From the New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and a “rising star in the romance genre” (Entertainment Weekly) comes a dazzling novel about a spontaneous holiday vacation that turns into an unforgettable romance.Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal … work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.
Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.
Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day…or are they?
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I really enjoyed this midlife love story.
Sweet and spicy, this was a relationship build storyline with realistic tension points.
Pick it up for an excellent holiday romance read with open door sexy times, or if you like vacation romance (trip to the UK), realistic progression of love, and finding love in the later years.
It was great to see these older Blavk characters fall in love.
I love that this main couple is older and experienced in…life. I could definitely identify with them.
A fantastic addition to the “Wedding Date” series of books, this is a swept-off-your-feet story of London, Christmas, and even a steamy affair that could end up being much more…
This was a cute and light read. I listened to the audiobook and it was not bad. I liked that the protagonist was different from the usual girl who’s always in her 20s. In this one, the protagonist (Vivian) is 54 and has a daughter(Maddie) who’s in her 30s I believe. Based on what I’ve read Vivian and Maddie are close which I liked cause I’m all for mother and daughter bond. It’s not a story that will stick with me but I found it quite enjoyable. I also loved how Vivian and Maddie were independent and not being annoying characters. So if you want something to enjoy at the moment, and nothing too complicated or deep then I’d recommend you read the book or listen to the audiobook.
I wanted something light and fun and royal. While this wasn’t really royal, it was like taking a tour of the Sandringham estate where the British royals have Christmas behind the Queen’s back. u2063
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The story was very sweet and perfect if you’re looking for a seasoned romance but it doesn’t have a lot of tension for a love story. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need. The ending was more in line with women’s fiction than romance, but still satisfying.u2063 This fast read swept away an afternoon on horseback in the UK, so there’s nothing bad about that!u2063
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If this were a film, it would be an opulent Lifetime movie filled with grand estates, lots of red, and the lesser-known spaces where the staff work and drink.u2063
Check out my Bookish Mood Boards that reflect my design inspiration for this book as a film Insta Blog
This was an endearing book . Vivian is a delightful character and you can’t help but root for her !
One of the best holiday romance books I’ve read!
Vivian takes a holiday trip to England to visit her daughter Maddie. While on the trip, Vivian meets Malcolm and so begins their holiday romance. I enjoyed reading this story for the holiday feel and Vivian’s strong personality and that was portrayed throughout. This was my first book by Jasmine Guillory but I will be going back to read her others.
This had a slow start but ended up being very good. I loved that it was an older adult romance. Also huge fan of all the food descriptions.
Great book
A delight to read a story where the main characters are credible, sexual, mid-aged adults. Quite fun!
Such a delight! This low-angst seasoned romance is just what I needed during this lackluster quarantine summer. Vivian is a 54-year-old social worker whose compassion and wisdom shine through in her dealings with the other characters. Malcolm, also 50+, is private secretary to the Queen of England. They meet when Vivian accomanies her stylist daughter to England for a Christmastime job with a member of the royal family. A gentle if stuffy soul (also handsome and charming), Malcolm takes great delight in showing Vivian around the royal estate and then London. Of course, their temporary romance flares into something deeper, but how to bridge the cultural and geographical gap between her California home and his in London? I found the characters believable and sympathetic and the ending very satisfying. Highly recommend.
Everything Jasmine Guillory writes is gold. I am now preordering all of her books regardless of the premise or hype.
This book is the fourth in a series that can also be read as stand-alones (some characters thread through, but no prior knowledge is needed). It focuses on a divorced 50-something woman who travels with her daughter to England for work/vacation and meets the also-divorced also-50-something, charming and handsome Queen’s secretary. I have somewhat of a soft spot for later-in-life romances, despite being in my mid-twenties (maybe because it gives me hope? ha) so I was very excited about this book. Also! Royal romance! How could you go wrong? I was a little worried about how the author would achieve a new, fresh story after three books with very similar premises. The mystique has worn off slightly since I read The Wedding Date and The Proposal, but there’s something comforting about knowing exactly what you’re getting with these books. They’re not exactly groundbreaking or shocking, but they’re dependable. Enjoyable. Happy. And don’t we all need happy right now? Overall, this book certainly has the Jasmine Guillory flair and supremely likable characters you root for. It’s a great addition to any fiction/romance bookshelf.
Wonderful Book – I enjoyed this book so much!!!
Cute story and a very quick read!
Royal Holiday is a sweet, whirlwind romance between an American tourist and the private secretary to the Queen. It’s one of Guillory’s strongest. Vivian is a unique character, a smart woman in her fifties with real emotional intelligence; she’s a social worker and a great mother. Malcolm is a real gentleman. They meet when Vivian’s daughter comes over to do styling for a member of the royal family. The main issue with this story is that there’s little inherent conflict between them apart from distance. The setting is lovely. The characters are lovely. They’re two mature, lovely single people with no dependents. They’re also both divorced and smart enough to know that a connection like theirs doesn’t come around often. Clearly they’re going to make this work. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this very much. It’s a gentle comfort read and that’s just right for this moment.
This is book #4 in The Wedding Date series.
This is the story of Vivian & Malcolm.
Vivian Forest has only been out of the country one time. She works as a social worker but she can’t refuse when her daughter, Maddie, has invited her along on her work trip to England. Vivian is excited to spend the holidays seeing British sights while her daughter styles a royal family member. She doesn’t expect to become attracted to the private secretary of the Queen.
Malcolm Hudson has a charming accent and a formality that has worked well in his work for the Queen. He is intrigued by and attracted to Vivian. He has never given a personal tour, but now he is making excuses just to spend time with her.
Their flirtatious banter turns into an under the mistletoe kiss, and then things turn into an outright fling. Time is short for their romance, and they say to each other they are fine with ending their affair, but it really doesn’t feel that way to either of them.
What will happen once they both return to their “normal” lives? One lives in England, and one in California. How can they bridge the 5,000 mile distance? Is their love destined to be what they had while they were in London?
This was a fun, holiday story that included many issues that occur in a romance in today’s world. It was so cute how this “older” couple found themselves in for a fling that turned into a possible happily ever after.
I dont normally read romance, but as far as romance books go this was a good one.It is a hallmark christmas movie in a book!
If you enjoy the typical romance, I would recommend this as a nice holiday read. The descriptions of Britain and the couple’s unique dates were enjoyable and a desire to see how they would handle their romance once the “Royal Holiday” was over kept me engaged to the end.