I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: August 15, 2023
Rating: 5/5
I’ve been waiting for Matthias and Pet’s book since their first meeting in Battle Royal, and oh man, the wait was so worth it. Pet works as a personal assistant to the newest member of the royal family, which means that the giant royal bodyguard Matthias is one of her colleagues. Pet is bubbly and spontaneous and she likes to befriend everyone. Matthias is starchy and rigid and he likes to stick to the rules. When a tabloid photo makes the news headlines, rumours begin to fly. The royal PR team consequently asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship for the cameras to fix the situation.
This book is loosely inspired by Beauty and the Beast. When Pet and Matthias go viral, people on social media start shipping them because of their size and height difference. But they also start referring to Pet and Matthias as Beauty and the Beast respectively, something that really gets on Pet’s nerves. Matthias is not an insecure man, but he’s aware that people don’t find him conventionally good looking. And that is why he thinks there’s no way that someone like Pet would ever be attracted to him. Pet does try to befriend Matthias a few times, but he keeps his distance to protect himself (and his heart). He just quietly keeps an eye over her and listens to her in the background and she has absolutely no idea just how attuned to her he is.
I am absolutely in love with Lucy Parker’s writing. What I love the most about her style is that she has a way of making the most mundane things romantic. There’s something so cozy, charming, and quaint about her prose. I also love being in this world, even though I typically stay away from any royal-related books. I just really like the way Lucy Parker focuses on the moments, big or small, between the hero and heroine. Whenever there’s a romantic moment, it feels like I’m reading it in slow motion and the background is completely blurred out. Every emotion, every glance, every touch, everything is heightened and hyper focused. This really amplifies the chemistry and it makes you feel like you’re experiencing that moment yourself.
Speaking of romantic moments, this book has one of the best first kisses I have read in a really long time. Pet’s love language is touch and I love seeing Matthias respond to that. As for Matthias, his love language is acts of service and I swoooooooooooned so hard at his kind and thoughtful actions. He’s the type of guy who does good deeds in the background, without anyone really knowing about it. I love a gentle giant so much, and Lucy Parker did such a wonderful job characterizing Matthias. I love love LOVE him. I am swooning just thinking of all the little things he did for Pet. Ugh, my heart cannot handle it. There was this one revelation that made me cry 😭
I am 100% in love with Pet and Matthias. Their romance warmed my cold heart and I was absolutely satisfied with the ending. But I am so in love with them that I refuse to let go. I could keep reading about these two and never get bored. Aside from the romance, there are some interesting supporting characters that show up, including my beloved Dominic and Sylvie. I will say that I wasn’t completely on board with all of the supporting characters. Some of their scenes were superfluous and a bit too quirky for my taste. But it was very easy to forget about these characters and focus solely on Pet and Matthias. This is also one of the few romances that work really well even though the timeline is tight. And lastly, this is quite possibly one of the best Beauty and the Beast inspired stories I’ve read.
Romance Library 