What do you think?
Heartbreak Prince
On Syth's very first night as a bodyguard for the kingdom's naughtiest prince, tragedy strikes. The ensuing political upheaval sends Syth on the run with the prince she's supposed to protect. Vawn is a playboy, careless and lecherous, with a pretty face and a teasing tongue. He's also pathetically incapable of protecting himself. As the two of them flee from enemies and try to decide whom to trust, they become entangled in more ways than one... and they team up with a very intelligent, occasionally irritating magic carpet.
Prince Vawn is an artificient, gifted with the ability to paint special glyphs on fingernails, a technique that enables a person to harness their living energy for magical purposes. Without his gift, Syth doesn't stand a chance of surviving the journey ahead, and neither does he. To reach safety and reclaim what has been taken, Syth must trust the prince not only with her potential magic, but with something much more precious.
Heartbreak Prince is a standalone fantasy romance full of romantic tension, page-turning action, sassy banter, and heart-pounding spice.
Prince Vawn is an artificient, gifted with the ability to paint special glyphs on fingernails, a technique that enables a person to harness their living energy for magical purposes. Without his gift, Syth doesn't stand a chance of surviving the journey ahead, and neither does he. To reach safety and reclaim what has been taken, Syth must trust the prince not only with her potential magic, but with something much more precious.
Heartbreak Prince is a standalone fantasy romance full of romantic tension, page-turning action, sassy banter, and heart-pounding spice.
- GenresFantasy
469 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2026
About the author
Rebecca F. Kenney
74 books3,174 followersRebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance about sassy, strong women and hot guys with tragic backstories... pirates, warlords, demons, Fae, and royals. Her main series are the "Wicked Darlings" series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the "Dark Rulers" series (standalones in a shared world), and the "For the Love of the Villain" series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy ("The Vampires Will Save You"), a demon romance "Interior Design for Demons," a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings.
Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.
For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney
Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.
For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 24, 2026
This book has it ALL. A reverse Aladdin, flipped gender roles, a naughty prince, a badass female bodyguard, magical nail art, a wise magical carpet, betrayal, danger, and spice. I absolutely ate this up.
I loved how the author turned the traditional gender roles on their head, from their jobs and appearances to the dynamic between Syth and the prince.
Syth is a new bodyguard assigned to protect a notoriously naughty prince. On her very first night, he’s attacked, and she saves him with the help of a very wise, very magical carpet.
The nail magic was such a creative concept. The characters could change their nail art depending on the magic they needed, almost like casting a spell, and I loved how unique it felt. Vawn's ability to make beautiful nail art was also amazing.
As they journey to safety, they face danger, betrayals, and the horrors of their past while navigating themes of class, family expectations, and mental health. These heavier elements gave the story an emotional depth that balanced the fun adventure.
The banter and humor between Syth and Vawn were fantastic, and I loved that the spice felt natural to their relationship and character development.
A fun, unexpected book filled with magic, action, romance, humor, and heart. Definitely pick it up. Ty so much to @rebeccafkenneybooks for the amazing gifted box that included this beautiful physical copy.
4.25
I loved how the author turned the traditional gender roles on their head, from their jobs and appearances to the dynamic between Syth and the prince.
Syth is a new bodyguard assigned to protect a notoriously naughty prince. On her very first night, he’s attacked, and she saves him with the help of a very wise, very magical carpet.
The nail magic was such a creative concept. The characters could change their nail art depending on the magic they needed, almost like casting a spell, and I loved how unique it felt. Vawn's ability to make beautiful nail art was also amazing.
As they journey to safety, they face danger, betrayals, and the horrors of their past while navigating themes of class, family expectations, and mental health. These heavier elements gave the story an emotional depth that balanced the fun adventure.
The banter and humor between Syth and Vawn were fantastic, and I loved that the spice felt natural to their relationship and character development.
A fun, unexpected book filled with magic, action, romance, humor, and heart. Definitely pick it up. Ty so much to @rebeccafkenneybooks for the amazing gifted box that included this beautiful physical copy.
4.25
September 19, 2026
Take Aladdin and reverse the roles, add some the coolest magic I’ve ever read and a snarky carpet. This was so good and so unique. Magic nails??? Like how cool is that. I loved the FMC and grew to love the MMC. A must read if you love fairytale reimaginings.
October 4, 2026
If you've been around my Goodreads or Bookstagram, you know that one of my favorite fantasy authors is Rebecca F Kenney. So, I was so excited when I heard that she was publishing a new indie book, The Heartbreak Prince.
Let's just say that she definitely delivered. This book was so much fun, the magic system was so unique, and the dialogue and interactions between the main characters was so sexy, irreverent, and funny that I devoured it in days.
In this book, we meet Syth, who is recently out of training to be a bodyguard for the royal family. Unfortunately for her, she gets assigned to the youngest prince, Vawn, who is a notorious playboy who indulges in all of life's sinful pleasures and who, at least on the surface, really doesn't seem to care about anything except for himself. On her first night guarding him, the worst that could possibly happen does, there's a coup against the royals, and it sends Vawn and Syth running from enemies to protect the sole heir, without knowing who they can really trust. Enter in one of my favorite new side characters of all times, a sentient magic carpet, whose got quite the bit of personality and he won't let you forget it!
One of the things that I love about this book is the way that nothing is truly what it seems, and as Syth and Vawn are on the run, they get to know more about each other. Syth is the ultimate badass. She is strong, determined and can wield a set of blades like no other. But probably her best quality is that she has a heart of gold and such a strong sense of what is wrong and right. Syth is always willing to fight for the underdog, and she doesn't believe that magic should be concentrated to just the few and powerful who can afford it. Vawn, while on the surface seems to care about very little, actually is a deep well of emotion. This poor guy comes with so much trauma and so much insecurity that he's hiding. I will say, that Vawn's tongue is deliciously lethal in more ways than one. The comebacks and quips that come out of this man's mouth will have you laughing and giggling too many times to count.
Through their adventures to escape, Syth and Vawn really get to share some of their innermost insecurities and help each other heal. Now, this is also Rebecca so there is plenty of wonderful spice and sexy moments, but there are also important messages about how one can work through one's pain and trauma to come on the other side of it, what it means to be a good partner and friend, and how out of the most painful of circumstances, new possibilities can grow.
I also really enjoyed the magic system for this book. It is so unique. Essentially, magic is siphoned and controlled through glyph magic that is painted on people's nails, and depending on the type of symbol that people have, it channels different types of abilities. Vawn is a very powerful character in this world because he is able to create this glyph art. Who knew that the next sexy trope that I needed was 'he paints her nails for her'....trust me it delivers! Also, to have an MMC who can rock a mesh crop top is glorious. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure who I'm crushing on more because both Vawn and Syth are gorgeous.
As the action continues to build, we find that Vawn and Syth are riding perilously close to danger's edge but the biggest danger might be losing their heart when they never planned to. This was such a fun, irreverent and heartfelt read. You'll definitely enjoy it so I recommend grabbing it.
In this book, we meet Syth, who is recently out of training to be a bodyguard for the royal family. Unfortunately for her, she gets assigned to the youngest prince, Vawn, who is a notorious playboy who indulges in all of life's sinful pleasures and who, at least on the surface, really doesn't seem to care about anything except for himself. On her first night guarding him, the worst that could possibly happen does, there's a coup against the royals, and it sends Vawn and Syth running from enemies to protect the sole heir, without knowing who they can really trust. Enter in one of my favorite new side characters of all times, a sentient magic carpet, whose got quite the bit of personality and he won't let you forget it!
One of the things that I love about this book is the way that nothing is truly what it seems, and as Syth and Vawn are on the run, they get to know more about each other. Syth is the ultimate badass. She is strong, determined and can wield a set of blades like no other. But probably her best quality is that she has a heart of gold and such a strong sense of what is wrong and right. Syth is always willing to fight for the underdog, and she doesn't believe that magic should be concentrated to just the few and powerful who can afford it. Vawn, while on the surface seems to care about very little, actually is a deep well of emotion. This poor guy comes with so much trauma and so much insecurity that he's hiding. I will say, that Vawn's tongue is deliciously lethal in more ways than one. The comebacks and quips that come out of this man's mouth will have you laughing and giggling too many times to count.
Through their adventures to escape, Syth and Vawn really get to share some of their innermost insecurities and help each other heal. Now, this is also Rebecca so there is plenty of wonderful spice and sexy moments, but there are also important messages about how one can work through one's pain and trauma to come on the other side of it, what it means to be a good partner and friend, and how out of the most painful of circumstances, new possibilities can grow.
I also really enjoyed the magic system for this book. It is so unique. Essentially, magic is siphoned and controlled through glyph magic that is painted on people's nails, and depending on the type of symbol that people have, it channels different types of abilities. Vawn is a very powerful character in this world because he is able to create this glyph art. Who knew that the next sexy trope that I needed was 'he paints her nails for her'....trust me it delivers! Also, to have an MMC who can rock a mesh crop top is glorious. Though, to be honest, I'm not sure who I'm crushing on more because both Vawn and Syth are gorgeous.
As the action continues to build, we find that Vawn and Syth are riding perilously close to danger's edge but the biggest danger might be losing their heart when they never planned to. This was such a fun, irreverent and heartfelt read. You'll definitely enjoy it so I recommend grabbing it.
September 27, 2026
What a ride!
I have to admit, this book took a bit of getting into. The magic system was unique & took a lot of explaining. There's so much back information that I felt I was going to be asked to sit a test at the end (I would probably pass 😉). Some parts were a bit long & much as I loved Severin, his monolog early on had me as annoyed as The Naughty Prince.
Having said this, I loved all the main characters. Syth is amazing. She's so very human in a world of Romantasy MFCs out there. Hardworking, tenacious & in no need of being saved. She is the saviour as a bodyguard should be. Vawn is so complex. For all his charm, humour & bravado, I really felt for him. Severin is perfect (when he's not in lecture mode) & I laughed countless times. Special mention goes to Lady Kaenan. No spoilers, but I particularly liked her.
This book is not your average 'lets go on a quest' story. It isn't a happy, jolly tale as it is so much more. Yes, there are moments of reprieve & humour, but you never know when or how long for. It keeps you on you toes. You will feel every emotion. Please read the trigger notes carefully. There is a HEA at the end & I feel it is earnt, not a given.
In all, I really enjoyed it. I love a standalone story. The world building was complex, the reality of situations had me on the edge of my seat & the characters were pretty much perfect. As I said, there's a fair bit of knowledge to absorb & the does slow the story down at times. There's also a good amount of spice without it being the focal point of the story. It's a book I will definitely re-read at some point.
My actual rating is 4.5/5*.
I have to admit, this book took a bit of getting into. The magic system was unique & took a lot of explaining. There's so much back information that I felt I was going to be asked to sit a test at the end (I would probably pass 😉). Some parts were a bit long & much as I loved Severin, his monolog early on had me as annoyed as The Naughty Prince.
Having said this, I loved all the main characters. Syth is amazing. She's so very human in a world of Romantasy MFCs out there. Hardworking, tenacious & in no need of being saved. She is the saviour as a bodyguard should be. Vawn is so complex. For all his charm, humour & bravado, I really felt for him. Severin is perfect (when he's not in lecture mode) & I laughed countless times. Special mention goes to Lady Kaenan. No spoilers, but I particularly liked her.
This book is not your average 'lets go on a quest' story. It isn't a happy, jolly tale as it is so much more. Yes, there are moments of reprieve & humour, but you never know when or how long for. It keeps you on you toes. You will feel every emotion. Please read the trigger notes carefully. There is a HEA at the end & I feel it is earnt, not a given.
In all, I really enjoyed it. I love a standalone story. The world building was complex, the reality of situations had me on the edge of my seat & the characters were pretty much perfect. As I said, there's a fair bit of knowledge to absorb & the does slow the story down at times. There's also a good amount of spice without it being the focal point of the story. It's a book I will definitely re-read at some point.
My actual rating is 4.5/5*.
September 18, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I absolutely adored this unique romantasy from Rebecca F Kenney. I have read several of her books and I would put this in my top 3. While usually I find her books to be pretty spicy, this was on the tamer side (it was still there of course and it was HOT).
Syth is a novice bodyguard eager to prove herself from her recent academy graduation. A position as a bodyguard to one of the younger princes would be an excellent step int he right direction as well as a steady income she desperately needs. The Naughty Prince Vawn is the youngest child and 5th in line for the throne, with no expectations to ever rule or be serious he spends his days and nights full of drugs, alcohol and debauchery. Vawn is also a gifted artificient- someone who can use magical paint to be imbedded onto nails to grant a person a temporary energy for magical purposes. On her first night on the job, Vawn is attacked causing Syth to save his life and flee across the country.
What I really loved about this book, is how the plot and spice were so interwoven together- especially for a standalone. Vawn suffers from anxiety and depression, as well as traumatic childhood and young adult experiences. There are so many layers to the Naughty Prince and I loved watching (well reading) them unfold. He quickly stole my heart. For the author this is a slower burn romance as it took a moment for the FMC and MMC to come together and I love how they tried to fight their attraction to each other- especially Syth. She is a bodyguard and knows that falling for the Prince is a colossal mistake yet can't help being drawn to him.
Tropes
💔Mental health rep
💔Magical carpet with personality
💔Prince x bodyguard
💔Sexy peep shows
💔They save each other
💔Unique magic system with nail art
💔He paints her nails
💔Standalone with an HEA
🌶️🌶️🌶️
I absolutely adored this unique romantasy from Rebecca F Kenney. I have read several of her books and I would put this in my top 3. While usually I find her books to be pretty spicy, this was on the tamer side (it was still there of course and it was HOT).
Syth is a novice bodyguard eager to prove herself from her recent academy graduation. A position as a bodyguard to one of the younger princes would be an excellent step int he right direction as well as a steady income she desperately needs. The Naughty Prince Vawn is the youngest child and 5th in line for the throne, with no expectations to ever rule or be serious he spends his days and nights full of drugs, alcohol and debauchery. Vawn is also a gifted artificient- someone who can use magical paint to be imbedded onto nails to grant a person a temporary energy for magical purposes. On her first night on the job, Vawn is attacked causing Syth to save his life and flee across the country.
What I really loved about this book, is how the plot and spice were so interwoven together- especially for a standalone. Vawn suffers from anxiety and depression, as well as traumatic childhood and young adult experiences. There are so many layers to the Naughty Prince and I loved watching (well reading) them unfold. He quickly stole my heart. For the author this is a slower burn romance as it took a moment for the FMC and MMC to come together and I love how they tried to fight their attraction to each other- especially Syth. She is a bodyguard and knows that falling for the Prince is a colossal mistake yet can't help being drawn to him.
Tropes
💔Mental health rep
💔Magical carpet with personality
💔Prince x bodyguard
💔Sexy peep shows
💔They save each other
💔Unique magic system with nail art
💔He paints her nails
💔Standalone with an HEA
September 18, 2026
Such a fun ride on a Sheldon-coded know-it-all talking magic carpet! The romance between Syth and Vawn burns slowly but when it ignites, it's deliciously hott. The romantasy setting was a fun mix of pink culture, complete with mesh crop tops and excessive leather accessories, and gas lamp fantasy world with a recent discovery of very limited expressions of magic. Magic is limited to temporary uses and hoarded among the wealthy elites. The world building was so well done that I didn't have a hard time believing in a nail art based magic system. All of the plot elements were so fun and kept the story moving.
But the real heart of the story is the character development of Syth and Vawn and their complicated journey to loving each other. Both main characters have thorough and devastating backstories as well as current constant trauma to navigate. Through ups and downs and so many life threatening dangers they slowly open up to each other and eventually learn how to open their hearts.
Also one of the best parts of this book are Syth & Vawn's sense of an expression of their own feminity and masculinity respectively. Syth loves her strength and fighting skills and also finds it hot that Vawn is naturally bigger and stronger than her. Vawn is a magical nail tech, not a profession typically considered masculine, and yet his effortless* (*ifyyk) confidence is so hunky manly swoon worthy. He is more into fashion and personal style than Syth, which is not typical in portrayals of men in this genre, and is an absolute panty dropper capital M man.
This one will put you square in your feels.
Highly recommend!
But the real heart of the story is the character development of Syth and Vawn and their complicated journey to loving each other. Both main characters have thorough and devastating backstories as well as current constant trauma to navigate. Through ups and downs and so many life threatening dangers they slowly open up to each other and eventually learn how to open their hearts.
Also one of the best parts of this book are Syth & Vawn's sense of an expression of their own feminity and masculinity respectively. Syth loves her strength and fighting skills and also finds it hot that Vawn is naturally bigger and stronger than her. Vawn is a magical nail tech, not a profession typically considered masculine, and yet his effortless* (*ifyyk) confidence is so hunky manly swoon worthy. He is more into fashion and personal style than Syth, which is not typical in portrayals of men in this genre, and is an absolute panty dropper capital M man.
This one will put you square in your feels.
Highly recommend!
September 18, 2026
An exciting standalone romantasy with flying carpets and a magic system based on nail art.
Syth a female bodyguard gets the chance to work a job for the youngest prince, but during his night of debauchery things go wrong and Syth has to get Vawn out of the kingdom alive. Keeping him alive is no easy task with people and the land against them on their way to potential allies.
A key component to Syth and Vawns survival is the wonderfully sassy-knows-a-LOT flying carpet. He was such a great addition to the dynamic of the story and drops a lot of great world building lore. I laughed out loud multiple times because of him.
These characters were fun to fall in love with and compliment each other beautifully and the world building was great.
There are very easy to hate characters and moments, so please as always check content warnings before reading. Rebecca does a great job making them easy to find.
Humans are very sexually driven beings and Rebecca's books always reflect an element of the dark reality behind it along with the love behind a good romance. That raw duality makes her books stand out to me and this one does it really well.
And it all starts with Unicorn roadkill.
Syth a female bodyguard gets the chance to work a job for the youngest prince, but during his night of debauchery things go wrong and Syth has to get Vawn out of the kingdom alive. Keeping him alive is no easy task with people and the land against them on their way to potential allies.
A key component to Syth and Vawns survival is the wonderfully sassy-knows-a-LOT flying carpet. He was such a great addition to the dynamic of the story and drops a lot of great world building lore. I laughed out loud multiple times because of him.
These characters were fun to fall in love with and compliment each other beautifully and the world building was great.
There are very easy to hate characters and moments, so please as always check content warnings before reading. Rebecca does a great job making them easy to find.
Humans are very sexually driven beings and Rebecca's books always reflect an element of the dark reality behind it along with the love behind a good romance. That raw duality makes her books stand out to me and this one does it really well.
And it all starts with Unicorn roadkill.
September 29, 2026
Absolutely devoured this one! Rebecca always finds the most creative ways to put her own spin on fairytales, and I will forever be here for it!
This is an Aladdin retelling featuring a prince known as the Naughty Prince and a fierce FMC who happens to be his bodyguard. The tension, the spice, and the unique take on a familiar fairytale made this such a fun read!
But can we talk about the magic system?! It was unlike anything I’ve read before. Magic is created through nail art painted glyphs that can be activated, and I was obsessed with how creative that was!
And the magic carpet?! Easily my favorite side character! Imagine Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, but as a talking magic carpet. His personality was everything, and I honestly could have read an entire book just about him!
If you love fairytale retellings with a fresh twist, unique worldbuilding, a little chaos, and plenty of spice, you need to add this one to your TBR!
This is an Aladdin retelling featuring a prince known as the Naughty Prince and a fierce FMC who happens to be his bodyguard. The tension, the spice, and the unique take on a familiar fairytale made this such a fun read!
But can we talk about the magic system?! It was unlike anything I’ve read before. Magic is created through nail art painted glyphs that can be activated, and I was obsessed with how creative that was!
And the magic carpet?! Easily my favorite side character! Imagine Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, but as a talking magic carpet. His personality was everything, and I honestly could have read an entire book just about him!
If you love fairytale retellings with a fresh twist, unique worldbuilding, a little chaos, and plenty of spice, you need to add this one to your TBR!
September 22, 2026
A crazy, wild ride… carpet ride actually! I really liked the characters in this story. It was a nice change to see a “pathetic” prince who needed saving. Both characters could be strong and soft at times. This was a fast paced story with a lot of action. RK really puts her characters through it. Very much enjoyed!
September 22, 2026
So much fun!
This was so much fun to read with lots of hysterical laughs, adventure and spice; it also gets surprisingly emotional at times. The magic carpet gave the story lots of levity plus the banter between Vawn and Syth. 😘 The magic system is based off glyphs and it’s a standalone with a perfect hea.
This was so much fun to read with lots of hysterical laughs, adventure and spice; it also gets surprisingly emotional at times. The magic carpet gave the story lots of levity plus the banter between Vawn and Syth. 😘 The magic system is based off glyphs and it’s a standalone with a perfect hea.
October 8, 2026
This was honestly so unexpected and extremely refreshing. A slutty prince and a badass female bodyguard? Hell yeah. Unique and genuinely fun magic system? Hell YEAH! A horrifyingly relatable depiction of depression? Hell yeah 😭
I love this author, and I really think this might be my favorite one of hers I’ve read so far.
I love this author, and I really think this might be my favorite one of hers I’ve read so far.
October 8, 2026
This may have been the worst book I’ve ever read.
September 18, 2026
Thankyou to Rebecca for letting me read this book early! Absolutely enjoyed this book and the twist and turns really made me question which characters I could and couldn’t trust!
Very much loved the magic carpet 😍
Very much loved the magic carpet 😍
September 25, 2026
“If I’m going to be devastated, ruined, hurt, betrayed, or even killed, I want it to be by his hand or in his service.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 / 5
“I only do heroic things on occasion, to protect you. I must have my beautiful bodyguard with me, otherwise I am useless.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 / 5
“I only do heroic things on occasion, to protect you. I must have my beautiful bodyguard with me, otherwise I am useless.”
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews