Solomon’s Crown is an overall fun read with engaging writing, but had a bit too little substance for me to truly enjoy. It’s definitely a book that I enjoyed my time with, but not one that will stick with me for a long time.

There was a lot to this book that drew me in very quickly, and I found myself drawn in to both the relationship and politic dynamics (both between Richard and Philip and within their respective countries). There was a complex web of politics that kept Richard and Philip from both fully trusting each other and allowing themselves to get fully entangled in a relationship, and I felt like the author did a great job of weaving this web. I often feel like the plot points keeping two characters from entering a relationship in a romance book to be flimsy, and it often leads to frustration. However, the author did a good job of showing the true depth of the complications that would arise from their relationship, and that resulted in me both yearning for Richard and Philip to be together while also being entirely understanding of why they were hesitant (without being frustrated that the reasoning was silly or frivolous). It was a strong point of the book for me!

Unfortunately, I did have some issues with the pacing that led to my interest waning at points during the story, and it felt like certain aspects sometimes dragged on. A lot of time was dedicated to exploring the politics and historical setting of the book, and I feel like this began to take more and more focus as we neared the end of the book, with the romance often being overshadowed. While this would make sense in most books, the set-up and eventual end of the book was more romance focused. This meant that a lot of the political development in the second half of the book felt under-used. I found this especially true for the ending, where it felt like things just kind of suddenly worked out to make the romance end well, and didn’t necessarily ring true with the political aspects of the book. It overall left me conflicted, because while I overall found both the romance and the political plot interesting, they didn’t seem to actually work well together.

Overall, I had a fun time with this book and I do see myself trying out more novels by this author, even if Solomon’s Crown isn’t a new stand-out favorite for me. I definitely recommend it for those looking for a historical romance to read over a day or two!