**Free copy received in exchange for a fair review**

Portia Hobbs, NYC socialite, is determined to end her reputation as a hot mess. Taking the apprenticeship at a sword smith in Edinburgh is just the first step to #NewPortia. Proving to her friends and family that she has what it takes to focus on a project is the next.

Tavish McKenzie, eternal grump, is flabbergasted by his brother's chosen apprentice. Tavish's sword making business is struggling as he tries to keep the business afloat, the local children fed, and his crumbling inherited building in his possession. Tavish doesn't need the social media obsessed Portia with her newfangled ideas "helping." He also doesn't need to be feeling any feelings for his "intern" because that is just wrong.

But, Portia's persistence and obvious excellence at the job start to win over not only Tavish's family and his neighbors, but also him. As Portia's apprenticeship draws to an end, the only problem with her persistence is that she may have inadvertently discovered a secret about Tavish's heritage that could threaten life as he knows it.

A slow-burn romance to die for and including all of my most favorite tropes turned on their head in the best way, this is a perfect continuation to the Reluctant Royals series.

The characters also have diverse backgrounds that give them exceptional depth. Tavish's mother was refuge from South America, Portia is working with a recent diagnosis of ADHD.

I arguably love this second book more than A Princess in Theory! Hard to believe but it is true.