Look, I need to talk about this book's understanding of how monarchies work because it's giving me the same energy as medical thrillers that think you can shock asystole. You cannot. And fictional kingdoms that are simultaneously modern enough to have investigative journalists but also somehow still debating whether to keep the monarchy? Pick a lane, Avonia.
But here's the thing - I didn't stop listening. And that's saying something because I started this one on a rare day off, folding laundry at 2 PM like a normal human being instead of my usual 7 AM post-shift zombie state. Carlos was at work, kids were at school, and I had a mountain of scrubs to fold. Nine hours later, the laundry was done and I was genuinely annoyed I had to stop for school pickup.
Tom Bromhead Doing Female Voices Is the Content I Didn't Know I Needed
Okay, the dual narration here is uneven but in the most entertaining way possible. Shiromi Arserio handles Tessa's chapters with solid comedic timing - she gets the internal monologue of a woman who knows she's attracted to someone she's supposed to professionally dismantle, and she leans into that self-loathing just enough. But Tom Bromhead as Prince Arthur? This man is having the TIME of his life. When he imitates the female characters - the queen, the staff, whoever crosses Arthur's path - it's not mocking, it's genuinely funny character work. He gives Arthur this slightly self-aware pompousness that makes you root for the guy even when he's being objectively ridiculous. His Arthur sounds like someone who knows he's charming and is only just starting to realize that's not actually a personality.
The two narrators don't always feel like they're in the same book, though. Arserio plays it a bit more straight while Bromhead is doing full comedy. It works because the alternating chapters keep them separate, but when you're bouncing between the two perspectives, there's a slight tonal whiplash. Not a dealbreaker, just noticeable.
The Slow Burn That's Maybe Too Slow (But I'm a Night Shift Nurse, I Know About Waiting)
Here's my honest complaint: the first third drags. Tessa's righteous anger at the monarchy is established, re-established, and then established again just in case you missed it the first two times. We get it. She's The Royal Watchdog. She writes scathing columns. She hates privilege. I was folding the same pair of scrub pants for like ten minutes waiting for something to actually happen.
But then Tessa moves into the palace and the dynamic shifts. The forced proximity trope kicks in, and Summers does something smart - she lets Arthur be genuinely competent in small moments. He's not just a pretty face learning humility from a commoner. He actually knows things about running a country, he just hasn't had to prove it before. That's a more interesting character than the bumbling prince I was expecting. And when the attraction hits, it hits with that specific flavor of "I hate that I want this" that makes romance novels worth the investment.
The comedy lands about 60% of the time. Some of the situational humor feels forced - like the book is trying really hard to be Bridget Jones when it should just be itself. When it relaxes into the characters' natural awkwardness, it's genuinely funny. When it reaches for the big set piece comedy moments, it sometimes misses.
Who's Going to Love This (And Who Should Keep Scrolling)
If you're a romance reader who loves the enemies-to-lovers setup with a royal twist and you don't need your books to be realistic about geopolitics, this is a perfectly pleasant nine hours. It's comfort food. It's the audiobook equivalent of a Hallmark movie that's slightly spicier than expected - the "mature themes" warning is earned but we're not talking anything that would scandalize anyone over 25.
If you need fast pacing from page one, this isn't it. If political worldbuilding in your romance needs to make actual sense, this isn't it either. The fictional kingdom of Avonia is basically a theme park version of European monarchy, and you just have to roll with it.
For my fellow night shift people: this is a solid decompression listen. Light enough that your exhausted brain can follow it, engaging enough to keep you from falling asleep at a red light. Summer on the Bluffs hit that same sweet spot for me - easy to follow, hard to stop. Not my usual genre - I'm typically yelling at my dashboard about incorrect intubation procedures - but sometimes you need a break from serial killers and medical inaccuracies.
Carlos asked why I was smiling at the laundry. I told him the fabric softener smelled nice. He did not believe me.
The Discharge Summary
Royal Treatment is a fun, fluffy romance that takes too long to find its groove but rewards you if you stick past the first third. Tom Bromhead's performance alone is worth the listen - the man commits to every character like his life depends on it. It's not going to change your life, but it doesn't need to. Sometimes you just need nine hours of will-they-won't-they with a prince who's learning to be a person. My mom would love this (she still thinks I should've been a doctor), and honestly, I'd listen to the next one. Eventually. After I catch up on my thriller backlog.
