With the fairytale wedding now over and the reality of their new roles placed on their shoulders, can Gale and Odette survive the sea of politics, family secrets, and scandal that awaits them? Can they still be true to themselves and their hearts?
The whole country...even the world is watching and not everyone is happy for them.
Beginning Forever is a novella that follows the events after The Prince Bride 2.
I’m a twenty-year-old something born in Montreal, Canada but currently living in Virginia for school. I would tell you want my major is however after two years I still have no idea what I’m doing.
So I’m a writer (duh that’s how you found me), movie enthusiast, and self-proclaimed chef. I love music even though I can’t sing or dance to save my life. (That doesn’t necessarily stop me but you’ve been warned.)
I started Ruthless People the summer of 2013 in hopes of giving myself a new type of love and crime drama. I never knew so many people thought like me! I feel truly blessed to have fans like you all! Writing is my true love and having you all enjoy my words is a dream come true.
I didn't think it was possible to fall more in love with this couple, but I did. Gah, their story is incredibly beautiful!
They're married. As king and queen, they are an unstoppable force. No matter what is thrown at them, they seem to come out stronger. Bad politics, death, family drama, not even bullets can stop them. Their love, their beauty, and their grace made their story such a joy to read.
I even loved getting inside the heads of the secondary characters: Wolfgang and his endless optimism; Iskander and his stoicism even in the face of hilarity; and Wilhelmina was too funny for words! I still want to know what ended up happening to Augusta. That girl did a disgusting 180 and her karma should be harsh!
Gale & Odette will be in my heart forever! They are embedded in my soul. I feel like they are family and I’m so sad that it’s over. This story was bigger than the first two books, and all I can do is chuckle because JJ thought she was finished after the second book. G&O had so much more to say, and I’m glad we got to experience their first two years of marriage! This book was sexy, fast paced and Gale’s humor—EVERYTHING! He is truly adorable and I love him. He is the perfect match for Odette. JJ slays at character development, and man does she know her Royals stuff!
I love this conversation between Gale, and his mother in law:
“Like I told you the night before the wedding, I will always stand by her. Always and in everything.” She turned her head to the side, blinked a few times, then stood up. “Good. Now you remember what I told you? When she is upset…” “Wine, chocolate, vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles or M&Ms, and a romantic comedy. Followed by a hot bubble bath…or preferably all in a hot bubble bath.” I smiled. “And when she is having a bad hair day?” “Never say it’s bad. Always say I like it, even if I don’t.” “And when she says something you’ve done is cheesy?” “Keep doing it because she loves cheesy.” She nodded her head and curtsied to me. “Until next time, Your Majesty.”
Until next time, Gale and Odette. I love them so much 😭
You must read The Prince's Bride Part 1 and 2 before reading this book.
I have the biggest hangover after finishing this trilogy! I am so in love with Odette and Gale's romance, but also with their journey as King/Queen in this book! They went through a LOT during the year or two after their coronation. From the press to family threatening to pull them apart, to Odette being the nation's first queen of color, I enjoyed every bit of it.
This author's writing was addictive. She had a way of drawing you in from the first book. From then to now, I was so invested. I loved that, in addition to Odette/Gale's POVs, we also got a few POVs from their guards and family members. It helped us to get a rounded view of how various events affected Odette and Gale's relationship/reign.
Even if you aren't a fan of royal romances, I highly recommend giving this trilogy a try. The audio was amazing to listen to, as they were passionate and versatile throughout the series.
#KingGale #QueenOdette
TROPES: royalty; marriage of convenience/arranged marriage; interracial (black heroine/white hero); family/palace drama
TRIGGER WARNINGS: mentions of death of loved ones and miscarriage
Loved being back in these two lovebirds life. Life of a royal is messy, exhausting, and challenging however I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the real struggle of marriage life after the fairytale ending.
I hope this author never stops writing! Love her books 💕
Well, I have confronted feelings with this one. I liked it, that's obvious. It's about Gale and Odette's life as king and queen, and I love both characters so I was happy to read this third book. Buuut, at some moments I got the feeling this book was not that necessary. I found it a little bit boring sometimes. Anyway, if you loved the first two books, read this one, too. At least, you will postpone saying goodbye to our favorite royal family.
i miss them so much rn! this was longer than the other books but so worth it. also tbh there was a bit of unnecessary drama but it was still entertaining :)
Whew!! This was a long one but so necessary and so good! 4.5 stars but definitely can pass as a 5 star! I loveeee how the series wrapped up and I loved the character development in each and every character. Well done 🫶🏽
I so loved this book, more than a novella, gives us the story of their first year of reign, how they struggled and they find themselves figuring out things as time passes. I love Gale, his sense of humor is fantastic, and glad he keeps it up, Odette is a character I will remember for a long time, she was perfect for the story and for Gale. Their chemistry is still strong, trying to find normalcy in their chaotic life as king and queen is not easy, and I enjoyed every page of it. 5-forever stars!
My first 5 star read of 2021; my first 5 star read in a very long time, period.
Some trilogies are only as good as the first book. The story moves along and oftentimes goes off the rails, and the only saving grace is that it ends with no resurrection in sight. The Prince's Bride: Beginning Forever, thankfully, doesn't have that issue. Honestly, it's the best book out of the series and ticks off all my boxes.
I won't detail too much what happened, but just know, it's a rollercoaster. The first year of marriage, they say, is the hardest, but to add in being king and queen on top of that, it was a wonder that Gale and Odette maintained who they were, grew, and never lost sight of what was most important to them: each other. There is romance, there's humor, there are high stakes and situations that made me want to jump in the pages and break a few bones. JJ certainly had a lot of real-life material to use *cough* The Duke and Duchess of Sussex *cough*, and I certainly saw the parallels, but this wasn't a photocopy of Harry and Meghan's life. The biggest difference being, Odette was actually supported by the family she married into.
All that aside, this story will make you fall a little in love with the characters and make you want to pluck out the eyes of those who showed their whole ass. I don't want to say I don't want this series to end, but it's best to end on a high note. Though I wouldn't be opposed to seeing how the King and Queen of Erovsia are doing in the future, hint-hint.
Now that Gale and Odette are married, the story doesn’t end at their fairytale wedding. With political machinations and scandals abound, the happy couple have a lot to deal with before their first anniversary.
While there were some minor grammatical issues, I felt that this sequel was well-written. The author did enough work with the traditions and the politics of it to make it all seem very real.
I liked the characters, but I kind of wish that we went to Gale and Odette’s third (official) anniversary, if only so we could fulfill the stipulations of Odette’s father’s will. The decision not to return to the will, and then having Gale question the validity of their court marriage, leaves us with more questions that could have been easily answered.
Ultimately, I liked the story and I’ll be happy to recommend it in conjunction with the rest of the series. It was refreshing and very sweet, and I can see myself giving the author a chance with another of her books because of it.
I DON’T WANT IT TO BE OVER! I devoured this series. The way I wanted the world to stop so I could finish the series. I love when I’m so enthralled with a book that I don’t want to do anything else but read it’s an amazing feel. I have fell in love with these characters and this world. Gale and Odette are just perfection like I’m so amazed. I’m so delighted that this series ended up being this incredible!
Another amazing story from JJ! This was originally supposed to be a novella and I’m so happy it turned into a full length novel. I was just not ready to say goodbye to these amazing characters. The ride has been everything romantic, heartwarming, and so very steamy!
After the last book, I was curious how Gale and Odette’s first year as king and queen would go, especially because nothing seems to go easy for them throughout the series. Without going into too much, I will say it was intense, and more often than not, I found myself with a huge smile on my face. This was the feel good read I needed this year!
If you’re looking for a refreshing, fast-paced HEA with good humor then this series is absolutely for you.
So in love with Odette and Gale, it was exciting to read a little of their ever after in the year following their wedding. It definitely wasn't all roses but instead had its share of storms, the constant major one being the media publications but then the interpersonal stuff behind the scenes made things so much worse at times but also better. I loved that they came back together after trust issues crop up and for the most part work as a unit together. Both Gale and Odette have things go wrong in relation to their families and it's a whirlwind watching them try to go about their lives while also being royals in the public eye.
Wilhemenia is one of my favorite characters in the series outside of the royal couple. She's honest in who she is and her opinions but the way she fiercely stands behind her daughter is a treat to read. Her plain speaking ways are the acerbic barbs that Odette cannot throw and actions she cannot take as a royal but Wilhemenia does when necessary. I'm glad we learn more about the animosity between the mothers in this book, so much more makes sense I think. Wolfgang is my next favorite. There's just something about that playful innocence that's endearing though he's a bit more serious in this one. I was glad to know he was firmly in Odette's corner, not to be cowed by the King. His loyalty, not to mention saving Odette's life were just what Odette needs from him.
A couple of things I wasn't quite satisfied with in the book. One was that the death of Gale's father occurred but we didn't see the mourning like when Arthur died from anyone. The second is Augusta. From book one to this one, if incomprehensible to me how quickly their sibling relationship deteriorated. The author does much to cast Augusta in a poor light which is effective but I couldn't help but feel sorry for Augusta and wished Odette could have gotten her sister some help.
The book could use a good editor as there are grammatical and spelling errors and at one point the book is supposed to be told from Gale's perspective but read as Odette's.
I loved that we got a year of them as king and queen, and boy, if ir wasn't an interesting first year. A lot of crazy stuff happened.
But I loved it. I smiled, cried, got angry, laughed. This story is not only a beautiful romance but it also has important sub topics in it that make it more relevant.
I'm so glad I read it, and I'll miss my king and queen of Ersovia so much!!!
Now, I start a formal petition for a book about Eliza and her journey in the MMC, I mean, a military romance with a royal twist.
I WANT IT!!!
I will also like a lot of we could get more Wolfgang and more Iskandar. Those two hace stories and secrets to tell. I can feel it ...
I need to say that, I need my own Wilhelmina irl (because my mom is calm and centered, I'm the Wilhelmina between us lol). That woman is fucking fantastic. A lioness. I adored every moment of hers in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
At times funny, romantic and other times Too real life. This was a good ending to the King and Queen's story! I would like to see the Prime Minister taken down
I love them so much but this book was 1- too long 2- too much information and drama/hate towards them. I truly enjoyed the book and all the characters so much but I felt like this book was 900 pages and it just kept going and going with more drama along the way. But I had to much fun falling in love with this book and world and I love how much they love each other and all the cute things that they do also for each other. This was the perfect princess book it was truly everything. Also what the actually hell happened to her sister!? She was so messy for no reason at all, and I hated so much all the pain that she caused my perfect queen. Loved seeing her finally being a mother but got she lost 2 babies so closed apart but they never went deeply on how much that hurt her. They truly deserve the whole world and I’m so happy that they found each other bye
Wow ! What a way to end an amazing series. I literally loved every moment of these books. I’ll never get over the way Gale loved Odette. It was such an amazing thing to read. No matter how crazy things got, he stood ten toes down for Odette honey!!!
I Stan Queen Odette!!! She stepped into her role so seamlessly and just took charge but was such a good partner to Gale when he just needed her to be his wife. The way she treated the staff, was admirable. Although she was “royalty”, she treated her staff so well and I loved that about her and Gale.
Although this book was slower than the other two, J.J. didn’t disappoint with that twist and turns that came at the most unexpected times lol. All in all, I’m going to miss reading about the King and Queen of Ersovia! 4/5 ⭐️ for me.
Nando’s Spice Rating: Plain-ish (not that I’d call this a romance but it’s the best genre to put it in)
Having just read a book that was too short, this book was too long.
Now I love it when a writer extends an epilogue to a full book/longer novella but here it was just too long. It felt longer than the original 2 books itself.
Having said that, I do love Odette and Gale and really enjoyed about their life after TPB.
This book did just lacked a consistent conflict; there was just a lot of little ones which even though is more realistic, it made the book less interesting.
If you want the epilogue of TPB Part 2 in more detail, that’s all this book is. There wasn’t much more planned than that.
JJ McAvoy is still one of my favourite authors so I really enjoyed this book.
Overall, this could’ve been half the length it actually was and would only recommend if you REALLY enjoyed the first 2 books otherwise don’t read this.
I love this book. Everything about it. The characters are so funny😭 i love Wolfgang is really is a ride or die. Odette and Gale got me giggling and kicking my feet the whole book. At one point I really thought we weren’t getting that happy ending because lord they couldn’t catch a break but I’m happy it ended well 🫶🏾. This is probably my favourite book out of the whole series.
love love loved this series, don’t know why no one speaks about it this is how you do a romance marriage of convenience book properly🤭🤭🤭 and even better it’s a POC FMC so ofc it’s a 5⭐️ Gale is now in the top 5 book boyf