ARC Review: ROYALLY ARRANGED by Nora Flite

Hawthorne “Thorne” Badd has lived his life as a reckless playboy—not as a presumptive king. But after the death of his uncle, it can all be his: the power, the crown, and the wealth. All he has to do is govern a country he’s never set foot in…and marry the gorgeous daughter of his family’s greatest rival.

Nova Valentine is as smart as she is beautiful—and when she first met Thorne Badd, she fell hard. She’s never seen someone so comfortable in his own skin, and she’d like nothing more than to see all of it. Every bare inch. From his delicious tattoos to his bedroom eyes, Thorne is a dirty fantasy come true. But fantasy is one thing. An arranged marriage is another.

As they get acquainted, their chemistry is royally hot. But when surrounded by dark betrayal and devious schemes, can Thorne and Nova learn to trust each other…or will their families’ rivalry prove too great a hurdle?

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MY REVIEW

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Badds are actually the royal family of Torino. Maverick Badd, Thorne's father, abdicated the throne via threat of death, took the name Badd, and created a wealthy criminal empire in the process. Thorne knows exactly who he is, an exiled prince, and couldn't care less. He's irreverent and carefree. He just couldn't care less. But that's all a facade because deep down he just wants his father's approval and respect and he would do anything for his family, including agreeing to an arranged marriage to the daughter of their enemy.

What I liked:
✔ Thorne. Despite the fact that he was pretty irresponsible and immature at times, he turned out to be full of heart. It was surprising and made him extremely likeable. And when he found a purpose, he was all in, even if it started out as a task to protect his family.
✔ The sex. Thorne was so freaking hot!!
✔ The relationships between the Badds. I didn't know going into this that it was the third book in the series so there were ties that existed between the characters that I didn't get to witness, but it only feeds my curiosity to read the previous books.
✔ The OTT antics of the Valentine family. They were so ridiculous and I found them hilarious, not scary.

What I didn't like:
✘ Nova drove me nuts. I didn't not like her, but some of her ways turned me off. She was a bit too nosy for my taste. She didn't know Thorne like that. Not really. However, whenever he was upset or went off on his own, she put herself in his way, like she knew how to handle him. She always wanted to know what he was thinking, who he was talking to, where he was going, etc. None of your business! I also couldn't stand the fact that she knew the truth of her family and went along with their machinations willingly! I get that she felt she owed them huge, but c'mon!
✘ The story dragged in parts and became repetitive. I think this story could have had fewer pages if it didn't keep repeating the same things or allowing for unnecessary events and conversations.

Royally Arranged was sexy, it was silly, and it was definitely romantic. Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Just because it wasn't a complete winner for me doesn't mean it wouldn't be a winner for you.

Release: August 28, 2018 | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Dual POV - 1st person | Heat: 3.5 | Standalone - Bad Boy Royals #3