e-Audio, 10:32:53
Narrated by: Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick
Release Date: March 11, 2025
Published by: Books on Tape (Berkley)
Read from: March 15-17, 2025
Royals and Romance, #2
Source: LibroFM (I received a free e-ALC from LibroFM and the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Sexual Content, Panic Attacks/Disorders, Emotional Abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury Detail, Death of a Parent, Blood, Violence
For Readers Interested In: 2sLGBTQ+, Adult, Audio. Fantasy, Holidaze, Sparkly Covers, Libro FMFeaturing exquisite emerald sprayed edges!
It’s enemies to lovers in this sexy and delightful holiday mash up that pairs the spare prince of Christmas with the crown prince of St. Patrick’s Day!
Someone has been stealing Christmas’s joy, and there’s only one clue to the culprit—a single shamrock.
With Coal busy restructuring Christmas—and their dad now having a full midlife crisis in the Caribbean—Kris volunteers to investigate St. Patrick’s Day. His cover: an ambassador from Christmas to foster goodwill. What could go wrong?
Everything, it seems. Because Prince Lochlann Patrick, Crown Prince of St. Patrick’s Day, happens to be the mysterious student that Kris has been in a small war with at Cambridge. They attempt to play nice for the tabloids, but Kris can’t get through one conversation without wanting to smash Loch’s face in—he’s infuriating, stubborn, loud, obstinate, hot—
Wait—hot?
Kris might be in some trouble. Especially when it turns out that the mystery behind Christmas’s stolen magic isn’t as simple as an outright theft. But why would a Holiday that Christmas has never had contact with, one that’s always been the very basis of carefree, want to steal joy? Can a spare prince even hope to unravel all this, or will Kris lose something way more valuable than his Holiday’s resources—like his heart?
*MY THOUGHTS*
Ok so don’t hate me y’all… But I thought this was the same plot from the first one. Same weird first meeting and not knowing who they are, same going there under cover, just reversed, etc. And even still with it giving so much repetition, I still ate it up.
So the main thing I liked about this was the fact that we get to see more of the holiday kingdom. This time we’re at Ireland because Kris got into it with Lochlann, the prince there. So when Christmas finds a shamrock and sees that they’re likely the ones stealing their magic, they send Kris to scope out the scene. And what he finds is way more than what he thought. And let me just say, I knew it was going to be some bull as soon as they found this thing. But even still, I thought they might surprise me.
When I said the plot was the same, it wasn’t exactly, but it was still the same. I do think it was a little too close, but it was fine with me because I was so eager to go to the other holidays in the kingdom in the first place. I love world building, so I was hella excited to see more. And seeing the different events that they had was cool, but I was sad that we don’t get to see that much magic that’s there. And I get why, but it was still a bit disappointing.
Although I figured out the plot twist, for whatever reason I still acted shocked and mad when we made the realization. And I KNEW why. But I have to say, I cheered on Kris for reacting the way he did. Not the after aftermath, just the immediate aftermath. There is absolutely no way that should have happened. I really felt like my own heart was shattered after that. I’m not sure I would have caved as easily as they did tho lol I’m a stubborn b!tch lol
The romance between the two of them was very sweet tho. I enjoyed seeing the two of them get to know each other. And the spice was THERE. I still think the first one was more spicy, but this was more intimate. Like spicy but they were so serious. They made such a good couple and I thought that was so weird lol I usually always think that they shouldn’t be together when they both need help and healing, but these two, I think I would have rioted if they didn’t fall for each other. I think it was because I knew they needed healing, but that healing they found in each other. You know, like sometimes you need your person. And I was glad that they had theirs.
The first is still my favorite, but only because one small thing lol I wanted to see more St. Patrick’s Day magic. But I was ok seeing the other characters and more of the kingdoms. I hope that we get more of this in the next one. Because there IS a next one right? WE NEED AN EASTER STORY.
Overall, I give this
