December 2022 reread: the king still fucks and I love it lol. So many things just work for me in this, but upon re-read I can certainly see where it may not work for others.

Like the dead wife stuff wasn't handled in the best way. The background is she was cheating on Aksel with a long-time assistant and after Aksel found out he confronted them both while driving on a rainy night (a lot of romance reasons happening around this plot point). Anyway - she dies, Aksel and the assistant live and the assistant becomes secretary to Aksel as a way to keep him from going public and to keep up the appearance of the dead wife as the nation's beautiful queen. I didn't really pause for all that the first read but the second read it did bother me. so heads up!

The King of Denmark fucks lol
anyway this age-gap, forbidden nanny romance was really good. I love King Aksel - it was extremely important to him that Aurora never felt forced into a sexual relationship with him due to his status as a king and her employer. He is certifiably an alpha but not an asshole which I appreciate.

CW: death of previous partner, cheating (not mc's, previous partners) ( )

This is one of those "sweet stories" you want to read over the weekend. I was totally hooked to the writing style , especially the initial chapters. ( )

Good book told from the alternating points of view of the two main characters. It is sometimes sweet, sometimes steamy, sometimes funny, and sometimes heartbreaking. It is also a story of healing and hope. Aurora is an Aussie woman who has lived in Europe for the past seven years, working as a nanny for various wealthy families and leaving her painful past behind. When she leaves her current post because of a handsy employer, her contact at the placement agency has a new position for her to apply for. All Aurora knows is that it is for a high-ranking Danish family. She doesn't know until she arrives in Copenhagen for her interview that she'd be caring for two Danish princesses. Her first meeting with the girls was sweet and heartbreaking as they quickly burrowed into her heart.

Widower King Aksel struggles to handle his duties as king and his life as a single father. He also feels intense guilt over the death of his wife. The book opens with the events that made him a widower, so the reader knows why Aksel is the mess he is. First impressions show him as brooding, intimidating, and rude but devoted to his daughters, Clara and Freja. They have him wrapped around their tiny fingers.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Aksel and Aurora develop. Their first meeting did not go well. Aksel took an immediate aversion to Aurora, mostly because she stirred up feelings he didn't want. He spent less than five minutes with her, told her that she was unsuitable for the job, and that was it. But he was forced to change his tune in a terrific scene when Clara and Freja let him know that Aurora was their only choice for a nanny. Nothing he said would change their minds, so he caved. His second meeting with Aurora wasn't much better. He was dismissive of her qualifications and ensured she knew she wasn't his choice. I loved seeing Aurora push back and call him the jerk he was.

Aurora settles in as the nanny, and her relationship with Clara and Freja is wonderful. There are terrific scenes of them together as Aurora brings light and laughter back into their lives. Her relationship with Aksel is still strained, though it doesn't stop her from letting him know when she thinks he's messing up. Under the antagonism, the sparks of attraction flare in both. Aurora, of course, knows that nothing is possible between them. She is the nanny, and he is the king, and that is that. Aksel is still burdened with guilt over his wife's death and feels undeserving of happiness. It doesn't help him that he's never experienced the feeling of being loved by anyone.

The relationship between Aurora and Aksel is a slow burn. They first must get past the antagonism, which happens slowly. Because both are devoted to doing the best for Clara and Freja, they first connect over issues involving them. Aurora doesn't hold back giving any of her opinions which often takes Aksel off guard. It isn't too long before they form a solid friendship. But each of them is hiding the fact that friendship isn't enough. The girls' acquisition of a pet is hilarious in their choice and how they got it. It lightens some darker moments and shows how much Aksel wants to make them happy. A lost pet moment is the catalyst that breaks through Aksel and Aurora's resistance to each other. Aksel wants more though he fights hard against his growing feelings. They disturb him, and he doesn't know how to deal with them. When Aksel finally decides he wants to see where those feelings can go, he runs up against his insecurities. There is a painful scene where he pulls a dirty trick to find out if Aurora feels the same way. It was cruel and unnecessary, though I understood what made him do it that way. I loved that Aurora called him out on it.

That confrontation opened up the next stage of their relationship. The emotions stirred up exploded into a passionate encounter, and from then on, they could barely keep their hands off each other. They also spend more time together, with and without the girls, getting to know each other. I loved the trust that built between them and how they were each able to share the painful parts of their pasts. The relationship progresses very well, with them looking toward the future. Then a bombshell drops about Aurora’s past, catching them all off guard. Aurora is mortified and ready to disappear out of their lives, but Aksel has different plans. I loved how he dealt with the publicity, the backlash, and the person responsible. He was every inch the king but also a father and a man in love. I loved when he told Aurora, "I've waited forty years for my heart to have a home," he says softly. "I've waited for you." The press conference was terrific and redeemed his earlier jerk status. The follow-up epilogue was fantastic. ( )

Everything I hoped for and more!! I received an ARC for this book in exchange for an hones review. Askel and Aurora were off the charts. The fact that Karina wrote Snarf Snarf into this story had me hysterically laughing at some points. I loved Askel he was great. I loved that it wasn't a fairy tale and that there were ups and downs here. Aurora was great and strong. She was a great character. Also how they stuck by each other in the end made my heart smile. Great read and the steaminess is off the charts!! ( )

3/5 stars

I really liked the beginning of this book. I also quite like the movie the beautician and the beast (although it's definitely not a terrific movie haha) and this book started out a little like that. But the king isn't really that big of an asshole.
I'm not sure exactly but around chapter 17 I think it started to turn into 'meh' for me. I was really excited to read it at first, but after that I put it down and didn't pick it up for 2 days. It went from funny banter and excitement to way too mushy, clingy and a bit unrealistic. I need something to keep me interested, and there was a whole chunk that was just too mushy for me. I'm sure lots of people will feel very differently. Different strokes for different folks and all. So give it a try yourself. It was an entertaining book. ( )