Royally Rearranged

Sweet Royal RomCom #1

by Emma St. Clair

A royal arranged marriage ... gone royally awry.

I've been waiting for this day my whole life. It's time to make the official announcement at a royal ball that Prince Callum and I will wed.

Dreamy, devastatingly handsome Prince Callum. The man I've been in love with since we were just kids, climbing trees and chasing swans.

But when he shows up with a tacky American girlfriend, all arrangements--and the gloves--are off.

The royal families have been keeping secrets from me about their promises ... and my future.

Which now looks a whole lot like a balding old duke who smells faintly of cheese.

Because whether I marry for duty, marry for love, or marry in a Vegas chapel, I must be wed to a royal by the end of the summer or lose my kingdom.

Just your typical royal dilemma.

But I'm about to show the world that the woman dubbed the Ice Princess can bring the heat.

I want my kingdom. And I want my Prince Charming. If I have to take out his girlfriend to get my happily ever after, I'll consider it a casualty of war.

Love or duty? It shouldn't be a choice.

I'm going to have both. I just hope I don't lose my crown or my heart in the process...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Royalty, Enemies To Lovers, Rom Com, Contemporary Romance

300 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2021

About the author

Emma St. Clair is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves sassy heroines, witty banter, and love stories with heart and humor. She has an MFA in Fiction and lives in Katy, Texas (go, Tigers!) with her hubby, five children, and Great Dane. Her favorite place to write is tapping on her phone while on the elliptical machine. No Emmas have been hurt in the writing of these novels. (Yet.)

Want a free novella? Grab Upping the Ante here: https://emmastclair.com/ante

You can follow the day-to-day on instagram @kikimojo.

Reviews

[ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book... i— speechless. i am speechless. perfection. immaculate. a true masterpiece.

fake-dating the rival of your best friend who you’re secretly in unrequited love with?? and said rival has been secretly obsessed with you from the moment you met?????




Serafina The Ice Princess Viore and Rafe The Royal Rogue de Silva are everything oh my god.

was this a pretty simple romance with not a lot of angst and absolutely zero smut? yes. and i still a managed to adore the fuck out of it???? hell yeah. i binged this in one sitting it was that fucking good.

the story is told in dual POV but definitely favours Serafina’s narration to Rafe’s but this choice worked so well. Serafina was a wonderful heroine. there were times when the romance wasn’t at the forefront of the novel, but i really didn’t care bcos Serafina was so delightfully charming and endearing enough that i was just as intrigued by her as an individual than i was with her and Rafe.

and don’t worry, this book is 10000% not a love triangle. and i think the way Callum and everything involving him was portrayed was excellent. i suppose this is a little spoilery, but there’s no real back and forth with Serafina being indecisive about her feelings. she handles the situation, growing feelings and realisations so well— it gave you some realistic angst but nothing OTT and irritating.

Her cheeks turn pink again, and I have a new favorite color.

i fucking loved the way woman-hating/internalised misogyny was handled here. Serafina “should” have hated Brit (Callum’s gf) for “stealing” him from her... but the way they interacted was adorably sweet. while the men’s mental health representation was poignant and well-established, too.

“I guess I’m starting to see you in a new way. I’m not sure who you are.”
Rafe leans closer, and for just this moment, his breath on my cheek makes me forget all about my pain, my undergarments, and Callum.
“I’ll be anyone you want me to be, Angel.”

and Rafe 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️



man obsessed never fails, fr. the way he was whipped for Serafina had me by the throat the whole time, wow. i– can Serafina fight???? he was the perfect example of a man written by and woman, and he’s so right for that.

With Rafe, I am Serafina at full volume.
I’m brighter, stronger, more. And he helps draw that out of me by giving me the space to be unapologetically me.

idk how to write five star reviews honestly without sounding like a weepy whore :) this was just perfection.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun and sweet story that pulled me in right away. I loved the setting and characters, especially Princess Seraf and the swoony one who won her heart! There were lots of smiles on my face as I read it with many ups and downs along the way. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Highly recommended for a delightful, royal read! Hard to put down! This was a free read with Prime.

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estuvo lindo.

Es de esas historias tipo películas de Hallmark, románticas y tiernas.

La sinopsis me llamó mucho la atención porque, aunque no soy muy de las historias de royals, si de los duques y en ésta tenemos a un libertino con mala fama pero que en el fondo es pan. Era muy sassy y coqueto.

También es fake romance ya que la princesa Serafina y Rafe (el duque) fingen estar en una relación para poner celoso al príncipe y que recapacite y acepte el compromiso con Serafina, lo que no espera Sera es que Rafe es todo encanto y amor y va a querer que esa relación no sea tan falsa.

Me gustó porque si estuvo bonito y me encantó Rafe pero es de esos libros rosas que no tienen 🔥🔥🔥 yo me hubiera dado por bien servida con una steamy scene, pero sólo quedará en mi imaginación.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Serafina and Rafe
- I'm getting a Princess Diaries 2 vibe
- Kat is gonna be great
- oh gosh, the buffer knife
- Brit is unintentionally funny. Also, the clothes 🧺🤣
- she has so many nicknames! I love it!
- the bum jokes. 🤣 "precious cargo"
- the strawberries- hilarious
- Rafe is pretty swoony
- oh my gosh. The queen mother. I adore her. Can I please me a spunky old woman that has no filter? That sounds wonderful
- I like Phillip. I hope he gets a HEA
- oh Rafe. You adorable sweet man
- such a sweet ending
- my only complaint, and not even a real complaint- I would like more Claudius. He's amazing. That is all.
.
This book was equal parts sweet and steamy. Perfectly clean, so funny, and a couple, especially a hero, you can root for. I've always said that I'm not a huge fan of royalty tropes but between Emma St Clair, Kortney Keisel, and Jen Geigle Johnson, I may have to rethink that stance.

[Redhead Haze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: romance, YA, rom-com
Tropes: fake relationship, fake engagement, unrequited love, best friend crush, royal romance, dual POV, mental health awareness
Series: Sweet Royal Romcom #1
Cliffhanger: No
Spice: 0/5 🌶
Rating: 4.25 ⭐

"Welcome to the royal family! Where we’re just as messed up as every regular family. But with crowns and countries at our disposal."

This was a really fun read and it caught me very quickly. I was honestly thinking about rating it with 5 stars, but I've been frustrated at times with all those doubts our heroine had. But, overall, it was good, fast-paced and easy to follow and love.

》》The Plot《《

Serafina is the heir to the throne of Viore and, in order to keep it and not have the monarchy abolished, she has to marry before her father turns 55. Which was never supposed to be a problem since her parents have made an agreement with the king and queen of Elsinor that Serafina and Callum, the second prince and Serafina's best friendsince childhood, will marry, thus reinforcing the alliance between the two countries. But when Serafina shows one week earlier than planned to surprise the prince, she's the one who actually get surprised when Callum shows up with Brit, his American girlfriend, turning out he wasn’t actually brought up with the knowledge of their betrothal.

"I simply always assumed he and I were on the same page. In actuality, it’s more like I’m reading a book and he’s watching the film adaptation."

Forced to stay in Elsinore for the duration of the celebration, Serafina has to try to convince Callum to marry her. So when duke Rafe de Silva, Callum’s long time rival offers to help her get her prince, she accepts, only to discover along the way the difference between a childish crush and true love.

“The plan is simple. You pretend to date me. Callum gets jealous and realizes what he’s missing out on. You and I break up so you can have your happily-ever-after with the man you really want.”

The story is told from Serafina's POV, with a few chapters as viewed by Rafe to spice things up a bit and the general pace is pretty fast, but with enough descriptions not to make it rushed.

》》Favorite Scenes《《

🧑🏻👸🏽Rafe bringing Serafina food
🤴🏼👸🏽Callum dancing with Serafina and giving signs he wants to kiss her
🧑🏻👩🏼Rafe interrupting after Brit made an appearance

“Don’t make me beg.” He leans closer, until his warm breath is a spring breeze moving over me. “Though I’m not above begging when it’s something—or someone—I really want.”
“We can’t have the Duke of Weldon stoop to begging, now can we?”
Rafe looks delighted by my response and wastes no time twirling me away. One glimpse at Callum’s face shows a look which, if I didn’t know better, resembles jealousy.

🧑🏻👸🏽Rafe, Serafina and the broken table
👸🏽Serafina telling everyone that Rafe can stay after Callum had ordered his PPO to take him out
💋 The kiss
🧑🏻👸🏽Rafe and Serafina having a picnic
🎬 The 'Mean Girls' reference coming from Rafe

"It’s why my hair is so big,” Rafe continues with a cheeky grin, giving his dark head of hair a toss. “It’s full of secrets.”
I study his hair. I won’t tell him I think it’s rather lovely—such a nice, glossy black. Is he sensitive about his hair?
“Your hair isn’t so big.”
Rafe’s mouth drops open, and he snaps it closed again, studying me. “You … don’t know what that’s from?”

🤝🏻 Rafe’s proposal to help Serafina make Callum jealous
💍The engagement announcement
👗The red dress
💍The ring

“This can be as real as you want it to be, Seraf. It’s always been real for me.”

》》 Conclusion《《

I really did love it. It was impossible to put down and I was totally wooed by Rafe. It gave me a bit of Gossip Girl vibes and something I really appreciated was the mental health awareness which was also brought up. I will definitely read the second book (about Prince Philip, Callum’s brother) once it will be out.

"This is all some kind of elaborate game or prank. I’m just not sure who’s winning, who’s losing, and who’s being pranked."

[sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 2 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

this had potential, but it became a love triangle and as much as I liked Sera speaking up for herself, she took her long ass time 💀 i loved Kat’s storyline though.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ]

I’m giving up. This was all waaay to proper for my liking. And I like my romances dirty waaay to much. I don’t have much love for clean romances it seems. I am a (proud?) smut reader after all.

So goodbye, Rafe and Serafina.




dnf @10% + I read the last few chapters.

***********
note from earlier:
Ooookaaaay guys. Starting this one.

This is a FOUR HUNDRED PAGES, and even worse a CLOSED DOOR (I mean, whyyyy 😭) rom-com. But the premise and the prologue sound promising and a bit swoony already. I need smth different right now, so pray for me.

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread August 2022: I tabbed the heck out of my copy. Oh how I love this book 😭💙.

NEW ROYAL FAV.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

First: ADD TO TBR.

Second: Continue with the rest of the review.

Y’all. I don’t find book boyfriends easy. Ones that live absolutely rent free in my mind. Rafe has been added to that list. RENT FREE. Ohhhhh my gosh what a vulnerable cinnamon roll with swagger. I loved every single moment he was on page. All that I learned about him. His emotional willingness to help Serafina find whatever she wanted. The support from both sides. Tender ending. ALL SO GOOD.

Not to put Serafina aside because she was top notch as well. I love how formidable she was. Intelligent and uncompromising. Not only did she really grow as a character, Serafina also showed my favorite kind of shut down. Thank heavens, when a miscommunication came up that I thought about throwing my kindle, she said, wait let me talk to him first. WHAT A CONCEPT. Five stars.

This gave off MAJOR Princess Diaries 2 vibes (it’s the best of the two, I will die on this hill). All the royalty I love to see without over the top dramatics. Everything was laid out perfectly and this book was just so dang good. My new favorite for this author.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses / make-outs
- Trigger/Content Warnings: gaslighting and psychological abuse (recounted and a bit on page)

[alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This royal romance story had the right amount of fluff, romance, and angst that I always look for in romance stories. The themes of being true to yourself, realizing your worth, standing up for yourself, and wanting to love and to be loved in a selfless way truly resonated with me. It was part of the reason why I identified so much with our two MCs who were so three-dimensional that their characters won me over in the first few chapters already 💘

Princess Serafina of Viore was someone I felt I related to. For the sake of being what everyone expected her to be as the Ice Princess, she was so accustomed to hiding her feelings and acting cold and distant in front of others. Add that to how she felt she wished she could stand up for herself and prove her own worth as queen-to-be and I felt like it made her human despite her pressures of being a perfect royal. I really admired how adamant she was that she would decide her own future and that she only really needed a few pushes in the right direction from her best friend and our MMC, Rafe. I also thought it was super refreshing to see how passionate she was about transforming her country for the better and doing everything she could to act in their best interests. I liked how she came to terms with her unrequited crush on Callum on her own and realized her worth that the right person would love her unconditionally the way she was. She’s very determined and open-minded to anything despite being uncertain about it, which is one of my favourite parts about her 👑🌷

Duke Rafael de Silva of Weldon pulled at my heartstrings throughout the story. He was so willing to make sure Seraf was with the one she loved that he was willing to help another man win her over, as long as it made her happy. Definitely one of my favourite book boyfriends of all time now. I think Rafe was the most complex character in this book with his unresolved trauma. I loved that it took time in the story to emphasize how much he had changed from the Royal Rogue to someone who admitted he needed help and worked on himself in therapy for years. I felt so touched every time Rafe would say he wasn’t worthy of Seraf and Callum was instead, even though he proved consistently he was good for her. I also thought it was super fascinating the author touched on what exactly he worked on while in therapy. Usually it’s very vaguely mentioned, but it’s actually talked about that he participated in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) used to help process traumatic memories. I’ve personally used it and was pleasantly surprised to see it incorporated as part of his healing. I think it was super important how his journey processing his grief and his mental health was emphasized because it reinforces the idea that men can struggle with mental health issues too 💭🧠

I could go on forever about how beautiful their friendship blossomed into a selfless relationship. I really admired how Rafe valued hearing her opinions on things that she was so passionate about and encouraged her to speak her mind. It was definitely something Seraf wasn’t used to, but it showed such a great mutual trust and respect for each other throughout the book. He trusts her enough to take new, scary things on her own so she can be her own person, all the while ready standing guard beside her in case she needs to be reassured with his support. The way the two of them set boundaries for each other while sharing personal matters about trauma and struggles was honestly amazing to have. It’s not often in books where the power dynamic between two MCs feels equal; this is one of the only few I’ve read where it’s wholeheartedly true. They have healthy communication between the two of them even in times of distress and misunderstanding, and the fact that they would do step past their comfort zones to protect the other is all that anyone could ask for in love. I cannot stress how much I loved their relationship and how they learned to look past the facades they put up for everyone else. It seems they were made for each other, as cheesy but true as it sounds.

Tropes:
- Dual POV
- Royal romance 👑
- Arranged marriage
- Fake dating
- Slow burn romance 💕
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Boy falls first, girl falls harder
- Strong FMC, protective MMC
- Princess x duke
- Mental health rep 💭🧠
- Closed-door/clean romance 🚪

I love this modern royal romance so much because of Seraf and Rafe that I read it twice this year and still stand by my rating of 5 stars! 🌟 this is one of my favourite romances of all time and for the year, definitely recommend!

[Lauren (thebookscript) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read Royally Rearranged for MONTHS. I swear his book has been haunting my nightstand for even longer. I'm so glad I was able to snag an audio copy when life got a little crazy to get the job done.

This book was just plain and simple fun in all the best ways. Easy to read, hard to put down. Seraphina gets a wake up call when she finds out that the man she thought would rule by her side, isn't all she thought he would be. Throw in a rakish sweetheart of a man who fills a needed void and really...this book was not playing around.

I love a "he fell first" trope and how open and heart on his sleeve Rafe was without Seraph knowing any wiser. This was full of fake dating, close proximity tropes and has a back story full of heart (which lets be honest is always important to me in a romance) Give me damage souls or give me death...ok that might be a bit dramatic but its true..it does wonders for a storyline because I think ultimately we are all a little damaged. Serph and Rafe had great chemistry and I loved the childhood back story.

Loved it, and can't wait for the next royalty book...word on the street says its coming soon!

[Dew · Rating 1 out of 5]

All sour, no sweet

This book is not good. It has significant technical issues (the book starts with an author’s note that the book is fiction - always a bad sign - then jumps to the distant future, then back tracks to a bunch of rambling drunken letters in lieu of a narrative before getting to chapter 1).

Generally, there is not one single redeeming, much less marginally likeable, character. Quite literally every character is a manic pixie dream girl or emotionally stunted quasi-alcoholic dunce. The author likely imagined that if she simply stated that Callum was Serafina/Sera/Seraf/Fi’s best friend enough times that his openly abusive behaviour that was specifically meant to publicly embarrass and humiliate her would somehow emerge as acceptable. Instead, as the author tried to talk up Callum and Serafina’s lifelong friendship, she showed that Callum openly hated Serafina for YEARS and that he never had any intention of fulfilling his familial obligations. Which is, oddly, not the worst of it. Serafina’s parents tell her that theirs and Callum’s parents poor decisions are all her fault because she went to college for a useless education instead of marrying as a teenager and if she doesn’t force Callum
to marry her that she will then have to marry a creep who is as old as her father. Serafina appeared spectacularly immature and dim-witted, so it didn’t seem like education did anything to help her develop intellectually or grow up emotionally, thus it’s unlikely she is capable of finding her own partner. I was, nevertheless, nonplussed that this book is set in the modern era considering all of the backwards ideas and characters.

[Travelogged Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Isn’t that love? Wanting what’s best for the other person, even if it breaks your heart?”

The book started with such a cute prologue and from that itself, I could conclude that I'm going to love Rafe & Serafina's story. They were made of each other and no one can convince me otherwise. After reading the author's note, I'm glad that Sera didn't end up with Callum because he would've held her back and made her miserable. Rafe adored her nature and let her personality shine without holding her back. He just wanted her to love him and he himself wanted to become a person who is worthy of her. But he didn't even have to try because his actions reflected how much he truly deserved her. This book was very different than the author's previous works. It was filled with so much chemistry between Rafe & Serafina that whenever they were in close proximity, I could literally feel the butterflies! And the side characters like Kat, Claudius, Dane and Philip were really good and supportive, which is why I'm so looking forward to read Philip's story that is coming up next!

[Sarah | Kerosene.Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this simply for Rafe, the devilish Royal Rogue. He is the perfect combination of damaged and suave. The way he cherished Serafina, always willing to put her needs above his own, truly highlighted his compassion heart. I loved him!

Thrilled about her upcoming arranged marriage to longtime best friend and love Prince Callum, Serafina is devastated to discover him with an American girlfriend and unrequited plans to wed. With the risk of losing her happily-ever-after and the crown, a daring plan with Rafe may be her only hope of winning Callum back.

Slowly discovering the man underneath the reputation, this romance was so tender and sweet. Alongside the perfect partner to support her dreams, I loved seeing Serafina grow into her voice, using her brilliant mind and courage to make change in her kingdom. And it had the most heartwarming full-circle ending! I can't wait for more in this series.

[Rachel McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun one! This story captured my attention from the get-go. Besides the amazing "Princess Diaries 2" vibes, this book features attacking swans, a rogue royal, a fake dating trope, a BALL!, and a heroine who wants to leave her mark on the world. And ... umm... I will never be able to eat strawberries the same again. IYKYK But all the humor and fab romance aside, this story has some touching depth to it. The author addresses a tough topic with delicacy and grace. Well done, Emma St. Clair!

[Ashlee (bookswithnopictures) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is clearly the love child of Princess Diaries 2 and The Prince & Me. There's a love triangle, will-she-won't-she, some great humor, and chemistry.
Serafina knows her role in life as the heir to her kingdom. She takes over at her father's next birthday and must be married. Luckily for her, there's a prince who happens to be her best friend and an arranged marriage all packaged with a pretty little bow. Sera is thrown for a big loop when she surprises Callum early, he has an eccentric American girlfriend on his arm, and there's a surly Duke named Rafe giving her flirty side-eye.
I started and didn't finish five books before this gem showed up on my kindle. It didn't click that I was in a book hangover until I couldn't stop reading this one. It's true romance and comedy between the quickened heartbeats and glass splinters.
Thanks to the author for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

[Jas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to rate this book higher but it wasn't that enjoyable. The story was very much princess diaries 2 which I would have love but the added frozen references with the whole ice princess thing felt meh, and Serafina is annoyingly innocent. Like it's really drilled that she's never been in a relationship or dated and barely had any kisses, while Rafe is a womanizer. But while Rafe gets some character growth or depth, Sefarina just felt flat. Overall it was okay and honestly I'll probably read the second story anyways because I think I'll like Phillip. Also I love Kat and Claudius and I almost wish I got more of them in this book.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
.
This book is about twice as long as it needs to be. It tried to be too many things and really fell flat by the end. I ended up skimming quite a bit in the last 1/3.
.
This book wasn't for me, but maybe it is for you.

[Baylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!! Such a good romcom with depth 💗

[Clau (y.un.libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝘊𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯? 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯. W𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘥. W𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨".

Este libro fue un acierto. Me gustó mucho. Necesitaba esta historia. Y espero con muchas ganas el segundo de la serie.

Tengo varios libros de esta autora en la biblioteca de mi Kindle, pero no sé porqué no he leído nada de eso y me aventuré con este título. A ver, una comedia romántica con la realeza y contemporánea, sonaba muy bien para mí.

Esta historia la hemos leído todas, no sorprende pero me dejó el corazón contento y una sonrisa en la cara al acabar.

Serafina es la princesa heredera debe casarse sí o sí y hay un acuerdo para hacerlo con su mejor amigo de quien ella lleva enamorada toda la vida, o por lo menos eso cree. Pero todo cambia cuando Callum llega con una novia estadounidense y a Sera se le rompe un poquito el corazón.

Rafe es el Duque "pícaro" tiene mala reputación. Pero de un tiempo a esta parte el está cambiando. Ha tenido un pasado muy feo, pero no sé asusten, Serafina no llega para salvarlo. Él ya está trabajando en eso. Está yendo a terapia por si mismo, él quiere ser mejor y no espera que lo salven. Además, Rafe lleva enamorado toda la vida de Sera, pero el cree ser poca cosa para ella.

No quiero entrar en más detalles, porque si bien la historia es sencilla, al saber menos disfrutas más.

Me gusta como se habla de la salud mental, sin ser un discurso metido con calzador.

Después de esta buena experiencia con la autora me animaré a leer los libros que ya tengo de ella, mientras espero salga el segundo de la serie.

[Modern Miss Granger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update:
My reread of this one was EVEN BETTER than the first one I read it and loved it. Rafe is perfection and I adored every second of this story.


Original review
First, the Royal setting was PERFECT. I would say it reminded me of American Royals meets The Selection meets Princess Diaries.

Serif was such a fun heroine! I love her discover what real love looks like and the different between just a crush. I loved her spunk and her wit. She had me laughing so much with her inner monologue.

The leading man was SWOONY. He was the perfect mix of bad boy and cinnamon roll (but only for her

[Ridhima · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book by Emma St. Clair, known primarily for her cute and simple rom-coms.

This was an impulsive read by me, as I was looking for a light-hearted romance book to cleanse my reading palate. Written in the first person POV, it didn't initially sit right me for the first third of the book. The writing is fairly average, and I did notice a few seemingly random tense changes.

Our female protagonist, Serafina is whiny, obsessive, and way too moony-eyed over someone who has been dodging her messages for the past 7 months. She fan-girls over Callum, the prince from afar, and says things such as "Even as a dark shape, Callum is so large and striking that it's hard to breathe." And I'm like...girl, what? You're getting tongue tied over his silhouette? I guess that must be real love then. Hah.

Cut to a week before spring ball, we see a whole new side of her. She is calm, patient, self-loving, and authoritative as she should be for a future queen. Of course, this is a side of her that I can root for - but it happens all in a week. The progression of the romance between her and Rafe, our resident rogue Duke (who doesn't love a a royal with a dark side and a heart of gold?) felt accelerated. And mind you, this is based in present time - the 21st century. But I guess, royals don't get more than a week to fall for someone.

The moments between Serafina and Rafe were adorable and sweet, and I loved their banter and verbal sparring. I enjoyed the read, and I think I got what I was looking for at the end; a light hearted romance which doesn't involve any other dramatic twists and turns.

[Milena Bookish❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐ Funny, Royal Romance

❤️Love Fairytales, sweet, funny, and clean romance, this is the story of Princess Serafina's arranged marriage and her struggle to do the best for her country, Rafe the Dark Duke who love the princes since they were children, you feel bad for Rafe because of his struggles with mental illness, Serafina is just so sweet and strong and lovable. Rafe is the "Bad Boy", that will do anything to make Sera happy even sacrificing his own.

[Emilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Emma St.Clair's Love Cliche series, so even though I'm not a huge fan of the Royal Trope I thought I would enjoy this one but it really didn't click for me. I am looking forward to The Buy-In, St. Clair's next book to be released!

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafe es todo lo que está bien 😍

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)
Trigger Warning: psychological abuse, brief mentions of panic attacks and death of parents

Princess Serafina has been in love with Prince Callum for years, and she's been betrothed to him even longer. Unfortunately, Callum didn't know about the arrangement until a few months ago, and he does not share Sera's feelings about it. When Sera shows up early to his kingdom in preparation for the Centennial Ball, she learns that Callum has a girlfriend and isn't planning the engagement announcement Sera was expecting. Now Sera has two weeks to secure a proposal or be forced to marry someone else her parents have chosen. Enter Rafe de Silva- the Duke of Weldon. While Sera only knows him as the Royal Rogue, he's been hiding feelings for her for ten years. Rafe soon agrees to help Sera win over Callum, even though he would love to marry her himself. As she spends more time with Rafe and Callum, Serafina soon finds herself questioning who she really wants to marry. Will she end up with her Prince or fall under the spell of a handsome Duke instead?

This is hands down my favorite Emma St. Clair book, and Rafe has officially bumped Gavin and Thayden from Love Cliches off the throne for hottest book boyfriend. Why choose between a sexy rogue and sweet cinnamon roll when you can have a man that plays both roles so well? Rafe brought the heat and the swoon in this book with his adoring gazes, sizzling kisses, and supportive words. I found Serafina to be a likable heroine who had great ideas for how she could bring about change for her country once she took the throne. It was hard seeing her unsure of her feelings and Rafe's, but it made sense considering most of the story took place over two weeks' time. And she gets bonus points for how she handled the conflict at the end of the story- yay for trust and communication! The bedtime story scenes at the beginning and ending of the book were just icing on the cake and gave me the kind of domestic bliss I live for in romance novels. I'll be eagerly awaiting Prince Phillip's story next!

[Viri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Actualización: no me gustó naaaada, solo él y porque es duque jajaj


Ohhhhh come on!!!!! Es un duque!!!

De verdad esperan que no lo lea? Hahaa amo a los duques más que los príncipes

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so excited when Indie authors get their books published on audio!! This sweet royal romance has been out on KU and paperback for a while but just got released on audible yesterday!

Thanks to the author I got early access and devoured it soooooo quickly!! The audio narration was excellent for this dual POV, dual timeline story narrated by Kylie Stewart and James Joseph.

Set in an imagined kingdom with antiquated laws, Princess Serafina (Sera) needs to find a husband before her next birthday or her parents will lose the crown.

Enter her childhood best friend and crush Callum who she’s been secretly betrothed to forever unbeknownst to even him. The only problem is Cal has no interest in being forced to marry AND he’s come home with a new American girlfriend.

What’s a princess to do but enter into a fake dating scheme with bad boy Duke Rafe, another childhood friend who has secretly pined for Serafina since he was a little boy.

What I really loved about this book:

✨the great banter!

✨the AMAZING mental health rep (Rafe has childhood trauma and works through his issues with therapy)

✨how swoony Rafe is and the way he empowers Sera amd encourages her dreams

✨the lovely epilogue at the end!!

🔥Steam level: kissing only

I highly recommend this one, especially on audio and for fans of royal romances like Jenny Holiday’s A princess for Christmas or the American royals series.

[Julia Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

So... this book was just fun! Honestly, I realized abt halfway through it was a dupe of the second princess diaries... but with its own twist! I liked the fun characters... and the background monarchy/dictator problems really added a level!! Was there one character (if yk yk) I heavily disliked? Who was a little brat the whole time? and COMPLETELY irresponsible? yes... but i still lived the book! fairly clean as well!

[antri౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
“i am living my happily-ever-after every single day” this book was so cute omgg

[Alysha (For The Love of Christian Fiction) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s Emma, writing a Royal romcom. Is there anything better??

I was absolutely obsessed with this story from page one, and I hated having to put it down for “real life things”.

Rafe was *chefs kiss* SCRUMPTIOUS! And I LLLOOOOVVVVEEEEDDDD seeing his TRUE nature come through! The mental health healing he went through! Just 10/10 BOOK BOYFRIEND!!

I loved watching Serafina step into her true form and really soar! I loved her love for her people, and wanting to make her country the best it could be. And yet she was still human!

I loved all of the side characters! They really made the world seem so real!

It was sizzling and I WAS HERE FOR IT! But more than that the characters wanted what was best for each other!

I LOOOVVVEEEDDD the fake dating/fake engagement situation! (Such a good trope)

I wish the characters had had a few more deep discussions before the ending, but if you think about the fact that they knew each other for a week and weren’t on the *greatest* of terms before it all went down it makes sense for the story!!

AAALLLLLSSSOOO! Also! I just want to squeal for a second about HOW the story was set up to begin. IN. LOVE.

5/5 stars

*not cf but closed door*