Review Detail

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.