REVIEW: The Royals Upstairs by Karina Halle

The Royals Upstairs by Karina Halle: Being the protection officer for the Norwegian royal Prince was supposed to be an exciting change of pace but it would seem that James Hunter has gotten the short end of the stick. Instead of being on high alert guarding the Prince, James finds himself marooned on an isolated snowy estate chasing around very excited and very unruly children, while putting up with the meddlesome antics of the estate staff. Now if this wasn’t his own special brand of hell, James has no choice but to work with the children’s nanny on a daily basis… the very same woman whose heart he not so long ago broke, Laila Bruset. The last thing Laila wants is to have to have James back in her life but if she wants to be closer to her ageing grandmother then working for the Norwegian Royal family is her only choice, all she has to do is to remember to guard her heart against James… well this would be a lot easier if only they didn’t still share such intense chemistry… the question is he worth taking a risk on…again?

I love a royal romance and this was a nice play on the trope, while it was not a romance between two royals it was set in the same world and I liked this slight change. It was almost like we get to see behind the scenes of the lives of the people that make the royals lives easier. I also really enjoyed the second chance element in this book and the forced proximity.

Laila was such a sweetheart of a leading lady, she was kind and compassionate and generally so easy to like. I really liked getting to follow her as she tried to figure out her way in life, while she wanted to live her own life, she also wanted to be close to her ailing grandmother. While she might have been a bit on the introverted and shy side, she more than made up for it while handling the two boys she was in charge of caring for. I loved the relationship she had with the boys and the amount of care and compassion she showed. Truly Laila had a heart of gold. Now for our charming Scotsman, well James might have made a few mistakes but it was impossible not to fall his charm. Our hero was charming, goofy and a total sweetheart. I really enjoyed getting to uncover bits about his character and understand his past and his reasons for breaking this off with Laila the first time round.

Goodness me the chemistry between Laila and James was insanely hot! These two sure had no problems keeping warm in the snowy estate! While their physical chemistry was pure steamy perfection, it was their emotional journey that really drew me in. There was a lot of hurt and pain that they had to work through and I think while James did redeem himself to a large extent, he could have done a bit more grovelling.

The supporting characters in this book were pretty good as well. I loved all the supporting staff members and how invested they got in the whole James and Laila adventure, this was rather hilarious. As for the actual royals, well I felt that they could have had a bit more of an interactive role but I did really like the two boys, with all of their over the top antics. Though it was Laila’s relationship with her grandmother that really broke my heart, gosh this was so sad to read. I can only imagine the pain and heartache that Laila had to deal with knowing that she was slowly losing her beloved grandmother to dementia.

Overall The Royals Upstairs was a really nice read, this steamy but emotional romance is definitely worth checking out. If you are a fan of a steam forced proximity, second chance romance then this is definitely the book for you!

Book Info:

Publication: September 10, 2024 | Berkley |

He’s the royal bodyguard. She’s the royal nanny. The annoyingly hot attraction that simmers between them—that’s a royal pain.

James Hunter has made a tactical error. His new role as protection officer to Prince Magnus of Norway was supposed to be an exciting change. Instead he’s marooned on a royal estate in the middle of nowhere charged with chasing after demon children and dodging the machinations of meddling staff. And the crowning jewel in this little drama—the children’s nanny is none other than Laila Bruset. The woman whose heart he broke. The woman who still holds his.

When Laila took the job as a nanny for the Norwegian royal children in order to be closer to her ailing grandmother in Oslo, the last thing she expected was to have her life turned upside down—again. But as much as James gets on her nerves, he’s also getting under her skin, and the tension between them sizzles just as devastatingly as before.

As undeniable sparks turn James and Laila’s battle royal into a more serious game of hearts, nanny and bodyguard will have to decide just how much they’re willing to risk for a second chance at love.