I found this softcover in this Little Free Library in Derry NH while dropping off some books of my own, and nabbed it for another release copy. (There's a 2023 film adaptation that's quite good.) The premise: the grown son of the first woman to be elected President of the US finds himself falling in love with the son of the British monarch...

And it's great fun, less angsty than I'd expected (though there are a few ups and downs), and with some really heartwarming scenes and a few downright triumphant, punch-the-air-and-yell ones too. I liked the main characters and a good many of the secondary ones - there are sympathetic siblings and exes and family members close and distant, and delightfully competent supporters all over the place. And while there are nasty sleazy foes (at least one of whom is way too reminiscent of a certain political figure in the US), the focus of the story is on love and respect and support. Oh, and on pop-culture references: our two heroes forge a relationship driven largely by quotes from "Star Wars" and the Harry Potter books (OK, and from wider-ranging material than that, but they really do LOVE their "Star Wars" references). And the author pulls in scenes of political tension, both in the US (there's an upcoming election in which Alex's mother may have trouble getting re-elected) and in the UK (as the stuffy old-school royals come face to face with changing times). But the best parts for me had to do with the support for Alex and Henry...

[There's a TV Tropes page on the novel, with some entertaining tidbits.]

I plan to leave this book in the Little Free Library on this warm sunny day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

Released for:

** 2024 May Royalty challenge **

** 2024 Movie challenge. **