Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
This story was told in third person dual point of view from Pet and Matthias. It’s the second book in the Palace Insiders series and while you could read it as a stand-alone, there are a lot of characters in common with both books and events that contribute to prior relationships. As a matter of fact, I might have benefitted from a reread before picking this one up because I was rather confused at a few points and that detracted from my enjoyment of this story. It also has inspiration from the Beauty and the Beast theme.
I usually love a book with the bodyguard or fake relationship tropes, and I thought I was going to love this right from the beginning, but then it just stalled. It had moments that I really enjoyed followed by being genuinely confounded. It may have been distraction on my part, but I felt lost in the first half of the book. I felt like I should know more about Pet’s background (or remember more from the previous book) than the information that was given to me in this book. I found Jonny’s incidents to be funny, but they didn’t string together the narrative in a cohesive way for me until the parrot incident. The open nature of Pet’s thought process and the closed nature of Matthias probably contributed to this feeling.
After the angry Scottish-accented parrot, I felt like the communication between Pet and Matthias picked up and my interest piqued. I thought they were both genuinely interesting characters with great backgrounds to explore and find common ground even though physically, they were so different. There were moments where they interacted with supporting characters and other incidents with Jonny that kept the momentum going, though I did have a hiccup during the Wand competition in trying to remember who one of the characters was after having only been mentioned twice in this book though now I remember they were prominent in the first book. I even cried at the resolution of Pet’s quest but wish that I had felt those emotions earlier in the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
I usually love a book with the bodyguard or fake relationship tropes, and I thought I was going to love this right from the beginning, but then it just stalled. It had moments that I really enjoyed followed by being genuinely confounded. It may have been distraction on my part, but I felt lost in the first half of the book. I felt like I should know more about Pet’s background (or remember more from the previous book) than the information that was given to me in this book. I found Jonny’s incidents to be funny, but they didn’t string together the narrative in a cohesive way for me until the parrot incident. The open nature of Pet’s thought process and the closed nature of Matthias probably contributed to this feeling.
After the angry Scottish-accented parrot, I felt like the communication between Pet and Matthias picked up and my interest piqued. I thought they were both genuinely interesting characters with great backgrounds to explore and find common ground even though physically, they were so different. There were moments where they interacted with supporting characters and other incidents with Jonny that kept the momentum going, though I did have a hiccup during the Wand competition in trying to remember who one of the characters was after having only been mentioned twice in this book though now I remember they were prominent in the first book. I even cried at the resolution of Pet’s quest but wish that I had felt those emotions earlier in the book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
DNF. I'm so sorry, Ms. Parker, but I simply could not do this one. I had it for such a long time before I finally had to admit to myself that I didn't want to keep reading this. The social media stuff made me cringe, and I felt like I could see every gear in the story turning, in a way that I couldn't overlook. I just want credit for the attempt.
Review originally posted at Smexy Books. I rated this a B (or 4 stars) for the blog, but the Kate adjusted rating is closer to a 3.
Codename Charming is the second in Lucy Parker’s Palace Insiders. I was intrigued by the royal-adjacent romance that didn’t star any royals, even though I skipped the first in the series, Battle Royal. I was excited by the grumpy/sunshine premise and the fake dating and this book did not disappoint.
I am going to mention first off, however, that while Codename Charming has comedic moments (more than many books being sold as romantic comedies these days, honestly), it does touch on some more serious subjects, including grief. Both characters have very deeply woven backstories that show up in different ways as they are navigating their way to a happily ever after. Particularly Matthias, who has a lot of guilt due to surviving a knife attack that he lost his best friend to. And while I do believe that Codename Charming does a good job of balancing the serious with the not-so-serious, none of the serious stuff is mentioned in the description of the book, and it took me by surprise.
Codename Charming starts off with a funny situation, and manages to keep up the energy for the beginning, before it starts to delve into what can rightfully be called the traumatic incidents of our main characters’ pasts. When the book starts having Pet and Matthias work through some of their baggage, it started to drag a little for me. While I think that Pet was really crucial for some self-discovery on Matthias’s part, I don’t know how much Matthias was necessary for Pet’s backstory and the whole subplot about her absent/unknown father felt a little unnecessary, as it didn’t really pay off emotionally like I would have expected. I did enjoy seeing Matthias’s growth and how Pet fit into that, though, and especially enjoyed how she was protective of him even though he was the bodyguard.
Pet, Matthias, and the rest of the characters in the book are great. I really love Pet’s boss, Johnny, who is bumbling and wonderful and a large source of amusement. Dominic and Sylvie from Battle Royal show up, as Dominic is Pet’s previously estranged brother who she is beginning to build a relationship with, but I did not feel like I needed to have read the first book in order to appreciate their addition to Codename Charming.
That all being said, this was a really sweet romance and I did love the development of the relationship of Pet and Matthias. They were adorable together and I loved watching Matthias’s stoicism crumble in the face of Pet’s cuteness and competence. The quiet moments between Pet and Matthias were my favorites, and I really wish there could have been more of the everyday, instead of the dramatic scenes coming fast and furious.
In Codename Charming, Parker has created an amazing cast of characters and a fun setting, with a plot that’s a little all over the place. It’s definitely an enjoyable read, with genuinely amusing moments, as long as you go in aware that there are some heavier topics.
Content warnings: Matthias was in foster care as a child as his parents died in a car accident when he was young (only referenced, not on-page). Pet does not know her father and was emotionally abused by her stepfather and neglected by her mother (also only referenced, not on-page). There is an on-page mugging with a knife attack and a description of a past mugging gone wrong with a knife attack, causing the death of a friend of Matthias, and while it is not named as such Matthias displays some of the characteristics of somebody with PTSD as a result of the incident. Prior to the events of the book, Pet’s boss Johnny was attacked by a stalker who ended up hurting Pet, so there are mentions of that incident and her subsequent hospital stay.
Codename Charming is the second in Lucy Parker’s Palace Insiders. I was intrigued by the royal-adjacent romance that didn’t star any royals, even though I skipped the first in the series, Battle Royal. I was excited by the grumpy/sunshine premise and the fake dating and this book did not disappoint.
I am going to mention first off, however, that while Codename Charming has comedic moments (more than many books being sold as romantic comedies these days, honestly), it does touch on some more serious subjects, including grief. Both characters have very deeply woven backstories that show up in different ways as they are navigating their way to a happily ever after. Particularly Matthias, who has a lot of guilt due to surviving a knife attack that he lost his best friend to. And while I do believe that Codename Charming does a good job of balancing the serious with the not-so-serious, none of the serious stuff is mentioned in the description of the book, and it took me by surprise.
Codename Charming starts off with a funny situation, and manages to keep up the energy for the beginning, before it starts to delve into what can rightfully be called the traumatic incidents of our main characters’ pasts. When the book starts having Pet and Matthias work through some of their baggage, it started to drag a little for me. While I think that Pet was really crucial for some self-discovery on Matthias’s part, I don’t know how much Matthias was necessary for Pet’s backstory and the whole subplot about her absent/unknown father felt a little unnecessary, as it didn’t really pay off emotionally like I would have expected. I did enjoy seeing Matthias’s growth and how Pet fit into that, though, and especially enjoyed how she was protective of him even though he was the bodyguard.
Pet, Matthias, and the rest of the characters in the book are great. I really love Pet’s boss, Johnny, who is bumbling and wonderful and a large source of amusement. Dominic and Sylvie from Battle Royal show up, as Dominic is Pet’s previously estranged brother who she is beginning to build a relationship with, but I did not feel like I needed to have read the first book in order to appreciate their addition to Codename Charming.
That all being said, this was a really sweet romance and I did love the development of the relationship of Pet and Matthias. They were adorable together and I loved watching Matthias’s stoicism crumble in the face of Pet’s cuteness and competence. The quiet moments between Pet and Matthias were my favorites, and I really wish there could have been more of the everyday, instead of the dramatic scenes coming fast and furious.
In Codename Charming, Parker has created an amazing cast of characters and a fun setting, with a plot that’s a little all over the place. It’s definitely an enjoyable read, with genuinely amusing moments, as long as you go in aware that there are some heavier topics.
Content warnings: Matthias was in foster care as a child as his parents died in a car accident when he was young (only referenced, not on-page). Pet does not know her father and was emotionally abused by her stepfather and neglected by her mother (also only referenced, not on-page). There is an on-page mugging with a knife attack and a description of a past mugging gone wrong with a knife attack, causing the death of a friend of Matthias, and while it is not named as such Matthias displays some of the characteristics of somebody with PTSD as a result of the incident. Prior to the events of the book, Pet’s boss Johnny was attacked by a stalker who ended up hurting Pet, so there are mentions of that incident and her subsequent hospital stay.
I don't know what to tell you-- it was everything I wanted it to be. 4.5 stars rounded up.
This book really made me laugh out loud. Honestly I enjoyed it so much. Considering 5 stars for this.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Will I ever not be a sucker for a grumpy-ish bodyguard with a huge soft spot for the sunshine-y heroine?
Absolutely not. I will eat it up every single time and this was no exception!
I feel like the term ‘romcom’ can be so overused when classifying romance novels but this book walked the line of funny and heartwarming so well. The romance between Pet and Matthias was beautifully done and there were scenes that were gripping in the best way but there were also some laugh out loud moments where I had to set the book down for a second. (Yes, I mean the parrot scene and the pay-off from it at the end.) It was balanced very well and neither genre negated the other.
I love the glimpses we get into the FMC and MMC’s pasts and the ‘why’ behind who they became. It was done well without seeming like Lucy Parker was giving the reader a roadmap; it felt very organic. Also, I loved the secondary characters and the support they provided to the plot and characters without feeling superfluous or unnecessary.
I love a slowburn but I feel like it was a bit too long; I wanted more of Pet and Matthias as an actual couple as opposed to a fake couple. Additionally, as much as I like a book with no third-act breakup, it felt like there was just something a little lacking at the end in regards to their relationship.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the theme of finding and making your own family! I’d recommend giving it a read! ♥️
Thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Parker, and Avon Books for allowing me to review in advance copy in exchange for my honest review!
Absolutely not. I will eat it up every single time and this was no exception!
I feel like the term ‘romcom’ can be so overused when classifying romance novels but this book walked the line of funny and heartwarming so well. The romance between Pet and Matthias was beautifully done and there were scenes that were gripping in the best way but there were also some laugh out loud moments where I had to set the book down for a second. (Yes, I mean the parrot scene and the pay-off from it at the end.) It was balanced very well and neither genre negated the other.
I love the glimpses we get into the FMC and MMC’s pasts and the ‘why’ behind who they became. It was done well without seeming like Lucy Parker was giving the reader a roadmap; it felt very organic. Also, I loved the secondary characters and the support they provided to the plot and characters without feeling superfluous or unnecessary.
I love a slowburn but I feel like it was a bit too long; I wanted more of Pet and Matthias as an actual couple as opposed to a fake couple. Additionally, as much as I like a book with no third-act breakup, it felt like there was just something a little lacking at the end in regards to their relationship.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the theme of finding and making your own family! I’d recommend giving it a read! ♥️
Thank you to NetGalley, Lucy Parker, and Avon Books for allowing me to review in advance copy in exchange for my honest review!
Love love love Lucy Parker’s writing!!! The romance and the build-up to it is just top-notch! A really enjoyable read, though the chapters are a little too long. Some of the subplots, however, started in the beginning, seemed to have been forgotten in the middle, and tried to be resolved as quickly as possible in the end. But still a great read nonetheless!!!
4.5⭐️ one of my most anticipated reads for this year and it DID NOT disappoint! Grumpy/sunshine & fake dating, it was everything I wanted and more! SUPER cute <333