Stefi and the Spanish Prince: A Steamy Contemporary YA Romance About Secret Royalty and Summer Love in Barcelona

by Donna Freitas

Fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue and Loveboat, Taipei will swoon for this steamy, outrageously fun royal romance set against the backdrop of beautiful Barcelona.

In Barcelona, the beach is beautiful, the tapas are delicious, and the boys are plentiful. Good thing, too, because Stefi’s nursing a broken heart after a disastrous breakup and is excited to reinvent herself, practice her Catalan language skills, and take baking classes at the legendary culinary institute, all in a magical city where no one knows her.

Another thing Barcelona has? A secret prince. Xavi Borges is spending his final summer of anonymity helping his mother run a popular tapas spot in El Mercado. But after Stefi stops at their counter, Xavi can’t get the beautiful American girl off his mind, even though his life is way too complicated for romance.

Part bodyguard, part confidante, Santiago is tasked with keeping Xavi out of trouble. Santiago knows Xavi and Stefi’s budding relationship can’t last once Xavi’s real identity becomes public. But soon Santiago is crushing on Xavi’s best friend, Diego, and his focus shifts from royal protection duties to the possibility of enjoying a romance of his own.

With so many sparks flying, a threat to expose Xavi’s royal secret goes unheeded, and when the news blows up, it threatens to burn down all of their lives.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance, Travel, Spain, LGBT

352 pages, Hardcover

First published July 23, 2024

About the author

Donna Freitas is the author of The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano, Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention, and many other novels and nonfiction books for adults, children, and young adults. Her latest YA novel is a rom-com that takes place in her favorite city, Barcelona: Stefi and the Spanish Prince. She has been featured on NPR and The Today Show, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The LA Times, among many other places. Donna currently serves on the faculty at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s MFA program. She also lives half the year in Barcelona where she loves partaking of its many bakeries and delicious restaurants galore. Learn more about Donna at www.donnafreitas.com and on Substack: https://donnafreitas.substack.com.

Reviews

[Shanéia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for review!

This book was nothing that i expected it to be when first picking it up. I loved how it had the povs of Stephi, Xavi and also Santiago. Having all their pov's really added to the overall plot of the story. The romance and yearning was there from the beginning and only developed throughout the book. I also loved that alongside the main romance we got to see Santiago get his man too! This is the perfect book to read in the summer, and i would highly recommend!!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An American in Spain falls for the secret heir in this new YA romance that is perfect for fans of The princess diaries with Anne Hathaway. I loved that there was a baking/pastry focus and a surprise royal romance. It was a fun summer read that was great on audio too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Amy Gironda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This needs to be a movie! 🥰

[leela ⚡️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a good summer romance book!

[libriconfragole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una romcom young adult Fresca come una cerveza in pieno luglio, ricca di tensione come un’ondata di calore sulla rambla, divertente e brillante come un viaggio a Ibiza in pieno agosto! Ci sono i reali - e io amo le romcom coi reali - c’è una coppia LGBTQ+ di cui uno è una guardia del corpo - e c’è il trope del fake dating quindi AMO - e c’è una protagonista che cerca di affrontare il proprio dolore e trovare la propria strada nel mondo, il tutto condito con tanta dolcezza e descrizione di cibi e luoghi di Barcellona! Per viaggiare con cuore e mente!

[Ri]

would rec if u miss barcelona

[Caitlin Wahrer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barcelona!!! Romance!! ALL THE FOOD!!! The perfect summer book — for the beach, the lake, pre-bedtime (ideal for swoony dreams…).

[Soon Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Libby 🎧

[Vera Jansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be the worst book I've read this year :(

[Patrizia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*

[Francesca De Cecchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purtroppo sono una Millennial quindi la ragazza ordinaria che sposa un principe sarà sempre la mia favola preferita.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Stefi is spending the summer with her abuela in Barcelona, recuperating from a bitter break up with her boyfriend Jason, who cheated on her with her best friend, Amber. Her parents are also in the country, and the family is debating whether or not they will move to Spain permanently. Stefi has plans to study pastry making, and is enjoying being out and about. She has lunch one day at La Buena cafe, and returns the following week because the food was so good... and because one of the workers was super cute. Xavier's mother Marta runs the restaurant, and he works there, and is interested in Stefi as well. Xavi, however, has a secret; he is the King Alphonso of Spain's son, and at the end of the summer will be going to Madrid to assume his royal duties. There is a long and involved story as to why his mother and father couldn't be together, and Xavi is very bitter about the way his mother was treated. He has a bodyguard, Santiago, who is masquerading as his "cousin" and working at the cafe. Santiago has a huge crush on Diego, Xavi's best friend, but feels it would be a conflict of interest to date the best friend of his assignment. Xavi had previously dated Isabel, whose family is titled, and she still has designs on him, although he is completely over her after her scheming actions. Stefi and Xavi are soon dating, but of course news gets out. Once this happens, Xavi is whisked away to the palace so that an announcement can be made to quell rumors about an heir. Once secrets from the past are revealed, the king and Xavi's mother decide that they can be together after all of these years, since neither one ever dated anyone else, but Marta tries to dissuade Xavi from trying to have a relationship with Stefi. Santiago manages to keep his job in the guard, which is important to him because his father was also in the guard and died saving Alphonso's life, but is going to be posted to Seville to get him away from Diego. How will these romances work out as Xavi takes on his new royal tole?
Strengths: This had a lot of details about what it is like to live in Barcelona, and had LOTS of delicious sounding food! Stefi and Xavi are both appealing characters, and the idea of being a secret heir to the throne is always an engaging one. There's even some discussion that royalty has moved beyond the idea that spouses have to come from a certain titled class. The subplot with Santiago and Diego was interesting as well, and there was just enough social media (much of it involving Isabel) to make this seem very current, but won't date too badly. This is a fun beach read for fans of Chao's When You Wish Upon a Lantern or Welch's Love and Gelato.
Weaknesses: There are several f-words and some more mature (although discreet) sexual content, as well as some drinking, although that is definitely done in a very European way, with Stefi having an apertif with her grandmother.
What I really think: I enjoyed Freitas' Gold Medal Winter and Gold Medal Summer, but will pass on this title, although I would buy it for a high school library.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very sweet and fun read— one that just relishes in young, first love. It’s youthful, it’s carefree, it’s filled with so much hopes and dreams for the future. I can’t help but smile for that, for this being a book that’s easy to embrace and relate to.

I really loved the focus on the two romances, the primary being Stefi and Xavi, who each have a POV; and the secondary being Santiago and Diego, of whom only Santi has a POV.

Stefi and Xavi have a whirlwind romance, one that feels it abruptly ends just as begins, as the couple are forced apart upon the revelation of Xavi’s background. Even with how short of a time frame their romance has, it’s one you feel it built for more. Thus, you root instantly for them to find each other, to make things work. To battle all external forces and pick one another. I may love my romances explored with more of a slow burn, but given how young these leads are, I think their love story is perfectly paced for them. It’s messy, lustful, filled with urgency, and filled with promise.

Luckily, my slow burn preference is taken care of by Santiago’s POV, where we see him so smitten with Diego and initially too worried over his current position as royal bodyguard to take the leap and try for something more with Diego. He is consistently pushing back, thinking it’s for the best, yet feeling a constant pull to Diego. I cheered them on so hard, they deserve to find their happily ever after.

There’s another (POV-less) romance that’s subtle and left in the background and I can’t express how much I wish they had their own book because I think I could relate to them best and it would be right up my alley; it’s a romance starring Xavi’s mother, Marta, and someone very important. You’ll have to read to find out!

I would have loved if this story continued on, it felt it was just at the beginning, but I do have hopes for a sequel. I think it's primed for just that and I hope we get to see one happen!

Overall, this was a delightful read. It is very YA, so if that’s a genre that you tend to go for, this one is definitely for you!
There is so much spirit, urgency, hopes, and a tangible, relatable messiness that is so definitive of youth, whether you’re like me looking back fondly on it, or living it right now. I hope you find something to love in this one, something to remind you of highs and low of adolescence, and the burgeoning of first love.

Thank you kindly to Harper360YA and NetGalley for this complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily. 3.5✨

[Ellie Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚Stefi and the Spanish Prince
🖌️Author: Donna Freitas
🖋️Publication: @harper360ya
📝P.g.: 352
🗂️Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance

4,5/5⭐️

📌Summary:
In Barcelona, the beach is beautiful, the tapas are delicious, and the boys are plentiful. Good thing, too, because Stefi’s nursing a broken heart after a disastrous breakup and is excited to reinvent herself, practice her Catalan language skills, and take baking classes at a legendary culinary institute, all in a magical city in Spain where no one knows her.

Another thing Barcelona has? A secret prince. Xavi Bas is spending his final summer of anonymity helping his mother run a popular tapas spot in El Mercado. But after Stefi stops at their counter, Xavi can’t get the beautiful American girl off his mind, even though his life is way too complicated for romance.

Santiago, Xavi’s bodyguard and confidant, is tasked with keeping the prince out of trouble. Santiago knows Xavi and Stefi’s budding relationship can’t last once Xavi’s real identity becomes public. But soon Santiago is crushing on Xavi’s best friend, Diego, and his focus shifts from royal protection duties to the possibility of enjoying a romance of his own.

With all of these sparks flying, a threat to expose Xavi’s royal secret goes unheeded, and when the news blows up, it threatens to burn down all of their lives. What else could possibly go wrong?

📌Review:
Reading this book felt like bringing a little bit of sunshine and summer breaze in to the cold heart of winter. This was such a fresh romantic read. I devoured it in one day. If you are looking for a cute young adult book with lots and lots of romance, this is your book.

Which is your favorite new YA novel?

I would like to thank @harper360ya for the free copy.

[Sabrina L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stefi and Zavi are a super cute couple. This book is very cute, I wish there was more build up of their relationship. I don’t know if it was just me but it felt like there were some cute dates but then they were together then they got torn apart. I felt slow but fast at the same time.
Also Diego and Santiago are the cutest couple. I know that they are the “side characters” but ughhhhh. Their chemistry is so good. I was surprised at how much depth he had. His decisions were hard and I felt bad for him. Because Isabel was a terrible person, she put not only Santiago through the ringer but also Zavi.
I haven’t hated/not liked a mean girl in a book for a while. Isabel drove me absolutely nuts. She didn’t do anything super nasty. However, outing Zavis' secret was cruel. Isabella was cruel. She was your typical rich, jealousy, mean girl from high school that you tried to stay away from.
Although, Stefi and Zavi are adorable, when he wrote that letter to her before he went to his press conference. Zavi was such a hopeless romantic. You could tell that he really liked her by the way he described her. It was a very loving and cute book. It reminded me so much of the prince and me. And lastly GOD BLESS her Abuela!

[bookSmith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Between Barcelona’s tapas and baking classes, the city and its food is as much a character in this novel as Stefi and Xavi.

I really enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the themes in “Stefi and the Spanish Prince.” Thoughtful ideas like anonymity, classism, media influence, authenticity, and creating your own path were layered throughout the story, much like the layers of a croissant.

Certain moments created strong emotional connections for me, such as Stefi’s empowering trip to the beach and her late-night visit to El Mercado. I also appreciated how much Stefi loved the photo taken of her and Xavi (even though…).

I wanted to experience the adventure myself, be in Barcelona with Stefi. Unfortunately, the novel often relied on telling instead of showing, which disconnected me from the city and made the story less engaging. I’ve connected more with previous books by Fritas.

The plot, the characters and the messages in “Stefi and the Spanish Prince” would make it a nice addition to a high school library shelf.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for making this book available as an e-ARC.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this highly predictable rom-com (the title literally gives it away), Stefi, an American teenager on vacation in Spain, falls in love with Xavi, a Spanish teen who is working as a prep-chef but who is really the future prince. Their romance escalates quickly, and they end up double dating with Xavi’s best friend and his boy crush, the side-plot in this story.
In some ways, the Santiago-Diego romance was more developed than that of Stefi and Xavi. There was almost no tension in this story, you knew right from the start where this was going. The writing could have been cleaned up a bit–some parts seemed forced and rushed, some dialog was stilted and repetitive. The characters read older than they were supposed to be as well–Stefi especially seemed a lot more mature than a 17 year old.
2.5 stars rounded up

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
I have always been a huge advocate of YA fiction, but not so much YA romance fiction. This meant that Stefi and the Spanish Prince was not my usual read, but I decided to read after reading and loving The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano, also by Donna Freitas. This had something for everyone - Spanish food and culture (including touching on the Spanish Catalan differences and unrest), royal intrigue, family intrigue and loyalty, football and romance (both straight and LGBT).
Advertised as a must read for fans of Red White and Royal Blue, I believe that Steffi and the Spanish Prince is leagues better that RWARB in terms of inclusion of real-world politics and history, and the romance between the two protagonists not being toxic and giving young readers the wrong idea about romance.

[Casandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was cute, and a fun read. Not only did we get to read about one romance, but two. It was also fun because it takes place in Spain, and we get all the cultural aspects included as well, which is a nice change of pace from the many romances I read that take place in the States. The only thing that brought down the rating for me was the many mentions of how this story is like something out of a book. That is one of the tropes that can be bothersome for me. Like yes, we all wish for a cute book romance, but adding that into the story is a little much. Other than that it was a cute little romance read.

[b · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repetitive, repetitive, repetitive. This could've been a hundred pages shorter but the author kept mentioning again for the million time how Xavi is the secret prince...The romance is flat, they all magically fall in love based on how hot they are and that's it, and it heavily relies on the outdated male gaze's perspective of: wow she let me see her sweaty and wearing pyjamas she's SO different and real. Like okkkk one direction lmfao. So much infodumping and almost no plot. The only mildly redeeming qualities are the descriptions and details about Spain and european life. Hard pass.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 stars, rounded up)

This is a fun summer romance, especially for anyone who has dreamed of secretly dating a royal! Stefi's summer starts out rough, when she walks in on her boyfriend and best friend together. She starts fresh in Barcelona, living with her grandmother for the summer. As she recovers from her heartbreak, she makes new friends and one of them turns out to be so much more. Recommended for grades 9 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori)]

DNF @ 25%

I was looking forward to this one since I love books about royalty and about baking, and the Barcelona setting is so much fun. However, something about this book just isn't gripping me--I think it's the writing style. There is a lot of info dumping so far, and I'm not finding myself interested in any of the characters. That said, this one does have a lot of interesting elements, and I'm sure others will enjoy this summer read more than I did.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Regina
Cover Story: Foot Pop
BFF Charm: Yay x 3
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: As You Know
Bonus Factors: Tasty Business, Body Positivity
Anti-Bonus Factors: Cyber-Bullying, Contrived Plot Twist
Relationship Status: Summer Romance

Read the full book report here.

[Marian Paulina Momoh-Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stefi and the Spanish Prince" is a delightful read with the perfect mix of romance, adventure, and cultural exploration. Fans of contemporary romance will find themselves utterly charmed by this story, which is as much about finding love as it is about finding oneself. Whether you’re a fan of "Red, White, and Royal Blue," "Love-boat, Taipei," or simply looking for a fun and steamy escape, this book is a must-read. Highly recommended!"

[Piper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollinsTeen for providing me with a copy of "Stefi and the Spanish Prince." This book gave me "The Princess Diaries" vibes. One aspect that truly stood out to me was the vivid descriptions of the delicious food featured in the story - I could almost taste it myself. However, I struggled to connect with the characters and didn't quite feel a strong bond with them. Despite this, the overall excitement of the plot kept me engaged.

[Michelle HP · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was cute, but there were just so many thoughts that bothered me. Mainly, these KIDS are 17, but they are acting like they are adults. For awhile I thought Stefi was 18, but she still had her senior year of high school to get through. So she’s in love with a Spanish prince. Then another 17 year old hops a plane to Spain without an adult and goes chasing around Spain?

It was a bit too much for me.

[Lanaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book was a nice fluffy romance. I usually dont mind the 3rd person but this was smth weridly written. I liked the description of Barcelona tho, I chose it for this exact trip to there so that was tly fun that i got to read and experience fhe same thing. Although i wouldnt recommend it to someone else. But its great for princess diaries lovers

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Andrea Jo DeWerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect YA romp through Barcelona! If you love royal intrigue, summer fun, gossip, and first loves, you'll love this. Reminded me of books by Emiko Jean and Red, White, and Royal Blue.

[Greer Gurland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stefi is a page-turner. I honesty couldn’t read fast enough! I know the summer’s not over, but I hereby cast my vote for Stefi for the most enjoyable read!