Lilah Pace

The Prince of Wales meets his match in the first novel in an enchanting male/male romantic duology from the author of Asking for More and Begging for It... James, the handsome, cosmopolitan Prince of Wales, is used to being in the public eye. But he's keeping a king-sized secret...James, next in line for the throne, is gay. He’s been able to hide his sexual orientation with the help of his best friend and beard, Lady Cassandra. Sometimes he feels like a coward for not coming out, but he daren’t risk losing the crown. If he did, the succession would fall on his deeply troubled younger sister, Princess Amelia. To protect her, James is willing to live a lie. While on holiday, he meets Benjamin Dahan—a rugged international reporter with a globe-trotting, unattached life—who catches far more than James's eye. And when Ben is transferred to London, it seems fate may finally be smiling on James. But what began as a torrid fling grows into something far more intimate and powerful. Soon James will have to decide who he is, what he wants from life and love, and what he’s willing to sacrifice for the truth...

His Royal Secret

The Prince of Wales shocks the world when he reveals his secret romance in the conclusion to Lilah Pace’s male/male duology following His Royal Secret... James, Prince of Wales, is making history. He's decided to come out to his subjects—and the world. However, telling the truth means exposing his relationship with lone-wolf reporter Benjamin Dahan. Although Ben never wanted commitment, the unexpected depth of his feelings leads him to join James in the media's harsh spotlight. When the news story explodes across the globe, Ben can endure the mockery and dirty jokes. But after his tragic past is cruelly revealed, his life begins to implode. Can even his love for James be worth this? James has it no easier. His revelation divides the country and sparks turmoil within the royal family. He must struggle to defend not only himself and Ben, but also his younger sister, who hovers on the brink of a breakdown that could endanger her life. Is Ben strong enough to survive the onslaught and stand by James' side? And will James have to make a choice between Ben and the crown?

His Royal Favorite

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


Oh, it's been awhile since I read this book and failed at getting it reviewed! Believe me when I say the time that passed is no reflection on the book or my enjoyment of it. It's not that AT ALL. This was a great conclusion to a du0logy I really liked. 

His Royal Favorite picks up right where His Royal Secret left off, which was a relief because, while there wasn't a particularly brutal cliffhanger in the first book, I was still desperate for more of their story. There was a lot of uncertainty in this book — from wondering how James' subjects would react to an openly gay Prince (it wasn't always great) to hoping that Ben would be able to live this life and whether or not his past would come back to cause a problem — so I just couldn't read it fast enough. I didn't even try to savor it. There were plenty of feels and sexy times along the way, as you might expect. Such a great, quick (for me) read. 

Long story short, this was fantastic — just like every single one of Lilah's books so far. She's definitely earned a spot on my "must read" author list. 

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

  Ben had gone nearly two decades without telling another man he loved him, or even wanting to. Last night the words had kept pouring out him, again and again, like he had to keep saying it to James or else none of this would be real.

"Being without you wasn't freedom. Loving you is what sets me free."

Find this review and more at 
  kimberlyfaye reads.


Since finishing her Asking for It series, I've been interested to see what Lilah Pace would give us next. When I heard she was releasing a M/M about a prince, I knew I had to read it. I had high hopes for this book and I'm happy to say they were exceeded. 

You know those books that, once you start reading you can't even think about putting down? His Royal Secret was exactly that type of book for me. I was totally sucked into James' life from the very beginning. I loved how he and Ben met. I was enthralled by their chemistry in their first meeting. The sex was hot, but that initial meeting was about so much more than that. I loved how they gave parts of themselves to each other after only knowing the other for a few hours. It was complicated and messy and I loved the forbidden aspect, while at the same time I desperately hoped their situation wasn't as hopeless as it seemed. I shipped them hard from the very beginning and I enjoyed reading to see how everything unfolded – the good, the bad and (at times) the painful. 

I really liked James. For a man as powerful as he was politically, he was vulnerable in so many ways. His internal struggle between the life he wanted to live as a man and the life he needed to live for his country (and family) was so very real. If you take away the fact that he's prince and he could be any other man (or woman) struggling to come to terms with their sexuality and when/how to come out. The stakes were high for him all the way around and I wondered if there was any way possible he'd be able to have everything he wanted. I wanted him to have all the good things in life. I wanted him to overcome his struggles. I wanted to see him happy as a prince (or king) and man, even if it was tough at times to understand how that would even be possible. I did like Ben, just maybe not to the exact amount that I did James. I didn't dislike him, I just didn't connect to his character in the same way as I did James... at first anyhow. I did love them as a couple though. Theirs wasn't an easy pairing, but it really worked for me. 

His Royal Secret does end with a cliffhanger, but it's not a truly brutal one. (And the wait for His Royal Favorite isn't THAT long.) I'm glad that I had an eARC for the second book and was able to binge the duology in its entirety this weekend, though. I was so lost in this world – the secrets, the drama, the romance, the feels and everything else about it – that I would've had a tough time waiting for the second book, cliffhanger or not. If the idea of a gay crown prince in modern days is as appealing to you as it was to me, this book should absolutely be on your TBR. You won't be disappointed. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

FAVORITE QUOTES

  I'm taking this. One stolen hour in my entire bloody life—it's mine, he's mine, and no one else ever has to know. 

"It's been a long time since I had so much happiness in my life. I thought you should know what it means to me."

"Ben, I'm never going to forget you. Not one moment I spent with you, not ever. Fifty years from now I'll still remember what it was like to kiss you, the way your voice sounded, that afternoon in your flat when you held me close. I'll be able to recite the words we spoke to each other. I'll be able to sculpt your face in snow. Even though we'll never see each other again, you will be a part of every day I live."

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

Last year, I loved Lilah Pace’s debut novel and fell in love with her writing, so when I heard she’d be writing a new series, and an M/M one at that, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Everything about His Royal Secret sounded amazing – a secretly gay Prince of Wales, a reporter he falls for, a clandestine relationship – so much goodness right there! I ended up not quite loving His Royal Secret, but enjoying it nonetheless. It’s a good start to James and Ben’s story, and I’m excited for their finale. If you’re in the mood for a sexy M/M romance with a unique twist to it, I’d say you should definitely give this book a try. Just know, it’s a duology, and the sequel releases in a month!

James is the heir to the British throne, but the thing is, he’s also gay. As modern as the world is, the monarchy is still pretty conservative, and there are a ton of other legitimate reasons why James hasn’t come out. He also keeps low in relationships, obviously, but one road trip to Africa changes things when he meets Benjamin Dahan, a reporter – with morals – James instantly forms an attraction to.


  I’m taking this. One stolen hour in my entire bloody life–it’s mine, he’s mine, and no one else ever has to know.


Since neither of them believe they’ll ever see each other again, they fall into temptation and a night of passion… but when Ben is reassigned to England, they reunite and begin a secret, sex-only affair. How long will they be able to keep up their relationship before they get caught? And can they keep their feelings out of the equation?

I really enjoyed James and Ben’s characters. They’re so sweet and adorable together, especially when they both try to believe that they’re not falling for each other. Their romance moved a bit slow, despite the short length of the book, and I honestly would’ve rather read their full story in one longer book. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the third person POV, so that spark in Lilah Pace’s writing that I loved in her debut was missing for me. The main characters were mainly the highlight of this book for me, and I’m hoping we get to focus on their relationship much more in the next book.

“If the world finds out we’re together, my life is ruined. But my life is ruined if I lose you. So I’m pretty well fucked either way.”

I’m not dying to read the sequel, but I am looking forward to it and what will happen after the consequences of the ending in His Royal Secret. Ben and James are such great characters – they’re interesting, unique, and they’ve got insane chemistry together. Hopefully, they’ll be just as wonderful in His Royal Favorite!

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1RyzbKC

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His Royal Secret

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