Hold on a second, I might still be having chest pains from all of the ANGST in that ending. Man, this was good. It sort of snuck up on me – this is not my first time reading one of Leigh’s emotional reads, so I knew I was in for something good, but the beginning had such a somber tone that I thought it might be too much for me. I was so, so wrong. Once these two familiar strangers get to know each other a little better, it’s chemistry-filled and addictive, with a really great road trip vibe that makes you feel like you’re part of the experience. Then those emotions sneak up on you, and before you know it… well, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

The story follows Nora, a woman we’ve met in previous books in the series – though this absolutely reads as a standalone. Her marriage ended when she discovered her husband in bed with another man, but it took that experience for Nora to open her eyes to the fact that she’s never truly gotten over her first love. Deciding that it’s time, she takes the road trip along Route 66 that they planned together – spreading his ashes in all of the place he would’ve loved. Along the way, Nora meets a sexy stranger who also has grief in his eyes. Anderson’s got his own secrets, but the two form a bond and soon find themselves taking the adventure together. They’re in a beautiful little bubble, but… bubbles are bound to burst.

I really, really loved the road trip and how much time is spent on getting to know these two. Leigh is a skilled writer, unraveling the mystery of their lives one piece at a time so that the reader gets to know more as the story goes on (and, yeah, there are many different triggers in their histories). There’s great conversation, sexual tension that’s bound to snap, a slow burn that will make you just the right kind of impatient, and emotion that will hit you with full force. Don’t let the slow burn fool you; this is a slow burn to SIZZLE with some fantastic intimate moments and a few that will make you blush. I found the story to be completely captivating once I settled into it; there was no stopping me from reading this in one sitting, no matter how late I needed to stay up. It’s just an outstanding, mesmerizing kind of read. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC via Social Butterfly PR (then purchased it for my collection), and am voluntarily leaving a review of this road trip romance.

Royal Games, a brand-new epic road trip contemporary romance by USA Today Bestselling author T.K. Leigh is NOW LIVE!

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“Car trouble?”

A voice comes out of nowhere, startling me. I straighten and smack my head into the hood.

“Crap,” I hiss out as I rub the sore spot.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, gorgeous.”

If the accent weren’t a dead giveaway regarding the owner of the voice, the nickname confirms it. Stepping back, my eyes lock onto Anderson’s, a sexy smirk on his lips. 

“What’s wrong with your car?”

“It wouldn’t start a few minutes ago. When it finally did, it wouldn’t go over twenty-five miles an hour.”

He gestures toward the engine. “Mind if I take a look?”

“You know something about cars?”

“I can get by.”

I step away, allowing him to take a look under my hood.

The car’s hood. Not my hood.

He bends down, toying with different parts of the engine. My heart rate increases as I watch him check the oil, grease getting on his hands. There’s something oddly erotic about watching a man as handsome as Anderson working on a car, the corded muscles in his forearms straining, his brow creased in confusion.

His broad shoulders pull at the fabric of his shirt, and I’m able to make out the defined muscles of his back. When his t-shirt lifts, it reveals a sliver of olive-toned skin. I wonder if he has that little V at his waist all women seem to lose their minds over. In my fantasy, he most certainly does.

In my fantasy, I even lick the ridges of that V, all the way to his—

“Nothing looks off,” he comments, facing me.

I inhale a sharp breath, his sudden movement taking me by surprise. 

“Is that right?”

“That’s right.” His voice oozes with sin as he advances toward me. 

With each step he takes, I take one in retreat, my heart pounding in my chest. 

When my back hits the side of a Jeep Wrangler parked a few spots from mine, I pray the owner doesn’t choose this second to need his car. 

“Nora…,” he exhales, angling closer.

I inhale his intoxicating scent, a combination of the ocean and fresh rain. “Yes?” 

“You…”

“Yes?” 

He draws near, his lips skimming mine. “Need to move.”

His words snap me out of my trance.

“I need to get into the glove box.” He nods at the Jeep behind me. “That’s my car.”

“Oh. Right.”

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