Meet Adrianna (Andy) Bottom. Her father's toilet products have recently taken off landing their entire family on new reality show, Bathroom Barons. With a last name like Bottom what other area would you go into? Anyway. With the launch of the new reality show, the family uproots from Seattle to Beverly Hills. Back in Seattle, Andy was teased relentlessly for her father's inventions, and for her nerdiness. She's hoping for a brand new start in Beverly Hills, despite the fact that her family will be on TV. But it's Beverly Hills. And Andy soon finds herself 'little miss popular' even while losing herself in the process.

This book had a cute premise and even had some cutesy parts. I really liked the attention to detail when it came to events like the LARPing tournaments. I adored Kevin and his sister. And I ended up really liking Harper after being extremely wary of her in the beginning.

But there were also things that I didn't like or that rubbed me the wrong way. First were Andy's parents. Andy was constantly taken advantage of by the director of Bathroom Barons, (think indecent exposure of a minor, staged dates/kisses that bordered on sexual assualt) and they were too busy worrying about their business or social status. I'm sorry, but if I was a parent and saw my child harassed this way, I would do more than make a call to the network. And it wasn't like they couldn't see her unhappiness or her side of the story. Just horrible parenting.

Then there was the whole 'being a nerd/geek is grounds for torment' trope. We live in an age where Marvel and DC rule cinema and television. Shows like Big Bang Theory are rated number one. I find it hard to believe that teens are so black and white here. It's cool to like superheroes people! Let's move on.

My main issue, however, was with Andy herself. She was not a strong character, instead she blended into the background a lot and I found myself more interested in what was going on around her than with her herself. But it was her treatment of the so-called "nerds" that rubbed me the wrong way. Here's a girl who knows what the teasing and ridicule feels like, yet she just sits there and sometimes even partakes in this attitude. But yet the author wants us to know that it's ok for her to act this way because deep down inside she feels differently. Or that because she's nice to them in secret, it's ok. NO. You're a weak minded girl who cares more about what people think of you than other people's feelings. There were so many places where she could have easily spoken up but instead she just let it go.

Despite the fact that I didn't like Andy herself, the wrap up of the story was just so 'teen movie cheese' that it was enjoyable. Maybe this book was just a little too young for me to enjoy fully.

I had fun reading this book! it's light hearted and humorous! The lines are so witty! 😂😍💕

The first couple of chapters of Secrets of a Reluctant Princess are pure farce, in the literary meaning and not the current derogatory meaning. Adrianna (Andy), of the unfortunate last name of “Bottom” (unfortunate because of her father’s business in plumbing supplies and his tendency to (heh) plumb the depths of those puns), becomes the “Porcelain Princess” on the Bathroom Barons reality tv series based on her family’s newly acquired wealth thanks to her father’s invention the Bowl Buddy.

Now cameras are following her around and film the result of her stylist’s decision to make her wear a too-tight skirt thus showing her beloved Wonder Woman underwear. In her attempts to get away, she ends up hiding in a hardware store and meets Kevin, who is cute and shares her interests.

But now that cameras are following her around, she finds she is suddenly friends with the popular kids, not because of who she is, but just because there are cameras following her. Harper, the first to befriend her, warns that if she wants to stay popular, she has to keep her distance from Kevin because he’s pretty much the mayor of nerdsville.

What results is Andy trying to live two lives. She tries to stay in with the popular kids because she remembers very well how school was back in Seattle when she was always the “butt” of jokes. But she really likes Kevin and is intrigued by LARPing because it appeals to her nerdy side. So she becomes Princess Andy of the LARPing world.

“Sounds dramatic,” he says. “But your heart, dare I ask is it still free for the taking?”

The way he asks it makes my toes curl in excitement, like he’s asking for himself. I give him a daring look. “No. It is not.”

He sighs in exaggerated disappointment.

“It is mine for the giving.”

When Andy is painted as a bully in one of the episodes of the show, she realizes that she has to take charge. If anyone knows what it’s like to be bullied, she does.

Secrets of a Reluctant Princess is funny and very punny (love it!) and seems like it’s just fluff while it is examining bullying and what’s acceptable and how easy it is to fall into being just like the popular kids for the sake of being left alone, but how ultimately you have to be true to yourself. The LARPing scenes were a lot of fun and definitely brought out the geek in this reader!

I liked Andy and Kevin and thought they were pretty much believable, although at the beginning I thought Andy whined a bit much, but that changed and I got over it. She shows herself to be spunky and smart and willing to put herself out there. Her internal wars were pretty understandable too. Kevin is sweet and smart and protective of those he loves. He is the epitome of nice guy.

Also, I liked the way that Griffin handled the other characters as we saw depth and believability even in the ones who seemed just antagonistic by nature.

All-in-all this is a fun, fast-paced read for the geek, the punster, and the lover of the underdog, but others will most definitely enjoy it too!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: E-arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little slow to start out with, I couldn't get over how self-pitying Andy was and found myself rolling my eyes at her. It was when Lennox was introduced that I found myself going, “Oh no, not ANOTHER book where the girl changes herself for a guy!” but I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't how the book actually went.

Adrianna became more likeable as the book went on, her character developed despite the fact that she hiding behind a mask - literally. We were able to explore the difference sides of her that completed the full human being and I even felt bad for her once her secret was revealed and her life fell apart.

I enjoyed actually learning about LARPing, I'd heard of it but never actually seen it done other than in a couple episodes of a TV show I used to watch and they never really explained anything with it.

When I finally got into the story, it really flew by! Adrianna did manage to get herself into a lot of trouble on her own but she also managed to stick up for herself in the end and admit what her mistakes were.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend it as a book to look out for.

The best parts of this book were connected to LARPing (life-action role-play... I have no idea who's reading this, so just in case).* The writing is decent, the idea is executed pretty well, it's a nice quick read. But with one thing that I wish was done better: the main character. I really wanted Andy to be a little less infuriating. While she was relatable in some fashion, a large chunk of her behavior came across as cringeworthy. I really wanted to love this read.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley for review.

Secrets of a Reluctant Princess is a cute read. I have no idea why, but I love a nerdy love story. I felt for Andy who was torn between being popular and being herself and getting bullied like she was in her old school. I can understand just wanting to have a happy day. Being a teen is hard enough, but adding in a reality show must be hell. I ended up loving Harper and Kevin, too. I admit that larping seems odd to me, but I know a lot of people really enjoy the escape from every day life.

Adrianna Bottom was always the butt of everyone’s jokes in Seattle. With her geeky personality and a dad who runs a bathroom business she never stood a chance. L.A. is a chance to reinvent herself, as well as star in a reality TV show. As Adrianna focuses on being popular she realizes she might be losing her only chance at a boy she actually likes. Worse, she might be losing herself.

Live action role-playing is an interesting twist in the young adult romance category. Books involving this hobby are pretty rare – and so it’s interesting to see it represented. However, Secrets of a Reluctant Princess isn’t breaking any other new ground. The romance at first interaction is dull. The trail of stupid misunderstandings is tired. There’s nothing worse than watching characters whine about something that could be solved with a simple conversation. Worst of all, the popular kids vs. “geeks” is outdated.

The idea that people who like geeky things are outcasts is tired. Hollywood is sustained by superheroes now, no one will tease you because you like Wonder Woman. Being a “geek” is not longer taboo. Jocks and prissy popular girls are hilarious stereotypes that rarely exist. Four-fifths of the popular crowd have no personality other than dumb or mean and even the main girl is just “friendly”. Popular kids have interests too.

There was also perhaps too much time spent defining the LARPing sessions rather than focusing on the relationship between Adrianna, her friends, her parents and her crush. The reality show was a good plot on its own. LARPing was a good plot on its own. Together they feel like too much, like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be.

The ending is also particularly unsatisfying. Sexual harassment is excused as a “mistake” (a repeated aggressively) mistake by a dumb teen. Parents using their child for fame and exposure who get upset when their child poorly affects their business were “well-meaning”. A shady reality show producer (who shows a seventeen-year old’s underwear on television) is mildly punished and let go.

For all it’s faults, it’s still a fun read if you don’t take it too seriously. There are several major occurrences of second-hand embarrassment, and you’ll be frustrated by dozens of misunderstandings but it’s cute. The main guy is handsome and kind, maybe a little too perfect but lovable. Adrianna isn’t the brightest bulb but she’s sort of relatable.

If you like mildly geeky things and romance this book will definitely satisfy, if not impress you.

Adrianna thought she was getting a fresh start. A new city. A new school. A new look. She thought that if she shed the "Andy" parts of herself and played a better social game, that things could be different. As she worked harder towards avoiding becoming a social outcast, she began to lose parts of herself. Those missing parts were found every Sunday, when she would go LARPing. When Adrianna donned her mask, she became Princess Andy, and this princess was closer to her true self than the Porcelain Princess ever would be.

I found this book to be a very sweet and endearing look at how difficult it can be to be your true self. Andy's struggle was a typical one for many teens, but I appreciated that Griffin did not turn her into an angsty mess. Sometimes you want angst, sometimes you want light and breezy. I was in for some lighter fair today, and the drama level was exactly to my liking.

Griffin assembled a fine cast of supporting characters to help Adrianna find her way back to Andy. Among them was the geeky but awesome Kevin. Kevin was the opposite of "Adrianna". He unabashedly let his freak flag fly, and was a relatively happy guy. There were so many adorable interactions between Kevin and Andy, I couldn't help but jump on that ship. Another standout in the cast was Kevin's sister, Keelie. How do you not adore a girl who is true to her self, speaks her mind, and protects those she loves with the ferocity of a lion?

But alas, my favorite parts of this book were the LARPing parts. Griffin did a great job with all the LARPing sequences. She had me googling to learn more and wanting to fabricate a boffer so I could join in the fun. These scenes were so much fun to read, and added an extra element of enjoyment for me. What can I say? I love geeky things.

Overall: Super adorable and fun read which appealed to my geekier side.

"Secrets of a Reluctant Princess" begins with Adrianna (Andy) Bottom moving to LA and embarking on a new life- one with stylists and where she'll star in a reality TV show. Taking the name, her father has recently become rich from his toilet light and bathroom shop, which he is expanding with a second shop in LA. The reality show is just icing on the cake for Andy's mother, and Andy is willing to participate exactly as much as she has to.

The reality show quickly begins to take over her life, where she is known as the Porcelain Princess and the scenes of her do not reflect reality (but make for quality entertainment). In the meantime, she is swept up in newfound popularity (or at least not being at the bottom of the totem pole). However, what she wants to do will not fit in with the new crowd and popularity she'd love to have after a life of teasing.

Andy was pretty understandable as a character, but it seemed to be a comedy of errors that she couldn't escape. I could feel for her, but she was incredibly unlucky! The only thing I didn't like about the book is that she forced into kissing (sexual harassment if nothing else) and this was not handled well or acknowledged much at all. The character who did this is not punished and never seems to be even told by anyone but Andy that this is not OK/has his own happy ending. I feel that this could have been handled better, especially in a book for teens. I also felt that her parents put too much weight on her with the show and business, but I think this is a pretty typical situation and it did get better.

That all being said, I think this is appropriate for a range of ages (no sexual content or non-larp violence). Overall, it's a light and funny read (if not frustrating at times for poor Andy who seems to constantly find herself caught in blunders!). I do have some mixed feelings about the situation above and residual embarrassment/frustration for Andy who couldn't seem to have an easy time of anything, which is why I'm scoring it a little lower at 3 stars. 

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I received an advance reader copy (from Netgalley) in exchange for a fair review. Thanks to Entangled Publishing and the author for a chance to review this.
I needed an escape from real life and I wanted to read something cute and light and that’s exactly what I got in this book. The LARPing bits are fun to read and different from anything I’ve read in this genre and aside from the main characters, Adrianna and Kevin, the side characters including Lennox and Hannah and all of the others are well written and enhance the novel.
If you’re looking for a cute, fun, read that contains some fun and a good ending I’d recommend this.