Royally Matched

4.5 brilliant stars

This book was certainly not what I thought it would be: a typical love story between a nerdy quiet girl and an angsty playboy content with sex 24/7 who doesn't handle responsibility well.
First, I would like to thank Emma Chase very much for not filling the book with typical seductresses all vying for Henry's attention. Certainly, there were a couple with their constant overt propositions. But Chase ensures that, according to Henry's character in the beginning, he is interested for but a split second until he lays eyes on Sarah. Sure, it sounds cliche, but Chase does it right, somehow managing to find the silver lining between overdone cliche and disheartening disgust at Henry's debauchery and “cheating” on the main female lead.
Next, I start my rave on the character development. It was...just amazing. How, Emma Chase, how did you pull it off? It was to be expected that Henry would have a change of heart and demeanor once he fell in love with Sarah. But. This is just. This is a piece of art. An act of mastery. I don't want to reveal too much or else I'll have to slap a spoiler alert on this, but suffice it to say, Henry's redefinition of duty, honor, and love, as foretold in the summary, are put into action in ways that anyone could hardly predict. Sarah's character development wasn't anything to scoff at, either. Henry obviously changes her for the better, letting a bit of his wild side rub off on her so that she comes out of her shell a tad. However, the real surprise was that there was more to her than a stereotypical quiet librarian content with her little bubble of a world. I'll stop here so that I don't give too much away. But to all the potential readers of this book, do not for a second write off Sarah. There is more to her history than simplicity and comfort.