A Royal World Apart by Maisey Yates

A Royal World Apart by Maisey Yates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Royal World Apart stands out as a Harlequin Presents in good ways. We have a hero here who is very self-controlled, and physically dangerous, not just a guy with a lot of money and charisma who likes the ladies. In this case, Makhail is a man who took his responsibilities so seriously that he nursed a wife through a long illness (staying faithful to her while she was alive and even afterward). While Makhail isn't what I'd consider a passionate hero for most of the book, I loved that he was the 'still waters run deep' type man, very focused, intensely self-controlled. He had a maturity that was beyond his almost thirty years. I could see why Eva fell for him. He had traits that her brothers and father lacked, and even when he didn't have to care about her feelings and needs as her bodyguard, he took the extra step to do so.

Maisey Yates is a very good writer. While this book took me a while to read (because I am just very busy right now), I felt that it was a rich story, with well-developed, multi-layered characters. I was emotionally engaged in their story. Eva is a rich princess, but she's not spoiled as you might assume. Her life has been so controlled that she hasn't even had the opportunity to figure out who she is and what she wants, and she starts to act recklessly because of that fear that she will never have that opportunity. I loved that her and Makhail's developing relationship was so well-described in this book. I could see the progression from bodyguard and charge to man and woman deeply in love with each other and willing to give up everything to be together.

A Royal World Apart is a good romance for readers who enjoy royal romance and the bodyguard theme. Yates does a great job of combining both into an enjoyable story. Makhail is quite different from a typical Harlequin Presents hero, but in a thoroughly refreshing way. Some readers may not care for him because he seems so controlled and is not an arrogant man (very atypical for HP heroes), but I really liked him (and not just because he's Russian and I love Russian heroes). In fact, he might be one of my favorites. Another good book by this author.

View all my reviews