Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Reign or Shine
SERIES: Rosavia Royals #2
AUTHOR: H.J. Welch
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 307 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020
BLURB:
A secret prince needs: a lost tourist to save.
Prince Cassander is on vacation from his overdeveloped sense of duty. While hiding out as simply ‘Cas’ in the Rosavian capital, he rescues a gorgeous, distressed American tourist. Matty has no idea that Cas is second in line to the throne. And with only two weeks together to explore the sparks between them, he doesn’t need to ever find out.
New Yorker Matty Doyle is a fish out of water, taking care of his niece and mending his broken heart. When Cas rescues him, the handsome stranger coaxes Matty out of his shell and he throws caution to the wind. Nobody knows him here. Would it hurt to live a little for once?
But a prince can’t stay secret in his own country for long. Cas would give anything to protect Matty from reality, but how can this fantasy together continue when they belong in different worlds?
Welcome to the tiny European country of Rosavia, where roses ramble over alpine slopes and princes fall for the men of their dreams. Every Rosavia Royals book happens simultaneously, so books can be read on their own, or in any order… but keep an eye out for familiar faces around the palace!
REVIEW:
You know, this is only my second book of this series so far, but I’ve got to say, I almost love the valets as much as the MCs. First Hugo and now Valentina. These guys are a riot. I friggin love them. And I love too, that even in this one, Matty even said he feels like he’s in a fairy tale. It’s a very sweet, romantic set of books so far and I’m enjoying them immensely. I’m still waiting for Wren’s story, which I’ve seen is book 5. That boy is a mess and I just adore him.
But this one was special too. For so many reasons. Matty was terrified of this trip. This was his first trip ANYWHERE and he felt like he was screwing up already. Especially when his and his niece’s luggage had gotten lost. It didn’t help he was broke and had to have his sister’s and her wife’s help just to get them where they needed to be, when they were fighting bills of their own. But it wasn’t just the luggage, it was the fact that his niece needed her bow for the archery tournament here in Rosavia and he didn’t know how he was going to buy another one. Then a customer happened to overhear the conversation and stepped in to help. With the bow and other things they needed. And right off the bat, Matt was in deep lust. What he didn’t know, so was Cas. But Cas had to be careful. Being the second Prince in line, he had to watch what he did and where he went so no one would know who he was. He wanted his quiet time and now he wanted time with this beautiful man. And the time they started having was amazing. They fit together so well. But like all things in life, things no how to hit right at the wrong time. And Matty got the full blown thing thrown in his face. And it shocked him to his core. A Prince. And because of that evil ‘journalist’, Cas is scrambling to try to fix things before he loses Matty forever. And he’s afraid he already has.
You know what I love so much about these two, is they really do fit each other so seamlessly. Cas could finally be himself around Matty. He could bring him home or to his quiet places and know he was safe. Know that he could put his life in this man’s hands and know it would all be alright. He was after Cas’s money. Most of the time it made Matty uncomfortable knowing he couldn’t pay himself. He wasn’t all about the flash of life. He loved the quiet behind the scenes kind of thing. And for Cas, who was trying to escape all that flash of palace life, it was perfect. But Cas was just as perfect for Matty. With Matty’s ex and his parents doing a number on his psyche and self-esteem, Matty didn’t think much of himself or often worried about everything. And Cas showed him how beautiful and perfect for him he was. He showed Matty how special he was and how complete he made Cas feel. They brought out the best in each other and the rest just fell away. It didn’t matter.
And what made this even more perfect, is the King himself was starting to see what changes were happening in his children’s lives and it was time to make changes of his own. He may be King, but he was human and a father first. And I love his support for his kids. He may not always get it right, but no kid comes with an instruction manual. We have to wing it often. But that he tried and was trying, made it the greatest thing.
This series is so good. If you haven’t read it yet, you need to. It’s just some sweet romantic stories, with a touch of angst, to make the perfect set of books. It’s a great world to be a part of.
RATING: 
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