9 Best Royal Romance Books

A romantic YA novel featuring characters suspiciously similar to Will and Kate. This came HIGHLY recommended by a friend I trust.

SUMMARY:
American Bex Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister Lacey was always the romantic, the one who daydreamed of being a princess. But it's adventure-seeking Bex who goes to Oxford and meets dreamy Nick across the hall—and Bex who finds herself accidentally in love with the heir to the British throne.

Nick is wonderful, but he comes with unimaginable baggage: a complicated family, hysterical tabloids tracking his every move, and a public that expected its future king to marry a Brit.

On the eve of the most talked-about wedding of the century, Bex looks back on how much she's had to give up for true love ... and exactly whose heart she may yet have to break.

This fun new release is a great seasonal holiday romance that takes place during the holiday season, but the story isn't dependent on the holidays, so you can enjoy it all year-round.

SUMMARY:
Birdie Hamilton’s life is a mess. She’s working a dead-end job, is about to be evicted from her apartment, and can’t seem to escape the looming holiday season, no matter how hard she tries. So when a chance encounter leads to her competing for the heart and hand of the Crown Prince of Wexstone, surely things are starting to look up. She just has to embrace the adventure, be herself, and definitely not fall for the prince’s grumpy best friend.

Knox Henderson has spent his life in the shadow of his best friend, Prince Oliver of Wexstone—not that he minds. Knox is happy to support him and ensure the future of the throne, even if it means endorsing the ridiculous competition to find Oliver a wife before his coronation. There’s just one problem: He can’t stop thinking about Birdie Hamilton, one of Oliver's suitors.

When physical sparks fly and emotional connections are forged, Birdie and Knox must confront their past traumas and embark on a journey of self-healing to embrace the love they both deserve.

SUMMARY:
Ultra-private, ridiculously handsome Crown Prince Arthur has always gotten by on his charm. But that won’t be enough now that the Royal Family is about to be ousted from power once and for all. When Prince Arthur has to rely on the one woman in the kingdom who hates him most, he must learn that earning the love of a nation means first risking his heart.

Twenty-eight-year-old Tessa Sharpe, a.k.a. The Royal Watchdog, hates everything about Prince Arthur. As far as she’s concerned, he’s an arrogant, lazy leech on the kingdom of Avonia. When he shocks the nation by giving her the keys to the castle, Tessa has no choice but to accept and move in for two months. It’s lust at first sight, but there’s no way she can give in to her feelings—not if she wants to have a career or a shred of pride left when her time at the palace ends…

Can two natural enemies find their forever in each other’s arms, or will they ruin each other to save themselves?

SUMMARY:
When a letter from her late mom sends Evie to Oxford on the adventure of a lifetime, she’s ready for an amazing first year of college. And it starts off with a bang—soon after setting foot on English soil, Evie falls for a boy, Edmund, who turns out to be a real prince. Second in line to the throne of England, in fact.

From the demands of his royal family, to the stuck-up aristocrat determined to be the one to win his heart, loving Edmund can be a challenge, one that Evie’s more than up for. And as more letters from Evie’s mom arrive, Evie and Edmund team up to sort out her mom’s secret…even if the truth might change everything.

The Royal Nanny was our March 2017 book club pick. This historical fiction novel was one of my favorites from that year. You can find our free The Royal Nanny book club kit here.

SUMMARY:
Based on a seldom-told true story, this novel is perfect for everyone who is fascinated by Britain’s royal family—a behind the scenes look into the nurseries of little princes and the foibles of big princes.

April, 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted—and about to meet royalty. . . .

So begins the unforgettable story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte—LaLa, as her charges dub her—nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection.

But the greatest impact on Charlotte’s life is made by a mere bud on the family tree: a misunderstood soul who will one day be known as the Lost Prince. Young Prince John needs all of Lala’s love—the kind of love his parents won’t…or can’t…show him.

This is the historical fiction book that our book club has been raving about for a while. Read it and then enjoy the PBS series it's based on.

SUMMARY:
Drawing on Queen Victoria’s diaries, which she first started reading when she was a student at Cambridge University, Daisy Goodwin―creator and writer of the new PBS Masterpiece drama Victoria and author of the bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter―brings the young nineteenth-century monarch, who would go on to reign for 63 years, richly to life in this magnificent novel.

Early one morning, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria is roused from bed with the news that her uncle William IV has died and she is now Queen of England. The men who run the country have doubts about whether this sheltered young woman, who stands less than five feet tall, can rule the greatest nation in the world.

Despite her age, however, the young queen is no puppet. She has very definite ideas about the kind of queen she wants to be, and the first thing is to choose her name.

“I do not like the name Alexandrina,” she proclaims. “From now on I wish to be known only by my second name, Victoria.

”Next, people say she must choose a husband. Everyone keeps telling her she’s destined to marry her first cousin, Prince Albert, but Victoria found him dull and priggish when they met three years ago. She is quite happy being queen with the help of her prime minister, Lord Melbourne, who may be old enough to be her father but is the first person to take her seriously.

On June 19th, 1837, she was a teenager. On June 20th, 1837, she was a queen. Daisy Goodwin’s impeccably researched and vividly imagined new book brings readers Queen Victoria as they have never seen her before.

Historical fiction lovers or anyone who's enjoyed SIX, the musical, must read this story of Anne Boleyn.

SUMMARY:
When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of the handsome and charming Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family’s ambitious plots as the king’s interest begins to wane, and soon she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. With her own destiny suddenly unknown, Mary realizes that she must defy her family and take fate into her own hands.

If you like alternative history fiction, don't miss this fun YA royal romance. American Royals was our February 2022 book club pick, you can grab the free book club kit here. I loved it so much I read the whole series!

SUMMARY:
Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince's heart.
This is the story of the American royals.

When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren't just any royals. They're American.

As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America's first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she's breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn't care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there's Samantha's twin, Prince Jefferson. If he'd been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.

The duty. The intrigue. The Crown.

Royal Holiday was our November 2021 book club pick because I loved the holiday theme to this royal romance. You can get our free book club kit here.

SUMMARY:
Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.

Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.

Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day...or are they?