Book Review - My Best Friend's Royal Wedding by Romy Sommer

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Amazon UK

Title: My Best Friend's Royal Wedding

Author: Romy Sommer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: One More Chapter

Publication Date: 29th January 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Cocktail waitress Khara Thomas never expected to trade the dazzling lights of Vegas for European aristocracy but as maid of honour in the royal wedding of the decade she’s forced into an unexpected spotlight when her best friend marries a prince.

Luckily for Khara, gorgeous but infuriating best man Adam Hatton is happy to show her the ropes. Khara knows Adam’s entitled rich guy type but as their connection grows she realises there’s more to this playboy than meets the eye. And when she learns his royal secret? She might just find that fairytales do come true…

The second I twigged that this book was the latest in the Westerwald series, I was incredibly happy, I do love Romy Sommer's adult fairy tales and this one is no exception. 

I would say its the direct sequel to Waking Up In Vegas,  as this story features front and centre Max and Phoenix's official royal wedding. And Khara has been asked to be the bridesmaid.  Khara who lives in a trailer park and never left Vegas before, is suddenly getting a few weeks in Europe seeing just how the other half lives. 

And it's best man Adam who tries his hardest to guide her when she is out of depth. Yet Adam isn't just some ordinary guy either and I really enjoyed seeing him try to become a better person, and see if he is going  to step up into the new role he is considering. 

I loved every moment of this book, the chemistry between Khara and Adam is very clear even if they are trying to deny it, and being able to catch up with the various members of the Westerwald royal family that I recall from the previous books was a joy in itself.   Although this is the 5th book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone, but I did love it all the more for having read the previous books. 

Incredibly enjoyable and perfect escapism for these troubled times. 

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily, 

Book Review - Last of the Summer Vines by Romy Sommer

The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: Last of the Summer Vines

Author: Romy Sommer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 29th June 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Love grows where you least expect to find it…

When ambitious workaholic Sarah Wells discovers she has inherited her estranged father’s vineyard near Montalcino in Tuscany, the last thing she wants is to take time away from her busy schedule to sort out a crumbling mess of a palazzo. But, of course, life never runs smoothly and when she makes a rare error, her bosses decide a holiday is just what she needs.

When Sarah arrives in Italy, she learns that she is not her father’s sole heir. In fact, she only has a partial stake in Castel Sant’ Angelo because of a loophole in Italian law. Her father has left the vineyard instead to his business partner, the gorgeous and infuriating Tommaso Di Biasi – and Tomasso doesn’t want to sell.

At first, Sarah wants the deal done as quickly as possible so she can get back to her life in London, but it seems Italy has other plans for her. Under the warmth of the Tuscan sun, with a glass or two of the local vino rosso, and brooding Tommaso challenging her all the way , Sarah starts to realise that that there might just be something to la dolce vita….

My only complaint about this book was that its has been far too long since Romy Sommer last released! But it was easily worth waiting for, as it is a fabulous book that is perfect for the heatwave we have been having. 

I have just spent an incredibly enjoyably period of time in the vineyards of Tuscany, learning all about different grape varieties, and wine blends that the Castel Sant'Angelo produces from Tomasso and Sarah. 

I can't work out if this book had me craving wine, or assorted bread and pastries, as it turns out Sarah is a pretty good baker, and its a way for her to pass the time while she is on an enforced prolonged holiday from work. 

There is certainly a great feel of Italy, Tuscany in particular as Sarah visits the surrounding villages. There is plenty of great food, huge Italian family gatherings, a couple of gorgeous men, and all manner of intrigue.  

I was fully transported and loved every moment I spent reading this lovely story. If you want a taste of Italy this summer, either jump on a plane, or open this book and allow your imagination to be transported. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

Book Review - Not a Fairy Tale by Romy Sommer - Harper Impulse Fortnight

Amazon UK

Title: Not a Fairy Tale

Author: Romy Sommer

Format reviewed: E-book

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 19th February 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

And the award goes to…

Not Nina Alexander that’s for sure. With her best gracious loser face firmly in place, Hollywood’s hottest starlet is hoping to end her evening of disappointment with a graceful exit stage left. Only an unexpected proposal and an awkward wardrobe malfunction mean that this is certainly going to be a night to remember… for all the wrong reasons! So what girl would resist the gorgeous Dominic Kelly coming to her rescue?! Especially when he’s whisking her out of the paparazzi’s prying eyes on the back of his motorbike – and wearing a tux to rival James Bond!

Nina soon realises that the only way to recover from such a scandal is to toughen up and snag the role of the decade in the year’s hottest YA screen adaptation. Who better to train her than her very own professional stuntman? Getting up close and personal with Dom will take Nina well out of her comfort zone – both professionally and in her closely scrutinized private life. But this A-list couple know only too well that’s it not all happy ever afters in Hollywood…

Nina Alexander, is having a bad day, she doesn't win the Oscar she was nominated for, and then when her boyfriend proposes at the after-party, she turns him down infront of everyone. Dominic Kelly, stuntman, has a thing about rescuing damsels in distress, and guides her out of the party and to safety.

Nina, asks Dominic to help train her up, so she can stand a chance at getting the one film role she desperately wants, but that the directors aren't looking at her for, since she tends to star in rom-coms. This new role needs a harder, edgier, person with a different skill set.

Dominic agrees to help, and I loved reading all about the training regime he puts Nina on, from running, to martial arts, to trapeze, to stunt driving, all sorts of things an action star needs to be convincing at.

The chemistry between Dominic and Nina was sizzling, its the most affected I have been by the sexual tension between the stars of a book for years.

There is a whole cast of characters, including the rest of Dominic's stunt team, his many sisters and Nina's sister. However the main focus of the book, was the growing story between the leading heroes. 

Not a Fairy Tale, is an enchanting sizzling, adult fairytale, that is very entertaining, and does have some hidden depths to it.

I would like to thanks Netgalley and Harper Impulse for my copy of this book, and to inform everyone that all opinions expressed in this review are my own and honest. 

Book Review - To Catch a Star by Romy Sommer - Harper Impulse Fortnight

Amazon UK

Title: To Catch a Star

Author: Romy Sommer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 3rd September 2014

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Teresa Adler is the ultimate Ice Princess, with a heart as frozen as the winter landscape of her beloved home, Westerwald. All her life, she’s belonged to the ‘inner circle’ of wealth, privilege and position.

Christian Taylor: Heartthrob. Movie Star. Bad boy. The mischievous actor sets temperatures soaring in the picturesque baroque principality – and with a wicked glint in his eye and a chip on his shoulder he sets his sights on the one thing he’s told he can’t have. Teresa.

While Tessa holds the ultimate clue to the secret of Christian’s parentage, it is the heat of his touch that will make this Ice Princess feel more alive than she ever has before…

Another magical, gorgeously romantic modern fairy tale from Romy Sommer!

Teresa (Tessa) Adler is used to doing what is expected of her. She is engaged to Stefan, an amassador for Westerwald, but we barely see anything of him until towards the end of the book, as he's abroad working, in the run up to their wedding.

Tessa is asked by her dad, to take on the assistant job to movie star and heart throb Christian Taylor. It is believed that Christian has the missing ring from the palace and Westerwald, and it is down to Tessa to find out why he has it. 

Christian is your typical bad boy movie star. He normally moves from woman to woman, until he meets his new assistant Tessa and can't get her out of his mind.

To Catch A Star is the third book in the Westerwald trilogy, and reintroduces you to characters from the previous, and since I have read Romy Sommers books out of order, I was also pleased to see the introduction of Dominic. Dominic features heavily in Not A Fairy Tale, and I enjoyed finally reading the heavily hinted at back story in full, of both Dominic and Christian. This book can be read as a standalone too.

To Catch A Star is a romantic story, and you see Tessa's ice-princess facade fade, and Christian starts to be himself and not the public version of him. 

The question throughout the second half of the story for me was who was Tessa gong to end up with? Will her upbringing for doing what is right for Westerwald take over from what it is clear her heart is starting to feel?

I loved every second of To Catch A Star, and I felt it was a fitting finale to the Westerwald trilogy. I really hope though Romy comes back to these characters in future books. 

Book Review - The Trouble with Mojitos by Romy Sommer - Harper Impulse Fortnight

Amazon UK

Title: The Trouble with Mojitos

Author: Romy Sommer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 17th October 2013

Rating: 5 Stars

Let the fairytale come alive…

Turquoise blue waters. Sandy white beaches. Mojitos…

Film location scout Kenzie Cole has found herself in paradise. And working in the Caribbean for a week is just what she needs to escape the long line of exes in her closet.

Though the last thing she expects is to be picked up at the resort bar by a disgraced former Prince!

Luckily for Kenzie, exile is suiting the man formerly known as Prince Fredrik very well. And it’s not long before his rugged, pirate charm is proving hard to resist.

But Rik’s been spending his time in paradise exorcising demons of his own and he has danger written all over him. If Kenzie was sensible she’d run a mile instead of lose herself to her lust – although, they do say that sometimes you have to get lost before you can be found….

Absolutely loved the setting of this book. A remote Caribbean archipelago, with one of the islands surround by an ancient folk story based on reality. It was reading the folk story in the prologue that caught my interest immediately.  Add in, exotic beaches, a man that looks like a pirate, and some mojitos, and you have a lethal combination for a brilliant book. 

Kenzie is a location scout for a film company, and is out in Caribbean looking for the perfect location for a new film, She needs beautiful bays and lagoons, forests and ruins, and room to put a pirate ship. However the locals on the island aren't being particularly helpful or friendly, and so we meet her drowning her sorrows at the bar.

Also at the bar that night is Rik. He was mentioned during Waking Up in Vegas, so if you have read that, you will be aware of his real background. Otherwise, you will learn as the book goes on, that there is a lot more to Rik, than the reasonably well off beach bum than meets the eye. 

Rik is gorgeous, has bad boy pirate-esque looks to him, and offers to help Kenzie with her location scouting, by getting her an audience with the mayor. With Rik's help they get permission to take a boat to look at the "cursed" island of Tortuga.  It isn't long before human nature and a sizzling connection make themselves known. 

The Trouble with Mojitos, shows us how you can find your hearts desire, even if you have had multiple setbacks, and that there is always a plan B to life. Both fabulously upbeat messages to get from a book. 

This is a warm hearted, feel good romance, that if you are reading Romy Sommer's books in order, that leaves you wanting to know what happens next. Fabulous second book in the Westerwald trilogy. 

For more reviews of Romy Sommer books please come back next weekend, when I will be reviewing To Catch A Star and Not A Fairy Tale

Book Review - Waking up in Vegas by Romy Sommer - Harper Impulse Fortnight

Amazon UK

Title: Waking up in Vegas

Author: Romy Sommer

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 9th May 2013

Rating: 5 Stars

What happens in Vegas…

Waking up to the bright lights of Vegas in an unfamiliar penthouse suite, cocktail waitress Phoenix Montgomery finds she’s covered from head to foot in gold glitter and not alone – aside from the empty bottle of champagne, there’s a mystery man in the shower and a huge sparkly ring on her finger!

Stays in Vegas?

There’s no denying Max Waldburg’s demi-god sex appeal but commitment-phobic Phoenix doesn’t do relationships. Only it seems her new husband (agh!) has other ideas…he’s trying to keep that ring on her finger and his wife firmly back in his bed. The only question on her lips is – why? Or maybe, why not?

Cocktail waitress, Phoenix, wakes up one morning with no recollection of where she is, or the last 36 hours. And she isn't alone, there is man, and she has a ring on her finger. Turns out they got married the night before, in Vegas, and she can't remember who he is and all she wants is a divorce.

However the man, Max, has other ideas. He, despite the short time he's know Phoenix, is in love with her, and his family has a grand tradition of never getting a divorce.  He appears to be wealthy vintner, at a vineyard in Napa, but he has another life too. 

Will Phoenix and Max come to an agreement, or will Phoenix get her way and get divorced? Regardless you know you are in for an enjoyable time finding out.

I loved how Max was continually trying his hardest to get his wife to fall in love with him, and that he really didn't mind showing off his wealth as a way to entice her, until her memory of their wedding day returned. 

The plot of Waking up in Vegas may seem a bit unlikely, however the book is designed to be a fairy tale for adults and it does that very well. It is a very romantic story, and I fell a bit in love with Max while reading this. 

There is a surprising amount of depth to this book, touching on topics such was family responsibilities and fear of commitment. There are a few steamy scenes, and the story really appealed to me. 

Please come back tomorrow, for a review of the second Westerwald book - The Trouble with Mojitos. And in case you missed it, Romy Sommer wrote about the setting of Westerwald on Thursday and can be seen here

Guest Post - Romy Sommer on Westerwald - Harper Impulse Fortnight

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Romy Sommer onto the blog today. She is the author of what I can only describe as adult fairy tales, that are simply enchanting.

Westerwald

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a princess. Okay, so it wasn’t a kingdom, just a little Archduchy, and she was a cocktail waitress, not a princess, but every fairy tale has to start somewhere.

My fairy tales all start in the magical Archduchy of Westerwald. In the 21st century it’s a tiny little (fictional) nation squashed between Germany and France, and don’t be embarrassed if you’ve never heard of it. Most people haven’t. In fact, if you don’t zoom right in on Google Earth, you might miss it completely.

But back in the middle ages, when Europe was just a patchwork of warring rival kingdoms, Westerwald was a force to be reckoned with. The Archdukes controlled the Wester River, which meant they also controlled European trade. At the height of their power and wealth, they established their base in the southern part of the kingdom, building a magnificent castle on a hilltop overlooking the river, surrounding by vineyards and forests ideal for hunting. (Readers of my first HarperImpulse novel, Waking up in Vegas, will recognise this setting as the town of Waldburg.)

But we all know that in fairy tales pride comes before a fall. By the end of the seventeenth century, Archduke Willem believed he could do whatever he wanted. He kept his royal bride a virtual prisoner and set his low-born mistress beside him on the throne. (Shades of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn). The imprisoned princess managed to sneak just one letter out to her nephew, who lived in a neighbouring kingdom. With the support of his king, the nephew gathered an army and rode to her rescue. The result was a civil war that ended with Willem’s death, and with the princess’ nephew, Anton, crowned as the new Archduke.

After her husband’s death, the princess never married again. But she lived to see the new Baroque town her nephew built in the north of the country, and in its glorious palace she helped to raise the next generation of princes and princesses. That same palace at Neustadt (literally New City) features in The Trouble with Mojitos and To Catch a Star.

Archduke Anton’s descendants still rule over Westerwald today. They’d be the first to tell you that this is the 21st century, and they’re no fairy tale princes. They’re just ordinary men searching for their own happy ever afters. But we all know, that’s exactly how every fairy tale begins…

Not A Fairy Tale by Romy Sommer

And the award goes to…

Not Nina Alexander that’s for sure.
With her best gracious loser face firmly in place, Hollywood’s hottest starlet is hoping to end her evening of disappointment with a graceful exit stage left. Only an unexpected proposal and an awkward wardrobe malfunction mean that this is certainly going to be a night to remember… for all the wrong reasons! So what girl would resist the gorgeous Dominic Kelly coming to her rescue?!  Especially when he’s whisking her out of the paparazzi’s prying eyes on the back of his motorbike – and wearing a tux to rival James Bond!

Nina soon realizes that the only way to recover from such a scandal is to toughen up and snag the role of the decade in the year’s hottest YA screen adaptation. Who better to train her than her very own professional stuntman? Getting up close and personal with Dom will take Nina well out of her comfort zone – both professionally and in her closely scrutinized private life.  But this A-list couple know only too well that’s it not all happy ever afters in Hollywood…

Not a Fairy Tale is published by Harper Impulse, a division of Harper Collins, and is available from the following online retailers: Amazon Smart URL | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | eBooks by Sainsburys | All Romance eBooks

About Romy Sommer 

I’ve always written stories for myself, but didn’t even think of being an author until I realised that being over thirty and living in a fantasy world was a little odd. Writing those same stories for other people makes it a lot more acceptable!


By day I dress in cargo pants and boots for my not-so-glamorous job of making movies but at night I come home to my two little Princesses, in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I live, and I get to write Happy Ever Afters. Since I believe every girl is a princess, and every princess deserves a happy ending, what could be more perfect?


Thank you very much Romy, for that insight into Westerwald. Stay tuned to Rachel's Random Reads over the weekend, when I will be bringing you my reviews for the first two books in the Westerwald trilogy - Waking Up in Vegas and The Trouble with Mojitos.