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Verdict: A light, charming royal fauxmance: Princess Alice, the first out member of the British royal family, clashes with outspoken anti-monarchist Sara at a school event — then needs her expertise for her nephew, and they end up fake dating. Readers enjoy the humour, the low angst and Sara’s daughter Libby; some found it slow and a little bland.
Best for: Readers who love royal romance, fake dating and a low-angst single-mom story.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.7/5 — a 3.84 Goodreads average across 2,050 ratings, 3.67 on StoryGraph from 582 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 822 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Fake dating, royal romance, opposites attract, single mom, celebrity/non-celebrity, low angst.
Her Royal Happiness is Lola Keeley’s 2022 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva Publishing. Keeping a secret isn’t easy in the most visible family in the world — especially for a lesbian princess who has just fallen madly in love.
It holds a 3.84 average across 2,050 Goodreads ratings, with 66% of them four or five stars, 3.67 on StoryGraph from 582 reviews, and 4.5 stars across 822 Amazon ratings.
What Is Her Royal Happiness About?
When tabloid darling Princess Alice meets opinionated single mother Sara, the encounter goes viral. Later, Alice has to ask the education specialist to help diagnose her young nephew’s learning difficulties — awkward, until they click.
With the press circling, they claim to be dating. But fake dates feel like much more, and Sara must protect her daughter while facing the Queen’s disapproval.
What Works in This Book
- Humour: Readers call it delightful, very British and fun.
- Libby: Sara’s daughter gets some of the best lines.
- Research: One fan notes Keeley’s books are always well researched.
- Serious themes: One reader praises how timely issues are woven in.
Book Synopsis
A princess who can’t hide. A commoner who doesn’t believe in princesses.
Faking it for the cameras is the easy part.
My Review
Keeley gives the fairy tale some grounding: Sara is a strong, principled lead, the royal world feels thought-through, and the long book gives the relationship time to develop before and after they get together.
Not everyone was charmed. Some found it slow and bland, one disconnected from one of the leads early on, and one didn’t finish because the couple’s values felt too far apart. The low angst is a plus for some and a lack of tension for others.
My honest note: A sweet, easy royal fantasy.
| Element | In Her Royal Happiness |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Princess Alice (British royal) & Sara Marteau (education specialist, single mom) |
| Core tropes | Fake dating, royal romance, opposites attract |
| Setting | Britain and a fictional royal family |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | About 100,000 words |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Gun violence, stalking, car accident, death of a parent |
How Spicy Is Her Royal Happiness?
Moderate — some on-page intimacy.
StoryGraph readers flag gun violence, stalking, a car accident and death of a parent.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a playful royal fauxmance with a single mom. It is on our single mom lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you need high tension.
In short: Royal, relaxed, romantic.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 25% five stars, 41% four, 27% three, 6% two and 1% one. On StoryGraph, 93% tagged it lighthearted and 90% found the characters loveable.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The fauxmance first. Second, humour. Third, Libby. Fourth, low angst.
What readers argue about and complain about: Slow pacing, above everything. Second, blandness. Third, clashing values.
The comparison worth making first: Presidential, Keeley’s other power-in-public romance with a single parent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Her Royal Happiness a fake-dating romance?
Yes. To protect her nephew’s privacy, Princess Alice and Sara claim to be dating — until it becomes real.
Does it have a happy ending?
Yes — readers confirm an HEA.
Is it angsty?
Not much. Readers describe it as light, playful and mostly angst-free.
Who is Sara’s daughter?
Libby, whose funny lines about wanting a step-mum readers love.
Is Her Royal Happiness on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.
If You Loved Her Royal Happiness, Read These Next
Try Presidential or Teaching Hope. Browse our single mom list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Her Royal Happiness sets out to be a charming royal fake-dating romance, and it is sweet and fun. What holds it back is pacing that drags for some. A pleasant, low-stress read. Check Her Royal Happiness on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Her Royal Happiness ranks as a good single-mom pick — light, regal.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ 3.84 average across 2,050 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 66% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.67 on StoryGraph from 582 reviews
- ✓ 4.5 stars across 822 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Fake dating
- ✓ Opposites
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Low tension
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Princess Alice
- ✓ Principled Sara
- ✓ Libby
- ✓ 90% loveable on StoryGraph
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Well researched
- ✓ British humour
- ✓ Long
- ✓ Slow at times
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Lighthearted
- ✓ Family
- ✓ Privacy
- ✓ Low angst
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ On-page
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Romantic
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Public love
- ✓ Standalone
- ✓ Sweet
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Audiobook
- ✓ 100,000 words
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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