Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals #2.5) by Alyssa Cole
"While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she's determined to rediscover her joy--so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart."
Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is a short, cute story about Likotsi & Fab running into each other after having broken up months previously. The story is told overlapping their first meeting, with them running into each other again after Fab ghosted Likotsi and ended things. It takes place between book 1 & 2 of the Reluctant Royals series, but you don't need to have read them to enjoy this book. I haven't read the rest of the series and still enjoyed this book immensely.
I listened to this as an audiobook, because honestly, I needed a short, cute romance. This definitely delivered. I absolutely loved the characters, and the narrator, Karen Chilton, did a wonderful job of bringing these two characters to life. And even though I haven't met these characters in the other books, I was very invested in this little novella. Overall, this book was pretty light and fun with some slight commentary on our current government policies. I loved learning about these two and I really enjoyed their adventures around New York.
“Took you long enough,” she said, finally. Somewhere, the polite part of Likotsi’s mind chided her for blocking the flow of pedestrian traffic, but she didn’t start walking. She slowly adjusted the lapels of her coat and then the hem of each cuff. “Well. I’m certainly worth the wait.”
― Alyssa Cole, Once Ghosted, Twice Shy
I highly recommend this one if you need a quick, light romance read! And the audiobook was phenomenal!
Genre: lgbtqia+, contemporary, romance
Representation: lesbian/queer, BIPOC
Content Warnings: sex (on page), imprisonment