Star hockey player Daniel Sacachelli wants only two things: 1) for the Falcons to win next season, and 2) for his secret — the fact he’s actually the prince of Eldonia — to never make its way to Chicago. But if Daniel keeps avoiding his crown, their family will lose their kingdom forever. Madison Myong can’t believe that her will-they-or-won’t-they best friend Daniel is really a prince! He’s … prince! He’s always seemed more rebel than royal. But now, he needs to clean up his image, fast. Posing as his long time girlfriend, Madison accompanies him back to Eldonia, intending to give Daniel a makeover fit for a king.
Only, the more royal Daniel becomes, the more Madison misses her best friend. And if she does her job right, she’ll lose him forever…
Each book in the Chicago Falcons series is STANDALONE:
* Just One of the Boys
* Just One of the Royals
* Just Pretending
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Just One of the Royals by Leah and Kate Rooper is the second book in The Chicago Falcons and centers around Daniel Sacachelli, the bad boy of the team, and his crush Madison Myong, the team’s trainer and his best friend. If you enjoy best friend tropes with a little royalty thrown in, you are in for a treat.
The book opens with Daniel taking Madison home after a day at the movies. As friends, this is a normal thing for them. However Daniel is ready to confess his feelings for her. He wants more than a friendship, he wants to confess that he’s in love with her. But he doesn’t. Daniel thinks he isn’t good enough for the booksmart, rich Madison. But if he could only read her mind….Madison has a big crush on Daniel. She knows she shouldn’t. He is a player in every sense of the word. Her parents wouldn’t approve, but she doesn’t care. Daniel is her best friend, and he wouldn’t hurt her…would he?
When Daniel’s little sister shows up out of the blue and announces to all his friends that Daniel is not-only a prince but also in line for the throne, Daniel’s world is thrown off-balance. Everything he thought he knew isn’t true anymore, and now he has to leave hockey and Madison behind and take a crown he never wanted. The only thing that makes it better is Madison’s suggestion they pretend to be a couple and help him change his bad boy image to one the kingdom will accept.
Y’all I love this one! I love Daniel and Madison. Daniel is the reluctant prince who just wants to go back to his simple life in Chicago with his single mom, hockey, and his unattainable best friend. Madison is Daniel’s cheerleader, believing in him when he doesn’t believe in himself. She pushes him to be his best. However when the pretending starts to feel real, both Daniel and Madison don’t know how to protect their hearts or come clean about their true feelings. The tension between them is evident on the pages, and my heart ached for them as they danced around one another without ever acknowledging those feelings.
Overall I really enjoyed Just One of the Royals. I love Daniel and Madison. I love the hockey, and I love the royal element. If you enjoy sweet, YA romance, I highly recommend it.
Obviously I started with the 2nd book of this series. However, while I guess I didn’t need to read the first one, I am definitely intrigued enough by getting to know the characters from that first book in this one, that I want to go back and read it. At first I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about the characters. There was too much hemming and hawing, and I like you, but I can’t tell you, because there’s no way you could like me too, or I’m not good enough for you, etc., etc. It went on and on. But then we got into what was the real heavy plot of the story, Daniel as prince. Daniel needing to go back to his father’s home and become king, to save his sister from having to marry a creep, who would then rule the country. Madison agreed to help him, but with a slightly ulterior motive. However it was one of those types of things, that I feel like if she’d been honest with him right away, there shouldn’t have been the problem there was when he found out.
There were all the usual misunderstandings, on why she was kissing him, was it because he was now a prince and good enough for her? When he pushed her away from a kiss, was it because he was repulsed and not interested in her in that way? Only needing to kiss her to keep up the charade so he could become king? But in the end, it worked out the way it should have. And at the end I was on the edge of my seat, racing through the end of the story to find out how they could make it all work.
Another reviewer mentioned that Daniel’s sister Eva had a very annoying nickname for Daniel, and I totally agreed with that. I got to where I cringed a bit every time I read it. Other than that, it was a good story, and definitely worth the read! Although, I’m not quite sure, are they high school age? After high school? I can’t tell. That was one thing I was unsure of.
Just One of the Royals by Leah and Kate Rooper is book 2 of the Chicago Falcons series. Daniel Sacachelli is the quintessential, All American , motorcycle riding, hockey playing bad boy. Except he’s not, really. Madison Myong comes from a successful immigrant family and is destined to become a Doctor. Except she doesn’t want to. Each is the best friend who wants to be with the other, but can’t make the first move.
When Daniel’s secret is revealed, that he is the bastard prince of Eldonia he needs to clean up his image in order to save his family and his kingdom. Madison steps in to help him and their fake relationship, that both had wanted to be real, is born. I enjoyed the real life issues that each of these characters grappled with. What their wishes and wants are versus what their family expects and needs. On the surface these characters are very different, but inside they have so much in common. They need each other, and not just for the superficial reasons.
Overall I enjoyed Just One of the Royals by Leah and Kate Rooper and felt it was fun story which used the idea of a hidden prince plot as a way to tell a story about finding yourself and balancing personal desires with greater commitments.
(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
4.25 – Delightfully Cute and Fun Romance with a Royally Adorable Twist!
This book was a quick, lovely, and entertaining friends to lovers story with plenty of sweet, heartwarming and laugh out loud moments. It was enjoyable from beginning to end and I cannot wait to read the other books in the series.
Just One of the Royals by Leah and Kate Rooper is pretty much Princess Diaries, but instead of an awkward and shy teenage girl turned princess, we have an adorable and charming star hockey player who’s secretly a prince, but wants nothing to do with being a royal…let alone be the king of Eldonia. Daniel just wants to be a normal teenager and maybe finally find the courage to tell his best friend, Madison, that he wants more than just friendship. But, when his half-sister, Eva, comes to Chicago to convince him to claim his birthright as king, Daniel must make some tough decisions that will change his life forever.
I read this book in less than 24 hours and was pleasantly entertained the entire time. I love friends-to-lovers stories and the prince/royalty trope made the plot even more interesting for me. The writing was easy to read and engaging. The characters were quirky and really intruiging. I thought the friendships and familial relationships were endearing. Madison and Alice were definitely friendship goals and I loved how they were always there for each other. I also loved the bond between Daniel and Eva. Even if they were millions miles apart, they were still very close and would do anything to make each other happy. The guys on the hockey team were pretty great too and I loved their team spirit. I wasn’t too keen on the romance and didn’t totally swoon over Daniel and Madison, but the romance was still cute and sweet. I thought the ending was heartwarming and the sneak peek for this next book definitely got me excited.
With a fun and lighthearted storyline, amazing relationships, great team spirit, charming characters, and cute romance, Just One of the Royals will have you smiling the entire time. It’s sweet, funny, and will teach you a thing or two about honesty and doing what truly makes you happy.
If you enjoy romance and friends to lovers trope, then this cute contemporary with a royally adorable twist might just be perfect read for you!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher Entangled Teen via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Leah and Kate Roper are new authors to me and given that I love hockey romance I’m amazed they hasn’t crossed my radar before now so make no mistake I will be going back to read book one in their Chicago Falcons Series as well as checking out other reads from these very talented authors.
The Chicago Falcons are a junior hockey team and this series is all about friendships and loves formed as we start start to make our way in the world. This group of friends are loyal and caring and will do what ever is needed to help a teammate even travelling across the pond to protect him. Daniel Sacachelli loves hockey and to be honest that’s all he is really interested in but he has a secret – he is actually the prince of Eldonia and his secret is about to be discovered when his stepsister arrives in Chicago telling him he needs to come home and rule his Country…… but is Danielle willing to give up his life for a country he has only ever visited for summer vacations. I loved the characters in this book, I loved their loyalty and the passion they shared for hockey, all in all a great story with wonderful characters that I for one want to get to know more about. Quick easy fun read.
This Princess Diaries like story will make you smile. It may be all fairytales and hearts but it’s the sweet that makes it fun. Also…hockey. Who doesn’t love a bunch of big sweaty hockey players?!?!
The B@stard Prince has a lot to learn. With the help of his friends, he learns more in a few weeks than he ever has. Being yourself is far more important than being what everyone else wants…but the Prince isn’t the only one learning this lesson.
Falcons’ hockey player, Daniel Sacachelli, has a secret; he is the bastard son to the King of Eldonia. After his father’s passing, he needs to head to Eldonia to take up the crown, so his family does not lose their kingdom. He enlists the help of his best friend, Madison Myong, to help him clean up his image. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for young adults.
I like Daniel. He is a Junior League hockey player. He loves his half-sister, Evangeline Harwell. He would do anything for her, even giving up his dreams of playing hockey to become king. All he really wants to do is play hockey. He doesn’t feel comfortable when he is in Eldonia. As an American, he doesn’t feel like he belongs.
Daniel’s best friend, Madison, is kind of in a similar predicament. She wants to become an actress, but her parents want her to become a doctor.
Madison and Daniel have both been pining away over each other thinking the other one isn’t interested. In all fairness to Daniel, originally Madison wasn’t interested in his playboy ways.
JUST ONE OF THE ROYALS s a heartfelt and enjoyable read. Things happened that cause controversies. The characters grow and discover a lot about themselves. It had a great ending. I’m looking forward to book three. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.