July 21, 2016

REVIEW: His Royal Secret (His Royal Secret #1)



His Royal Secret (His Royal Secret #1), by Lilah Pace
Publish Date:
July 19, 2016
Publisher: Intermix
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult m/m contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS


(Synopsis) James, the handsome, cosmopolitan Prince of Wales, is used to being in the public eye. But he's keeping a king-sized secret...James, next in line for the throne, is gay.


He’s been able to hide his sexual orientation with the help of his best friend and beard, Lady Cassandra. Sometimes he feels like a coward for not coming out, but he daren’t risk losing the crown. If he did, the succession would fall on his deeply troubled younger sister, Princess Amelia. To protect her, James is willing to live a lie.


While on holiday, he meets Benjamin Dahan—a rugged international reporter with a globe-trotting, unattached life—who catches far more than James's eye. And when Ben is transferred to London, it seems fate may finally be smiling on James.


But what began as a torrid fling grows into something far more intimate and powerful. Soon James will have decide who he is, what he wants from life and love, and what he’s willing to sacrifice for the truth...

I love a sexy, impossible relationship. And this book featured the sexiest, most impossible relationship ever. Between a reporter and a prince. Actual freaking royalty.

James is the Prince of Wales and is in direct line to become King of England sooner rather than later. He's been groomed for this position since birth... and no one, save his sister and his BFF Cass, knows that he's gay. This is a huge problem since the king is the head of the Church, which is not a huge fan of homosexuality. So, James has remained in the closet his whole life, and it's made him miserable. 

Then, he meets Ben Dahan - a business reporter. They agree to a relationship in secret, which suits commitment-phobe Ben just fine. It was a relationship with severe limitations and no possibility of more. James gets to indulge his true self with someone he not only likes, but thinks is crazy hot too. It's okay for both of them for awhile. Until it's not. 

His Royal Secret had all the feels. It had hot and sexy feels - the chemistry and sexy times between Ben and James were everything this romance lover needed. It had desperate and emotional feels - James and Ben have to reconcile their growing feelings for one another and decide whether they're willing to risk absolutely everything to try and be together. 

One of the most amazing parts of His Royal Secret is Lilah Pace's attention to detail. Her intricate knowledge of the royal family and the ins and outs of royal protocol, royal properties, and royal household workings was incredible. She must've done so much research to prepare for this book. All the specifics just made it so much more perfect. 

His Royal Secret ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. I couldn't wait to get my hands on His Royal Favorite, which concludes Ben and James' story. I guarantee you won't be able to wait either. The good news is, it comes out next month, so you won't have to wait long. My review will post then, along with an interview with Lilah Pace in which she tells us about her research tactics. In the meantime, read His Royal Secret - you won't be sorry! 

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