Review: The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the The Prince and the Player blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: The Prince and the Player
Author: Nora Phoenix
Genre: LGBTQIA+ Romance

Trigger warnings:  References to death of a parent, References to a car accident, References to drink driving, Brief references to a guy trying to take advantage of an intoxicated girl

Rating: ★★★★

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door) 

I’m determined to win over the one guy who hates me…but I never expected to fall for him

Being a prince may seem like a fairytale, but to me, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. That’s why I’m excited when I get permission from my uncle—the king of Norway—to go undercover as a student at an American college for a year. And I’m even more ecstatic to be selected for their football team. Soccer, I mean. The only problem? Farron, the team captain, dislikes me on sight. Determined to win him over, I start a charm offensive, but nothing works. He only hates me more.

Until the animosity comes to an explosive release…and we end up kissing each other. How did that happen when neither of us has ever been attracted to a guy before? Farron wants to let it run its course and get it out of our system, but I doubt that’ll work. I’m falling for him hard, but he has no idea who I really am. I fear that if he finds out, he’ll never speak to me again…

The Prince and the Player is the first book in the Prince Pact series and features an undercover, sunshiney prince and a grumpy, handsome soccer captain, two guys who mistake hate for attraction, a double bi-awakening, and two opposites who attract each other like magnets.

The royally romantic, enemies-to-lovers college romance for fans of Casey McQuiston, Alexis Hall and Jax Calder.

The Prince and the Player is the latest steamy M/M romance from author Nora Phoenix. This is an enemies to lovers, opposites attract, double bi-awakening royal romance set against the backdrop of college football/soccer.

This was my first time reading anything from Nora Phoenix but I was quickly hooked by her engaging storytelling and fast-paced narrative.

Farron and Tore had a fantastic grumpy x sunshine dynamic. Their enemies to lovers romance was brilliantly crafted, best summed up with the line “I don’t like you. But for some reason, I do like kissing you.” I couldn’t get enough of the story and was glued to my kindle throughout the book as the initial tension between the two of them quickly progressed into sexual tension. The way their relationship evolved was beautifully written and felt really real, which was great to see.

This bi-awakening romance is packed full of spice, which again was really well written. The way they gradually worked their way up through the different intimate acts felt authentic to people exploring their sexuality for the first time, which I really liked. The coming out scenes were heartwarming and beautifully crafted, particularly (*mild spoiler alert*) when they come out to the rest of their football team and receive a response quite different from the toxic masculinity fuelled response you might stereotypically expect to see from a sports team, particularly in a sport where there’s still so few openly queer professional players.

The college setting worked really well for the story, as did the chapters we had in Farron and Tore’s respective hometowns which allowed us (and them) to really get to know the both of them on a deeper level. Both of our protagonists were well crafted complex characters, particularly Farron who had a really interesting backstory with him becoming a father figure and having to provide for his siblings from a young age.

Overall, this is a brilliant royal M/M romance, which is full of heart. It’s one of my favourite bi-awakening stories I’ve ever read, particularly with it being a double awakening which was really well developed.

Review: You Had Me at Chateau by Portia MacIntosh*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the You Had Me At Chateau blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.

Title: You Had Me At Chateau
Author: Portia MacIntosh
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Parent Divorce

Rating: ★★★★

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ (Closed Door)

Romantic comedy writer Amber Page is stuck in a rut.

After her editor tells her she needs to "up the spice" in her books (literally Amber's worst nightmare...), she is at a crossroads of what to do with her career.

When the opportunity arises to go on a writer's retreat at an exclusive château in the beautiful French Alps, Amber reluctantly agrees, hoping a change of scenery will help with inspiration.

While she tries and fails to spice up her writing - with the unhelpful guidance of the eccentric romance writers at the château - she meets two leading men who cause her own real-life romantic comedy to unfold...

You Had Me at Chateau is the latest romantic comedy from bestselling author Portia MacIntosh. This is the perfect cosy wintery read packed full of all of your favourite romance tropes and a bookish theme.

This was my first time reading anything from Portia MacIntosh, despite many of her books being on my TBR, but I was instantly hooked by her engaging writing style. This novel is a really easy and quick read thanks to its perfectly paced narrative and really cosy feel.

The vivid setting descriptions made the beautiful settings of the French Alps ski resort and cosy château come alive on the page. I really felt like I was curled up in front of the roaring fire in Amber’s room with the beautiful snowy landscape just outside.

Portia MacIntosh has created a brilliant protagonist in Amber, who felt really real and relatable. The subplot with her family issues added a really interesting layer to her character which I wasn’t initially expecting but thought was really well written. Some of the situations she found herself in created perfect comedic moments which had me giggling away.

Amber finds herself in a love triangle with reality star turned influencer Caleb and the charming French Henri who works at the hotel. She had brilliant chemistry with both love interests and I loved the flirting and banter we saw in their interactions. Through these romantic plots we see many of the romance tropes Amber has previously written about in her books playing out in real life. This includes fake dating, only one bed, meet cutes, forced proximity, miscommunication and friends to lovers. Although the topic of spice in romance books is at the forefront of the plot, and there are regular references to things of this nature, this is a closed-door romance.

I often find myself torn between both MMCs in a love triangle scenario but in this case it was the swoon worthy Caleb who had my heart from his very first appearance. I loved that his character was really fleshed out beyond him being the stereotypical reality star turned influencer sort, giving him real substance. But similarly to him, all of the supporting characters were well written and added so much to the story.

Overall, You Had Me At Chateau is the perfect easy-read romantic comedy to cosy up with this winter.

Review: Regally Binding by Rebecca Chase*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Regally Binding
Author: Rebecca Chase
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Bomb Threats, Death Threats, Cancer, Death Of A Parent, Drugging, References To Bullying, References To Being Kicked Out By Parents As A Teenager

Rating: ★★★★

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)

Liss is an average twenty-something woman with a regular job working in a bar...until the day she learns during a televised broadcast that her grandma had an affair with the king decades ago and she might be his granddaughter.

The dying king's announcement throws Liss into a world of paparazzi, royal parties, and death threats. But it also gives her hope that she could finally be part of a family, something she's wanted her whole life and especially after her mum died when Liss was nineteen. Now she has to decide if she's ready to give up her privacy, safety, and independence to be a princess.

To protect Liss in all this danger and stress is her swoonworthy new bodyguard, Bear. He’s cheeky, grumpy, and has secret tattoos beneath his suits. He’s also stubborn and bossy and clashes with Liss constantly. But Bear has a soft side too. He sits with Liss when she sleeps to make sure she doesn’t have nightmares and buys her stunning ballgowns to make her happy.

It's not long before all the bickering and tension morphs into sizzling hot chemistry. Both Liss and Bear know that giving into their attraction is a terrible idea...but it's getting harder and harder to fight their feelings for each other.

Will Bear keep Liss alive long enough for her to decide her future? And what if the one person keeping her safe is the same person she can’t live without?

Regally Binding is the latest romance novel from author Rebecca Chase, and the first in her new Closest Protection series. Fans of forbidden love, enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a good bodyguard romance, this is the book for you! Add in a found family, a fantastic ‘fuck it’ moment, a protective swoon-worthy ‘touch her and you die’ MMC and lots of banter and you have Regally Binding, a new spicy British romance, perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries and The Bodyguard.

The narrative is very well paced and I easily read the majority of the book in a single sitting. The plot of this book is very well crafted and more complex than your average romance, with Liss not only having to navigate suddenly becoming part of the royal family and her evolving relationship with her bodyguard but also becoming victim to death threats. There’s a mystery element with them trying to work out the identity of the person harassing Liss and also navigating concerns about the health of the king. Rebecca Chase found the perfect balance between these aspects to the plot and the romance, making for a really compelling story. I also loved how very British the story was!

Liss was an excellent protagonist who I really wanted to be friends with! I loved how normal she was, which made the plot of her suddenly being thrust into the royal family and the limelight even more compelling. This book explores grief through Liss having lost her mother – who was a single parent – to cancer. There is also fantastic anxiety and panic attacks representation through Liss and this was one of my favourite things about the book. As a someone who has had both for 15+ years, this representation felt really authentic so it was really powerful.

Bear was a swoon-worthy MMC to say the least. I very quickly fell head over heels in love with him but can you blame me? I particularly loved that he was such a complex character rather than just being the sexy love interest with surface-level characterisation you can often see in romance books, particularly spicy ones. Bear has a really great dynamic with Strike and the exploration of Bear’s backstory and how he found a family with Strike and his parents was really emotive.

Liss and Bear were a brilliant match and the banter between the two of them had me giggling throughout. Their romance builds at a good pace, with lots of sexual tension before the much-anticipated ‘fuck it’ moment. Their chemistry was electric and the spicy scenes were some of the best I’d read in a long while. Dirty talk fans, you’ll eat this up!

You will love Regally Binding if you fancy a read which is the perfect combo of sweet and spicy, especially for those who loved The Princess Diaries as a teenager but now fancy something with (A LOT) more spice!

Review: When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein*

  *I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: When Grumpy Met Sunshine
Author: Charlotte Stein
Genre: Romance

Trigger warnings:  Parental Abuse, Childhood Poverty, Parental Alcoholism, Fatphobia

Rating: ★★★★ 

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Explicit Open Door)

-

Finding love was not the only goal . . .

When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can't imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper.

And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute-as-hell ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds.

But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item to satisfy a public ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. And now they have to decide: is their fake relationship all for show or something so real it might just give them their fairy-tale ending?

When Grumpy Met Sunshine is the latest novel from romance author Charlotte Stein and the (you guessed it!) grumpy x sunshine romance between grumpy retired footballer Alfie Harding and his sunshine-personified memoir ghostwriter Mabel Willicker.

This book is packed full of all of your favourite romance tropes. Our grumpy x sunshine pair end up in a fake-dating scenario after Mabel is caught by the paparazzi leaving Alfie’s house and this was really well executed. If you like the ‘Hates Everyone But You’ and ‘Touch Her and You Die’ tropes you will LOVE Alfie Harding as a swoon-worthy MMC who was fiercely protective over Mabel, even when they were ‘just friends’. BookTok is going to absolutely love this pair!

The narrative is packed full of witty-banter between Mabel and Alfie which had me laughing out loud. It did take me the first five chapters or so to settle into the story and get used to how fast paced the story was, particularly during conversations between Mabel and Alfie, but once I was there I was HOOKED.

This is a slow-burn romance but boy is it worth the wait. If you like a spicy romance with lots of sexual tension and great dirty talk, this is the book for you. I’d rate this as a 4 out of 5 on the spice scale as there are multiple open-door intimate scenes (and in a variety of locations – car and kitchen counter included!).

Mabel and Alfie were brilliant protagonists and their relationship felt really genuine, which is not always the case with celebrity romances. I love plus-size representation within romance books and Mabel was an absolute queen who was unapologetically her sunshine self. Alfie was a really complex character who I fell completely in love with. The chapters are interspersed with extracts from articles, social media posts and press interviews which add further detail to both our present-day story and Alfie’s backstory. It was really interesting to see how Alfie’s famous footballer public persona differed to his true self and this was well written. The shared childhood trauma Alfie and Mabel have was also well and respectfully written.

This book does have a HEA despite a third act breakup. I’m never a massive fan of third act breakups, especially ones linked to miscommunication, but it resolved itself well with a grand gesture that melted my heart.

Overall, When Grumpy Met Sunshine is a gorgeous romance read, perfect for reading around Valentines Day. I’ve been absolutely hooked on Charlotte Stein’s writing and can’t wait to read more of her books.

Review: Holiday Star by Melissa Dymond*

*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity.

Title: Holiday Star
Author: Melissa Dymond
Genre: Holiday Romance

Trigger warnings:  Death Of A Parent, Alcoholism, Car Accident

Rating: ★★★★

One doctor. One movie star. One house. One month until Christmas. What could go wrong?

Dr. Gwen Wright is having a not-so-merry Christmas. For the month of December, she’s alone, house-sitting for her mother and new stepfather.

Her surgically precise world gets a plot twist when Caleb Lawson—world-famous movie star on the run from the paparazzi and his secrets—crash lands in her kitchen.

Besides being a Hollywood heartthrob, Caleb is also her stepdad’s nephew. He thinks he has as much right to stay in the house as she does, but as far as Gwen’s concerned, she’s the landlord and he’s the squatter.

The more they are forced to share the small space, the more Gwen is drawn to the moody celebrity. Sure, sometimes he can be a Grinch, but when Caleb finally touches Gwen, it makes her jingle bells ring.

But the future looms like a foggy Christmas Eve. With no red-nosed reindeer to guide them, can Gwen and Caleb overcome their differences? After all, she’s ordinary, and he’s… a star.

Holiday Star is a forced proximity celebrity romance set at Christmas from author Melissa Dymond. It was an easy page-turning heartwarming read which I just sank into. It reminds me of a grown-up version of the early 2010s Disney movie Starstruck which provided a lovely bit of nostalgia for me as someone who was in my early teens when it came out.

Caleb is a totally swoon-worthy MMC. I’m not surprised he swept Gwen off her feet because he did the same to me. Gwen and Caleb had undeniable chemistry which was really well written and there was witty banter between the two of them. The spicy scenes were well-written and HOT. The build up to their relationship was also well-written and it was a joy to slowly see them start to fall for each other as Gwen gets to know Caleb and see the man behind the celebrity persona. Gwen was a wonderful protagonist who was so likeable and we love a woman in STEM! We also have some fantastic supporting characters and I particularly loved Alvina, Gwen’s friend.

Holiday Star has been published in two variations: one spicy open-door version and one clean closed-door version. I read the spicy edition which contains graphic sex scenes and explicit language but the clean version contains only kissing and no explicit language. I love Melissa Dymond’s commitment to making her books accessible to all readers in this way and personally think we should see more of this in the world of romance novels so that every reader is comfortable.

The book does also tackle some difficult subjects very well. We have good mental health representation through Gwen’s experience of panic attacks. There is also a good portrayal of Caleb’s alcoholism and the treatment he receives.

My one potential criticism is how much of the novel takes place after the festive period as, for a book marketed as a holiday read, I just needed a bit more Christmas spirit. Whilst the first half of the novel is set around the holidays and we have a brief closing chapter set at Christmas the following year, the majority of the second half of the book is set outside of the festive months. Whilst I recognise the importance the non-holiday chapters played within the progression of the story, it would have been nicer for the second set of Christmas scenes to have been that bit longer so we could pack more festive magic into the book and really sandwich the novel with holiday scenes.

Holiday Star is a heartwarming, fun modern romance which is the perfect easy festive read for fans of celebrity romance novels or the forced proximity trope.