Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Royally Screwed (Royally, #1) by Emma Chase

Narrated by Andi Arndt & Shane East
Synopsis (via Goodreads): Nicholas Arthur Frederick Edward Pembrook, Crowned Prince of Wessco, aka His Royal Hotness, is wickedly charming, devastatingly handsome, and unabashedly arrogant; hard not to be when people are constantly bowing down to you.

Then, one snowy night in Manhattan, the prince meets a dark haired beauty who doesn't bow down. Instead, she throws a pie in his face.

Nicholas wants to find out if she tastes as good as her pie, and this heir apparent is used to getting what he wants.

Dating a prince isn't what waitress Olivia Hammond ever imagined it would be.

There's a disapproving queen, a wildly inappropriate spare heir, relentless paparazzi, and brutal public scrutiny. While they've traded in horse drawn carriages for Rolls Royces, and haven't chopped anyone's head off lately, the royals are far from accepting of this commoner.

But to Olivia, Nicholas is worth it.

Nicholas grew up with the whole world watching, and now Marriage Watch is in full force. In the end, Nicholas has to decide who he is and, more importantly, who he wants to be: a King... or the man who gets to love Olivia forever.
“She has no idea who I am … Her ignorance is rather…thrilling. There are no expectations, no hidden agendas, no reasons to pretend – what she sees is what she gets. And all she sees is me.”
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days! I've been dealing with family stuff, which I'm sure everyone can relate to. It's just something that happens.

Anyways... Royally Screwed was exactly what I needed this week. It was crazy fun and made me laugh constantly! I loved Olivia and her no-nonsense attitude. She would flirt and play with Nicholas, but she didn't put up with his crap. I think it made him appreciate her more in the end.

Nicholas and his brother Henry were genuinely good people that cared about their country and its inhabitants. There is a war being fought in the background (there aren't too many details given about it), but it does impact Henry in a big way. There were a few darker threads to this story, which were unexpected but really added a lot of depth to the characters. It made them feel more real. Their pain and struggles, despite being royalty, were raw and honest. Nicholas mentions at one point that they have to be men worth fighting for. They're in a position to help people, so they need to do whatever they can to benefit the lives of others.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Olivia and Nicholas. I don't think she truly understood his position in life until she spent some time with him in his country. There were no expectations when it came to what he could offer her, Olivia was just happy with what they had and wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. I also liked that she wasn't a catty girlfriend even if she did have sparks of jealously. I can imagine all the comments being directed at her just for being in a relationship with a prince.

This is going to be random, but I also loved Nicholas' personal security team. They are people I would want to be friends with, and I'm hoping the next book in this series is about one of them and Olivia's sister... fingers crossed.

Steamy sex scenes for the win!

In the end, Royally Screwed kept a smile on my face and was a joy to listen to. The audiobook was absolutely perfect! The voices really matched the characters and made their stories even more believable. Someone was reading this book recently, and I want to thank you! If I hadn't seen it on your blog I wouldn't have started it when I did.

Warning: this book will make you crave pie, so it might be a good idea to have some nearby! Halfway through the book I started making an apple crumble (not really the same thing, but close), haha. I just couldn't help myself! 

37 comments:

  1. I own the first two books in this series, and I would really enjoy it. I need to get on this.

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    1. I hope you're able to start it soon! I'm definitely going to buy a physical copy for myself. :)

      I'm hoping the rest of the series is just as delightful!

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  2. Great review of the book! Although I don't think I'll pick up this book to read, it sounds hilarious. It is also pretty relatable considering the royal wedding was a couple weeks ago too xD!

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    1. Hah! I wasn't even thinking about the royal wedding when I started this, but you're right!

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  3. I seriously *loved* this one, Lindsi! It totally took me by surprise with how much I fell for Nicholas and Olivia's story. I think the audio version put it right over the top because Arndt and East are two of my favorite narrators. I was positive that there was no way I could enjoy the others books as much... but I'm happy to say I was wrong! :)
    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

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    1. It was you! I saw this book on your blog a few weeks ago! THANK YOU for bringing it to my attention. I adored this book and their story! You're right... I've listened to Arndt narrate before (Stage Dive series by Kylie Scott) and really enjoyed her portrayal of the characters. I believe this was my first time hearing East, but he was fantastic! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series! Thank you again. <3

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    2. That makes me so happy! Isn’t it a great feeling to love a book so much, share it, and then someone else loves it, too? I love that feeling! Can’t wait to see what you think of the rest of the series. :)

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    3. Which book in the series ended up being your favorite?


      Yes! It's a wonderful feeling to share something you love and find out someone else loves it, too! Especially when you can both gush over how much you enjoyed it, haha. I'll let you know how the other books go!

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    4. Oh my gosh, so hard to pick a favorite! I totally loved the first one. Olivia and Nicholas together were just everything. And I’ll admit that I was moved to tears at the confrontation at the castle when Olivia was accused and decided she had to leave and go home. Broke my heart! I was so certain I couldn’t possibly like the second one as much - but I did! Henry and Sarah are wonderful! I laughed so much during that one. Henry is incorrigible and Sarah was so relatable. With the third one, I admit I wasn’t a big fan of the timeline jumps but I still enjoyed it so much. And that epilogue! Oh my heart! :) So how’s that for a total non-answer? LOL Totally dodged picking a favorite. Bahaha!

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    5. Olivia and Nicholas were everything! I wanted to strangle him when they accused her of that nonsense. She would NEVER. He should have trusted her more.

      Sarah... is that one of the sisters we see when the three of them take a drive and go swimming? I think they talk at a diner/restaurant? She reads a lot? Hmm, interesting. I remember Henry making a comment about her appearance that annoyed me. I'm curious to see how their story plays out!

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    6. Yes! I totally forgot Sarah made an appearance in the first book. I can’t recall the part about swimming but I remember she and sister were at a pub they all went to. And she was described as shy and bookish. Yep, she’s the female MC in Royally Matched. She and Henry are just everything together. <3

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  4. I love books like this, where you can just have fun and they make your day a little bit better. Wonderful review!

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    1. Me too! They just have a way of making you smile and helping you forget about the bad parts of your day.

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  5. I hope everything is ok with you. I heard a lot about this author and I want to try but I have't yet

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    1. It's getting better. I'm ready for this week to be over so I can start over with the next one! I hope you're able to try this series soon!

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  6. I wanted pie while reading this one too hahaha

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    1. I know Olivia was tired of pie, but I shared Simon's enthusiasm! #yum

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  7. Steamy sex scenes are always good. lol

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  8. This isn't my normal type of read, but I do love books about royalty and am always looking to branch out into new genres!

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    1. If you decide to try it, let me know what you think! I've recently gotten into adult romance this year, and this one is a new favorite!

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  9. This was a fun one. I haven't read the rest of the series yet though.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. I plan on listening to the audiobooks soon! I really enjoyed the narrators.

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  10. I REALLY need to read an Emma Chase book! I'm definitely in the mood for a fun, steamy romance. ♥

    - Aimee @ Aimee, Always

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    1. If that's what you're in the mood for, this could definitely be what you need right now! It was my first book by the author and I plan to read more of her work.

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  11. Oh I was just thinking I needed something like this and I have it! Yay! Hope things with the family are okay!

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Let me know what you think. :)

      Things have improved, but still taking the weekend off.

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  12. I have a copy of this one but haven't had the chance to read it yet. I am so glad that you liked it as much as you did. I can't wait to get started with it myself soon.

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    1. Yay! I cannot wait to see what you think! It was a really fun and enjoyable book.

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  13. I love Emma Chase but haven't read this series yet. I know, shame on me. I'm pretty sure I actually own this one though, so I'm halfway there! lol Her books are always so fun, so I'm super happy to see this one has that quality to it.

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    1. This was my first Emma Chase book! What others have you read? Is there one you would recommend more than the others? Let me know what you think of this one when you have a chance to read it!

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  14. I think I might have this one...ugh, my amazon books are a freaking mess!

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    1. You're not the only one! I'm scared to open my iPad sometimes, lol. If you do have this one, you should really read it soon!

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  15. Ah I keep hearing wonderful things about this book, and I have it on my kindle, and keep saying I'm going to read it, but never get around to it! I MUST change that because it keeps sounding better and better!

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    1. I'm so happy I read it when I did! It was fun and exactly what I needed. :)

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  16. You're allowed not to post if you've got stuff going on! Sometimes fun, steamy books that you make you laugh are just what you need! Glad you loved this one so much :-) And it's always good to know if you should have a certain food on hand before starting a book :-P

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    1. Truth! There should be a disclaimer in the synopsis that lists the different foods that are mentioned throughout the book in case readers get a craving, haha.

      It's almost impossible to post when you have stuff going on! Blogging just isn't a priority at that point. It's also hard to get back into a good rhythm once you've taken a break, but I'm getting there!

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“Stuff and nonsense. Nonsense and stuff and much of a muchness and nonsense all over again. We are all mad here, don't you know?”
― Marissa Meyer, Heartless