Royal Holiday

The previous week was even more chaotic than usual and when I got home, I just wanted to chill with a story that entertained me without demanding my entire brain. (That meant the book on immunity and vaccination was out). While Royal Holiday didn’t demand all my brain, it took all of my heart. It’s a lovely, charming story with Guillory’s key food references (this time it’s British scones).

Maddie (from The Wedding Party) and her mum Vivian are on their way to England for a very different Christmas. For Maddie, it’s work but for Vivian, it’s a holiday. Maddie is dressing the Duchess (possibly of Sussex, although it is never spelled out) for the holiday season. Vivian meets private secretary to the Queen, Malcolm when he show more appears in the kitchen looking for scones. They hit it off straight away, with Vivian doing things she never dreamed of (riding a horse, meeting the Queen). Vivian has always led a cautious life, but Malcolm teases out why and encourages her to try new things. Of course, there are hiccups along the way – Vivian likes to talk things out while Malcolm is silent and prefers not to go back on what he said. Plus, they live continents apart so this thing is just a fling…right?

The conflicts between Vivian and Malcolm never last more than a couple of chapters or so, which is good for low angst tolerability but might be annoying if you like your dramas teased out. Also, if you’re not a Harry and Meghan fan, the identity of the Duke and Duchess is never shared fully, but there is enough to fit them into those roles. This is a Christmas holiday romance, but it wasn’t Christmas to the extreme, more a low key ‘difference between the US and the UK’. What I liked is how Vivian’s work dilemmas were thought out (she has been approached for a management position, but she’s not certain that it will make her happy). This really resonated with me, and was nicely juxtapositioned against Malcolm’s nephew’s choice to pursue passion over what was expected of him.

Royal Holiday was less complex than the previous books in The Wedding Date series with fewer subplots troubling the characters. That didn’t bother me when I read it, but it might be a bit of a surprise if read back-to-back with the earlier books in the series. The tension and drama were not quite as high, but I didn’t care. This was simply enjoyable and a great example of mature age romance.

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This book was a lot of fun, and the narrator of the audiobook had a wonderful voice. I really liked that the romantic heroine was a Black woman over 50. She was written with the common concerns and characteristics of a woman of that age, while clearly showing her as someone who is vivacious and fun. I also want to call out one particular plot point which I just LOVED (and which gained the book an extra half a star in my review)...when our heroine first hooked up with her fancy guy after knowing him for just a week, there was a whole scene where they discussed having condoms and not being able to have sex without one. It was light and natural, and a perfect example of what a couple should do when they are attracted to each other and yet show more don't know each other all that well, EVEN THOUGH they are not at an age where pregnancy is a concern. I wish all books had their couples have this conversation the first time they hook up! show less

Around 2/3 of the way through most romance novels I start to get anxious about how they're going to fuck it all up. I love that I'm guaranteed a happily ever after, but that doesn't stop me from stressing about what the obstacle will be (because there's a formula and there's always an obstacle). I love Jasmine Guillory's books because the obstacles feel like real life and not manufactured and high stress. No crazy shenanigans here! Just people who feel real falling in love.

Full disclosure - I love Jasmine Guillory. She has a way of writing fun, long distance romances where characters meet cute and find a way to make it work. The female characters are all smart, witty, and independent. They aren't on the hunt for a man but manage to find just the perfect one for them.
All that could be about any Jasmine Guillory story but in Royal Holiday she adds the cherry on top of the romance Sundae - her characters are both over 50. With so many stories about young love, it's nice to know that love can still find you in middle age and life can still be filled with surprises and Happily Ever Afters.

I am a romance reader in her 50s, so when I heard Jasmine was writing a book with older characters I was thrilled. I am sad to say that this did not end up being a book I can say great things about. Both of the leads were nice people, but not particularly interesting, and there was no real tension in the story. Being long distance is not enough -- so many people make long distance work these days. And then there was the "humor." Things that left these two characters gasping from laughter were simply not funny, not even a little. It was mystifying what struck them as hilarious. Old does not mean bland. It was all so bland and uptight and sweet, in that sickly Readers Digest sort of way. No more Hallmark Channel for you, Jasmine!

I show more listened to this and it was made worse by a reader who did the WORST British accent. The reader has a great voice, and I have liked her on other books, but that accent -- she just sounded like she had a speech impediment. And since at least half the book was read in this weird patois, it was painful. She is tied for the worst accents with the reader of Alyssa Cole's books who just assumes everyone not American speaks with a West Indian or West African accent -- even Scots and Latinx people. The book left me bored and the reader left me anxious. Bad combo. show less

I love Jasmine Guillory's n0vels. I really never thought that I would willingly read a series of heterosexual contemporary romances. Each of her novels takes a familiar trope and that fund with it. Perhaps it's because each book stars a different POC, or because it acknowledges complicated relationships. And queer people exist.

This book features the falling-in-love-while-on-vacation trope. This time, however, it features two people in the their mid-fifties. Who have sex. And enjoy it.

Wow. This. Was. Not. Good. I think that Guillory is pumping out too many books these days and not making sure that her characters and plot lines are developed. This whole thing also didn't work since we have Maddie styling a mysterious Duchess (look it's supposed to be Duchess Meghan) and that whole thing of course did not have me in a romantic mindset. I loved the first book, noted some issues in book #2 and flat out did not like book #3. I hope that whatever book comes next it actually makes sense, has two leads I am invested in, and actually takes time to set up the romance/characters/etc.

"Royal Holiday" follows Vivian Forest. We were introduced to her somewhat in the last book. Vivian is Maddie's mother. When Maddie somehow gets show more asked to go to England to style a royal Duchess (seriously this would never happen and it was beyond idiotic) Vivian goes along. Vivian gets to meet the private secretary of the Queen (this would never happen) named Malcolm. The two find themselves attracted to each other. Cue scenes in England. Cue bland AF romance.

I can't say much about Vivian. I was not invested in her at all after she and Malcolm meet. There's no chemistry between them and the dialogue was weak as anything. Malcolm was rude/nasty to Vivian to the point that I was not enamored with him at all. I guess Guillory was trying for an alpha romance or something here, but it didn't work. Also can I say this? Malcolm is black...I got thoughts about the Queen having a black male secretary. That's all I am going to say and move along. And there's a whole thing with these two writing each other post cards that had me in disbelief. I guess phones are not a thing anymore.

Also Maddie barely interacts with her mother. The whole thing was a bizarre choice. I found myself wondering about prior characters since these two were not holding my interest.

The flow was not great. This has taken me weeks to get through because I kept stopping and starting it. This is totally different for me since I stayed up all night to finish book #1 and was so excited for book #2, I bought it and read it on my Kindle at 12:01 AM when it became available. However, after book #3 I decided to just get these books via the library. I am glad I did not buy this one even though the cover is eye-catching.

I do love romance books that take place in London. And this should have worked for me with supposedly Maddie and Vivian staying at Sandringham House and once again I was all, this would never happen and it took me out of the story. Also it's obvious that Guillory maybe just read some People magazine articles cause her understanding of some of these locations....was not great. Maybe next time she sticks to her own wheelhouse.

This felt like a cash grab by Guillory to jump on the popularity of Duchess Meghan. Too bad she and Prince Henry rightfully said (swear word) your couch and got out of England and are now set to not be full-time royals. I just could not get past the idea that Maddie would be styling someone this famous. She didn't even get her tv presenter job, the whole plot to force fit them being in England was dumb. I tend to not like royal romance novels as a rule though unless they are set in regency or earlier eras cause too many things in this book were taking me right out of it while reading. show less