Royally Jacked

Royally Jacked #1

by Niki Burnham

Valerie's life is pretty good. While she's not the most popular girl in school, she does have decent grades, great friends, and a potential boyfriend. All a girl could want.

Then her mother announces that (1) she's gay, and (2) she's leaving Valerie's dad for her girlfriend. Not what Valerie envisioned for her future. And just when Valerie is getting over this bombshell, her father tells her he's gotten a new job as protocol chief for the royal family of some obscure European country.

Valerie's world has come unglued. She can either stay in Virginia with her mom and her über-organized, veggie-burger-eating girlfriend, or go with her dad, leaving everything she knows for some place she's never heard of. Valerie opts to go, and quickly discovers that it was a mistake—until she meets the prince, and all bets are off!

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Teen, Fiction, Royalty, Contemporary

229 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 23, 2003

About the author

Niki Burnham is the pseudonym of romance author Nicole Burnham.

You can subscribe to Nicole's newsletter for reader bonuses and the latest news by visiting https://nicoleburnham.com/new-events/
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NOTE FROM NICOLE: My Goodreads library is by no means comprehensive. I have thousands of books on my real (as opposed to my Goodreads) bookshelves. However, my Goodreads library only contains those books I'd give four or five stars and would recommend to friends without hesitation (and I haven't even gotten around to listing all those yet!)

Reviews

[MDWolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

2stars!

It was borning.Throught all book my face was like



The only thing that was for a little bit ''interesting'' was cover photo.



Prince looks like he is kissing air, and a girl have that mean look. Doesn't she?

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This young adult book was written in 2003 and it shows, but... It's still a fun read if you decide not to take it too seriously. There's some cringey comments on the LGBTQ+ community, although it tries to take a positive stance as best as it can, so reader beware. It reads like a 2003 book and it's absolutely made for middle graders at this point.

Valerie's Mom has announced she is gay, is divorcing Valerie's Dad, and is moving in with her girlfriend. Well, that makes it kind of awkward since Valerie's Dad works for the White House and for a candidate who isn't too fond of that community... So he takes a job in a super itsy bitsy European country and Valerie decides to join him. It's all fun and games until she starts flirting with a super cute boy... and he turns out to be the Prince! Who said high school was easy?

The premise is an absolute hoot and I enjoyed it, after decided to put on my 12 year old hat and letting my inner child come out for a bit. It's exactly what I expect from my middle grade romances from my time as a middle grader - instalove, lots of high school drama, and just a cute story.

This book is fun, I won't lie. But it will not be for all readers. Go in and pretend to be a 12 year old girl from the 2000s.

Three out of five stars.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because after reading The Chosen One I really needed something light and uplifting. This was a great book to pick. It was really cute and a very quick read. The only problem is I did not realize it's part of the series and I do not have the next book! Uh oh. I want to know what happens with Valerie and the two guys she is crushing on.

What the book blurb doesn't tell you is before moving to Europe the guy Valerie has been crushing on finally starts to show some interest and then off she goes. Once she arrives at the palace she meets Prince Georg and immediately develops a connection with him. Who will she end up with?

Valerie is your typical teenager who is going into crisis mode when her mom announces the divorce and that she now has a girlfriend. Instead of coming across as bratty I found Valerie really likeable and I enjoyed her sense of humor and occasional embarrassing faux paus. It made her easy to relate to and made this book a lot of fun to read. Valerie's dad was also a great character. I never really thought of there being a person who advises presidents and kings on proper etiquette and now I wonder if this is a real position some where. Inquiring minds want to know? I will definitely be on the look out for the next book, Spin Control.

[BabyLunLun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my problem is things developed a bit fast between Valerie and the prince. They started dating a couple pages in without letting us knowing more of prince Georg and his personality

Anyway very little happened in the first book . But the next book things will be very interesting when Valerie went back to her country . I want to see how things turn out between Valerie and David

[Cristina F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the life of a girl who just found out that her mother was gay, so decides to go with her father and live with him for a year in a totally different country. She does not know it but she meets a prince a REAL prince can you imagine that, and she ends up falling in love with him.

[Keri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, this book is cute. It really is. My problem is that I had no idea what the purpose was. Nothing was resolved.

Valerie moved with her dad to this small European country, the main plot of the book, which, by the way, happens more than halfway through the story. While there, she lives in the country's castle and of course falls in love with the handsome prince. Right away. That is always my biggest pet peeve with young adult books. I want build up and conflict surrounding the relationship and then, once the relationship starts, I want passion and romance and character growth. This book has none of that. Valerie and the prince, Georg, fall in love within only a few pages and start dating right at the end of the book. By the last two pages, there is a serious conflict that the author probably could've streched out and made an actual storyline out of. Instead, the book just ends. Nothing is solved and the reader isn't even sure if the two young lovers live happily ever after.

In this case, it doesn't matter how cute the book was. If it doesn't have at least some sort of substance, it definitely isn't worth reading.

[H.orses · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious! It was one that I had found when I first said to myself, "Since you can't make up your mind, your just going to close your eyes, scroll your finger along the spines, and choose. No going back." The cover threw me for a moment as just a silly cartoon, but I had promised myself and I did read it. In the end I was pretty glad I had read it, I couldn't stop laughing! It was like a version of the movie that ABC always plays "The Prince And Me" in a book instead, but with different twists. Its a nice little short read.

[Isha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential but just fell flat.

I did not like Valerie for a majority of the book, up until the very end. She came across very judgmental towards her mom. Valerie had every right to be angry about the divorce, but some of the comments she makes about her mom and Gabrielle are awful.

As for the rest of the characters, the only two people I really liked were Valerie’s Dad (who has such a cool job btw) and Prince Georg. All the other characters were annoying, vain, or simply bad friends.

Like I said before, I feel like this book could have been really good, but the plot was executed well. For the first 50% of the book, Valerie is still in the United States. The book is supposed to be about her time in the small European country. There isn’t much that happens there. And that just made the ending and romance seem rushed, which should have been the focus.

[Melody Manful]

That library scene of their first meeting was cute. Which is why I'm going to read the second one.

[Karen Keyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Exactly two weeks, one day, and ten hours ago, my mother completely ruined my life. She announced over her usual dinner of Kraft macaroni and cheese (with tomatoes and broccoli bits mixed in - her attempt at being healthy) that she no longer wished to remain married to my dad. She planned to move in with her new girlfriend, Gabrielle. Yep. Girlfriend.” - Valerie Winslow

It’s not like Val is anti-gay or anything - she’s not, truly - but her mother could not have picked a worse time to decide she’s a lesbian. Val is a sophomore in high school - half way through her sophomore year, in fact. Hardly the time to be moving, but one way or another, Val is going to have to relocate. Her mother is living with Gabrielle in an apartment in the next school district and her dad will be taking up a position as protocol advisor to the royal family of Schwerinborg, a tiny country nestled in the alps between Germany and Switzerland. Schwerinborg. Really? Or Lake Braddock High, of course, which is practically worse.

All this comes when David Anderson, Val’s crush since kindergarten, has finally taken an interest in her. David Anderson - he of the beautiful eyes, sexy hands and über-conservative father. Oh yeah. David idolizes his father so, even if Val stays in Virginia and if they could get past the fact that they won’t be at the same school anymore, she would definitely have to keep her newly-out-of-the-closet mother a secret, if that’s even possible. You know what? Maybe Val is feeling a little resentful toward her Mom after all. Having gay friends is one thing, but a gay parent? That is something else, thank you very much. Whatever. Val doesn’t want to deal with explaining her mom to David or her friends, so she’s off to Schwerinborg - where it turns out she just might meet her very own Prince Charming.

I’ve read Niki Burnham’s Val Winslow trilogy a few times before and I’m always struck by how very good these books are - clearly more than a few cuts above the standard titles in the Simon Romantic Comedies series. They are funny without having the humor detract from a good plot and incredibly well written. Val is a vibrant, honest character - totally real, with strengths and flaws like any teenager. The same can be said for Georg, her Schwerinborgian love interest. He’s sweet most of the time, but he’s as capable of doing stupid, unintentionally hurtful things as the next teen boy. What I love most about these books is the dialogue, which is sharp and clever, but never awkward of fake. Val’s voice, in particular, is wonderful. She’s innately funny, but never overly snarky, which makes it even easier to root for her.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Teen book, nothing spectacular. Girl's mom is gay so she moves to a foreign country with her dad and meets a prince.
Valerie Winslow's comfortable life changed in an instant. Her parents have announced that they are getting a divorce ... because her mom is gay and moving in with her new girlfriend. Understandably upset, Val decides not to tell her best friends until she has come to grips with the situation. But she's not given much time to deal with the news, since she has a big decision to make.

Val can either live with her mom and girlfriend, which would require switching schools mid-sophomore year, or she can move in with her dad. The trouble is, Val's dad has a new job as protocol advisor to the Prince of Schwerinborg, in Europe. Either decision will end Val's life as she knows it. Since she's having a difficult time dealing with her mom's lifestyle change, she decides to go with her dad. Talk about strange! It's a gradual process learning about life in a foreign country, not to mention living in a palace. But once Val meets sixteen-year-old Prince Georg, things are definitely looking up. Will Val ever fit in? Is Georg the guy for her?

The book gives a funny glimpse into the life of a teenager whose world has just turned upside down. Valerie is believable and humorously honest, laying her thoughts and feelings out for the reader to see. Because she has to shelter her views from friends and family, only the reader gets to know what's truly inside. The romance between Val and Georg is touching and develops at a natural pace. The only drawback is the story's abrupt ending, which leaves readers hanging with many unanswered questions. I have a feeling that the author is taking a page from the Princess Diaries and will continue this series with the rest of the story.

Royally Jacked is a cute read, filled with pop-culture references and using language, with which all teens can identify. It will keep you entertained and dreaming of finding a prince of your very own!

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very simple and cute book, which is what I enjoyed about the most. It wasn't complex or proper, it showed us how a highschooler would react to this situation and what they would thinking, it felt like I was actually in the head of a teenager. Valerie has a difficulity couping with her parents divorce, her mother being gay and then having to decide whether to stay in virginia or moving to a completely foriegn place she only knows about through a joke. I loved how she has to adjust to everything, has to deal with her feelings between her long time crush, or the Prince who's the type of guy a girl would to just sit in a big, dusty library and just talk to.
Though the only thing that kept me from giving this book five stars, is that Georg and Valerie ended up without many problems. I believe in reality that the prince and the girl who is from a different country, just got there a few ago, and definitely is not royalty, would have stirred up more issues with the parents. Prince Manferd is always concerned with their public image, so the fact that he isn't bugged with his son, his only heir is interested in dating a commoner. Now I have no problem with it at all, but Georg's father seems like the type who would actually forbid Georg from seeing Valerie, rather than being chilled about it and not minding it. Yes, I do realize that at the end they said if someone questioned why Georg brought a girl with him they would just say it was a friend or whatever, but what if their relationship grows and, I don't know, they're adults and Georg wants to marry Valerie? I don't know, I'm just throwing theories out there. But besides that whole thing that bugs the heck out of me, I loved the book so much that I cannot wait till I get my hands on the second book.

[°☆.。.:*・Nanna°☆.。.:*・ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the problem the main character was already facing in the beginning, and the decision that she had to make when romance was just starting to bloom between her and her crush. The excitement of her soon to be encounter with the prince (or should I say the son of the prince) thrilled me into keeping the pages turning. When she finally meets someone her age in the palace, the hints he gives makes his identitiy obvious. Things started to slow down as Valerie waits to go to school and messages her friends. I kind of got bored during the middle since nothing was happening but talking between her, her friends, and her family. The book started to pick up again when she went to school. The people that Valerie met provided drama needed drama to keep people reading and anticipate what will happen next. When romance picks up between Valerie and the prince, things start to get even more intense, but the books soon ends before a lot can go on. Can't wait to read the next book.

[michelle suttentapia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Royally Jacked- Valerie is the main character of the book.“Exactly two weeks, one day, and ten hours ago, my mother completely ruined my life. She announced over her usual dinner of Kraft macaroni and cheese (with tomatoes and broccoli bits mixed in - her attempt at being healthy) that she no longer wished to remain married to my dad. She planned to move in with her new girlfriend,Gabrielle.Val is a sophomore in high school half way through her sophomore year. Val is going to have to relocate. Her mother is living with Gabrielle in an apartment in the next school district and her dad will be taking up a position as protocol advisor to the royal family of Schwerinborg, a tiny country nestled in the alps between Germany and Switzerland. Schwerinborg Or Lake Braddock High?

[Geli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this triology! probably because i had no idea it was going to be triology. I was completely hooked right from the start. Niki Burnham's writing is a delight to read

this is a cute and fun book for tweens. I really enjoyed reading this little romance when I was in high school. Gave me a little hope that i may meet my own prince charming someday. :)

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story.

[Fran P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars because I have to be honest, I totally LOVED this book when I was in high school. LOL!

[Jade O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cute funny contemporary book that is so much fun to read

[ReadingwithGemi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was more of a 2.5 stars for me.

To start, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read and an easy read. However, I did have a few problems with the story and the characters of this book.

I will start with the plot. For one, I really don't know the plot of this first book. I understand the overall plot, but what was the plot of this story. I felt like this was more of an introduction to the characters than anything else. I felt like there could have been more to the story than there was. This book was less than 300 pages so I think there could be more.

This leads me to the characters. For one, I do not like Val friends whatsoever, I thought that they were not supportive at all. I understand that they are upset that she had to move and everything, but get over it. That stuff happens. I felt that they were very immature, but I also understand they are high school kids, but still. Two of Val's friend didn't talk to her on her last week of the semester before she had to move. That is something people did in middle school or elementary school, but no in high school. Seriously, your friend is moving and you are just going to ignore them because you are mad at them for moving. That is seriously childish.

The next person I am going to talk about is Val. I do not like her as a character. I thought she was very materialistic. She very much care a lot of what people think of her. That is understandable in high school because that is literally what most people do in high school, but that is no the reason I don't like her as a character. I don't like her as a character, because she found out that her mom was gay. Literally the whole time, Val was like "I don't want to hear about anything that is about gay" or "that name sounds more like a gay name. Not like I have anything against gays, but yeah". Granted, those are not exactly want she says, but that is somewhat similar to what she says in the story. It was a little annoying to me. I also don't like her either because I felt like she is entitled. She felts like she should be able to get things because of who she is or who her father is or how her life is going. I also think she is very naive too.

The next person I am going to talk about is Prince Georg. I feel like I know nothing about him, but I like him so far. The stuff that he does make sense for the position he is in. I don't like the stuff that he does, but the author does an excellent job at explain why he does or did what he did. However, I am still unsure about his character because I feel like there was no development of his character in this book. I am hoping the author will flesh out his character a little more in the next two books.

Now let's discuss the relationship that happen in the story. I will tell you a 100% that I knew how this was going to play out. I thought it was a typical written relationship. Val, who has a crush on a boy since she was young, decided that it is time for her to move on since she is moving to a different country. She then finds out that the crush of her childhood may have interested in her. However, she already moved on because she is has a crush on the Prince because she can get rid of years of crush on a boy that she has liked for along time so quickly. First, I get that you can get over people pretty quickly, but Val, who has not had a really boyfriend, I highly doubt that she can get over a boy she had a crush for so long. Especially, how she is as a character. Second, Val crush on David was creepy like beyond creepy. It was almost stalkerish. She knew at least one of his class that he is taking and would take it so she will have a class with him. She has a picture taped to the side of her drawer so that she can look at his picture before she goes to sleep. That is just weird and obsessive. Third, her interaction with her crush was uncomfortable. It just felt force and not natural. Maybe that is how the author met for it to be or what not, but I was not a fan of it. Fourth moving to Val's and the Prince's relationship, it was definitely insta-love. They met twice in the library before school started and then the prince kisses her.....really two hang out and y'all already like each other that much.....okay because that is so realistic. Lastly, I did like the Prince and Val's relationship. Their relationship felt more natural than Val's and her crush. I would like to see how it goes and see where it goes.

[Sanjana]

Edited one: The book Royally Jacked is a romantic comedy about young Winnie. Winnie is shook after being told that her mom is gay and would like to divorce her father. She was given the choice of moving to a country she’s never heard of or living with her mom and her new love interest. She decides to move with her father. She’s going to be living with the royal family and a certain prince.
As you can tell after reading as rare as these events sound, just try and look and the overarching picture and that is change. There are a lot of changes happening in Winnie’s life and she is not prepared to deal with it and that is a very common thing for teenagers. I recommend this book to all teenagers because Winnie is such a relatable character, not just to girls, but guys too! I turn to this book to show myself the reality of relationships, high school, and life in general. I truly recommend this book to all teenagers as well as young adults.


The book Royally Jacked is a romantic comedy about young Winnie. Winnie is shook after being told that her mom is gay and would like to divorce her father. She was given the choice of moving to a country she’s never heard of or living with her mom and her new love interest. She decides to move with her father. She’s going to be living with the royal family and a certain prince.
I recommend this book to all teenagers because Winnie is such a relatable character, not just to girls, but guys too! I turn to this book to show myself the reality of relationships, high school, and life in general. I truly recommend this book to all teenagers as well as young adults.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand it was quick and cute. It throws you right into the thick of things which is pretty cool. But it took you out right in the thick of things too, which I guess would make most people want to read the next but it just sort of jolted me out of the experience, I honestly have no idea why the book would end there.

Otherwise the characters were cute, a bit predictable and slightly annoying but otherwise likeable. The problem with the book being so short is that I don't get time to really know them, to really get invested in their relationship working out.

All in all it's a good book, easy read. I would recommend it for a younger audience if it were for the less than PG rated material sprinkled through out. Definitely wouldn't say it was for teens though.

[Tiina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eesti Noortekirjanduse Ühingu suvelugemise väljakutse, kaanel on nägu.

Lesisin maal vanaema juures lambanahkadel ja sirutasin käe raamaturiiuli poole ja kätte sattus see raamat. Olen seda tegelikult varem kord lugenud, mitu mitu aastat tagasi ja tookord meeldis see mulle rohkem - ilmselt sellepärast, et olin ise ka noorem. Seekordne lugemine oli ka päris vahva, aga esiteks on ajad korralikult muutunud (raamat ilmus esmakordselt üle 20 aasta tagasi!), nii et päris kõik enam ei kõnetanud ja paar kohta panid lausa kulmu kortsutama, ja natuke täiskasvanulikuma pilguga lugedes leian, et Valerie ja printsi armulugu toimus küll ikka liigagi kiiresti.

[Elgyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anotace – Šestnáctiletá Valerie (...)
Že ten syn je o necelé dva roky starší než ona
s. 91 Je mu šestnáct (skoro sedmnáct)
A Valerii je patnáct (s. 92).

s. 98 Nebo můj otec, jen co by zjistil, že jsem se vrátil ze školy. Chtěl by, abych mu podal hlášení o domácích úkolech, co mě čeká, a tohle všechno. Kontroluje všechny moje aktivity.
s. 148 „Myslíš, že by si všimli, kdybychom se nevrátili?“ (...) „Otec je natolik vytížený, že to neregistruje třeba celé hodiny.“
Neodporuje si to?

[Ipshita · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just inside the realm of okay for me. Also, it is kind of incomplete since there doesn't seem to be any proper climax or conclusion to it. It is mostly a prologue to what I'm assuming would be the main plot in the next book.
The writing is good, funny at times but suffers from the lack of an actual plot.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great concept - a girl lands in a castle because her mom divorces her dad after discovering she is a lesbian. While adjusting to that news, Valerie has to decide who to live with - and chooses to move with her dad to Europe - where of course she runs into a prince! I love the life inside the castle - as Val falls in love with her prince and deals with that aftermath.

[Meri · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this book was really lame. I didn't like any of the characters (except maybe Georg, he's pretty cute). Not to mention the lack of plot development and out-of-the-blue romance really put me off. Overall, just a slow and unenjoyable experience, and it took me about a week to finish despite the book being short in comparison to most.

[Jessica Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed rereading this book it wasn't as good as I remembered it being. Valerie was actually pretty unlikable. She kept saying she had "no problem" with gay people and even had a gay friend but her internal monologue was saying the opposite. I usually don't have a problem with insta-love but in this case it made me roll my eyes. I have the other two books so I may reread them as well but it's not on the top of my list at the moment.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story and a nice quick read. I enjoyed it but probably wont read it again pr seek out the rest of the series.

[Ashlee Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. Did not want to put it down. A definite want to read again!