In Prince of the Palisades, the dubbed “rebellious” Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is sent to America to rehab his image after a viral breakup. Romance isn’t on the agenda, but orchestrated photo ops and high-society appearances are. However, an unexpected fling with a film-obsessed American student changes everything.
With the help of his sharp-tongued royal guard, his brilliant sister who’s next in line for the throne, and a quirky royal liaison, Jadon is determined to prove he’s more than a royal disaster. If he fails, he may never return home. But as he falls for this unassuming boy, Jadon begins to realise that being a true leader might just mean being himself. Can he win over his country and his heart?
Winters has a talent for banter and this book proved that all over again. Jadon’s sarcastic humour is contagious and the way he and Reiss go back and forth made for excellent comedic relief. All the side characters (and there are quite a few to keep track of) also had their own unique brand of humour which was fun to see play out in group settings. Reiss and Jadon also have some sweet and wholesome romantic moments that are sure to make readers swoon. Reiss, meanwhile, also shines bright as a boy with many talents who has his own goals to pursue and doesn’t compromise his personality for anyone or anything, which I really appreciated.
Beyond fun banter and romance, this book also delves deeper into important cultural issues. From the things Jadon tries to keep from his parents that he has overheard from people in power (and that basically acted as a catalyst for his exile) all the way to dealing with the expectations placed on him at a young age not only by his parents but by the world at large, Winters doesn’t shy away from exposing some systematic issues in the real world.
And while I didn’t vibe with the caricaturistic, somewhat one-dimensional characterisation of Jadon’s parents and the villains in the story and the way they did a 180 at the end of the book without a real catalyst, I was still glad to see that some of them got what was coming to them.
The parts that I struggled with in this book were the pacing and the repetition when it came to some facts like the way Jadon struggles with the media’s attention and the pressures of being a teenage public figure. Here, the story often reverted to telling rather than showing, which grew tedious especially after the first few inner monologues. A few more scenes where the impact and consequences on Jadon were shown rather than told to the reader would have been appreciated. It’s such an important part of his identity and what drives his actions and as such, I was a tad disappointed in how it was addressed – yet the way it was resolved made up for it in small parts. Similarly, the pacing sometimes dragged because of the way readers were told what was going on instead of shown more clearly. This, for example, happens often when it comes to Jadon and Reiss’s conversations where things stay on a surface level (for example them bonding over their love for shoes but then deeper talks being swept into one or two sentences recounting what happens off page). Nevertheless, once they get closer, you can’t help but root for them.
All that being said, I think that this book is going to take readers on a wonderful journey. If you’re someone who loved The Royals, Young Royals or Red, White and Royal Blue, you’re sure to fall hard for this queer, black, strongheaded and wholesome dork of a prince.
Finally, one thing that made me smile throughout this book was how Winters managed to incorporate his friends into the story. From small hints like Reverie (the book title of Ryan La Sala’s novel) to more overt references like a character named Garza Villa, these small nods to real-life people made me smile. It’s such a sweet way to pay homage to your writer friends that serves as a little boost of happiness to the readers who have also revelled in stories from them.
Fun, flirty and as fierce as its main character, Prince of the Palisades is the queer YA romance to escape to this summer, perfect for fans of Jason June and Johnny Garza Villa.
Prince of the Palisades is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 20th 2024.
Will you be picking up Prince of the Palisades? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue in this heart-pumping romance by award-winning author Julian Winters!
When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is left in America to clean up his image after a horribly public break-up gone viral, romance is not on the table. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Scheduled appearances with the Santa Monica elite Absolutely. Rendezvous with a pink-haired, film-obsessed hottie from the private school where he’s currently enrolled? Uhhhh . . .
Together with his entourage—a bitingly witty royal guard, Rêverie’s future queen (and Jadon’s brilliant older sister), and a quirky royal liaison—Jadon’s on a mission to turn things around and show his parents, and his country, that he’s more than just a royal screw-up. If he doesn’t prove that he’s the prince Rêverie deserves? Well, he may not be allowed home . . .
But falling for a not-so-royal American boy has Jadon redefining what it means to be a leader. If he can be someone’s Prince Charming just by being himself, maybe that’s all it takes to win over a nation. Or at least a prince can dream . . .
