Title: Prince of the Palisades
Author: Julian Winters
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: August 27, 2024
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Summary
After a video of a messy break up goes viral, Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is forced to stay in America until he cleans up his act. So, he’s enrolled in a private school in Santa Monica, with carefully scheduled appearances to get his image back. What he doesn’t expect is to fall for a local boy at his school that might just throw a wrench into all his plans.
As Jadon tries to juggle his new image with his growing feelings, he has to decide what his future looks like. And if he wants to fit into the image Rêverie wants him to have afterall.
Review: Prince of the Palisades
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for an advanced copy of Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters to review! If you are a fan of Young Royals, you’ll definitely love Winters’ latest romance. It hits all the right boxes, with a swoonworthy romance you’ll absolutely love.
This also might be the rare queer YA that actually feels like Red, White, & Royal Blue to me as well. Not quite the enemies to lovers romance, but you get similar vibes from the royalty and the romance. Winters always excells at writing characters you will fall in love with from the beginning, and this book is no exception. At the beginning, Jadon is closed off. Being a prince for him means that getting close to people is a liability. His emotional journey from beginning to end is so well done. Especially as he learns to open up.
In addition to being a romance, this book is also about finding your voice and standing up for what you believe in. Through his new friends in the US, Jadon learns to use his privilege as a prince to stand up for others, especially queer teens. It works so well for the emotional journey he’s on throughout the book.
All in all, if you’re looking for a queer, royalty romance, definitely pick this one up in August!
4.5/5 stars