Twisted Palace by Erin Watt

Title: Twisted Palace (The Royals #3)

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Everafter Romance

Release Date: October 17, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

These Royals will ruin you…

From mortal enemies to unexpected allies, two teenagers try to protect everything that matters most.

Ella Harper has met every challenge that life has thrown her way. She’s tough, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to defend the people she loves, but the challenge of a long-lost father and a boyfriend whose life is on the line might be too much for even Ella to overcome.

Reed Royal has a quick temper and even faster fists. But his tendency to meet every obstacle with violence has finally caught up with him. If he wants to save himself and the girl he loves, he’ll need to rise above his tortured past and tarnished reputation. 

No one believes Ella can survive the Royals. Everyone is sure Reed will destroy them all.

They might be right.

With everything and everyone conspiring to keep them apart, Ella and Reed must find a way to beat the law, save their families, and unravel all the secrets in their Twisted Palace.

Over the last few months, you’ve probably heard about Erin Watt’s Royal series. You know, those books that feature some seriously twisted characters and their very addicting story. The conclusion, Twisted Palace, was just as good as the first two books and wrapped everything up perfectly.

Erin Watt’s Royals series took me completely by surprise. Sure the two authors behind the pen name are authors whose books I love, but I didn’t think I would get as hooked on these books as I did. I was able to read Paper Princess and Broken Prince back to back (thankfully!) but then the wait for Twisted Palace was painful. Especially after the way that Broken Prince ended. I remember thinking that the October release date couldn’t come soon enough because I just needed to know what happened next. Every time I thought I had a handle on everything that was happening, another curve ball was thrown at me and I was back at square one trying to figure out exactly what was going on with all these people. Basically, this book was just as twisted as the title hints it would be (at this point, with a title like Twisted Palace it would be weird if it WASN’T twisted at all). But at the end, everything was resolved in a way that made sense for the overall story. And, the best part, it left the door open for more books about the Royal clan. In particular Easton and I am VERY happy about that. Because Easton is my favourite and I will fight pretty much anyone for him. But I digress.

Much like I was surprised by how addicted I got to these books, I was surprised by how much I found myself caring about the characters. The Royals, in particular, weren’t necessarily unlikable but they also weren’t particularly easy to like at times. But by the time I reached the end of Twisted Palace I loved those baggage-laden Royals. A lot. I would be more than happy to keep reading books about them for a long, long time. I’m already excited about the possibility of an Easton book. And I wouldn’t mind a book about the twins. Or about Gideon for that matter. And I would obviously love to keep reading more about Reed and Ella. And I want more about Val and Wade because I have a strong feeling that would be both entertaining and interesting to read. Basically, I just want more books set around the Royals and their friends. That’s not so much to ask, is it? I hardly think I’m the only one who wants that…

If you like stories packed with romance, twists and intrigue and haven’t yet read Erin Watt’s Royals series, you seriously need to get on that. And if you choose to read them, I dare you not to become addicted to this story.

Mini Reviews - Paper Princess & Broken Prince by Erin Watt

Title: Paper Princess (The Royals #3)

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Everafter Romance

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep school, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her slightly mother, struggling to make ends meet an believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

I can't quite remember the last time I read a book that was as addicting as Erin Watt's Paper Princess. There was just something about this book that kept me turning pages almost faster than I could read them. Which worked out nicely for me because it made the flight I was on go by way faster since I was so caught up in the book. And that's because there was just so much going on in this story. What at first glance felt like it could be a new take on Cinderella (I mean, the main character's name is Ella) ended up being something else completely. And, to be honest, I don't know quite how to put that something else into words other than to say that it was completely addicting. And kind of twisted. Because the Royal family? They give the word "dysfunctional" a whole new meaning. With every new piece of information Ella uncovered about her new family she was able to realize just how screwed up the whole family was. But at the same time, the more dysfunctional I realized they were, the more I found myself caring about them. And I don't quite know what that says about me. 

But slowly but surely, the more I read, the more I found myself caring about not just Ella but also about Reed, Easton and the twins. Which considering how I felt about them at the start of the book, was a complete and total surprise. Reed was the biggest surprise of all. I fully expected to completely hate him, but by the time I reached the end of the book I kinda maybe didn't hate him? And Easton? I would read entire books about Easton because if anyone in Paper Princess stole my heart, surprisingly it was him. But that's besides the point. The point is that Paper Princess was a seriously addicting read. Fair warning though, if you choose to read Paper Princess make sure you have Broken Prince on hand because you're going to desperately want to read it when you finish the first one. Trust me.

Title: Broken Prince (The Royals #2)

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Everafter Romance

Release Date: July 25, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

These Royals will ruin you…

From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

She might be right.

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.

If I thought that Paper Princess was addicting, it was nothing compared to Broken Prince. The only reason I even put the book down while reading was because I couldn't keep my eyes open and just had to get sleep (stupid jet lag). It was just that addicting. And quite possibly even more twisted than the first book and that is saying something. What I loved about Broken Prince was getting to be in Reed's head. For so much of the first book (the entire first book, really), I couldn't figure him out and truth be told I thought he was pretty much the biggest asshole and didn't get what Ella could possibly see in him. But that changed pretty quickly in Broken Prince. Getting to read part of the story from his perspective allowed me to see that maybe he wasn't the complete ass I thought he was. It doesn't excuse all of his horrible behaviour, but at least now I understand where some of that behaviour was coming from. And it allowed me to see what Ella saw in him. And speaking of Ella, I loved seeing her come into her own in Broken Prince. I feel like I got to see another side of her and it made me love her that much more. As for the other Royals, I'm still waiting for a book all about Easton (desperately so) and I am weirdly fascinated by the twins, Sawyer and Sebastian. Like I want to know how they work but I also don't want to know. And I don't want to say too much about it so as not to spoil things. 

There was just so much going on in this story. The ending of Paper Princess was definitely a huge part of this story and it's still not resolved by the time Broken Prince ends. And more mysteries get thrown in the mix and by the time I finished reading I had so many theories about what was going on that I couldn't keep all of them straight. Oh, and I desperately needed the final book. If you thought Paper Princess ended on a cliffhanger, wait until you get to the end of Broken Prince. Even though it's not that far away, the wait for Twisted Palace is going to feel like it lasts forever.