Paper Princess (The Royals, #1) by Erin Watt Series: The Royals #1
Published by EverAfter Romance on April 4th 2016
Pages: 370
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From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.
These Royals will ruin you…
Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.
Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.
Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.
He might be right.
Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.
Hello, Book Hangover. I haven’t seen you in awhile. I don’t know whether to be thankful I indulged in this book crack—also know as Paper Princess—or mad that I have to wait until late summer for the next book in this addictive trilogy. I’ve really enjoyed the work of Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick in the past. Put them together, add the pseudonym Erin Watt, and you have one dynamic duo. This book has a little something for everyone, and I’m glad I had a free day where I could devour it from cover to cover.
Ella Harper is a destitute teenager. She’s struggling to survive but determined to graduate from high school and put herself through college. Millionaire Callum Royal comes along claiming to be her legal guardian. Despite her protests, he drags her out of squalor to live with him and his five intimidating sons in their beach front mansion—er, palace. Callum is a kind man who wants to make Ella part of his family; his sons want to make Ella’s life a living hell.
The prep school Ella attends is like Gossip Girl meets Mean Girls, and it’s not just the girls who are catty and vindictive. The boys also engage in slut shaming and bullying. Fortunately, she meets a fellow commoner, Valerie, who befriends her. Man, I loved Valerie and how she takes Ella under her wing. She’s hilarious and she gives Ella the dirt on who’s who at Astor Park Prep Academy. She also helps Ella have fun while navigating their strange world. There are no words to express how much I adored Ella. She’s a never-let-them-see-you-sweat survivor with huge self-esteem.
The Royals may seem to have it all, but they’re hiding huge secrets and each one has serious issues. Everyone takes their cues from Reed Callum and since he sees Ella as a trashy, money grabbing whore, she’s an outcast both at home and at school. Even though he’s cruel to her, Ella’s traitorous body is attracted to him. And is that hate she sees in Reed’s eyes or lust? It’s a delicious slow burn that has a wonderful payoff.
If you’re familiar with Elle Kennedy’s and Jen Frederick’s work, you might be expecting a lot of scorching sex. This book clearly targets younger readers though, so while there is definitely heat, some of the bedroom scenes have a fade to black quality.
Paper Princess isn’t your average young adult story. It’s an engaging teenage soap opera served up with a large helping of plot-driven angst and a dash or two of spicy hot sauce. This is a book for smart readers who enjoy complex characters and unpredictable plots. Warning: The end throws you over a cliff so if you hate cliffies, you may want to wait until the other books are released to read this.
Recommended for fans of:
Enemies to lovers romance
Mean Girls
Tough heroines
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Slow burn
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**
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