Royal Order by Leslie North | Rating: ★★★☆☆

As a note, a copy of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Let me be honest with you guys: I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book and this review will be just as much of a surprise for me as it is for you all. I'm truly just winging it. At its core, Royal Order is a fun and familiar formula that will compel its audience.

It continues on Leslie North's highly praised Royals of Danovar series and, like all other installments, it stands on its own. I almost didn't request it because I wasn't closely familiar with the previous releases but something about Royal Order, and its promise, felt intriguing to me. Like, I couldn't not read it.

At the same time, I was a little concerned that the book would be too similar to others series in the same genre--like the Royally series by Emma Chase. It had its ties of similarity but Royal Order is certainly its own story and a pretty big and fun one, at that. I thought it had a lot of interesting moments--it's always fun to see a fictional monarchy and find out what their royal guidelines are--and built onto something special. It wasn't my favourite book of the year but it was enough to stir up enough interest in not only finishing it, but adding the other books in the series to my TBR list.

I thought Royal Order was a little too fast for my personal preference, though. Which made it feel like maybe something was missing from its story arch. It caused me to pause and wonder what was missing, why it wasn't wholly for me, what could be better, etc. North does what she can with the storyline but some of it felt a little too rushed and not in a completely fun, whirlwind sort of way.

Which isn't to say that it's terrible. It's still fun. It's still sweet and romantic. I just wish there had been something more to it, that made it stand out a little more. However, if you're a romantic at heart who is looking for something quick and breezy to read, this royal romance is can't-miss for you!