Title: Queen by Royal Appointment
(Princesses by Royal Decree Book 1)
Author: Lucy Monroe
Published: May 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mills & Boon Modern, Harlequin Presents

Blurb:

They say that duty and desire don't mix...and they're about to collide spectacularly in this royal romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Lucy Monroe.

Fifty dates to decide ...

If she will wear his crown!

As a naive teenager, Lady Nataliya signed a contract promising her to a prince. Now, to release them both, she causes a scandal by going on fifty dates for a magazine. It works… Until her betrothed’s brother, widowed King Nikolai, insists she honor the marriage agreement—with him!

Her first duty? Finishing those dates with Nikolai. Their whirlwind courtship may be thrilling, but no matter how irresistible Nikolai is, Nataliya can’t forget she was never his first choice of queen. His wounded heart will always be off-limits…

From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

My Review:

I was a little tense when the first chapter unfolded with the heroine, Nataliya Shevchenko, the genius computer hacker is confronted between two royal families, Mirrus and Volyarus in a private meeting of Volyarus Palace. The feeling of propriety that well-defined within the book made me a bit tense like I was there and also faced with both royal families.

Long time ago, Nataliya was obligated to sign a contract that she had to marry a prince from the Mirrus hence Prince Konstantin. She did that to save the reputation of both royal families and merge the business association however the contract breaks when she hacks that Konstantin is not celibate during the promised time because Nataliya detests infidelity thus she intelligently commits to fifty dates for magazine, a scandalous act that can make Konstantin renege the contract yet it does not go as she wished. The oldest son, a widowed King, Nikolai Merikov encourages Nataliya to marry him instead. Oh my, that was so sweet.

Frankly I am always fond of a heroine who is genius, loyal, independent, faithful and sassy, virgin included, thus Nataliya is the heroine I admire. Yuuhuuu ….

On the other hand the hero, Nikolai is not a typical hero you will find in Harlequin present like ruthless, uncompromised and so on. Here you will find him sweet, affectionate, persevering, protective albeit arrogant. Practically the typical hero I fancy J

Both Nikolai and Nataliya have known each other since they were kid and Nataliya has had a childhood crush toward him yet Nikolai married to another woman and the wife of his died in skiing accident. Nataliya has conclusively presumed from the convincing media and Nikolai’s demeanor that Nikolai loves his wife thus she resolutely refuses the proposal. Well indeed Nikolai will not back down, he rather begins courting and approaching Nataliya in compelling and lovely courtship that attracts the passion and sexual desire between them. (I wish I were Nataliya, sorry)

I have to admit that this book is unlike any other Harlequin Presents I have read despite the troubling, violent father of Nataliya’s who wants to destroy her, arguably the hero will have preconceived notions upon what the media says after the father’s ugly conference and the drama would follow, but this one is beyond my presumption.

Queen by Royal Appointment is appealingly passionate, charming and might be sweet for me from the way Nikolai treats Nataliya. The quick comments within Nataliya’s remarks made me smile throughout reading the book. Thank you, Lucy Monroe, for this ARC which I voluntarily reviewed, I greatly enjoyed reading this.

Rate: 5 of 5

USA TODAY bestselling author Lucy Monroe lives and writes in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. While she loves her home, she delights in experiencing different cultures and places in her travels, which she happily shares with her readers through her books. A lifelong devotee of the romance genre, Lucy can’t imagine a more fulfilling career than writing the stories in her head for her readers to enjoy. Follow her at lucymonroe.com or twitter @lucymonroe.

 

Title: Stranded for One Scandalous Week
(Rebels, Brothers, Billionaires Book 1)
Author: Natalie Anderson
Published: April 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mills & Boon Modern, Harlequin Presents

 

Blurb:

The innocent, the playboy…

And their seven-night passion!

Archivist Merle’s dream job in an abandoned mansion on New Zealand’s Waiheke Island gives her the isolation she craves and the freedom to delight in its extravagance. Then infamous owner Ash arrives without warning…

Used to women falling at his feet, Ash is ever so intrigued when he interrupts virginal siren Merle in his bath—and she tries to conceal her shock…then her red-hot reaction! He’s back for one week only to lay his tarnished past to rest. Might he find solace in the intriguing Merle instead?

 

My Review:

Wow, at the first chapter I was mesmerized by how divine and well-written the setting was then I was captivated by the heroine, she was a complete heroine I adored. As an archivist, Merle was hired to sort out all the documents and other things within an inherited mansion in Waiheke, New Zealand. On the day when she wanted to over-indulge and relax herself in a bath while having fancy champagne then the notorious billionaire playboy hero, Ash who inherited the mansion from his father unexpectedly came and encountered Merle in bath and he wrongly presumed that Merle was an entertainer for him whom sent by his half-brother. Ash came to the mansion to hide and need a quiet surroundings so after Merle informed who she was, Ash asked her to leave the mansion. However, after having struggled to look after her grandpa and pay the debt for her grandpa’s insurance, Merle had been homeless thus she persisted to stay and promise that she would be invisible that Ash would never know she stayed and shared the mansion.

I was utterly infatuated by the sexual chemistry between Ash and Merle. Merle was determined not to be seduced by Ash. She had been reserved and always stayed unseen due to her upbringings on the other hand Ash, the notorious playboy was determined to bring out every single passion within Merle, especially he was lured by Merle’s red-hot expression. Despite the determination, both eventually were willing to share one intense week together. The genuine emotions when Merle and Ash revealed their past painful conditions seized the feeling within me, particularly before the one promised week was over.

Stranded for One Scandalous Week was a complete delight from the beginning, the witty comments between Ash and Merle was the entertainment I looked for. This book would make you over-indulge into both passion and wittiness and bring you to the uplifting ending. Thank you to Natalie Anderson for this ARC which I voluntarily reviewed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. 

Rate: 5 of 5

Reviewed by Sabilla

About the author

USA TODAY bestselling author Natalie Anderson writes emotional contemporary romance full of sparkling banter, sizzling heat and uplifting endings – perfect for readers who love to escape with empowered heroines and arrogant alphas who are too sexy for their own good. When she’s not writing, you’ll find Natalie wrangling her four children, three cats, two goldfish and one dog … and snuggled in heap on the sofa with her husband at the end of the day. Follow her at natalie-anderson.com or her Instagram account authornatalieanderson.