Royal Date by Sariah Wilson
Contemporary Romance
Released: March 3, 2015
Self Published

Reviewed by Mandi

Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin.

HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.

Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?

Kat grew up with druggie parents and had a hard childhood. She doesn’t have a lot of money but she has a rich BFF! This rich BFF named Lemon takes Kat on holiday to a country called Monterra in Europe to go skiing. Kat has only been skiing once, and goes out by herself, skis down the wrong hill and goes out of control. The hero, Prince Nico who met Kat the night before at the lodge, sees Kat going out of control and tries to save her. Kat ends up falling and knocks herself unconscious. Three days later, Kat  wakes up and is in the home/castle of Nico.

Let me stop there a minute. Kat apparently got air-lifted to a hospital, where tests were run, she is unconscious for three straight days, yet allowed to leave the hospital while knocked out to go to the Prince’s castle??? Did anyone care about a head injury once she wakes up??? Did anyone care that apparently she held her pee-pee in for three days? I don’t want to read about catheters and pee-pee drama but it also has to be realistic. When Kat wakes up, within minutes Lemon is telling her how she has to pretend to be Nico’s girlfriend so that they can write a blog about dating a royal or something and then Kat hops out of bed to shower. HUH??

Anyway, I continue. Kat decides to let Nico court her, so she can write blog articles and it will help his country’s tourism. There is some other forced conflict but it all becomes a little boring. I honestly enjoyed Kat’s voice for the most part. At times she is a fun heroine – but it’s alllll about her. We really don’t get to know Nico. We meet his family and his friends and get to see his 800-room castle, but he is not memorable. He isn’t swoony. He is too perfect. I get he is a prince and it’s a take on a fairy tale – but who wants to be in a relationship with an achingly sweet man who is so perfect you never get a rise out of him? Not me.

And let me also say – there is only kissing in this book. I don’t think poor Nico even gets to second base. Kat wants to wait until marriage for that, which is fine. But for reasons stated above, I needed more romance. Kat also doesn’t’ curse, but says “frak” sixteen times in this book and I wanted her to …frakking stop.

Royal Date didn’t sweep me off my feet.

Rating: D

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