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meganpbennett's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard was a funny read, for the most part. Like other romance novels, it handled deep and emotional things with a veneer of humor or romance, like the ghost and Maggie's mother. It was also well on its way to being one of my favorite new romance novels reads of the year, when it blew it completely in the last 15-20%.
The book was very informative about the Tower of London, with history and culture woven into the story in a way that really worked. The detail about the Guards and their uniforms was a nice touch.
I knocked the first half star off when I realize that it was hard to tell if the story was set with the current royalty - King Charles III, etc - or with a faked monarchy, a la that Hallmark movie I watched last year, where the structure was there, but the author changed around the members of the BRF to suit their novel needs. Either would have worked, but making it clear from the get go would have been better. Especially when several chapters were spent hinting at an identity that Freddie could not have, with the current monarchy.
Freddie did not turn out to be who I was expecting him, since I kept expecting him to the Prince of Wales or maybe the Spare, to quote Harry. I liked how and when we learn his true title, and that scene added a lot of depth to their relationship. It's pretty clear pretty early on that we have what is consideredmutually unrequited, where both of them think that the other would not be interested in going any further than friendship and that, when done well, can add to the story. It was done very well here. Mix that in with the ghosts in the Tower, the famed Ravens, the men in uniform, the clear love the Beefeaters have for Maggie, and you've got a wonderful story.
Then the ending. It was a good one, but it felt rushed, like the author had to cram 100 pages worth of content into 30 to keep the book from being too long. This story would have benefited greatly from those extra 100 pages, and I think the relationship between Freddie and Maggie would have been all the stronger for that.
Maggie's coworkers were evil, and something should have been done about that a while ago.
All in all, a good story, full of history.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC!
The book was very informative about the Tower of London, with history and culture woven into the story in a way that really worked. The detail about the Guards and their uniforms was a nice touch.
I knocked the first half star off when I realize that it was hard to tell if the story was set with the current royalty - King Charles III, etc - or with a faked monarchy, a la that Hallmark movie I watched last year, where the structure was there, but the author changed around the members of the BRF to suit their novel needs. Either would have worked, but making it clear from the get go would have been better. Especially when several chapters were spent hinting at an identity that Freddie could not have, with the current monarchy.
Freddie did not turn out to be who I was expecting him, since I kept expecting him to the Prince of Wales or maybe the Spare, to quote Harry. I liked how and when we learn his true title, and that scene added a lot of depth to their relationship. It's pretty clear pretty early on that we have what is considered
Then the ending. It was a good one, but it felt rushed, like the author had to cram 100 pages worth of content into 30 to keep the book from being too long. This story would have benefited greatly from those extra 100 pages, and I think the relationship between Freddie and Maggie would have been all the stronger for that.
Maggie's coworkers were evil, and something should have been done about that a while ago.
All in all, a good story, full of history.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, and Sexual harassment
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