Paper Princess

Paper Princess: A Novel (The Royals Book 1)

Erin Watt; Everafter Romance 2016

Summary:From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone. 

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees. 

My Review: This book was recommended to me on top YA books of the month on amazon. It had really good reviews n amazon and goodreads, so naturally I purchased it.  Honestly, this book kinda stressed me. There are so many twists, turns, drama, darkness, comedy, revenge, love, and friendships, that it constantly keeps you on your toes. It reminded me of the TV show Gossip Girl in many ways. The beginning was a little slow for me and then it picked up towards the middle. The end of course was a cliffhanger, which I hate! It literally made my jaw drop because of its intensity. Now I have to wait until the end of the month to get the second one! Just plain rude.

The best thing about this read was Ella. Ella was really likable and tough. She is a strong character, who yearns for love and acceptance, but hides behind a hard exterior, and she really developed throughout the story. For someone so young, she has gone through a lot. I really respected her, because she is a fighter and she wasn't going to crap from anyone. She really stayed true to herself and said what was on her mind.

Callum Royal, the dad and guardian of Ella, was so sweet. He is probably my second favorite character. He is constantly saving the day and is really a diamond in the rough.

The Royal sons were a buncha Mc-A-Holes in my opinion. They had their honorable moments, but seriously were evil the rest of the time. Reed, who is the ringleader of the brothers, was pretty brutal at times, but he also had a protective and soft side to him that I loved.

There were several things that turned me off in this book. The control the boys had in the community, school and home. The bullying and spoiled brat like characters. The sexual tension, sex scenes, and hardcore partying scenes.

Overall, not my favorite. I would call it an OK read.

Quotes:
“No one wants to be ruined. We all want to be saved.”

Watch Out For:  Language, drinking, drug usage, partying, sex scenes, lies/deceit, greediness, violence, fighting, etc..