Royals by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Royals
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Published: May 1st 2018 by Penguin Random House
Buy: Amazon | B&N

Meet Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who’s nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince’s roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown–and the intriguing Miles–might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.

I adored Royals!! I’m not the biggest contemporary reader so for a contemporary book to be in the love category for me. It has to have that something special. I loved the uniqueness of the story and the wonderfully beautiful setting. Also that fairytale-esque story to it, that had some Pride and Prejudice vibes.

I like that this a story about sisters. Ellie is the sister who is prim and proper and born to be a queen. That is how Daisy sees her, where Daisy loves to stand out. Not in the, I want to be in the tabloids way, but in the way that she isn’t afraid to be who she is. When her life is uprooted and she is whisked away to Scotland in order to keep her from causing anymore “scandal” she has to struggle to fit into her sisters new world. Although it seems like the sisters, can be sisters, and often fight. I think they both start to see what the other has to go through. As far as one being in the public eye by choice and one being in it as a side effect. It was great to see it develop.

I think I always love stories that take place in other countries. Maybe that’s what the fantasy reader in me that looks for that in a contemporary. I love the descriptions of Scotland from the beautiful landscapes to the castles. Who doesn’t want to go to a castle.

I liked the tie in with the tabloids, the Royal Wreckers and the overall drama involved in that. Which is the cause of most of Daisy’s grief. She is someone who isn’t necessarily prepared for that kind of exposure.

The romance is so sweet. I kept thinking of Miles as having a little bit of Darcy in him. He is part of the Royal Wreckers but he is not annoying as some of them. None of them are really that horrible, really. Well maybe Seb is a little frustrating. Miles is a lot more low key and observant. Plus he is kind when he wants to be.

I really loved Royals and it’s such a fun story. I really recommend it and I’m so glad to have read it.