Paper Princess (The Royals #1)
Author: Erin Watt
Published: 2016
On Goodreads
My Rating: 
Rated R for rich kids without rules or restrictions that will get their worlds royally rocked.
These Royals will ruin you…
Ella Harper is a survivor. After losing her mother, she’s been on her own and struggling to make ends meet, going to school and working two jobs. Then, in the blink of an eye, her life is flipped upside down by Callum Royal who’s come for her under her father’s request. A father she’s never met and never will because he, too, is dead.
From a rundown apartment to a lush mansion. A public school to the campus of Astor for the elite. This isn’t Ella’s world and Callum’s five sons, Reed Royal, in particular, keep reminding her of that. Reed keeps telling her she’ll never be a Royal and maybe he’s right. But maybe he’s not.
Wealth. Power. Lust. Luxury. It’s all at Ella’s fingertips and she’ll have to learn to play the game fast if she hopes to make it out of this with more than what she entered with. More than that, she’ll have to be careful who to trust, especially with her heart.
The Royals series is 1 of 3 that I am rereading as a part of my New Year’s Resolution. This is 1 of 5 books.
In the realm of reality, this book is so unbelievable. Freaking wild and in no way is it realistic, but I love it anyway. Filled with rich luxury that people only dream of. Like a mixture of Gossip Girl and Cruel Intentions with the heinous gossip and getting emotionally ripped up and down, I was sucked in and left completely hooked. I have no shame about that. Zero! Sometimes you just need a book or books, that will take you for a ride. Just something to twist you relentlessly. Pushing all of that realistic expectation stuff aside, this is amazing. There’s so much drama and I can’t get enough!
Watt’s endless, off-hand comparison to actual royalty with the Royals may be cliché, but I am living for it like a woman who feeds off of soap operas. This book isn’t anything close to a soap opera, not in my opinion. It’s sky-high with intense drama and moments that will hold your breath. And I guarantee that Ella’s fight with her newly acquired nemesis, Jordan, while in stripper-wear lingerie would never make it into a soap opera and that’s only a small piece of what to expect. LOL. Twisted love, family secrets, devastating discoveries. Once you start you won’t put it down. I didn’t.
Ella comes off as nothing but real. I know I know. I said this wasn’t a realistic book, but I do think Ella comes off as real. Sure, she gets lost in the glitz and glam and brutal games, but where she comes from? That struggle and strength she has after losing so much even though she’s crumbling on the inside. Taking on such a major life-change is overwhelming but she handled it with grace and courage. Such a great character and definitely worth rooting for. Tough as nails and doesn’t compromise who she is, even if she does start falling for Reed Royal. He may be full of threats to protect his family but he’s met his match. The two of them are fire and I’m totally getting burned. I love it. One thing is for sure, Ella’s life will never be the same after joining the Royal family.
The Royal boys are not to be messed with even though you’ll really want to. It’s like seeing something of your greatest desire and being instantly denied it. Deeply ingrained glares and terrifyingly muscled not to mention sharp tongues. Breathless yet? You’ve got Gideon, Reed, Easton, Sawyer, and Sebastian. So much testosterone! Yet, impressively, Ella holds her own. Easton, though he bears his own vices and virtues, has to be my favorite Royal. There’s something sweet and sour about him and I like that he so easily goes along for nearly any wild ride. He’s a risk-taker and maybe too much of one, but he’s got a caring side that is not to be trifled with. Yet, I do love all of them even though each of them is harboring devious secrets. It’s hard not to!
Overall
Maybe I’ve gushed too much about this, but I can’t help it! Having, read this and reading again, I can tell you that this series is a drug. Okay, honesty time. I’ve read the first three but that was because the last two hadn’t come out just yet. BUT! I’m still rereading the first three so it’s staying on my New Year’s Resolution list. I definitely recommend it. It’s a bit X-rated but a good escape and wild. A teen drama that’ll rock you. Is it literature that is going to make you look at the world differently? More than likely not, but this is fun!
Quotables:
“My life is mine. I live it. I control it.” (Ella, p. 7)
“Shame and principles are for people who don’t have to worry about the little things, like how much can I buy for a dollar to feed myself all day or do I pay my mom’s medical bills or buy some weed so she can go for an hour without pain. Shame is a luxury.” (Ella to Reed, p. 118)
“Get used to the gossip, darling. Get used to walking into a room and having everyone in it whisper that you don’t belong. Get used to it, but don’t let those whispers defeat you. Strike back when they strike you. Don’t be weak.” (Dinah to Ella, p. 158)
More to come soon…
-K.
P.S. Song today? you should be sad by Halsey.
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The Scarlet Reader 
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