This was my first time reading this author, and while the story was sweet and clean with minor language and no spice, it ultimately felt pretty average. Nothing truly stood out. The premise read like a cardboard cutout of a familiar hidden identity royal romance, hitting all the expected beats without adding anything fresh to the mix.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was perfectly fine. Since this is a novella, it was a quick listen at a little over three hours, easy to finish in a day or even one sitting. I was engaged enough to keep going and did care about the characters on a surface level, but I never felt deeply invested in them or emotionally connected. The banter was decent, and there were a few moments that made me smile or laugh, but again, nothing particularly memorable.

For a story framed around Valentine’s Day, the holiday itself felt underused. The story begins around the holiday, then jumps ahead a few months, and from there, the Valentine’s theme all but disappears. That shift made the premise feel a bit hollow. The overall plot leaned heavily into familiar romcom tropes and felt very predictable. Because it is a novella, the story never fully develops, and the ending in particular felt rushed and incomplete. With more space to breathe and more time spent with the characters, this could have been a stronger and more emotionally satisfying story.

Overall, it was cute, light, and mildly entertaining, but ultimately forgettable. If you are in the mood for a quick, predictable, closed-door romance with moderately likable characters, this will probably work for you. That said, I am still open to trying one of this author’s full-length novels to see if her longer work offers more depth and impact.