The Royal Treatment (A Crown Jewels Romance, #1) in Romances with Humor

Sep 17, 2017 Tracie Banister rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It was serendipitous that Amazon recommended this book to me at a time when I really needed a good, pick-me-up read. I'm a sucker for a royal romance, and The Royal Treatment provided me with one that was absolutely swoon-worthy, as well as some hearty laughs. The premise of the book is a clever one--Fearful that an upcoming vote might mean the end of the monarchy in Avonia, Prince Arthur needs some good PR for his family, so he invites Tessa Sharpe, the most ardent anti-royalist in the blogosph It was serendipitous that Amazon recommended this book to me at a time when I really needed a good, pick-me-up read. I'm a sucker for a royal romance, and The Royal Treatment provided me with one that was absolutely swoon-worthy, as well as some hearty laughs. The premise of the book is a clever one--Fearful that an upcoming vote might mean the end of the monarchy in Avonia, Prince Arthur needs some good PR for his family, so he invites Tessa Sharpe, the most ardent anti-royalist in the blogosphere, to come and stay at the palace for a couple of months, thinking that if he can win her over, the rest of the country will follow suit. Tessa is determined to stay objective and report the facts (too bad the facts are that Prince Arthur can be quite charming when he wants to be and he looks smokin' hot without his shirt). Will Tessa be able to resist temptation? Can Arthur finally let down his guard and be real with someone? And how can they ever trust each other when they're both harboring secrets and hidden agendas?

The chemistry between the two leads in this book was palpable; they were combative, playful, and steamy, sometimes all in the same scene! It was easy to see why they fell for each other, and also why getting involved was a very bad idea as they were not only idealistically opposed, but came from completely different worlds. The development of their relationship is a roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs, and I empathized (and wanted to shake some sense into) both Arthur and Tessa at various points. In other words, this was a great, wonderfully complex love story and the royal backdrop upped the stakes considerably.

I loved the way the author wove humor throughout the fabric of the story, starting with a hilarious incident involving Tessa and her bestie, Nikki, early in the book. This incident becomes a viral video that's continually referenced as the story progresses, and it never stopped being funny! I, also, smiled every time Dexter, Arthur's pet pot-bellied pig, showed up on the page. He had a lot of personality and was a great sidekick for the prince! Arthur's grandmother, plain-spoken Princess Dowager Florence, was a hoot as well. I got a kick out of her trying to matchmake Arthur and Tessa.

The Royal Treatment ends in an appropriately grand and romantic way, and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for Arthur and Tessa in the follow-up. I'm so glad to have discovered this author and hope she keeps writing delightful stories with memorable characters like this one! ...more

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Jul 29, 2018 Delancey rated it it was amazing

Yes, it's a royals book, but it's such a fresh and hilarious take on the whole thing... Two words: "Shock Jogger" -- I haven't laughed out loud at a book in a while, but this one did it! ...more

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Nov 13, 2022 Meg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, romance-contemporary, quirky-snarky, unique-plot, audiobook, banter, series, new-to-me-author

Loved this book, it was hysterically funny and I was laughing out loud at so much of the dialogue! This new to me author can do witty banter with 10*'s. Not your normal royal romance as prince charming Arthur was a huge ass in the beginning but funny as hell. Tessa the heroine is sweet, and kind of beat down but a fighter (she had to be, as she grew up with 4 super successful brothers who picked on her all the time and still do).
I just adore the humor and characters! The humor reminds me so much ...more

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