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Disclaimer: This review WILL have some spoilers. You’ve been warned.
Synopsis
From New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Ana Huang comes a contemporary royal romance!
Stoic, broody, and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules: 1) Protect his clients at all costs 2) Do not become emotionally involved. Ever.
He has never once been tempted to break those rules…until her.
Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She’s nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed.
Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defenses until he’s faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her. Take her.
Because she’s his.
His princess.
His forbidden fruit.
His every depraved fantasy.
***
Regal, strong-willed, and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.
But when her brother abdicates, she’s suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted.
And as she navigates the intricacies-and treacheries-of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can’t have.
Her bodyguard.
Her protector.
Her ultimate ruin.
Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom…and doom them both.
Do not become emotionally involved. Ever.
My Review
“I came back knowing this was what I signed up for. To see you every day and not be able to touch you. Kiss you. Claim you.”
…
“I came back despite knowing the torture I’d have to go through because I can’t stay away from you. Even when you’re not there, you’re everywhere. In my head, in my lungs, in my fucking soul.”
oh my godddd I absolutely ADORED this book! I was surprised I liked it so much, given that the first book in the series I didn’t love nearly so much. But this was absolutely a 5 star read and the series will have a permanent place in my home library because of it.
Twisted Games gave me major Princess Diaries vibes and was also a sort of reverse Cinderella story, which I also loved. It was also very spicy. 🌶️ The plot kept me thoroughly hooked as well. I have a major soft spot for male characters that have a tortured past. 🥲 And I absolutely love it when there’s solid character development around that, and this book really delivers.
“You filled a part of my soul I always thought would be empty, and you healed scars I never knew existed. And I realized… it’s not that I didn’t believe in love before. It’s that I was saving it all for you.”
Seeing Rhys slowly open up and his cold, hard exterior melt away as he allows himself to love touched my heart. I love that he gets love and the happy ending he deserves that helps to heal the horrible hand he was dealt early in life.
Back to the Princess Diaries vibes, Bridget returns back to her country after living in the USA because her brother abdicated the throne due to falling in love with a commoner, someone not of royal blood. This leaves Bridget next in line and her and Rhys struggle with what to do about it, because they’re in the same situation. They try to hide their romance the best they can but little by little, their forbidden romance starts getting discovered which brings things to a head – she has to choose between the forbidden love she has with her body guard, or break everything off in order to serve her duty to her country.
“You don’t get it. There is no happily ever after for us.” We weren’t a fairytale. We were a forbidden love letter, tucked into the back of a drawer and retrieved only in the darkness of night. We were the chapter of bliss before the climax hit and everything crumbled into ash. We were a story that was always meant to end. “This is it.”
This book was SO good and I’m incredibly sad it had to end. This is and probably will be my favorite book in the series, and definitely one of my favorite books of all time. Will 100% be rereading in the future! Highly recommend this series!
The Cozy Cat Rating: ★★★★★
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