This was such a fun read. I love an enemies to lovers trope and these two were definitely not love at first sight! Plenty of chemistry, a slow awakening of who each of them actually were as people and some witty dialogue had me smiling while I was reading. Definitely recommend.

The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix is an MM romance with a mix of royal intrigue, slow-burn tension, and emotional depth. The story follows a charming con artist and a duty-bound prince whose worlds collide in unexpected ways. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the character development is well-paced, making their journey from deception to genuine connection engaging.

Phoenix’s writing is immersive, balancing romance with political drama, though some plot points may feel a bit predictable. Overall, it’s a compelling read for those who enjoy royal romance with a dash of suspense and heartfelt moments.

First, thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 Stars

I was leaning more towards the 4 star mark, but I just had a few too many hang ups on this one. While it was good and I had a lot of fun reading it, it seemed almost like a re-telling of Red, White, and Royal Blue.

The main issue I had with this was that going into the book, both MMCs appear to be straight with absolutely no inclination they might find another male attractive. But the first time they meet face to face, it's instant hate from Farron due to perceived financial standings. And then there is no questioning it, no doubt or anxiety over it. They didn't have an exploratory period. They just both kind of jump in head first, but there's a big lack of chemistry. Before they give into their feelings, there is no banter, just Farron being rude and Tore taking it on the chin. I feel this could have been fleshed out so much more with the forced proximity, teammates trope.

On top of that, Farron's attitude was a major turnoff from the book, he was judgmental and rude off the jump for no reason other than he resented Tore for appearing to have come from an affluent background. And then doubles down on how much he doesn't like him cause he's good at soccer. As a captain chasing a national title, you would think that he's ecstatic about this but no, he would rather self sabotage his team by not being open minded to other playing styles (which total football is the universally taught style, but not important).

While I could let that slide, the soccer/football jargon and details irked me. It seemed like the author was familiar with the terms in passing and used them more as trigger words than anything. The details were a little too far-flung for me on that one. For instance, Farron claims that Tore's cleats are $900, a basic google search would reveal that at most they are $300. But that might just be a small me detail coming from my background.

Overall, questionable character decisions and attitudes. Tore was probably the only redeeming character for me.

Tropes:
-Teammates
-Forced Proximity
-College Setting
-Hidden Identity
-Shared Hotel Room

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this as an Arc!

As soon as I heard undercover Prince and bi awakening, I was immediately sold! It was giving the grumpyxsunshine trope in the best of ways. While I did find this book overall a very enjoyable, cozy read I found myself craving more intimacy between the characters. I wanted to see more of those sweet moments when the sex was over to see them talking in bed with each other and really connecting. I say this because I really did enjoy the MMC’s and simply wanted more. Timelines were a tad confusing at times but wasn’t a big issue. The way things ended in the book left my heart all nice and warm inside. And I do want to know if there will be more because uhm more undercover princes…? 👀 and also side bonus the Farron family have great names I would like more of them too!

I really enjoyed this book

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.

✨ Tropes & Themes ✨ ✧ MM Romance🔥 ✧ All the spice 🌶️✧ Grumpy/Sunshine🌞✧ Opposites Attract💗✧ Bi Awakening 😍 ✧ ⚽️ College Soccer

The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix

Look, I was going to write something productive today. Maybe even dust off that half-finished post about all the series I’ve started and abandoned (and for those following along at home, you know it’s a long list). But then The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix was released today, and since I was lucky enough to score an ARC through NetGalley, with the only requirement to blog about it, everything else was instantly bumped down the queue. Fabulous.

Because Nora Phoenix, college football team romance, and a literal prince are so deeply my vibe that it’s almost rude. I'm a 90s child; I was a teenager with The Prince and Me. It's a thing.

Nora Phoenix is a one-click author for me. Her books don’t usually sit with me forever, but I always enjoy them while I’m in the moment. They’re warm, fun, easy to devour with a gooey chocolate brownie and absolutely no desire to do anything else. The Prince and the Player fits that bill exactly. I also actually did have chocolate brownies to eat while I read this book because my Hubby decided to try a packet brownie mix, mixed with an egg and sweetened condensed milk. bake, eat, get diabetes, simple.

And so, I had a lovely afternoon. I ripped through The Prince and the Player—a delightfully ridiculous, swoony M/M in which both main characters discover they are bi. I actually found this a really interesting take since I normally read stories where one character at least knows where they fall on the Kinsey Scale.

Onto the story, Tore is a surprise addition to the college football, untested on the pitch and seemingly more polished palace than player. He’s also profoundly not what Farron expected. Cue tension, snark, and some serious “who does this guy think he is?” energy. Look, I know the "unwelcome teammate who turns out to be secretly brilliant and also incredibly fit in both senses of the word" is a well-worn trope… but I like it, okay?

What follows is a warm, low-angst romance full of slow trust-building, mutual respect, and some excellent yearning. Farron’s all grit and guarded edges, while Tore is pure awkward charm trying to find his place both on and off the field. Watching them grow closer, challenge each other, and realise that maybe they're not so different after all? It was exactly the vibe I wanted.

I did enjoy the ride. It was sweet, lightly steamy, and wrapped up with a tidy happily ever after that didn’t try too hard. It did exactly what I wanted: a fun, easy romance with likeable leads, a few nice moments, and the kind of ending that lets you close the book with a satisfied nod.

Essentially, the happily ever after is solid, the pacing works, and the romance lands. This won’t stick with me, and that’s fine. Not every book has to. Sometimes, it’s enough just to have a good time.

If you’re in the mood for:
– M/M college romance
– Royalty x footballer
– Low angst, medium steam
– A solid HEA
– Something that pairs well with a brownie/some wine and a night off

Then The Prince and the Player might just hit the spot.

The Prince and the Player is my first of Nora Phoenix's novels and she did not disappoint! This enemies-to-lovers romance is perfect for fans of college romances. When tension grows between two members of a college soccer team the competition boils into a fun, spicy, unputdownable read.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a copy of this hilarious book in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Imagine The Prince & Me but make it 2 men, both in college, one a soccer player and one a student, but the student is actually an undercover prince from Norway.

Farron and Tore meet on the soccer field and our boy Farron he has a bit of superiority complex, considering his the captain of the team or whatever. But he is also the mot grumpy, broody man Tore has ever met. And what do we think happens, yeah Tore's little prince rises to attention and wishes to blow on Farron's trumpet. If you get down with what I'm saying, and so does Tore so it happens.

Sparks fly. First in the form of unmatched animosity and then in form of the most delicious sexual tension and chemistry and utter obsession with each other.

It was nice to see how the royal family overcome rules and were supportive of there relationship.

Overall, if you loved Red, White & Royal Blue then you will consume like its the best tasting dessert you've ever had.

4 stars
Very nice story! Since a famous book with an European Prince and an American boy came out, every MM books with prince/commoner trope has been compared with it and I find it very unfair.
Nora Phoenix's story has his original side and I enjoyed it very much.

I didn't connect with Farron at first but the I loved his development throughout the story: Tore's arrival on the team forced him to revaluate all his beliefs about rich people. Yes, he was terribly unfair and judgemental towards him and didn't always treat him right after their physical exploration, but after getting to know him better, he changed his mind and I adored how smitten he was with him. I also loved how he made himself vulnerable and open by showing Tore his home and introducing him to his family.
Tore was adorable: I loved his language, his openness, his kindness. I really liked how he showed nothing but tenderness and love to Farron and waited for him to give their relationship a chance. Sometimes he seemed a pushover, but in reality he was forgiving and mature.

What prevented me from giving a higher rate
I found a little unbelievable that Tore could keep his identity a secret: in times like these, where everything and everyone is on the internet, I honestly thought someone would have googled him.
Moreover, I didn't like Tore's poor decision to let his charade going that far.

I liked very much Farron's teammates and how they became friends with Tore's too. I don't know if we'll get to see them again, but I hope to.
I also loved the friendship between the four Princes and their banter and I'm surely going to read their books.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review

I was doing SOOO good at not requesting too many ARCs and getting overwhelmed and reading them at the very last minute..and here we are. Here's Nora Phoenix's "The Prince and The Player." It's the first novella in her Prince Pact series.

["I’m determined to win over the one guy who hates me…but I never expected to fall for him

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…"]

Ha! I love that Tore has "one year off" to himself, plans to go to the States for a year abroad, and picks Ohio, of all places. Ohio. I mean, I guess if you're trying to be incognito, Ohio is a good place to pick.

It's also a good place to pick if you want to find yourself a grumpy soccer captain with a strong sense of family. And your very own not-a-prince prince charming. Though, it took Farron a while to go from grump to charming. ;)

These two were adorable and utterly smitten for each other, even if they got off on the wrong foot, even though they were from different backgrounds, even though they made me cry a time or two. They were sweet and soft for each other, and totally completely in love.

This one felt a little different, compared to Nora's other works. But I'm not complaining. I loved it! And I can't wait for the other prince's to get their own HEAs.

#netgalley #arcs #arcteammember
#theprinceandtheplayer #noraphoenix #princepact #princepactseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC! I'm between 2 and 3. This book was an easy read. It followed a Norwegian prince Tore on his year in the US, and a football captain Farron, who comes from a financially struggling family with three siblings and his mum. It was mostly lighthearted, but there is discussion on class differences. I also, personally, really liked the little snippets of Norway.

For me, it fell a bit short. I kept waiting for Tore and Farron to have more emotional discussions. And while I wanted Farron to take less of his resentment out on Tore, the part where Tore defended rich people made me pause so bad. Not Bill Gates.. But one of the main things that sort of bothered me was how Tore shared the situation with his friend - coming out is deeply personal and, sadly, dangerous. So I don't love that Tore shared that without Farron knowing. And then the coming out to the team was odd to me because I would have wanted a conversation, however long or brief, between the two main characters; not a friend just calling the whole team over.

On a personal taste level, I am not a fan words like "erupted", "slick steel" etc. Not fireworks shooting in ones, yk. It read a bit juvenile, if not for the spice. Although I laughed at Tore saying the death of his friend's grandparent was "super sad".

I really enjoyed this book! It was a delightful mix of themes: a bi awakening, MM romance, sports, and enemies to lovers.

Tore quickly became a favorite of mine. His proper English had me laughing, and he genuinely came across as a wonderful person. The idea of a "secret prince" really resonated with me—who hasn't dreamed of discovering and falling in love with someone who turns out to be royalty? Tore was a prince who just wanted to live a normal life for one year and escape the weight and responsibility of being royalty.

Farron, on the other hand, took me a bit longer to warm up to. He had a lot of baggage, particularly when it came to rich people, stemming from his difficult childhood. While I understood his struggle, I felt like he struggled to move past it, even when Tore was being nothing but kind and sincere. Farron’s tendency to interrupt and dominate arguments also made it hard to connect with him at times—it felt like he wasn't willing to let Tore speak or have his side heard.

That being said, the chemistry between the two characters was undeniable, and the spice in the book added a fun and engaging layer to the story. The overall premise kept me hooked from start to finish. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Gosh, I really wanted to love this, but it missed the mark!

The premise for this book was very promising, and I was very excited for it. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't giving what I had hoped for. If we look at this book simply as a spicy quick read, it's not half bad. But when you delve a little deeper than the surface level, that's where some of my issues lie.

I thought the overall premise was really promising, and I do believe the potential was there. I think one of my biggest issues was the romance itself. It never felt like it was actually developed, like at all. It felt very insta-lusty, and then I felt like it never grew from that. There was no real emotional depth or connection between the two characters. And I also think the discovery of their sexualities is something that should've been explored more and in more emotional detail. It felt very simple and like it had no emotional impact for either of the two main characters which didn't feel "realistic" at all.

But overall, it was still a fun, simple read. Wasn't my favorite, but still was a decent read.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5/5

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Took too long for anything to happen.

I’ll start by saying, that despite my middle-ground rating, I enjoyed this M/M story a great deal, whipping through it with ease and leaving me eager to read ALL OF the forthcoming sequels.

Like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to this series-starter the moment I realised all of the tropes and themes that would be at play in this one.

☆ Royal Romance
☆ Opposites Attract
☆ New Adult
☆ Double bi-awakening
☆ Sports romance
☆ Grumpy x sunshine

Honestly, even just one of these tropes is usually enough to make me sit up and pay attention, but the promise of all of them left me very excited to read this story. And, for the most part, I liked how these tropes were explored.

I was immediately hooked by the series premise, which sees four royal friends pledging to spend a year abroad, incognito, to live a regular life before the weight of their responsibilities truly kicked in back home.

In this first instalment, The Prince and the Player, we see Prince Tore of Norway get to live his American dream, moving into a dorm room on an Ohio college campus, studying and playing soccer as a freshman, making friends with (nearly) all he meets, simply as exchange student and sunshine-y Tore.

Everyone warms to Tore immediately, except for soccer captain and eternally grumpy senior Farron, who has no time for rich kids like Tore, showboating and stealing the spotlight on the pitch and coming at him with golden retriever, eager-to-please energy.

Tore and Farron were the consummate opposites attract pairing, butting heads at every interaction—or mere glance across a room—mainly because Farron was a niggly bastard, who had a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas, projecting the weight of his familial responsibilities and his attached hangups relating to wealth and entitlement on undeserving Tore.

There was a lot of assuming and pigeonholing going on here, at least from Farron’s side of things, and although I usually enjoy a bit of caustic banter as MCs engage in verbal foreplay, I couldn’t help but feel like Farron’s level-of-grump was just TOO MUCH at times, shifting from what should have been amusing interactions full of UST, to countless moments of OTT vitriol that just served to overwhelm me a lot of the time, rather than sympathize as intended.

Still, I enjoyed the ease with which both Tore and Farron grabbed hold of their attraction, once acknowledged, and happily explored their shifting self-perceptions of their sexualities with acceptance and eagerness. The chemistry and sexual exploration shared was adequately fun and steamy, quite perfect for a new adult story of this nature, with the deeper feelings following at a decent, natural pace.

The third-act-breakup drama, although obviously expected due to Tore’s hidden royal identity, was still, perhaps, a little overlong in the separation it caused, at least for me. (view spoiler). However, the romantic resolution and the subsequent epilogue went a long way to ease any niggles I had.

I also appreciated that this was a sports romance that actually featured quite a bit of on-page sporty behaviour. I’ve read a lot of sports romances lately that haven’t really had much in terms of game play or training on-page, which just makes things a bit harder to find genuine, IMO, so the tracking of Tore and Farron’s season with the Hawley Hawks was fun to follow, providing some of the highlight moments of the entire story for me.

I may have only read a handful of stories penned by Nora Phoenix, thus far, but I’ve continually enjoyed her easy writing style, her full ensemble cast of characters, her effortless execution of favourite tropes, and the low-angst tone in which she writes.

The Prince and the Player was a solid start to a promising series and more than enough to leave me eager and impatient for more.


***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Come on, who doesn't love a queer romcom?! I know I do!

When I saw in the bio that this book was perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall, I knew I was going to love it and I was right!

One of the most important things for in these kinds of books is that the main characters have chemistry, and these two had it in spades! Farron and Tore are the epitome of enemies to lovers and had me rooting for them the entire time, will still giving us the spice and the giggles!

This book had all my favourite tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Opposites Attract, Bi Awakening, College AND sports romance! Plus the spice, so well done!

Big thank you to the Nora Phoenix, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was marketed to me as “For Fans of Casey McQuiston, Alexis Hall, and Jax Calder.” I knew from that alone I wanted to check this one out, as the aforementioned are a few of my favorite LGBTQIA+ fiction authors. I will say the marketing is ON POINT, as this book felt like a mix of “Red, White, & Royal Blue” by McQuiston and the film “The Prince & Me” from the mid-00’s. This was the first book I’ve read of Nora Phoenix’s, and knowing that this is to become a series of books, it definitely will not be my last!

The Prince & The Player focuses around Norwegian Prince, Tore (pronounced Tor-ay). Tore wants a chance at a normal life without the duties of being a Norwegian Royal. Tore (along with some royal friends) decides to spend a year abroad in the USA…only he’s undercover and nobody knows he’s a Prince.

Tore’s journey takes him to Ohio, specifically Hawley College, where he joins the college’s soccer team. On the team he meets Farron Carey, team captain and someone who seems to despise Tore from the moment he sets foot on the turf. As tensions reach a head, an explosive (pun intended) steamy (the 🌶 scenes are hot, but not too smutty) encounter takes place, where both both boys start to question “Is this actually animosity or something more?” As the relationship between Tore & Farron develops, we’re left wondering…will Farron learn of Tore’s secret identity?

As a queer person myself, the author PERFECTLY described having that “A-HA” moment, as well as falling for someone you know you probably shouldn’t…but the tether is too strong. I enjoyed the descriptions of the game play as well, being a former college soccer player myself. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and definitely excited to see more from Nora Phoenix!

The Prince and The Player by Nora Phoenix had a lot of elements I usually love—undercover royalty, college campus shenanigans, and plenty of on-page sports action. It gave me serious The Prince & Me vibes in the best way, and I especially appreciated the detailed soccer scenes that really brought the setting to life!

Unfortunately, while the concept was fun, the execution didn’t fully land for me… Farron’s deep-seated grudge felt disproportionate and difficult to believe, especially for an adult character, which was a problem since it served as a central plot point. The bi awakening storyline also felt underdeveloped—both characters seemed to accept their new identities with almost no internal reflection, which rang a bit hollow, especially from a Bi reader’s perspective.

There were a few other moments that pulled me out of the story, like the casual outing of the main characters by a teammate (which felt oddly handled and out of touch), and some inconsistent writing—particularly with Tore’s language. If we’re meant to believe he struggles with American English, I’d expect to see that reflected in more than just the word “football” instead of “soccer”.

While I enjoyed the story enough to finish it and found some charm in the premise, I didn’t feel much emotional chemistry between the characters beyond initial lust, which made the romance feel a little surface-level for me.

Overall, a light and entertaining read, but not one that fully resonated with me..

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! I would rate this 4 stars and 3.75 chili peppers for spice. I loved that this book revolved around soccer because there aren’t enough soccer romances out there. And who doesn’t love an undercover prince + hate at first sight + third act breakup. I thought that the spice scenes were descriptive and well written. I felt like the scene where they told their teammates was a bit rushed. They called the whole team back to tell them and asked like three questions and then everyone left. I’m also a bit confused at how Farron’s family was so poor. If his dad came from old money, then logically he would have had a will to distribute his money and assets, even without a will they would go to his wife. But maybe I just misunderstood what was happening with all that. In the end I really enjoyed this book. I am totally going to read the second one in this series when it comes out.

This was really fun and a feel good romance! I love everything Nora Phoenix writes and this was no exception. It’s full of your standard romance tropes, but that is what I wanted and expected and I ate it up! There is a lot of plot, plenty of soccer action, and overall pretty tame spice. The characters have real growth throughout the book, which is always good.

Some tropes include
👑Double bi-awakening
👑College athletes
👑Grumpy/sunshine
👑Secret identity
👑Third act break up

Farron and Tore come from completely different backgrounds and have instant attraction to each other when they meet. However, Farron has the world’s biggest chip on his shoulder about rich people and mistakes their chemistry for hate and proceeds to treat Tore like absolute trash for no reason for much of the first act.

Tore was a sweetheart but Farron took a while for me to get on board with. All their conflict is because he can’t see past his resentment and jealousy over people with money. And I couldn’t really get over how he acted after they first hooked up. However, he did redeem himself in the groveling portion of the break up lol.

I would have liked to see more of their relationship post graduation, but I got the feeling Tore’s other royal friends may be getting books so I’m hopeful we will get glimpses of this couple in the future!

If you like feel good MM romance, royal romances or college sports romance I would definitely recommend this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.