The Royals Upstairs

Content warnings: death of parents (in the past), death of a parental figure, grandparent with dementia, parental abandonment (in the past)

Royal nanny Laila and bodyguard James keep their relationship a secret from their royal employers.

After his divorce, James Hunter leaves his position as royal bodyguard to UK Prince Eddie. When James is ready to return to work, Eddie refers him to Prince Magnus of Norway. James arrives in Norway expecting to be in the city (Oslo) and finds himself in the middle of nowhere. And worse, his ex is the royal nanny.

James and Laila were together while working for Prince Eddie and his wife Monica, but it ended badly when Laila admitted her feelings and James walked away. Now they have a second chance to be together if they can get past how things ended in the UK.

While not a direct sequel, some of the characters from Halle's previous novel The Royals Next Door show up in this novel. Reading the previous book isn't necessary.

Recommended for romance readers, especially those who like the second chance and forced proximity tropes. Royal watchers may also enjoy this royal-adjacent novel. Not recommended for clean romance readers because sex scenes are described in detail.

Author: Karina Halle

Publisher: Berkley

Length: 352 pages

Release Date: September 10, 2024

Representation: orphan, adult who grew up in foster care

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.