Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Falling Hard for the Royal Guard

I started off excited to read this as a fun light-hearted rom-com but that it was not.
Instead it was 368 pages of how much the FMC hates various aspects of herself and how, weirdly, every one seems to hate her - or have a weird hangup about her. I didn't get it at all.
There was a few nice bits - namely the parts with the history around the tower and its contents but the rest was a bore.
As for the romance? Where? It was worse than a hallmark channel Christmas movie -- the MC love interest was barely in it and spent 90% of the time just leaving Maggie behind without explanation. It would've been more believable if the FMC fell in love with the Ravenmaster for how much focus was on the Ravens and weird coded messages every few chapters.
Disappointing overall.

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jennp28's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Sealed-with-a-kiss style romance, not spicy. Fun to have it set in the Tower of London - the British history nerd in me really enjoyed that part!

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12dejamoo's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I really enjoyed this book! Just so much fun the whole way through and lots of parts that genuinely made me laugh. The setting is so unique and the fact that the author did actually live in the Tower of London makes it feel more authentic which is fun. I loved the fun cast of side characters, although I will mention that it's impossible to keep track of them all. There is the one scene where we meet the group of like seven or eight guards and even as I was reading it I forgot all the facts about each of them. Not that it was needed for the story, but it was more the general vibe of the group which I loved than any individual personalities.

I think the romance was actually not the strongest romance I've ever come across. That being said, I did totally buy it and I liked both Freddie and Maggie a lot. There were plenty of scenes that gave that squealy/squirmy/throw the book across the room/cuteness feeling, but I think it was drawn out a little too long. They don't kiss until the 90% mark and that felt a little too late for me personally.

Also an absolute metric tonne of things happen in this book. From Tinder dates to ex-boyfriends to family drama, you kind of get it all. And I almost think maybe you could have got rid of the Tinder dates especially and it still have worked well. And the way the Oliver date ends kind of made me really sad (even though he wasn't perfect I KNOW but he was sweet).

I also really need to STOP reading books where they're late to work. Waking up once work has already started. Like bloody hell. I do not need this stress in my life because I've done that too many times in my life and it's the worst thing.

Special note for the multiple nights where a lot of alcohol is consumed and I always hate reading about their hangovers in the morning. It's like having a second-hand hangover. I hate it.

Spoilery bits...

There's no real theme to these spoilers just some random thoughts. I liked Mhari and Katie a lot but I think they were introduced a little too late into the book to have much of an impact.

The ravenmaster was a slightly random character. I get the idea of her but adding the psychic element into the book felt like a whole other thing.

The scene after the fancy evening where Maggie cries in her room broke my whole heart and I think even if I'd hated a lot else about the book (which I absolutely didn't), that scene would have made it worth it.

The scene where she finally goes to kiss him and does it all in front of everyone and he holds her tight I just loved it so much! I wish it had come a tiny bit sooner though!

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signebrum's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

What a treat this book is! Such a light, fun read that had me giggling out loud to myself. This book is not a literary masterpiece. There are a few times when description gets repetitive, but honestly, the story is too cute to really mind.

Also, I love how the story takes place at the Tower of London, it’s always a treat. I did find the ending a bit rushed - a few more chapters would be appreciated, but overall the ending is satisfying

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