Review Detail

If you love YA Romance, then it is time to put THE PRINCE AND THE APOCALYSPE on your shortlist of books to read. Wren Wheeler is such a relatable and authentic character. She has planned out her whole future and makes lists for days and knows her trip to England during her senior year of high school will be epic. She has planned on it! However, one stomach bug later her whole trip is in shambles and just can’t wait to get home.
Fate has other plans for her. Enter helping a guy avoid a gaggle of girls only to realize he’s Prince Theo of England. One missed flight later she has the misfortune to realize an apocalypse-level comet is bearing down on Earth and life as we know it is ending in a few days. He promised her one favor and she’s calling it in to get a flight home.
The backdrop of a comet made for quite the twist to the royalty and commoner trope. If it had been illness then that is not conducive to romance. If it had been terrorism or war then things would be destroyed and grim. However, with everyone knowing the world is ending, yet everything is still there it creates a psychological exploration of what would you do situation. Wren is an upstanding citizen but she steals a car when she can’t get a rental. Workers stop coming in, people loot, party, riot, despair, and/or come together. Everyone is faced with what to do in their final hours and looking closely at the trajectory of their lives. Wren even ends up with a dog that someone decided to abandon. I found myself fascinated by the idea and reflecting on what that would be like. The setting made this story so engaging.
For the most part, Wren and Theo’s relationship and circumstances worked in the realm of possibility. It got a bit wonky towards the end during the ferry boat scene and the events after are a bit more rushed than I would have liked. I read the book assuming this was a fun standalone book and maybe it is but that last page left me reeling! There either needs to be a sequel or a couple more chapters of resolution added because it left the situation wide open for more. Overall, this was a fantastic read that was unexpectedly thought-provoking given the setup the characters were working under.