The Book That Switches From A Romance To A Cozy Halfway Through

I tend to split my reading time between thrillers, self-help, fantasy and romance. And I’ve read a lot of books. And I mean a LOT of books. Still, this one held my interest for reason beyond the normal reasons, and that’s why it’s getting talked about today.

It’s called Alexandria.

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It’s a regency romance by Lauren and Devon Royal. They’re a Mother-Daughter writing team, but that’s not what makes this book special.

What does?

The fact that it switches from a romance to a cozy halfway through.

It started out as your typical regency romance. The brother was trying to marry off his eldest sister, but he wanted her to be with someone she loved. Because of a scandal and a sleepwalking incident, she ended up marrying a man named Tristan, who was the earl of Hawkridge. (in Regency Romance, the women always marry aristocracy.)

The fascinating part about this book is just how different the second half was then the first.

Now, of course the second half of the story is always radically different than ht first half, but not usually this different.

In the first half, you have the usual regency romance stuff; the getting to know you, the traditions, the seasons the dances. You also hear hints of Tristan’s issues.

Actually, he has two issues. He sleepwalks, and he was accused of killing his uncle to get the title. Which was possibly done while he was sleepwalking.

While he’s staying over one night, he wanders into Alexandria’s room and stays until morning. The resulting scandal says they must get married because that’s how they did it back then.

End the first 50% of the book.

The next 50% shows Alexandra getting used to her new role as Lady Hawkridge. At this point, it switches masterfully from a romance to a mystery. Alexandria loves Tristan and it hurts her to think they are outcasts because people think he’s a killer.

She’s determined that won't be their life together and sets out to prove his innocence. Her investigation, combined with the martial tension it causes, makes up the second half of the book.

Now, it’s getting more serious, but with the stakes of a cozy mystery which blends seamlessly into romance.

It’s a masterful piece of work. So, if you want to see how to turn a romance to a cozy halfway through, then you’ll want to read Alexandria, by Lauren and Devon Royal.