Oh, Logan St. James. This broody royal protector has bumped Prince Nicholas from my "Favorite Hero of the Series" spot.
Starting back to when they first met, ROYALLY ENDOWED let's us ride along on the long building relationship between Ellie, Duchess Olivia's sister, and her royal protection agent, Logan St. James. It's easy to see the chemistry these two have and can appreciate the friendship they build. But I spent a lot of time wondering what was going to be the tipping point for Logan to finally grab what he wants.
Ellie and Logan fit together. She may have been the more free-spirited of the two, but they both understood what it meant to come from nothing and to feel somewhat unloved. Time and time again they proved just how important the other was and stood up for each other when they otherwise wouldn't have stood up for themselves. They may not have professed feelings for one another, but it was hard to not see just how much these two meant to each other.
Ellie may have embraced her feelings for Logan faster than he did, but I could understand Logan's resistance. Protecting the Royal family was his job and his job was his identity, gave him purpose. No matter how much he wanted Ellie, he wasn't willing to give that up. As I said above, I had to wonder what would be Logan's tipping point or if he'd even let himself fall. But he proved to me that once he commits to something, he's all in.
There were some heartwarming moments when I found myself smiling, but Logan and Ellie's story is not quite as humorous as Nicholas and Henry's stories may have been. Logan is broody and that spilled over the proverbial page at times. But that made their HEA more satisfying. I knew this couple was going to build the family they wanted and do it in spectacular style.
I think I'm going to have to sit squarely in the middle of the line when it comes to being a Princess. From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to...Read more
Not a Princess, but on the fringe
I think I'm going to have to sit squarely in the middle of the line when it comes to being a Princess. From the time I was a little girl, I wanted to be a Princess with all the glitz and glamour. I wanted the fancy dresses to wear to the ball. I was jealous of the attention the royal family received. I wished someone would do my hair and my chores. I desperately wanted a Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet.
As time went on, I realised it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The attention would suck donkeys balls when you're not at your best. Sitting for hours to get gussied up would lose its appeal. Having someone clear up your mess suddenly feels like an invasion of privacy. Prince Charming comes with obligations. I think I would be happy in the middle, and get to choose when and if I felt like being a Princess. Royally Endowed shows us what it's like being on the fringe. You're not royalty but you're kind of in the middle...but it's not a choice.
I loved Royally Endowed. The characters were lovable and sweet, funny and sexy, strong and smart. Logan was an amazing man with a hard past that he worked hard to get away from. Ellie is the sister to a Princess who is down to earth and easy to get along with. I loved this couple together and couldn't wait for it to finally happen. It wasn't going to be easy but I knew it would be worth the wait.
We get to catch up with all of my favourite characters from the previous stories and see how they're going. I have to admit that Franny is one of my favourites. Her straight talking always cracks me up.
If you're looking for an amazing love story with a sweet and sassy heroine falling for a strong and sexy hero, who sees you, protects you and loves you, I definitely recommend Royally Endowed.
Royally Endowed is the story of Olivia's sister, Ellie, and her bodyguard, Logan. Star crossed lovers from different sides of the tracks, these two kind of 'grew up' together in a sense and are quite the yin/yang pair. Logan...Read more
Royally Endowed is the story of Olivia's sister, Ellie, and her bodyguard, Logan. Star crossed lovers from different sides of the tracks, these two kind of 'grew up' together in a sense and are quite the yin/yang pair. Logan started guarding Ellie when she was a senior in high school and he was 22 years old. 5 years later, Ellie is tired of waiting and wants to let Logan know how she feels. Logan can't help but feel that he is the wrong guy for Ellie.
Ellie was a bit self centered in Royally Screwed. She was young and didn't quite have a grasp on all that Olivia had taken on. So, I was pleased to see a young lady who has stepped up in her sister's absence! Her loneliness is heartbreaking!! She is happy for her sister of course, but she misses her. She wants to finish high school, get a college degree, and be someone. Her dedication is admirable. She admits that having the bodyguards is nice; she isn't used to someone (other than Olivia) caring and that made my heart break a little for her.
Logan's reticence is understandable in regards to Ellie. She is young when they first meet, she is his JOB, and he feels that he would be holding her back. Understanding it and accepting it are two VERY different things though. I wanted him to fight for her. Years go by and he keeps her at arms length.
Speaking of years going by, the story takes place concurrently and after the time frame of both Royally Screwed and Royally Matched. It was kind of like a behind the scenes peek into what Ellie was up to during the times we, as readers, were focused on the royal family!
I loved getting more of Olivia and Nicolas and Henry and Sarah! Their presence in the book was fairly significant and I really enjoyed it. Really, they are the connection between Ellie and Logan, so it makes sense. I think because of the time frame of the story, parts of the book (especially the first 40% or so) felt so slow to me. We start when Ellie is a senior in high school, then she goes through 4 years of college and a 'gap year'. Nothing happens between her and Logan until after college, so the first part of the story is really the coming of age tale of Ellie. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it felt slow and I had trouble getting into the story as quickly as I did the previous two books. However, once these two were honest with each other (finally!), the story moved along well and I was totally sucked in!
If you ever wondered what happened to Pippa Middleton, Royally Endowed is the perfect fairy tale story for you! Forbidden love, crazy family dynamics, psychotic stalkers, and true love fill the pages of Royally Endowed and will leave you knowing that happily ever after is for everyone.
Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series (While the other family members are present and play important roles in the story, you don't need their backstory to enjoy Royally Endowed!)