“The Royal Matchmaking Competition: Prince Zadkiel” by Zoiy Galloay

The Royal Matchmaking Competition: Prince Zadkiel

Zoiy Galloay
Zoiy G. Galloay (2023)
ASIN: B0C2G48768
Reviewed by Megan Weiss for Reader Views (05/23)

“The Royal Matchmaking Competition: Prince Zadkiel” is the second book in Zoiy Galloay’s series, “The Royal Matchmaking Competition.” As the heir to the throne, Zadkiel must participate in a special competition specifically designed to bring together twelve beautiful, talented girls for the express purpose of competing to be Zadkiel’s bride and, beyond that, the next Queen.  While everything seems like fun and games at first, he soon realizes that love is not easily won.  Not to mention that amidst forming special connections with several of the contestants, Zadkiel starts to get the feeling that someone is out to get his family – perhaps even hoping to assassinate one of them.  All becomes fair in love and war when both hearts and the kingdom itself may be at stake.

“Prince Zadkiel” was a much more fun read than I anticipated.  I had worried that it would come off a little too juvenile, but I thought the book would find a great target audience of older teens and young adults.  In fact, the blossoming romances between Zadkiel and his possible brides, such as Grace, Esperanza, and Makayla, were both sweet and wholesome while also holding a fair amount of slow-burn, spicy romantic zest.  It was a perfect combination that made sure the romances did not come off as cheesy or forced.  Combining the romance aspect with the larger threat looming throughout the book against Zadkiel and his family created a read that was both fun and suspenseful, and I cannot wait to read the next part of Zadkiel’s journey in the next book!

“Prince Zadkiel” did move a little too fast at times, I thought.  There were some contestants that barely got any mention, and I wondered if maybe those characters might not have been entirely necessary to the main purpose of the book.  I understand that since it’s a competition, there will be some contestants off the bat that will get the short end of the stick and not peg high on Zadkiel’s radar.  Still, this book had a lot of characters to keep straight to begin with, so having some of those extraneous girls did not always seem to make much sense to me.  Galloay did a phenomenal job making sure that all her characters were portrayed in unique ways, though, and that they would each be memorable in the reader’s mind as the book went along.  Sometimes, having so many characters and supporting actors can be a little confusing. Still, I always understood who each person was supposed to be and never had any instances where I was confusing multiple characters together.

Overall, Zadkiel is a charming, strong, and lovable protagonist that attracts the reader’s attention at once and makes you want to see him find true love with one of these girls and live both a happy life and rule successfully as an adult once married.  I loved watching how his opinions and respect towards women, in general, grew as he became closer with the girls.  I highly recommend “The Royal Matchmaking Competition: Prince Zadkiel” by Zoiy Galloay to any fans of YA Romance, be it based in the contemporary or fantasy genres.