Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant debut novel from Clawson. It was a perfect mix of romance in an unusual setting. Maggie and Freddie were a lovely friendship/couple to root for throughout the novel. There were a few funny moments which gave insight into life at the Tower of London.

However, there were a lot of issues with this book. I really wanted to love this book, but too many things stopped me. The novel just felt like too much of the author’s life. From being a redhead, father a beefeater, boyfriend being a royal guard, and, of course, the name ‘Maggie’ being very close to the author’s name too. The dates which Maggie went on throughout the book felt too cliched and the constant issues with her workplace. It all didn’t mix together. The plot felt very haphazard in various places.

It was a disappointing read for me, but I will still try other books from this author.

This was a tough read, I tried to enjoy it but found I couldn't connect to anything I was reading.

Thank you to the publisher for kindly providing me with an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful romantic comedy, this one is different though, as well as the will they won’t they , the setting. This is set in the Tower of London, so as well as the room com elements there is a lot of history and information about the tower and the people who call it home. It was throughly enjoyable and highly recommended for that slightly different style.

Having never read a contemporary story set in the Tower of London, it was interesting to learn about the community that resides there.

As Maggie finds her way in the world, missing her mom and dealing with feeling awkward, I found her to be a very relatable character. I especially enjoyed her love for history and the many stories she shared with Freddie as they toured the Tower.

I did have to wonder about Freddie though and why he simply didn't reveal who he was to Maggie much earlier in the story. So, as much as I enjoyed Maggie's connection to Freddie, there were times I was disappointed with his character.

I also found certain things to be more confusing than they needed to be. For example, at first, I couldn't figure out if the ravenmaster was a person or a figment of Maggie's imagination.

Overall, though, this was a fun royal romance. The banter was entertaining, and the close-knit community of the beefeaters was endearing.

Thank you to Megan Clawsom, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

“I find it fascinating that the ways we organise twenty-six of the same letters in black and white on a page can make you feel something.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re looking for a new Royal read for the coronation weekend, then I absolutely recommend this one. Was this a groundbreaking read? No… Was it cute, fun, and perfect for a quick holiday read? Absolutely.

If you enjoy learning about the history of London, you will probably love this book. Personally, I didn’t know that people live inside of the Tower of London, so that was interesting to read about, but the romance just didn’t hit the way that I wanted it to :/

Personally, I didn’t think that Maggie and Freddie had much chemistry, which was a shame, because I wanted to root for them. I can’t even pinpoint an issue, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right headspace? I don’t know. It definitely wasn’t a bad book, it just didn’t feel special to me and didn’t leave an impression. The banter was very witty and reminiscent of Bridget Jones, though, so if you enjoy that vibe then this is probably the book for you! ☺️

But definitely pick it up if you enjoy:
💙 Friends to lovers
💙 Forced proximity
💙 Forbidden romance
💙 Witty banter
💙 History about London

(*Thank you to Avon books for kindly sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🩵)

I'm sorry, I lost interest in this book, I thought I'd pick it back up but everytime I try i can't go on for more than a page. The concept was really nice and I love the title and cover but they've lost me at the execution. DNF 33%

*Gaslighting, stalking, grief, slut-shaming, dysmorphia*
When Maggie bumps (literally) into the newest Royal Guard, she's immediately enamoured with his eyes. But she's sworn off men after her ex repeatedly cheated on her. Can Freddie change her mind?
I really wanted to love this book. I loved the original blurb, especially knowing that people live in the Tower grounds, but not really understanding how that actually works. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it, and I considered not finishing it several times.
Firstly, the blurb didn't really represent the actual story. I thought I was getting a rom-com, but there were some very odd plot choices and characterisation, in my opinion. The main character, Maggie, was a walking, talking disaster. I understand what the author was probably aiming for, and there are plenty of great examples of 'clumsy and/or quirky girls' in romancelandia, but here the character is reduced to repeated falls, bumps, paranoia, talking to herself or the ravens (almost exclusively in a derogatory manner), or being hungover.
The biggest issue with the story is that Maggie has ZERO agency, self-worth, or backbone for the majority of the story. She spends great chunks of the book putting herself (and others) down, allowing everyone around her to do the same, including her ex. The amount of workplace bullying simply wouldn't fly, although I was sometimes surprised she even had a job, given the number of times she was either late or just wandered off to talk to someone mid-shift.
It was hard to root for her. Her ex is a walking, talking red flag and a stalker, yet she doesn't block or report him. He takes up WAY too much of the plot, which consequently means that the actual romance suffers. Freddie, the titular love interest is okay on a superficial level (because that's all we really got). There's another subplot with a dating challenge (not with Freddie), plus a sham engagement, further diluting the actual romance. There was also very little humour (which is essential in a rom-COM) and what there was didn't work for me.
Maggie's constant references to her being watched and gossiped about felt to me like, rather than needing love, she needed to learn to love herself first and I felt she would have benefited from therapy, rather than a man. I did appreciate the narrative surrounding grief after the loss of her mother.
Though I have since learned the author is known for her historical content on social media, I personally found the descriptions of every nook and cranny of the grounds a little tedious at times. They are well-written, and I'm sure those not familiar with the Tower will learn a lot, but most of it wasn't revelatory to me, and It definitely didn't add to the actual story, or drive the plot forward. These descriptions would have worked better in a factual book.
I realise this is Clawson's debut, and I truly wish her well in her writing career, but I feel like she might be better suited to historical nonfiction based on this. Not for me.

Overall Rating: ❤️
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: *Unfortunately, lots of confused faces and eye rolls so I gave up marking them*

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. Falling Hard for the Royal Guard is published on 27th April in the UK*

OK, so I requested this because I was seeing lots of buzz about it, and because the coronation is coming up and I thought it might be a good option for a post for my blog about Royal-adjacent romances/novels/books. But. But. But. This did not work for me. I see that for other people it has, but for me it was the opposite of what I am looking for in a romance novel, in pretty much every way. It's one of those books where if I had read the sample of this on kindle, I wouldn't have bought it, but having requested it from NetGalley on the basis of a fun looking blurb and comparisions with novels that I liked, I soldiered on (sorry, couldn't resist a pun) to the end in the hopes that it would improve. But it didn't.

3.5 stars
This was such a cute story and I honestly love that it's somewhat inspired by Megan Clawson's real life! I love watching her videos about living in the Tower of London!

I will be honest though, I did nearly dnf this story twice but was adamant that I was going to stick it out. Was that because I knew the story behind this one? Maybe but honestly I'm glad I did.

For me, the story started out slow but once it hit the halfway mark I found myself so much more engaged with the story and the characters! There was also a couple of scences in this book that really tugged at my heartstrings which for me is such a positive thing. I love when a book physically makes me feel something.

Overall this was a sweet and adorable read and I'm interested to see what Megan writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute and very funny book and I adored it. Maggie loving history is a big element of what made this book so magical. Both MC's are really easy to love and I was so eager to see what they would get up to. I really loved this one, it was the perfect cosy read and everything I needed. Also love a book set in London!

Living in the Tower of London, Maggie has always wanted to live in her own fairy tale with a happy romantic ending. After ending a terrible long-term relationship, she finds herself feeling alone. Luckily, after a chance encounter with a Royal Guard, Freddie, Maggie slowly begins to befriend him and others in his group. As they help her with getting back into the dating game, she goes along, but really only begins has eyes for one particular guard. However, he’s trained to ignore any and all distractions, including the beautiful woman who might be falling head of hells for him.

I absolutely loved the setting of this one! In fact, the Tower of London seemed to be a characters of its own accord. The mystery and history helped develop the story. I could absolutely relate to the terrible dating woes that Maggie went through as well. Unfortunately, I just haven’t found my Royal Guard yet. This one was a solid 3.5 cat rounded up. I found myself laughing so many times throughout this one.

On the Cat Scale:
😺😺😺😺

A sweet romance with really interesting characters. I couldn't put this book down, it was captivating!

I loved this, so quirky. I have met someone before whose father was a guard at the ToL and he told similar stories about being out late and not being able to get back home and getting deliveries, I really enjoyed reading the same stories. I'm familiar with the ToL so it's interesting to picture the setting as it was described. A really cosy read.
Ah, I just loved it.

After leaving her obsessive and controlling ex-boyfriend, Maggie moves into the Tower of London where her beefeater father has an apartment. With her love of history, living in a castle is a fairy-tale minus the charming princes and knights in shining armor. One night when running from the ghosts of the Tower, she crashes into what she thinks is a lamppost, but is actually a very hot guardsman. Soon it seems every clutzy move or embarrassing moment is done in front of him. She finally catches the attention of an ironically aloof guardsman. But the more time they spend together and the more she falls for him, the more he drops the f word...friend. What will it take to make this man drop his guard?
I loved this story with its unique setting and characters. I was able to look up pictures of the different locations as I read which brought the story alive. This was a slow burn relationship, so when Freddie winks at her while in uniform, it's like Darcy's hand flex from Pride and Prejudice. <Swoon>. And the HEA at the end was well worth the wait.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book. Was it a little clumsily executed? Yes, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of it. I was looking for a quick, light read and it delivered.

Maggie Moore is in her mid-twenties, recently broken up with Bran (wow, what a loser that guy was!), and living in the Tower of London with her Beefeater dad. What a fascinating place to live!

One day, she bumps into Freddie, a guardsman, and they have immediate chemistry. However, there are some things about Freddie that Maggie just doesn't know....and she really needs to.

Maggie gets to know the other guardsmen and she spends time talking to the ravens as well as the ravenmaster (who is a reclusive woman), all of whom are interesting folk.

All in all, this is a fascinating look at a very interesting British postcode, by a person who lives there herself.

It reminded me of when I was in my late teens and got to know some of the fellas from the local military college. One of them became my boyfriend and for some months I got to inhabit his world a little bit, which was quite different to mine. His father was a high flying corporate type but John was very down-to-earth and even though I am from working class stock, it didn't make a jot of difference to him. There were the girls from the upper classes who were trying to land themselves one of these guys, which reminded me of the gala scenes in this book.

Anyway, this was a good read. Could it have been better? Yes, I think Freddie and Maggie's story could have evolved a little more, that would have made me super happy but it was ok as it was, as well.

4 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review. I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson was a sweet, romantic, fun read. I absolutely adored the idea and who knew you could actually live inside the Tower of London??? And falling in love with a royal guard? Yes please!!!

The characters of this book, Maggie and Freddie, are adorable and so easy to fall in love with. They were so cute and their relationship gave me butterflies and made so giddy. The side characters were so amazing and they really helped making this book even more amazing.
I also absolutely loved how amazing Megan was at description and world building. I could picture everything so perfectly in my head, it was amazing!

This was funny, sweet and really interesting read. I truly enjoyed it. This is such a good debut book and definitely will keep an eye out for future books this writer might put out.

Again, thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: April 25, 2023

CW: Abusive relationship, harassment by an ex, body shaming, misogyny

First off, if one kiss 95% of the way through the book counts as a romance, then I guess this is one.

I really struggle with female characters who spend the majority of the time complaining about how ugly they are. Every few pages were reminding how insecure she is, how clumsy she is, how she has no female friends (albeit from an emotionally abusive relationship) and instead hangs out with her Dad and his friends or spends time talking to her cat and the Tower of London ravens at length. I don’t hold space for these types of characters, it’s not only depressing but it’s demeaning.

Life behind the walls at the Tower of London was an interesting take, and I was hopeful. The history tidbits were fantastic, but the creepy voyeuristic cameras that are mentioned in nearly every chapter gave me the ick, as did all the co-worker characters and her ex. And there’s also ghosts?

Did I still get all the feels from the pining between these two even though all we know about Freddie is he’s [very] tall with curly boy band hair and seems quite rigid/posh with some manners? Yes. Did this end insanely abruptly after basically one kiss? Also yes.

This was a great speedy read that I just couldn’t put down. Packed full or romance, a heroine that you’re always rooting for and a little something for everyone.

Maggie Moore has just moved in with her dad, he’s a Beefeater and a career soldier. Maggie broke up with her boyfriend of seven years Bran, he’s calling her nonstop and driving her crazy. Maggie lives and works at an interesting place, the Tower of London and it’s a busy tourist spot. Maggie has always been a bit of a history buff, she sells admission tickets and her boss Kevin gives her a hard time for being late.

Maggie meets a soldier whose a member of the Royal Guards, Freddie Guildford, he and his garrison spend a week guarding the gates, wearing the iconic bearskin hat and the public do all sorts of funny things to try and get a reaction out of them. Maggie hasn't had much luck in the romance department, Freddie's friends encourage her to create a profile on Tinder, and all the men are either creeps or down right odd. The one person Maggie does fancy is Freddie, for some reason she always makes a fool of herself when he’s around and she has a habit of tripping over or falling flat on her face.

I received a copy of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson from NetGalley and Avon Books UK. I haven’t laughed so much while reading a book in ages, Maggie is a curly haired pocket rocket and a clumsy one. Included in the story is information about the one thousand year old Tower of London, The Ceremony of The Keys, The Ravens and the Crown Jewels are kept here. A place of intrigue, imprisonment, execution, torture and of course the odd ghost is still lurking around. You can tell the author has a personal connection to the iconic London landmark, and is Freddie Maggie's knight in shining armour and you will need to read the book to find out!! Five stars from me and I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic comedy.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon, for this ARC!!

I want to start by saying I may not be the target audience for this novel. It felt very YA, though it is not marketed as such. This is a *clean* romance!

The story in itself is cute. A slow burn workplace romance. After breaking up with her crappy ex boyfriend, Maggie goes through what so many other 26 year olds endure - the dreaded Tinder. But this happens after she meets and has an attraction to Freddie, a guardsman at the Tower of London. A large chunk of the middle of the book is Maggie's encounters with her Tinder dates and there is almost no interaction between Maggie and Freddie.

Many parts of the book felt disconnected - talking to ravens? I'm sure there is some symbolism here? Also Bran is just an uber douche and Maggie put up with far too much of his verbal abuse.

I do appreciate that the author has incorporated some of her lived experiences from her time in the Tower of London into this book. Overall, it was cute, but very clearly a juvenile debut novel.