- Read my review of Royal Powers #1, Duking It Out, by E.J. Russell
- Read my review of Royal Powers #2, The Hero and the Hidden Royal, by Renae Kaye
For the third installment of this shared-world romance series, the author takes advantage of the fact that these countries are European-based and also dips back into the world of the royals who are openly allowed to have superpowers. Lorenz reminds us, however, that a title does not equal a fortune in the modern era, which sets up the meet-cute opportunity between “royal” Remy, son of the local nobility, and “commoner” Hugo, hired to renovate the estate’s former stables into a rental property.
As a couple, Remy and Hugo work beautifully. Their connection and attraction are obvious, and spying on their growing courtship from off the page is a fun ride. The potential conflicts against them are balanced on both sides, such as Remy’s status and Hugo’s past with the school bullies. While I could have wished for the characters to address past actions, I appreciated how they interacted as adults rather than holding on to childish hurts.
My biggest quibbles are that the road from attraction to love felt a bit rushed and that Remy’s personal goals of becoming an artist did not have realistic stumbling blocks (I kept waiting to find out that Remy’s mother had manipulated things behind the scenes).
However, the final resolution was a substantial departure from how these stories typically end, and I found myself enjoying the ride all the more for it.
Rating: 4 (out of 5) stars. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.