Review~ The Rules of Royalty

The Rules of Royalty
Two princes from neighboring countries fall into a whirlwind royal romance in this sparkling spin on The Princess Diaries by Cale Dietrich. Act like a prince, but don’t fall for one. Jamie Johnson has never been the centre of attention, and he’s perfectly okay with that. His entire world unravels as a hidden truth emerges: he's the heir to the throne of Mitanor, a sun-drenched southern European country, and the press is ready to expose this secret…

This was a fun, cute read and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the romance between Jamie and Erik.

I had a hard time truly believing Jamie’s situation, partly because it was too easy. Yes, there were some issues with his friends, and he was initially upset with his mom when he learned the truth, but he just slotted into his new role so easily. I felt there would have been a lot more angst about his identity and his future, more drama from people who questioned his appearance, even resentment from his half-brother.

But I did like Jamie, he was super sweet and really cared about people. He understood everyone’s motivations, so that tells me he is also really mature.

Erik’s story, on the other hand, I more readily believe. It also had the angst I was missing from Jamie. I ached for Erik and how he felt so distant from his family, how he felt he had to do what his grandmother and parents said, sacrificing his happiness to duty. I loved that Jamie’s entire family welcomed him and treated him so well, but my heart hurt for him throughout the story. And I was pleased that he had at least one family member on his side.

The ending filled my heart with joy and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Jamie and Erik down the road.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.