The Rules of Royalty

A YA romance book, THE RULES OF ROYALTY is a modern day, gay, spin on The Princess Diaries. The book stars Jamie Johnson, a teenager whose entire world is shaken when he discovers that he’s a prince. Erik Von Rosenborg is the spare heir of a northern European kingdom who is asked to help Jamie learn the ropes. As they spend the summer together, the two grow closer and a connection sparks. But will it be that easy?

What I Loved:
The romance was sweet. The two spent a good amount of time together, the author clearly dedicating time and effort to showing the relationship between the two boys. It was endearing to see. I especially enjoyed Erik’s perspective since he had resigned himself to being in a set-up marriage. Getting to see him come to terms with his emotions and allow himself to feel for Jamie was pleasant. Especially since there was some added drama that tried to keep them apart.

This was a comforting book to read. Outside of a few minor conflicts, it was a relatively low-angst book. I find that it makes for a great wintery read. Just getting to enjoy spending time with these characters and watching as they grow closer and fall in love.

What Left Me Wanting More:
The story was light and fluffy, but that also meant that it wasn’t always the most engaging book at times. The plot moved at a pretty steady speed, but it didn’t always drag me (as a reader) in. That works for some readers, but other readers may find it a bit off-putting.

There were a lot of side characters that I thought sounded cool, but Jamie didn’t spend a whole lot of time with them. I understand giving precedence to the romance since this is a romance book, but it would have been nice to see Jamie interact with his newly discovered family and his old friends more.

Final Verdict:
THE RULES OF ROYALTY is a relatively low-angst YA romance that will appeal to fans that enjoyed The Princess Diaries but wished it was gay.

THE RULES OF ROYALTY is a delightful YA contemporary romance that has big PRINCESS DIARIES vibes. Jamie has just turned 17, and his adopted mother has something to tell him - contrary to what he believed, she does know his biological family - and his father is king of a small country, Mitanor, which is close to Spain. With the news, he is left reeling, and when his father invites him for the summer, Jamie is eager to meet the family he did not know existed.

As it can be a big adjustment, his father has asked the prince of another small European country, Erik, to help answer any questions Jamie might have. Erik has grown up as the younger brother of the Crown Prince, but his whole life has been lived in the spotlight. When his grandmother, the Queen, tells him what to do, he is eager to do it. However, her latest instruction to keep things platonic with Jamie seems harder than anything, especially as they spend more time together when Erik is helping to learn about etiquette and other prince lessons.

What I loved: This was such a lovely and fast-paced book. While it does have a bit of the PRINCESS DIARIES flair in finding out about being royalty, a makeover, and other things, there's a big twist in the prince lessons with Erik and the way their lives go. The story is told in alternating perspectives between Jamie and Erik, and this works well for the story and growing their relationship quickly. While things move fast in time, it was easy to see their bond grow and did not feel like instalove.

Erik and Jamie were both compelling characters. Jamie is grappling with big changes and some untruths that he had grown up with. Even with that, he remains kind and generous to those around him, understanding their reasons even if he did not agree with them. He is very mature, and it was easy to like him. Erik has lived in the shadow of his family in terms of relationships and really everything about his life. He wants to do more, and as he spends time with Jamie, he begins questioning more of the things he has been told and his family's decisions. Both are really having a coming-of-age of their own amidst these changes.

The story moves fast, and things are wrapped up well, making this a great stand-alone. The beginning of the book was a little slow, but it soon caught its speed and moved smoothly - this was a tough book to put down. The ending was great, and I would not mind reading more of this world and these two characters!

Final verdict: THE RULES OF ROYALTY is a compelling YA contemporary romance that brings together compelling characters, a great love story, and coming-of-age storylines.