I received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole Series: Reluctant Royals #2.5
Series Rating:
Published by Avon Impulse on January 8, 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 106
Format: eARC
Source: Avon
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Amazon
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Alyssa Cole returns with a fun, sexy romance novella in the Reluctant Royals series!
While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she’s determined to rediscover her joy—so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart.
When Likotsi and Fabiola meet again on a stalled subway train months later, Fab asks for just one cup of tea. Likotsi, hoping to know why she was unceremoniously dumped, agrees. Tea and food soon leads to them exploring the city together, and their past, with Fab slowly revealing why she let Likotsi go, and both of them wondering if they can turn this second chance into a happily ever after.
Look. At. That. Cover. Go ahead. Sit with it for a while; I’ll wait. I was pretty sure this novella would live up to that unbelievable cover, (it is written by Alyssa Cole, after all) and, boy howdy, did it ever.
We’ve met Likotsi before – she was a big part of A Princess in Theory, and made a brief appearance in conversation in A Duke by Default. I’ve wanted to know her story since the beginning, though, and as usual, Alyssa Cole did not disappoint.
There’s a brief mention in Princess of a date, something Likotsi had thought was going to go better and longer than it did. It was clear that the ending of that potential relationship had hurt her, but she was too much of a professional to let it affect her work, so we didn’t hear a lot about it. But here we get the whole story, and it was so much. On both sides, it was just so much. Likotsi hasn’t recovered from the abrupt way Fabiola cut off their relationship. She never got the answers she needed, no matter how many times she asked, and she eventually stopped asking.
Fabiola was equally miserable. Cutting off Likotsi was the only option she saw available to her when her family shit hit the proverbial fan. I can’t say I disagreed with her. My heart broke for both of them. For Fabiola, who was just on the verge of getting the dream she’d wanted for so long, and for Likotsi, who never got to know why she was left behind.
Alyssa Cole is amazing. Even in a novella, a mere 106 pages, both Likotsi and Fabiola were completely fleshed-out characters. I could feel the connection they shared, and I rooted for both of them. Likotsi did her best to hang on to her anger, even when she could feel other emotions, the feelings she had for Fab, trying to take hold. She held her ground and insisted that Fabiola tell her why she had ghosted on her, but was sympathetic when she heard the reason.
This is one book that I would tell everyone to get. I think it’s richer if you’ve read the first 2 in the series, but it could be read as a standalone if you insist. I mean, don’t, the entire series is great, but if you really want to grab this one, go for it.
About Alyssa Cole
Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and SFF romance. Her Civil War-set espionage romance AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION is the winner of the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can often be found watching anime with her husband or wrangling their menagerie of animals. She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Handspun Literary.
