Prince of the Palisades

by Julian Winters

Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue in this heart-pumping romance by award-winning author Julian Winters!

When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is left in America to clean up his image after a horribly public break-up gone viral, romance is not on the table. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Scheduled appearances with the Santa Monica elite Absolutely. Rendezvous with a pink-haired, film-obsessed hottie from the private school where he’s currently enrolled? Uhhhh . . .  Together with his entourage—a bitingly witty royal guard, Rêverie’s future queen (and Jadon’s brilliant older sister), and a quirky royal liaison—Jadon’s on a mission to turn things around and show his parents, and his country, that he’s more than just a royal screw-up. If he doesn’t prove that he’s the prince Rêverie deserves? Well, he may not be allowed home . . . But falling for a not-so-royal American boy has Jadon redefining what it means to be a leader. If he can be someone’s Prince Charming just by being himself, maybe that’s all it takes to win over a nation. Or at least a prince can dream . . .

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer, Royalty, Fiction

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2024

About the author

Julian Winters is the author of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award-winning Running With Lions; the Junior Library Guild Selections How to Be Remy Cameron and The Summer of Everything; and the forthcoming Right Where I Left You. A self-proclaimed comic book geek, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta, where he can be found reading or watching the only two sports he can follow—volleyball and soccer..

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Reviews

[Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

You didn’t, Julian! You didn’t! How dare you? Are you expecting us to find them all?

Okay, I admit, this is a cryptic start of this review. And it might even get more cryptic. Just read this book when it comes out. It’s worth it, I promise!

I didn’t think anything of Reverie. Sure, my mind flashed to a certain someone, but not more than that. A professor Bayron? It didn’t immediately ring a bell. Suddenly, a Doc Garza Villa appeared on the page. Then, a vision of a red bandanna popped up in my head, and I started laughing out loud. As if I hadn’t already …

Stop! Stop! Stop! Let’s go back to square one because otherwise, this review will be a mess. Isn’t the cover gorgeous? And the story is, too. It’s snarky, and funny, and a little messy, and most of all, lively, just like the cover. Yes, it might be a bit of insta love, but I sat on the edge of my seat, laughing out loud, and I adored Jadon and Reiss. Julian fleshed them out so much, just like he did with all those wonderful secondary characters. Annika can definitely compete with June from RWRB. I also loved the (short) friends to enemies to friends take. Very refreshing, and I love it when friends defend friends.

Oh, and bonus points for the word football, I think Julian used it like it’s meant to be. I'm so happy an American finally decided soccer doesn’t exist, but football does!

Back to those Easter Eggs, they’re the icing on the cake (found Lio Heart. BHB is one of my favorites!). I’ve been hunting for those eggs, actually. Is there a price to win, Julian?

Thanks so much, @prhinternational and Edelweiss, for this ARC! You made my day!

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[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prince of the Palisades is a book I've been highly anticipating all year. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was hoping for a feel-good contemporary romance. I’ve been reading mostly fantasy lately, so this was a lovely change of pace! I’m a huge fan of queer modern royalty romance books and will pretty much read any of them. The premise sounded wonderful, and I was really excited to dive into Prince of the Palisades. If the synopsis isn’t enough to entice you, I’m sure the beautiful cover will!

I liked Annika, the future Queen and Jadon’s sister, more than the main characters, and would have honestly enjoyed reading the book from her perspective. She was very level-headed and always had a good perspective to offer Jadon. I always love when royal books have inserts from the media and news articles sensationalising the romance and plot. I wish the mystery around Jadon’s secret man was more important to the story and that the media’s involvement in the plot took more importance. However, I really enjoyed the moments where Jadon took control of his life and rejected the media's expectations. Those moments made him more endearing.

The romance was the main focus of the story, but I felt that the relationships between Jadon and his family were more developed. They were definitely cute together, but I did feel that their chemistry was lacking at times. I enjoyed Reiss and his hair and laughed at the Frank Ocean comparison. Reiss offered a sense of normalcy that was missing from Jadon’s life, and I’m inclined to think that was what he found most appealing about his love interest.

This will be a great read for fans of royal romance books like Red, White, & Royal Blue. I’m looking forward to reading more books by the author in the future! Thank you to Viking for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue! Prince of the Palisades is a YA rom-com about an African prince stuck in a private Los Angeles high school until he can clean up his image. Along the way he falls for a boy and finds himself.

It's a very fun, very cute book! If you enjoy royal romances and want one that is queer and Black, you should absolutely check this out. It's sex-positive but not explicit, and prioritizes consent, safety, and waiting until everyone is comfortable. Prince Jadon has a strong character arc as he comes to terms with his identity as a royal, and decides what he wants that to mean and who he wants to be. I also like that him being openly gay is a non-issue. There are issues being faced and pressure from his family, but homophobia is not a part of that. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good rom-com so I was excited for this one. While I enjoyed the story, it fell slightly short of what I find to be a good rom-com. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and found everyone to fall a bit flat and live to the stereotypes only. Jadon is a prince who has recently gotten some negative press. His parents order him to stay in California, his mother’s original home, until he can prove he can be the prince that Reverie needs. Jadon struggles with maintaining the prince persona and burying his true feelings. He doesn’t have a hard time not repeating the horrible video someone took because he had a very good reason for going off on the prime minister, but he refuses to repeat those words so no one is aware of it. Jadon wants nothing more than to go home, but he finds there’s more to American high school than he knew and no matter how hard you try you can’t pretend you don’t care about the people around you. Jadon finds a boy he likes, but how can he have a relationship and be the prince his country needs. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up for great representation.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prince of the palisades by Julian winters is a ya contempoary novel standalone and it was so cute!! I wasn't sure how I would feel about it because it dealt with royals but it ended up as a cute m/m romance novel! There was a lot of shocking moments and gasp worthy moments as well. I cannot wait to read more from Julian Winters, it comes out August 27th thanks to penguin teen for sending me a physical arc!(:

*Just realized I put the wrong release date in my review it comes out August 20th not the 27th lol*

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what I needed right now.
I'm always a bit skeptical with royalty books because the best one ever already exists, nothing could top rwrb for me, but I trust Julian Winters a lot so I just had to try prince of the Palisades.
I can't say this was a surprise, because I have enjoyed every book by this author that I've read, but this was really good. It wasn't nothing mind-blowing but if you need a good romance that will make you laugh and leave you feeling happy and refreshed by the end of it, this is for you.

[Jenna-booklooksbyjenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger from Julian Winters!!

[Sherwood Smith]

This is a captivating and heartwarming gay-friendly story that blends hilarity, romance, and a strong personal growth arc with with brisk and breezy writing and a fast-paced story. Winters’ delightful characters and distinct plot come together to explore relationships, identity, and a lot of the big questions faced by young readers. I loved the representation, and the uplifting sense that it imparts.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ Happy Pub Day to this gem of a book 💜

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am a Julian Winters stan. I fell in love with his books years ago and he quickly became an auto-buy author for me. His books are captivating, fun, and sweet while also highlighting important, real world issues.

Prince of the Palisades follows Jadon, the 17-year-old Prince of Rêverie. After a video goes viral of him trash talking the PM of Rêverie, his parents essentially banish him to America and tell him to get it together before he returns home. They don’t know that he recently heard the PM talking shit about his family or that his (supposed) bestie was behind the antagonizing, filming, and release of the video.

Now Jadon is stuck in America, trying to adapt to high school for the first time. He’s now faced with the challenge of trying to fit in as a “normal” high schooler while also trying to please his parents and get home to Rêverie. He keeps his head down and mouth shut as he feels this is the best way to make everyone happy. Then he meets Reiss. Reiss is his classmate and an utterly adorable film enthusiast. He makes Jadon feel safe; like he doesn’t have to wear the mask he’s so desperately trying to keep on. He makes Jadon feel like Jadon.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I loved this book. Julian could write a grocery list and I’d gush.

Jadon was capital S Struggling in this book and I loved watching him find himself. I also loved seeing Jadon and Reiss figure out their romance, which you know as high schoolers was not drama-free. Add in the pressure of the whole “Prince of another country” thing and the two had their work cut out for them. Other things I loved with this couple was how comfortable they felt being their authentic selves around another, their communication (we love consent kings), and their genuine connection.

I can’t rave about this book without mentioning all the side characters. I freaking loved them all. Even Léon (the PM’s son and Jadon’s ex) grew on me at the end. And lest we forget the Queen of my heart, and literal Queen-to-be of Rêverie, Princess Annika. I loved Anni so much and would commit crimes to read her book.

Young Royals lovers, don’t miss this one. The Wilhelm / Simon vibes were vibingggg.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the gifted copy of this book 💜

[angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

edit (8.20.24): happy pub day!!!

thank u to netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of prince of the palisades in exchange for my honest review :)

this was such a joy to read! i was absolutely sold by the cover alone, but after realizing that the story revolves around a young black royal trying to figure out his place in the world, i knew this would be good one. it's not everyday we get 2 queer characters of color, and i was so, so happy to see that.

the secondary characters were written beautifully, and i loved seeing how they played a role in jadon's life. i need to know more about both annika and ajani PLEASE. the moments of self-reflection that jadon experienced were very relatable to my teen self, and honestly, at times, my adult self as well. the emotion in the writing felt so real that i sometimes felt like reverie was a real place and that jadon + fam were real royals lol. and of course, seeing jadon's struggles with his father hit close to home (as it always does).

this was such a wonderful book with tons of queer and black joy, and i felt honored to read it. more books like this, please.

[Mariana ✨]

"Red, White and Royal Blue" meets "Young Royals" .

"A rogue prince goes to America to clean up his image after a horribly public breakup goes viral, and ends up falling for a not-so-royal american boy who might be a fairytale romance come true - or another disaster in the making."

just take my money already

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've got a fondness for brain-smoothing frothy royal romances, and I think this one strikes a good balance between being silly & sweet + also acknowledging that life for a queer Black royal would not be quite the same as it would be for a cishet white royal. Also, I always think that for ~royal romance stories~ it's a better move to make them the royalty of a fictional country than to try to incorporate any real-life monarchy and all its baggage. I hope that Reverie and Genovia have cordial diplomatic relations.

[KP · Rating 5 out of 5]

I binged this book, and woah.. did it make an impact. I loved the character development of Ajani(and a few other characters), while trying to find himself and where he fits in, he also has the pressures of being the prince on top of that. I loved the lgbtqiap representation. Ajani was my favorite character. Lol hopefully we get a book for Annika*fingers crossed*! Thank you penguin teen for the arc!

[gracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very superficial, in every sense. The characters were the most basic Hallmark movie cut outs, the villains were so... laughable, I'm still convinced his parents actually hate him cause no way you treat your child like that, and now that I've finished the book I realized that I know next to nothing about Jadon and Reiss. Superficial.

I did enjoy most of it regardless. I liked that Jadon had Annika, loved how it acknowledged that being black and in the media is vastly different from the white alternative, and some of the jokes in this managed to hit their mark and make me laugh so it's position as a romcom is semi-valid.

[Masha (onceandfuturebooknerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian Winters slays again!!! I am here for all the epic, important, heart-warming royal love stories! With great character development and amazing side characters and just all the mushy, beautiful queer joy! 🥺💓

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so sad I didn't love this!
On paper this promised to be the perfect story but I just couldn't connect with the characters at all...the villains were so cartoonish, the parents sometimes downright cruel and nonsensical and I know more about Jadon and Reiss's love for shoes than anything else after finishing the book. There was a lot of potential with all of the characters but a lot just kept being restated and stayed on a superficial level, e.g. Jadon hating being a prince, Jadon wanting to go home, Jadon wanting to be with Reiss but fearing the return to home and so on and so forth that could have dealt with more substantial development and less repetition in every single chapter.
Then there's the classic 90% moment where everyone suddenly does a 180 and apologizes for being assholes and starts singing kumbayah (or however that's spelled).
But points I loved: focus on consent and talking about first times, the fact that royals shouldn't be neutral when it comes to equality and also Annika and her secret boyfriend who reminded me of a certain pairing from RWRB :)

[JR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely brilliant.

Tender, a bit chaotic (but in a good way), and so heartwarming. It's one of those stories that I wish I had when I was a teenager, the kind that says it's okay not to be perfect, that it's important to find your voice and raise it up sometimes.

Julian Winters has proven again that he is an amazing author and that every single one of his stories deserve every bit of love out there.

So I truly, truly recommend it!

(And shoutout to Jadon and Reiss' movie taste, because it's amazing -and I'm not saying it because I'm a bit biased, since every single movie they mentioned is on my shelves... Or maybe I am... Who knows- )

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julian Winters genuinely never misses. This has all the Young Royals vibes and I had such a good time! The romance was so incredibly sweet.

[Ekene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm just a girl
Who immediately snatches up royal romances
Especially if they're BIPOC main leads

Julian Winters is an author who can do no wrong. Like the man never misses, and this one was so so so good

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Viking Books for the ARC of this book.
Prince of the Palisades follows Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie who is exiled to America after a video goes viral of him criticizing their prime minister. He finds himself in the Palisades and stgarting a new school with creative students. He finds himself drawn to one particular student, Reiss, and starting to consider who he has presented to the world.
I thought this was a pretty good book to read. I really liked the fact that this book was focused on Jadon as a character and his growth into the person who he wanted to be. I really loved that this book was about a diverse group of people who were exceeding and thriving. I loved the way this story is going to mean so much to those who read it and get to see themselves represented. I thought Jadon and his sister's relationship was so nice to see as well. They really grew together and to appreciate each other so much. I loved seeing how they inspired each other and really cared for each other.
I do wish the love story between Jadon and Reiss was a little more developed. I didn't feel that they really knew each other a lot that we saw on page but that's my personal opinion. I do think they were a cute couple and i really liked seeing their relationship grow.
I definitely think this is a book worth picking up and it was such a great read! I loved when I was able to sit down and read it, I was able to fly through it.

[Frank Socha (franksforeword) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I read this in one sitting, cover-to-cover, because I couldn’t leave the perfection that IS this book 👏🏼 Hello friends, meet one of my fave books of the year 😍 well, one of my faves ever really 🫶🏼

It’s gonna be hard to put into words how much I loved this book, especially because if I did, the review would be a novel itself, but I will say this. Red, White, and Royal Blue is my favorite book of all-time, and this book just gave me the same kicking-my-feet, mouth agape at the perfection my eyes are witnessing, feels FEELING, swooning over the characters feel that that book gave me as well. This book is a new all-time fave!

Jadon 👏🏼 Reiss 👏🏼 Annika 👏🏼 Ajani 👏🏼 Luc 👏🏼 Karan 👏🏼 Lo 👏🏼 Leon 👏🏼 Queen Ava 👏🏼 King Simon 👏🏼 Morgan 👏🏼 The Hayes’ 👏🏼 Dom 👏🏼 Everyone’s perfect. Like this book. It’s all perfect. But the fact that every single character in this book had me eating out of their HANDS every time they were on the page 🥹 And the way everyone meshed. The way Jadon rolls into school and picks the most unconventional crew 🤣 it reminded me of Katniss picking Wiress, Mags, and Beetee 🥰 pick of the litter, but goes for the unexpected. SO CUTE! The cast is just entirely iconic.

Jadon’s journey: 🥹🥹🥹 Everything Jadon experiences, realizes, and decides is the exact reason I love reading YA. Seeing this type of growth, knowing the impact it’s going to have on so many, is just so HEARTFELT. Not to mention, throughout points in this book, it mentions children of color being able to look up to Jadon. And now, children in real life can see this Prince of color being a PRINCE! Building his life the way he wants. Tackling some tough decisions but coming out better in the end. Ugh I loved every bit of it 🥹

The last few pages will have your heart grow like 38 sizes larger. BE STILL MY HEART.

[Alandrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a young adult book about a young black prince who is sent to the United States of America as a punishment of sorts because he keeps getting bad press in his home country. While he is attending his school in America, he has an instant attraction to a boy with pink hair. The prince is dealing with figuring out his life (but not about being gay/queer). The story is set in world where the prince being gay is not a big deal at all but later he attends a LGBTIA+ protest and it seems to be a big deal (this was sort of confusing). The issues that the prince is dealing with could have been addressed better. He is dealing with the pressures of being a teenage public figure in the age of camera phones and social media. It seemed to repeat this over and over. This book is marketed to ages 12 and up and grades 7 and up but it seems better suited for an older audience because it touches on having sex.

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally read this one after getting it from Julian in like February 2024??? Thank you Julian, you are a gem!

This one was so cute! I thought this was going to be dual POV, but it's single POV focused on Prince Jadon. Jadon is a messy teen and is trying his best. When he's exiled to the US after bad press, he's told to focus on his image. He ends up trying out for the school play and really falling in love with theatre and the people who bring the productions to life.

There's a good balance of romance, coming of age feelings and royal aspects. I liked seeing Jadon challenge his parents and be like I miss you my parents, not you the king and queen. I also would've loved more page time between Jadon and his sister. She seems so interesting and I loved the time she got on page (tbh she needs her own book).

Highly recommend this one!

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this advanced copy. You can pick up Prince of the Palisades on August 20, 2024.

This was an absolutely delightful queer YA romance! I loved the development Jadon went through and how his relationships blossomed with old and new friends and loved ones. He and Reiss were absolutely ADORABLE together, with an incredible dynamic that showed why they worked so well together. This book was not afraid to explore important issues related to race, social justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and more. It just felt like a wonderfully modern twist on a classic 2000s movie ala Princess Diaries or The Prince and Me. 10/10 recommend!

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will always know Julian Winters as the author who made me fall in love with the Friends to Lovers trope. Before him, it was give or take if I’d enjoy it. But there is something about the way he writes characters that makes me fall in love, root for them, and need the besties to be boyfriends!!!!!

Prince of the Palisades was practically perfect in every way. Jadon is the sexy Prince of Rêverie (for all the Americans reading this review, it’s a fictional country😝) forced to spend time in America after a bad breakup and a mishap where he may have insulted a delegate… but there was a good reason!! He’s giving bad boy with the heart of a cinnamon roll and I’m here for it!!!!

Reiss is the pink haired boy that may have caught his eye from the moment he saw him, who would later become the love interest. He pushes him to be a better person and make the best decisions for himself first. He’s giving perfect future husband material for the Prince of Rêverie!

The breakout role by a side character definitely goes to Annika, the future Queen of Rêverie and Jadon’s older sister. There is something about a woman in power (albeit after her father steps down… down the line) that makes you want to sit down and listen. I mean, did you fall out of a coconut tree? She felt more like a parent than the King for 90% of the book, because she was there for her brother (from afar at times) during his banishment. It’s that belief that he needs to make his own choices, better ones than he had been making, but still!

I loved this book. It played out like a movie in my head and now I need it to be optioned… PLEASEEEEEEE!!! This needs to happen, because I want to see it on the big screen with Lupita Nyongo as the Queen. I’m not a casting director, but I think that’s a given.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Forgive me for being informal…but you’re badass. Black, queer, and powerful. Three things this world loves to hate.”


The description states “Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue” which immediately drew me in! While this comparison is pretty accurate, I found this story to be a refreshingly new take on the royal/commoner romance!

Synopsis:
We meet Jadon in the midst of a leaked video scandal where he is sharing negative opinions of the Prime Minister of Îles de la Rêverie, the country he happens to be the prince of. The King and Queen, otherwise known as his Papa and Mom, have banished him to America, LA to be exact, to reflect on his actions and promote a more positive image of himself. He is angry, he is lonely, he doesn’t understand how the prime minister gets away with saying what Jadon heard while he is getting so much negative press. While all Prince Jadon wants is to return to his beautiful home country, changing people’s opinions of you doesn’t happen overnight, especially when you’re caught between trying to be yourself and doing what everyone expects of you.
Jadon doesn’t plan on being in America long, so why would he invest his time in building relationships? However, when he realizes he will have to start making friends and getting involved to shine up his image, it isn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Could the relationships he’s building at school be long lasting? Is he truly able to be himself with this certain pink haired boy, Reiss? Is America truly somewhere he wants to escape from, or could his future be here?

Review:
Julian Winters creates such a brilliant setting for this story with beautifully written imagery. He has an incredible talent to intertwine descriptions of the physical setting with the descriptions of the characters. I have never seen this executed so flawlessly; “The gourmet kitchen’s lighting accentuates how many of our parents’ features Annika and I share.”, “His face brightens like the fairy lights strung around the letter board menus.” Apart from the diverse characters and well-rounded plot, I was truly drawn into Prince Jadon’s physical world.

Moreover, I was truly blown away with how authentic the voice of this young male narrator was written. Winters finds that delicate balance of a young male character who is dealing with real emotions, specifically anger and fear, and has the vulnerability to be honest, kind, and respectful. I am fond of dual POV romances as someone who really enjoys understanding both characters feelings but the excellent portrayal of healthy communication allows for deep insights into Reiss’ feelings regardless of not hearing his first person account.

Embedded in the wonderful story are also hilarious tidbits which had me laughing out loud! The little Ao3 and multiple fanfiction references were great. Possibly my favorite easter eggs were the nods to RWRB (@historyhuhhenry) and Princess diaries (@genovia_diaries) in the tweets!

Some other favorite quotes:
“…she’s the calm, optimistic one. I’m more of the ‘burn shit down, ask questions later’ variety.”

“'No one talks about sex. It just happens. Talking about it is-' I interrupt, ‘Great! Sexy. Necessary.’”

“I hope you know you’re worthy, no matter who you are.”


Is it too early to hope for a sequel? Or a book with Annika's story? or a prequel with the parents romance?

[Kate Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC of Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters.

Julian Winters’ Prince of the Palisades is an outstanding novel that expertly weaves together contemporary romance and personal growth. With echoes of Red, White & Royal Blue and Young Royals, this book excels not only in its engaging storyline but also in its authentic representation.

Jadon, the central character, is incredibly compelling. His journey of self-discovery and his struggle to reconcile his role within his kingdom with his own desires make for a powerful narrative. Watching Jadon evolve throughout the book is both moving and inspiring, as his character development is portrayed with depth and nuance.

In contrast, Reiss stands firm and unchanging, offering a fascinating counterpoint to Jadon’s growth. This dynamic adds layers to the story, enriching the reader's experience and highlighting the complexity of personal transformation.

What truly sets this novel apart is its thoughtful representation. Winters handles sensitive themes with care, providing a refreshing and impactful portrayal of identity and acceptance that resonates deeply.

Prince of the Palisades is a triumph of storytelling, blending a gripping plot with meaningful representation. It’s a book that not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impression.

[piper monarchsandmyths · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC!

Honestly, this book fully lived up to my expectations. Pitched as a mix between Red, White, & Royal Blue and Young Royals, it hits that specific spot of the reluctant and rebellious royal opposite a slightly more ‘normal’ love interest who is more interested in just living their own life at first, and the shenanigans of growing along the way. It also combines some of my favourite elements of the slightly fantastical royalty in books, just a little bit of worldbuilding as a treat. Also, it does include one of my favourite movies/plays, Clue (1985), which honestly heightened my enjoyment.

This feels like some very classic elements of YA and romance, with more contemporarily significant discussions about queerness and Blackness that the characters and readers face. It’s a fun read with just enough reality, and plenty of queerness. The characters can be a little bit over the top, but I think that might just be that one is a prince and the rest are from Los Angeles. It’s a little cheesy and might have made me want to bang my head against the wall when the characters couldn’t seem to make the right decisions, but it’s also about characters growing, changing, and falling in love with each other, themselves, and the world that they’re living in, and it’s a great YA read to check out.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really sweet YA novel about figuring out who you are in a world that tries to decide that for you. Perfect for this age group

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

A heartfelt YA Royal romance featuring a disgraced gay prince from an imaginary African country who travels to LA with his sister to reconnect with his mother's birth place and improve his image. With a diverse cast of queer characters, Black joy, activism, love and familial expectations and the pressures of royal life, this book was great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Alyssa Cole and Jasmine Guillory or the movies Coming to America and The prince and me. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!