REVIEW: The Broken Prince by Erin Watt

The Broken Prince by Erin Watt: Taking off exactly where we left our Royals in episode 1, Ella is once again lured back into the Royal mansion realising that with all the money and resources in the world, there is literally nowhere to hide. And whilst she returns not exactly with her tail between her legs, she definitely wasn’t prepared for the frosty reception upon her return to school and with an icy shoulder she electrocodes her bedroom door as a way of ensuring the Royal boys are out – all of them.

Meanwhile, the baby-daddy plot thickens and Brooke manages to creep her way back into the Royal house claiming a chunky diamond and a boozy husband who knows without a shadow of a doubt that the baby isn’t his. With more plot twists then a French braid, and more ridiculous and often offensive stereotypes that you can possibly encounter in one or two chapters, Watt, yet again, seems to weave a crazy tale together that pulses with energy and climaxes that somehow leaves you wanting more.

Comparatively to the first, this lacked a little heat in the first half and was a tad repetitive in the on off, on off nature of Reed V Ella narrative, and yet, the latter half exceeded expectations in the soap-like drama that unfolds. Metering swanky one liners, and a lust/love story that is expertly built, it is hard to criticise the ridiculousness because its just simply too good.

With a friendship that stabalises the book a little, and some Buffy the Vampire Slayer underdog high school social justice moves, Broken Prince nearly equals the tension created in the first…..and with a cliffhanger that was definitely not predicted, its easy to overlook the cheesiness, because it’s just too damn good. Whilst Ella lost her edge a little in the this one, she is definitely still the star of the show and with classically drawn counterparts, there’s just too much to like in this series to stop putting it down.

As was the first, this is a super-fun read, that is a little darker than the first, yet holds it own in the land of Soap-Opera YA.

Book Info:

Publication: 17th October 2023 | Berkley | The Royals #2

From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

She might be right.

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.