Julianna Keyes is one of those authors which books I'll either love or get a bit disappointed. Undecided was one of my favorite books last year and I also quite enjoyed My Roommate's Girl but Undeclared  was a huge disappointment for me. That's why I was a little bit on the fence the first time I heard about Bad Princess. I really wanted to read it but I didn't know if I would like it at all. I ended up enjoying it but in my opinion there were a few things missing. Here's the thing, Bad Princess is a novella but it would have worked so much better as a full-length novel.

One thing I loved in this book were the characters. Brinley was such a great girl. Her life was far from perfect, especially because she grew up being a "bad princess", but she really cared about other people and she knew what she wanted in her life. Finn was kind of a mystery. I liked him but I didn't have the opportunity to connect with him or get to really know him. This book was told only from Brinley's POV so what we know about Finn is what she knows and what he does when he's with her. I can tell you that there was a point that I wasn't happy with him, and I really wanted him to react in a different way, but deep down he was a good guy.

While I enjoyed the story I still think there was something missing. My biggest problem with Bad Princess is that it was too short. The characters and plot could have been more developed. Everything happened too fast and I would have loved it if it was a little bit slower and if could have seen the characters grow a little bit more. Also, it would have been great if Brinley and Finn's relationship wasn't so fast. I know those two had known each other their whole lives but it's not like they were best friends.

Overall, I ended up enjoying this book a lot and it was a fast read. However, I would have loved if it was a little bit longer and more developed. I still recommend this one if you're in need of a fast read.

When Brinley Cantrella of Estau's older sister abdicates her throne, she is suddenly thrust into the role of future queen. Always making mistakes and looking bad in the press, Brinley never thought she would be destined to be queen... and her country doesn't want to believe it either...

Finian Bellamy of Lenora was betrothed to Brinley's sister. One compromising position later, Finn and Brinley are in the news... and there is only one solution the palace will accept...

This was a really good read! Brinley is a spirited young woman, who gets herself into all kinds of bad positions... not necessarily by design, but more by the fact she can't help herself. Finn has always done what he was supposed to... spending time with Brinley is refreshing in his boring world of manners and royal duty.

Brinley is such a refreshing character, and through the entirety of this book you will root for her and her unique personality that she brings to the throne. Surrounded by naysayers and constant negative attention, will she fulfill her royal duty and will the straight-laced Finn ever really be hers... 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I'm always impressed by Julianna Keyes' versatility as an author. She's sort of a fearless author as she's not afraid to try out new things with her books, and I like that a lot about her. Bad Princess, might just be a novella, but it's an engrossing and satisfying story from start to finish. We're introduced to Brinley, whose sister has just abdicated the crown as a result of which she has to take on her sister's responsibilities. Growing up, she has always been second best to her sister, and rebelled a little because of that. As a result she's gained the reputation of being a bad girl who makes one poor choice after the other. She's a very easy character to sympathize with it because despite her reputation, she's a young woman with her heart in the right place. We get to see her grow a lot more confident with who she is as the story progresses, and one of the best parts of this novella was when she finally learns to stand up for herself. I was a bit unsure about how the relationship between Brinley and Fin would develop, since Fin was her sister's intended, but it was done well. Brinley has always had a crush on Fin, that was obvious, but Fin and his feelings were a little more hidden. He's very quiet and intense, but his true emotions do emerge as Bad Princess progressed. I loved seeing them fall for each other, and the chemistry between the two was fantastic. There's always the possibility that a book featuring royalty falls into the cheesy territory, but Julianna Keyes steers clear of that here. All in all, this novella was very enjoyable, and I recommend it if you're looking for something romantic and sexy.

4.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

You guys...YOU GUYS.  I am in fucking love.  And I'm going to have to bleep that for Amazon.  But seriously, this was a LENORE book through and through.  And it was all Brinley!  OK, not all Brinley, Finian's kind of da bomb as well...I'll get to him.  But Brinley...oh Brinley.  She has made my girl crush list!!!!  And if you know me, that happens fairly infrequently.  But I was enamoured with her from practically the first page.  She made me laugh, she made my heart hurt, she was just everything I love in a heroine.  I was trying to tell my hubby about this book, and loving Brinley, and he was like "well yeah, she's exactly your type of girl.  She sounds like Rapunzel from Tangled."  Huh.  You know, he's kind of right.  The stories of her misadventures when she was a child were just adorable...she sounded mischievous and incorrigible.  And it carried into who she was when we met her.  She was so true to herself, despite how often others tried to beat her down.  She was sassy, and bold, and hilarious, and curious, and just...AHHH!!  LOVE HER!

And Finn!!  I felt like I understood exactly who he was and how he felt right at the beginning, even if it wasn't overt...  But he still surprised me along the way.  And for a book entirely from the heroine's POV, I still felt like I got to know him.  Maybe it's that we see the contrast between them, and how this royal life had very different effects on each of them.  But there was still a spark in him.  And he had shades of beta boy in him!  He was quiet to her bold.  But he was still strong, and he knew how to support a strong woman like Brinley.  And holy fuck was he hot.  Those kisses (and more) got me all fluttery.  He wasn't perfect, by any means...there were times I wanted to smack him.  But the way its written, I got to understand why he made certain mistakes and bad choices, and I believed in his growth.  I love him too.

For a novella, this book sucked me in hardcore and really made me feel for its characters.  I LOVE when I feel like I can get to know them so quickly, and I become invested in the story.  I saw other reviewers say they couldn't, so I don't know why it was different for me...but it definitely was.  I rooted for Brinley, I was invested in what would happen to her, I was completely all in on the romance, it was just perfect for me.

Honestly, the only reason it's not a full 5 star is because I loved it so much, I wanted more.  I could have continued reading about these two characters until they grew old and died.  I'm fully serious.  This is my first book from Ms. Keyes, but it certainly won't be my last if this is anything to go by.  Also?  As a side shoutout, there was a romantic/erotic trope gender swap ("Finn, come") that had me laughing my ass off.  I'm not sure if it was supposed to be funny, but I don't even care...props Ms. Keyes.

Bad Princess by Julianna Keyes
Source: Netgalley and Pre-Order Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars

When I found this title on Netgalley, I had already pre-ordered it from Amazon and after binge reading Bad Princess, I can honestly say it is worth every penny!

Brinley Cantrella is the media’s darling and not in the good way! The media loves Brinley for two reasons, her status as princess of Estau and her propensity for getting into trouble. Brinley’s trouble sells papers and magazines, and she frequently lights up the internet with her antics. Since the first time she and her shenanigans showed up in the media, Brinley has gotten used to being known as the Bad Princess. Some days, Brinley is OK with the moniker, but since her older sister and the heir apparent abdicated and ran away with a lumberjack, Brinley is liking the title less and less.

In one fell swoop, Brinley not only becomes the heir to the throne of Estau, but she also finds herself the inheritor of one jilted fiancé. As it turns out, Brinley has known said jilted fiancé, Finn all her life and for most of it, she has loved him from afar. As the spare heir, Brinley was never meant for Finn, but once her sister abdicated and the press happened to catch the Bad Princess and Finn in a somewhat compromising position, well, suddenly the jilted fiancé has become the happy husband. Things sure do move fast when you’re royal 😊

Though Brinley has certainly long been besotted with Finn, she never imagined actually having him as her own. When Finn belonged to her sister and the throne was nothing but a dream, Brinley could live her life, experience all life has to offer, and never worry about her behavior reflecting badly on Finn. Brinley has long admired Finn’s ability to be the perfect royal, always in control, never a foot or hair out of place, never a word misspoken, just perfection. As his new wife, Brinley feels more inclined than ever to shed the Bad Princess image and be a proper royal wife to her new husband. Trouble is, trouble seems to follow Brinley and if she isn’t careful, the powers that be are going to step in and take away the things Brinley has always been secretly passionate about, Finn and the throne of Estau.

The Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a light, sweet, super-quick read I’m going to have to heartily recommend you check out Julianna Keyes’s Bad Princess. Brinley and Finn are the very definition of opposites attract meets forbidden romance. In order for Brinley and Finn to be happy together, each has to face a few demons and that means dealing with some ugly truths. In the process, each discovers a genuine affection and passion for the other which makes this read even more delightful! In all Bad Princess is a feel-good read that will certainly brighten and lighten your TBR!

I really love this book! It seems like such a departure from her other books on the surface. Her other books have been solidly contemporary and NA, and while this is kind of sort of NA it’s also kind of sort of fairy tale-ish. While it’s hard to describe I REALLY enjoyed it! Also – completely in love with that cover, wow!

Brinley is the eponymous ‘Bad Princess’ of this book. And I love her from the first chapter. She can do nothing right. Don’t we all feel like that from time to time? Well, she feels like that pretty much at all times in her life because her older sister is the good princess who will become the good Queen…until she shocks everyone and runs off into the sunset. Leaving Brinley to pick up the pieces of the kingdom and all of those expectations now fall on her. Which were so not in her plans.

Her older sister, Elle, was meant to marry Finn – the Prince that Brinley was actually in love with. Somehow Finn and Brinley wind up in a compromising situation and then find themselves set to be wed to solve all of their problems and their kingdoms problems as well…but of course that doesn’t actually solve Brinley’s problems. Brinley was a complicated character which is exactly why I loved her. Society looked down on her because she wasn’t perfect but there was so much more to her than what they saw. Keyes has a great knack of capturing so much in a character – the flaws, the messiness, the vulnerability but at the same time the strength as well. Brinley exemplifies all of that throughout the story so well. I could easily see royalty in England having these same struggles today.

And her Prince, Finn. He’s so stoic and perfect that no one knows what he’s thinking, including Brinley. I fell for him about halfway through the book and was rooting for him so hard. The only reason this is 4 stars is that I wanted more, more, more of the story. I really love Keyes’ writing style and look forward to each of her releases. She’s quickly becoming an author that I recommend easily! I really liked this modern take on this fairy tale story. Definitely recommend it.

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Melinda

Title: Bad Princess

Author: Julianna Keyes

Release Date: November 27, 2017

“[I]t occurred to her that she might be a bad princess, but he was a sad prince.”

Light and sexy, humorous and silly, this was a fun bit of book candy!

Despite the fact that everyone (like, literally everyone) thinks the worst of her, Brinley is a likable and funny person, strong enough to fight to live her own life rather than just quietly hide in her perfect older sister’s shadow. Brinley doesn’t want to be Finn’s consolation prize, especially since she’s secretly loved him for years and can’t stand the thought of being married to him if he’s only doing his duty. While I’m generally not a fan of insta-love, in this case it was believable as they had known each other for practically their entire lives. I thought the growth of their relationship, and the problems they encountered, were both sweet (and hoo-boy steamy!) and believable.

This book is light and sexy, and reads like an adult version of a fairy tale, though with surprising depth in the main characters. However, like a fairy tale, it tends towards being overly simplistic and unrealistic in parts. My favorite part is that it's silly and quite humorous, especially the descriptions of the disasters Brinley gets into - falling into a frozen pond even though there’s a sign posted specifically telling her not to walk on the ice, eating random mushrooms she finds in the woods, and so many sword mishaps.

“I cannot help but wonder what you are plotting.”
“A coup,” Brinley answered absently. “Always a coup.”

As for cons, besides the fairy-tale-ness, the pacing was uneven and I felt it ended with too much left unresolved. With that being said, this definitely left me wanting more Brin and Fin (Finnley? Brinian?). Recommended if you’re looking for a light, quick, and sexy read!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, I want to say I was drawn to this book by the cover, and then when I read the blurb the idea intrigued me. I mean a bad princess sounds intriguing, right? The idea had a lot of potential, but having never read anything by this author before I wasn't sure what to expect. I also knew it was a novella going in, which will be important in a minute so bear that in mind.

In general I liked the concept. The idea behind the story remained intriguing and this story grew on me. I say that because the start didn't exactly hook me. In fact, I read 10% then picked up another ARC by my all time favourite author before deciding to go back to it. The big info dump at the start wasn't the most gripping scene, and there was a lot of telling rather than showing the characters' personalities. I wasn't sure I'd actually pick it back up, but I did and thankfully the more the book developed the better the writing got.

Looking back, I would say I enjoyed this read. However, I did feel it could be so much more. There was so much potential, but the novella length didn't do the idea justice. Remember I said it would be important? Well, I wanted more. Things happened at breakneck speed in this book and while I understand the motives behind the events, it didn't leave a lot of time to develop a relationship. I felt the sparks between the characters but I didn't believe in the love because it had no time to grow. It felt like lust and so the ending didn't align for me.

That's not to say it's a bad thing. I've read enough novellas to know how they're structured, but I grew to enjoy this more than I thought I would after the start and felt it could have been so much more. The concept was bigger and there were so many ideas and scenes that could have been developed rather than been provided in a whistle-stop-tour of Brinley and Fin's life. That's my main issue with this book. It felt like a taster or a prequel to something bigger and I want more. I enjoyed it but I'm not sure it was satisfying.

Overall, it's a short and to the point read. It grew on me more than I thought it would as the plot developed, and I'm glad I stuck with it. I wish it had been longer, but it's a good read to kill a couple of hours with.

I very much enjoyed reading this story and appreciated the opportunity to do so. BAD PRINCESS is very much about a princess who is good, but her reputation has cast her in a very negative light that she can't figure out how to escape. But fortunately she finds love with Finn, a prince from another kingdom. There are the usual outside forces trying to interfere with their relationship and also Brinley isn't convinced that Finn really does care for her because he used to be betrothed to Brinley's older sister who recently abdicated the throne. All in all, I very much enjoyed this story, but wish that there had been more.

I realized that after I requested this that I probably was not going to read it. I regret requesting it cause it did sound interesting when I read the summary.

Rating: 3,5/5 stars

THE POSITIVE:

♥ The writing. I read a few books by Julianna Keys, and I really enjoy her writing. This one was great. The book is told through Brinley’s point of view, in the third person.

♥ I really enjoyed the premise and the plot.

♥ I liked the characters too, I loved Brinley, and I enjoyed reading about Finn too.


THE NEGATIVE:

♦ The lack of depth. This was way too short, and it needed more pages to actually develop everything appropriately. It needed more character development, it needed more relationship development.

♦ With that said, it also needed something more at the end. This book somehow didn’t feel like it told the whole story.

♦ I needed to have a glimpse into Finn’s mind, because by the end, he was still a bit of a mystery.

This was a cute although short story that made me want more. I kept looking at how much time I had left on my kindle and tried to slow down my reading to enjoy every second. Julianna Keyes created such fun loving characters in Bad Princess.

Brinley is the "bad princess"—always making mistakes, always in the spotlight for doing the wrong thing. In reality, she is living life and truly enjoying it. I loved her—she made me laugh, she made me smile and I enjoyed her character not being the normal princess but someone who lived for herself.

Brinley finds herself in a predicament when it is announced her sister has abdicated the throne and left her fiancé Prince Finn behind. On the night that Prince Finn is to find out at a dinner at her house, tourists touring the castle find her and Prince Finn in a compromising position. To save face, Brinley and Finn are married the next day.

But what of love? What of romance? What of the fairytale that you see when you look at real life royalty (i.e. Prince William and Princess Kate)?

Well this story was that and more... because you see... behind the always stoic Prince and "bad" Princess Brinley is not obligation but:
- fun bantering where she does not realize if he is joking or not (this made me smile)
- real admiration for Brinley's character, courage, and gumption
- and a love so perfect and pure that it made my heart so happy

And while I thought the writing was spot on, and the story so engaging that I couldn't put it down for one second... I just wanted MORE STORY which is why this is rated as 4 stars instead of 5... If we could have had more time with them, more back story, more of a look into the life of royalty and even more of the "after", this would have been a solid 5 star read for me.

A really fast paced story with many ups and downs. A really nice and fast read! Two modern day princesses, one destined to become Queen and the younger, Brinley, a menace to society.

I wish it was longerrr! I really really enjoyed this ^-^

Princess Brinely is everything a princess should not be! Her character is care free and fun loving, always breaking the rules and giving life and the paparazzi the middle finger. I loved her as a character and could easily relate to her. Finn was a bit more of an enigma, but I fell for him all the same. They worked really well as a couple and there were definitely a few swoon moments :3
Bad Princess is sweet, sexy, light, and fun. It almost feels like a more adult take on a Disney Princess story

I don't always read princess stories, but when I do they're by a trusted author. I had faith that Julianna Keyes could make me fall in love with her bad princess, and she totally did! Bad Princess was delightfully fun.

Princess Brinley wasn't a horrible person, she was just a young woman who acted on her impulses. Sometimes they were good, most of the time they didn't work out so well for her. Hence, her nickname Bad Princess. I loved that no matter what, Brinley stood true to who she was.

Prince Finn came across a little stuffy, but there was more hidden beneath his rule following exterior. I was surprised by how much I ended up loving him. All of the moments between Finn and Brinley were special and sweet. I didn't expect their story to be what it was, and I loved that.

Another thing I loved were all of the side characters. They were all so animated. I could easily imagine them in my heads. The one that ended up shocking me the most was Princess Elle. I didn't expect her at all. I'm hoping we get a story about her some day.

Bad Princess was a fun, fast-paced read filled with a lot of tenderness and little bit of sexiness. It would be a good starting point for those mature enough to advance from YA to NA royalty.

If your looking for a quick cute little rom com type read this would be a good one to pick up. You don't really know where its set because its a mix of modern ideas with this old world type living (in castles and royalty etc) I would put this book down to a guilty pleasure type book it satisfies a craving if your looking to ready this kinda genre. I would say give it a go, it was short enough for me that I read it in 2-3 hours

First time to read anything by this author and it will not be my last. It a little different than the normal Royal stories I've read and that made me like it all the more.

This was a well written and enjoyable modern princess story. However it is written in first person and we only see and hear from Princess Prinley. We never get Finn's side of things.

It was short and entertaining story and I LOVED Brinley. But Finn not so much. I really like alpha, and strong male leads and Finn was a nice guy but he never stands up for Brinley or even himself. He seemed like this huge wimp and while I liked him with Brinley, I did not respect him as a man.

As I said I enjoyed this book probably because I loved Brinley so much.

Bad Princess is a bit of a change for the modern royal or the bad prince. I received a copy in exchange for review. Brinley is the "spare" heir in Estau where her father is still the ruler. Her sister was the "golden" child, much loved by the entire country. Brinley was considered evil incarnate because of her daredevil ways. If there was something dangerous to try, Brinley was going to try it much to the horror of absolutely everyone around her. Finn is also the spare heir for a neighboring kingdom whom Brinley has loved from the day she first lays eyes on him when they were both small children. Unfortunately, he and Brinley's older sister are betrothed until her sister abdicates and runs away.

As Brinley's life typically goes, her first meeting with Finn just reinforces what everyone believes about her, bad to the bone. Finn doesn't seem to be too bothered by it, however, just as her sister was the golden child of Estau, Finn was what passes for perfection when it comes to princes. When her father orders them married, it is not quite how she dreamed of finally getting to be with the man of her dreams, but, they both appear to be making the best of the situation until Finn's father decides to stand in the way of what could be a happy marriage. Bad Princess is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking and a great read. I sure hope to see more from this author.

One of my favorite tropes to read about is Royalty fiction. I guess this could stem from my love of Disney Princesses and movies starring Prince and Princesses like The Prince and Me. In Julianna Keyes's new book Bad Princess, we are introduced to Brinley who is the second daughter of the current King and Queen of Estau. Brinley as a second child was always the one to get into mischief; she was the crazy one who always wanted to live her life to the full and had no inhibitions. She was confident and loved to have fun. She was also never to be Queen, that responsibility was to go to her older sister, but things changed when her sister – Miss Perfect abdicated the throne and ran off with her lumberjack hacking boyfriend to live in the South Pacific. Now Brinley is being married to Finn – this would be ok as Brinley has always had a crush on him, but she doesn’t want to be his second choice and have him forced to marry her especially if he doesn’t love her. What Brinley doesn’t realize though is that Finn too has always loved Brinley and would do anything for her? When Brinley’s sister shows up, Brinley has a decision to make – will she stay married to Finn and be the next ruler of Estau or will she run away and join her sister away from the kingdom? Find out in this awesome royalty romance – Bad Princess by Julianna Keyes.