend, when....the boyfriend breaks up with him via text. Immediately after the boyfriend sells their story (entirely lies) to the press, making Theo look very bad. He runs into Prince Stefanos (a 'spare' to the Greek throne) in a bar afterwords, gets run into and drinks fly everywhere. More bad press. Theo & Stef are attracted to each other, meet in Greece, take Dad's boat out, and immediately sink it. More bad press.
Surprise - Theo's sister (heir to the throne) is going to abdicate and Theo will be king. Now he feels he needs to find the proper person to fake date to fix his reputation. Meanwhile he's still in love with Stef.
This is a slow burn, lots of pining (sooooo much pining, most of the book is pining) love affair that eventually ends in an HEA. There's a medium amount of spice, lots of friends giving advice (mostly bad), lots of family, and lots of travel. This story is told from a single point of view (Theo's).
Surprise - Theo's sister (heir to the throne) is going to abdicate and Theo will be king. Now he feels he needs to find the proper person to fake date to fix his reputation. Meanwhile he's still in love with Stef.
This is a slow burn, lots of pining (sooooo much pining, most of the book is pining) love affair that eventually ends in an HEA. There's a medium amount of spice, lots of friends giving advice (mostly bad), lots of family, and lots of travel. This story is told from a single point of view (Theo's).
June 1, 2026
Read thanks to ARC
Theo the Dutch prince is having a Fabulous life in London any from home his own job and life away from court. His boyfriend dumps him by running to the press to over exaggerate and lie. Also sister wants to abdication the throne and leave it all up to him to deal with.
The book was fun I enjoyed prince Theo antics and his push to be something away from the crown. But this book had similar issues to the previous things are a little too complicated, everyone around him are just not serious people. We are told Theo id this scandalous party prince but that only by other we don't see Theo do anything.
His relationship with the prince Stef is lovely and sweet but so weirdly complicated where they say the can't be together but sending heartfelt messages anyway. It seems like it could be so simple but everything seems too overly complicated and his sister is so crazy entitled and selfish it's unreal. They way she just hands over the throne is wild and the fact that Theo really doesn't take it very seriously at all.
His whole life is getting turned upside down and he's just putting it off going on dates and seeing what happens. Was a ok book but I feel like it needs sorting editing and some trimming as it felt so much wasn't needed.
Theo the Dutch prince is having a Fabulous life in London any from home his own job and life away from court. His boyfriend dumps him by running to the press to over exaggerate and lie. Also sister wants to abdication the throne and leave it all up to him to deal with.
The book was fun I enjoyed prince Theo antics and his push to be something away from the crown. But this book had similar issues to the previous things are a little too complicated, everyone around him are just not serious people. We are told Theo id this scandalous party prince but that only by other we don't see Theo do anything.
His relationship with the prince Stef is lovely and sweet but so weirdly complicated where they say the can't be together but sending heartfelt messages anyway. It seems like it could be so simple but everything seems too overly complicated and his sister is so crazy entitled and selfish it's unreal. They way she just hands over the throne is wild and the fact that Theo really doesn't take it very seriously at all.
His whole life is getting turned upside down and he's just putting it off going on dates and seeing what happens. Was a ok book but I feel like it needs sorting editing and some trimming as it felt so much wasn't needed.
July 14, 2026
POV is from Prince Theo of Denmark, where he's been hiding out in London and living a 'normal' life. Except, whatever he does could and would ended up on the tabloids. His latest shenanigan? Got sold out by his boyfriend and broke up with him via text on their 6-month anniversary. By chance, he met Prince Stef of Greece, and that one just feels different.
I love the pacing of the writing. The banter is fun. Theo has so many dimensions to him, he can be bitchy when it comes to his ex, he can be social with his friends, and he can be tight-lipped as a royal needs him to be. But he can show that he's lonely behind the facades too. I appreciate the author writing the different sides of a prince. Since this is a story about Theo, there's less of those for Stef, but he also comes with his set of baggage and they were showed nicely. I love how human Stef is and not princely - of course, he doesn't have the pressure either. But how they break the mold for each other is so lovely to see.
This is 2nd book in the series, but you don't need to read previous book to read this one. This works as a standalone too. But helps with some background for the friends group.
Thank you NetGalley & Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC
I love the pacing of the writing. The banter is fun. Theo has so many dimensions to him, he can be bitchy when it comes to his ex, he can be social with his friends, and he can be tight-lipped as a royal needs him to be. But he can show that he's lonely behind the facades too. I appreciate the author writing the different sides of a prince. Since this is a story about Theo, there's less of those for Stef, but he also comes with his set of baggage and they were showed nicely. I love how human Stef is and not princely - of course, he doesn't have the pressure either. But how they break the mold for each other is so lovely to see.
This is 2nd book in the series, but you don't need to read previous book to read this one. This works as a standalone too. But helps with some background for the friends group.
Thank you NetGalley & Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC
June 6, 2026
ARC REVIEW-
3.5
A story following Theo, a Danish Prince who is soon to become King after his sister abdicates the throne. Theo has a lot going on in his life: he is about to become the King of Denmark when this was never on the cards for him; he has an ex-partner who vilifies him in the press; friends who are pushing him to fake-date and marry other men to re-build his reputation in the press; and he meets Stef, a member of the Greek monarchy who he could never be in a serious relationship with.
There was a lot going on in this book, and many aspects of the storyline didn’t feel all that fleshed out, leading to some parts of the story leaving me wanting for more and other parts feeling unnecessary. However, I really didn’t mind and was happy to plod along with Theo and whatever he was doing throughout the book.
I enjoyed the pining between the two love interests and the building of their relationship. I enjoyed reading this book and whilst it felt unrealistic in parts, it do so in a way that a work of fiction has permission to be.
Thank you to NetGalley and all for the ARC.
3.5
A story following Theo, a Danish Prince who is soon to become King after his sister abdicates the throne. Theo has a lot going on in his life: he is about to become the King of Denmark when this was never on the cards for him; he has an ex-partner who vilifies him in the press; friends who are pushing him to fake-date and marry other men to re-build his reputation in the press; and he meets Stef, a member of the Greek monarchy who he could never be in a serious relationship with.
There was a lot going on in this book, and many aspects of the storyline didn’t feel all that fleshed out, leading to some parts of the story leaving me wanting for more and other parts feeling unnecessary. However, I really didn’t mind and was happy to plod along with Theo and whatever he was doing throughout the book.
I enjoyed the pining between the two love interests and the building of their relationship. I enjoyed reading this book and whilst it felt unrealistic in parts, it do so in a way that a work of fiction has permission to be.
Thank you to NetGalley and all for the ARC.
June 8, 2026
Review of an advanced copy of How to Love a Prince by Hayden Stone received from NetGalley.
3.5/5 stars
This book was a light-hearted and fun book. it was an enjoyable and easy read.
The main character of Theo was intriguing, I loved seeing into his thoughts, however I would have liked to see the other main character, Stef's, POV.
The pacing of the book was slow at times, and often had sections where Stef was absent for long periods of time and felt like the momentum of their romance kept going backwards, -SPOILER- (Especially with all the fake dates James was setting Theo up with).
I did love the descriptions of the beautiful places they went to.
-SPOILERS- The storyline of Freja abdicating for love I can kind of understand, but then putting the pressure on Theo not to abdicate despite herself doing just that, I felt was a bit hypocritical and made me dislike her character.
I think my favourite character was Stef, he seemed a more down to earth kind of character despite being a royal, and had problems, that ordinary people that are reading the book can relate to ( eg. coming out to family).
Overall this was an interesting and light read.
3.5/5 stars
This book was a light-hearted and fun book. it was an enjoyable and easy read.
The main character of Theo was intriguing, I loved seeing into his thoughts, however I would have liked to see the other main character, Stef's, POV.
The pacing of the book was slow at times, and often had sections where Stef was absent for long periods of time and felt like the momentum of their romance kept going backwards, -SPOILER- (Especially with all the fake dates James was setting Theo up with).
I did love the descriptions of the beautiful places they went to.
-SPOILERS- The storyline of Freja abdicating for love I can kind of understand, but then putting the pressure on Theo not to abdicate despite herself doing just that, I felt was a bit hypocritical and made me dislike her character.
I think my favourite character was Stef, he seemed a more down to earth kind of character despite being a royal, and had problems, that ordinary people that are reading the book can relate to ( eg. coming out to family).
Overall this was an interesting and light read.
June 24, 2026
How to Love a Prince by Hayden Stone is book two in the Being Royals series and follows Theo, a Danish prince who has no interest in being king. He loves the freedom of nightlife and his work as an interior designer/consultant.
His life is thrown for a loop when his boyfriend not only breaks up with him over text but does a scathing tell all story with the tabloids. Not long after he finds out his life won't be as free and simple as he wanted because his sister is abdicating and he is to be king.
His friend James in the effort to cheer him up introduces him to Stefanos a member of the greek royal family and while they have few in person interactions throughout the book hijinks ensue including a yachting accident, a fake dating/ marriage arrangement, and more.
I like stories that have greek characters or settings so that was plus for me. And I do appreciate how Theo's nightmares were described and how they eventually worked on.
Though at times a bit slow I really enjoyed this book and I will be reading more from author Hayden Stone.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
His life is thrown for a loop when his boyfriend not only breaks up with him over text but does a scathing tell all story with the tabloids. Not long after he finds out his life won't be as free and simple as he wanted because his sister is abdicating and he is to be king.
His friend James in the effort to cheer him up introduces him to Stefanos a member of the greek royal family and while they have few in person interactions throughout the book hijinks ensue including a yachting accident, a fake dating/ marriage arrangement, and more.
I like stories that have greek characters or settings so that was plus for me. And I do appreciate how Theo's nightmares were described and how they eventually worked on.
Though at times a bit slow I really enjoyed this book and I will be reading more from author Hayden Stone.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars rounded up.
How to Love a Prince reads as a royal romcom. It follows the usual chaos of a royal out of his depth and works towards becoming more serious, focusing on stress and mental health as Theo works towards cleaning up his image.
While this book is a light hearted comedy, it definitely has some harder hitting moments dealing with grief, toxicity and belonging.
I found this book hard to put down and flew through it, wanting more and more every time I had to stop. The humour keeps the book moving and, as mentioned, the emotional scenes, while scarce, help keep the book grounded.
I really enjoyed exploring Theo’s darker moments and seeing his reactions to the press's onslaught of lies, and seeing how he deals with the grief from his father. It was good to see both the awkward and chaotic moments, and the realer, rawer moments.
Theo and Stef’s love story, while slow at the start, quickens as the yearning follows them from their first interaction, which I really enjoyed. I love a romance that starts with yearning instead of diving right in.
How to Love a Prince reads as a royal romcom. It follows the usual chaos of a royal out of his depth and works towards becoming more serious, focusing on stress and mental health as Theo works towards cleaning up his image.
While this book is a light hearted comedy, it definitely has some harder hitting moments dealing with grief, toxicity and belonging.
I found this book hard to put down and flew through it, wanting more and more every time I had to stop. The humour keeps the book moving and, as mentioned, the emotional scenes, while scarce, help keep the book grounded.
I really enjoyed exploring Theo’s darker moments and seeing his reactions to the press's onslaught of lies, and seeing how he deals with the grief from his father. It was good to see both the awkward and chaotic moments, and the realer, rawer moments.
Theo and Stef’s love story, while slow at the start, quickens as the yearning follows them from their first interaction, which I really enjoyed. I love a romance that starts with yearning instead of diving right in.
June 7, 2026
~Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!~
This book will work for readers who want a spicy MM romance between princes in sort of a doomed-love scenario, who like a mildly chaotic protagonist with baggage. It's a low-stakes kind of story but where the MC feels those stakes deeply.
It's not slow-burn exactly, but it does kind of give those vibes because the MCs are a bit stubborn to admit to themselves or each other what they're feeling.
I admit, I struggled with this one. The pacing was too slow for me and the plot points felt too much like intentional devices rather than organic events. Things felt forced, like the fake dating scheme in particular. I'm not sure how going on lots of dates with different men would repair a prince's reputation, nor why an innocent accident would necessitate that kind of reputational repair in the first place.
If you can look past those things though, you might find this enjoyable. The spicy scenes are good, and there are several of them!
This book will work for readers who want a spicy MM romance between princes in sort of a doomed-love scenario, who like a mildly chaotic protagonist with baggage. It's a low-stakes kind of story but where the MC feels those stakes deeply.
It's not slow-burn exactly, but it does kind of give those vibes because the MCs are a bit stubborn to admit to themselves or each other what they're feeling.
I admit, I struggled with this one. The pacing was too slow for me and the plot points felt too much like intentional devices rather than organic events. Things felt forced, like the fake dating scheme in particular. I'm not sure how going on lots of dates with different men would repair a prince's reputation, nor why an innocent accident would necessitate that kind of reputational repair in the first place.
If you can look past those things though, you might find this enjoyable. The spicy scenes are good, and there are several of them!
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