"Love is always going to be a risk. I should know, I'm the king of risks."
The Royals Upstairs
Romance
Berkley
September 10, 2024
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
352
He’s the royal bodyguard. She’s the royal nanny. The annoyingly hot attraction that simmers between them—that’s a royal pain. James Hunter has made a tactical error. His new role as protection officer to Prince Magnus of Norway was supposed to be an exciting change. Instead he’s marooned on a royal estate in the middle of nowhere charged with chasing after demon children and dodging the machinations of meddling staff. And the crowning jewel in this little drama—the children’s nanny is none other than Laila Bruset. The woman whose heart he broke. The woman who still holds his. When Laila took the job as a nanny for the Norwegian royal children in order to be closer to her ailing grandmother in Oslo, the last thing she expected was to have her life turned upside down—again. But as much as James gets on her nerves, he's also getting under her skin, and the tension between them sizzles just as devastatingly as before. As undeniable sparks turn James and Laila’s battle royal into a more serious game of hearts, nanny and bodyguard will have to decide just how much they’re willing to risk for a second chance at love.
First they were “Next Door”
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to pull the curtain back and see how the royals live? Karina Halle gives readers a slice of fictional royal life in “The Royals Upstairs”. Readers will experience royal life through the eyes of the nanny and the bodyguard in this second-chance-romance novel.
This is the second book in a same-world stand alone series based on royal families and their posse. Karina Halle’s first book in the Royals series, “The Royals Next Door”, was reviewed by Litbuzz Bee Jes back in August 2021. You can find her review here.
“What are you reading?”
“Something you’d probably like,” he says, getting to his feet. “Wife threw her husband off a moving train… or did she?” He adds with a mock suspicious squint.
I can’t help but smile. “Got to love a damaged heroine.”
“They are my favorite,” he says affectionately.
“The Royals Upstairs” by Karina Halle
A Change in Dynamics
Second chance romance trope calls for a certain emotional reaction. It’s sort of understood that there will be lingering feelings, hurts, and emotional bruising that our characters must work through. There’s expected to be character development, personal growth and maturity, and acceptance.
Halle flips the script on some reader expectations right from the beginning.
The most prominent thing that I noticed is that some character and gender stereotypes are flipped in this novel.
James, wanting a change of scenery after a major change in his personal life, starts working as a bodyguard for the Crown Prince of Norway.
James is the newcomer. Laila has seniority, clout and respect already with the family she works for.
It’s refreshing to see that the man is the one entering the picture with tentative steps and hesitation. Too often it’s the woman forced to start over, uncomfortable, trying to find necessary footing in a world they don’t have a history with. Bravo to the author for breathing some refreshing air into a very typical situation.
Final Thoughts
James and Laila come across more like real people in this story than fictional characters. Laila struggles with her place in the world, her dwindling family, and the thoughts that she is more than her job – even a good job working for a royal family. James realizes that his job has gotten in the way of his relationships and he has to work through self-flagellation and, from this reader’s eyes, depression. It’s not all sunshine and roses, but luckily each has found a counterpart that sees them through the tough times.
Despite the cute animated cover and the premise of the story, “The Royals Upstairs” is layered with heavier topics that might take readers by surprise. This story has off page death of a loved one, family member with Alzheimer’s/Dementia, depression, and more. Please check potential trigger/content warnings if any of this makes you take pause.
You’ll be okay if you don’t read “The Royals Next Door” first, as I hadn’t, and I had no trouble following the plot or being introduced to any overlapping characters. You can definitely crack this baby open and enjoy from page one, and don’t be afraid to go back to “The Royals Next Door” afterward!
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
