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Wear It Like a Crown
As part of a team of fixers hired to handle a gay scandal in Buckingham Palace, Leo expects Prince Joshua to be a lot of things, most notably a royally spoilt brat. But when planning the Prince’s coming out throws them into close contact, a tentative friendship blooms. Leo has no intention of ruining it with the admission that Prince Joshua used to star in quite a number of his teenage fantasies.
412 pages, ebook
First published December 3, 2019
294 people are currently reading
1479 people want to read
About the author
Zarah Detand
19 books440 followersWriter of M/M romances. Chaos monkey. Coffee snob. Cheese is her love language.
People in love with other people is her jam, with a particular penchant for snappy dialogue and a slow burn that is all the more satisfying once it finally catches fire. Playing with tropes of the famous-meets-non-famous variation? Bring it on! Fake relationships? Yes, please. All's fair as long as everyone gets their happy ending.
People in love with other people is her jam, with a particular penchant for snappy dialogue and a slow burn that is all the more satisfying once it finally catches fire. Playing with tropes of the famous-meets-non-famous variation? Bring it on! Fake relationships? Yes, please. All's fair as long as everyone gets their happy ending.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
November 4, 2021
⭐︎2.5 stars rounded up⭐︎
This felt a little tough to rate so low, because a lot of the time, I did enjoy this, and the characters, and parts of Leo and Joshua's romance.
But that's just the thing...I didn't love all of it, and that is mainly due to Leo. Like, later on Joshua might have had a few slip ups, a thing or two he said or did that maybe he shouldn't have. But for the majority of it, it was all Leo.
Man, I had a hard time with Leo. He frustrated me to no end. I genuinely disliked him at the beginning. He endeared me to him as the story went on, but then he'd do or say something stupid or dickish and I'd be feeling more complicated, mixed feelings about him. And the way he treats Joshua throughout, when he was an asshole to him even when he was in love with him, was hard to take at times.
Because Leo, in the beginning, hates Joshua right off the bat because he's nobility. He looks at Joshua being in the closet as Joshua being a privileged coward, and he hates all nobility on principle, and he is completely unfair to to him. I don't know how Joshua could find anything about him likable at the beginning.
And like yeah, I get that he's the freaking prince of England, and of course he's live a privileged life, but he judges Joshua as a person before even knowing him. And while having had a crush on him before when they were in high school. But because he's nobility, he deserves to be treated like shit right off the bat? Even though he's closeted and being gay is no small thing, and coming out is no small thing, for anyone. Where is the compassion?
Then Joshua, for some reason, wants Leo's help when he chooses to come out - after having avoided a blackmail scandal with the help of Leo's firm, where he works to help control the narrative for things - because Leo isn't biased and tells it like it is.
Leo starts to thaw around this point, but he still has moments where he takes things out on Joshua, completely unprovoked, and unfairly, and even if he starts to apologize, it was hard for me to get past it. Especially when, as far as I recall, he doesn't even apologize for how he treated Joshua on the offset.
We learn more about Leo and his past as the story goes on, so I came to understand him more, and like him more, but I still didn't feel like it was an excuse to treat someone like shit.
It was funny to me that Leo was former nobility, and had been in the position of being gay, and being in the closet, and then coming out, kinda the same position Joshua was in, and yet he looked down on Joshua in the beginning. You'd think their similar situations would make him more sympathetic, but nope. Like yes, his parents were absolutely horrible, but Leo was ALSO nobility and wasn't horrible like them, so why does he assume Joshua is too? Or really, why does he take out his own deep seated issues on Joshua, and Joshua just kinda lets him?
Joshua was a very kind, sweet character. He was my favorite in this. For being born into privilege, he never acted much like it. He was kind to others, caring, wanted to make a difference for others, and help others. Of course, even the kindest privileged person has some blind spots, but that's okay, because Joshua learned, and became even better for it.
Also another thing is that Leo himself admits what a privileged asshole he was before he was kicked out at 17, and then being on the streets made him see what real life is like - so the way he describes himself, he was probably worse than Joshua ever is - and yet he still judges him harshly...
I just couldn't really get past it for the longest time. And then when I'm starting to, and I'm starting to like Leo, and feel more for him, he and Joshua kiss and have sex, and then the next day he pushes Joshua away in the worst way, and then has the audacity to feel sad and upset that Joshua is mad and upset at him!
Like no. I hate when characters who royally fuck up then feel sad and heartbroken themselves and then act they are the wronged party, or at least partially the wronged party. Like no, you did ALL the fucking up here, own up to it. Leo even lets his best friend, Nate, think that Joshua was the one putting a stop to them for awhile. He doesn't say that, sure, but he lets Nate believe it. I was glad when Nate learned of this and properly called him out for it, at least.
And I get that Leo was scared. He has a past, a past he thinks will make him not be a good candidate for Prince Joshua to be with, that if his past was found out that it would ruin Joshua and the crown and all that. Like I get his emotions and fears behind his actions. But that still doesn't make his actions okay.
He doesn't want to tell Joshua anything, for the longest time, and just kind of expects Joshua to accept it and move on. And yet LEO is the one to come back after HE is the one to push Joshua away, he is the one that wants to explain things - without truly explaining - and expects....I honestly don't know what he expects.
He apologizes, but that's about it, no explanation, nothing, just vague sayings of "I do want you, I just can't be a guy who's with you" and some such. How is Joshua supposed to take that? How can he understand if Leo doesn't fucking tell him anything?
So we start off this story with Leo being a big ass twat, but eventually get him to somewhat likable, only for him to be a big ass twat again, only this time for like 20% of the story, maybe a little more, before he gets his head out of his ass. And it was just too much. Leo was too much.
And I also get that what he had to tell Joshua was hard to tell someone. I get that part. But to have it drag on for SO long, and have Leo himself be the one to come back to Joshua, when HE was the one who put an end to them, and then to also act like the hurt party, is what I had a problem with. Leo should have owned up to his shit and taken the hit of Joshua being angry at him, because he had good reason to be.
And in the end, Joshua kinda forgave Leo a little too easily. Like yes, he finally got Leo telling him the whole truth and that was a start...but it should have just been that, a start. I wanted Leo to work for it more. He really, truly hurt Joshua, and yet all it takes is some apologizing and finally explaining shit and that's enough? For me, it wouldn't have been. I would have made him work a little more for it, but to each their own, I guess.
As for the rest that made me give this 2.5 stars, there were just little things here and there. Like there was quite a few typos here and there throughout. After skimming some reviews, I learned that this had been a One Direction AU fic, which makes sense as to why Nate, Leo's friend, would sometimes call him "Lou" out of nowhere. Because Leo was "Louis" in the fic. I was stuck feeling bewildered like "huh? Is that some special nickname Nate sometimes has for Leo or what?"
The royalty aspect didn't feel all that realistic for a lot of this. Especially Joshua seemingly being able to live on his own without much supervision at all, and being able to go places alone. One bodyguard betrays him, but even if that were the case, I feel like the royal family wouldn't allow Joshua to go without one at times? I feel like it'd be a firm "must have at least one bodyguard at all times" we only see another bodyguard being Joshua's bodyguard a few other times in this.
For as big a deal as Joshua coming out was made to be....there wasn't much time spent on the fallout of it when he did. We just kinda got a vague sense of "yeah there were hateful comments, but for the most part it wasn't that bad" like...I feel like it'd be a huge deal. It shouldn't be, but we all know it would be.
Also when Joshua went out, a few times he had a lot of people come up to him, but other times he didn't, and sometimes people didn't even recognize him? Which, might happen outside of England, sure, but in London?? I feel like most everyone would recognize Joshua. Like where were the crowds of people clamoring for a shot of Joshua, or to meet him? The story introduced this PrinceWatch thing, but was barely put into the plot.
Also the line of succession thing...Joshua's older sister is first in line for the throne, which has to mean that maybe earlier in this worlds history, the line of succession was changed so as for the female, if they're born before a boy, that they get to be ahead of them in the line of succession. Because that only got changed very recently - in fact Prince William's daughter is like...the first female for that to have gone into affect for. So she's behind Prince George but ahead of her little brother now. But before that was changed in like...the last decade or so, she would have been behind her older and younger brother.
AND that was changed for only those who were born AFTER the thing was put into affect, so...was something like that done a lot earlier in this worlds history? It's, of course, never spoken about. And if it's been a thing for a long time, then that's pretty progressive for royalists, but then at the same time it's a huge deal for there to be a gay royal family member? The contradictions are a little confusing.
ALSO, it was too long. It could have been cut down considerably. This was 335 pages, and that's about, I think, 100 pages too long.
So all these things served in dampening my enjoyment of this. Mainly it was Leo and his up and down, hot and cold nature, but these other things contributed as well.
It was still enjoyable at times, and I came to care about these characters, enough to want to find out where their stories led to, and there were stretches of this where I just straight up enjoying what was happening, and Leo and Joshua did have good moments, fun moments, although the steam could have been better, imo. It was pretty mild overall. I wasn't feeling it much between these two the few times we got sex scenes (their first time being cut off halfway through for some reason did not help on that front either).
So...a lot that I disliked, unfortunately. But I rounded up from 2.5 stars for what I did like and enjoy, and for this managing to keep me invested in the characters until the end, even Leo, for as much as he made me angry and I was up and down on liking him.
But overall...this could have been greatly improved, I think. It's definitely a story I wish I could have given a higher rating to, it had that potential...but there was just too much that frustrated me to give this a higher rating, unfortunately.
This felt a little tough to rate so low, because a lot of the time, I did enjoy this, and the characters, and parts of Leo and Joshua's romance.
But that's just the thing...I didn't love all of it, and that is mainly due to Leo. Like, later on Joshua might have had a few slip ups, a thing or two he said or did that maybe he shouldn't have. But for the majority of it, it was all Leo.
Man, I had a hard time with Leo. He frustrated me to no end. I genuinely disliked him at the beginning. He endeared me to him as the story went on, but then he'd do or say something stupid or dickish and I'd be feeling more complicated, mixed feelings about him. And the way he treats Joshua throughout, when he was an asshole to him even when he was in love with him, was hard to take at times.
Because Leo, in the beginning, hates Joshua right off the bat because he's nobility. He looks at Joshua being in the closet as Joshua being a privileged coward, and he hates all nobility on principle, and he is completely unfair to to him. I don't know how Joshua could find anything about him likable at the beginning.
And like yeah, I get that he's the freaking prince of England, and of course he's live a privileged life, but he judges Joshua as a person before even knowing him. And while having had a crush on him before when they were in high school. But because he's nobility, he deserves to be treated like shit right off the bat? Even though he's closeted and being gay is no small thing, and coming out is no small thing, for anyone. Where is the compassion?
Then Joshua, for some reason, wants Leo's help when he chooses to come out - after having avoided a blackmail scandal with the help of Leo's firm, where he works to help control the narrative for things - because Leo isn't biased and tells it like it is.
Leo starts to thaw around this point, but he still has moments where he takes things out on Joshua, completely unprovoked, and unfairly, and even if he starts to apologize, it was hard for me to get past it. Especially when, as far as I recall, he doesn't even apologize for how he treated Joshua on the offset.
We learn more about Leo and his past as the story goes on, so I came to understand him more, and like him more, but I still didn't feel like it was an excuse to treat someone like shit.
It was funny to me that Leo was former nobility, and had been in the position of being gay, and being in the closet, and then coming out, kinda the same position Joshua was in, and yet he looked down on Joshua in the beginning. You'd think their similar situations would make him more sympathetic, but nope. Like yes, his parents were absolutely horrible, but Leo was ALSO nobility and wasn't horrible like them, so why does he assume Joshua is too? Or really, why does he take out his own deep seated issues on Joshua, and Joshua just kinda lets him?
Joshua was a very kind, sweet character. He was my favorite in this. For being born into privilege, he never acted much like it. He was kind to others, caring, wanted to make a difference for others, and help others. Of course, even the kindest privileged person has some blind spots, but that's okay, because Joshua learned, and became even better for it.
Also another thing is that Leo himself admits what a privileged asshole he was before he was kicked out at 17, and then being on the streets made him see what real life is like - so the way he describes himself, he was probably worse than Joshua ever is - and yet he still judges him harshly...
I just couldn't really get past it for the longest time. And then when I'm starting to, and I'm starting to like Leo, and feel more for him, he and Joshua kiss and have sex, and then the next day he pushes Joshua away in the worst way, and then has the audacity to feel sad and upset that Joshua is mad and upset at him!
Like no. I hate when characters who royally fuck up then feel sad and heartbroken themselves and then act they are the wronged party, or at least partially the wronged party. Like no, you did ALL the fucking up here, own up to it. Leo even lets his best friend, Nate, think that Joshua was the one putting a stop to them for awhile. He doesn't say that, sure, but he lets Nate believe it. I was glad when Nate learned of this and properly called him out for it, at least.
And I get that Leo was scared. He has a past, a past he thinks will make him not be a good candidate for Prince Joshua to be with, that if his past was found out that it would ruin Joshua and the crown and all that. Like I get his emotions and fears behind his actions. But that still doesn't make his actions okay.
He doesn't want to tell Joshua anything, for the longest time, and just kind of expects Joshua to accept it and move on. And yet LEO is the one to come back after HE is the one to push Joshua away, he is the one that wants to explain things - without truly explaining - and expects....I honestly don't know what he expects.
He apologizes, but that's about it, no explanation, nothing, just vague sayings of "I do want you, I just can't be a guy who's with you" and some such. How is Joshua supposed to take that? How can he understand if Leo doesn't fucking tell him anything?
So we start off this story with Leo being a big ass twat, but eventually get him to somewhat likable, only for him to be a big ass twat again, only this time for like 20% of the story, maybe a little more, before he gets his head out of his ass. And it was just too much. Leo was too much.
And I also get that what he had to tell Joshua was hard to tell someone. I get that part. But to have it drag on for SO long, and have Leo himself be the one to come back to Joshua, when HE was the one who put an end to them, and then to also act like the hurt party, is what I had a problem with. Leo should have owned up to his shit and taken the hit of Joshua being angry at him, because he had good reason to be.
And in the end, Joshua kinda forgave Leo a little too easily. Like yes, he finally got Leo telling him the whole truth and that was a start...but it should have just been that, a start. I wanted Leo to work for it more. He really, truly hurt Joshua, and yet all it takes is some apologizing and finally explaining shit and that's enough? For me, it wouldn't have been. I would have made him work a little more for it, but to each their own, I guess.
As for the rest that made me give this 2.5 stars, there were just little things here and there. Like there was quite a few typos here and there throughout. After skimming some reviews, I learned that this had been a One Direction AU fic, which makes sense as to why Nate, Leo's friend, would sometimes call him "Lou" out of nowhere. Because Leo was "Louis" in the fic. I was stuck feeling bewildered like "huh? Is that some special nickname Nate sometimes has for Leo or what?"
The royalty aspect didn't feel all that realistic for a lot of this. Especially Joshua seemingly being able to live on his own without much supervision at all, and being able to go places alone. One bodyguard betrays him, but even if that were the case, I feel like the royal family wouldn't allow Joshua to go without one at times? I feel like it'd be a firm "must have at least one bodyguard at all times" we only see another bodyguard being Joshua's bodyguard a few other times in this.
For as big a deal as Joshua coming out was made to be....there wasn't much time spent on the fallout of it when he did. We just kinda got a vague sense of "yeah there were hateful comments, but for the most part it wasn't that bad" like...I feel like it'd be a huge deal. It shouldn't be, but we all know it would be.
Also when Joshua went out, a few times he had a lot of people come up to him, but other times he didn't, and sometimes people didn't even recognize him? Which, might happen outside of England, sure, but in London?? I feel like most everyone would recognize Joshua. Like where were the crowds of people clamoring for a shot of Joshua, or to meet him? The story introduced this PrinceWatch thing, but was barely put into the plot.
Also the line of succession thing...Joshua's older sister is first in line for the throne, which has to mean that maybe earlier in this worlds history, the line of succession was changed so as for the female, if they're born before a boy, that they get to be ahead of them in the line of succession. Because that only got changed very recently - in fact Prince William's daughter is like...the first female for that to have gone into affect for. So she's behind Prince George but ahead of her little brother now. But before that was changed in like...the last decade or so, she would have been behind her older and younger brother.
AND that was changed for only those who were born AFTER the thing was put into affect, so...was something like that done a lot earlier in this worlds history? It's, of course, never spoken about. And if it's been a thing for a long time, then that's pretty progressive for royalists, but then at the same time it's a huge deal for there to be a gay royal family member? The contradictions are a little confusing.
ALSO, it was too long. It could have been cut down considerably. This was 335 pages, and that's about, I think, 100 pages too long.
So all these things served in dampening my enjoyment of this. Mainly it was Leo and his up and down, hot and cold nature, but these other things contributed as well.
It was still enjoyable at times, and I came to care about these characters, enough to want to find out where their stories led to, and there were stretches of this where I just straight up enjoying what was happening, and Leo and Joshua did have good moments, fun moments, although the steam could have been better, imo. It was pretty mild overall. I wasn't feeling it much between these two the few times we got sex scenes (their first time being cut off halfway through for some reason did not help on that front either).
So...a lot that I disliked, unfortunately. But I rounded up from 2.5 stars for what I did like and enjoy, and for this managing to keep me invested in the characters until the end, even Leo, for as much as he made me angry and I was up and down on liking him.
But overall...this could have been greatly improved, I think. It's definitely a story I wish I could have given a higher rating to, it had that potential...but there was just too much that frustrated me to give this a higher rating, unfortunately.
September 7, 2020
5 Stars
“Of course I’ll still want you, Princey. Happily ever after, isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”
"Smuttily ever after,..."
Wow! This was so good! Zarah Detand has been on my radar for YEARS (and I am side-eyeing and critically judging myself for not reading her work sooner). This story has its origins in the author's earlier One Direction AU (AO3). I've never read One Direction AU, but I enjoy imaging Harry and Louis playing lead roles in this version.
The story takes place in a fairytale-esque fictionalized version of Britain where the Queen of England has a gay son (nope, not THAT royalty mm book) who is threatened by a blackmailer with compromising photos. A team of PR/professional fixers is called in to help manage the scandal.
Leo is part of the team of fixers and Joshua is his "Princeling."
What starts out as an abrasive, antagonistic beginning between the Prince and Leo transforms into a sweetly supportive slow-burn relationship. Prince Joshua is a doll; he is kind, down-to-earth, still a bit innocent about the world, and coddled by the most loving group of friends.
Leo is prickly, combative, snarky and hides the softest, sweetest, most marshmellowy center. Watching their tentative friendship blossom into a loving, supportive relationship is like watching the sun slowly rising in the sky, feeling warmed by its rays.
I loved the supporting characters and the way they all form a tight-knit chosen family. There is a bit of angst as Leo deals with some past traumas, but the overall tone is uplifting and hopeful.
Highly recommend!
“Of course I’ll still want you, Princey. Happily ever after, isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”
"Smuttily ever after,..."
Wow! This was so good! Zarah Detand has been on my radar for YEARS (and I am side-eyeing and critically judging myself for not reading her work sooner). This story has its origins in the author's earlier One Direction AU (AO3). I've never read One Direction AU, but I enjoy imaging Harry and Louis playing lead roles in this version.
The story takes place in a fairytale-esque fictionalized version of Britain where the Queen of England has a gay son (nope, not THAT royalty mm book) who is threatened by a blackmailer with compromising photos. A team of PR/professional fixers is called in to help manage the scandal.
Leo is part of the team of fixers and Joshua is his "Princeling."
What starts out as an abrasive, antagonistic beginning between the Prince and Leo transforms into a sweetly supportive slow-burn relationship. Prince Joshua is a doll; he is kind, down-to-earth, still a bit innocent about the world, and coddled by the most loving group of friends.
Leo is prickly, combative, snarky and hides the softest, sweetest, most marshmellowy center. Watching their tentative friendship blossom into a loving, supportive relationship is like watching the sun slowly rising in the sky, feeling warmed by its rays.
I loved the supporting characters and the way they all form a tight-knit chosen family. There is a bit of angst as Leo deals with some past traumas, but the overall tone is uplifting and hopeful.
Highly recommend!
December 20, 2022
DNF @ 35%
Unfortunately, I'm DNFing this book for the exact same reason that I DNF'd 'Pull Me Under'. Both stories very obviously started out as 1D RPF AUs (translation: alternate universe settings into which the author put the real-life One Direction band members; the first story is a sports setting and this one is a modern royalty setting) and all the author did to turn the stories 'original' was change the characters' names (and maybe other minor details, I don't know anything about 1D except that there were five members). I love fanfic and RPF but in my opinion, just flipping the characters' names isn't enough to turn the story into an interesting original story. Why? For the following two reasons:
First - there was barely any plot and the majority of the scenes in the part I read involved the MCs hanging out with each other or with three side characters. I was so bored that I nearly fell asleep. When reading fanfic/RPF, readers go into the story already knowing and loving the characters so having fluffy slice-of-life scenes where they're hanging out are enjoyable to read because readers already love the characters. In addition, creating an AU makes those simple scenes even more enjoyable because what makes an AU so interesting is seeing how the author has used the canon characters in the AU setting and how certain aspects of the characters were tweaked to fit them into the AU. But none of this applies when you're going into the story without any background knowledge about the characters. These fluffy hanging out scenes were boring and repetitive because I didn't know or care about the characters. The way to make readers care about characters is to put them into interesting scenarios. In fanfic/RPF, those interesting scenarios are the canon things that all readers know have already happened but they didn't happen when you're dealing with brand new characters in a brand new world.
It didn't help matters that the characters who take up the most on-page time are all very nice, very friendly people who care about each other very much. This is all very nice but it added to the boredom. There was a huge deal made out of Leo resenting nobility (especially royals) and not liking Joshua in particular, but within just a few interactions between them, Leo has warmed up to him and we're back to a snoozefest.
Second - I found it annoying that three of the side characters (Mo, Tristan, Nate) had a very big presence in the story. Most of their interactions with the MCs didn't serve any narrative purpose. So why were these three in nearly every scene, taking up space and interjecting their opinions and thoughts when it didn't add anything to the story? Because One Direction consisted of five band members and when this story was RPF, it wouldn't have made sense not to include all five characters. But like I said - going into this without knowing anything about the characters just makes it annoying to have so much time devoted to three side characters.
Lastly, it drove me nuts that Joshua being a modern-day Prince was only important for the OMG-He's-A-Prince-!!! situations. While many of the details surrounding Joshua were accurate representations of how the UK's modern day royal family lives life (for example, having the head of communications for the royal family serve an important purpose), the day-to-day realities of what Joshua's life was supposed to be like were conveniently brushed aside.
Two small examples were his decision to not have bodyguards with him except during public events and also having Joshua living in a random London flat by himself. The lack of bodyguards and the random apartment served as handy plot conveniences, but it ruined the realistic vibe that the author seemed to be going for. Most noticeable was the fact that Joshua barely did any work in the 144 pages I read. He went to one engagement and spends the rest of his time hanging out with his friends or in his apartment. In reality, senior royals (which is what Joshua was supposed to be) carry out an average of 300 engagements per year, with many doing closer to 400. Having Joshua rarely work bothered me because the author spent a lot of time justifying Joshua's privilege and wealth but her reasoning seemed to be that he deserved those things because he's a nice guy, not because he actually does the work he's being paid to do. I would have much rather had Joshua spend less time being the world's kindest and most easy going man and instead, have him going to more engagements and being involved in the dozens of other tasks that senior royals are expected to participate in.
The above issue is why I'm going to stop reading modern royalty romances. It's clear that the majority of romance readers just like having a character with a royal title, while seeing that title in action isn't high on their priority list. Since my desires for modern royalty romances are very different, I'm going to steer clear of this subgenre from now on.
In addition, I have a sneaking suspicion that many more MM romances by this author are 1D RPF AUs that she filed the serial numbers off of and re-published. Since I don't like her chosen method of 'filing', I'm going to steer clear of her work in future.
But lastly, I want to be fair to the author and explain that my criticisms are mostly based on what I like to read. Is this an enjoyable romance for somebody who enjoys slow paced, fluffy, easy reads? Definitely yes. The writing is good and the author did a good job creating the modern royalty AU setting and creating a cast of characters who made the world fairly realistic. And if I had been in the 1D fandom back at its peak, you bet I would have devoured this author's stories when she published them on AO3. But as an original MM romance, it didn't work for me.
Unfortunately, I'm DNFing this book for the exact same reason that I DNF'd 'Pull Me Under'. Both stories very obviously started out as 1D RPF AUs (translation: alternate universe settings into which the author put the real-life One Direction band members; the first story is a sports setting and this one is a modern royalty setting) and all the author did to turn the stories 'original' was change the characters' names (and maybe other minor details, I don't know anything about 1D except that there were five members). I love fanfic and RPF but in my opinion, just flipping the characters' names isn't enough to turn the story into an interesting original story. Why? For the following two reasons:
First - there was barely any plot and the majority of the scenes in the part I read involved the MCs hanging out with each other or with three side characters. I was so bored that I nearly fell asleep. When reading fanfic/RPF, readers go into the story already knowing and loving the characters so having fluffy slice-of-life scenes where they're hanging out are enjoyable to read because readers already love the characters. In addition, creating an AU makes those simple scenes even more enjoyable because what makes an AU so interesting is seeing how the author has used the canon characters in the AU setting and how certain aspects of the characters were tweaked to fit them into the AU. But none of this applies when you're going into the story without any background knowledge about the characters. These fluffy hanging out scenes were boring and repetitive because I didn't know or care about the characters. The way to make readers care about characters is to put them into interesting scenarios. In fanfic/RPF, those interesting scenarios are the canon things that all readers know have already happened but they didn't happen when you're dealing with brand new characters in a brand new world.
It didn't help matters that the characters who take up the most on-page time are all very nice, very friendly people who care about each other very much. This is all very nice but it added to the boredom. There was a huge deal made out of Leo resenting nobility (especially royals) and not liking Joshua in particular, but within just a few interactions between them, Leo has warmed up to him and we're back to a snoozefest.
Second - I found it annoying that three of the side characters (Mo, Tristan, Nate) had a very big presence in the story. Most of their interactions with the MCs didn't serve any narrative purpose. So why were these three in nearly every scene, taking up space and interjecting their opinions and thoughts when it didn't add anything to the story? Because One Direction consisted of five band members and when this story was RPF, it wouldn't have made sense not to include all five characters. But like I said - going into this without knowing anything about the characters just makes it annoying to have so much time devoted to three side characters.
Lastly, it drove me nuts that Joshua being a modern-day Prince was only important for the OMG-He's-A-Prince-!!! situations. While many of the details surrounding Joshua were accurate representations of how the UK's modern day royal family lives life (for example, having the head of communications for the royal family serve an important purpose), the day-to-day realities of what Joshua's life was supposed to be like were conveniently brushed aside.
Two small examples were his decision to not have bodyguards with him except during public events and also having Joshua living in a random London flat by himself. The lack of bodyguards and the random apartment served as handy plot conveniences, but it ruined the realistic vibe that the author seemed to be going for. Most noticeable was the fact that Joshua barely did any work in the 144 pages I read. He went to one engagement and spends the rest of his time hanging out with his friends or in his apartment. In reality, senior royals (which is what Joshua was supposed to be) carry out an average of 300 engagements per year, with many doing closer to 400. Having Joshua rarely work bothered me because the author spent a lot of time justifying Joshua's privilege and wealth but her reasoning seemed to be that he deserved those things because he's a nice guy, not because he actually does the work he's being paid to do. I would have much rather had Joshua spend less time being the world's kindest and most easy going man and instead, have him going to more engagements and being involved in the dozens of other tasks that senior royals are expected to participate in.
The above issue is why I'm going to stop reading modern royalty romances. It's clear that the majority of romance readers just like having a character with a royal title, while seeing that title in action isn't high on their priority list. Since my desires for modern royalty romances are very different, I'm going to steer clear of this subgenre from now on.
In addition, I have a sneaking suspicion that many more MM romances by this author are 1D RPF AUs that she filed the serial numbers off of and re-published. Since I don't like her chosen method of 'filing', I'm going to steer clear of her work in future.
But lastly, I want to be fair to the author and explain that my criticisms are mostly based on what I like to read. Is this an enjoyable romance for somebody who enjoys slow paced, fluffy, easy reads? Definitely yes. The writing is good and the author did a good job creating the modern royalty AU setting and creating a cast of characters who made the world fairly realistic. And if I had been in the 1D fandom back at its peak, you bet I would have devoured this author's stories when she published them on AO3. But as an original MM romance, it didn't work for me.
November 1, 2020
Wear it Like a Crown
By Zarah Detand
Published by the author, 2019
Five stars
OK, I loved this book. I loved that it was LONG, because all y’all really need to develop an adult attention span. For me, novellas are rarely satisfying, because they purposely skim over things that need depth. Here, I wallowed in the many pages, savoring the deep dive into Joshua and Leo’s minds. I adored the exploration of the interconnected friendships of the five gay, bi and straight modern young men. Yes, there were times when I snarled to myself: get the hell over it, Leo. But, I am a cynical old man, however romantic. One gets impatient with the maunderings of youth—even though I maundered rather a lot in my own youth.
I loved that the book spent very little time in Buckingham Palace, or with Joshua’s royal family, because the point of the book was the group of twenty-something men who form the emotional core of the story. The fact that Joshua lives independently in a chic flat in a great neighborhood might seem unlikely, based on what we know of current royal practice—but then again, this is a different royal family, more like today’s other European royals, who live relatively normal lives about which most of us know nothing. Queen Louise and Princess Emma, however brief their roles, were awesome and surprising, and I confess I would have liked to spend more time with them; but hey, Zarah Detand could always write a sequel. Happy ever after is a bloody long time, after all.
The author was very good on the careful reveals—building fragments of knowledge until we finally got the whole picture. I appreciated that Joshua was truly smart and good; and that, despite his dark curly hair, one could replace him with either of today’s actual royal princes if one wished. Part of the fun in these “different reality” stories is slotting in real-life royals with the clever fictional ones. I adored Leo, whose apparent lack of self-pity masked a deep shame that has crippled him emotionally without his own realization. Quite unexpectedly, Leo becomes a conduit for understanding how vulnerable all LGTBQ young people are, in spite of the improvements in the world today.
Equally welcome was the fact that the on-page sex is limited to critical moments in the narrative—so that it was not only hot, but emotionally on the nose. Corollary to that was my happiness that all of this was focused on the young men and their feelings, and not idiotic leering over body parts.
“Wear it Like a Crown” is in fact part of a small sub-genre of gay romance fiction—British Royal Coming Out romance. Who knew, right? The most popular of these books right now, because it is from a mainstream press and is getting big promotion, is Casey McQuiston’s charming “Red, White and Royal Blue.” Most interestingly parallel is Lilah Pace’s two-book series, “His Royal Secret” and “His Royal Favorite,” which spend a lot more time deep inside Buckingham Palace dealing with fallout among the fictitious royals. Oddly enough, the queen in that one is also Louise.
None of this works, of course, unless the author knows what she is doing, and Detand is pretty darn good. The book has its flaws, but nothing that derailed my constant pleasure as I read through it. Although it is about Leo and Joshua, it is also about Nate and his friendship with Leo; and about Tristan and Mo, and their devoted love of their friend Joshua. I hope millennials are, at least some of them, as endearing as this group of guys is.
By Zarah Detand
Published by the author, 2019
Five stars
OK, I loved this book. I loved that it was LONG, because all y’all really need to develop an adult attention span. For me, novellas are rarely satisfying, because they purposely skim over things that need depth. Here, I wallowed in the many pages, savoring the deep dive into Joshua and Leo’s minds. I adored the exploration of the interconnected friendships of the five gay, bi and straight modern young men. Yes, there were times when I snarled to myself: get the hell over it, Leo. But, I am a cynical old man, however romantic. One gets impatient with the maunderings of youth—even though I maundered rather a lot in my own youth.
I loved that the book spent very little time in Buckingham Palace, or with Joshua’s royal family, because the point of the book was the group of twenty-something men who form the emotional core of the story. The fact that Joshua lives independently in a chic flat in a great neighborhood might seem unlikely, based on what we know of current royal practice—but then again, this is a different royal family, more like today’s other European royals, who live relatively normal lives about which most of us know nothing. Queen Louise and Princess Emma, however brief their roles, were awesome and surprising, and I confess I would have liked to spend more time with them; but hey, Zarah Detand could always write a sequel. Happy ever after is a bloody long time, after all.
The author was very good on the careful reveals—building fragments of knowledge until we finally got the whole picture. I appreciated that Joshua was truly smart and good; and that, despite his dark curly hair, one could replace him with either of today’s actual royal princes if one wished. Part of the fun in these “different reality” stories is slotting in real-life royals with the clever fictional ones. I adored Leo, whose apparent lack of self-pity masked a deep shame that has crippled him emotionally without his own realization. Quite unexpectedly, Leo becomes a conduit for understanding how vulnerable all LGTBQ young people are, in spite of the improvements in the world today.
Equally welcome was the fact that the on-page sex is limited to critical moments in the narrative—so that it was not only hot, but emotionally on the nose. Corollary to that was my happiness that all of this was focused on the young men and their feelings, and not idiotic leering over body parts.
“Wear it Like a Crown” is in fact part of a small sub-genre of gay romance fiction—British Royal Coming Out romance. Who knew, right? The most popular of these books right now, because it is from a mainstream press and is getting big promotion, is Casey McQuiston’s charming “Red, White and Royal Blue.” Most interestingly parallel is Lilah Pace’s two-book series, “His Royal Secret” and “His Royal Favorite,” which spend a lot more time deep inside Buckingham Palace dealing with fallout among the fictitious royals. Oddly enough, the queen in that one is also Louise.
None of this works, of course, unless the author knows what she is doing, and Detand is pretty darn good. The book has its flaws, but nothing that derailed my constant pleasure as I read through it. Although it is about Leo and Joshua, it is also about Nate and his friendship with Leo; and about Tristan and Mo, and their devoted love of their friend Joshua. I hope millennials are, at least some of them, as endearing as this group of guys is.
May 3, 2021
Such a good read! 🥰. Wear It Like a Crown was recommended to me and despite my misgivings due to the cover (which I really don’t like and which isn’t at all representative of the story, or the way it’s written so beautifully by Zarah Detand), I downloaded it. And I’m sooo happy I did 😊.
This is a mm royalty, coming out story, along the lines of Red, White & Royal Blue (OMG how I adore that book!) It's a little bit angsty, with some triggers (based around living on the streets) but basically it's Prince Joshua and Leo's love story. The supporting characters are brilliant too and who doesn't love a HEA?! 🧡💛💚💙💜.
It's probably a NA, but there's a healthy level of 🔥🔥🔥 to keep readers smiling.
Highly recommended 4.5 ✨✨✨✨
This is a mm royalty, coming out story, along the lines of Red, White & Royal Blue (OMG how I adore that book!) It's a little bit angsty, with some triggers (based around living on the streets) but basically it's Prince Joshua and Leo's love story. The supporting characters are brilliant too and who doesn't love a HEA?! 🧡💛💚💙💜.
It's probably a NA, but there's a healthy level of 🔥🔥🔥 to keep readers smiling.
Highly recommended 4.5 ✨✨✨✨
May 6, 2024
4,5 stars
It’s never really over until you wear your secrets like a crown
Loved the meaningful title.
Adored the book.
And here is why:
.) two very likeable main characters
.) In depth characterization
.) fantastic, abyss deep emotional depth: so many highs and lows, so much doubt and fear and hurt. Brilliant!
.) a plot that has people act in a way I could totally associate with
.) absolutely breath-taking sex scenes. The first time between Josh and Leo is emotionally beautiful, hot, sweet and tender, and beautifully written.
I was totally, utterly captivated.
I adored the writing of this new-to-me author. Why had I not come across her before????
Other thought aside:
The royal theme is quite ‘light’ with royals behaving quite freely and leisurely in public and private. Nothing wrong with that btw, wish for them it could be more like this in RL.
VERY minor niggle:
I would have loved Leo meet the Queen. Surely she can’t have been totally over the moon about her son’s choice of partner.
Highly recommended if you like a romance with complex dilemmas, hurt and comfort and so many feels!
It’s never really over until you wear your secrets like a crown
Loved the meaningful title.
Adored the book.
And here is why:
.) two very likeable main characters
.) In depth characterization
.) fantastic, abyss deep emotional depth: so many highs and lows, so much doubt and fear and hurt. Brilliant!
.) a plot that has people act in a way I could totally associate with
.) absolutely breath-taking sex scenes. The first time between Josh and Leo is emotionally beautiful, hot, sweet and tender, and beautifully written.
I was totally, utterly captivated.
I adored the writing of this new-to-me author. Why had I not come across her before????
Other thought aside:
The royal theme is quite ‘light’ with royals behaving quite freely and leisurely in public and private. Nothing wrong with that btw, wish for them it could be more like this in RL.
VERY minor niggle:
I would have loved Leo meet the Queen. Surely she can’t have been totally over the moon about her son’s choice of partner.
Highly recommended if you like a romance with complex dilemmas, hurt and comfort and so many feels!
March 28, 2024
First off, I have to say that I've always loved the name Joshua and I'm glad this MC didn't do anything to ruin that for me. The greenest of flags.
This one was unexpected but incredibly good. I love how whenever I pick up a book with a British royal, I expect it to be like that one, and I'm always delightfully surprised when it's not. Isn't it amazing when different authors start with the same overall idea and execute it in wildly different ways?
That said, I REALLY want to read one where the MC is the crown prince. No offense to spares, but I want to see how that's spun.
Anyway.
This book was sweet.
"Nothing has ever felt like you."
This book was funny.
"Seriously, you'd be willing to go camping? Not saying I’d even want that, but if I asked, you’d go, right? Christ, you really are completely gone for me."
This book was sappy at times.(complimentary, I swear!)
“Don’t look at me like that,” Leo grumbled. “I know how to compromise.”
“Only when it suits you,” Joshua told him, mouth curving up.
“It suits me when it makes you happy.”
My heart 😩
This book was economically absurd.
Joshua begging Leo to accept his money almost had me weeping with envy. In this economy? Like.... Jesus Christ, man! Let him pay off your bloody flat🤷
A deeply unserious man, that Leo.
But he WAS willing to jump off a very steep ledge for Joshua. So there's a lot to be said for Leo.
This one was unexpected but incredibly good. I love how whenever I pick up a book with a British royal, I expect it to be like that one, and I'm always delightfully surprised when it's not. Isn't it amazing when different authors start with the same overall idea and execute it in wildly different ways?
That said, I REALLY want to read one where the MC is the crown prince. No offense to spares, but I want to see how that's spun.
Anyway.
This book was sweet.
"Nothing has ever felt like you."
This book was funny.
"Seriously, you'd be willing to go camping? Not saying I’d even want that, but if I asked, you’d go, right? Christ, you really are completely gone for me."
This book was sappy at times.(complimentary, I swear!)
“Don’t look at me like that,” Leo grumbled. “I know how to compromise.”
“Only when it suits you,” Joshua told him, mouth curving up.
“It suits me when it makes you happy.”
My heart 😩
This book was economically absurd.
Joshua begging Leo to accept his money almost had me weeping with envy. In this economy? Like.... Jesus Christ, man! Let him pay off your bloody flat🤷
A deeply unserious man, that Leo.
But he WAS willing to jump off a very steep ledge for Joshua. So there's a lot to be said for Leo.
May 15, 2025
Reread 12-15.05.2025.
Zmieniam ocenę - zaokrąglam w górę do pięciu 😁
Szczerze mówiąc nie wiem, dlaczego nie zrobiłam tego od razu 🤷♀️
Ale pomiędzy pierwszym a drugim czytaniem tego tytułu przeczytałam tyle gównianych książek, które miały być albo lekkie, łatwe i przyjemne, albo trudne, dramatyczne i pełne psychologicznej rozkminy - i każda była nic albo niewiele warta, że ten tytuł wyjątkowo błyszczy w kategorii pierwszej. Bo zdecydowanie książki Zarah Detand należą do lekkich, łatwych i przyjemnych, dodatkowo są urocze i słodkie, ale w ten sposób, który mi absolutnie idealnie siada, a nie obraża mnie, czy powoduje wypadnięcie gałek ocznych od przewracania 😜
Zatem w natłoku naprawdę marnych książek, aż się prosi na zmianę przy drugim czytaniu na 5 gwiazdek, co też z wyjątkową radochą czynię 😁
* * * * * * *
4+
Zarah Detand rzuciła na mnie zdecydowanie jakieś zaklęcie 👀
No bo jak inaczej wytłumaczyć fakt, że nie dość, że książka dotyczyła księcia wymyślonej wprawdzie linii królewskiej, ale bardzo prawdziwej Wielkiej Brytanii, ze wszystkim, co znamy, to do tego jeszcze był zastosowany jeden z moich "ulubionych motywów", czyli "robię to dla Twojego dobra"...
A jednak... nie kwestionowałam żadnej z tych rzeczy ani przez moment 👀 Nie czepiałam się 👀
No czar, zdecydowanie czar 😁
Fakt, wyjątkowo fajnie jest napisana postać Joshui - wiemy, że jest księciem, drugim w kolejce do tronu, wszystko, co się wydarzyło, w taki czy inny sposób kręciło się właśnie koło tego, kim on jest. Ale tak naprawdę łatwo o tym zapomnieć, bo zdecydowanie bardziej poznajemy Joshuę-mężczyznę i człowieka, niż Joshuę-księcia i syna królowej Wielkiej Brytanii. No kurczę, nie przeszkadzało mi to w najmniejszym stopniu 😁
Nie zastanawiam się nawet, czy taki związek byłby możliwy w prawdziwej rodzinie królewskiej - bo po co? Skoro dobrze się czyta, ma według mnie ręce i nogi, i nawet głowa się jeszcze znajdzie, to nie ma potrzeby roztrząsać, czy by się dało czy nie. U Zarah Detand się dało i jest to jak najbardziej okej w moim świecie 😁
Ale ZNOWU brakowało epilogu, a po prostu aż się o to prosiło...
Zmieniam ocenę - zaokrąglam w górę do pięciu 😁
Szczerze mówiąc nie wiem, dlaczego nie zrobiłam tego od razu 🤷♀️
Ale pomiędzy pierwszym a drugim czytaniem tego tytułu przeczytałam tyle gównianych książek, które miały być albo lekkie, łatwe i przyjemne, albo trudne, dramatyczne i pełne psychologicznej rozkminy - i każda była nic albo niewiele warta, że ten tytuł wyjątkowo błyszczy w kategorii pierwszej. Bo zdecydowanie książki Zarah Detand należą do lekkich, łatwych i przyjemnych, dodatkowo są urocze i słodkie, ale w ten sposób, który mi absolutnie idealnie siada, a nie obraża mnie, czy powoduje wypadnięcie gałek ocznych od przewracania 😜
Zatem w natłoku naprawdę marnych książek, aż się prosi na zmianę przy drugim czytaniu na 5 gwiazdek, co też z wyjątkową radochą czynię 😁
* * * * * * *
4+
Zarah Detand rzuciła na mnie zdecydowanie jakieś zaklęcie 👀
No bo jak inaczej wytłumaczyć fakt, że nie dość, że książka dotyczyła księcia wymyślonej wprawdzie linii królewskiej, ale bardzo prawdziwej Wielkiej Brytanii, ze wszystkim, co znamy, to do tego jeszcze był zastosowany jeden z moich "ulubionych motywów", czyli "robię to dla Twojego dobra"...
A jednak... nie kwestionowałam żadnej z tych rzeczy ani przez moment 👀 Nie czepiałam się 👀
No czar, zdecydowanie czar 😁
Fakt, wyjątkowo fajnie jest napisana postać Joshui - wiemy, że jest księciem, drugim w kolejce do tronu, wszystko, co się wydarzyło, w taki czy inny sposób kręciło się właśnie koło tego, kim on jest. Ale tak naprawdę łatwo o tym zapomnieć, bo zdecydowanie bardziej poznajemy Joshuę-mężczyznę i człowieka, niż Joshuę-księcia i syna królowej Wielkiej Brytanii. No kurczę, nie przeszkadzało mi to w najmniejszym stopniu 😁
Nie zastanawiam się nawet, czy taki związek byłby możliwy w prawdziwej rodzinie królewskiej - bo po co? Skoro dobrze się czyta, ma według mnie ręce i nogi, i nawet głowa się jeszcze znajdzie, to nie ma potrzeby roztrząsać, czy by się dało czy nie. U Zarah Detand się dało i jest to jak najbardziej okej w moim świecie 😁
Ale ZNOWU brakowało epilogu, a po prostu aż się o to prosiło...
February 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this one except for the exceedingly drawn out drama at the end. The MCs and even secondary characters were well developed and relatable. It had a nice slow-burn, and medium but well done steam. Solid 4 stars for me.
August 22, 2025
Joshua was the MVP of this book. He really did nothing wrong and was super aware of his privilege. Leo, on the other hand, was obnoxious, rude, and judgmental, criticizing Joshua left and right as if he didn’t know firsthand how hard it must be for him.
For me, it took too long for Leo to stop being a dick and start being nice to Joshua, and afterwards it felt rushed. I know they have a HEA because they make a quick cameo in Alex and Lee’s book, but this one ended up too abruptly.
Also, come on, after the whole Meghan Markle debacle, the idea that Joshua, second in line to the throne, had so much freedom and such lax security felt like the most fictional aspect of this book.
For me, it took too long for Leo to stop being a dick and start being nice to Joshua, and afterwards it felt rushed. I know they have a HEA because they make a quick cameo in Alex and Lee’s book, but this one ended up too abruptly.
Also, come on, after the whole Meghan Markle debacle, the idea that Joshua, second in line to the throne, had so much freedom and such lax security felt like the most fictional aspect of this book.
March 11, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this MM romance. I loved the writing, I loved the main characters, I loved the secondary characters, I loved the storyline and I loved the way the romance developed between Leo and Joshua.
I did not want to put this story down. Definite 5-star read for me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I did not want to put this story down. Definite 5-star read for me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December 13, 2022
Detand's books work for me (she's an auto-buy author now), and this has all her trademarks of decent conflict, real characterisation & witty oblique dialogue.
If this has 3 stars not the 4 I'd like to have given it, it's because I have problems with the royal setting, which is made far less rigid that I instinctively feel it must be. Only Lilah Pace (His Royal Secret & His Royal Favorite - both excellent) gives me a totally believable royal background.
If this has 3 stars not the 4 I'd like to have given it, it's because I have problems with the royal setting, which is made far less rigid that I instinctively feel it must be. Only Lilah Pace (His Royal Secret & His Royal Favorite - both excellent) gives me a totally believable royal background.
June 25, 2023
Straight women - please stop writing gay romance unless you are deeply entrenched in queer culture. This book reads like one of those boy love mangas where the author has clearly never spent 3 minutes in a gay bar. The MCs are *fine* and the plot is *fine* but gay sex written by hetero women is so wildly unrealistic and not at all how male bodies work, and Wear It Like A Crown is no different. This is a fan fiction with the names and jobs changed.
Also, unrelated to the plethora of issues with the content, it is WAY too long. Multiple conflicts could’ve been wrapped up neatly multiple times instead of being dragged along for the sake of length. This book needs to be 50-60 pages shorter.
I would say that this book’s high score is beyond me, but this book definitely attracts particular kinds of horny (hetero) women who need to stick to straight romance and stop fetishizing gay men.
Also, unrelated to the plethora of issues with the content, it is WAY too long. Multiple conflicts could’ve been wrapped up neatly multiple times instead of being dragged along for the sake of length. This book needs to be 50-60 pages shorter.
I would say that this book’s high score is beyond me, but this book definitely attracts particular kinds of horny (hetero) women who need to stick to straight romance and stop fetishizing gay men.
November 23, 2023
2023 re-read: Same.
2021 original (but edited just now) review:
I don't usually enjoy royal romances, even m/m ones. This one is an exception, because while it is contemporary, it is also alternate-universe, a sweet fairy tale of a story. The friendships are delightful, the on-page relationships snarkily nourishing, the roadblocks and pitfalls intrinsic to the characters, and the end not simplified.
There is also a satisfying moral undercurrent regarding how children are treated, how 'fair' in relationships is always a negotiation, the poisonousness of secrets, the brick walls of privilege. Loyalty, forgiveness, patience... A lot of thought went into this novel. I could set aside how terrible the BritMonarchy really is, and love this fantasy version without reservation.
2021 original (but edited just now) review:
I don't usually enjoy royal romances, even m/m ones. This one is an exception, because while it is contemporary, it is also alternate-universe, a sweet fairy tale of a story. The friendships are delightful, the on-page relationships snarkily nourishing, the roadblocks and pitfalls intrinsic to the characters, and the end not simplified.
There is also a satisfying moral undercurrent regarding how children are treated, how 'fair' in relationships is always a negotiation, the poisonousness of secrets, the brick walls of privilege. Loyalty, forgiveness, patience... A lot of thought went into this novel. I could set aside how terrible the BritMonarchy really is, and love this fantasy version without reservation.
February 23, 2021
This is a sweet, well-plotted, gay romance between a British prince and his former classmate., who works for an intriguing company. It deserved, however, an editor who would cut it down by 25%.
If a gay royal cavorting with a non-royal subject appeals to you, you should find this satisfying. But beware: it feels as though the author were being paid by the word a la Dickens.
The friends who support both main characters are well fleshed out and play pivotal roles. So if you can tolerate the repetitive ruminations (even during the bedroom scenes), there's much to keep you reading.
If a gay royal cavorting with a non-royal subject appeals to you, you should find this satisfying. But beware: it feels as though the author were being paid by the word a la Dickens.
The friends who support both main characters are well fleshed out and play pivotal roles. So if you can tolerate the repetitive ruminations (even during the bedroom scenes), there's much to keep you reading.
December 14, 2019
I absolutely loved this - a heart-warming tale of two people fighting to be themselves and with each other. Beautiful ending that kept me grinning for days and with a great supporting cast to boot!
September 21, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
Things I liked:
Joshua
The friendships
The sex scenes
Things I didn't like:
Leo
The book was too long
The ending was rushed
Things I liked:
Joshua
The friendships
The sex scenes
Things I didn't like:
Leo
The book was too long
The ending was rushed
March 26, 2023
3.5 stars, but I'm rounding down.
I'm gonna say it upfront to get it out of the way, but this book was looooong. I'm not even sure how many pages it is, but it felt like a lot. It's super wordy, unnecessarily so in places and the chapters were also just much too long, so it made for quite arduous reading. The whole flow issue of this book could have been solved with shorter chapters. It was the thing that I disliked most while reading this.
At its core, it's an extremely slow-burn book that requires quite a lot of suspension of disbelief. Basically, a gay British prince chooses to come out for various reasons and he works with a team of fixers in order to spin the story. One of whom is a damaged young man who is not a fan of the royal family. They get thrown into each other's orbits and end up slowly (very slowly) developing feelings for each other. There's a lot of bad communication and prickly feelings getting in the way at the start, but it is actually lovely when they realize what they could be. It's bit of a fairytale story, but gay and angsty. I just didn't at all buy the amount of privacy the prince had what with the British paparazzi being how they are - these people were like fucking on balconies and the prince just wandered around without bodyguards most of the time. Right.
I did enjoy it for the most part, and I think Detand is a good writer - like I plan to get my hands on some of her other books. But she really needs to be a less verbose, because I grew so tired to towards the end that I almost stopped caring what happened to them, and that's a shame, because they were a great couple.
I'm gonna say it upfront to get it out of the way, but this book was looooong. I'm not even sure how many pages it is, but it felt like a lot. It's super wordy, unnecessarily so in places and the chapters were also just much too long, so it made for quite arduous reading. The whole flow issue of this book could have been solved with shorter chapters. It was the thing that I disliked most while reading this.
At its core, it's an extremely slow-burn book that requires quite a lot of suspension of disbelief. Basically, a gay British prince chooses to come out for various reasons and he works with a team of fixers in order to spin the story. One of whom is a damaged young man who is not a fan of the royal family. They get thrown into each other's orbits and end up slowly (very slowly) developing feelings for each other. There's a lot of bad communication and prickly feelings getting in the way at the start, but it is actually lovely when they realize what they could be. It's bit of a fairytale story, but gay and angsty. I just didn't at all buy the amount of privacy the prince had what with the British paparazzi being how they are - these people were like fucking on balconies and the prince just wandered around without bodyguards most of the time. Right.
I did enjoy it for the most part, and I think Detand is a good writer - like I plan to get my hands on some of her other books. But she really needs to be a less verbose, because I grew so tired to towards the end that I almost stopped caring what happened to them, and that's a shame, because they were a great couple.
March 23, 2025
I have this book for a while now - but when I first tried to read it, I saw the page number and I balked. It was more than 300 pages (almost 400?) and I honestly didn't think that I had enough patience for a contemporary romance that LONG. So it had stayed out of sight.
But I had been having not so good reading experience lately; they had been lackluster. So I thought, "Why not give this one a try, then. I like the majority of Detand's books."
Well, I did LOVED it!! I just adored this relationship so much by the time I reached the end. Did I think Leo was being a hypocrite for pushing Joshua away and NOT wear his secret like a crown? Sure, but at the same time, maybe, MAYBE, I sort of understood his reasons. Plus it gave chance for Leo to make that grand gesture in the end, which I LOVED.
Did I think Joshua was being too adorable as a Prince? Definitely.
And did I think that the security around a Prince too lackadaisical? Yes , I did *laugh*
I also thought this was long and could help some trimming to make it better. But I also learned that it had a previous life as 1D fanfic, and maybe that was why it was long. Some of my favorite fanfics (not 1D) tend to be like this; not having sufficient editor to make it more "efficient" in delivering the romance.
But yeah, I loved it nonetheless.
But I had been having not so good reading experience lately; they had been lackluster. So I thought, "Why not give this one a try, then. I like the majority of Detand's books."
Well, I did LOVED it!! I just adored this relationship so much by the time I reached the end. Did I think Leo was being a hypocrite for pushing Joshua away and NOT wear his secret like a crown? Sure, but at the same time, maybe, MAYBE, I sort of understood his reasons. Plus it gave chance for Leo to make that grand gesture in the end, which I LOVED.
Did I think Joshua was being too adorable as a Prince? Definitely.
And did I think that the security around a Prince too lackadaisical? Yes , I did *laugh*
I also thought this was long and could help some trimming to make it better. But I also learned that it had a previous life as 1D fanfic, and maybe that was why it was long. Some of my favorite fanfics (not 1D) tend to be like this; not having sufficient editor to make it more "efficient" in delivering the romance.
But yeah, I loved it nonetheless.
December 26, 2021
This book is so gooood!
November 20, 2023
The story begins in an alternate-universe where almost-always discreet gay Prince Joshua, British 'spare' is threatened in a salacious blackmail scoop, whereby a team of savvy 'fixer-uppers' is called in to save the day. From there, the tale quickly morphs into a fairly respectable drawn out M-M romance arc, with sufficient backstories supplied for both the royal Joshua and the anti-royal, anti-establishment, anti-privilege Leo (from aforementioned fixer-upper team). The remainder of the book focuses on Leo mainly, delving further into his traumatic past, his current struggles with self-worth and identity. There's several well drawn secondary characters, by way of loyal 'bestie' friends and colleagues for both MCs. And it was interesting to see how social and public media is used to manage a 'coming out' process. 3.5 stars.
July 25, 2021
DNF at 42 % ...* shakes head hashtag facepalm
Spoilers:
-Gay men not women! (for the millionth time).
-There is no way in this known universe that male friends, being gay and straight as touchy feely like
this bunch of ... idk what to call them.
-No one talks to a royalty the way Leo did. Nor to a client.
-Royalties who are second in line don't do their own groceries.
-No way the royal family would let an outsider handle a big event as for a prince to come out!
-England is no U.S.A. (if you try to write a contemporary romance, at least do a research of the country you based your story in).
-Have you ever seen prince Henry without escort? i don't think so... so yeah leaving alone ...?! no!
-Some author should stick to MF!!! But as i heard the women readers are sick and tired of damsels...the gays don't want it either!
Rent over! Ughhhh
Spoilers:
-Gay men not women! (for the millionth time).
-There is no way in this known universe that male friends, being gay and straight as touchy feely like
this bunch of ... idk what to call them.
-No one talks to a royalty the way Leo did. Nor to a client.
-Royalties who are second in line don't do their own groceries.
-No way the royal family would let an outsider handle a big event as for a prince to come out!
-England is no U.S.A. (if you try to write a contemporary romance, at least do a research of the country you based your story in).
-Have you ever seen prince Henry without escort? i don't think so... so yeah leaving alone ...?! no!
-Some author should stick to MF!!! But as i heard the women readers are sick and tired of damsels...the gays don't want it either!
Rent over! Ughhhh
December 15, 2020
I almost skipped over this ridiculously adorable story...the cover was not doing it for me. But I gave it a chance because one of my favorite M/M romance authors recommended it and I am so glad I did. This story was a delicious slow-burn with rich, complex characters, a royal twist, and delightful banter.
Leo and Joshua have a grin worthy 'first-encounter', the instantaneous animosity between them had me giggling. The tension sets up for a tentative friendship, which then morphs into so much more. I loved how deliciously complex these characters were. It wasn't just a story of Joshua coming out, it was also a story of Leo finding self-acceptance and self-forgiveness. It was about finding real, solid friendships and being vulnerable. Both characters, as individuals, did a lot of soul searching through the course of the story. It was endearing and I couldn't put the book down as a result.
The romance was so very swoon-worthy. I loved learning their shared history and watching Leo unravel. While there were moments when Leo was driving me crazy, I also found myself wanting to wrap him in a hug and protect him from the world. Joshua is stupidly smart and I loved how he was such a strong constant. When Leo finally opens up to Joshua, sigh, my heart. They just compliment each other so well that you can't help but go down with this ship.
The secondary characters had me laughing out loud and provided some much needed support. Nate and Leo are similar but different. Mo, Tristan, and Joshua's affectionate little tripod had me smiling endlessly. Then we get the added bonus of a side romance for Nate and Mo. Honestly, I am here for all the happily-ever-afters and this book delivered.
Leo and Joshua have a grin worthy 'first-encounter', the instantaneous animosity between them had me giggling. The tension sets up for a tentative friendship, which then morphs into so much more. I loved how deliciously complex these characters were. It wasn't just a story of Joshua coming out, it was also a story of Leo finding self-acceptance and self-forgiveness. It was about finding real, solid friendships and being vulnerable. Both characters, as individuals, did a lot of soul searching through the course of the story. It was endearing and I couldn't put the book down as a result.
The romance was so very swoon-worthy. I loved learning their shared history and watching Leo unravel. While there were moments when Leo was driving me crazy, I also found myself wanting to wrap him in a hug and protect him from the world. Joshua is stupidly smart and I loved how he was such a strong constant. When Leo finally opens up to Joshua, sigh, my heart. They just compliment each other so well that you can't help but go down with this ship.
The secondary characters had me laughing out loud and provided some much needed support. Nate and Leo are similar but different. Mo, Tristan, and Joshua's affectionate little tripod had me smiling endlessly. Then we get the added bonus of a side romance for Nate and Mo. Honestly, I am here for all the happily-ever-afters and this book delivered.
March 21, 2023
After a great first reading experience with this new to me author I tried another one of her books and I must admit that I am turning into a fan boy rapidly!
The thing is that the ideas of the stories are really not very creative, I probably read the same tropes more than once.
What sets them apart is that the books are not about the trope at all.
Yes, you do get a gay prince here, who falls in love with a commoner who turns out not to be a commoner after all, and the book had some plot twists to keep me hooked until the end -
actually I almost missed my train stop on the way home because I was so invested in the story.
But what really made all the difference was that this was completely character driven.
You get to know the main characters, you will soon be in love with them as well as all the secondary ones that are so much more than side kicks.
Joshua the prince and Leo whose PR company is hired to handle blackmail threats to the prince are so complex, of course they are loveable but at the same time not just black and white, they have their problems, their insecurities, they can be stubborn and stupid at times - I definitely cried more than once while reading this.
It was a delight, a book I couldn't put down and wanted to last forever.
Absolutely perfect, full 5 stars from me!
The thing is that the ideas of the stories are really not very creative, I probably read the same tropes more than once.
What sets them apart is that the books are not about the trope at all.
Yes, you do get a gay prince here, who falls in love with a commoner who turns out not to be a commoner after all, and the book had some plot twists to keep me hooked until the end -
actually I almost missed my train stop on the way home because I was so invested in the story.
But what really made all the difference was that this was completely character driven.
You get to know the main characters, you will soon be in love with them as well as all the secondary ones that are so much more than side kicks.
Joshua the prince and Leo whose PR company is hired to handle blackmail threats to the prince are so complex, of course they are loveable but at the same time not just black and white, they have their problems, their insecurities, they can be stubborn and stupid at times - I definitely cried more than once while reading this.
It was a delight, a book I couldn't put down and wanted to last forever.
Absolutely perfect, full 5 stars from me!
August 14, 2024
A shame it took me so long to complete it, but I’m so happy I came back to it. This was filled with happy and sad feelings and some character development, that came with some relatability. And a little spice 🌶️
April 16, 2023
Finished this a while ago while traveling and wish I reviewed it sooner. Main thoughts: I enjoyed this story a lot, even if it felt 100p too long. As with the one other book I’ve read and enjoyed by this author, this was a regular-guy-meets-famous-guy story and was equally well done. I loved, loved, loved how cuddly Josh, Tristan, and Nate were. It is beyond sweet and gratifying to read about guys in a platonic friendship who are comfortable showing affection towards each other and have zero hang-ups laying around together like a pile of puppies. I couldn’t get enough of that. I didn’t like Leo’s nicknames for Josh—Princeling, Little Prince, Princey. Cringe. They were all equally yuck. But Josh and Leo were a great pairing and their story played out very nicely. Believable conflict, the right amount of angst, lots of emotion and intimacy, all told with solid writing. I’ll be looking into a third novel from Detand.
August 22, 2023
See this...dragged on.
It's very obvious to me that this was originally fanfiction (it's still available online as fanfiction, she just self-published it and changed the character's names) because it reads like the kind of thing that would be more palatable in single chapter updates where you can forget about inconsistencies and not worry about pacing. I enjoyed the romance and the plot (to a degree), but this definitely suffered from pacing issues.
We're led to believe in the beginning that the main plot is Prince Joshua (aka Harry Styles) coming out, but then that plot is quickly abandoned for a third act conflict that takes over 100 pages to resolve, and for Leo (aka Louis Tomlinson) struggling with his own past and sharing that with his friends and loved ones and of course J0shua (what a stupid name for a prince). I feel like this book didn't really know what its central plot was, because it sure wasn't the two of them getting together and overcoming Joshua being outed, it's them getting BACK together.
I dunno, I think sometimes KU books miss. This was fun and all but I wouldn't trade it for Red White and Royal Blue.
It's very obvious to me that this was originally fanfiction (it's still available online as fanfiction, she just self-published it and changed the character's names) because it reads like the kind of thing that would be more palatable in single chapter updates where you can forget about inconsistencies and not worry about pacing. I enjoyed the romance and the plot (to a degree), but this definitely suffered from pacing issues.
We're led to believe in the beginning that the main plot is Prince Joshua (aka Harry Styles) coming out, but then that plot is quickly abandoned for a third act conflict that takes over 100 pages to resolve, and for Leo (aka Louis Tomlinson) struggling with his own past and sharing that with his friends and loved ones and of course J0shua (what a stupid name for a prince). I feel like this book didn't really know what its central plot was, because it sure wasn't the two of them getting together and overcoming Joshua being outed, it's them getting BACK together.
I dunno, I think sometimes KU books miss. This was fun and all but I wouldn't trade it for Red White and Royal Blue.
January 4, 2021
To my knowledge, this book used to be a One Direction fanfiction - which, unfortunately, was painfully obvious. The editing was really bad, to the point that one of the characters still had his original last name, and Joshua (= Harry) called Leo (= Louis) "Lou" on multiple occasions. The whole royal aspect was really sloppily written and extremely unrealistic.
There was a lot of drama with Leo lying to Joshua for most of the book and just falt-out refusing to open up. I understand that he wasn't ready to talk about his past just yet, but he could've just told Joshua that instead of lying to him over and over again. The pace at which their relationship developed felt off and way too fast; there was only a month between the two of them kissing and sleeping together for the first time and them going public with their relationship.
I found myself skimming quite a few pages in the second half of the book and rolling my eyes at the characters way to often. Sigh.
This book had a ton of potential but ended up being rather disappointing.
There was a lot of drama with Leo lying to Joshua for most of the book and just falt-out refusing to open up. I understand that he wasn't ready to talk about his past just yet, but he could've just told Joshua that instead of lying to him over and over again. The pace at which their relationship developed felt off and way too fast; there was only a month between the two of them kissing and sleeping together for the first time and them going public with their relationship.
I found myself skimming quite a few pages in the second half of the book and rolling my eyes at the characters way to often. Sigh.
This book had a ton of potential but ended up being rather disappointing.
March 20, 2020
Phew, this was a pretty long book and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I didn’t love it but I enjoyed it.
There was a whole tonne of angst and I love me a bit of heart-breaking drama so that was great. And the characters were fab as well.
It all seemed a little unrealistic with this prince just running around London on his own, but what do I know!?
And without sounding like an old woman, the constant booze and weird cuddle parties between them all were a bit cheesy for me.
But overall 3.5 stars and a good book that I would recommend for many of my Goodreads friends.
There was a whole tonne of angst and I love me a bit of heart-breaking drama so that was great. And the characters were fab as well.
It all seemed a little unrealistic with this prince just running around London on his own, but what do I know!?
And without sounding like an old woman, the constant booze and weird cuddle parties between them all were a bit cheesy for me.
But overall 3.5 stars and a good book that I would recommend for many of my Goodreads friends.
January 13, 2020
So glad I read this book!
There are some books that you know will stay with you for a very long time, and this can firmly be slotted in that category. The characters stayed true to themselves and were fully fleshed out. The only gripe I have is that I would have loved an epilogue! The dialogue was also excellent, and the epitome of English snark. You cannot go wrong picking this book!
There are some books that you know will stay with you for a very long time, and this can firmly be slotted in that category. The characters stayed true to themselves and were fully fleshed out. The only gripe I have is that I would have loved an epilogue! The dialogue was also excellent, and the epitome of English snark. You cannot go wrong picking this book!
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