I’m not Oprah, but I want to share one of my favorite things — a well-executed, cleverly plotted, standalone series. Think Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series and Helena Hunting’s Pucked series. I absolutely adore these fictional worlds with their memorable characters and interconnected stories. With every installment that I read, I feel deeply connected and wholly invested in the series, and this makes the reading experience all the more sublime and, frankly, addictive.
One of my newest, all-time favorites is Karina Halle’s Nordic Royals series. The fourth installment, The Royal Rogue, just released, and I cannot recommend these royal romances enough. Halle has a talent for creating some of the most compelling (and sexy!) heroes and matching them with the perfect partners, and this series has it all — a memorable cast of unique characters in a vibrant world with an abundance of sizzling chemistry, laugh-out-loud humor, topnotch banter, smoking-hot love scenes and swoon-worthy romance.
The Royal Rogue (Nordic Royals #4)
Every family has a black sheep – even the royal ones.
In the royal family of Denmark, that black sheep is me. To the public I’m known as Princess Stella, but I feel anything but royal. As a single mom, divorcee, social outcast, and forever forgotten about under the magnetism and power of my older brother, King Aksel, I’m used to being an outlier. Though it doesn’t matter when my whip-smart nine-year old daughter, Anya, is my whole world anyway.
Then that world of mine gets turned upside down.
I meet Prince Orlando of Monaco, whom the media has dubbed “The Royal Rogue” for many good reasons. I can’t stand that arrogant smirk on his face, the lewd words that leave his lips – pretty much everything about him. I especially can’t stand how infuriatingly sexy he is and how he manages to get under my skin like no one else.
It’s been a long time since a man could make me feel that way, so you can’t really blame me for throwing my willpower out the window and succumbing to a brief but torrid affair with him, full of hot, dirty sex and nothing else.
Until that nothing else turns into something more, in the form of a big surprise.
I thought I got that wicked royal rogue out of my system but there’s a link between us now that neither of us can ignore.
A baby.
Why you should read it:
A gorgeous, sexy, rakish Prince with a wicked mouth? Yes, please! Karina Halle delivers the ultimate book boyfriend with Prince Orlando, and he’s liable to make you swoon. From the moment he waltzes on to the page, there’s no doubt he has dirty plans for Princess Stella, but don’t think this sassy, smart single mom doesn’t go toe-to-toe with Orlando, matching him in wit, intellect and will. Their chemistry is explosive as they indulge in a steamy affair that ends with a royal surprise and throws these almost-strangers for a loop. As they grapple with the unexpected news, they form a deep connection that is full of sweet, tender and steamy moments. But is this new relationship, with all its potential, enough to tame the Royal Rogue? You’ll be tempted to stay up all night to find out. The Royal Rogue is undeniably a scorching-hot romance, but it’s so much more — an absolutely swoon-worthy love story that packs an emotional punch. Don’t miss this delicious, satisfying royal romance.
A Nordic King (Nordic Royals #3)
When I first applied for the job I thought it would be like all the others: working as a nanny for an aristocratic family.
Then I got the job and found out how wrong I was.
Now I’m the new nanny for two adorable little girls who happen to be princesses.
Their father is the widowed King of Denmark.
And my new home? The royal palace in Copenhagen.
Adjusting to my new life isn’t easy but the hardest part hasn’t been the girls who still grieve over the loss of their mother.
It’s their father.
Cold, mysterious and moody, with an icy stare that seems to penetrate your soul, King Aksel may have hired me to take care of his daughters but he wants as little to do with me as possible.
Yet the longer I share these palace walls with this man, the more that I’m drawn to him. His chiseled face and sexual swagger are only part of the package. It’s in the long, intense glances at the dinner table, the way we’ll brush up against each other in the halls, the rare glimpses of the man deep inside, like the sun passing through clouds.
But no matter how I feel about him, we can never be together.
You think it’s bad enough being in love with your boss?
Try falling in love with a king.
Why you should read it:
With every book Karina Halle writes, I say it’s my favorite book of hers yet, and I’m continuing that trend with A Nordic King. I love this book! It’s a royal romance with a broody, drop-dead sexy Danish king, who will grace many book boyfriend lists. His new vivacious, sassy Australian nanny is the warmth and life he, his family and his castle need after two years of mourning for his late wife. She speaks to his heart as no one ever has, and their chemistry is off-the-charts, but King Askel has demons that keep him from pursuing his feelings. He attempts to resist her, but the pull is too strong. They fall for each other quickly when they allow themselves to cross that line, but they face significant hurdles before she can ever become his queen. With its swoony hero, compelling heroine, adorable princesses, precious pet pic, royal fantasy, scorching-hot love scenes and heart-melting romance, A Nordic King has it all, and you’ll forego sleep in order to read it in one sitting. (Recommendation appeared first on USA Today Happy Ever After blog on September 17, 2018.)
The Wild Heir (Nordic Royals #2)
At first glance I probably seem like any good-looking guy in their late twenties. I have an obscene amount of confidence, a tattooed body sculpted by the Nordic gods, and I love the ladies as much as they love me.
If I’m not BASE jumping or car racing, I’m chasing other devious thrills with the woman of the week. And that’s fine if you’re the average single guy.
But I’m not the average single guy.
I’m Crown Prince Magnus of Norway and my latest scandal just landed my entire royal family in hot water.
Now the only way the monarchy can save face is for me to smarten up – publicly. If I don’t, I’ll no longer be heir apparent to the throne. So it’s either I abdicate my future role as King or…
I get married.
To a blue-blooded stranger.
Enter Princess Isabella of the tiny country of Liechtenstein.
Quiet, intelligent, and uniquely beautiful, Ella doesn’t like this arrangement any more than I do and she’s not afraid to show it. She says I’m a womanizer, that I don’t take anything seriously, that my ego should be taken down a few pegs, and I think she aims to make me miserable for the rest of my life.
But even as our arranged marriage becomes a war of wit and words, I’m determined to break through Ella’s prim and proper façade to find the wild, sexual and risk-taking woman underneath. I want to uncover the Queen inside her.
The only question is – will she let me?
Why you should read it:
Karina Halle injects modern into the monarchy with her sexy royals, and readers will fall HARD for The Wild Heir’s swoony rebel, Crown Prince Magnus. He might resist being pushed into an arranged marriage at first, but he changes his tune when kismet delivers his perfect match in his sassy, strong-willed chosen bride, Ella. I’m not sure there is anything sexier than this future King being brought to his knees by love, and you do not want to miss this entertaining, emotional and steamy romance with a happily-ever-after that rivals the best fairytales.
The Swedish Prince (Nordic Royals #1)
I never believed in fairy-tales.
Never held out for Prince Charming.
Growing up poor in small-town California as the oldest of six siblings, I knew I would never ride off into the sunset with anyone. That was even more apparent when a senseless tragedy took the lives of my parents, forcing me to become the sole guardian of our dysfunctional household at the mere age of twenty-three.
Then a fateful encounter literally brought Prince Charming to my doorstep.
At first I thought Viktor was just your average businessman passing through, albeit obscenely handsome, six-foot-five, blue-eyed, and mysteriously rich.
But soon I discovered the truth behind Viktor’s façade.
Beneath his quiet, enigmatic gaze and cocky charm, is a man who is running away from who he really is. A role he’d rather not fulfill.
He is Viktor of House Nordin, His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince of Sweden.
Yet uncovering Viktor’s secret was only the first step.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with him.
I didn’t expect to have my whole life turned upside down.
When you’re from two different worlds, can your hearts meet somewhere in the middle?
Or do happily-ever-afters only exist in fairy-tales
Why you should read it:
The Swedish Prince is a romantic comedy that is the perfect blend of humor, sexy and heart. It’s a highly entertaining, sizzling fairy-tale-worthy romance that with characters you will not soon forget. Viktor is the type of prince most little girls dream of, and he is the perfect match for the endearing, hardworking Maggie. Her younger siblings are unforgettable characters that add both hilarity and poignancy to the story. I loved everything about this endearing story of a prince who meets his queen, and Karina Halle delivers another contemporary romance that belongs on everyone’s keeper shelf. (Portions of this recommendation appeared first on Harlequin Junkie on March 23, 2018.)
