Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: no, 'Playing the Palace' isn't a 'Red White and Royal Blue' ripoff. The only thing the two really have in common is their American guy/British prince pairing (and the blush pink of the cover). Instead, 'Playing the Palace' is a witty and sometimes laugh-out-loud rom-com that's like a Hallmark movie but much better and much truer to what real millennials sound like and act like.

The plot itself is pretty basic romance stuff: party planner Carter is a Certified Mess fresh off a breakup with a cheating but charming ex. When he coincidentally crosses paths with Edgar, the openly gay Prince of Wales, they immediately have a spark and quickly fall for each other. The spotlight isn't kind to Carter, though, and despite the love and support of his delightful friends and Edgar's quippy staff, Carter keeps making one public misstep after another.

Author Rudnick is a screenwriter and playwright, and it really, really shows - and I mean that in the best possible way! The dialogue is the star of the show here, packed with delicious quips, memorably ridiculous lines that capture the particular, fast-paced, referential cadence of overachieving, self-aware twentysomethings. Supporting characters (particularly the brisk, deliciously bitchy, and occasionally shockingly decent Queen Catherine) fill out the world of the story, but the focus never strays from Carter and Edgar. It's a warm and funny rom-com that hits all the right points on its way to a modern happily ever after.

Review Posted on GoodReads (February 25, 2021)
Review linked.

3/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me an E-ARC for an honest review.

This book was so cute. I always love a good "Royals" trope romance and this book was so much fun to read. I really liked all of the characters and I loved seeing more Royals Romances with LGBTQ+ characters and romances. My only issue with this book was the writing. I didn't connect as much as I wanted to with the writing.

Overall, I thought that this was a cute story. It wasn't amazing, but was still such a fun read.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

Thanks to Netgalley.com for giving me this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I got through this book relatively quickly. I was excited because I have read Paul Rudnick's work before and I was excited to see how he'd create this world. Overall it was a solid book. The protagonist was likeable and I could even understand his inherent urge to self sabotage to a point. But then I look at his loud rambunctious Jewish family and I'm like...seriously how can you not believe that you deserve happiness? At first I was all for Prince Edgar and again the author did a decent job with explaining his childhood trauma and why he's a bit gun shy in relationship, again to a point, and then he keeps popping up saying I've changed my mind let's do this! I think it would have conveyed better if we got his POV instead of it focusing on Carter. The Queen was hilarious, but I did not understand why she didn't have people to do the cock-blocking for her instead of standing out in the hallway for most of the night. The event that took place (you know the one that results in the main couple breaking up for some time before they finally have a conversation and everything is fixed) was completely out of left field to the point that I thought I missed a chapter or three! The author then did a flashback in the middle of the drama completely taking me out of what was actually happening presently! And that part about them having a conversation and figuring it out...yeah didn't really happen. We got a Queen saying the prince is sad, fix it. And a valet giving his sad background story via a video message to the both of them saying fix it and we then get a press conference by Edgar asking Carter to marry him...after months of radio silence since a very public blow up on live TV! Not to mention the fact that we have on record that they spent about a month in total together before that blowup! SMH

Like I said I was excited about this book. I figured it would be a nice commoner meets royalty and they hit it off over a period of time (read years) they of course have a few trials and tribulations and then they overcome it and get married. (Kind of like the LGBTQ+ version of The Royal We, only in their late 20s when their frontal cortex is developed) in the end it reminded me of a lifetime movie, one of the bad ones that you love to hate.

I thought the book was enjoyable fluff but felt a little too derivative of something like Boyfriend Material or Red White and Royal Blue. Sometimes the situations seemed implausible (sneaking out of the palace?!) like it was from a 2000's romcom.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Playing the Palace is perfect for fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue!! It's the story of The Crown Prince and that guy from New York! The only thing I didn't like about this book was the constant time jumps. Other than that, Prince Edgar and Carter's romance is a very heartwarming story. If you're a fan of Alex & Henry, I highly recommend picking this one up!

For fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue, Playing the Palace satisfies the royalty/commoner romance itch. The development of the relationship between Carter and Edgar felt very rushed and the second half of the book was full of antics that started to strain belief. There were funny moments and I enjoyed the characters but I was left wanting more.

I would actually rate this like a 3.75, because the book had me changing my opinion of it so often.
Like many others I requested an advance copy of this title because the cover reminded me of Red, White, and Royal Blue. I went into it knowing it wouldn't be the same, and trying not to compare them because that wouldn't be fair.
The first thing that I really loved is that Edgar is just an out prince, there's no plot point about not being able to come out or dealing with family not accepting you. It's refreshing to find a story where its just normal and something the world accepts. There are discussions of what that means and how one presents themselves, but I want more stories where being gay isn't the problem to get over and this was a great start!
The problem I had with this book is for all the things I loved about it there were things that just seemed random and threw me off a little bit. The pacing was sporadic in that they would meet and there was like instant amazing chemistry and then like 2 weeks or a month goes by. That happens a couple times and then like boom they're madly in love and doing all this crazy stuff. Like I didn't feel we got to see the relationship blossom, it was just there. Also if you hate cringe worthy embarrassing moments then you're going to be uncomfortable because there are a lot of them. I'm the type of person who has to pause embarrassing moments on a show or movie and prepare myself for them, so while reading I had to skip forward to see how they ended just so I could go back and read it through. Finally I thought the breaking point of their relationship, the thing that created the hurdle they had to get over, was far fetched. With everything they had presented us, it was such a nonsensical way to create angst.
Having said all this I still really loved the book and you bet I still stayed up until 2 am to finish it when all the end plot was going down. There were times I thought things were too cheesy or characters were portrayed a little stereotypical, but then I thought about how I love cheesy Christmas movies and this was right up that alley. Kooky characters, crazy hi-jinks, and romance. So even though I wasn't head over heels obsessed with this book, I still loved the story.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a copy for my unbiased review.

Loved it! The perfect choice for when you want to curl up and devour a novel in one sitting. A must-read for fans of Red, White, and Royal Blue.

This book was a delight! There will be obvious comparisons to Red White and Royal Blue, which I think makes sense, but I found this book to be even more laugh out loud hilarious and great in different ways that RWRB. Carter's voice is delightful - he's so funny and charming. Edgar is sweet and lovely. I will be recommending this book constantly!

This is a perfect treat of a novel! This is not a genre I usually read but clearly I need to start. Carter is an adorable neurotic mess and I loved every minute of his missteps. Edgar managed to be charming but not a caricature and the Queen! Oh the Queen is the absolute best part. I finished this in one sitting, couldn't put it down.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Books, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a nonbiased review!

Yes, yes - it's easy to tell that this book is following in the footsteps of titles such as Red, White, and Royal Blue and Boyfriend Material. But if publishers want to give me more queer romances with royalty, I'm not going to be the one complaining! This book isn't going to blow your mind, but it is cute and fun and is a nice way to spend an afternoon. If you enjoy throwing on a light romcom and sitting back with a glass of wine and some popcorn, this book will suit you well. I do wish that the publishers (and sometimes the book itself) had avoided leaning into the whole Red, White, and Royal Blue thing. Unfortunately, while this book is fun, it's no RWARB, and I think it suffers from the comparison.

A note: After I finished writing this, I finally realized who actually wrote it and a lot of things make sense. I think this book would have been much more successful on screen.

This was pretty terrible. Like many others, I couldn't help but make the comparison to 'Red, white, and Royal Blue'. However, there is not much to compare. This book was really hard to suspend belief for. It was ridiculous. There are many other superior books with similar themes that I would recommend over this one.

I enjoyed this M/M romantic comedy featuring an event planner from New Jersey and the Prince of Wales, both of whom have relationship issues which contribute to misunderstandings and problems along the way. The large cast of secondary characters add a great deal to this story, including a lot of humor.

I was unable to get into this book. I tried to give it a fair shot but I struggled to care about the characters and the pacing felt off - too fast, then too slow.

While I appreciated a story about out and proud characters where being gay isn't the central issue, this book just missed the mark. It felt like a typical romcom and the author decided to capitalize on the love of all things royal by calling the love interest Prince. There was some witty banter and A+ representation all around, but over I would not recommend.
2.5 rounded up

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.

DNF at 70%

I, like I’m sure many other readers, was hoping this would be the next Red, White, and Royal Blue. It’s gay and it’s royal. Alas, it is not RWARB. Instead, it’s a bad comedy where one character continuously effs up, the world (and the reader) laughs at him, and then they have sex. No thanks. I don’t like stories of second-hand embarrassment.

Royal romances are generally one of my favorite tropes to read, and so, I was excited about this one mixed with the queer representation of the leads. However, this story wasn't my type and it's pacing was off for me. Here, American event planner Carter starts dating the openly gay Prince Edgar of Wales when a royal media uproar ensures in this rom-com read. Carter's fresh off a painful breakup and no longer believes is in the cards for him before he randomly meets the prince. But, there's a sizzling chemistry between the two of them, and that's true, I was full-on shipping them together by just a few chapters into reading. They set off on an international romance, setting off media fireworks everywhere they go. Between that and average guy Carter fighting this newfound pressure in the spotlight, things get to be a lot, and if they want a HEA, they're going to have to fight. It felt like it was going to be an adult version of "Red White and Royal Blue," however, it's not, and nothing really like that. It's more like other royal-average person romances. The writing is quite funny and engaging from the start that kept me interested, making this pair so freaking cute and adorably awkward. It's a cute read, sure, however, the pacing is all off and just way too fast. We speed through literally every milestone that could have been milked and teased to enthrall us, but it didn't. I also couldn't really vibe with these main characters or get inside of their heads. Yes, the writing is good, however, this book wasn't exactly my personal cup of tea.

This is a cute little royal rom-com about the Prince of Wales and a guy from New Jersey. It moves too fast at times (slow it down! give us something to pine for!) and has one cringe-worthy awkward situation after another, but ultimately it delivers.

I honestly think this book tried a little too hard to be like Red, White, and Royal Blue. Obviously it's impossible to avoid similarities with any book because there's only so many things you can do with realistic fiction, but I wouldn't have much of an issue with the attempt if it were a little more successful. The pacing of the first half of the book was way off, much too fast to be believable, and while it slowed down a little after the halfway mark it still didn't work quite well. The characters, despite having (familiar) flaws, were a little flat, and I actually enjoyed the side characters far more than the mains.
Semi-unrelated, but something I'll note anyway: I did not enjoy the first person narrative. It's too distracting, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the book--I just didn't like it personally.