A Right Royal Affair

By: Helen Juliet

Narrated by: Kieran Flitton

Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Theo Glass used to believe that love was just a fairy tale. Orphaned and disowned by his homophobic stepfamily, he and his grandma make ends meet as best they can. But when his grandma’s tireless charity work is honored, Theo makes sure he spends his last pennies to get her to the palace, hosted by none other than the gorgeous Prince James himself. 

James is sixth in line to the throne of the United Kingdom and a disappointment to just about everyone. He never felt at home at school, on the rugby pitch, or even in the army. Being royalty means he’s been forced to keep a lid on his bisexuality. But when he meets Theo at the honors ceremony, he knows he’s in serious trouble. 

Needing to find purpose, James convinces Theo to use his charity event savvy to throw a fundraiser ball in a secluded castle. All James has to do is behave himself around the sassy twink. But soon, the chemistry between them is too strong to resist.

Their lives are too different, and there’s no chance James can come out as the first prince of the United Kingdom with a boyfriend. But James knows if he doesn’t show Theo how much he means to him, he’ll lose him forever. 

Can love conquer all? Or is that something just for fairy tales? 

A Right Royal Affair is a steamy, stand-alone MM romance novel featuring a pack of unruly royal terriers, a romantic ball, feisty swans, a wicked stepfather, and a guaranteed HEA with absolutely no cliff-hanger.

©2018 Helen Juliet (P)2020 Helen Juliet

Cute Cinderella retelling

I'm a sucker for a good fairytale retelling, this one did not disappoint. The story hit all the highpoints of the original in cute ways that served the story well. I enjoyed the characters and the way the relationship developed. Great story.

A Modern Fairy Tale 💖

“Theo was the hero of his story. And that hero was gay AF!”

What a sweet sweet story!

Once upon a time.. a prince named James fell in love with an Essex boy named Theo.

It’s a modern retelling of Cinderella, all the way down to the shoes. However, I love the kind of shoes used in this story more than any glass slippers.

Kieran Flitton did an excellent job with this book. The characters came to life. His accents were spot on. I hope he does more narrations for this genre.

If you’re looking for a fun, sweet, low angst read, this one’s the perfect one for you. 💖

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5 Jolly Good Stars for this delightful tale!

**thanks to LesCourt for the opportunity to listen and review**

Happily ever after

Super sweet modern day fairy tale, pretty low angst with a slower burn. Narration is done really well and just added to the story. Overall very enjoyable listen.

love love love it

you will love this story because it's almost like the most wonderful gay story ever in a fairy tale you will love it love it love it love it because I could not put it down it was so good you don't know how to explain it but it's it made me cry it made me giggle a little bit so good I think you would enjoy it so much that you will not want to put down just like I would so please please give this series I caught a serious because you will like the other books as well especially the thorn in my side but you will love this one as well so good please please please please please give this a try

A modern day, m/m Cinderella.

This book is just about the Sweetest thing you could imagine. Helen Juliet is an amazing author with a taste for sweet, low-angst love stories, and this modern day retelling of Cinderella, with plebian poor Theo from Essex falling in love with closed bisexual Prince James of England is absolutely amazing.
This was my first audiobook narrated by Kieran Flitton, and I really think he did both the characters and the story justice.

I love, love, love Theo and James!!

This book is wonderful! I really like Theo and James. The characters are beautifully written, lovable, and sweet. The book is humorous at times and tear inducing at other times so all in all- a perfect story! Plus there's a small herd of dogs!!!

enjoyed it

📖 Story comment: Good pace, likeable characters, entertaining story
I enjoy a fairy tale re-write, and i'm calling this "loosely based"... this one is my favorite of the series. Fun, sweet, low angst - it was a delightful listen. I loved the take on "the glass slipper" and the appearance of familiar characters at the end is always a bonus.

🎧 Narrator comment: I enjoyed Kieran Flitton's narration, his accent suits the characters, he has good cadence, inflections and intonations and it's easy to distinguish the characters from each other. A thoroughly enjoyable performance and he bought the story to life.

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📌 Where does it fall on my personal scale? 7.5
• 1 not my thing • 2 didn't like the narration • 3 didn't keep my attention • 4 was good, but once was enough • 5 enjoyed it • 6 will listen again if i'm in the mood for the narrator [4⭐] • 7 goes on the "re-listen" list [4⭐] • 8 kept me up past bed-time [4.5⭐] • 9 recommended to family/friends [4.75⭐] • 10 own it in all formats [5⭐] • 11 keep a copy with me at all times [5⭐]

A Touch Cliche

A great performance with a strong voice and warm undertones. The narration is appealing and pulls you in.
The story, however, is a bit sappy and overdone with themes of 'Cindefella'.

Sweet escape

Full confession: I typically don’t read any novel featuring any form of royalty. Further, this is the first audio book I’ve ever listened to by a British narrator. And while my Canadian ears loved Kieran Flitton’s accent, author Helen Juliet’s frequent usage of British slang alternately made me giggle and puzzle over meanings.

All of that aside, I loved this book! I don’t know what drew me to it or convinced me to try it but I am so glad I did. I found myself continually trying to sneak in one more chapter. The five Yorkies won my heart, as did Theo’s Nan.

James and Theo’s unlikely romance was beautiful escapism full of romance, emotion and sneaky supporters. All in all, this feel-good novel is just over nine hours of smile-worthy moments, a slow-burn blaze and memorable characters.

Sweet Story. Fabulous Narrator.

Kieran Clifton was one of the best professional narrators that I have ever heard. I will look for their narration in the future.I

This was a sweet story. Was it real life? No, but it was a wonderful story that I enjoyed. The Prince did not rescue Cinderella. Cinderella or more correctly Cinderfella, rescued the Prince.

Loved It!! 🥰🥰

Modern MM retelling of Cinderella (was the impression I got) 😊

Great storyline and characters and perceptive view of the Royal Family.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, the only thing I wanted to know was, if Theo’s stepfather and brother’s weren’t invited, how did they get into a Royal party?
The security would have been so strict, there is no way they would have got in without a formal request/invite.

I have my theory, but nothing indicative of what actually happened.

Kieran does another great job narrating this audiobook 🥰

Not enough to detract from a 5🌟 rating though 😁

Loved it!

A thoroughly modern, endearing and hot retelling of the classic Cinderella story. Was a little worried about the fairytale aspect, but it totally works. Loved every second and the narrator was brilliant. There's nothing I would change about this, but wished there were more of Helen's books on Audible so I could go on a binge right now. Hurry up Helen, get some more books beautifully narrated by Kieran and take my money :)

amusing take on the "bag a prince" trope

there's many aspects of this story that I enjoyed. To be honest, it did take a fair few attempts to get through it-but once I got over the "listeners block" (is that a thing?) I enjoyed it. We get reasonably accurate representations of various types and classes in England, which added to the entertainment. The main characters didn't fall flat and were likeable, while the more antagonist characters were very disagreeable. Also appreciate the dyslexic character not being made out to be stupid.
worth a listen if you like "princess" story tropes with a twist.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The Prince and the Charity Worker

Who doesn't love a good Royal Romance? Helen Juliet's wonderfully rich, quirky characters are brought to life by Kieran Flitton who is a new-to-me narrator, but he does an admirable job of giving the guys their own voices.
This is a sweet contemporary MM romance with a Royal twist. Highly recommended.

modern day fairytale

This modern day fairy tale was my first by both the author and the narrator and I really enjoyed them both. Kieran has a fantastic accent that was perfect for this story and a joy to listen to. There was almost a bit of a Prince and the Pauper feel to this story and it as a lot of fun to see the sassy twink and his Prince fall for each other. There were a lot of laughs and a lot of swoony moments. I really enjoyed it

Such a sweet fairytale for the new age ❤

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 4
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration: 5

Such a sweet fairy-tale for the new age ❤

A beautifully weaved story with ALL the perfect elements that make up a Cinderella story. All so cleverly done! I loved Theo & James!

Helen worked her magic with this story. It’s a modern fairy-tale that addresses REAL world issues while carrying you away to the pure love and innocence of a "rags to riches" fairy-tale. I loved all the unique details Helen included; from Theo’s love of converse to his last name Glass, the evil stepfather (& step brothers), to the unexpected (and totally hated) Royal secretary.

This story was surprisingly real, wonderfully witty and delightfully magical with great characters and cheeky pets. This story is a must-read for the fairy-tale dreamer and romantic at heart! Just lovely!

Kieran Flitton was a new narrator to me but I loved him! Exceptional performance!

Thanks for reading!

A royal fairy tale

I’m always willing to try a new author, and I’m extra-glad I picked up this book by Helen Juliet. The book is set in an alternate timeline when the Queen still reigns in England, but her son, the Prince of Wales, is happily married with three grown children. The firstborn son and heir has dutifully married, and has welcomed two sons. He and his wife are happy, comfortable in their royal roles. There is a daughter, Livy, who likes to buck traditions. She wears what she wants, and is marrying a black man whom she loves deeply. Shades of anything from today, perchance? Except this man is from the upper echelons of British society instead of a divorced American actress. Again, another world.

Finally there is James. He’s a dutiful son and sixth in line to the throne. Barring any major disasters, he’s not destined to rule Great Britain and that’s just fine with him. He’s struggled with his sexuality for years, knowing that coming out of the closet isn’t even within the realm of possibilities. Then he catches an attractive man skulking around a private area of Buckingham Palace and all bets are off.

Theo is, frankly, living close to the poverty line. He lives with his grandmother who gives all her time and money to LGBT youth charities. Her generosity knows no bounds – except that of their income. More money would mean helping more kids, but they are just scraping by. An invitation for a ceremony where his grandmother will be honored comes at a time when Theo wants to treat his grandmother but it’ll stretch his budget to do it. But he owes this woman everything and will find a way to make the day special. The bond between grandmother and grandson is strong and powerful. I was a bit in love with Theo’s grandmother, glad she was there to support and love her gay grandson.

So when Theo is caught red-handed with one of the royal Yorkie dogs, he’s defensive and certainly not deferential to the arrogant prince. Theo wasn’t trying to steal, just trying to keep the dog from causing problems and getting hurt. James, who is attracted to Theo, jumps to the worst conclusion and things go off the rails from there.

Later that day, James shows up at Theo’s house and proposes they work together. A charity ball to raise money for various charities including the one Theo’s grandmother supports. Knowing this could elevate the profile of the charity, and bring in much needed funds, Theo agrees. He’s still leery of the rich and handsome and straight prince. Why would he pick Theo? There are many people way more qualified. But Theo puts on his big boy pants and heads to the castle, willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.

The attraction between Theo and James is palpable, but a relationship is impossible, right? If anything is going to happen, it will be up to the prince to make the first move. With the support of those around him, but not necessarily his mother, James puts himself out there, hoping Theo will meet him halfway. And when he confesses something no one else knows, man I was pulled in and so was Theo. For a powerful man to make himself vulnerable…what’s not to love?

But the path to true love isn’t easy, as you can imagine. There are obstacles including a Swedish princess (whom I adored), a meddling mother, and societal expectations. For instance, being sixth in the line of succession means the Queen has to approve of the marriage partner. James loves his grandmother and she him, but to approve of a gay relationship? A gay marriage? Too much to contemplate, right?

I loved that this book didn’t offer up easy answers. The men had to work to their happy ending, even losing a diamond-covered Converse in the process (shades of Cinderella, anyone?). I also loved that the men had to fight for their relationship. The struggle made things more realistic and drew me in even further into the story. Have I said I loved the book?

Kieran Flitton is a new narrator to me, and I have to say I enjoyed his performance. He hit just the right tone for the book, giving perfect voices for each of the men. I also liked his portrayal of the women. Top notch performance. I can highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something akin to a modern fairy tale with castles and moats, five exuberant Yorkshire terriers, a cheerleader sister, a loving grandmother, and two great men.

Did I listen to the same audiobook?

Reading the other reviews on this audiobook I have to ask if we were listening to the same book. Some indicate this to be a *fast-paced* book. I found it to be a very slow slow-burn romance. In the first three hours of this nine-hour audiobook, the MCs don't even so much as kiss. They mostly spend their time internally lamenting to themselves that they couldn't pursue any attraction that *might* exist. I mean no offense to the author, but it just didn't grab my attention. Sweet story and characters, but I felt the dogs and the secondary characters had more character than the MCs.

Narration was good and I had no trouble telling who was speaking at any given time.

I received a free review copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

Fairy tale romance

Be prepared to suspend all disbelief in this fairy tale romance and you'll enjoy it far more. Set in the UK but with a completely made up royal family and Yorkies instead of Corgis (which really threw me for a loop) this the story of the 6th in line to the throne falling for a commoner, acknowledging his bisexuality, and stepping down. It felt like Prince Harry fanfic with rainbows and converse. It was sweet enough but didn't grab me enough I'd be compelled to listen again.
The narrator did an okay job but sometimes the accents slipped especially for the MCs.

Sweet story

This was a great, cinderfella kind of story. It was sweet and fast paced. It had its ups and downs, hot moments and fun times. I really loved both Theo and James, they are quite different but in a way, quite similar. I loved how their relationship developed and how they overcame differences and difficulties. This was my first audiobook by Kieran Flitton and he was absolutely amazing. His narration really brought all the characters to life and root for them even more. Really enjoyable story