The Royal Bodyguard

Royal #2

by Lindsay Emory

When Princess Caroline of Drieden of the Royal House Laurent eloped with a race car driver, she forfeited her royal title and her family.

Now a widow and exiled from Drieden, Caroline is working as a journalist, writing exposes under a pen name. When, one day, she catches sight of her sister Thea's ex-fiancé, she's stunned - Christian is supposed to be dead. Here could be the scoop of the century.

But Caroline's plans to uncover Christian's deception are foiled by the arrival of Hugh Konnor - her former bodyguard and Caroline's first - unrequited - love. When Hugh stubbornly refuses to leave her side, Caroline can't deny they make a good team.

As they unravel a web of deception that could bring down the House of Laurent, Caroline must decide how far she's willing to go to protect a family she feels deserted her - and whether the man who swore to guard her body can safely hold her heart.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Adult, Royalty

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2019

Reviews

[Caitlin Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Royal Runaway so I was thrilled to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was told from Caroline's (the disowned princess's) point of view. I immediately loved Caroline and was drawn into the story. Stavros, the race car driver Caroline ran off, with was killed in a car accident early on in the novel. Caroline retreats from the world and is secluded in Lake Como when she runs into Christian, the supposedly dead ex-fiance of her sister, of all people. Caroline soon learns that several other people are after Christian, including her former bodyguard and first love, Hugh and she is the missing piece to finding him. Caroline and Hugh reluctantly team up to find Christian and sparks fly from early on. This story has romance, humor, intrigue and some mystery. It was really fun to join Caroline and Hugh on their adventure throughout Europe. The Royal Bodyguard also feature's some favorite characters from the first novel but can be read as a standalone as well. The ending sets up perfectly for a third book and I can't wait!

[Jypsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Author's Pal for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Royal Bodyguard
By:Lindsay Emory

*REVIEW* 👑👑👑
The Royal Bodyguard was not what I expected. I did not realize this is a second book in a series. I recommend reading the first book because some background information would have been useful. I like the premise, but the story did not connect with me. The heroine exiled princess tells the story, and that is problematic. I would have liked the hero's perspective as well. It was just a one sided story that fell flat. Unfortunately, I was not invested in the outcome. Readers who enjoy a single point of view will like this book I think.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a massive fan of The Royal Runaway, I was incredibly excited to read this new Royal book, and it did not disappoint one bit.

I just wish I'd read them closer together as some of it may have been easier to catch up with, but other than that this could easily be read as a standalone.

This time its Caroline in the spotlight, and we see just what a disgraced Princess of Drieden really gets up to.

I loved the continuation of a story-line from the first book, while also giving this book a slightly different feel and perspective, given this is not your typical dutiful princess.

And since she has been living in exile, a whole bunch of familiar faces suddenly arriving in town is not what she wanted, much less when the plot thickens and all manner of lives may be at risk.

I enjoyed her interactions with the troublesome bodyguard that she propositioned many years ago, and it was fun to see how that bit of the story played out.

I really did love every last second of this book, that is fast paced, and keeps you on your toes, while you try to work out just who may or may not be double crossing each other.

It was also interesting to see more of the family from the non royal side of the family, and I loved the references to American women wanting to marry their own Prince, a clear nod to Harry and Meghan.

Thoroughly enjoyable and I'm sure this isn't the last we have seen of Drieden or this particular royal family. Just please don't make us wait as long for the next book.

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Julia Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Lindsay Emory's voice and that bit of action-adventure that you get in her royal books! Caroline's story really worked for me, with twists and turns and a grumpy/dreamy bodyguard to boot. Loved this one!

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed such a good premise but this book really struggled to hold my interst, the characters were flat, one dimensional and sometimes just downright unlikeable (and not intentionally). The story was all over the place at times and too light for me.
Just not for me for me

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to The Royal Runaway, and in classic sequel terms, fun story but not as good as the original. Picks up a few months after the first book ends and focuses on Thea’s recently-widowed sister Princess Caroline and what happens when Thea’s ex-fiancé tracks down Caroline where she is in hiding. Closes the storyline on Christian (the ex fiancé) while gently leaving open future story lines. If there’s another book in the series, I’ll definitely read it. If there’s not, I’ll be ok, which makes me very satisfied.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked it because I wanted a Royal Romance and that is exactly what I got.
I didn't even know this was part of a series but I don't feel like I missed anything because I started on book 2.
The way it ended makes me think their is going to be a book 3.

Over all I enjoyed the book it was a lot of politics and I was a little over hearing her say she was stripped of her title, that we got it.

GREAT narration!!

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.75/5 but rounded up to 3/5

[Bruin Mccon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Royal Bodyguard is a romantic mystery novel. It’s the second in a series about Drieden royals.

First, Drieden is a made up European country. So this is heavily weighted to the fairy tale romance side of the coin. It’s a nice romance but as usual with a royal book, it’s hard to identify with a princess who has luxury estates all over the world, is followed by the paparazzi, falls in love with her bodyguard and dates billionaires. This is not reality for most people.

If you can ignore that piece, it’s a nice combo of romance and a tiny mystery. It’s like a diet Dan Brown book with some closed door romance thrown in.

There are probably more books to come as there are still two more siblings whose royal lives this author has yet to explore.

[Malia · Rating 3 out of 5]

With being a fan of  The Royal Runaway , I was over the moon when I heard about Caroline, Theodora's estranged sister, getting her own story in The Royal Bodyguard .  It didn't quite hit home with me like it did with Theodora's story, but I loved that we get to know Caroline a bit more and just their family, overall.
I'm becoming quite the fan of Lindsay's writing, she pulls you in from the very beginning. And even though I wasn't loving it as much as I hoped, I was engaged the whole time.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY REVIEW | HERE



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Merged review:

With being a fan of  The Royal Runaway , I was over the moon when I heard about Caroline, Theodora's estranged sister, getting her own story in The Royal Bodyguard .  It didn't quite hit home with me like it did with Theodora's story, but I loved that we get to know Caroline a bit more and just their family, overall.
I'm becoming quite the fan of Lindsay's writing, she pulls you in from the very beginning. And even though I wasn't loving it as much as I hoped, I was engaged the whole time.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY REVIEW | HERE



BLOG | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON | BOOKBUB | TWITTER

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Royal Bodyguard was a light romantic chick lit novel with a bit of an action plot. It was pure entertainment for anyone who needs a little royal fix. Here, Caroline was stripped of her titles when she married, and soon found herself widowed and alone. When she was discovered by someone thought to be dead, her former royal bodyguard took up the fight to protect her and her royal family’s name.

This was very light and fun! Caroline even made some royal jokes along the way, which made her likable. The fact that she had renounced her titles to marry for love gave her qualities that I found admirable such as passion, courage, and stubbornness. Actually, stubbornness was a trait she exhibited throughout the novel, and that made me really like her! She was a very strong character who both saved the day and needed to be saved. The story left plenty of opportunities for her bodyguard to be useful and increase the sexual tension between them.

Overall, though, this story needed a little more substance. I didn’t feel that the storylines concluded well, they just sort of ended. There also was a lot of chatter among characters without much substance to the conversations. This was cute and fun, and a total beach read.

[Jessica White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was good! I don't think it had quite the suspense of The Royal Runaway, but it did the job. Admittedly, after reading TRR, I totally thought Hugh was older -- perhaps in his 50/60s? However, 'twas not the case?
In the wake of her husband's untimely death, former Princess Caroline of Drieden goes into hiding. When her sister's former-fiancé-turned-secret-society-kidnapper (Christian) and the forbidden-love-bodyguard (Hugh, 35) both show up on her Italian doorstep on the same day, her cover was more than blown. What follows is a Jason Borne-esque chase, an unwelcome return home, and blackmail. I think there was a lot of time spent on world-expansion & backstory and not as much on what's happening now. I appreciated learning more about Felice, but do think there could've been more character building with Sophie, Henry, and Caroline's Italian friends (I mean, we hear they're okay and that's it).
Christian's demise wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped, but glad it did come eventually. I wish there's a book for the other two royal siblings, and thought from the beginning that Henry'd be next (American girlfriend mentioned quite a few times), but the epilogue has me thinking it'll be Sophie.

[Rebecca Azizov · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's review time 🎧
Warning ⚠️: royal story, second book in a series, standalone.

Narrator score🎧 ;well the narrator was absalutly push, and very Royal like. She was nice and had a great voice.

Level of anxiety and sadness0😱😢: I can't say the book was sad at all it was very good but not sad per say. You had your complications and secrets

The book itself📖: I read this book like 4 weeks ago and it took me awhile to write this review because I don't really know what I think about the book the Storyteller of the book was a great thing in my mind and yet I had some issues with the story I probably will give it five stars because I did enjoy it very much and because I'm writing clean reviews from spoilers I can't really tell you what did bother me but I can say it wasn't a big issue

[Sarah's Reading Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it even though there were some inconsistencies. I wish there would have been more build up at the beginning about the relationship between the two main characters. It felt rushed, but did make more sense later. There were some moments that weren't aligned with the characters and seemed only there to move the plot forward Overall, I enjoyed the intrigue and romance. I will be reading the next in the series.

[Trish M · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I did not expect it to be a Book 2 of Royal Runaway.
I love how different the story continues just because it has its own vibe...The adventure.continued on a pov of Caroline, different princess, different attitude.

The author manages to make the other Laurent shown to us.....

I was hoping to see other Laurent though 😉 (Book 3)

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think The Royal Bodyguard was better than The Royal Runaway. Caroline was much more realistic compared the Thea on terms of her rule breaking. Caroline was already an outcast when she decided to ignore her bodyguard. Thea on the other hand was a "perfect" princess who conviently followed Nick to move the story along.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

MEH.
the plot made ZERO sense and the main character was insufferable. BUT I did read it in two days so.
I recommend the first book, but feel free to skip this one.
Also WHY this cover?
On to the next royal book!

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The main characters didn’t listen to each other at ALL so kept having the same conversation over and over. It became infuriating. And because her bodyguard declined her overtures at 19 when he was working for her she assumed he “hates” her and said that constantly.

[*Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio narrated by Amanda Ronconi, 8 hr. 45 min.

[Tori M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge cliffhanger at the end! I want to know what happens next. I loved this book!

[Alskha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty boring tbh

[Katy Mowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun listen!

[Brooklyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not even gonna think about how wild royal insurance claims must be

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected- in a good way! Caroline is smart, independent, fierce, and loves her family despite her circumstances. She teams up, often reluctantly, with Hugh who she knew from years past. Between them there is a great spark, but the story isn’t solely focused on that. There is plenty of mystery, action, and drama to suit everyone! I hadn’t read the first of this series, but that was no problem. You can jump into this one and follow it easy. You might have a bit more background though if you’ve read the first.

[Stephanie Panach · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Perfect princesses exist only in fairy-tales. Humans wear tiaras, my darling. Humans who deserve love and forgiveness, just like everyone else."

Caroline eloped with a race car driver. She was exiled from her family and stripped of her royal title. When her husband died in a crash, she further separated herself from everything by hiding from the world. Caroline has a very complicated history with her family - and a lot of secrets. Including her job as a reporter and her previous role as a gossip columnist whose primary role was talking about her own family.

Hugh is a body guard with the royal police. He was Caroline's bodyguard 10 years ago - until he asked to be reassigned. Caroline had developed feelings for Hugh and wanted to act on them. Hugh chose honor over love.

From what we are told, Caroline seems to have gone in to something of a downward spiral after that event. Hugh stayed the course as a bodyguard, building his skills and reputation. They are brought back together again when Caroline's sister's ex-fiance (who had reportedly killed himself) suddenly reappears in her life.

There is a LOT going on in this book. Like a lot. Royal intrigue plots, unrequited love, personal loss, action, adventure, the list goes on! I think a little judicious editing might have narrowed things down a bit. I also think that some things that happened in this story are designed to set the stage for the next stories in this series -rather than putting the focus on this book. I am a series junkie - but things like that tend to make the focal story a little unwieldy and scattered.

I also wanted a little more development of the relationship between Hugh and Caroline. Obviously their past history explains a lot of their present connection, but they don't spend much time getting to know each other either. A point that is made by Caroline's sister - but isn't really fleshed out. I think there was so much else going on - that there wasn't time for that.

The ending was totally and completely anticlimactic. Like totally. I actually still feel like -really - that's it? I felt that way about everything that happened in the last 25% of the book.

That being said, I did enjoy the story and was invested in what was going to happen. But I felt like there was so much going on that the story didn't have a lot of focus. Without focus, I wasn't able to develop a lot of depth of connection to the characters.

If you like royal romances (which can be hit or miss for me) - this is a great book for you. It will remind you of Emma Chase's Royally Series. Or a very grown-up Princess Diaries. As a side note - the sexy-times in this book are definitely fade-to-black, so this might be a good transition book for a young-adult reader.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley - but these opinions are all my own!

Liked my review? Want to read more about what I've read? Check out my blog here: https://thisbookthatlife.com/

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookaday #2. Disowned Princess Caroline is the focus of this part 2, not as strong as the original story featuring her sister Thea. I’m still interested if a part 3 might appear.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A royally good romantic read full of drama, passion and suspense, The Royal Bodyguard is a heart-warming, emotional and enjoyable tale from a writer I’ve added to my must-buy list: Lindsay Emory.

Princess Caroline of Drieden had chosen love over duty to the crown and had eloped with a racing car driver, forfeiting her royal title and her family. However, now that her husband is dead, Caroline finds herself alone, exiled from her homeland and eking out a living writing shocking exposes under a pen name. Always on the look out for the next scoop, she is floored when she catches sight of her sister’s former fiancé Christian – who is supposed to be dead! If Caroline manages to break this story, she could have the scoop of the century on her hands. However, her plans to reveal to the world what really happened to Christian are shot to smithereens when Hugh Konnor – her former bodyguard and first love – turns up! Caroline needs to focus on her story and she certainly cannot afford any distractions of any kind. But when the man you never really stopped loving turns up out of the blue bringing with him a plethora of emotions which have been long-buried, Caroline realizes that she’s got more to worry about than being out scooped by her rivals!

Hugh refuses to leave her side and with every moment they spend together, him and Caroline find themselves getting closer and closer. As old desires rekindle making it impossible not to give into temptation, Caroline and Hugh find themselves reconnecting and falling in love with one another anew. However, as Caroline begins to wonder how deep she is prepared to go to protect the family that had deserted her, is she aware of the obstacles and dangers that are standing in her way?

Hugh swears to protect her body from all enemies, however, it soon becomes clear that it’s not just her body that will need protecting, but also her heart.

A thoroughly enjoyable romantic read full of adventure, intrigue and romance, The Royal Bodyguard is a wonderful tale of second chances, new beginnings and moving on from the past that kept me entertained and engrossed throughout. Lindsay Emory has a fantastic breezy style that holds readers captive and will have them falling head over heels in love with Caroline and Hugh. Add humour, danger, passion and plenty of heart and you have a fabulous romantic read you will not be able to put down.

The Royal Bodyguard was my first Lindsay Emory but it shall certainly not be my last. A fantastic romance I couldn’t bear to put down, Lindsay Emory’s The Royal Bodyguard is a must-read that should not be missed.

[Jeeves Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced with plenty of mystery and a touch of suspense, there’s a lot to like about this royal romance. However, two things held me back from the loving it. The first thing is that I had no idea that this is actually the second book in a series, and isn’t a complete standalone. There were definitely moments where I felt like I was missing something, and things aren’t completely wrapped up at the end of the book. Secondly, the story is told completely from our heroine’s perspective, and while I liked our hero, when the book was over I still didn’t know much about him. He’s the strong, silent type, so not hearing his side of the story made the romance even more one-sided. Had these two issues been resolved, this would’ve easily been a 4 or 5 star read for me.

The story follows Caroline, a self-described “disgraced princess, widow, and recluse” who is hiding out after the sudden death of her husband. She’s tried to distance herself from royal life, but gets pulled back in with the reappearance of someone from her sister’s past. Things get even more complicated when her former bodyguard (and teenage crush), Hugh, appears as well. Ten years have done little to diminish her attraction to Hugh, but he’s never seemed to reciprocate her feelings. As Caroline and Hugh work together to piece together the mystery, old feelings surface and Hugh isn’t quite as immune to Caroline’s charms as he was in the past.

The writing is solid, blending some humor and lightness in with the suspenseful aspects of the story. It’s a clean read with no explicit scenes and a slow burn romance. It took a little while for Caroline to win me over, but I was definitely rooting for her and Hugh in the end. Without Hugh’s perspective, the reader is left to make assumptions about his feelings toward her (or agree with whatever Caroline is thinking). Getting to know Hugh better would’ve taken this story to the next level, and making the reader aware that this is the second book in a series might help them make an informed decision about whether they’d like to read the series in order. I’d definitely read more from this author in the future, and appreciate receiving an ARC via NetGalley. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this royal romance.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your typical princess romance. There's art, secret societies, plots to overthrow the crown, and high-tech spy craft thrown into the mix. If you're thinking romance meets The Da Vinci Code... it's not quite like that, but it skirts the edges. Recommended if royal romances are your jam.

ETA: Changed my rating bc it pales in comparison to The Royal Runaway. Still an enjoyable read though.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.

3.5 stars

Lindsay Emory’s immensely readable The Royal Bodyguard is a dishy mix of entertainment and danger, with a scandalous formerly royal heroine and an honor-bound bodyguard determined to do all he can to resist her.

Part of Emory’s Royal Runaway world, this book focuses on Drieden Princess Thea’s sister, the former Princess Caroline. After eloping with a race car driver, Caroline was disinherited by her grandmother, the Drieden monarch, and cut adrift from the rest of her family. Now, her husband’s dead and Caroline finds herself once again in a liminal space: a princess but not, a widow, and also a secret journalist.

When her sister’s former betrothed Christian approaches her with a can’t-miss-it story, her journalistic fervor is activated. That is, until Hugh Konnor, royal bodyguard and her first-love-who-didn’t-share-her-feelings, convinces her that Christian’s actually dangerous to her & to the Drieden monarchy she once belonged to…

Told in a conversational style by a fascinating heroine who’s adept at taking on her Princess persona, The Royal Bodyguard kept me flipping pages, eager to see what would happen next between Caroline & Hugh. There’s strong chemistry between them, and the will-he-or-he-won’t-he is captivating.

But as much as I enjoyed the tension between the leads, I was bothered by what felt like a few inconsistencies (specifically regarding Caroline’s active participation in hunting down Christian) and an ending that feels hurried.

Overall, while I really enjoyed the read, I didn’t connect with the heroine or the plot as much as I did with The Royal Runaway, and that was a bit of a disappointment.