I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Royal Marriage Market by Heather Lyons
Published by Cerulean Books on December 15, 2015
Pages: 335
Source: the publisher
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Fans of The Royal We will not want to miss this epic love story!

Every decade, the world’s monarchs and their heirs secretly convene to discuss global politics and social issues—and arrange marriages between kingdoms.

Elsa may be the Hereditary Princess of Vattenguldia, but she finds the entire situation archaic and unsavory. While she wants what's best for her country, she isn't about to jump into an unwanted relationship—let alone a marriage—with a virtual stranger. Of course, her feelings matter little to her parents, whose wheeling and dealings over trade pacts and alliances achieved at her expense begin the moment they set foot in California for the Summit. So when a blindingly handsome royal runs into her, she doesn't hesitate to tell him there's no way she's marrying him.

Christian is all too happy to agree: no marriage. As the Hereditary Grand Duke of Aiboland, his main goal is to get through the summit without a bride being foisted on him. Which is why he suggests they help each other field potential intendeds. As Christian slowly gets to know Elsa, though, he realizes they have a lot more in common than just their feelings about the Royal Marriage Market. Only he can't fall for her, because royal or not, they're not meant for each other.

Elsa and Christian will have to evaluate matters of the heart verses those of state and crown, and decide whether or not tradition trumps love.

This is my tenth Heather Lyons book and I don’t even know what to say anymore. She’s epic, her books are epic, read her books!!! *Drops mic. Walks away.*

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Oh, you actually want to know more about this book? Oh.. I thought the above covered it? No? Okay…

Royal Marriage Market was epic and amazing. Every time I read one of Heather’s books, I swoon and flail and call it my favorite. But then she writes another book and I swoon and flail all over again. Really, I don’t think I could pick a favorite Heather Lyons book because they’re all amazing. However, Royal Marriage Market is DEFINITELY up there near the top! I loved the characters, the plot, the resolution and the ending! So.. everything. I loved everything about this book!

I adored Elsa! She was incredibly spunky and fierce, torn between loving her people and wanting love for herself. She knew how to pick her battles – when to speak her mind versus when to stay silent and let the chips fall where they may. She actually reminded me a lot of Alice from The Collectors’ Society, another Heathery Lyons book!

Christian was an awesome character. He, like Elsa, understood his duty to his throne and his people, but he also wanted to live his life as he wished. He knew how to be a gentlemen, but he was also stubborn and a bit outspoken – as was Elsa. Their banter was hilariously epic! I shipped them pretty much right from the beginning! They were just absolutely perfect for each other! For almost the entire book, I was either cackling in amusement or doing a *head desk* at the things they said and did. They also had some super hot, steamy scenes… *Fans self!!!*

I adored the secondary characters in this book, as well. Heather really knows how to write amazing characters! I loved Charlotte and Parker – their relationships with Elsa and Christian (respectively), their loyalty, the integral roles they played near the end – they were just epic. Christian’s brother, Lukas, was the consummate playboy, but the friendship and understanding between him and Christian was epic. They were able to commiserate together, but they were also willing to “sacrifice” (in a completely comical way) each other if it meant escaping the clutches of their evil, heinous mother. Lukas spoke his mind, without any care as to who heard or what others thought. I would LOVE to see a spin-off with him! As for Elsa’s sister, Isabelle, I didn’t really have an opinion of her until the end. Then I adored her and how much she truly loved her sister. Without her – and the things she did to ensure they both had a happily ever after – things would not have ended the way they did.

There are a ton of other characters I should probably talk about, but that’ll take forever. So, to make a long story short, these characters are EPIC! Okay? Okay!

Basically, in my mind, this book is The Swan Princess meets Romeo & Juliet meets The Royal We (though, I must confess, I haven’t read The Royal We, but from what I’ve heard, the comparison fits!). The only reason I mention The Swan Princess is because, for a good chunk of the beginning of the book, the song “This Is My Idea” was stuck in my head! In fact, I’m listening to it now as I review.. ^_^

But yeah.. Just the way Elsa and Christian were so dead-set against the Summit and what it meant and the way they clashed in the beginning – it all seriously reminded me of The Swan Princess!

 
Plus, the way they fought against their parents – and their parents’ desire to marry them off to strangers for political gain, rather than love.

 
And then that ending!!!! The ending was incredibly complex, twisted and epic. Seeing all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place? Perfection. It was a little open-ended, but in a completely satisfying way. It felt realistic and I’m REALLY hoping for a sequel with Elsa and Christian or – as I mentioned above – a spin-off with Lukas!

 
So, as usual, I HIGHLY recommend this book, plus every book Heather Lyons has ever written! If you love books about royalty, hate-to-love relationships and open-ended, semi-HEA’s, you’ll LOVE this book!!!