The Royal Slave by Lily Orevba

Historical Romance

This love story was so precious.

The Royal Slave by Lily Orevba is a satisfying Historical Fiction tale.

​The beginning of the story immersed us in the agony of being a slave. I've seen the movies, read the books, but never really connected with the pain, fear and desperation of life in shackles until reading the first part of this story. Lily Orevba captured each second of the experience in vivid prose.

Then something awful happened, and a lie was born.

Before the wedding, I was in knots wondering when the big lie would be exposed. Then, after the wedding, the sweetest love story blossomed. Boy met girl. Married her, and accidentally fell in love. It was like "a kiss on the collarbone" paired with notes of "boy, you betta kiss the girl." 🥰 Oh, it was so nice.

​And then all hell broke loose. Skeletons tumbled out of closets and uninvited visitors swarmed my honey-filled story like locusts.

It was awful and frustrating. I searched for a way out, but my loving couple could not catch a break. Was this the end?

Me: Please don't tell me I fell into a tragic love story. I don't do those—ever. Oh, my heart. Will I ever survive? Insert dramatic sigh here.

​Do not worry, my friends. I am doing well. Breathing comfortably again and no longer trying to find a way to help the newlyweds escape their horrid fate. To find out why, you'll have to read the story because, say it with me: "This is a spoiler-free zone."

​But I'll tell you about the writing. Crisp and descriptive. Definitely worth the read. When I had to do essential things like sleep, the story would whisper my name and ask me to read one more part.

Me: I can't.
Story: You must.
Me: Okay, but only one more chapter.

​Housekeeping? She's super clean. No profanity. The newlywed behaviors are sensual for sure, but stops short of the bom-chicka-wow-wow.

The love dripped off the pages of this story.

​I did spend a lot of my reading time wondering if Chara was a mulatto or a tanned, white woman. It's easy to assume that slaves were black, but in this story I couldn't tell. The only reference to skin color was that her skin was tan. It's not a critical piece of information, but I did wonder if her betrothed and high society saw her differently because of her color rather than her family's social status. It's sort of a moot point though. A slave is but a slave until she becomes a Rose.

Absolutely loved this story!!

Find more Historical Romances from Lily Orevba on Goodreads.

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