DNF 60% in. Kindle Unlimited - Try it yourself.
I think I just struggle with any sort of story that has two people with wildly different values and backgrounds trying to make it work. I get compromise, but I didn't feel that was what was happening here. The whole thing just felt unrealistic, which again I get is part of the 'appeal' but I just couldn't believe in a lot of it.
Not to mention our 'love interest' Sara being so strongly opinionated - but only to a point... She ended up seemingly spineless. Honestly her values seemed to stretch thin when shown luxury and nice treatment, and even though there was technically nothing wrong with Princess Alice's character, it felt shallow and very superficial overall.
After 50% I started to get the icks, when the "grand gestures" started happening, despite Sara stating she didn't think it could work, and Alice continuing to try and date her, and Sara allowing it, despite her better judgement. All the issues she has weren't just going to go away. Just because Alice decided to get 'creative' with plans, to keep her from the spotlight. It also doesn't excuse the lack of autonomy Sara ended up having, and her own worries being dismissed. But her going along with it, really did my head in.
I just felt wholly uncomfortable and that despite the length - nothing of depth being presented, AT ALL. I didn't really know these people, or care about them, nor believed in their connection.
It had some good points about racism and prejudice, white privilege and privilege in general in the UK and the class system. (Something that unfortunately all holds over here in Australia, too.). The overbearing media and public feeling they 'own' these types of people and having the ability to make gross commentary. But it never went deeper. This is the first time I felt like a book was indeed just virtue signaling things, and not being real, or true about any of it. And I do not use that term frivolously like so many do.
I feel like with the Markle stuff these past few years, we are all far more informed about 'The Firm' of royals and how they play things, and this felt wildly off in trying to showcase royalty in a 'good' light while still trying to make pointed criticisms that never went anywhere sound. I would have preferred the book to just embrace the stupidity of a royal romance, without the 'serious' mentions, since it made no real difference anyway.
No substance here, in my view.