Can a ruse of a royal relationship result in a real romance?
Welcome to one of the July 1st stops on the blog tour for Fairly Royal by Grace Grahme with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more exclusive content, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.
Author Guest Post
Why Beta Readers are the best!
Every author loves their beta readers and are always looking to add more of these amazing, trusted folks to their team.
In book 1, my beta readers gave me the confidence that my first story was REALLY good and people would enjoy it. 95+ review later at 4.4 stars, they’re right!
In book 2, my betas helped me streamline parts of my novel that needed more tension, cheered on my bedroom scenes, and helped me decide what characters would be the stars of book 3.
In book 3, my beta readers challenged a critical element at the very end of the book- and the story was strengthened due to their comments.
What do authors hope to find in a beta reader?
1- someone who loves the genre we write in (and if we write more than one genre, we might need different betas)
2- someone who will tell us the truth and point out things that don’t work- and praise the things that do
3- someone who can point out grammar errors and typos is an extra bonus
4- a fast reader who is dependable
What do authors owe their betas?
1- RESPECT! They’re doing us a big favor, we need to remember that!
2- Openness to feedback. Some of my betas are literally surprised when I write back thanking them for their comments and the time they took.
3- Deliver our betas a product that lives up to its promise. Tell them if it’s a rough draft and you just want over all story feedback, or if it’s getting close to polished and want more specific commentary. If you’re writing a billionaire slow-burn romance, make sure your book lives up to those tropes.
4- Thank yous- I like to thank them (if they’re comfortable with that) in several different formats!
If you’re interested in being a beta reader for an author you like, send them an email/reach out via social media. The bigger ones might not be as responsive, but a smaller indie will be absolutely thrilled by your offer. (although they might vette you with a questionnaire or ask for other info- don’t take offense!)
About the Book
Fairly Royal
Fair Book Four
by Grace Grahme
Published 27 June 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 596
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Can a ruse of a royal relationship result in a real romance?
Philip has a problem.
Namely, his relationship to the throne.
Well, that and paparazzi hounding him, plus family obligations on steroids.
Years ago, the notoriously private Earl of Arburne and Glasgow’s #1 most eligible bachelor decided relationships were impossible with his unique pressures.
So he avoids anything serious. Hell, he avoids dating at all.
When he lands in yet another tabloid headline, he has the brilliant (or brilliantly stupid) idea to give the tabloids what they want.
A romance.
No one needs to know it’s fake.
But when he enlists beautiful, bold, and outspoken Anna McDonnell, his best friend’s little sister, he finds himself with a whole new set of troubles.
Anna’s rules for their ruse make their arrangement feel far from pretend. Counterfeit feels more and more like something authentic.
And in the realm of royalty and public scrutiny, anything real and pure can’t survive.
Philip has a problem.
Will this liason be a love-match or will their fling fall flat?
Fairly Royal is the page-turning third book in The Fair Series of contemporary billionaire romances. If you like bold heroines, billionaire heroes, and plenty of steam, then you’ll adore Grace Grahme’s royal romance.
Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK
NOTE: This book is part of a series: Book 1 | Book 2 | Book 3
Excerpt
“You’re freaking me out, Phillip. Do you need a kidney or something?”
He chuckled but didn’t look amused. “Nothing quite so grave.” He took a sip of the whisky and cleared his throat. “Have you seen the paper today?”
“The paper?” she asked as he pulled a newspaper from his jacket. “You read The Daily Gazette?”
“Not by choice. I’d rather eat rats.” He tapped a picture in the corner.
“A new lady for the lord? Who writes this crap?” She flipped to the story and skimmed it. The pictures were good. She looked great. “Okay, so we were in the paper. Is this a big deal? They write about you all the time.”
“I apologize for you being a subject of speculation. Nobody should have unwanted attention thrust on them. I’m a very private man, Anna, mostly out of necessity to avoid this kind of thing. But my reluctance to give them coverage makes them prone to making up stories about me.”
“Aye. Like when you took Janet to the Charity Awards. The papers had a field day when she went to the event with you, but left with my brother.”
“Right. Classic example. There’s a lot of pressure on me to settle down, especially from my family. But I don’t want to get married and expose a wife to the structured life I lead and the restrictions due to my title.”
Anna nodded. Janet said last night how Phillip resented his place in the peerage. That still didn’t explain why he was here.
“Too much bowing and scraping?” she joked.
“Something like that.”
“Ya ken that the Estate is always open if you need to get away, right? We don’t care about your title.”
“You don’t care much about the peerage. You’re bolder than anyone I know because of your disregard for the politics that come with Society.”
“Och, dinnae remind me. Robbie’s harping at me to watch my tongue, given all the marketing he expects me to do.”
“It’s why I’m here, though.” He smiled, and her heart twisted at how it transformed his face. “If I had a girlfriend, the papers would stop caring who I went to what event with and, even better, my family would leave me in peace. You’re strong enough to withstand the scrutiny of the gossip columnists and my mother. You’d be the perfect girlfriend.”
“Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”
“In name only. Let’s keep up the charade the paper started. Pretend to be my girlfriend, and it’ll give me some peace.”
A pretend girlfriend. Her heart shriveled. He didn’t want to date her. He just wanted her help. She took a sip of whisky, buying time before answering. He couldn’t know how his words dashed her hope of a romance with him. It wasn’t like he knew she had a crush on him.
About the Author
I love reading and I love writing even more- I balance (not always successfully) writing, a career, a family, and a menagerie of rescued dogs, cats, and backyard chickens.
Writing allows me to live vicariously through my characters, escape to worlds and experiences I might never have, and my characters always have a witty response or a perfect retort. (no more 5 hours later having the thought of ‘that’s what I should have said!’)
I’m an avid coffee consumer and adult beverage fan. I love catching up with my friends on Marco Polo and working out at they gym. I avoid cleaning, cardio, and carbs- unless it’s an emergency.
I carve out writing time by starting my day at 515am. Which unfortunately means I’m in bed earlier than I’d like. And I still don’t get my to-do list done!
Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | BookBub | Amazon | Goodreads
Giveaway Alert!
Grace Grahme will be awarding a $15 Amazon & B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| June 27 | Fabulous and Brunette | June 28 | Romance Novel Giveaways |
| June 29 | All the Ups and Downs | June 29 | It’s Raining Books |
| June 30 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews | June 30 | Literary Gold |
| July 1 | Gina Rae Mitchell | July 1 | Westveil Publishing |
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for hosting- it’s the last day of my release week and all my billionaire books with a Scottish accent are discounted: book 1 is free and book 2 is 99¢
Sounds like a good story.
I enjoyed the excerpt the book sounds great.