The Royal We (Royal We #1) by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

When I was in my reading rut, there were also a series of AMAs that different bloggers were doing for NaBloPoMo and I was frantically adding all the books people recommended to my library holds list. I desperately needed something GOOD. Suzanne recommended The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan and did no research other than that and it arrived two days later.

It has been a minute since I've reviewed a romance novel here. Let's dig in.

American Rebecca "Bex" Porter is studying abroad in England when she has an adorable meet cute with the presumptive heir to the throne, Nick, by suggesting that one of his ancestors had syphilis. These two fall in love, but it's not easy for royalty to date, let alone date an uncouth American. 

Interesting characters: I am onboard for both of these fools. Bex is smart, funny, quick, and devoted to her family. Nick is a bit less fun, but it all makes sense that his life would be less fun, what with the eyes of everyone in England on him and his tense family situation. The authors also do an absolutely amazing job with their families and their circle of friends. 

Consider the following descriptions of one character:

Her posture is as impeccable as her tailoring, she never loses her keys nor her cool nor so much as a chip from her manicure... (page 18)

...she is never intimidated by a crisis and she loves telling people what to do. (page 160)

I want to be this person. I deeply admire this person. I know this person has no patience for the likes of me.

Believable conflict: Yes! These two would have all the roadblocks in their way. Of course they would. This was written long before Harry married Meghan Markle and it seems crazy to think that someone in line for the throne would marry a common North American. Plus, they're young, dumb, drink too much, have (some) bad choices in friends, and act like the human beings that they are.

Emotional tension: I mean. Eh. They liked each other right away and the authors do a great job of showing that they have a solid foundation for their relationship, so if you're a fan of will they or won't they, this might not be the story for you.

Happily ever after: This is my main criticism of the book. These two are lovely characters and they clearly love each other. Unfortunately, they are not going to last. The ending was not sufficient for me to believe they've worked out their issues and they're going to be in this together through the paparazzi and friends trying to get favors and family dinners and obscene obligations and expectations. These are two people who need to find alternatives to their first love because while I do honestly believe they love each other, circumstances are not right for the two of them and never will be. The ending made me cry, but not because I was happy.

Still, this is a great entry into the genre of romance novels. Was it  4.5/5 stars (I absolutely took half a star away because of the ending.)

Lines of note:

"The American?" Agatha breathed, in the same tone of voice as you'd expect from someone saying, The Satanist? (page 154)

This tickled my funny bone. I'm sorry we won the Revolution, Brits.

Very few people in this world look, in person, exactly as you imagine them. I, for example, am told I look taller and not nearly as American, whatever that meant. David Beckham, conversely, is more compact than expected, but also sexier, which evens it out. The first time I stood in a room with Queen Eleanor, I expected a similar revelation - albeit not about her level of sex appeal - but the surprise was that there was no surprise. She is one of the rare public figures who looks the same in the papers, on TV, and in your mind, as she does in the flesh: supreme, authoritative, every inch the icon that she is on the postage and the pound. (page 194)

One thing that really struck me about this book  was how generous the authors were in their descriptions of female characters. These are women who like women and I like to read it. 

Lacey did everything she could to jolly me out of it - American snacks, Socialite Darts (in which we threw things at the faces of our enemies, tacked onto a corkboard behind my bedroom door), and in a moment of desperation, a DVD of Great Moments in Chicago Cubs History that ended up only enhancing my depression due to how short it was. (page 213)

This was published a year before the Cubs won the World Series in 2016. It's sort of amusingly outdated.

Things I looked up:

agita (page 50) - informal (US) anxiety, stress, or agitation

squizz (page 99) - (UK, Australia, New Zealand) short, close look at something; peer at