I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

Another sweet read from Holly Kerr - I always quite enjoy her books, and the fact previous characters appear (through the series), or are mentioned (in this book, she makes mention of the Suitor dating show - another excellent series!).

I love the Laandian Royal family and this peek into Bo’s past and struggles, along with more of the family history as well as seeing the siblings and partners carrying on with life - it was fantastic to return.

I also appreciate Hettie and her family being Canadian, from The Island, her living with her grandfather when she had no one else to love her (uncaring immediate family, from “the wrong side of the tracks” back in Laandia), and that she was extremely strong and landed on her own feet when Bo rejected her.

What a great second chance, royal romance, with a secret child - so well written, as Kerr’s books always are! If you’re looking to support a fantastic Canadian author, then look no further. She’s one of my faves!

Thank you for the early copy from NetGalley and Three Birds Press. This is my honest feedback.

I love this series. Each book led me to a new character in the royal family and to this beautiful fictional Viking island that, despite its brutal climate, makes me want to visit.
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But I just couldn't finish it. I'd been reading about Bo, and in each book only grew more curious. I really wanted a backstory that reflected what I'd been reading, and hard pining for her first love and deep trauma were right up my alley.
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I was very into the story until Hettie opened her mouth, and one of the first things she said was that they have a daughter. I have strong feelings and opinions about the hidden baby/child. But okay, I kept going with the story until I said, "No, this is it for me."
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Bo was trying to win her back; he still adores her. This didn't make sense to me. It is not a logical development in two adults with an important past, yeah maybe they were young, teenagers and I understand not wanting to talk to him, not telling him at first, her pain and distance but a lot of time passes and she appears in front of him demanding a divorce because she met someone and as a final point she tells him that they have a daughter that he never knew? ... and his response is to try to change her mind? ... I did not feel it was natural, I did not want to continue reading how they reach their happy ending.
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I love the royal drama, the twist and turns of the characters until they find their way but I simply could not tolerate Hettie, her environment and friends ..and even less Bo, a character that hooked me from the first book, reading him trying to redeem himself? And she?..yeah, I don’t want to read that.
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So yeah, two stars and I will wait for the next book because I'm dying to read it. Why? Lyra!! I love her character and I want to read her story and find out how she finds her way .
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Thanks to Holly Kerr and Three Birds press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion

Thanks to Three Birds Press for allowing me to read this as an ARC. I loved this one - it was slow to start for me but I loved the story of Bo, Hettie, and Tema. I definitely will look into reading the other books in this series!

Honestly super fun, did not read the others in the series but i will for sure! Light read, exciting characters, flew right through it.
If i had to criticize anything, it would be that it wasn’t long enough

Part of an interconnected series. Can be read as a standalone however it would be better if read in order. He's been keeping a secret for years. What he didn't know was she was keeping one too. How will everyone react when everything comes out? Will she get what she came for or more?

“We got married.” … “We’ll talk about this when I get back.” … Only my mother never came back.
When you think you caused your mother’s death because you told her you got married. Bo, the third in line of succession for the throne in Laandia got married unbeknownst to his family. Then his world is rocked by the death of his mother. He pushes out everyone including his new bride.

You marry the man of your dreams who also happens to be a prince. What more could a girl from the wrong side of the tracks want? Hettie Crow’s family reputation follows her but that doesn’t matter to Bo. With two incarcerated brothers, a drug addict mother and a single father, Hettie’s home life is a far cry from that of the life her husband grew up in. After a dream wedding in the woods with her best friend, Abbey as witness, Hettie gets a crushing blow. Bo decided it was all a mistake. Given his mother just died, she gets it but can’t stand the pain and moves with Abbey to get away from Bo, their families and all that Laandia reminds her of.

Bo’s routine of hiding from everyone gets thrown for a loop when Hettie shows up asking for a divorce. Will he give it to her? Or will the unexpected surprises (!!) knock some sense into this man.

Royal Reluctance is book 4 in the Love in Laandia series. I HIGHLY recommend reading the first three in the series to get all the backstory on the other brother’s. Bo’s brooding lumberjack vibes are impeccable and the re-connection between him and Hettie was heartwarming. I fell in love with the characters in Laandia and have really enjoyed getting to know each of them through these books. I cannot wait for book 5 to see what Spencer, the brother from another mother, has to offer. I rated this book a 4.5 out of 5. Not wanting to give any spoilers, not my favorite trope and Bo was a bit too brooding for my liking but he comes around!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in return for my authentic review. All opinions are my own.

This book had a cute premise, between the royal aspect, second chance, and secret child (love that last one). Overall I had a bit of a hard time getting through it even with the tried and true tropes. The writing felt a bit juvenile, even the dialogue from the older characters didn’t really fit, especially for the upper crust of royalty. The actual storytelling dragged for me a bit with a lot of repetition. There was potential here but it didn’t quite hook me in. Tema was arguably the best part, which isn’t a bad thing but the romance aspect fell a little flat for me.

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

This was such a sweet book! The romance in this book was very heart warming. It was a very quick enjoyable book.

This book just isn't for me.

Full disclosure, I didn't end up finishing this read. The writing style didn't click for me. I wasn't a fan of the way dialogue was written.

It wasn't horrible. I did enjoy that this was a dual pov book where we got to hear Bo's thoughts just as much as Hatties. And i though the author picked wonderful names for the characters. But in the end, this read was just not for me.

What a heartfelt story of forgiveness, acceptance and a second chances. After years apart, Bo, second in line to the Laandia throne, confronts his past as his first love, Hettie, finds him to settle their past. Secrets are revealed, trust is shaken and new beginnings are forged in this closed door royal rom-com. The little girl Tema was adorable, and the found family aspect was strong in this too, but the themes of acceptance and forgiveness really shone and melted my heart. I had the pleasure to read early from the author- my thoughts are honest and voluntary.

Holly Kerr’s Royal Reluctance is a charming and heartfelt short story that proves romance is alive and well, even in the face of heartbreak and unexpected reunions. This delightful read brings together themes of love, loss, and second chances, all wrapped in an engaging royal romance.

The story follows Prince Bo, a man deeply affected by the tragic loss of his mother, which causes him to emotionally withdraw from those closest to him. When Hettie, a woman from his past, reappears in his life, she brings with her a shocking revelation—a child who is Bo’s, though he never knew of her existence. This unexpected twist sets the stage for a poignant and emotional journey as Bo and Hettie navigate the complexities of their past and present.

Kerr does a wonderful job of portraying the emotional depth of her characters. Bo’s grief and self-imposed isolation are palpable, making his transformation throughout the story all the more rewarding. Hettie, on the other hand, is a strong and determined character, balancing the weight of her past choices with her hope for the future. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the push-and-pull dynamic between them keeps the reader engaged.

Though a short read, Royal Reluctance is packed with heartwarming moments and emotional depth. Kerr’s storytelling is smooth and immersive, making it easy to root for Bo and Hettie as they work through their struggles to find happiness together.

For fans of royal romances and second-chance love stories, Royal Reluctance is a sweet and satisfying read that delivers just the right amount of drama, emotion, and happily-ever-after.

I love happily ever afters!
Bo and Hettie have been apart for 8 long years following the queen's death. When Hettie walks back into his life with a daughter he is just learning about, Bo is already smitten not only with the little girl, but still in love with Hettie.
Hettie is seeing someone, and came back to ask for a divorce. Instead, she finds herself moving into the castle for her stay, and her daughter is already stealing the hearts of the entire family.
Will Bo and Hettie be able to find their way back together?

I was excited to be chosen to read this! I was so excited that I read the others in the series first and I was so glad I did! The series focuses on a royal family. The most laid back King, siblings with varying interests and skills. Each book follows one of the siblings on their path to love. There wasn't anything to not love about this book, royals, a castle and HVE!

Royal Reluctance is the fourth book in the Love in Laandia series by Holly Kerr and my first book by her. Eight years ago Prince Bo married Hettie Crow in a secret wedding however a few books later she left the country without saying anything. Now while the pair are still married, they have not interacted over the course of the eight years, however Hettie has now returned and she's with someone that Bo never expected.

I found this to be a quick bingeable romance read that I had a good time with however at the same time I don't think it is one that will stick with me, nor do I think that Holly Kerr is an author who I will come back to in the future. There were elements that didn't work for me however there were also elements that I did enjoy.

I liked quite a lot of the main characters who we saw a lot especially Tema, Hettie and Bo's daughter and Abigail, Hettie's best friend. I loved seeing Tema and she always made me smile. Abigail was a fantastic friend to Hettie throughout the story which connects to one of my favourite things to see explored in books. Hettie and Bo were both characters who I enjoyed learning more about as the story went on, including their past, why they had acted the way they did and what they wanted from their future. I liked seeing their relationship develop and the pair begin to trust each other as the book developed along with seeing them grow on their own as they worked through the past things that in many ways had forced them to grow apart. I did also have a good time with some of the other characters that we met however I don't think we spent enough time with them to truly get to know them and gather thoughts on them.

Some of the things I struggled with in the book though included the number of characters and the pace in many ways.

I found that there were too many characters in this book and while I think that I may in many ways I might have had less of an issue with this if I had read the earlier books in the series however apart from this the book completely worked as a standalone. Both of the characters had large families and for a 300 page book we met a lot of other characters who lived in the surrounding area. This meant that I struggled to keep track of who all the characters were that got referenced throughout the story. I also would have liked to have gotten to know some more of the characters more however this wasn't possible with the book length and number of characters.

I also found myself struggling with how quickly these two characters moved, things felt like they only took place over a few days but their life massively changed and a lot happened which I struggled to keep up with. I would have liked for the characters to have slowed down and taken time to have more conversations about what would have been best for their lives. For the 300 pages a lot happened but it also felt like things needed to be a little slower.

My final issue with this book was the confusion that I felt about the setting. I still am not very sure where the country of Laandia is, however after looking at the authors social media I do think I have a little bit of a better understanding. There were historical events referenced that just confused me and other things mentioned just had be up and moving where I thought Laandia was on a map, this is another thing that potentially could have been fixed by reading the earlier books however the references about the history of the country just confused me and took me out the story instead of adding to my understanding. I don't need my contemporary romances to necessarily be set somewhere I know however with them being contemporary romances I do need to have an understanding of the location.

Overall, I did enjoy my reading of this book however for a mix of reasons I don't think I will come back to Holly Kerr. I also don't think it is a book that I will go out of my way to recommend in the future and do wish that some things had been different for me to have had a better time with this book.

This was such a great story for read. The way the story started and to see if there was a second chance at their royal romance story. It was kind of sad how he never knew about their kid but immediately stepped in as a father. Even from the moment Hettie came back into Bo's life you saw there was still a lot of love between them. It was good to read how they both matured and dealt with their problems in life. How the whole royal family grieved after the queen's death. I came into this series by this book and I can't wait to read the previous books in the series
5 stars

Sweet Royal Story !

3.5⭐️

🌷Both Bo and Hettie have a lot of things to work through, including their 8 year separation, family problems, grief, and growing into new roles.

🌷However, through it all, this book definitely had the swoony, emotional factor down. It also shows a lot of growth from everyone involved.

🌷Spice:0

🌷Language: 0

🌷Read this as an ARC. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

I am a fan of royal romance books, and have been reading Holly Kerr's Laandia books leading up to this one. It was sweet and funny book about second chances, misunderstandings and healing.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of Royal Reluctance by Holly Kerr

While I enjoyed the premise of this story, I felt a few things were a little far fetched for me. Both characters seemed selfish and their daughter was too knowing to not have previously said something to her mom about her father. I don’t know why, but for some reason, this just didn’t allow for me to connect with any of the characters which made me skip around the story until I finished it.
Just not the story for me.

I'm a suckered for a royal romance. Ever since I got into hallmark move and there is always a royal one in production.
This one was a goodie. I like the way it was written from each of our romantic leads Pov. It meant we got both sides. And often meant we changed views on situations in relation to who's side we were reading. Which is often the way. And did make me realise how both sides can and are often true it's just different people and miscommunication often lead to differing viewpoints.
There was a few surprises. Definite work to do for our second chance couple.
Why did they get married in the first place if she was to up and leave? Could they put their past behind them. Especially with certain family dynamics and a very very significant suprise on Hetties return