NORA PHOENIX – PRINCE MATERIAL ***
Although I enjoyed this story, it seemed very derivative. I’ve read very similar stories before. The main characters, a Dutch prince and an American boy roommate he meets at university are likeable, but nothing really happens. Perhaps I am bored with this scenario now, having read so many variations on the theme.
There’s nothing wrong with the writing. I have read and enjoyed her books before.
With a story so slight - the only tension comes from the paparazzi, and will their union get revealed before they are ready – it is padded out with a couple of long, blow by blow, sex scenes, which stop the story dead when it needs to be carried along.
I’m sorry I didn’t enjoy it more. Next time perhaps.

A very sweet MM romance. who doesn't love a royal romance story. The relationship and characters are very sweet. This is a smutty book, so not ya. I really loved the story this book told.

I was pleasantly surprised by how cosy and low-drama this read was. Prince Floris next kept his identity a secret from his roommate and blossoming love interest, Orson which meant there was no need for a big, dramatic reveal of a hidden identity. Floris is also openly gay so this book is free from characters being outed (there is a very minor scene of a peripheral character coming-out towards the end of the book but that is completely on their own terms).

I felt as though the romance was a little slow initially and would have appreciated slightly more yearning but overall Phoenix did a good job of establishing a mutual attraction between the characters and it felt organic when their friendship developed into more. I am a big fan of romances where characters are able to come into their own and achieve their goals through the support of their partner which we saw happening for Orson.

Overall a sweet and enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the rest of the Prince Pact series.

This was an adorable sequel that improved on my (few) issues with the first book! My main issue with the first book was that in a certain part of it, the characters acted in ways that no human being ever has in history -- it was still a four star read, but that did knock it down. This book, however, keeps the characters feeling very real and grounded throughout, with all the conflict and resolution feeling very reasonable for characters with their backgrounds and personalities.

This was so fun and lighthearted, and I liked all the little details that were included to make the characters feel realistic and unique. The details about Orson's family life especially made him feel like a living, breathing person that I wanted to know more about.

The only thing that felt a bit off was the references to the events of the first book (which are happening simultaneously to this one), when I don't remember there being references to this plot while reading the first book. It made them feel a little disconnected. I could be misremembering, however, and it didn't detract from my reading experience.

I can't wait for the rest of this series!

2.5 stars rounded up

As a European student studying in an American University, I liked Floris from page one, international students need to support each other lol. They even mentioned a university I'm considering for my master's 🤯. That's where the similarities end, my psychology courses are nothing like whatever the main characters were studying and talking about in this book, that's for sure. If you had asked me before reading whether I’d be interested in water management, I would have said, absolutely not. Now, after hearing them talk about civil engineering and the importance of the math behind the work with such passion, I'm about 5% more interested in it, which, I assure you, is an accomplishment. My ignorance also means that I've no idea how accurate any of what they said was, and same goes for all the Dutch cultural references. It all sounded reasonable to me, so I was happy with that.

I will say though, the book and the characters might have benefited from a few more chapters at the beginning to set the story, perhaps showing more little, casual interactions between Floris and Orson, while Floris explored university life and met the friends that were briefly mentioned but never really developed as friendships. That would have made the characters feel more real and made it more plausible when they started opening up to each other about their lives. The shift from roommates to friends to lovers felt rushed and not earned, I guess. Theoretically, they spent many months just being friends, but we were there for too little of it for the shift to have the proper impact.

While I appreciated how healthy, open, and genuine their relationship was, I wish we could have seen more of them as people. They had backstories, but they still didn't feel like well flashed-out people who could exist outside of the moments we spent with them, if it makes sense. Also, by the end I noticed I didn't care about their relationship as much as I would have liked. It had potential but it needed more.

This was cute and cozy. It gave me Red, White, and Royal Blue vibes but make it Dutch! Prince Floris of the Netherlands escapes tabloid drama by spending a year at an American college, where he meets Orson, a serious engineering student from New Orleans.

There were a few things I liked and a few things I didn't like. I liked that they communicated like adults. Their relationship also builds slowly. The side characters had distinct personalities and added to the story. I love the glimpses into Dutch culture.

There were times that it felt a little boring. It's low-stakes so it will appeal to a certain audience. There's a lot of info dumping and telling, not showing. Some things cringed me out but some were actually funny.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a cute and quick read! I love how the characters communicated so well. The setting was great, making me want to escape to New England. I love how Floris helped Orson expand his horizon. I'm excited to continue this series!

Cute romance between a Danish prince, who has come to the US for a year of college (& to get away from the reporters back home) and an engineering student from New Orleans.

It's an easy and enjoyable read, although there's nothing here you haven't read before. The main characters were interesting and fit together nicely. The side characters (parents, siblings) were all unique and fun as well.

Arc received by NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a fair review

5 stars

Yes this book gave me the exact same vibes as Red, White & Royal Blue but make it Dutch. I loved Floris and Orson's relationship and connection and how they were emotionally mature. I also cried religiously at any emotion and sweet moments so Nora Phoenix, this 3rd book better ruin my world like this one

This is a very sweet, low angst, low stakes, Royal/college romance. While I did appreciate the great communication and no drama between the couple- it felt almost too easy?

It’s a fine line to represent healthy realistic relationships and still be entertained in a book and unfortunately I was just a bit bored. The press finding out about them is a threat but is handled swiftly and without fanfare once the couple is discovered. There is also a lot of telling and not as much showing as I would have liked, especially when they are developing their relationship.

Also, there is a lot, and I mean a lot of water management and historic building restoration talk in this book- if you find that remotely interesting you will be pleased!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⋆˚࿔ 4.25 stars⋆˚࿔

“You’re more like one those historic buildings. Complex layers under a carefully maintained facade”

I think there is a special place in my bookish heart for any types of royal romance, that usually have some European prince and then the other guy is more American.

*cough, cough*
Red, White & Royal Blue
*cough, cough*

This book is very very very very cute. I loved the characters in a lot. We are put into a college setting, where our Dutch prince Floris wants to starting living a “normal life” and wants to get away from the drama and negative publicity that is going on in his home country. Orson is his new roommate, who is very devoted to his studies in engineering. When I say devoted, man is devoted. He does this for a good reason and wants to make his family proud after a sad loss.

I really liked this book, the writing style was simple and easy to read, but in an away that it kept me in and kept me engaging. There relationship even before confessing feelings was so wholesome and so cute. They kept everything very casual, even though Floris is royalty. They acted very normal with each other, which worked greatly for the book.

At times there were these dry and lowkey cringe jokes and humor, but it was perfect for this book, due to how it was set up. Now, my favorite part of this book is the communication, I loved it, literally right after something big for their relationship happened and there was concerned bought up, they discussed it and were very understanding, no running around stuff. I also really liked how there was discuss with pressure and guilt from family on Orson side.

One thing I would say is that it is a shorter book, which did lead to their actually romance and them falling in love seeming to happen a bit quickly. This did feel a bit off, but at the same time it wasn’t that noticeable.

⋆˚࿔ Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Phoenix and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. ⋆˚࿔

I need to start off by saying that Nora Phoenix is always a must read author of mine! I simply love all her books and this one did not disappoint.

This is the second book in what looks like a four book series. I love the premise of European princes wanting to experience a little bit of a normal life in America where people are less likely to recognize them. I especially love learning little bits of culture from each country the prince comes from within each book.

Overall, this was a sweet, low angst, story. A quick read for me. Very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Nora Phoenix for the advanced copy. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

This is the second book in this series of college-prince romances. Prince Floris of the Netherlands decides to spend part of his undergraduate degree in America, seeking some much-needed anonymity after a tabloid-fueled media disaster. He meets Orson, a studious and very serious roommate, and sparks fly.

The plot of this book is straightforward - the two boys work through their differences, fight their demons, and decide that life together brings the happiness they’ve always wanted. There is some conflict, but rarely between the boys and more through their specific circumstances and life histories. The stakes never truly feel very high - this is more of a cosy read.

Floris and Orson are decently drawn characters: not particularly complex, but lived-in enough to make you care for them and their relationship. There is some spice in this, which is tastefully done.

If you are looking for an easy-going and sweet MM romance, you can’t go wrong with this book. There is a lovely Christmas scene, making it perfect for a winter-season read. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, which will feature yet another prince and his HEA. Thanks to the publisher and the author for providing this ARC.

Honestly, I must say I loved this book. It was so addicting that I read it in one day. I loved Floris and Orson both as individual characters and as a couple. An added plus was there was no third act break up. I can’t wait to read more books by this author.

This is the second in a series. It centres on another one of the Europan royals (Floris from Denmark) and his quest for normality for 12 months. He enrols in college in the US and has a roomate Orson. Both are gay and Orson knows Floris is a prince but Floris wants to keep it on the down low and maintain his normality as long as possible.

The reader follows their friendship and their discovery of being more, whilst exlploring Orson's experience of trauma and Floris' acknowledgement of this, and sharing his own perspective as a royal family member and it's associated expectations. It's initially quite a slow burn and Orson is a quiet, introspective individual.

A content warning of sorts as this storyline involves Hurricane Katrina and flooding, which might be a sensitive subject for some readers.

This series is progressing nicely - I felt the dialogue between these two was more seemless and natural compared to the first book.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced digital copy of the book.

This is a new type of romance for me as it was based on two guys. I didn’t read the blurb and so didn’t realise until I’d started the book, however, I thought I’d give it a try.

The guys were from very different backgrounds and had completely different personalities but somehow were attracted to each other, just two people fighting attraction with potential for more. The book is written well and the characters are endearing.

It did contain some spiciness and it was quite detailed so it might not be for everyone but I loved the story so it made no difference to me. I will definitely read the next book as I am committed to finding out what happens next.

DNF at 63%

Nothing happened for most of the book, like at all. There were multiple references to things that happened off page, but as a reader we saw barely any relationship or character development on page. When we do see it, the dialogue is stilted and painful to get through, and the interactions between Orson and Floris have as much chemistry as two dull rocks. Their characters make no sense chapter to chapter, the vague disability Orson’s sister has is strange, the random heart attack his mum has is also strange, and the entire plot seems to be non-existent, so the book is just padded out with random info dumping about Dutch water systems and structural engineering? There is a set of 2 paragraphs where the word “coke” is written 7 times.

There is also some fairly derogatory and borderline offensive portrayals of gay men in this. At one point the author writes that “rule number one of being gay is that you don’t look at other guys in the locker room” and that truly gave me the ick. The smut is also really strangely described in areas, as though it was written as a straight couple and then ported into a M/M romance.

I cannot in good faith recommend this book to anyone, and implore you to seek out actual LBGTQIA+ fiction that explores the relationships in more than just what appears to be an excuse to write smut.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC*

This was a cute read with loveable characters, and I enjoyed the build-up and initial chemistry, unfortunately once the couple initially got together, it lost a bit of momentum for me. The tension fizzled out, and I found myself skimming some sections towards the end. Overall, it was charming enough, but didn’t fully hold my attention right through to the end. I did enjoy the little glimpses we got of the other prince's though and I will probably pick up book 1, which I hadn't read yet before reading this one!

I loved the first Prince Pact book so was very excited to receive this one and it did not disappoint. Interconnected stand alones are my favorite and this one followed the next prince in the friend group - Floris. I liked that this one was different in that both mmcs were already out as gay to their families. I really liked the way their relationship developed from friends to more. The sex scenes were handled well and discussions of limits and consent didn't make it awkward but we're still realistic. Looking forward to prince pact 3!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up because a friend of mine devoured it in one sitting and raved about it—she said, “You liked Red, White & Royal Blue? You might love this even more.” Honestly? She wasn’t wrong.
This book was just what I needed: sweet, spicy, funny, and full of heart. Floris is a walking European rom-com moment. His perspective as a Dutch prince trying to navigate American college life was hilarious at times, but also layered with just enough emotional depth to keep him from becoming a stereotype. I loved the little cultural observations sprinkled throughout—they felt exaggerated in the best way, and his chaotic attempts to be a “regular guy” were charming without being cringe.
Orson, though? My soft spot. The nerdy, serious, quietly grieving roommate who slowly lets down his walls? Yes, please. His grief storyline caught me off guard with how gently (but consistently) it was handled throughout the book. It gave his character more gravity, and made the emotional moments land harder than I expected in a book that starts off so playful.
The chemistry between Floris and Orson? Off the charts. The slow build was delicious, and when things finally escalated, it was open-door spicy with a really satisfying emotional payoff. Their bond felt earned—both in the romantic and friendship sense—which made the happy ending feel all the more rewarding.
Also, can I just say: thank you for the lack of a third-act breakup. The conflict stays grounded and realistic, but never feels manipulative or dragged out just for drama’s sake.
It’s not a perfect book—there are a few parts that leaned a bit too heavily into the royal/commoner trope clichés—but honestly, I didn’t mind. I had a great time, and I finished it with a full heart and a goofy smile.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.