Genre: romantic comedy
Age: adult
Series/Standalone: series but can be read as standalone
Tropes: secret identity, royal romance
Content: kissing

This had me hooked. The pages just flew by.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ( )

“ …the best choices in life require you to stare fear right in its ugly face and to take the leap.” I adored this book! Return to Me is one of my favorite movies and this book definitely gave off those vibes. From Alessia’s Italian nonnos to her Sean Austin loving friend, to all the people of Repestro, I fell in love with this book from the very beginning.

Alessia is one of those endearing characters you want to see find true love. She’s helped her grandpa run his restaurant in the tiny village of Repestro since losing both parents at a young age. With it’s out of the way location though, the village has experienced hard times. This doesn’t stop Alessia and her nonno from helping out where they can. Though she loves her grandpa and friends who are like family, she longs for a more exciting life and dreams of a fairytale rescue. She’s about to get her wish.

With Phillip’s father, the King of Elsinor, getting progressively weaker, Phillip must find someone to marry. As the more logical, spreadsheet type, he uses a scientific rubric to find his bride and his trusty advisor has found the perfect girl in a tiny Italian village. When Phillip sees her photo, he’s definitely intrigued and vows to go to Repestro to offer her marriage. He’s immediately taken with Alessia, but the more he gets to know her, the harder it is for him to reveal his identity. He sees how difficult it will be to convince her to leave all those she loves. With encouragement from the nonnos, and Alessia’s friends, he attempts to date her, but when she finds out who he is, will she be brave enough to accept his proposal?

Alessia and Phillip are my new favorite couple! I loved their romance. From water fights, to making pasta, to their walks, to delivering food to those in need, I enjoyed the way they fell in love. When Alessia visits Elsinor, I loved her interactions with Callum (who can’t keep an secret) and Phillip’s sisters, visiting the Crown Jewels, and all those passionate kisses. Like all of Emma St. Clair’s novels, there are those amazingly swoony, tender moments and also plenty of laughs. (The crazy attack peacocks!) It was fun seeing Rafe & Fi again and I enjoyed the banter between Rafe & Callum.

This is definitely a must read and one of my favorite Emma St. Clair novels! I was so sad when I got to the end because I loved spending time with all of these characters! I can’t wait for Callum’s story. If you enjoy clean romcoms, you’ll love this! Though it’s the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the author but also purchased a copy. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review. ( )