Description
A steamy contemporary royal romance from BookTok sensation Ana Huang. 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.
Romance Forever –
I loved Rhys in the beginning when he was grumpy and scratchy with Bridget, but doing things like setting up a private concert for her after nixing her seeing one with her friends. The buildup started slow, but I didn’t mind, since Huang does a terrific job of keeping the tension sizzling., Then they start their secret affair, and I slowly started to hate him., Rhys doesn’t even attempt to understand her life, or seem to respect her in any way, once they start getting it on. Maybe it’s just that there was no setup for Bridget wanting kink or domination, but he just seems to get off on bossing her around and humiliating her? It’s unconnected to her, say, enjoying kink because she doesn’t have to be in control, which I would’ve gotten behind. It just felt out of character that Bridget pushes back all through the beginning and then suddenly she’s crawling on the floor when he orders her to. I want to be rooting for the couple to get together against the odds (and wow are they up against some odds – Huang does a terrific job of boxing Bridget in). Not screaming “DUMP HIM.”, I mean, she’s going to be a queen. Commoners don’t dictate to queens, and Rhys does not appear to get that at any point. So how could their marriage ever really work if he’s running roughshod over her all the time?, Like Bridget says during the third-act breakup: “Future queens didn’t live for themselves, they lived for their country. That was the price of power.”, I guess I don’t like it when the heroine is the one who has to change for him, and he remains a pompous, dictatorial a$$ all the way to the end of the book. I have little patience for toddler heroes who throw fits when they don’t get their way. YMMV., I didn’t DNF because I wanted to find out if my suspicions about the ending would come true. And it did, so I felt smart. 🙂 Overall, I enjoyed the book, I just didn’t much care for Rhys.
Shannon –
“There’s not much in the world I want to claim as mine… But you… You belong to me”, Synopsis: She can never be his…but he will take her anyway. Arrogant, emotionless, broody Rhys Larsen follows two rules: 1. Protect his clients at any costs 2. Never become emotionally involved. Rhys has never been tempted to break his rules before he met Bridget. Bridget von Ascheberg is a princess with a tendency to be stubborn that is an equal match to his, but she is not at all like he expected her to be and might be everything that he didn’t know he needed… Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to love and live as she chooses. However when her brother abdicates, she’s faced with the possibility of a loveless, politically arranged marriage, and a crown she never wanted. As she figures out how to navigate her new role, she must hide her desire for a man she can never have…Rhys. Hot and forbidden, their love could destroy everything…perhaps they are both doomed., Thoughts: I absolutely devoured this book! I could not put it down. I loved the princess/bodyguard forbidden romance, the setting, plot, and the characters! Bridget is passionate, smart, strong, beautiful, and loving. I enjoyed her in book one and loved her in this! Rhys is sooo hot, broody, and possessive. Somehow he always knew what she needed and would do many things that made me swoon! And I loved the dynamic between Rhys and Bridget. I loved that Rhys and Bridget butted heads so much in the beginning. But the attraction for each other simmers until it boils over! That s*x**l tension could be felt through the pages, I swear! And those spicy scenes were scorching hot and that mouth Rhys has on him, seriously hot dang! They have great explosive chemistry and I could not get enough. Highly Recommend!, This book includes:, – princess x bodyguard, -forbidden romance, -possessive and dirty talking alpha, -age gap, -mutual pining, -forced proximity, -slow burn, 5/5 stars, 3/5 spice
AdreannaG –
This book started off with a princess and the body gaurd she didn’t want and didn’t like, over time they grew closer and became friends he’d started to crack out of his shell for her. soon enough said princess was due to be queen but she had decided with what little freedom she had left she’d take charge and sun a little wild said bodyguard named Rhys couldn’t watch and so he told her he knew something was wrong and he’d hated any man who even looked in her direction let alone touched her she told him her bucket list and they’d done everything on it including crossing lines bodyguards shouldn’t cross and the feelings he had bloomed but he couldn’t follow her. Bridget went to see her sick grandfather and learned she’d soon be queen and in the process Rhys decided he needed to be by her side and then not long after they realized they needed each other and from there on the fought long and hard to be together and it was a wild. They loved in the dark for so long but it finally came to light and they overturned laws they loved king and hard though even when they were apart they were together at heart and it was perfect.
amanda berrey –
Rhys- a broody bodyguard and ex navy seal put in charge of protecting the princess of Eldorra. He’s know for being emotionless and stealthy, Bridget- princess of Eldorra. Loves people and animals and is very outgoing. Cannot stand the attitude of her new bodyguard, although she can’t deny she finds him attractive., As Bridget adjusts to Rhys and his rules she finds out she will actually be next in line for the throne. She hates the idea of ruling and wants to have as normal of a life as possible. As she spends more time with her bodyguard she begins to like him and he can’t help but to feel the same. It’s strictly against the rules and against everything Rhys has ever been trained for and Bridget finds herself having to make the age old decision of Love or Palace, I love Rhys and I love Bridget. More of a slow burn romance than I’m use to but I’m surprisingly ok with that. It contains all the drama of politics and all of the spice of romance. Also the third act breakup wasn’t bad so that made me happy. I hate third act breakups