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Palace Insiders #2
Codename Charming
Petunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal’s giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites—she’s spontaneous and enthusiastic, he’s rigid and stoic—but she can sense there’s something softer underneath that tough exterior…
For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he’s determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.
When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning…
For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he’s determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.
When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning…
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2023
About the author
Lucy Parker
15 books1,959 followersLucy Parker lives in New Zealand, where she feels lucky every day to look out at mountains, lakes, and vineyards. She has a degree in Art History, loves museums and art galleries, and doodles unrecognizable flowers when she has writer’s block.
When she’s not writing, working or sleeping, she happily tackles the towering pile of to-be-read books that never gets any smaller. Thankfully, there’s always another story waiting.
Her interest in romantic fiction began with a pre-teen viewing of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Firth-style), which prompted her to read the book as well. A family friend introduced her to Georgette Heyer, and the rest was history.
When she’s not writing, working or sleeping, she happily tackles the towering pile of to-be-read books that never gets any smaller. Thankfully, there’s always another story waiting.
Her interest in romantic fiction began with a pre-teen viewing of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (Firth-style), which prompted her to read the book as well. A family friend introduced her to Georgette Heyer, and the rest was history.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 808 reviews
August 13, 2023
The highly anticipated sequel has finally been released, offering a heartfelt, dramatic, and extremely entertaining romance with amazing tropes including grumpy meets sunshine, workplace romance, fake dating, and opposites attract!
Petunia De Vere is the personal assistant of Johnny, a gold-hearted, naive, adorable, enthusiastic, and clumsy member of the royal family who attracts accidents like a magnet. Matthias, an ex-soldier, is strict, rigid, a man of few words, and Johnny's bodyguard, taking his job extra seriously. His intimidating looks make Gulliver take a walk in Liliput and help him scare off those who plan to harm the royal family. Pet and Matthias couldn't be more different, and now they find themselves in a position they barely enjoy. Due to a tabloid's gossip implying a secret affair between Johnny and Pet, Matthias and Pet reluctantly agreed to fake dating to shut down the gossip mill.
Both characters carry emotional baggage, including parental abuse and grief. It was nice to see how they opened up about their secrets, lowering their barriers to confront their true feelings.
There were some parts that made me guffaw aloud. The parrot heist was the highlight of the book, bringing me so much laughter and fun.
The only thing that bothered me and held me back from giving it five stars was the extra slow burn romance progress! There were many unnecessary subplots in this book related to the royals and their family secrets, which slowed down the pace and distracted our attention from the main plot about Pet and Matthias' love story. I wish I could have only focused on the romance and entertaining parts.
Overall, it was still a well-written romance with adorable, strong, tough characters. I laughed so hard at some parts that I fell down from my couch, so I'm giving it my well-deserved four stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sharing this entertaining book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Petunia De Vere is the personal assistant of Johnny, a gold-hearted, naive, adorable, enthusiastic, and clumsy member of the royal family who attracts accidents like a magnet. Matthias, an ex-soldier, is strict, rigid, a man of few words, and Johnny's bodyguard, taking his job extra seriously. His intimidating looks make Gulliver take a walk in Liliput and help him scare off those who plan to harm the royal family. Pet and Matthias couldn't be more different, and now they find themselves in a position they barely enjoy. Due to a tabloid's gossip implying a secret affair between Johnny and Pet, Matthias and Pet reluctantly agreed to fake dating to shut down the gossip mill.
Both characters carry emotional baggage, including parental abuse and grief. It was nice to see how they opened up about their secrets, lowering their barriers to confront their true feelings.
There were some parts that made me guffaw aloud. The parrot heist was the highlight of the book, bringing me so much laughter and fun.
The only thing that bothered me and held me back from giving it five stars was the extra slow burn romance progress! There were many unnecessary subplots in this book related to the royals and their family secrets, which slowed down the pace and distracted our attention from the main plot about Pet and Matthias' love story. I wish I could have only focused on the romance and entertaining parts.
Overall, it was still a well-written romance with adorable, strong, tough characters. I laughed so hard at some parts that I fell down from my couch, so I'm giving it my well-deserved four stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for sharing this entertaining book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Want to read
April 25, 2021PET AND MATTHIAS. YES, I'M READY.
October 17, 2023
This is second in a romance series that is loosely connected. Pet(unia) is Dom's sister so he and Sylvie show up a bit in this story. You don't have to read them in order, but it's probably best if you do.
I liked Pet instantly and was engaged from the start. This isn't a surprise for me and a Lucy Parker story. Pet is capable and kind and gets things done, even in impossible situations. Which is good because her boss is good at creating impossible situations. Indeed, he's completely cartoonish, but Parker is a good enough author that I didn't really care. Maybe because he is sweet in his own way and completely besotted with his wife so I'm as willing to put up with his bumbling as Pet is.
And Matthias is all my jam, too. I love a protective, caring guy who does all in his power to make the lives of those he cares about better. His care for Pet was outstanding from the start and seeing him blossom under her care was every kind of endearing.
The story and action were mostly incidental, but woven with Parker's characteristic vivacity. I was fully on board every aspect of the story and it is worth all the stars. I wouldn't start here if you haven't read the author before. But if you have, you know you're in good hands.
A note about Steamy: There's one or two explicit sex scenes putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. It was very well-woven as a continuation of their growing intimacy.
I liked Pet instantly and was engaged from the start. This isn't a surprise for me and a Lucy Parker story. Pet is capable and kind and gets things done, even in impossible situations. Which is good because her boss is good at creating impossible situations. Indeed, he's completely cartoonish, but Parker is a good enough author that I didn't really care. Maybe because he is sweet in his own way and completely besotted with his wife so I'm as willing to put up with his bumbling as Pet is.
And Matthias is all my jam, too. I love a protective, caring guy who does all in his power to make the lives of those he cares about better. His care for Pet was outstanding from the start and seeing him blossom under her care was every kind of endearing.
The story and action were mostly incidental, but woven with Parker's characteristic vivacity. I was fully on board every aspect of the story and it is worth all the stars. I wouldn't start here if you haven't read the author before. But if you have, you know you're in good hands.
A note about Steamy: There's one or two explicit sex scenes putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. It was very well-woven as a continuation of their growing intimacy.
August 1, 2023
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I've been waiting for Matthias and Pet's book since their first meeting in Battle Royal, and oh man, the wait was so worth it. Pet works as a personal assistant to the newest member of the royal family, which means that the giant royal bodyguard Matthias is one of her colleagues. Pet is bubbly and spontaneous and she likes to befriend everyone. Matthias is starchy and rigid and he likes to stick to the rules. When a tabloid photo makes the news headlines, rumours begin to fly. The royal PR team consequently asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship for the cameras to fix the situation.
This book is loosely inspired by Beauty and the Beast. When Pet and Matthias go viral, people on social media start shipping them because of their size and height difference. But they also start referring to Pet and Matthias as Beauty and the Beast respectively, something that really gets on Pet's nerves. Matthias is not an insecure man, but he's aware that people don't find him conventionally good looking. And that is why he thinks there's no way that someone like Pet would ever be attracted to him. Pet does try to befriend Matthias a few times, but he keeps his distance to protect himself (and his heart). He just quietly keeps an eye over her and listens to her in the background and she has absolutely no idea just how attuned to her he is.
I am absolutely in love with Lucy Parker's writing. What I love the most about her style is that she has a way of making the most mundane things romantic. There's something so cozy, charming, and quaint about her prose. I also love being in this world, even though I typically stay away from any royal-related books. I just really like the way Lucy Parker focuses on the moments, big or small, between the hero and heroine. Whenever there's a romantic moment, it feels like I'm reading it in slow motion and the background is completely blurred out. Every emotion, every glance, every touch, everything is heightened and hyper focused. This really amplifies the chemistry and it makes you feel like you're experiencing that moment yourself.
Speaking of romantic moments, this book has one of the best first kisses I have read in a really long time. Pet's love language is touch and I love seeing Matthias respond to that. As for Matthias, his love language is acts of service and I swoooooooooooned so hard at his kind and thoughtful actions. He's the type of guy who does good deeds in the background, without anyone really knowing about it. I love a gentle giant so much, and Lucy Parker did such a wonderful job characterizing Matthias. I love love LOVE him. I am swooning just thinking of all the little things he did for Pet. Ugh, my heart cannot handle it. There was this one revelation that made me cry 😭
I am 100% in love with Pet and Matthias. Their romance warmed my cold heart and I was absolutely satisfied with the ending. But I am so in love with them that I refuse to let go. I could keep reading about these two and never get bored. Aside from the romance, there are some interesting supporting characters that show up, including my beloved Dominic and Sylvie. I will say that I wasn't completely on board with all of the supporting characters. Some of their scenes were superfluous and a bit too quirky for my taste. But it was very easy to forget about these characters and focus solely on Pet and Matthias. This is also one of the few romances that work really well even though the timeline is tight. And lastly, this is quite possibly one of the best Beauty and the Beast inspired stories I've read.
I've been waiting for Matthias and Pet's book since their first meeting in Battle Royal, and oh man, the wait was so worth it. Pet works as a personal assistant to the newest member of the royal family, which means that the giant royal bodyguard Matthias is one of her colleagues. Pet is bubbly and spontaneous and she likes to befriend everyone. Matthias is starchy and rigid and he likes to stick to the rules. When a tabloid photo makes the news headlines, rumours begin to fly. The royal PR team consequently asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship for the cameras to fix the situation.
This book is loosely inspired by Beauty and the Beast. When Pet and Matthias go viral, people on social media start shipping them because of their size and height difference. But they also start referring to Pet and Matthias as Beauty and the Beast respectively, something that really gets on Pet's nerves. Matthias is not an insecure man, but he's aware that people don't find him conventionally good looking. And that is why he thinks there's no way that someone like Pet would ever be attracted to him. Pet does try to befriend Matthias a few times, but he keeps his distance to protect himself (and his heart). He just quietly keeps an eye over her and listens to her in the background and she has absolutely no idea just how attuned to her he is.
I am absolutely in love with Lucy Parker's writing. What I love the most about her style is that she has a way of making the most mundane things romantic. There's something so cozy, charming, and quaint about her prose. I also love being in this world, even though I typically stay away from any royal-related books. I just really like the way Lucy Parker focuses on the moments, big or small, between the hero and heroine. Whenever there's a romantic moment, it feels like I'm reading it in slow motion and the background is completely blurred out. Every emotion, every glance, every touch, everything is heightened and hyper focused. This really amplifies the chemistry and it makes you feel like you're experiencing that moment yourself.
Speaking of romantic moments, this book has one of the best first kisses I have read in a really long time. Pet's love language is touch and I love seeing Matthias respond to that. As for Matthias, his love language is acts of service and I swoooooooooooned so hard at his kind and thoughtful actions. He's the type of guy who does good deeds in the background, without anyone really knowing about it. I love a gentle giant so much, and Lucy Parker did such a wonderful job characterizing Matthias. I love love LOVE him. I am swooning just thinking of all the little things he did for Pet. Ugh, my heart cannot handle it. There was this one revelation that made me cry 😭
I am 100% in love with Pet and Matthias. Their romance warmed my cold heart and I was absolutely satisfied with the ending. But I am so in love with them that I refuse to let go. I could keep reading about these two and never get bored. Aside from the romance, there are some interesting supporting characters that show up, including my beloved Dominic and Sylvie. I will say that I wasn't completely on board with all of the supporting characters. Some of their scenes were superfluous and a bit too quirky for my taste. But it was very easy to forget about these characters and focus solely on Pet and Matthias. This is also one of the few romances that work really well even though the timeline is tight. And lastly, this is quite possibly one of the best Beauty and the Beast inspired stories I've read.
July 18, 2023
Fun, wacky, romantic twist of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Entertaining and witty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From page one, I knew this was going to be an impactful book. The author has developed a story loaded with descriptive prose that catches you off guard in a surprising way. I had to slow down a few times to grasp everything that she is loading into the story but once I got familiar with the writing tempo, it was great!
The author certainly has a way with words. She delivers quirky conversations that are a tad flowery and wordy but delightful in a dry, witty way.
This story is part two in a series and while there were a few instances I had to figure out what they were alluding to, most of the book was easy to follow. Regardless, this story can easily stand on its own with the unique and endearing royal court characters that are forever trying to stay out of the eye of the paps (paparazzi), the rags, and social media.
Codename Charming is a fun, wacky, romantic twist of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Parker delivers an entertaining and witty story that will surely have you laughing out loud and leave you with a smile on your face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/codename-cha...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From page one, I knew this was going to be an impactful book. The author has developed a story loaded with descriptive prose that catches you off guard in a surprising way. I had to slow down a few times to grasp everything that she is loading into the story but once I got familiar with the writing tempo, it was great!
The author certainly has a way with words. She delivers quirky conversations that are a tad flowery and wordy but delightful in a dry, witty way.
This story is part two in a series and while there were a few instances I had to figure out what they were alluding to, most of the book was easy to follow. Regardless, this story can easily stand on its own with the unique and endearing royal court characters that are forever trying to stay out of the eye of the paps (paparazzi), the rags, and social media.
Codename Charming is a fun, wacky, romantic twist of a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Parker delivers an entertaining and witty story that will surely have you laughing out loud and leave you with a smile on your face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
* I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/codename-cha...
September 8, 2023
I found this delightful! Pet (h) and Matthias (H) were excellent, well-rounded characters who had me fully invested in when they'd realize that their fake relationship was as real as it could be. The pacing was a little uneven though and some scenes were over detailed, while others were sparse and were more telling than showing. Because of the pacing/details and side character antics sometimes taking away from the romance, I felt like this did read slower, but I still enjoyed it. I didn't read the first book in this series but those characters are side characters in this one. The main details that must have taken place in it though are incorporated neatly into this story so I was never lost as to who was who and what events happened.
Pet and Matthias are both part of a team for a princess' husband, who's a bit of a disaster. Pet helps to manage him while Matthias is leading his personal protection detail. The two of them met before Pet worked for the royals when she actually put herself in harm's way to stop an attack. Pet is beautiful and tiny and Matthias is less conventional looking and massive so there's size difference and others compare them as beauty and the beast (which infuriates Pet). There is a bit of instant connection going on here, but this is slow burn and not even that til circumstances nudge them along when the two of them end up in a fake relationship for work to draw attention away from false paparazzi coverage. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither are virgins (little bits of details on their past histories given, unknown if either was celibate since meeting but I think it was likely).
Both main characters have emotional wounds and neither has had a serious relationship. Their chemistry, tension, and just their care for each other was amazing. In addition to the fake relationship (that's not fake), their daily lives get lots of page time (royal antics included - these scenes were incredibly fun), as well as some family mystery for Pet. I laughed a lot, swooned at Matthias, and adored Pet. Matthias is so over-protective and secretly adorable (some of that adorableness you don't find out about til closer to the end) and Pet was also quick to defend him and connect with him at every opportunity. They do get hot and heavy with kissing and making out (in public at times) but there's only one full-on sex scene later in the book. I did disconnect a bit from some of the kissing scenes because the descriptor choices took me out of the moment unfortunately, but I did like how intense those scenes felt too.
Lots of side characters throughout the book. There are the royal bosses and some other royals floating around, co-workers, family, friends, and incidental people. One member of the paparazzi has a bad guy-like feel because he's creating more drama and generally saying awful things, but he does get his comeuppance and in spectacular fashion (while also giving our main characters another nudge). There's also Matthias' sweet cat and a visiting parrot, who plays a hilarious role.
I don't want to spoil Pet's family drama, but I thought this was really interesting. Not just in what it was, but also how it progressed. I also liked how Matthias had preconceptions about what her home life had been like and that he was wrong, allowing them to bond over uncertain childhoods. His own painful past was also heart-touching and the sharing of it added some nice vulnerability to him since he was normally so stoic and focused.
I did wish that they were a firmly established couple earlier in the book so that we had more page time of them together together, but they are on page a lot so that eased my mind. The ending is HEA and I loved it. There's an epilogue that's a short jump ahead, but then there's an additional part that gives a little more a little further out. I also liked that there was almost a fated/destiny feel to Pet and Matthias that gave me such a romantic feeling at the end, although it was also a bit cheesy in a sweet way. I would recommend this, it wasn't completely smooth but the characters and their stories swept me in.
Pet and Matthias are both part of a team for a princess' husband, who's a bit of a disaster. Pet helps to manage him while Matthias is leading his personal protection detail. The two of them met before Pet worked for the royals when she actually put herself in harm's way to stop an attack. Pet is beautiful and tiny and Matthias is less conventional looking and massive so there's size difference and others compare them as beauty and the beast (which infuriates Pet). There is a bit of instant connection going on here, but this is slow burn and not even that til circumstances nudge them along when the two of them end up in a fake relationship for work to draw attention away from false paparazzi coverage. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither are virgins (little bits of details on their past histories given, unknown if either was celibate since meeting but I think it was likely).
Both main characters have emotional wounds and neither has had a serious relationship. Their chemistry, tension, and just their care for each other was amazing. In addition to the fake relationship (that's not fake), their daily lives get lots of page time (royal antics included - these scenes were incredibly fun), as well as some family mystery for Pet. I laughed a lot, swooned at Matthias, and adored Pet. Matthias is so over-protective and secretly adorable (some of that adorableness you don't find out about til closer to the end) and Pet was also quick to defend him and connect with him at every opportunity. They do get hot and heavy with kissing and making out (in public at times) but there's only one full-on sex scene later in the book. I did disconnect a bit from some of the kissing scenes because the descriptor choices took me out of the moment unfortunately, but I did like how intense those scenes felt too.
Lots of side characters throughout the book. There are the royal bosses and some other royals floating around, co-workers, family, friends, and incidental people. One member of the paparazzi has a bad guy-like feel because he's creating more drama and generally saying awful things, but he does get his comeuppance and in spectacular fashion (while also giving our main characters another nudge). There's also Matthias' sweet cat and a visiting parrot, who plays a hilarious role.
I don't want to spoil Pet's family drama, but I thought this was really interesting. Not just in what it was, but also how it progressed. I also liked how Matthias had preconceptions about what her home life had been like and that he was wrong, allowing them to bond over uncertain childhoods. His own painful past was also heart-touching and the sharing of it added some nice vulnerability to him since he was normally so stoic and focused.
I did wish that they were a firmly established couple earlier in the book so that we had more page time of them together together, but they are on page a lot so that eased my mind. The ending is HEA and I loved it. There's an epilogue that's a short jump ahead, but then there's an additional part that gives a little more a little further out. I also liked that there was almost a fated/destiny feel to Pet and Matthias that gave me such a romantic feeling at the end, although it was also a bit cheesy in a sweet way. I would recommend this, it wasn't completely smooth but the characters and their stories swept me in.
December 15, 2023
What a disappointment! I really like Lucy Parker. Love her, even. I’ve only given one of her books 3 stars rather than 4 or 5 and that was the first one in this very series, Battle Royal. I think there is more than one reason why this one did not engage me. While reading the book, at about 40% mark, I realized I was bored and not enjoying it. As I went through, I gave this a lot of thought. Which just emphasizes how disengaged from the story I was, I guess. I loved the atmosphere and setting of her London Celebrities series which was set in the West End of London. The banter was literate, sparkling, and sharp as one would expect from sophisticated and worldly theatre types. It all seemed very authentic and I felt immersed in that fascinating and glamorous world. They were not cheesy. This spin-off from Battle Royal takes on the story of Pet, Gus’s sister, and the bodyguard who was on duty when Johnny Marchmont was attacked and Pet saved him from serious injury. Johnny is the sweet and shy fiance` of a princess in a fictional royal family in nonfictional England who “has two left feet, one of which was usually lodged squarely in his mouth.” In this book, Johnny and Princess Rosie are happily married and Pen has become his personal assistant.
Somehow the tabloid press has latched on to the idea that Johnny and Pet are having an affair. To counter that, the palace cooks up a fake romance between Matthias, Johnny’s bodyguard, and Pet. I think the book relied too much on the readers being sufficiently entertained by the eccentricity and glamour of the main and surrounding characters being royalty or royal insiders. There is some entertainment value there, as most of the family members we meet are quirky, and the constant battle with the “Paps” and other elements of life amongst the Royals are vaguely interesting. But, besides the progression of the romance, there really isn’t much of a secondary plot to add mystery or suspense or drama, as with her other novels. There is a small subplot of Pet learning of her real parentage, but this didn’t seem all that important or put very much at stake. Another about the tortured past of Matthias was just the same old-same old. Much of the situational humor seemed contrived. The hiding in the closet while the Spanish ambassador’s husband and the Chancellor of the Exchequer were having sex went on For-Ev-Er. To say nothing of the parrot.
The main idea of the romantic relationship is that Pet is a “human sunbeam” and very tiny pretty pixie-girl and Matthias is a brawny, hulking, ”ugly”, and taciturn. Unlike Lucy Parker’s other couples, who all had their careers and social circles in the same rarefied world, these two have nothing in common other than described-in-great-detail trauma in their past. This does not lead to a lot of sparkling conversation and witty quick banter that was such an attraction in her other books. And the size thing was way overdone to the point it became almost cartoonish. We just have a lot of physical attraction and a lot of inner dialogue and musings about what lies beneath the surface. It goes on and on analyzing feelings and reviewing past interactions often in the middle of a conversation. One of them will make a comment and then “blah blah blah” and the response isn’t until pages later. This slows the book down to a crawl.
The Beauty and the Beast trope is usually a good one for me, and the love story might have earned at least 3 stars despite its problems. Unfortunately, the last book I read by her, Artistic License had the same exact theme. As far as the H/h’s physical appearance, personality, and the Hero’s business with the heroine it was practically a carbon copy. (He is a security specialist protecting a shy girl whose life is in danger). This isn’t Lucy Parker’s fault as this was a very early book she wrote under another name. I don’t blame her for reaching back across the years to borrow elements of an old plotline and trying to do it better. But she didn't do it better. It was just unfortunate timing on my part. There are flashes of good funny writing in this, but sorry, most of the time it was just slow and boring for me, and even when I sped up my reading speed to the max, it seemed like it took forever to finish it.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
Somehow the tabloid press has latched on to the idea that Johnny and Pet are having an affair. To counter that, the palace cooks up a fake romance between Matthias, Johnny’s bodyguard, and Pet. I think the book relied too much on the readers being sufficiently entertained by the eccentricity and glamour of the main and surrounding characters being royalty or royal insiders. There is some entertainment value there, as most of the family members we meet are quirky, and the constant battle with the “Paps” and other elements of life amongst the Royals are vaguely interesting. But, besides the progression of the romance, there really isn’t much of a secondary plot to add mystery or suspense or drama, as with her other novels. There is a small subplot of Pet learning of her real parentage, but this didn’t seem all that important or put very much at stake. Another about the tortured past of Matthias was just the same old-same old. Much of the situational humor seemed contrived. The hiding in the closet while the Spanish ambassador’s husband and the Chancellor of the Exchequer were having sex went on For-Ev-Er. To say nothing of the parrot.
The main idea of the romantic relationship is that Pet is a “human sunbeam” and very tiny pretty pixie-girl and Matthias is a brawny, hulking, ”ugly”, and taciturn. Unlike Lucy Parker’s other couples, who all had their careers and social circles in the same rarefied world, these two have nothing in common other than described-in-great-detail trauma in their past. This does not lead to a lot of sparkling conversation and witty quick banter that was such an attraction in her other books. And the size thing was way overdone to the point it became almost cartoonish. We just have a lot of physical attraction and a lot of inner dialogue and musings about what lies beneath the surface. It goes on and on analyzing feelings and reviewing past interactions often in the middle of a conversation. One of them will make a comment and then “blah blah blah” and the response isn’t until pages later. This slows the book down to a crawl.
The Beauty and the Beast trope is usually a good one for me, and the love story might have earned at least 3 stars despite its problems. Unfortunately, the last book I read by her, Artistic License had the same exact theme. As far as the H/h’s physical appearance, personality, and the Hero’s business with the heroine it was practically a carbon copy. (He is a security specialist protecting a shy girl whose life is in danger). This isn’t Lucy Parker’s fault as this was a very early book she wrote under another name. I don’t blame her for reaching back across the years to borrow elements of an old plotline and trying to do it better. But she didn't do it better. It was just unfortunate timing on my part. There are flashes of good funny writing in this, but sorry, most of the time it was just slow and boring for me, and even when I sped up my reading speed to the max, it seemed like it took forever to finish it.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
July 6, 2024
3.5 stars
First let me just say I adore Pet and Matthius. They were dear, sweet and adorable as expected. But it felt like we barely got any time with them which bummed me out. This still had some sweet and swoony moments LP is known for but they felt brief and fleeting in an otherwise crowded book that felt aimless in plot. We get brief conversations between hero and heroine while working at the Palace together with a bunch of wacky mishaps that fill pages and just didn't feel organic or convincing. The most time Pet and Matthius spend together is when they ham it up for the press as a fake couple to clear Pet's name in the tabloids which was great but I wanted more of that and less 'look after Johnny' shenanigans. The hero Matthius is bodyguard to Johnny Marchmont, husband to Princess Rosie. The heroine Pet is Johnny's PA, who is the human equivalent of a walking hazard sign who seems to not be able to sit down without breaking something or causing bodily harm to himself or someone else which the British tabloids eat up. I just have to ask was this character really necessary? I didn't really care for Johnny in Book 1 and here was much the same if not worse with the redundant outlandish disasters of setting things on fire, throwing his PA--the poor heroine--bodily across a lawn full of people (how is this even humanly possible Lucy Parker?) getting accidentally high at a science fair, stealing a whole ass parrot, falling off a chair while seated and knocking over the 6 foot-something groom, etc. Like I said a lot of OTT mishaps happen here for laughs and quirkiness and it just didn't feel cute or funny or remotely believable the more it happened. It just was so obnoxious. This man is so accident prone and clumsy in every situation that it just was insufferable instead of endearing like the author painstankingly tries to portray him as. I'm sorry a fan of "sweet" Johnny I was not. I don't care if he is a nice guy with angelic blond curls and has the personality of a golden retriever, I just wanted this poor imitation of Mr. Bean to just go away. :/
If this book was filled more with the content we got in the last 30 or so pages, this could have easily been a 4 or 5 star for me. The emotions, chemistry and sweetness is there but Parker barely utilizes it which really frustrated me. She's high on slow burn and sexual tension and low on steam, angst and spice and that's fine but you gotta give me something in between to work with.
I found Matthius made for a very compelling hero and a total cinnamon-roll. He's such a teddy bear. There were a few stones left unturned with this character but nevertheless I loved what we got of him. There's just something about traditionally not-handsome "regular Joe" heroes that I find so dear and refreshing and real. Matthius is a giant in size with his height and huge muscles and next to Pet's petite stature they make quite an image (yes he has to bend down to kiss her *swooning activated*). We do get some Beauty and the Beast references since the hero is deemed "ugly" by many much to the heroine's annoyance. Matthius is ex-military with a busted face and a shaved head and a beard. He knows he's not handsome but doesn't mope about it and just accepts it in a rather quiet heartbreaking way. I just adore when heroines get absolutely rabid over others despiraging their hero's looks. Pet is quite the protective bulldog when people make snide jokes about Matthius's face and huge lumbering size. It's fucking adorable. Can more romance authors do this more please? Make it a trope. I love it so much. Let's also make not-handsome imperfect heroes a thing please.
This could have been a favorite 2023 read for me if the pacing wasn't so incredibly slow-moving and stagnant. The writing was just so wordy. To be honest the last 3 Lucy Parker books I've read I slogged through in parts and I couldn't exactly put my finger on why. Not sure if this was always the case and I'm starting to notice it now or what. But her recent offerings I've come to realize her prose is just way too wordy and long winded. It's a mouthful of fluffy metaphors and navel-gazing expositions and internal monologues that go on for pages. And here was probably the worst example of it because characters keep interrupting themselves with aimless mind-wandering. Like for example when your couple are finally about to kiss and you are reading through the scene thinking they are kissing only to realize they actually haven't kissed yet and the hero is still holding the heroine's chin and leaning in for....5 pages. 😐 I literally had to stop and go back and re-read the entire scene thinking I missed something. It's incredibly disruptive and jarring to be yanked out of a scene because what you thought was happening isn't or you get an unclear confusing picture of what exactly is going on. The momentum is completely lost. The number of times this happened for me in this book is embarrassingly frequent and just made me struggle in parts. And like I said this isn't the first LP book I had this problem with. It's incredibly disruptive when you are confused on what is going on in a scene because the characters are so busy stuck in their own heads getting carried away instead of actually showing you what is going on in a scene. It felt more like telling rather than showing even though this author is great with details. I love Lucy Parker's witty writing but I really feel she needs to edit down or hire a better editor cause the number of pages and scenes wasted here on secondary fluff and internal navel gazing nonsense was frustratingly too much. I wanted more time with our hero and heroine alone. Like at times it almost read like a contemporary fiction instead of romance? Or just the hero and heroine being good friends who *like* each other. I love a good sizzling slow burn that have to work to get there and LP books are known for that but when it leaves you questioning if the couple even have chemistry in the process then it's a problem.
So all in all, not bad but fell flat overall. I was greedy and wanted way more with our couple.
Without a word or even a prior glance this time, Matthias took Pet’s hand. When his fingers closed around hers, yet another bit of her heart chipped off and fell into his curled palm.
First let me just say I adore Pet and Matthius. They were dear, sweet and adorable as expected. But it felt like we barely got any time with them which bummed me out. This still had some sweet and swoony moments LP is known for but they felt brief and fleeting in an otherwise crowded book that felt aimless in plot. We get brief conversations between hero and heroine while working at the Palace together with a bunch of wacky mishaps that fill pages and just didn't feel organic or convincing. The most time Pet and Matthius spend together is when they ham it up for the press as a fake couple to clear Pet's name in the tabloids which was great but I wanted more of that and less 'look after Johnny' shenanigans. The hero Matthius is bodyguard to Johnny Marchmont, husband to Princess Rosie. The heroine Pet is Johnny's PA, who is the human equivalent of a walking hazard sign who seems to not be able to sit down without breaking something or causing bodily harm to himself or someone else which the British tabloids eat up. I just have to ask was this character really necessary? I didn't really care for Johnny in Book 1 and here was much the same if not worse with the redundant outlandish disasters of setting things on fire, throwing his PA--the poor heroine--bodily across a lawn full of people (how is this even humanly possible Lucy Parker?) getting accidentally high at a science fair, stealing a whole ass parrot, falling off a chair while seated and knocking over the 6 foot-something groom, etc. Like I said a lot of OTT mishaps happen here for laughs and quirkiness and it just didn't feel cute or funny or remotely believable the more it happened. It just was so obnoxious. This man is so accident prone and clumsy in every situation that it just was insufferable instead of endearing like the author painstankingly tries to portray him as. I'm sorry a fan of "sweet" Johnny I was not. I don't care if he is a nice guy with angelic blond curls and has the personality of a golden retriever, I just wanted this poor imitation of Mr. Bean to just go away. :/
He was patently furious, but when he released one of her hands to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, his touch was conversely light, almost cradling. “I’m sorry, Button.”
If this book was filled more with the content we got in the last 30 or so pages, this could have easily been a 4 or 5 star for me. The emotions, chemistry and sweetness is there but Parker barely utilizes it which really frustrated me. She's high on slow burn and sexual tension and low on steam, angst and spice and that's fine but you gotta give me something in between to work with.
I found Matthius made for a very compelling hero and a total cinnamon-roll. He's such a teddy bear. There were a few stones left unturned with this character but nevertheless I loved what we got of him. There's just something about traditionally not-handsome "regular Joe" heroes that I find so dear and refreshing and real. Matthius is a giant in size with his height and huge muscles and next to Pet's petite stature they make quite an image (yes he has to bend down to kiss her *swooning activated*). We do get some Beauty and the Beast references since the hero is deemed "ugly" by many much to the heroine's annoyance. Matthius is ex-military with a busted face and a shaved head and a beard. He knows he's not handsome but doesn't mope about it and just accepts it in a rather quiet heartbreaking way. I just adore when heroines get absolutely rabid over others despiraging their hero's looks. Pet is quite the protective bulldog when people make snide jokes about Matthius's face and huge lumbering size. It's fucking adorable. Can more romance authors do this more please? Make it a trope. I love it so much. Let's also make not-handsome imperfect heroes a thing please.
His flush had spread to the tips of his lovely, generous ears. She’d never not be enamored with how all his features were so substantial, like his physicality was a direct reflection of his inner self and integrity, vast from his feet to his heart.
This could have been a favorite 2023 read for me if the pacing wasn't so incredibly slow-moving and stagnant. The writing was just so wordy. To be honest the last 3 Lucy Parker books I've read I slogged through in parts and I couldn't exactly put my finger on why. Not sure if this was always the case and I'm starting to notice it now or what. But her recent offerings I've come to realize her prose is just way too wordy and long winded. It's a mouthful of fluffy metaphors and navel-gazing expositions and internal monologues that go on for pages. And here was probably the worst example of it because characters keep interrupting themselves with aimless mind-wandering. Like for example when your couple are finally about to kiss and you are reading through the scene thinking they are kissing only to realize they actually haven't kissed yet and the hero is still holding the heroine's chin and leaning in for....5 pages. 😐 I literally had to stop and go back and re-read the entire scene thinking I missed something. It's incredibly disruptive and jarring to be yanked out of a scene because what you thought was happening isn't or you get an unclear confusing picture of what exactly is going on. The momentum is completely lost. The number of times this happened for me in this book is embarrassingly frequent and just made me struggle in parts. And like I said this isn't the first LP book I had this problem with. It's incredibly disruptive when you are confused on what is going on in a scene because the characters are so busy stuck in their own heads getting carried away instead of actually showing you what is going on in a scene. It felt more like telling rather than showing even though this author is great with details. I love Lucy Parker's witty writing but I really feel she needs to edit down or hire a better editor cause the number of pages and scenes wasted here on secondary fluff and internal navel gazing nonsense was frustratingly too much. I wanted more time with our hero and heroine alone. Like at times it almost read like a contemporary fiction instead of romance? Or just the hero and heroine being good friends who *like* each other. I love a good sizzling slow burn that have to work to get there and LP books are known for that but when it leaves you questioning if the couple even have chemistry in the process then it's a problem.
“I adore him,” she said, so simply, and watched Matthias’s chest move as he drew in a long breath. Watched his lashes briefly close. Saw the tremor that ran right through him. And she at last let herself believe. As his green gaze pierced hers again, his jaw clenching down so very hard, she continued, enunciating every word, “He’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever known. The bravest. The most honorable. I’m proud just to know him.” She swallowed. “I went looking for family.” Her eyes stung. “I’d already found it.” More tears rose in her throat at what that did to him.
So all in all, not bad but fell flat overall. I was greedy and wanted way more with our couple.
February 25, 2023
Lucy Parker is my very favorite author of comfort-read rom-coms, and this might well be my very favorite of all of them so far, which is saying a LOT. She has such a knack for writing couples who just resonate with each other at such a deep emotional level - while also surrounding them with really fabulous communities and tossing them into hilarious situations.
This book includes several of the funniest scenes I've read in any rom-com (there's one long subplot with a parrot that made me laugh SO MUCH) and it's just delightful on the surface level, full of fun and humor as bright, sparkly Pet and dour Matthias are forced into fake-dating for the sake of their royal bosses' reputations - but it's also full of the most moving and heartfelt emotions underneath, with the real feeling of soulmates finding each other at last and an ending that felt beautifully and honestly romantic. I love it when a couple in a book is SO perfect for each other that I'm desperate for them to get their happy ending - and their ending made me really, really happy.
I absolutely loved it, and it could certainly work as a standalone novel on its own - but it's also lovely to see the followup for characters who appeared in Book 1 of this connected series, Battle Royal. So, I highly recommend preordering this book - but then reading Battle Royal in the meantime if you haven't already!
This book includes several of the funniest scenes I've read in any rom-com (there's one long subplot with a parrot that made me laugh SO MUCH) and it's just delightful on the surface level, full of fun and humor as bright, sparkly Pet and dour Matthias are forced into fake-dating for the sake of their royal bosses' reputations - but it's also full of the most moving and heartfelt emotions underneath, with the real feeling of soulmates finding each other at last and an ending that felt beautifully and honestly romantic. I love it when a couple in a book is SO perfect for each other that I'm desperate for them to get their happy ending - and their ending made me really, really happy.
I absolutely loved it, and it could certainly work as a standalone novel on its own - but it's also lovely to see the followup for characters who appeared in Book 1 of this connected series, Battle Royal. So, I highly recommend preordering this book - but then reading Battle Royal in the meantime if you haven't already!
October 3, 2023
He's big. No, bigger than that. Like, bigly big. He clenches his fist, bigly. And his jaw- he clenches that. While clenching his fist. At his side. Because he is having emotions but cannot express them, except via clenching. So pay attention - yep, there it goes again: clenched. Oh and the occasional glint in his eye in his otherwise impassive face.
Meanwhile, she is not big. She is itty-bitty. Yep, big and small: very important characteristics. They come up a lot.
Also, how could he/she possible really like him/her?? A lot of unprofessionally public humping can't be a clue. No. Hm. What could it all mean?
Whimsical side activity!
Dark brooding. Past trauma. Distrust. Hm, does he/she really like me? Nah. No way.
Whimsical side activity!
Occasional secondary character remark.
Public humping. Unprofessional choices. Buttons.
Okay, I'll stop. I thought the first in this series was light and fun. I didn't quite DNF this one, but it was close. It just seemed to rehash the exact same simplistic angst and points of plot tension over and over, so that my general reading experience was Yeah yeah I get it.
I had hoped for more.
Meanwhile, she is not big. She is itty-bitty. Yep, big and small: very important characteristics. They come up a lot.
Also, how could he/she possible really like him/her?? A lot of unprofessionally public humping can't be a clue. No. Hm. What could it all mean?
Whimsical side activity!
Dark brooding. Past trauma. Distrust. Hm, does he/she really like me? Nah. No way.
Whimsical side activity!
Occasional secondary character remark.
Public humping. Unprofessional choices. Buttons.
Okay, I'll stop. I thought the first in this series was light and fun. I didn't quite DNF this one, but it was close. It just seemed to rehash the exact same simplistic angst and points of plot tension over and over, so that my general reading experience was Yeah yeah I get it.
I had hoped for more.
August 9, 2023
lucy parker is the queen of grumpy x sunshine
August 18, 2023
If there's one thing that I absolutely loathe in stories, it's the lengthy paragraphs of narration/inner monologues/telling. This book suffered majorly from that. I don't remember this author's previous books being like this??
The narration paragraphs were so long that I forgot what was being said between two bouts of dialogues. I had to go back a couple of pages on average to refer back to what was going on.
And the near obsession wrt their size difference was completely over the top and overdone. Plus the number of coincidences were a tad too many, with the last one had me rolling my eyes so hard.
The storyline in itself was good. It did keep me reading until the end. Sadly, it was also able to cause much frustration.
The narration paragraphs were so long that I forgot what was being said between two bouts of dialogues. I had to go back a couple of pages on average to refer back to what was going on.
And the near obsession wrt their size difference was completely over the top and overdone. Plus the number of coincidences were a tad too many, with the last one had me rolling my eyes so hard.
The storyline in itself was good. It did keep me reading until the end. Sadly, it was also able to cause much frustration.
August 23, 2023
4 stars.
I love Lucy Parker's books, and this was no exception.
I loved everything Pat and Matthias, their lovely getting closer, the amazing chemistry between them.
I loved that there were no stupid misunderstandings. As in her other books, the author's MCs behaved like grown adults (such a relieve!!).
There were some minor things I didn't care for that much, like the way Johnny came across as if he were a toddler stumbling from one awkward incident to the next, and not a grown man. The many situations he had to be rescued from felt over the top (and the story would have worked as well, if not better, without those exaggerated happenings in my opinion).
Overall I enjoyed the novel a lot, though.
There were lots of inner thougts and less interactions between the MCs than in the authors other novels, and these interactions were the best parts of the story. So so lovely to read.
And now I long to reread Pretty Face, my favorite by Lucy Parker! 😁
I love Lucy Parker's books, and this was no exception.
I loved everything Pat and Matthias, their lovely getting closer, the amazing chemistry between them.
I loved that there were no stupid misunderstandings. As in her other books, the author's MCs behaved like grown adults (such a relieve!!).
There were some minor things I didn't care for that much, like the way Johnny came across as if he were a toddler stumbling from one awkward incident to the next, and not a grown man. The many situations he had to be rescued from felt over the top (and the story would have worked as well, if not better, without those exaggerated happenings in my opinion).
Overall I enjoyed the novel a lot, though.
There were lots of inner thougts and less interactions between the MCs than in the authors other novels, and these interactions were the best parts of the story. So so lovely to read.
And now I long to reread Pretty Face, my favorite by Lucy Parker! 😁
September 4, 2024
[Aug 2024] This was a hard book to get my head around, but for an odd reason. I’ll come back to that.
The story was delightful. I was so in love with both Pet and Matthias right from the start. Actually, I was in love with Pet in Battle Royal where she was just a side character. I’m completely sold on a protagonist who is optimistic and hopeful despite a—British Slang Alert—shite backstory. Again, total props to author Lucy Parker for fleshing out her entire cast, main and supporting; and oh, hey, these two are going to fall in love? On board. Completely. As I said in my review for Battle Royal, pull up the popcorn and watch these kids fall in love delightful.
So back to my only problem with this story, and it is specifically a me problem. But, I had a hard time picturing the physical size difference between Matthias and Pet. Normally, with such a minor plot point, I’d just roll with it, but the size discrepancy between Matthias and Pet turned out to be more than a minor plot point and I just couldn’t get my head around it. Exactly how big is Matthias? I really have no frame of reference, so as often as it was mentioned, it kept slipping me out of the story.
Anyway, a me problem, so don’t let that stop you from reading this book which I recommend you do. Cheers.
[Sept 2024]
Reread note: I don't usually mention what I call my "headcasting" for book characters, but on my first read, I had a hard time visualizing Matthias's character as described multiple times in the book. It was only after watching the Deadpool and Wolverine movie that I realized actor Channing Tatum is perfect for the role of Matthias (at least for me). It made the reread much more enjoyable.
The story was delightful. I was so in love with both Pet and Matthias right from the start. Actually, I was in love with Pet in Battle Royal where she was just a side character. I’m completely sold on a protagonist who is optimistic and hopeful despite a—British Slang Alert—shite backstory. Again, total props to author Lucy Parker for fleshing out her entire cast, main and supporting; and oh, hey, these two are going to fall in love? On board. Completely. As I said in my review for Battle Royal, pull up the popcorn and watch these kids fall in love delightful.
So back to my only problem with this story, and it is specifically a me problem. But, I had a hard time picturing the physical size difference between Matthias and Pet. Normally, with such a minor plot point, I’d just roll with it, but the size discrepancy between Matthias and Pet turned out to be more than a minor plot point and I just couldn’t get my head around it. Exactly how big is Matthias? I really have no frame of reference, so as often as it was mentioned, it kept slipping me out of the story.
Anyway, a me problem, so don’t let that stop you from reading this book which I recommend you do. Cheers.
[Sept 2024]
Reread note: I don't usually mention what I call my "headcasting" for book characters, but on my first read, I had a hard time visualizing Matthias's character as described multiple times in the book. It was only after watching the Deadpool and Wolverine movie that I realized actor Channing Tatum is perfect for the role of Matthias (at least for me). It made the reread much more enjoyable.
February 6, 2023
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beauty and the Beast retellings are my favorite. I was eagerly awaiting this book. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the 'beastly' aspect of it but it did really fight in with Matthias' character arc so I guess... Overall, a cute read. Definitely worth reading and the wait.
Beauty and the Beast retellings are my favorite. I was eagerly awaiting this book. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the 'beastly' aspect of it but it did really fight in with Matthias' character arc so I guess... Overall, a cute read. Definitely worth reading and the wait.
October 8, 2023
4.5 stars.
It's cute. Tho the narrator's voice for Matthias was terrible and a bit annoying.
But the two people are lovely.
It's cute. Tho the narrator's voice for Matthias was terrible and a bit annoying.
But the two people are lovely.
December 28, 2024
I mostly loved this, kind of despite myself.
My values / beliefs include a) the British royal family are a bunch of colonizing shits hoarding wealth, b) all cops are bad, and c) military service (ie killing people) should not be glorified.
It's not that this VERY sexy, funny, and romantic story about a royal bodyguard and a personal assistant to a royal is really about those things, but they are in the background and not exactly unequivocally condoned but neither are they questioned. It's not quite enough for me.
Anyway, if you can ignore those aspects, this couple is so great, incredible chemistry! 🥵🥵
My values / beliefs include a) the British royal family are a bunch of colonizing shits hoarding wealth, b) all cops are bad, and c) military service (ie killing people) should not be glorified.
It's not that this VERY sexy, funny, and romantic story about a royal bodyguard and a personal assistant to a royal is really about those things, but they are in the background and not exactly unequivocally condoned but neither are they questioned. It's not quite enough for me.
Anyway, if you can ignore those aspects, this couple is so great, incredible chemistry! 🥵🥵
December 29, 2023
Well, huh. I did like the two main characters and enjoyed watching their relationship develop. But the story and plot development, not so much. In the first place, I have no interest in royalty, real or fictional, so the secondaries weren't my cup of tea. In the second place, where on earth was the story going? We have muggings, paintball wars, returning a mistakenly stolen parrot to its proper place, mystery parentage for the FMC, loss of a beloved friend with its accompanying grief and guilt for the MMC, and I've forgotten what else. Every once in a while, there were some lovely romantic scenes where the reader can see that these two characters are perfect for each other. That was pleasant, but this is definitely not my favorite Lucy Parker novel.
June 13, 2024
I love this authors books! This is the second in a series about characters who work for the royal family. Petunia (Pet) works in the palace as a PA to the princess’s new husband. There are lots of jokes about what a charmingly clumsy man he is. His antics get Pet into all sorts of crazy adventures. The romance centers around Pet and the head bodyguard Matthias. He is one of my favorite kinds of heroes. Big, brawny, and stoic. A man of very few words. There is a fake boyfriend trope that turns into real interest in no time. In fact, these two have always secretly been attracted to each other.
These characters are good people and their slow burn romance had me intrigued. Be warned that there is a lot of internal dialogue as the two of them ponder life, romance, and relationships. The book was light on the sexy scenes, but these two know how to kiss! I love a book with great kissing scenes. Authors usually skim over great kisses.
The ending was so sweet and heartwarming. The last quarter of the book tied things up nicely with a few surprises thrown in.
Safety Spoiler:
These characters are good people and their slow burn romance had me intrigued. Be warned that there is a lot of internal dialogue as the two of them ponder life, romance, and relationships. The book was light on the sexy scenes, but these two know how to kiss! I love a book with great kissing scenes. Authors usually skim over great kisses.
The ending was so sweet and heartwarming. The last quarter of the book tied things up nicely with a few surprises thrown in.
Safety Spoiler:
August 21, 2023
3.75/5🌟
Codename Charming by Lucy Parker, the second book in the Palace Insiders series, is pretty charming although it's a little too long. It's a fake dating, grumpy sunshine kind of book featuring Matthias, a bodyguard to Johnny Marchmont and the Royal family member's assistant, Petunia De Vere. When gossip magazines start speculating that Johnny is cheating on his wife with Petunia, they come up with a plan which involves a fake relationship between Matthias and Petunia. There were so many great moments in this book which were really funny. This is all thanks to Johnny. If there is even the remotest possibility of something going wrong, it will go wrong with him around. There are some really funny incidents involving allergic reactions and kidnapped birds and a lot more. There is also a quest to gather more information about Petunia's family. The writing is really good. Lucy Parker writes some parts in such a way that there is almost a fairy tale like vibe there. It's enchanting and mystical in parts. Overall it was a good read.
I listened to the audiobook and I think that might have been a mistake. Also, this is one of the rare romance series for which I highly recommend reading the first book before picking up the second.
Codename Charming by Lucy Parker, the second book in the Palace Insiders series, is pretty charming although it's a little too long. It's a fake dating, grumpy sunshine kind of book featuring Matthias, a bodyguard to Johnny Marchmont and the Royal family member's assistant, Petunia De Vere. When gossip magazines start speculating that Johnny is cheating on his wife with Petunia, they come up with a plan which involves a fake relationship between Matthias and Petunia. There were so many great moments in this book which were really funny. This is all thanks to Johnny. If there is even the remotest possibility of something going wrong, it will go wrong with him around. There are some really funny incidents involving allergic reactions and kidnapped birds and a lot more. There is also a quest to gather more information about Petunia's family. The writing is really good. Lucy Parker writes some parts in such a way that there is almost a fairy tale like vibe there. It's enchanting and mystical in parts. Overall it was a good read.
I listened to the audiobook and I think that might have been a mistake. Also, this is one of the rare romance series for which I highly recommend reading the first book before picking up the second.
April 4, 2024
Lucy Parker is a wonderful writer and I have loved so many of her stories, but this series is not working for me. I wasn't thrilled by the first Palace Insiders book and, while I started out liking this one more, it eventually fell flat.
Pet, our heroine, is a personal assistant for Johnny, one half of the royal couple I couldn't have cared less about from the first book, and Matthias, our hero, is one of his body men. They are constantly in the press because Johnny is a walking disaster. Unfortunately, rumors have begun to spread that Pet and Johnny are having an affair. The Palace gets involved and decides that the way to squash the rumor is to put Pet even more firmly in the public eye by having her and Matthias fake date (apparently the members of the public that don't believe Pet is sleeping with Johnny are shipping her on twitter with Matthais and the Palace believes this will become the new hot story).
None of that makes sense from a PR perspective, really, but it's a romance novel and I was willing to go with it. This set up doesn't work as a catalyst for a great story though as Pet and Matthias have very little stress about the fake dating and they almost immediately start making out (so there isn't much tension about them being attracted to each other either). Thinking about it now, a better approach might have been Pet worrying about her losing her job (because she would totally be fired or reassigned in order to stop the rumors) and Matthias offering to fake date her in order to save it. Would have been far more compelling for me and far less passive for the characters.
This book relies heavily on inner monologues and on other people telling Pet and Matthias how into each other they are. This happens nonstop and was tedious and annoying. I don't want other people telling Pet that Matthias has a thing for her, I want to read examples of Matthias having a thing for her. I don't want Matthias hearing that Pet has been into him since day 1, I want to read her awkward attempts at flirting and gaining his attention and her sadness that he's not returning her interest.
Matthias is saddled with a heavy backstory that never really seems to get fully fleshed out or resolved and I also didn't like that the lesson he learns is that a woman will sort of fix/save him. He should be in therapy. Oh! And the cutesy ending on this had me seething. Actually, I'm taking away the rounding up to 3 stars I was originally giving this because that was god awful.
Finally, the size difference thing here was weirdly written. Pet is 5' I think? I can't remember if her height was ever given, but Matthias might as well be an orc with the way people talk about him. It actually started to make me uncomfortable. I think there were two scenes with two sets of different people giving advice to Pet about how to have sex with him without being hurt because he's just so huge. I don't want to worry about the heroine's vagina every time the hero approaches her. It read like she was about to be assaulted by a baseball bat, but then it turned out that he wasn't that big and there was no need for us to have read about how she'd have to cope with it.
All in all, this book suffers from the same issues the first book had- a lackluster pairing that is surrounded by too many characters and too many plot lines. On top of that there are just some plain weird things that are cartoonish and dare I say self indulgent of the author. This needed serious streamlining and a narrower focus. I don't think I'd read another book in this world.
January 10, 2024
I can always count on Lucy Parker to bring a romance that tugs at your heartstrings and she didn't disappoint here.
It's gentle, emotional, with some silly moments, bordering on the absurd, I was deeply involved in the story throughout.
Beauty and the beast kind of romance where the height/size difference was overly emphasized in my opinion. I get its significance for the story but I don't need to be reminded about it quite that often.
Strong focus of royals, social media, paparazzi - all things that don't always work for me in romance but they didn't bother me here, they felt in perfect blend with the romance (which is angsty and slow burn and just the kind of romance I really like).
Overall, this book has all the strengths of Lucy Parker's books - lots and lots of emotional depth and inner conflict, a wide cast of varied characters. I could do without the royal plot but that's just a personal preference.
CW: grief, violence, mugging, murder (in the past), parental neglect/abuse (in the past)
It's gentle, emotional, with some silly moments, bordering on the absurd, I was deeply involved in the story throughout.
Beauty and the beast kind of romance where the height/size difference was overly emphasized in my opinion. I get its significance for the story but I don't need to be reminded about it quite that often.
Strong focus of royals, social media, paparazzi - all things that don't always work for me in romance but they didn't bother me here, they felt in perfect blend with the romance (which is angsty and slow burn and just the kind of romance I really like).
Overall, this book has all the strengths of Lucy Parker's books - lots and lots of emotional depth and inner conflict, a wide cast of varied characters. I could do without the royal plot but that's just a personal preference.
CW: grief, violence, mugging, murder (in the past), parental neglect/abuse (in the past)
February 11, 2024
3.5🌟 i was so excited to read Pet's book, because I really loved her arc in battle royal! she is such a fun, smart, savvy character and it was fun to see her find her place at the palace. when there's a (semi)believable reason that two characters need to fake date, it makes the story that much better and their situation, combined with their history from the end of battle royal made for the perfect storm.
i loved how even though matthias is the bodyguard, pet is fiercely protective of him. meanwhile, he would literally do anything for her🤭 i think for me, there were one too many plot lines, one too many mishaps where johnny is concerned, and not enough emotional build up prior to their real relationship beginning, but overall i still enjoyed my time reading this!
*thank you netgalley and avon for the ARC!
i loved how even though matthias is the bodyguard, pet is fiercely protective of him. meanwhile, he would literally do anything for her🤭 i think for me, there were one too many plot lines, one too many mishaps where johnny is concerned, and not enough emotional build up prior to their real relationship beginning, but overall i still enjoyed my time reading this!
*thank you netgalley and avon for the ARC!
August 16, 2023
This is everything I love about a romance novel.
Set at the Palace, Pet (Petal) is a personal assistant to the Duke, Johnny, who is constantly getting himself into trouble. Matthias runs security for his wife, Rosie, the Duchess.
Grumpy-sunshine, bodyguard trope, fake-dating, just all of my favorites. I didn’t read Battle Royal, and I will now be going back to do so but I don’t think it takes away from this story - Pet and Matthias are perfectly imperfect together and have a lot of ground to cover. Both come from less than ideal backgrounds and helping each other heal, even if the relationship started as a divergence for the press, was a really sweet part of this story.
Set at the Palace, Pet (Petal) is a personal assistant to the Duke, Johnny, who is constantly getting himself into trouble. Matthias runs security for his wife, Rosie, the Duchess.
Grumpy-sunshine, bodyguard trope, fake-dating, just all of my favorites. I didn’t read Battle Royal, and I will now be going back to do so but I don’t think it takes away from this story - Pet and Matthias are perfectly imperfect together and have a lot of ground to cover. Both come from less than ideal backgrounds and helping each other heal, even if the relationship started as a divergence for the press, was a really sweet part of this story.
December 5, 2023
One of my most anticipated books by one of my favorite romance authors was sweet but ultimately did not live up to expectations. I was struggling to pinpoint why this book didn't work for me when it has for many readers I align with most of the time. I think some of my disappointment can be attributed to high expectations given that Parker has written some of my favorite romances. It's also been a while too since she has published a new book, and so the anticipation was running high for me. But when I compare this new one to her previous books, I can honestly say that it is not one I can see myself returning to. I also found myself setting it down for long periods, and so the story clearly lacked urgency for me. I landed on the word "sweet" to describe it since it is at heart a romance with a great deal of kindness between the two main characters and also one without much conflict, or at least internal conflict.
Pet and Matthias are drawn to each other the moment they meet and have an undeniable physical attraction. We are told repeatedly (too much so!) that Matthias is quite unattractive, even to the point of scaring people, but Pet sees innate traits that resonate with her. Matthias is a protector with a strong value system based on justice and fairness for how the world should function. Pet too has a strong moral code that defines how she lives her life, and she and Matthias recognize this commonality in each other. This sense of simpatico is perhaps an unusual basis for a romance but it does work here in this book and has a clear logic to it. As they get to know each other in their workplace at the Palace, they discover that they share a similar childhood history of supreme loneliness and neglect. Parker's trademark "grumpy/sunshine" trope is here to an extent, but it didn't really serve much purpose since Pet and Matthias are aligned from the beginning with a sense of their belonging.
External events provide the substance of their long drawn out romance. They serve the Palace wholeheartedly - she as an assistant to a highly placed member of the royal family and he as a senior bodyguard. When farcical events require them to fake date, they have a legitimate reason to explore their attraction. The fake dating trope felt a little stale here and serves really as the reason they can entertain their infatuation but also the reason for conflict between them. I didn't feel that this book offers anything new in this type of popular plot. I also am not keen on the royals as a background to the story, but that is my own personal issue and may not bother other readers. We are meant to accept that the royals are special, and commoners like Pet and Matthias should be honored to serve. Okay, then. External conflict is resolved largely because the Palace sanctions the romance, and who are Pet and Matthias to doubt that resolve.
The book has some charming and funny moments involving the main characters trying their best to maintain order in a sometimes dysfunctional work environment. Otherwise for me, the book was fine but unmemorable.
Pet and Matthias are drawn to each other the moment they meet and have an undeniable physical attraction. We are told repeatedly (too much so!) that Matthias is quite unattractive, even to the point of scaring people, but Pet sees innate traits that resonate with her. Matthias is a protector with a strong value system based on justice and fairness for how the world should function. Pet too has a strong moral code that defines how she lives her life, and she and Matthias recognize this commonality in each other. This sense of simpatico is perhaps an unusual basis for a romance but it does work here in this book and has a clear logic to it. As they get to know each other in their workplace at the Palace, they discover that they share a similar childhood history of supreme loneliness and neglect. Parker's trademark "grumpy/sunshine" trope is here to an extent, but it didn't really serve much purpose since Pet and Matthias are aligned from the beginning with a sense of their belonging.
External events provide the substance of their long drawn out romance. They serve the Palace wholeheartedly - she as an assistant to a highly placed member of the royal family and he as a senior bodyguard. When farcical events require them to fake date, they have a legitimate reason to explore their attraction. The fake dating trope felt a little stale here and serves really as the reason they can entertain their infatuation but also the reason for conflict between them. I didn't feel that this book offers anything new in this type of popular plot. I also am not keen on the royals as a background to the story, but that is my own personal issue and may not bother other readers. We are meant to accept that the royals are special, and commoners like Pet and Matthias should be honored to serve. Okay, then. External conflict is resolved largely because the Palace sanctions the romance, and who are Pet and Matthias to doubt that resolve.
The book has some charming and funny moments involving the main characters trying their best to maintain order in a sometimes dysfunctional work environment. Otherwise for me, the book was fine but unmemorable.
December 1, 2024
Wow! I haven't cried -- happy tears, mind you -- at the end of a romance in a long time. But tears are still dripping a few minutes after I finished this. I loved it!
Okay, how is this even possible? I really loved Battle Royale, the first in Ms. Parker's Palace Insiders series. And as I said in my review of that book, I was a bit irritated when I began the book that she had dropped her London Celebrities series (which I for the most part loved) for a new series featuring royals. Royals? I was skeptical. But no longer.
I probably liked this even more than Battle Royale, which seems barely possible. This book features Pet (the sister of the hero of Battle Royale) and Matthias (the tall, brawny, not spectacular looking bodyguard of Johnny, the fiance (now husband) of Princess Rosie we met in Battle Royale).
Pet and Matthias both have so much baggage, from horrible childhoods. But they've both made a success of their lives. Forced into a "fake dating" situation to protect Johnny, they get to know each other much better.
I really loved everything about this. I liked seeing the characters we'd met previously in Battle Royale. I loved some of the new additions who live in the palace. And most of all, I love Pet and Matthias.
How soon before I can read this again? I've listened to most of Ms. Parker's books in audio, and think I'll now search out the audio version of this.
Reread December 1, 2024: I did a reread of this in audio this time. I still agree with everything I wrote about the story. However, the narrator irritated me with the way she portrayed Matthias' voice. I know he's supposed to have a deep, hoarse voice, but this was like whispering most of the time.
Okay, how is this even possible? I really loved Battle Royale, the first in Ms. Parker's Palace Insiders series. And as I said in my review of that book, I was a bit irritated when I began the book that she had dropped her London Celebrities series (which I for the most part loved) for a new series featuring royals. Royals? I was skeptical. But no longer.
I probably liked this even more than Battle Royale, which seems barely possible. This book features Pet (the sister of the hero of Battle Royale) and Matthias (the tall, brawny, not spectacular looking bodyguard of Johnny, the fiance (now husband) of Princess Rosie we met in Battle Royale).
Pet and Matthias both have so much baggage, from horrible childhoods. But they've both made a success of their lives. Forced into a "fake dating" situation to protect Johnny, they get to know each other much better.
I really loved everything about this. I liked seeing the characters we'd met previously in Battle Royale. I loved some of the new additions who live in the palace. And most of all, I love Pet and Matthias.
How soon before I can read this again? I've listened to most of Ms. Parker's books in audio, and think I'll now search out the audio version of this.
Reread December 1, 2024: I did a reread of this in audio this time. I still agree with everything I wrote about the story. However, the narrator irritated me with the way she portrayed Matthias' voice. I know he's supposed to have a deep, hoarse voice, but this was like whispering most of the time.
February 4, 2023
Sigh... I'm a big Lucy Parker fan and was really looking forward to this book. I loved "Battle Royal" and was eager to read about Pet and Mathias. However, this story appeared to be more committed to advancing a specific agenda than spinning an entertaining and romantic yarn.
The story started out OK but it just didn't capture my imagination as Parker's previous stories had. I had trouble connecting with Mathias and Pet or really caring that much about their potential relationship. There was a lack of the kind of entertaining snarky dialogue prevalant in the author's other books and the "funny" scenes just weren't that funny. The character of Johnny, who I had found sweet and charming in "Battle Royal" was, for me in this book, a bit annoying and daft. I grew bored during the parrot scene and basically skimmed the story until the end.
There were some highlights such as glimpses into Dominic's and Sylvie's relationship and the introduction of Matthias' cat, Miriam,
For me, when there's proselytizing for a certain way of thinking within a story that I'm reading for fun, it diminishes the quality and the level of enjoyment for the reader. Or, at least, for this reader.
Many, many f-bombs and graphic sex.
The story started out OK but it just didn't capture my imagination as Parker's previous stories had. I had trouble connecting with Mathias and Pet or really caring that much about their potential relationship. There was a lack of the kind of entertaining snarky dialogue prevalant in the author's other books and the "funny" scenes just weren't that funny. The character of Johnny, who I had found sweet and charming in "Battle Royal" was, for me in this book, a bit annoying and daft. I grew bored during the parrot scene and basically skimmed the story until the end.
There were some highlights such as glimpses into Dominic's and Sylvie's relationship and the introduction of Matthias' cat, Miriam,
For me, when there's proselytizing for a certain way of thinking within a story that I'm reading for fun, it diminishes the quality and the level of enjoyment for the reader. Or, at least, for this reader.
Many, many f-bombs and graphic sex.
August 11, 2023
I was really excited about this one because I liked Petunia aka Pet in the first book. She was always so hilarious and it carried to this book as well. Although I did like aspects of this one I didn’t fully love it and that saddened me.
There are a lot of good tropes in this book and most circle around the main couple Pet and Matthias. He is a grump and she is the sunshine. I feel like it was easier to get to know Pet because we had been previously introduced to her. Matthias is very standoffish and doesn’t say or do much but that comes with his line of work as a bodyguard for someone in the royal family. They also begin to fake date due to rumors and keeping the publicity off the royal family. I due tend to enjoy these tropes but the romance was very much a slow burn and not in a good way. It took to around 22% to introduce the fake dating and their relationship was just as slow. It didn’t give me the feels and when that happens its hard to stay interested. I think this could have been avoided if there weren’t so many plotlines going on outside of this.
Overall, I was just underwhelmed by this one but thought it was good for the most part.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
There are a lot of good tropes in this book and most circle around the main couple Pet and Matthias. He is a grump and she is the sunshine. I feel like it was easier to get to know Pet because we had been previously introduced to her. Matthias is very standoffish and doesn’t say or do much but that comes with his line of work as a bodyguard for someone in the royal family. They also begin to fake date due to rumors and keeping the publicity off the royal family. I due tend to enjoy these tropes but the romance was very much a slow burn and not in a good way. It took to around 22% to introduce the fake dating and their relationship was just as slow. It didn’t give me the feels and when that happens its hard to stay interested. I think this could have been avoided if there weren’t so many plotlines going on outside of this.
Overall, I was just underwhelmed by this one but thought it was good for the most part.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
November 30, 2023
I felt pieces of this reaching towards the highest heights of Parker's previous work, but on the whole, it suffered from 1) my reading mood which has been weird as fuck this month 2) being too connected to the previous book and me not remembering ANY of the relationship stuff from that one and 3) being about fake dating for social media which is beyond played out as a plot device at this point. Pet and Matthias were very cute together and I was perfectly happy for them to BE together, but this just did not entirely click.
February 25, 2023
I enjoyed this charming, entertaining fake dating with opposite attract romance.
But this book is under 400 pages but by 60% I felt like it was dragging. All in all this for anyone looking for a swiftly engaging story that pulls you right in with character banter, high tension, and I truly recommend picking this one up!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But this book is under 400 pages but by 60% I felt like it was dragging. All in all this for anyone looking for a swiftly engaging story that pulls you right in with character banter, high tension, and I truly recommend picking this one up!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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