A ROYAL STANDALONE ROMANCE from the NYT Bestselling Author of The Pact, Bad at Love & The Swedish PrinceAt first glance I probably seem like any good-looking guy in their late twenties. I have an obscene amount of confidence, a tattooed body sculpted by the Nordic gods, and I love the ladies as much as they love me. If I’m not BASE jumping or car racing, I’m chasing other devious thrills with … other devious thrills with the woman of the week. And that’s fine if you’re the average single guy.
But I’m not the average single guy.
I’m Crown Prince Magnus of Norway and my latest scandal just landed my entire royal family in hot water.
Now the only way the monarchy can save face is for me to smarten up – publicly. If I don’t, I’ll no longer be heir apparent to the throne. So it’s either I abdicate my future role as King or…
I get married.
To a blue-blooded stranger.
Enter Princess Isabella of the tiny country of Liechtenstein.
Quiet, intelligent, and uniquely beautiful, Ella doesn’t like this arrangement any more than I do and she’s not afraid to show it. She says I’m a womanizer, that I don’t take anything seriously, that my ego should be taken down a few pegs, and I think she aims to make me miserable for the rest of my life.
But even as our arranged marriage becomes a war of wit and words, I’m determined to break through Ella’s prim and proper façade to find the wild, sexual and risk-taking woman underneath. I want to uncover the Queen inside her.
The only question is – will she let me?
The Wild Heir is a standalone royal romance and a spinoff of The Swedish Prince but it is not necessary to read that book beforehand as The Wild Heir is about different characters
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Royal romance! Yes please!
Cocky hero whimsical royal marriage AHH especially with the new royals getting married next week, exactly what I needed!
Nothing hotter than royal romance right now, and Karina Halla’s writing always sweeps me away!
A royal romance rom com just in time for the royal wedding!!
I love that Ms. Halle is writing about sexy royals! I can’t get enough!
Just in time for the royal wedding. I needed a royal romance fix! And I always need a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story #yesplease 😉
Loved this book hard! Can’t go wrong with a Karina Halle book.
A royal romance rom com AND enemies to lovers?? YES PLEASE and thank you!! Happy reading book lovers!
I love a slow burn! Karina Halle is a must read. And … that cover!
I always love Karina’s writing, and this came at the perfect time for me, especially with royal wedding love and romance in the air!
A royal romantic comedy with enemies to lovers yumminess? Yes, please!
Royalty + Karina Halle? I’m here for it, hunny. Gimmie.
A royal arranged marriage, enemies to lovers rom com by Karina Halle. Need I say more? Get this book immediately!
I love a good marriage of convenience story. The Wild Heir puts a unique spin on a classic tale with fun characters and relatable dilemmas. Ella feels like someone you could be friends with. This is one to curl up next to the fire with.
NO SPOILERS!
The Wild Heir was another sexy, addicting, and entertaining standalone Royal romance from Karina Halle, and I absolutely loved it! The storyline and characters were amazing, and I loved the author’s writing style. Ms. Halle is exceptionally talented, and it’s impossible for her to write a bad romance. I have dearly loved and adored each and every book I’ve read from her so far, and I am so excited to see what she releases next!
Magnus and Ella were absolutely wonderful, and I loved them and their story so much. I loved their personalities and red-hot chemistry together, and how their relationship progressed throughout. I loved reading the book from both Magnus and Ella’s POV, and most of their banter and interactions with each other. Magnus and Ella’s chemistry was off-the-charts HOT, and the slow burn sexual tension and back and forth was totally worth the gradual buildup.
Magnus and Ella’s story was unconventional to say the least, and it wasn’t always an easy journey by any means, but all of the ups and downs, and trials and tribulations, were completely worth it in the end. Some parts were a little slow and boring at times, at least to me, and others I didn’t like as much for various reasons, but I still loved The Wild Heir from beginning to end, and was overjoyed with the conclusion to Magnus and Ella’s story. The secondary characters, with the exception of a few, were wonderful as well, and I very much enjoyed their addition to the story. I’ll be honest, I loved The Swedish Prince (which is a complete standalone like The Wild Heir) a lot more, but this book was still amazing in its own right and I loved it with all of my heart.
The Wild Heir was an incredibly sexy and entertaining standalone Royal romance, and I would highly recommend it! Karina Halle did a phenomenal job with this book, and I was extremely happy with the outcome to Magnus and Ella’s story. Karina’s books are always sexy and addicting, and I can’t wait to see what she releases next!
I LOVE PRINCE MAGNUS. The Wild Heir was royally and wildly AMAZING! Magnus and Ella had captured my heart and I could not stop reading. From their first meeting to each moment in their relationship that turned them from strangers to lovers, I fell in love. Not only do I love Magnus and Ella, but I also love his family (and Ella’s later on).
I knew after meeting Magnus in The Swedish Prince that his story was going to push the limits, not just because the reckless Prince of Norway was all about living fast and living free but because it was also clear that he pushed every aspect of his life to the extreme; regardless of the action or the emotion, Magnus was balls to the wall, and if the outcome did not go in his favor, he dealt with the repercussions but ultimately continued to live his life according to his own dictates, never truly considering what would happen if public opinion of his antics became a blight on his family’s name and kingdom.
Given the choice, I doubt very much that Magnus would choose to be part of an arranged marriage, but unfortunately, he’s over-ruled, forcing him to choose between abdicating the throne or marrying a complete stranger – a woman who clearly knows about Magnus’ ‘extra-curricular activities and isn’t too fond of the charming and cheeky Norwegian.
But even though the man beneath the crown is one who thrives on spontaneity…one who is all about taking risks and rebelling against the norm, he’s captivated by the intelligent and passionate Princess of Liechtenstein, and while he has his work cut out for him when it comes to truly understanding who Princess Isabella is, due to their marriage of convenience, he now has the chance to build a solid foundation with the woman who is so much more than the prim and proper princess she seems to be.
Princess Isabella is a quiet force; she’s the perfect woman for Magnus because she allows him to be his wild and rebellious self while also providing him a way to center some of his reckless behavior. But that doesn’t mean things will be easy for Magnus and Ella because there is an insane amount of pressure to handle as well as a set of obstacles that definitely make sense given the situation that they’re in but still force them to make decisions that could not only change the dynamics of their relationship but also their royal positions.
Magnus and Ella’s relationship is a slow burn; they start out as two strangers meant to be married and then become two friends whose banter and antics bring them closer and finally, they become lovers who must deal with their respective pasts while also working towards something that will last despite Magnus’ recklessness and Ella’s insecurities.
Readers will be charmed by Magnus’ cheeky wit and Ella’s passionate words. And because The Wild Heir is told through both of their point of views, we are able to understand what’s at stake for both Magnus and Ella, not only in terms of what their arranged marriage could become but also in terms of what they’re both willing to risk in order to pursue the growing feelings between them.
4.5 Poison Apples
***5 ‘Viking Heart’ Stars***
Oh the goodness!
The sweet, swoony, angsty, slow burn, smexy and a little craycray at times Goodness!
Once I started this baby, I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) put it down. The words and the characters were addicting and even now I NEED more of Ella and Magnus and really wish there were more words to read about them.
I know I am not alone in this, but after meeting Magnus in The Swedish Prince I wanted more of him. So when it was announced that he was getting a book, I was all kinds of school girl giddy and I was not disappointed at all. I loved the reckless, charming and rakish side of the man, but it was seeing beneath all of that was what had me adoring him. He is a good man with a good heart and just needed a shove in the right direction to let that side of him out.
Ella is something of a loner, and there are reasons behind that, but when she is passionate about something, she sheds that layer and becomes a force to be reckoned with and one that actually draws you in, instead of repels you. She’s intelligent and thoughtful, and has a quick wit and good amount of snark that had me adoring her throughout the book.
It was announced that Magnus and Ella’s romance would be a slow burn one and I’m really happy it was. Despite their titles, they grew up in very different worlds and since this situation was one they were tossed into, the slow burn as the way to go. It forced them to get to know each other and did they ever. There was a lot of stalemates, pushing and pulling and moving one step forward only to fall two steps back, but there were also a lot of fun and heartwarming moments that highlighted not only how they were evolving as couple, but at individuals. The smexy between them was hot! And that first time? HAWTNESS! Of course there had to be some bumps in the road, and they were…interesting, but I loved how everything worked out in the end.
This was really a fun read. I was hooked from the first page and really do wish there were more words because with where we left Magnus and Ella in that epilogue, you know more goodness is yet to come. And then there are the secondary cast of characters. I loved catching up with Viktor and Einar, Ottar and Lady Jane were so much fun. I’d love to get to know both Magnus & Ella’s siblings better (especially if it means more time with them) but it’s Aksel that I’m hoping will get a book sometime down the road…maybe???? But, if you love a good slow burn/opposites attract romance, then you’ll love this one!
~ Copy provided via Social Butterfly PR/author & voluntarily reviewed ~
Magnus meets his match
Playboy prince and wild man Magnus finally meets his match in Ella. Their start is planned but the story is all about the middle and end where the unplanned happens. Funny, romantic, steamy story. Definitely HEA. Highly recommend.
Okay—A million stars for the cover and the opening sequence. Those are amazing!
But wow. I always get like this with Karina Halle books. I don’t know where to start because there are so many elements to discuss. And now I know why. She tells us herself at the end of the book. I never know what I’m going to get in a Karina Halle book. Her stories always have substance, but I’ve read two books that I loved and two that I didn’t. This book is a little of both. It’s kind of all over the place.
I love that she takes us to exotic places and she includes references to different art forms and concepts. Those really help to define the characters more richly. This time we get lots of pop culture references.
The overall story is good IMO until the second half when the quality of the storytelling devolves into paragraphs of narrative that explain away the loose ends. I was so surprised at the sudden change in technique. It almost felt like a different person was writing at that point. I don’t know what accounts for that, but it was disappointing because it definitely lacked the beautiful storytelling that Ms. Halle is usually so good at.
SPOILERS IN THE NEXT 2 PARAGRAPHS:
Cheers to Ms. Halle for discussing attention deficit disorder since this defines Magnus’ character and indeed, defines many characters in many books, and is rarely ever addressed. Her explanation was spot on. Magnus is a great character. Inside, after years of criticism, he feels ‘not good enough’, so he distances himself from the things he thinks he will fail at and sticks to the things he is good at. He needs guidance to reach his full potential.
But jeers for misinformation about kidney transplants, and jeers because Ella never finishes her degree (that we know of). This story could have gone to so many better places IMO. For instance A) I wish Magnus would have donated a kidney to his father and become a hero in that regard. It would have done a lot for his self-esteem and his reputation. B) I wish Heidi would have gone full psycho and become a physical threat to the H and h. This would have been more exciting and Ella’s reaction in the climax would have made more sense, because up until that point Ella seemed quite mature to me. C) I would have liked to see in an epilogue how Magnus and Ella’s partnership evolves over ten or twenty years. I believe that Ella will ground him and give Magnus emotional and organizational support which he will need as king and he will come to rely on her and they will be a strong team.
So… I guess I’ll give this book three stars because it’s not as good as the two of hers that I loved, but it does stimulate thought despite its shortcomings.