Royal Bastard

4.25⭐ Royal Bastard was a wonderful read that drew me in from the start. As American inventor Nick travels to England and the home of his grandfather the Earl of Englefield for one reason, and one reason only, and that is to tell the Earl where he can stick his title. And I was really excited to see this story was set in England. But admittedly I was also a little nervous as sometimes authors can mangle the words we Brits speak or at least regularly use words we wouldn't. But I can safely say on this aspect alone Avery Flynn knocked it out of the park, and I could really tell she had visited the area this book is set in, although the village itself is fictional. The characters felt super authentic as did the language, although some were missing that Yorkshire twang. But certainly they were all eccentric, welcoming, and delightful and I loved that; and the plot really drew me in. As did the main characters Brooke and Nick, who is understandably reluctant to be in England and anywhere near the man who rejected him and treated his mother so badly. And whilst this story had some emotional issues running through it, it was also sweet, entertaining and one hundred percent engaging, and genuinely I was charmed throughout, especially with the epilogue, which is why I would happily recommend it to others. **I was kindly provided with an ARC via Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review**

Avery Flynn has done it again with her wonderful, snarky, and funny book, Royal Bastard, book one in her Instantly Royal series. When the Earl of Englefield is dying he needs his personal secretary to convince his grandson, an American, to travel to England, be responsible, and to become the next earl. This is the grandson he refused to acknowledge all these years, especially after forcing his son to annul his marriage to an American and return to his rightful place. Nick Vane has no desire to visit the “old homestead” or do his grandfather’s bidding. Brooke Chapman-Powell, personal secretary to the Earl is on a mission to get the likely uncouth and lazy half-American Nick to England to help save the village from shutting down along with the university for the deaf, her sister attends. Nick is their only hope. Before long Nick is on his way to London since Brooke refuses to give up. I adored these two; Nick and Brooke are perfect for each other despite being different, or somewhat opposites. Laid back Nick is a thinker, which allows for his creative and imaginative brain to visual improvements or new ideas or creations. It is why he has a number of patents. Brooke is a stick in the mud, rule follower, miss goody-two-shoes; especially after what happened with her last relationship. Nick calling her Miss Lemons is fitting and even Brooke can’t complain. Brooke loves her family and the village that loves her and has her back. She too has lots of ideas, mainly to bring tourism to the area. Nick and Brooke have a magnetism and chemistry that is off the charts. They are so good for each other, filling in for each other’s weaknesses and playing off their strengths. Ms. Flynn wrote a wonderful and hysterical story that was moving and filled with sizzling chemistry, humorous dialogue, and charming characters that should definitely not be missed. I highly recommend Royal Bastard to other readers and I am anxious for the next book in this series.

While Royal B@st@rd is a cute romance with wonderful characters who appear opposite but have far more in common than anticipated. For me, Royal B@st@rd was a succinct narrative of the classist system still alive and well in the UK with the gap continuing to widen between the working class and the upper and middle classes. As a member of the working class myself, and a socialist, the story did hit a few hot spots for me, including the superior attitude of the landed gentry and the way in which duty is prized over happiness. Which is exactly what happened to Nick’s father and altered the course of Nick’s life in the process. The story also touched upon the difficulties many towns undergo in the face of high levels of unemployment and the lack of disposable income within its communities. Again, this is another topical issue that is near and dear to me, and as such provided some very interesting initiatives to consider under revitalisation. I loved the way in which Avery Flynn captured the quintessential Northern persona with the quirky peripheral characters. Alongside a double dose of romance within the pages. Although the romance was all the things, for me, and reading being subjective, it was the topical issues which really stood out within Royal B@st@Rd and Avery Flynn should be commended for her clever incorporation of the issues seamlessly with a swoon-worthy romance.