Thorne Princess: The addictive grumpy sunshine romance and TikTok sensation

I am a big fan of L J sheen’s work and there is something about her novels , that you cannot stop once you start.Thorne princess was no different, the character development of both ransom and Hallie was not only gripping but also personally inspiring

L.J.Shen is one of my favourite authors and has never disappointed me and the best part about these romances are that they are based on some cause which happens to us in daily lives but we choose to ignore it like in this story sexual assault

This book is about a spoiled rich brat who tries very hard to be likeable and fails miserably and an emotionless buffoon who tries equally hard to come across as a brooding macho. There’s no romance, no logic, no character development, just a random and sudden flip in attitudes with no preamble. This was the worst written book by LJ Shen who I have always admired otherwise. Certain sensitive topics like assault and reading difficulties have been tackled poorly just to show the female mc’s parents in a poor light. 2 stars

Unconventional Story Takes Patience, But They Find Happiness In The End. This Is Not A Sweet Romance. Sensitive Readers Should Take Caution, Though It Is Much Tamer Than I Had Expected.This book appears to be a standalone; however, fans of The Kiss Thief will enjoy Wolfe Keaton’s brief cameo.Hallie Margaret Thorne, twenty-one, is a hot mess. Often spotted on the arm of a Hollywood hottie or out and about in L.A. with other social media darlings, her life is subject to public scrutiny. The cameras are always ready and waiting to catch her missteps, and there are plenty. Being the first child born to a sitting U.S. President means that she has spent her entire life in the limelight. Unfortunately, she isn’t the picture-perfect child that her parents had hoped for. The paparazzi's attention only furthers her family’s humiliation, tarnishing their precious image.Hallie is cognizant of her shortcomings. She didn’t make it through her only semester of community college, while her twenty-nine-year-old sister Hera has her M.D. and is currently doing an internship at Baylor. Hallie might lack education, skills, and experience, but she hasn’t given up on herself entirely. She has a job that she takes pride in, working a few hours a day as a social media influencer. She gets lots of free stuff. She also gets to hang out with NeNe and Tara while being photographed together. They might not be friends per se, but close enough. Hallie’s only close friend – her best friend – is Keller, but there is a lot that even he doesn’t know about her.Since finishing high school, Hallie has made her home in L.A. She has no interest in Dallas, which is where her parents make their home. She feels like an unwelcome visitor there. Most people don’t understand it. After eight years in D.C., she spent the rest of her childhood in boarding schools. Dallas was never home to her, never felt like home, and she never considered settling down there. She has accepted that she will always be a failure in her family’s eyes, and she certainly knows better than to hope to be heard or understood by them. It only leads to disappointment.She is trying to make a life for herself, although she does still live off of her father’s money. Her measly earnings don’t cover the rent on her Hollywood Hills mansion, nor do they pay for her nights out with Keller, seeing and being seen. Hallie contributes in her own way, though. She is an avid believer in recycling – and that extends to her wardrobe, too. Despite her image, she isn’t pretentious that way. Everyone seems to think they know her, but the truth is far different than the gossip. Even Keller buys into her reputation for getting around, but in truth, she hasn’t even had a boyfriend.Ransom Lockwood, twenty-nine, is the best in the business. Heartless and professional to a T, he is known in the security business as The Robot. He and his business partner, Tom, run a sought-after security firm out of Chicago. Lockwood and Whitfield Protection Group offers its services to clients around the world. They serve the rich, the royalty, and the politically connected. Their close protection officers aren’t simply bodyguards. They are highly intelligent, trained, and experienced. They include former SEALS.Ransom’s looks have resulted in temptation from some of the most beautiful women in the world, but turning them all down is easy. He never mixes business with pleasure. He also never has relationships. He doesn’t know how to connect with women – he isn’t capable. A Dom, he only engages in well-planned encounters and with a signed contract, so there isn’t room for misunderstanding. He likes it rough – consensual non-consent – and picks partners willing to role-play his fantasies. He carefully screens them, then leaves them feeling safe and satisfied from their encounter.Ransom’s difficulty with making connections goes back to a difficult childhood. He was abandoned as a baby, so he knows a thing or two about abandonment. Things looked hopeful when he was adopted at age five, but Mr. Moruzzi soon showed his true colors. Moruzzi was a small-time leader in the Italian mafia, and his intentions were less than honorable. One good thing did come from the adoption – his new brothers, Tom and Lawrence. Tom was eight and Law seven at the time, and they taught him how to work for Mr. Moruzzi. He started off learning the art of pickpocketing before moving on to other things. Tom and Law both left when they turned eighteen, and Ransom planned to follow in their steps. They all looked over their shoulders, though, because Moruzzi was a loose cannon.Ransom earned a scholarship and made it through college, then worked in counterintelligence with Tom. It was an assignment in L.A. that led to Ransom’s decision to quit and go private, an event that still haunts him to this day. It is something he never talks about – even Tom doesn’t know the whole story. So when former President Anthony Thorne calls and wants Ransom for an assignment in L.A. to help with his wayward daughter, he has some reservations. The last thing he wants is to return to L.A. and revisit the old memories. Tom adamantly pushes back, though. They need this job. Ransom’s new cybersecurity department is launching soon and they desperately need some highly-placed government connections to get a foot in the door.Thorne wants the best for the job of protecting his daughter, and that means Ransom. With the promise of a meeting with Robert McAfee, Thorne’s former chief security officer, Ransom finds himself reluctantly accepting the six-month babysitting job. Despite the bad feeling he has, and ignoring the potential danger, he packs his bags and heads to L.A. to help keep Thorne’s young daughter out of the headlines. Her latest episode resulted in a drunken nip slip situation, and Thorne believes Ransom is the man to finally straighten her out.Ransom and Hallie’s meeting is explosive, and the assignment gets off to a bad start. Ransom has never had a woman so unafraid of him before, so he isn’t accustomed to Hallie’s strong-willed antics. She proves herself to be every bit the spoiled diva she is made out to be in the headlines, but he only pushes back harder. He wants to break her will and get her in line – the sooner he completes his assignment the better. Hallie isn’t used to being told what to do, and she definitely isn’t used to living within a budget. Ransom is her father’s idea of controlling her, but she has a plan to get rid of the awful carnivore. She knows she is crossing the line with him, but the ends are worth the means.The pair are at odds, but as Ransom gets to see and know the real Hallie beneath all the bluster, he learns that like him, she is broken. Despite his cruelty, Hallie finds herself attracted to her protector, and Ransom finds himself tempted for the first time ever when feelings for his client become apparent. Their unconventional start eventually leads to a connection, but they both have a long journey of healing and discovery ahead. The couple eventually earns a happy ending.Wow! Ransom and Hallie’s unconventional story takes patience, but they find happiness in the end. This is not a sweet romance. Sensitive readers should take caution. There is mildly graphic violence and abuse. There is also rough-ish role-play that can seem real. I read the trigger warning and found this to be much tamer than I had expected.This romance is slow to develop. Ransom and Hallie don’t hit it off for some time. They have an eight-year age gap as well as an experiential and educational gap. It takes some time to bridge the divide. They are not a couple in the beginning, so there is no reason for either to change their ways. That means Ransom has hookups. It is not cheating since they are not together, but it is angsty. His actions make it a little hard to see him and Hallie getting together, but given his emotionless personality, it is realistic. His heart needs time to open up, and when he finally becomes vulnerable and develops feelings for Hallie, it changes him.Ransom eventually sees that in spite of their different backgrounds, he and Hallie share some things in common. They are both broken. Despite the people around them, they are both very much alone. Protection is his business, so coming to her aid when he sees her struggling isn’t hard. But as Ransom’s heart begins to open, and love begins to bloom, he discovers that love is not selfish. All these feelings surprise him – he had given up hope of ever having normal feelings. These broken characters have a rough road, but their journey is well-worth reading.There are a few issues that merit mention. *Spoilers* First, it is stated that it has been years since Ransom left counterintelligence – which implies more than just a few years. However, he left for college at eighteen and earned a master’s degree. It is doubtful he began working counterintelligence before age twenty-three, at the earliest. And we can assume that he worked there for at least a few years, say until age twenty-five at least. That means he retired and opened his company no more than four years ago. Four years is not terribly long, especially when put in context. Next, there are some issues with Tom’s and Lawrence’s ages. Tom is initially three years older than Ransom; Law is two years older. Later, Law is first to leave when he turns eighteen, and Law leaves when he turns eighteen two years later. That left Ransom alone with Moruzzi for one year until he turned eighteen. Hence it made Law three years older and Tom one year older than Ransom, contradicting earlier facts. Third, Hallie finds whiskey breath and cherry lipstick on Ransom, implying a kiss, which doesn’t add up when we later learn he doesn’t kiss. Fourth, Ransom’s motivations in a bar are very unclear and confusing. It feels manufactured, like it only serves to add angst to the story. Fifth, Anna is apparently working on a story that doesn’t seem like news. As Ransom had already been the subject of tabloid speculation, it seems like her aim is pointless. Sixth, it is a little surprising that Ransom wasn’t concerned about getting caught up in the tabloids since it would certainly draw the attention of the Bratva. Finally, Ransom claims Tom doesn’t know anything about his interactions with women, but later in the story, Tom is shocked to learn about Ransom and Hallie given Ransom’s sordid affairs with contracts, NDAs, and fantasies.Ransom and Hallie’s enemies-to-lovers romance covers a myriad of topics. It is a minor age-gap story. Ransom is eight years older. They are also opposites in so many ways. He comes from nothing and was raised in a world of violence, while Hallie is political royalty and was raised with a silver spoon. Ransom lifted himself up, earned a higher education, served his country, and became a successful businessman. Hallie, on the other hand, did poorly in school, eventually began to believe what was said about her – that she wasn’t bright – and inevitably lost interest in trying. But while Hallie has a family and Ransom was abandoned as a child, they both feel alone in the world. They each feel a sense of abandonment, and both are terribly broken. They aren’t ready for love, but nevertheless, it finds them. Their story is nicely written. It is plot-driven. There are layers of history that are eventually revealed, and danger lurks in the background. The characters are complex and three-dimensional. Their pain feels real. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Ransom and Hallie. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

1st person/dual povSpice: 4/5I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance. Throw in the forbidden aspect of bodyguard and his ward and I am double sold! So going into this book I knew I would like it but I was surprised by all the different ways I loved it. So let's break those down.-The humor.You can always expect some great banter in a book from L.J. Shen and this one did not disappoint. Ransom has some of the wittiest lines and he's so grumpy and serious when he says them it just makes them funnier. But my girl Hallie, she can throw them right back at him and keep on about her day. Even once she's more comfortable around Ransom she still isn't afraid to verbally spar with him and I loved it! (She's seriously one of my new favorite FMCs.)-The spice and the reasoning behind it.We always get some pretty good spice when it comes to L.J.'s writing. Nothing too far out there but it definitely packs some heat. For me, this was on the darker side for her when it comes to the content. One of the biggest subjects the spice scenes explore is CNC - Consensual Non Consent. Feel free to do your own research on it but I thought it was executed well in this story. Ransom has very clear lines about what is allowed and not allowed. He's very adamant about what is right and what is wrong, especially when it comes to consent and the expectations of his partner. While there are scenes that involve this type of preference they are not overly graphic so if you're on the fence about reading CNC I personally feel like this is one of the most tasteful ways to read about it.What I loved the most about the way it is written though is that it never felt like it was thrown in for shock value. It wasn't constantly thrown in your face either. When questions were asked about why Ransom (or anyone for that matter) would be into such a thing he explains it. He explains it in a way that makes it understandable as well as an insight as to how it could be healing for some people. For me, she did a very good job writing Ransom's reactions to his preferences as well as Hallie's. Hallie starts off alarmed by it, as you can imagine most people would. But the more she brings it with Ransom the more he explains it to her. This helps the judgment and stigma surrounding CNC get stripped away so that she can see it for what it truly is.-The character growth.I love when characters go through a significant change between the beginning and the end of the story without completely changing who they are. You get not one but two of those major character arcs in this book. We see Hallie go from the fun-loving and scandalous party girl to someone who finds who she truly is buried deep down under years of locking her away. Then we see Ransom go from the sarcastic and unfeeling "robot" to a man who realizes his priorities in life are not what they used to be. That it's ok to let your walls down sometimes and to let someone in. And ok so he's still sarcastic as ever BUT let's face it - did we really want that changing to be part of his character growth? I think not! Sarcasm is one of my love languages so Ransom speaking in general is music to my ears. Figuratively anyways... unless you listen to the audiobook which I highly recommend because the delivery of his comebacks is spot-on.-Finally, we come to the plot.I don't have much to say other than it was perfect for these two. I liked that beyond all of the spice and character development we got to see a separate story play out between Hallie and her family. And now that I'm thinking about it you actually get that same character growth with some of the side characters as well. Basically, L.J. just handed out good development to these people like it was candy at Halloween. (Here's some growth for you, some development for him, some progress for all of y'all...) 🤣🤣From start to finish this book will grab ahold of you and have you so wrapped up in what they will do or say next that you will not want to put it down.*Due to some of the content in this story please make sure to read the author's note at the beginning of the book before starting.*

Maybe once of twice a year I read a book that gives me everything: the author created characters that come to life on the page and it is more than a good book..I know it will remain rent free in my heart forever.This book made me laugh so much ..the chemistry and banter of Hallie Thorne and Ransom Lockwood was 🔥🔥🔥."The Devil called .He wants his attitude back.I laugh.."Tell him he should know better than to ask a bastard like me for anything. IM keeping it""I'll make your life a living hell, Hallie says matter of factly. I flashed her an impatient smile. " I was forged in hell .I'll feel right at home. YOU however are in for a challenging few months."Ransom was like Lucifer on Netflix. Deadpan, sardonic, and sexy as hell . He's earned his reputation as the best intelligence operative / protection money can buy. So when the former President Anthony Thorne hires him to protect the family image from his out of control daughter Hallie , it was just an easy job right? Hallie had one wardrobe malfunction and tabloid TMZ smear too many.But was Hallie any of what Ransom was anticipating? He thought he was shaping up a vapid Social media influencer and he got much more than he came for.I loved the Dual POV ..because both characters learned from each other.I really thought I was getting 10 things I hate About You a modern Taming of the Shrew combined with the classic movie The Bodyguard. Bit by bit the characters peel back their layer they let the world see : A sadistic slightly sociopath gun for hire allowed himself to feel. Hallie was more inside than she gave herself credit for, she allowed people to tell her she was nothing, a disappointment, and stupid and she was none of those things. No one ever asked her what made her happy before Ransome, he believed what the tabloids sold but she was creative and talented and kind.The tattoos she has each one has meaning and drawing was her passion.This ending for Hallie was everything. Her standing on her own two feet without her family .telling each and every one of them the ugly truth was courageous.Her interview with the tatoo shop owner was everything:"Why do you want to become a tattoo artist""Because it's my passion. It's what I think about every morning and night .Because I want to change lives. I want to help people hide their scars. Enhance their personalities Their beauty. Who they are. Because the more time I spend on this earth, the more time I believe that self expression is one of the most important gifts we owe ourselves. "+Hallie is the most positive character I have come across since maybe Anne of Green Gables. She took her scars, terrible childhood and stood on her own. She recreated herself unapologetically. If the book completely faded to black with her getting the internship at the tattoo parlor, getting her own studio apartment I cried for her character and for every time Ransom pushed her and stood up for her I felt like he was saying " no one puts baby in the corner" or something typically iconic. He was the first to stand up for her , the first real kiss. He had to learn about himself too that he deserved love . He deserved her.Five stars was not enough ..this book that dealt with so many hard topics deserved the sky.

Shen has written a brilliant enemies to lovers romance. Her character development is extraordinary. The MC’s maintained their personalities throughout the novel. Ransom Lockwood, raised with 2 other orphans in the household of an organized crime boss who pitted them against each other for life’s basic necessities, grew into a cold, dispassionate, robotic individual. Hallie Thorne, one of the daughters of former President Thorne, grew up feeling isolated and unwanted in a household of wealth. The MC’s connection begins after the paparazzi photographed a nip-slip as Hallie fled a LA hot spot. Ransom is hired as her reluctant bodyguard. As he tries to manage the rebellious Hallie, he unwittingly discovers why she feels “stupid” and also a chilling secret that she has been keeping from everyone. Their shared mistrust of everything and everyone fosters an unusual bond between them. You will be drawn into the story as much as the couple are drawn to each other.The author entertains us with snarky, sarcastic dialogue that Ransom delivers to everyone - from children to adults - full of obscenities. Hallie equals this descriptive dialogue primarily to Ransom. There’s another backstory with a former Bratva enemy to Ransom - a very interesting set of developments towards the end of the novel. Read this fabulous story, worth more than 5 stars ⭐️.I lucked out in receiving a leftover ARC from Booksprout and I am leaving an unbiased review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this book but it took me a while to get into it I think because I didn't like either the male or female lead characters. I would recommend it but I didn't jump straight in and love it like I usually do with a LJS novel but it was still a good read