This was actually my first book by Nora Phoenix, though I’ve seen her works recommended time and time again. It was a quick and enjoyable read for me with two fantastic main characters. I thought this was a pretty realistic progression from animosity to love (especially compared to some wild books I’ve read) and I really got caught up in Farron and Tore’s story. There wasn’t much spice, which kind of surprised me, but sometimes it’s just not needed. It’s pretty obvious that Tore’s buddies will get their own books and I’m on board!

Really 2.5 stars rounded up.

I really wanted to like this book. It was a cute premise, a la The Prince and Me, but the execution just didn't work for me. Primarily due to the writing, which felt awkward and clunky to me, with no real rhythm or cadence. Every turn of phrase and expression felt forced to me. It was also really repetitive and every reaction felt super off and unrealistic to me, with some serious pacing issues. I don't want to harp on all the things that just didn't work for me, so I'll refrain from adding more, but almost all of them were style or character choices in the writing.

A couple things I will add is the forced coming out scene was super gross (and if that's a trigger for you, just be warned), at once point the main character is called Fallon (a typo that I hope gets corrected but also made me giggle), there aren't healthy boundaries between the two mains, and the "epiphany" scene really got under my skin (but I don't want to have to spoiler this so that's all I'll say...but it really bugged me).

But look, for what it was, it was a relatively easy read. And I'll probably read the other standalones attached to this, since that's clearly what's happening here and I'm a sucker for a m/m royalty romance. It was readable, but if you're looking for a really good book, maybe skip this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was cute and fun. A nice palette cleanser between fantasy novels. It reminded me so much of The Prince and Me (movie) and Red, White and Royal Blue which I loooved!

I liked the relationship development between the characters, I just wish their conversations and spicy scenes weren't so repetitive. I enjoyed that they were both figuring out their sexualities and exploring their connection together. I'm such a sucker for the hidden royal trope where nobody knows the guys a Prince until the ending, it hits so good every time. As much as this is focused on the romance, I loved the football aspect and the little tour of Norway.

Heat Factor: Plenty is mentioned off page, but the on-page moments are the emotionally charged ones
Character Chemistry: One-sided, irrational antipathy vs. “why is that the only guy who refuses to like me?”
Plot: The Prince and Me x Everything for You
Overall: It’s cute, but it’s not deep, so I’d not recommend trying to read it that way

This is one of those stories that relies on the reader’s suspension of disbelief. Like, imagine the world and all its operators are mostly good. That’s what I mean by “it’s not deep.” There’s plenty to examine here—hello, it’s a prince and a commoner, but not just any commoner, a commoner whose family is struggling so much that he, a child of the household, is relied on to provide for basic household necessities—and this is simply not the book for examining all the sociopolitical and economics stuff that goes into how these guys exist. So, if you are not here for a good time, I am here to say this might not be the book for you.

Tore (the e is pronounced like a little ‘eh’) is fourth in line for the Norwegian throne. The crown prince(‘s wife) is still popping out heirs, though, so he’s not going to inherit, but he’s still constrained by family expectations. His dad already put the kibosh on a professional soccer career, so his last possible hurrah is to convince his family to sign on for him spending one year as a normal guy in an American college. After all, Americans might know the British royal family, but nobody knows the Norwegian one. He’ll be able to fly under the radar.

When Tore arrives in the locker room (in a Balenciaga shirt? What is he thinking?), Farron, the captain, has an immediate, irrational antipathy for the interloper in their midst. To make it worse, Farron has a vision of going pro (from a random college? Like, buddy, for real?), but Tore is better than him. Farron really just has a huge chip on his shoulder, in no small part due to his family’s trauma, and he’s just gotta get that figured out.

The story’s structure is much as you might expect. Tore tries to make overtures, Farron hates his guts. They’re obsessed with each other and everybody else can tell, but they can’t. They’re like, this whole hate thing we have gone on makes me feel kinda…weird. Then, at juuuuust about 40% there’s an explosive moment. The trouble these guys have is… Well, it’s actually numerous troubles, but we’ll set aside the temporary nature of Tore’s plans and college in general and boil it down to 1) this is a double bi-awakening, and these guys handle that differently, and 2) Farron is desperately holding onto his emotional space.

Here’s another nugget for the prospective reader: Farron is a pill. This is a complicated situation in that they’re both going through some self-discovery, and Farron is just not handling it. So, if you really need some well-behaved characters, I’m sorry. Farron is not. Also, just in general, college kids are not particularly known for their great behavior either.

I really think my The Prince and Me x Everything for You plot note above is remarkably accurate. No further notes. If you’re in for a light, happy romance, give it a try. It’s fun! But if any of the above seems like a “nope” for you, we’ll keep looking for a better fit.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

Wow!! What a great book!! This one was a page turner! Had me hooked from the first page! This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last. I enjoyed the plot, characters and the writing style!!

It took me a little while to get into this one. It's a good read and once I warmed to the characters I really enjoyed it.
I do enjoy enemies to lovers, my only slight thing with this one is that there was far more emphasis put onto the enemies side of things, rather than the lovers. Once they'd decided they'd liked each other, things just seemed to fall into place. In an ideal world, I think I would have liked a bit more about them as a couple as they started to work things out.
Overall, a fun and enjoyable read.

This was a sweet story about an undercover prince falling for a college football (soccer) star. I thought Tore was sweet and I liked the clear voices that each character’s POVs were written with.

Farron has had a difficult life, scraping together every penny he can to help support his siblings and mother. He’s disillusioned with rich people - his wealthy grandparents having cut off the family when his father died. So when rich Norwegian pretty boy Tore joins the team, he takes an immediate dislike to him and is determined to give the player the cold shoulder… especially as he is an amazing talent and Farron feels threatened. But Tore is sunshine personified and Farron eventually feels his hatred giving way to something else entirely…

I have to say, I’m not sure I entirely bought the romance between these two. It seemed to switch from hatred (which seemed kind of unfair on Farron’s part) to lust and eventually morphed into love… but I just don’t know if I got the switch, it seemed to come out of nowhere honestly. I just think Farron’s unnecessary hatred of Tore put me off; I couldn’t see why Tore gave him so many chances!

This was definitely an enjoyable read but not overly memorable; it’s touted as being for fans of RWRB which I think is always so risky as that book is absolutely the peak of excellence in the genre… This was sweet and an easy read but the characters certainly weren’t on par with Alex and Henry!

So overall a fun, sweet read with a satisfying HEA, but probably not one of my faves in the genre.

Also, one thing that bothered me - Tore is blonde and Farron is brunette… meaning the characters on the cover are the wrong way around 🙈

Read The Prince and The Player for:
✨ Undercover Prince x Soccer Captain
✨ Double bi awakening
✨ Class difference
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Cultural differences
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Enemies(sort of) to lovers

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! It’s out on 25th March 2025 💕

I adore Nora Phoenix. I have read every single one of her mm romance novels, but with this one, she really upped her game.

This one is for all of us in a Red, white and royal blue funk. This book is to put it simple: perfection. I love the chemistry and the build up between the two main characters, and just how different and very similar they both are. Nora writes her characters with a lot of respect, and lets the boys not fall straight into lust, but slowly go from sort of enemies to reluctant friends. That is not easy. I devoured this novel, even if I tried to read it slowly to enjoy every single chapter.

I have to say that the spicy scenes was some of the hottest and most memorable words I have read. I needed to take a break because of the the pure realness. Bravo!

One thing though: I myself am a born and bred Norwegian with a lot of knowledge about the real Norwegian royal family. Tores full and last name is the one thing that made me squirm. The only part that’s Norwegian here, is his first name: Tore. The rest sounds like he is from the Netherlands or Switzerland. I really think Tores last name should be a lot shorter and changed. It’s not Norwegian at all.

I cannot wait to listen to the audiobook as well. This book needs a big audience.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc! I want more!

OMG! I loved it. So sweet. So fun.

I love Nora Phoenix, and this book did not disappoint. Farron and Tore were adorable. Their personal discovery stories were heartfelt. I hope this is the start of a fun series with Tore’s royal friends.

If you liked Red, White, and Royal Blue, you will love this book.

If you’re a fan of Casey McQuiston and the movie The Prince and I, The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix is something I guarantee you’ll have a blast reading.

It was very much The Prince and I meets She’s The Man, with some other twists mixed in. I really enjoyed that the two main characters found out their sexuality’s together and were able to support each other through that through the book. I also really enjoyed that the fact that they became ‘enemies with benefits’, not for the steamy scenes but because I’m a sucker for enemies to friends to lovers tropes. I’m also a huge Nora Phoenix fan so maybe that helped.

Honestly it was a really cute rom-com. The characters were adorable, and I really enjoyed the friendships the characters made along the way.

Nora Phoenix Does it Again!

⭐️4/5 stars ⭐️

I have been a longtime fan of Nora Phoenix, and as soon as she announced The Prince and the Player, I had to get in on it! And boy, she did NOT disappoint.

One of the things that stood out to me the most about this story is Tore and Farron’s relationship. As soon as they meet, it's instant hate, which is definitely one of my favorite tropes. But the progression of their relationship is not at all what I expected and was so much better than I thought I wanted! Without giving spoilers, I love that hot and heavy spice did not define them and their feelings. Beautifully done!

Another outstanding point of this story was the fact that I didn’t feel like I needed a ton of knowledge about soccer. Admittedly, all I know about soccer comes from Ted Lasso, and despite the fact that the majority of the plot revolves around the game, that was enough! It was also just enough to keep the plot interesting and entertaining.

I’m looking forward to seeing more stories about the rest of the “royal gang”! Please? Please please please?

Overall, I can’t wait for this story to be published so it can go on my trophy shelf :)

I devoured this book.

Enemies to lovers, tension AND THE CHEMISTRY.

Such a cute cosy read with my favourite tropes.

Thank you for the arc, I couldn’t put it down!

I'm a sucker for these kinds of books. Hate at first site. Turns to admiration. Becomes sexual attraction. Permanent lovers. It's always like that right? When you hate someone, you do everything in your power to find silly situations to still be around each other. Well, no, not really, but then again... the line between hate and love is very blurry. Intense emotions come tumbling int your life and mind, and some of us hate what we really want to be or have, right? Enough about my personal idiosyncrasies (tho if you're ready this, you probably feel the same way)... onto the book thoughts!

Both main characters have charm, and a few not-so-wonderful qualities, but they have hearts of gold. There are lovely romantic scenes and relationship (friendship, teammates, et al) levels to analyze and achieve. Happy Endings. Good but not overly explicit sexual scenes. All the right ingredients, plus one is a prince, so it adds that extra layer. Made for a great afternoon of reading. That said, and I say this about many LGBTQ books... there are so few that seem based in any sense of reality where readers could say, hey... this could happen to me. Makes me question, are books written to provide fantasy even if they're not in the fantasy genre, or should some have merit in what could happen. Would those even be interesting?

I always come back to this kind, tho, so it must mean I like the fantasy myself, eh? Thanks for a fun trip, Nora Phoenix.

Thanks to Nora, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic copy of her book, The Prince & The Player.

4/5 ⭐️
2/5 🌶️

Read this story if you like:
🖤 rivals/enemies to lovers
🖤 sports (soccer) romances
🖤 gay/bi-awakening 🏳️‍🌈
🖤 open door spicy spice 🌶️
🖤 one is a secret royal
🖤 … the Midwest? (Ohio) 🙂
🖤 Red, White, & Royal Blue vibes

Prince Tore wants to go somewhere where he can be himself without the royal title. He had a chance to be a big soccer star in Europe, but had to give it up for royal obligations. He convinces his family to let him attend college in America (at a fake university in Ohio). He joins to soccer team and immediately the team captain, Farron, hates him. He’s everything Farron hates - a privileged rich kid.

Eventually the hate comes to a head when they are forced to room together during an away game. Farron kisses him! They both thought of themselves as straight at this point, so they were both confused. They can’t stop fighting and finding themselves all over each other. Eventually they decide that they are just doing it for sex and to ‘explore.’

Their relationship changes as Farron takes Tore home for Thanksgiving. However, they still keep it a secret from everyone. Also Tore has still not told anyone that he is a prince. Their team goes to the championship and they win (YAY!). Unfortunately Tore’s uncle passes shortly after (he was the King) and he must head home, but doesn’t tell Farron why.

Farron does eventually find out who Tore is, while scrolling his phone. He decides not to reply to any of his texts. When Tore comes back to school after Christmas, Farron tells him he knows who he REALLY is and doesn’t want to hear any excuses. Time passes and they do not make up. Spring Break comes and Tore decides to leave school for good, without telling Farron.

This is the kick in the ass that Farron needed to realize he was in love with Tore. He flies around the world to apologize and tell him he loves him. And of course it’s a HAPPILY EVER AFTER 💕

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I love me an mm romance, so I popped in an immediate request for The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix. Enemies to lovers? Yes please. Grumpy/Sunshine double bi-awakening? Sign me up! What could go wrong? Turns out, quite a lot.

Tore, a Prince of Norway, wants to spend a year in America 'undercover' as a normal student playing on the soccer team. He wants to experience life as a student, a break away from the strict, constricted life of obligations he must lead. But why does handsome team captain Farron take such an immediate dislike like to Tore, and what happens when the tension takes a sexual turn?

First of all, there's something you need to know about British people, we're a contradiction. Is it okay if we mock the Royal Family? Of course it is, they belong to us and our history. Are we going to get offended when Americans do it? Abso-blooming-lutely. Throwing this in early doors in a novel is not starting off on an even keel Nora Phoenix, because it means I'm already irritated with you.

Then we get onto Tore, who is kind and sweet, and very endearing. However, you write him heavily influenced by the British language. 99% of the novel is him speaking English, even to his parents. You make a massive deal of him forgetting that Americans call Football 'Soccer.' I freely admit, I don't know much about Norwegian culture, so don't know translations, however, the novel read as if Tore was heavily English based. So then, why is he using Americanisms such as "cleats", "sweater", "gas on the fire", "shin guards", "ass"? It was inconsistent to the character as sticking with the novel set up, it should be "studs", "jumper", "petrol", "shin pads" and "arse". If you're telling me he sounds like an "English Prince", make sure you do your research and make him use the correct vocabulary. There's no way he'd say "knackered" in one breath but "proper thrashing" in another.

Oh, and having a character say "As us brits say, keep calm and carry on." Hate to break it to you, but we don't. It's something that is printed on cheap merchandise and sold at inflated prices in London gift shops.

So yes, that didn't exactly help the situation, but I "stayed calm and carried on" reading. However, I just got more annoyed and I'll tell you why.

The character of Farron is obnoxious and immediately unlikable. The chip on his shoulder, and the fact that he dislikes someone immediately because they come from money, is immature and not believable for someone of college age. Later we get a reason for this, but it's a, too late, and b, still not strong enough a reason for his pretty shitty behaviour.

When it comes to their relationship, I wish I could give more positives, but honestly, it comes from nowhere. I think there's definite sexual attraction and lust, but Tore talks about falling for Farron and he doesn't know a thing about him, only that he's been awful and dismissive of him since they met. Doesn't sound romantic to me. I wanted to see how their relationship evolved, but we weren't given it.

The story is so underdeveloped, as we learn nothing about either character coming to terms with their bi-awakening. Huge life-altering decisions are made instantly. An epiphany happens from nowhere, and the character is completely fine with it, even though soccer is supposed to mean everything to him. I just can't understand why an editor hasn't helped out by pointing these things out.

Then we have a teammate outing them and that being an acceptable thing to do? Absolutely not. Can't say no enough.

Phoenix clearly was heavily influenced by Red, White and Royal Blue, but fails hard to capture the magic and beautiful development of Henry and Alex's relationship. Incredibly disappointing I'm afraid.

Cute front cover though.

Don't expect it to be like Red, White and Royal Blue just because it has a prince in. That novel is clever, witty, and contains some sharp social commentary; this one prioritises sex over substance. It's erotica, not a rom-com. It's fine if you like that kind of thing. There's some interesting character development at the start around issues of class and privilege, but after that it's all bog-standard predictable 'I hate him, oh we had sex, now I love him.'

It's readable, but interchangeable with 100 similar books.

This was a cute story. I loved Tore's character but ran into a bit of a problem with Farron. He was emotionally stunted, and I understood the reason's why. However, his personality did a complete 180 at the end of the book and some of his actions were completely out of character. Were those actions part of fun plot points? Yes. Did it take me out of the story because it seemed untrue to Farron's character? Also, yes.
Aside from that, I did enjoy the story and their relationship. I thought they were adorable and I enjoyed the fact that their bi-sexuality didn't create a ton of angst in the book. It was refreshing that it was just accepted.

i received an arc on netgalley, consider me disclaimed!
3.5, rounded up because i think this book deserves a higher goodreads rating.

all in all, predictable, occasionally clunky, but really quite sweet and well-written. i enjoyed myself! i think farron needs to get over himself, but then again i never grew up poor, so i can't say how that would affect how i see the world.
there was more soccer, and less college content than i was expecting. i have no idea what farron or tore studied, other than farron was taking at least on psychology class and tore went on to go to diplomacy grad school.
also, i did absolutely appreciate the blatant sequel bait, and i probably will pick up future books in this series!
all in all, an easy read that didn't hit me too hard but sometimes that's what you need. thanks!

The Prince and The Player had all the makings of a fun, swoony romance—an undercover prince, a grumpy soccer captain, and a delicious enemies to lovers, bi awakening storyline. As a fan of Red, White & Royal Blue, I was excited for a similar blend of royalty, romance, and playful tension. While the book delivered on the cuteness and was an easy, enjoyable read, I couldn’t help but feel like it was missing something.

The chemistry between the prince and Farron had potential, but the story felt a bit flat at times. The tension and emotional depth weren’t as developed as I wanted, and there were moments that felt repetitive rather than building momentum. I kept waiting for deeper character growth or more complexity in their relationship, but it never fully landed for me.

That said, it’s still a fun and lighthearted read. The premise is charming, and if you’re looking for a low angst, feel good romance with an opposites attract dynamic, this one delivers. It just didn’t quite reach the same emotional heights as some of the greats in the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nora Phoenix, and Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book.