Will has ladies all over the globe lining up to meet him until a hot, new adventure show comes on the scene, and his ratings take a nose-dive. Producers decide an emergency change in format is in order. Enter Princess Arabella. The pampered and proper royal is the perfect foil to Willâs rugged outdoorsman.
Itâs hate at first sight, but their on-screen loathing makes for great television. Surprisingly, when the cameras stop rolling, these two finally see each otherâs good sides. Can these opposites find their forever in each otherâs arms, or will their differences be their undoing?
Despite the odds, Princess Arabella of Avonia and rugged outdoorsman, Will Banks, fell in love while filming a reality show in the jungle. But thatâs another story.
While sheâs making room in the royal closet for his hiking boots and backpacksâright next to the crown jewelsâthe showâs producers are editing together film footage that could turn their romance into nothing more than a showmance.
Private moments caught tape and aired for the worldâs viewing pleasure are about to turn their world upside down.
Can love to conquer all?
Find out in this scandalously funny, sweet but sexy second installment of The Crazy Royal Love SeriesâŠ
After a whirlwind romance that has taken them all over the globe, rugged survival expert Will Banks and Princess Arabella of Avonia are getting ready to take a trip down the aisle.
Planning the perfect wedding isnât easy at the best of times, so when you include two families who couldnât be more different, tensions are bound to run high. Planning the perfect wedding isnât easy at the best of times, so when you include two families who couldnât be more different, tensions are bound to run high. The last thing they need is a television producer determined to get every last sneer on film.
With one hilarious disaster after another ruining their plans, Will and Arabella must figure out how to pull it all together in time to say âI do.â
Brimming with swoon-worthy romance, seriously funny shenanigans, and an unforgettable cast of characters, Melanie Summers is sure to make you laugh out loud and believe in love.
WILL BANKS
I've been a very good groomsman. I've smiled for all the photos. I laughed through the many toasts and I've done a bang-up job of pretending life couldn't be better for me all day, even though there is a boulder of worry lodged in my chest. And now, itâs time for me to get piss-stinking drunk.
The trick with over-imbibing at a wedding is to make it look like you're carrying drinks for other people. In this case, four flutes of champagne from the champagne fountain. Two could still possibly look like I'm going to drink them myself, but four seems far too ridiculous for anyone to suspect me of what I'm actually doing, which is filling them, then carrying them through the hotel ballroom with a purposeful look on my face, stopping periodically to down one and leave the glass.
I'm just filling up the last flute when I hear a woman's voice behind me. âRough day?â
Glancing over my shoulder, I see a lovely blonde in a blue gown. Her hair is up in some sort of complicated fancy do, and she has the most mesmerizing light blue eyes I think I've ever seen.
My jaw goes slack for an instant before I pull myself together. âThese aren't all for me.â
Taking one from my hand, she says, âSure they're not. I saw you earlier crossing the room with your first four glasses. Excellent trick. No one would ever imagine someone making such a pig of himself.â
âNo offense, though, right?â I say, tipping back my glass and downing it. I set the glass down and hold my right hand out. âWill Banks.â
She shakes my hand even though she seems like the type of woman who's more used to men kissing her knuckles lightly. âYes, I know who you are.â
I blush a little and get that slightly squishy feeling that comes along with being sort of famous. âRight, sorry, it's hard for me to wrap my head around people knowing who I am everywhere I go.â
âOccupational hazard, I guess,â she says with a grin.
âAnd what are the hazards of your occupation?â I ask. Oooh, that was pretty smooth, if I do say so myself.
She stares at me for a second, then says, âIt's a bit difficult to put a finger on it, but I suppose you could say I'm in public relations.â
âI'll try not to hate you for it,â I say with a wink.
âI'm assuming there's some sort of delicious backstory to that comment. Perhaps something that requires eight glasses of champagne to forget.â
âSomething like that.â I watch, thoroughly engrossed as she takes a dainty sip. âNot that I'd ever complain, because believe me, I know how lucky I am to be doing the work I do, but there are aspects of it I could do without.â
She nods, a look of understanding crossing her face that makes me want to continue the conversation. I stare at her for a moment and canât help but feel like sheâs somehow familiar. âHave we met before?â
âNo.â
âAre you sure?â
âYouâd remember me,â she says with a little smile.
âHa! Good one,â I say, having a swig of my drink. âDid you enjoy the wedding?â
âIt was quite lovely.â
âWhose side are you on? The bride or the groom?â
âThe groom,â she says. âHe's a friend of my older brother.â
âYour brother must be quite the person. Pierce is very selective with who he allows in his inner circle.â
âYes, you could say that.â She glances around, then looks back at me. âWhat about you? Are you a fan of weddings in general?â
âFor other people. You?â
âAgreed. Marriage is definitely not for me.â
âSo, it's a life of public relations for you, is it?â
âIt's what I was born to do.â
âWell, I hope whoever you work for, theyâre good to youânot all stuffy like this lot. All the wannabe royals thinking they're so very important when the truth is nobody outside this ballroom knows who they are, and if they did, they wouldn't care.â
âOr worse, the actual royals,â she says with a knowing look.
âGod, yes. What a useless existence that would be. I mean, they're not even in charge of anything real anymore. It's just a whole life of pomp and ceremony.â
âPathetic, right?â she answers, rolling her eyes.
âI actually heard someone earlier saying they feel sorry for them.â
âAbsurd.â
âYeah, honestly. They went on and on about how hard it would be to live in the spotlight your entire life.â I take a sip of my drink. âAs someone with a bit of fame, I can tell you, thereâs very little to complain about.â
âWell, of course there wouldnât be anything to whine about. Not with all the perks and privileges.â
âExactly. If they want to do something hard, they should get dropped off in Siberia in the dead of winter and try to survive for a week without their chefs and maids and heated toilet seats.â
âHa!â she says. God, I like her. She gets me. I wonder if sheâd be up for a shag?
âTheyâd be calling for a helicopter in under an hour, I can guarantee it.â
âProbably even less,â she agrees, giving me a conspiratorial look.
I glance down at her full lips, then lower my voice. âSay, you wouldn't want to get out of here, would you? Somewhere not quite so stuffy.â
She leans in close enough that I can smell her perfume. I have no idea what it is, but it smells like money. She must do really well for herself in the public relations biz. âSomewhere that I could let my hair down and we could get to know each other better.â
This is actually going to happen, isnât it? I nod. âExactly.â
She opens her mouth, but before she can answer, an older man in a grey suit taps her on the shoulder. âPrincess Arabella, delightful to see you again. My wife and I would love to talk to you about a foundation weâre starting for homeless birds.â
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shock vibrates through me as my words about her family echo through my brain. Pomp and ceremony. Not in charge of anything real anymore. I am so not getting lucky tonight. I give her a sheepish look, wishing I could think of a clever way to make it all better, but Iâve got nothing. Just embarrassment and regret. âSo ⊠youâre ⊠I did not ⊠I am so âŠâ
âI am, I know you didnât, and Iâm sure you are,â Princess Arabella says with an amused smile. âLovely to meet you, Mr. Banks.â She holds up her glass to me. âBut Iâm afraid itâs time to get back to my useless existence.â
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.
In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally - then she'll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for 'K' Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn't require makeup and/or nylons).
Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she's not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken 'from above'. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something--more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.
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I love romcoms and this whole series sounds amazing!
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ReplyDeletesounds like a fun one
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ReplyDelete