Perfect for fans of:
- The movie The Prince and Me (but make it gay)
- The humour in Pitch Perfect and the old-school TV series The Nanny
- Kooky families and overprotective “will-maim-you-if-necessary” sibling energy
- The Golden Girls gang but make it British
Review:
“I’d made awful mistakes. Love under any circumstances is the greatest risk, the most highwire undertaking, and I’d fooled myself in the past. I wanted to be in love, this yearning defined me, but I’d spent far too long, my entire life, arguing myself out of it. I wasn’t worthy, I wasn’t anyone’s type, my trapezius muscles were nonexistent, I drooled when I slept, I still hadn’t found the right pair of jeans, I was a minefield of quirks and obsessions and excuses.”
Let’s be honest here, this book had me the moment I saw the The Prince and Me comparison. I mean, an American event planner who ends up dating the gay Prince of Wales? Sold. Throw in two emotionally stunted, flawed and confused characters and you have the fantastic ride that was this book.
I loved how Playing the Palace approached being queer in the public eye. Prince Edgar is of course glad that he can be a role model, someone queer kids can look up to, but that doesn’t diminish the pressure that is constantly put on him to be the ‘right’ kind of gay—you know, noble, basically not acting on his feelings in public and overall being the prim and proper Prince everyone expects and demands him to be. Edgar encounters this completely different way of being himself, of being vulnerable and open to change thanks to Carter and that made this love story so compelling. Because paired with Carter’s self-deprecating and constant questioning whether he even deserves love (his past relationships would indicate the opposite), these two made such a dynamic and interesting couple. Opposites attract really works here; Edgar finds himself torn between being what the crown wants and what he wants for himself, and Carter—while finally getting the epic love story he always dreamed of having—wonders whether he is the right guy to become the ‘leading example’ on gayness for all the world to see. Both Edgar and Carter have been burned before but despite their past struggles, these two find a way (eventually, after much drama because hello, this is what we are here for, after all) to be together, not in spite of their struggles but because of them and how they have irrevocably altered them.
But what really made Playing the Palace an unforgettable read was the humour. Rudnick’s writing style would best be described as “no rest for the wicked.” I have no idea how the man does it, but there’s humour infused into almost every other sentence. Every single line is poignant and punchy, which at times feels like you’re taking a breath at the start of the chapter and don’t get another until the next one begins. It’s hard to describe, but even the simplest of descriptions of the surroundings or food (read: English trifle) pack so much subtle humour that at times you don’t even notice you’re chuckling reading it and have to go back just to take in the wittiness of it all.
It’s not just the dry snark one remembers British humour to be from beloved series like Gavin and Stacey or the juxtaposition of American vs. British values like in the 90s sitcom The Nanny. In fact, it’s all of the components, from Carter’s eclectic family to Edgar’s snarky but loving employees, not to mention Carter and Edgar’s witty back and forth, work perfectly together. Is the humour over the top? Yes. Are there scenes where you question your own maturity based on how much you’re laughing at someone throwing up on live television? Absolutely. Are there characters that you want to repeatedly hit with a pan over the head while suppressing giggles at their stupidity? Hell yes. But that’s the fun of it all! No one, not even the Queen herself, takes herself too seriously in this book and that is why it works.
Throw into that a whirlwind romance, a nefarious and narcissistic ex-boyfriend, deep discussions about expectations to uphold tradition while also going forging your own way as well as a relative that puts bread rolls in the Queen’s bag “for the plane ride” and you have yourself a smashing success of a novel.
Compulsively readable and expertly witty, Playing the Palace will make you laugh out loud, cringe with self-recognition and above all else, root for two men facing the world’s most cruel court—the public.
Playing the Palace is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 25th 2021.
Will you be picking up Playing the Palace? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
THEIR LOVE STORY CAPTIVATED THE WORLD…THE CROWN PRINCE AND THAT GUY FROM NEW YORK
When a lonely American event planner starts dating the gay Prince of Wales, a royal uproar ensues: is it true love or the ultimate meme? Find out in this hilarious romantic comedy.
After having his heart trampled on by his cheating ex, Carter Ogden is afraid love just isn’t in the cards for him. He still holds out hope in a tiny corner of his heart, but even in his wildest dreams he never thought he’d meet the Crown Prince of England, much less do a lot more with him. Yes, growing up he’d fantasized about the handsome, openly gay Prince Edgar, but who hadn’t? When they meet by chance at an event Carter’s boss is organizing, Carter’s sure he imagined all that sizzling chemistry. Or was it mutual?
This unlikely but meant-to-be romance sets off media fireworks on both sides of the Atlantic. With everyone having an opinion on their relationship and the intense pressure of being constantly in the spotlight, Carter finds ferocious obstacles to his Happily Ever After, including the tenacious disapproval of the Queen of England. Carter and Price Edgar fight for a happy ending to equal their glorious international beginning. It’s a match made on Valentine’s Day and in tabloid heaven.
