The writing is sharp, with plenty of humor and just the right amount of angst. Phoenix balances the lighthearted moments with more serious themes—identity, expectations, and the fear of being truly seen. And while the secret identity trope adds an extra layer of drama, the reveal is handled well without feeling overly dramatic or unrealistic.

If you love MM romance with great character dynamics, sizzling tension, and a touch of royalty, The Prince and the Player is a must-read. The only reason it’s not a full 5 stars for me is that some of the conflicts wrap up a little too neatly, but overall, it's a fantastic start to the Prince Pact series.

A charming and addictive romance filled with heart, humor, and heat. Definitely worth picking up!

Started: 24 March 25
Finished: 24 March 25

Rivals to lovers? Sign me up!

The Prince & Me (2004) but make it MM. I loved this novel a lot. You have the hidden identity, rival at first sight, friends with benefits to falling for each other and hidden identity resulting in a misunderstanding. You can’t go wrong.

Great characters, wonderful friendships and really nice buildup between the two main characters with a little added spice.

Really enjoyed this authors work and the flow to this novel was great, it kept me hooked from start to finish.

Being a prince may seem like a fairytale, but to me, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. That’s why I’m excited when I get permission from my uncle—the king of Norway—to go undercover as a student at an American college for a year. And I’m even more ecstatic to be selected for their football team. Soccer, I mean. The only problem? Farron, the team captain, dislikes me on sight. Determined to win him over, I start a charm offensive, but nothing works. He only hates me more.

Until the animosity comes to an explosive release…and we end up kissing each other. How did that happen when neither of us has ever been attracted to a guy before? Farron wants to let it run its course and get it out of our system, but I doubt that’ll work. I’m falling for him hard, but he has no idea who I really am. I fear that if he finds out, he’ll never speak to me again…

Super tropey, LOTS of chemistry. I loved the characters and had fun reading this, even though it was super predictable. If you're looking for something groundbreakingly new, this isn't it. But sometimes you're just in the mood for a fun story with your favorite tropes, and this is it! I go back and forth, and this was a lovely read for me! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

What a lovely romance honestly. Theres a lot of spice in here, is someone wants to know. I wasnt expecting that but whew did i like it.
This is a red white royal blue x soccer mix so if those are things you love to read, this is right up your alley. I was also reminded of the netflix show young royals.
I absolutely enjoyed this and i bet you will too!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

This book really did the enemies to lovers trope really well. I loved Farron and Tore. Farron started out with a major chip on his shoulder but he did come around and become a total softy for Tore. Very Hot!! I hope this is a series and we get the stories of Nils, Foris and Greg too.
Thank you to Boldwood and Netgalley for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

The tension between these two is so thick! The book takes off fast following the prologue with the beginning of the soccer season and introduces Tore as the international student who was put on the soccer team as a first strong midfielder. His rivalry with Farron begins immediately due to Farron's distrust of the wealthy and it is an uphill battle for these two. Until during an away game the coach forces them together to work through it and all that hate turns into something hotter.
The pacing of this book was great, the tension and chemistry was well developed, the conflict regarding the Princes identity was handled very well.
Definitely interested in reading the rest of the friends' adventures as they explore what life is like when you aren't royal.

I absolutely loved The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix! Once I was finally able to sit down and truly focus on my reading, I couldn't put it down. I love how Tore wanted to take a chance and experience normalcy for once in his life. I loved the enemy tension between Tore and Farron at the beginning. I will say that I was wanting Farron to grow up a bit and actually get to know Tore before making and decisions. I loved when they got together. I literally squealed when it happened. The last 20% had me feeling anything. My heart shattered and I broke down crying, but then it was pieced back together and grew two sizes too big. I would love a little novella of their future.

Meet Prince Tore Haakon Anders Von Glücksburg, the nephew of King Ragnar and Queen Hilda of Norway. As the fourth in line to the throne, Tore is desperate to experience what it feels like to be normal. So he and his three friends—Floris, who is fifth in line to the Dutch throne; Nils, who is fifth in line to the Swedish throne; and Greg, who is about to become the Duke of York—make a pact to convince their respective families to allow them to travel abroad undercover to study and live a normal life for a year.

This pact leads Tore on an adventure to a college in America, where he studies and plays soccer. It is here that he meets Farron, the captain of the soccer team, who despises Tore at first sight. As Farron sees Tore as perpetually happy, polite, charming and rich—characteristics that starkly contrast with him and his own struggles to pay for college and support his mother and siblings.

So to help the two young men get along, their coach decides they should share a room on away trips. However, things don't go as planned. As the tension between them quickly escalates, culminating in a passionate encounter. Which complicates their relationship even further.

Yet, realising that they need to face their feelings, Tore and Farron decide to embrace their attraction, hoping that a single encounter will help them move on. But they soon discover that their connection runs deeper than they imagined, leading both into a journey of bi-awakening that feels genuine and well-developed.

However, Tore hasn’t been completely honest with Farron, and it doesn’t take long for Farron to learn the truth. Now he must decide if he can love a prince—especially one who lives thousands of miles away.

And with plenty of tension, fun, and emotion. This is a story that is full of heart. That fans of sports and royal romances are sure to enjoy.

The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix is a compelling mix of sports romance, slow-burn chemistry, and emotional depth. The story follows a talented but guarded soccer player and a charming prince with a passion for the game, navigating their growing connection while balancing their careers and personal struggles.

What stands out most is the character development—both leads are well-written, with distinct personalities and believable motivations. The slow-burn romance is full of tension, making every small moment between them feel meaningful. The soccer scenes are engaging, adding an authentic touch to the story.

The pacing is a bit slow in places, and I wished for more intense emotional payoffs at certain points, but overall, it’s a heartfelt and satisfying read. If you enjoy sports romances with a mix of royalty, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Nora Phoenix's The Prince and the Player serves up a royal-sized helping of favorite tropes—royal romance, opposites attract, bi-awakening, sports romance, and grumpy/sunshine dynamics—all wrapped in a fun, fast-paced read.

The premise? A 'Royal Gap Year,' where four royal friends ditch the palace life for a year abroad incognito. First up, Prince Tore of Norway heads to an Ohio college, eager to live his best normal-student life—playing soccer, making friends, and soaking in the American experience. With his golden-retriever energy and natural charm, he wins over just about everyone... except for soccer captain Farron, who takes one look at him and decides he’s the worst. Cue the brooding stares and snarky tension.

The enemies-to-lovers setup delivers, but Farron’s hostility sometimes goes from grumpy to downright exhausting. His grudge against Tore for being rich and privileged feels a bit flimsy, making it harder to fully root for their romance. While Tore has a great support system, Farron—despite being team captain—feels oddly isolated, which makes their dynamic a little unbalanced.

Their bi-awakening journey is refreshingly low-angst but lacks much introspection. The spice level hits just right, adding fun and steamy moments that keep the romance engaging.

The sports angle is a highlight, with actual on-page soccer action that grounds the story and helps track the passage of time.

The biggest drawback? The third-act breakup. While Tore’s hidden royal identity was always going to cause drama, the conflict felt a bit forced.

Overall, The Prince and the Player is a light, entertaining read with a fun premise, solid sports action, and a bi-awaking romance—flaws and all. I’ll definitely be checking out the sequels and hoping for even more character depth and emotional punch. I do think the series has potential.

A big thank you to Nora Phoenix, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the ARC—I can’t wait to read more!

Prince Tore wants to spend one year living a normal college experience, so he trots off to a random college in Ohio to experience life as a “normal” person and joins the football… ahem… soccer team. Farron, the captain of the team, just wants to get ahead in life and lift his family out of poverty. He carries a massive chip on his shoulder for those who are rich and privileged and makes sure everyone knows it. Sound like someone we know? Can the two learn to coexist or are they doomed to implode?

If you wanted a throwback movie to compare this book to, I would definitely think of The Prince and Me. This book has a lot of the same vibes from the one-sided dislike at first sight, hidden identities, even the Thanksgiving bonding just with added sports– and the lack of a female love interest of course. Overall, the book mostly sticks to the tropes but that isn’t a bad thing. You know what you are getting into, and you don’t have to worry about the book missing the mark. The book is enjoyable and a nice palette cleanser, but there isn’t anything special going on with the storyline or the character dynamics.

This is the start of what I’m assuming will be a four part book series which will follow three other princes (-adjacent) we meet in the first chapter. I will still be tuning in to read those books, and I will be curious how those storylines will be different from this one.

#netgalley #theprinceandtheplayer #boldwoodbooks

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was cute! A very quick and easy read—I finished it within a couple of hours. I’m a sucker for a good royal romcom, and I had a great time reading this, even though it was predictable. As a soccer fan, I also appreciated how much the sport was actually featured in the story, with quite a few scenes and details woven in!

It’s clear that this was heavily inspired by Red, White & Royal Blue, which is what initially drew me to it. I love that book. It was also marketed as similar, which I think is a bit risky, because RWRB is arguably the peak of excellence in the genre. That said, the enemies-to-lovers trope was well executed here. I absolutely adored Tore—he’s just lovely. Something I really enjoyed was how naturally both Tore and Farron embraced their attraction to each other once they acknowledged it. They explored their shifting self-perceptions of their sexualities with acceptance and eagerness, despite both initially identifying as straight. Their journey of self-discovery, without unnecessary angst or internalized shame, was refreshing to read.

It was also nice to see the royal family being so accepting of an LGBTQ+ relationship. The fact that Tore was with a man didn’t change a thing. The same goes for their soccer team—it was sweet how they all supported each other.

Now, onto the things that didn’t work as well for me. First, Farron was quite difficult to like. He was envious, quick to judge, rude, resentful, and hot-and-cold. Honestly, I struggled to understand why Tore would fall for him. I get that, as the captain of the soccer team, he was thrown off by the “new guy” being so good, and also by his unexpected attraction to him. But his immediate hatred toward Tore felt excessive. It was unreasonable—he was just outright mean based on assumptions he made. The prince did not deserve that treatment. Yes, Farron softened over time, especially toward Tore, and that was cute, but it still didn’t feel like enough. Their feelings also seemed to develop out of nowhere. They were just hooking up, and then suddenly, they had these deep, intense emotions.

Another thing that threw me off was Tore’s very British-sounding accent and mannerisms. They were so exaggerated that I sometimes forgot he wasn’t actually from Great Britain. The author also mixed British and American idioms throughout the book, which was a bit distracting—but that might just be a personal pet peeve.

My biggest issue, though, was the forced outing. One of their teammates walked in on them making out and then immediately called the entire soccer team into the room to “share the news” because he “couldn’t keep a secret.” That was not his choice to make. If someone did that in real life, they would rightfully be called out for it, and honestly, I’d stop being their friend. It was completely uncool and unacceptable.

I also noticed that quite a few readers felt the characters’ bi awakenings and their journey to self-acceptance weren’t entirely realistic. I can’t personally speak to that experience, so I don’t have a strong opinion, but if that’s something important to you, it might be worth keeping in mind.

Overall, this was a cute, light read. It was easy to get through, and while I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it—if you know what I mean. It falls somewhere in the middle for me. That said, I’m curious about the rest of the series, so I’ll probably check out the other books to see what adventures Tore’s friends get up to!

Good Story

I enjoyed reading this one. There was a thing or two that didn't work well for me but it was a god story overall.

3.5 stars The Prince and the Player delivers a fun and sweet romance that’s perfect for fans of light and tropey reads. The conflict was engaging, and the characters' personal growth added depth. The reason for Farron’s initial dislike of Tore felt a bit basic, but that actually worked in the story’s favour—Farron didn’t seem to fully understand it either, and watching his journey of self-discovery was a pleasure. Tore, on the other hand, was lovable from the start. His grounded sense of self and joy for life, particularly his passion for soccer (football), made him an easy favourite.

That said, the bi-awakening elements felt somewhat rushed, as the story moved quickly from tension-building to spicy in a moment. While the lack of drama surrounding Tore and Farron’s coming out was refreshing, it might have bordered on being too angst-free. Additionally, the plot leaned heavily on soccer, with less attention given to the characters' academic or work lives. A bit more balance, with moments of showing rather than telling, might have enriched the narrative.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review this ARC.

𖠋♡𖠋 the prince and the player by nora phoenix 𖠋♡𖠋


I adored them!!! They were cutely beautiful together. Tore and Farron were so well written and I was SMITTEN ✨.

Tore is a Norwegian Prince and he was eager to have a normal life so he convinced his parents and his king uncle to live his America dream. He was so sweet and it was so cute how out of touch with normal life. He wasn’t rude and his attitude was so weirdly cute because well he had never been in a situation where nobody knew him.

Farron was cutely grumpy and he really didn’t like Tore 😂. Farron character was complex and he was kinda mean with Tore but then he began to look how sweet and gentle Tore was.

The third act break was a little too much for me. They spent months apart and neither was trying to get back together and I was mad; like I really wanted to smack them.

I’m aware of how much times I say cute but The Prince and the Player is a cute book that I highly recommend.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the eArc.

4⭐️ 2🌶
This was so much fun to read. It was funny and captivating. I really liked this grumpy/sunshine duo. I enjoyed they way Farron's is written and the way his story grew. I didn't have strong feelings about him at first but found over time to really connect and adore him. Tore's absolutely adorable. i love the way he communicates so prim and proper even in the throughs of passion. These two have so serious banter. I can't tell you how many times I laughed.

I really enjoyed that this was a sports romance with actual sport written in it. It's so entrgel to the guys' relationship from the start and helps them to become endgame.

The double bi-awaking i thought was done well. They both accepted pretty easily, and the story shows both guys' thoughts on how to make the other happy. It was cute.

This book was such a fun, easy read—I flew through it in a day and loved every minute. The Prince and the Player has that perfect mix of heart, humor, and just the right amount of drama. I was immediately drawn in by the unique setup: a Norwegian prince going undercover at an American college to play soccer (okay, football) and experience a normal life. It's part fairytale, part college romance, and totally adorable. The dynamic between the sunshiney prince and the grumpy team captain is everything. The enemies-to-lovers vibe is full of tension, snark, and surprising tenderness. Their chemistry was off the charts, and watching both of them grapple with their unexpected attraction (and bi-awakening) felt honest and sweet. What I really appreciated was how light and accessible the story was. It never felt too heavy, even when emotions ran high. It's the kind of feel-good romance you pick up when you want something engaging but not overwhelming. If you're into opposites-attract stories, slow-burn heat, and charming characters with real heart, this one's definitely worth picking up.

I have a confession to make. As a romance reader, I am an absolute sucker for a royal romance novel. No matter how many of them I read, and no matter how much they make generous use of all of the tropes, I never get tired of reading them. Perhaps it’s the royalist in me, or perhaps it’s just the Pisces, or perhaps it’s both. In any case, any time that I see a royal romance available for review I make sure to gobble it up, and let me tell you that I am never disappointed.

This brings me to The Prince and the Player, the newest book from Nora Phoenix. This is a fun and sexy romance that, with its brisk pace and lovable (if also irritating) characters, doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s the perfect kind of romance to welcome in the spring and its air of new love and second chances.

When the story begins, Norwegian Prince Tore has decided to go to the US, where he will enroll at college and become a soccer (football) player, with no one the wiser as to his true identity. Once there, however, he crosses paths with team captain Farron, who takes an immediate dislike to this rich boy who is horning in on his territory. Unsurprisingly, this dislike soon morphs into something else and, after a passionate but awkward kiss, they start a little arrangement wherein they kiss and fuck but don’t catch feelings. What starts as a friends with benefits arrangement, however, soon becomes something much deeper and more meaningful as they realize that their burgeoning sexual chemistry is but the harbinger of deeper feelings.

This is very much an enemies-to-lovers type story, and Phoenix is quite adept at making it clear from the jump just how much these characters are into each other, though it takes them both a while to realize this fact. Of the two of them Tore is definitely the sunshine, while Farron is the epitome of grumpy. Like so many other opposites, however, their differences end up complementing one another, even though they each have their own journeys to acceptance, both of one another and of themselves.

Lurking in the background during their romance is the inescapable fact that Tore is a member of the Norwegian royal family–when the story begins he is actually quite close to the throne–and this secret weighs heavily on him and eventually presents a challenge to his burgeoning relationship with Farron. Fortunately Phoenix doesn’t beat us over the head with this aspect of Tore’s identity and, while it does cause some problems, they are relatively easily overcome. Tore’s family, particularly his mother, is refreshingly open and accepting of her son’s bisexuality, and both his parents and his sisters are welcoming of Farron when he finally comes to Oslo for their inevitable reconciliation.

To say that this book crackles with intense sexual chemistry would be selling it short. I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but I continue to think that it’s important–vital, even–to see explicit sex scenes in M/M romance. We’re living in an era in which queer desire in all of its forms is constantly under assault, and so it’s all the more special when we get to see two men learning how to be intimate with one another. As in the best of romances, the sex isn’t there to titillate, though it certainly does that, but instead to show us how these two people are finding new aspects of themselves that they’d never thought existed. Gay sex isn’t for the faint of heart, after all, and their hot and heavy encounters require some research and accommodation on both of their parts.

Before these two men can really be together, though, both Tore and Farron have a lot of growing to do. For Tore, the struggle is twofold. On the one hand, he has to find some way of getting Farron to loosen up and stop hating him just because he’s rich. On the other, he has to grapple with the fact that he is a member of a European royal family and that this necessarily imposes some limits as to what he can do, both as a soccer player and as a young man figuring out his sexuality. As his romance with Farron heats up and they each start to fall in love with the other, this becomes an ever more pressing issue.

Fortunately for both Farron and the reader, Tore is a genuinely good man, someone who wants what’s best for everyone in his life, whether that be his sisters or Farron. One of the novel’s most poignant scenes occurs when Farron invites Tore back to his house for Thanksgiving, allowing the other man an intimate glimpse of his family and their struggles. A brattier prince would no doubt look down on Farron’s humble beginnings, and that’s just what the soccer player thinks will happen. Tore, however, is cut from very different cloth, and it’s clear that he loves Farron’s family from the jump. If you don’t find yourself falling in love with Tore, then I really don’t know what to tell you.

For Farron, on the other hand, the roadblocks are both more prosaic and yet, because of that, more emotionally wrenching. Unlike Tore he’s never known what it was like to be financially comfortable, and he carries a pretty major chip on his shoulder when it comes to engaging with those who had more money than he did growing up. His growing love for Tore, however, allows him to open up and reveal parts of himself that he’s kept secret. Some readers found him a bit of a pill, but I actually think he read as quite authentic to me. When you’ve grown up under the oppression of poverty, and when you come into contact with those who wear their privilege with ease, you don’t always act rationally.

I also give this book a lot of credit for its bi representation. Neither Farron nor Tore have been with men before the time that the book begins, and so their feelings and attraction for one another comes as an even greater surprise. Phoenix handles this with the same light but emotionally honest touch that she demonstrates with the rest of the book. I loved getting to spend time with these characters and to learn the ins and outs of their psychology, to see them in all of their glorious and flawed and tender humanity.

The comparisons of The Prince and the Player to Casey McQuiston’s Red, White and Royal Blue are apt, but there’s also a lot of Ted Lasso in its DNA, too. The world that this book presents is one that is almost totally devoid of homophobia or biphobia, which might strain credulity a bit considering the way that organized sports is still not exactly the most affirming of spaces. And, while I may not be a huge sports fan, I also appreciated the way that Phoenix really did immerse us in the world of soccer and what it’s like to be on the field. Soccer isn’t just window-dressing; it’s a key part of the plot and the world through which the characters move.

All in all, I have to say that I loved this book even more than I thought I would. I’l be eagerly looking forward to the other royal romances that Phoenix has in the hopper!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book.

A royal romance with tension, charm, and a touch of drama, The Prince and the Player delivers a different take on the enemies to lovers trope. Torre and Farron’s dynamic is full of denial, slow-burn attraction, and one hilariously misguided attempt to “fix” their situationship. Watching Farron give in first made the romance all the sweeter, and though the story takes an emotional turn near the end, it ultimately leaves you with a smile. A delightful, heartwarming read!

3.5 - This was a solid enemies to lovers romance with a side of secret identity. Tore the politely lovely prince trying to hide out in America collage and play football/soccer then add the grumpy chip on his shoulder Farron.

I love this trope of sport rival and add secret prince and I'm a sold. There was sun fun and passion in this story as two straight characters fall for each other. there was a good balance of relationship and game play/team tactics that helped keep both parts of the story moving.

Looking forward to more from the side character we get introduced to.