The only thing harder than being a royal? Falling in love with one. Belinda As a political blogger living in Manhattan, I have no time to date. My few free hours are spent with best friend Soraya, and her husband Graham. Love has no place in this equation. Then Prince Zan walks into the coffee shop. He’s confident and different from other men, making it clear from our first conversation royal … making it clear from our first conversation royal lineage won’t stand in his way.
I know better than to be carried away by green eyes and soft lips.
But if that’s the case, how did I end up in his bed?
Zan
My dark past is a nightmare I can’t escape from. It was anything but easy to become a royal.
Then I met Belinda. She might be a commoner, but there’s nothing at all common about this woman. One look is all it takes. Maybe if I bring her to my homeland she’ll be under its spell too.
But the differences between our two worlds seem impossible to overcome. I refuse to ignore my duty and passion for my people, and Belinda won’t abandon her career.
The right woman or destiny? Whatever it takes, I’m determined to have both.
**
Royal Pain is another steamy edition to the Cocky Hero Club series by author Leslie Pike. Opposites attract in this royal romance of choosing between love and duty. Follow your heart by devouring this passionate love story today!
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Royal Pain by Leslie Pike is a contemporary, royal romance told in first person dual, POV.
Zan is an African prince and Belinda is a political blogger. They meet at a coffee shop and form an instant connection. It doesn’t take long for feelings to develop, but they come from two very different worlds.
Can their relationship last? Or is it destined to be temporary? What will happen when Belinda has to choose between career and love? What will happen when Zan is forced to choose between love and duty? Read to find out.
I enjoyed Royal Pain, but it’s not my favorite from this author. The story had some steamy moments and some touching ones too. The characters had great chemistry with each other, but for some reason I didn’t quite connect with them as much as I would have liked. I’ve been trying to put my finger on it, and I think the story lacked sufficient conflict. The characters didn’t struggle over getting together, and once they were together, they didn’t have to fight any battles. They were faced with a tough decision that was resolved fairly easily. I think that if they had a larger obstacle to overcome, I would have connected with them more as I rooted for them to win. Even so, it was a pleasant story overall.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***
4.5 stars
This is definitely one of my favorites that I have read of the collection so far. There was just something about the message of the story that spoke to me. Maybe it is the unrest of what is going on in the world but I couldn’t help but feel for these characters as they traversed through a pretty pivotal moment, not just personally but from a political standpoint.
Zan’s cockiness at first put me off until I saw it as a mask for his own insecurities. His poignant moments with his family, especially his father, made me teary-eyed. I like the message that family comes in a plethora of ways and that family doesn’t have to be blood. I wasn’t sure what Belinda was doing at first. I couldn’t decide if she was being sly and trying to get the scoop or if she was genuine. However, watching her experience things and then seeing them through her eyes was rewarding.
I would definitely recommend this book.
I loved every minute of reading Royal Pain. This is a love story about two people from different worlds finding each other and deciding about their future and destiny. And also a love story about a family love for each other. Leslie Pike has done a wonderful job of telling this sexy love story about Zan and Belinda. The entire read I was smiling and laughing and swooning and tearing up from one page to the next. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to everyone!
3.5 Stars
This book is very different from other stories in CHC Novel .Love finds you when you are least expecting it. The story was engaging and very captivating . I haven’t read this author before so I went in blindly in this book and I honestly was intrigue by the premise of the story. The story definitely captured my attention and kept me hooked. It was quite different than what I was expecting. A very refreshing and nice addition .
You can never go wrong with a novel by Leslie Pike! I loved reading Royal Pain, a Cocky Hero Novel, about opposites attracting. Zan is a prince and committed to his country and people. Political blogger Belinda is focused on her career and is happy right now. When they meet, their chemistry is instant, but there is so much between them. As they spend time together, they begin to fall. Could they find common ground? Royal Pain by Leslie Pike is a sweet story about finding love when you least expect it that was emotional and full of surprises.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading
I loved Zan and Belinda. They are total opposites and not just in what they do or their personalities, but he is a royal that has to go back to his country. Their chemistry and attraction is palpable however and no matter what, it was inevitable that they would fall for each other. There are some moments of truths and letting destiny take its course but it also shows you that you need to do what makes you happy as you never know what can happen.
The relationship with Belinda and Zan was a whirlwind. It was a different story getting to watch a commoner get thrown into a royal family while they were trying to not only start a new chapter, but going through grief. With hard decisions that had to be made both personally and professionally. I loved the royal family. Their closeness, yet openness to Belinda. I really enjoyed the tragedy to triumph love story.
This story is nothing that I thought it would be. Of course, it’s a royal trope, with a lot of romance, a cocky prince and a sassy lady. But as you keep reading it’s so much more. First of all, the royal family is from Africa, I’ve never read anything like that, it’s was so different and engaging. It made me want to visit there. Then, the story is charged with spiritual and emotional situations, and don’t even start with the amount of twists I didn’t see coming.
I’m going to be honest, I couldn’t connect with Prince Zan in the first few chapters, but then when he went to dinner with Belinda in NYC and told her his childhood story. I was heartbroken for him and I wanted to cry, scream and kiss him as much as Belinda wanted! Also how he was adopted by the royal family, it only made me more in awe with all of them, King Mansa, Queen Ayana and Princes Tarik and Kwai.
Zan and Belinda love story is one for the ages, is steamy, with romance, a lot of emotional connection, they’re portrait as soulmates for life and I didn’t doubt one second. I loved how she supported him throughout all of the twists that was through at him and his family. But I love even more how he applied everything he learned from his parents, the magic, dreams, the spiritual guidance and the famous phrase: when you know you know.
The twists kept me on my toes and brought so much tension, angst and the meaning of love (you’ll only understand when you read). This is definitely a book you should if you love royal trope, but also if you enjoy this cocky world, you have some glimpse of Soraya and Graham.
This is a book about love, about miles separating you and coming from different lifestyles but knowing what’s important. There were some moments that were gut wrenching. Lots of sexy times. Leslie has never wrote anything similar to this book. It’s amazing read and you must pick it up NOW!!
What a unique story of happily ever after! Fate must certainly brings Zan and Belinda together. Zan being a prince of Africa and meeting Belinda in NY, finds that he will figure out how to remove the ocean between them. I loved both characters as well as their friends and families. The entire story and plot were well written, intriguing and page turning!
Royal Pain is part of the Cocky Hero Club book series. Because of this, I had high expectations, and unfortunately, this book fell short. It’s a good read, just not an outstanding one. The main characters had an instant attraction and dropped into some steamy scenes early on. I wish there were more sexual tension between these characters. I did like that Belinda was a strong, independent woman that was highly intelligent. Zan played the part of a true royal. I found him grateful and forever indebted to his family. It’s a light read, but not a book where I become invested in the characters.
I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
I liked Belinda. I liked Zan. Their story was a good one. I felt this one was not the greatest of the books. That is just me. It had to much “other” stuff in the book. Not a lot of dialect between everyone. I am happy I read the book. I didn’t connect to it like I did the other ones. I hope everyone reads and forms your own opinion.
Opposites attract in this insta-lust romance with a royal twist. Zan’s a member of the Mozia royal family whereas Belinda’s a journalist, the pair meet in a coffee shop, she goes there to write and he goes to escape. He’s a rather arrogant man, used to woman falling all over him and when he sees Belinda he wants to bed her. Initially he wears a disguise and Belinda doesn’t recognise him but when a man becomes abusive towards her after she knocks him back Zen makes himself known she then recognises him as she thanks him, the conversation that follows sets events in motion.which changes their lives together.
I will be honest I did struggle to get into this story, I couldn’t connect with the characters and overall the storyline seemed far fetched. Royal Pain wasn’t for me however that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it, I’d urge you as a reader to form your own opinion..
A political writer meets a royal. An insta love read. A fun read. Although Zan was always still a bit of a “royal jerk”
This book!!! It gave me ALL the feels. I absolutely loved this book about an African Prince who meets his match with a New York Journalist.
Royal Pain had me hooked from the first couple of lines in. Grab your tissues for this one, I cried multiple times throughout the book. It’s a book about finding your true love, learning to accept the love around you, and following your dreams.
Zan is super sexy and Belinda has met her match in the gorgeous African Prince, who ends up stealing her heart.
I can’t say enough about this book – definitely in my top reads for 2020!!
3.5
I’ve read books by this author and I’ve always loved her writing and how her story flows through her books. This is a real opposites attract romance and proves that you can find love in unexpected places even between two completely different people.
Belinda is a journalist, a political blogger and she lives in Manhattan and she loves her life and where she is at in this moment and what she has created for herself. That is until that day in the coffee shop when she sees a man that is going to change her life and open her eyes in more ways than one.
Zan is a prince and he is a real cocky, arrogant good time guy. He feels the instant attraction too and when he sees this beautiful woman he is never going to be the same. The problem that they both have after spending some time together is that he lives on another country and they will have to be put to the test if there relationship is going to survive. Zan has to attend to hos royal duties in Africa and when they are apart the love grow stronger and stronger.
These two characters connected straight away and the attraction between them both is hot. Zan comes across as this cocky guy but deep down he’s different. They spend time together and there chemistry is so strong and the journey that they go on for love, the author wrote beautifully.
This author writes great but I feel that this time the story wasn’t really for me and I just couldn’t connect with the characters and this story line. This book does have drama, love hope and is a sweet story.
This book is another great addition in the Cocky Hero Club Series and I cant to read the next book installment in this series. Thank you to the author and the publishers for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. ARC provided in exchange for a complimentary honest voluntary review.
This was an opposites attract/royal/insta-lust romance.
Zan is a member of the royal family of Mozia. Belinda is a journalist. They meet in a coffee shop. She goes there to write and he goes there to escape. He sees her and wants to bed her. He is very arrogant and used to woman falling all over him. So bedding Belinda should be no problem, right? She doesn’t recognize him initially because he is wearing a disguise. He makes his presence known when a man tries to come on to her and she rebukes his advances. The man then gets verbally abusive. Of course, Zan steps in, she thanks him, and he is instantly recognized by her. They have a conversation and it sets life-changing events into motion.
The story has a lot of potential but I had a hard time getting through it. It didn’t seem believable and the story didn’t flow for me. The characters were difficult to connect with as well. Zan has a great back story but I just couldn’t warm up to him. He was overly confident and arrogant. Overall, this was not for me but I encourage you to form your own opinion.
I like royal romances and the premise in Royal Pain was the royal meets commoner trope.
l generally enjoyed the story and the writing, but didn’t particularly connect with Belinda or Zan. I think this is why I liked but didn’t love the book.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.