Move over Meghan Markle, American Wren Wheeler falls for a British prince during an apocalypse. Wren and Theo cross Europe to get to a private jet to fly her home before a comet hits the world.

There’s hilarious hijinks, horrible hair-dying, and heartwarming young love. Plus a dog named Comet. This story is addicting from the first paragraph to the unforgettable conclusion. (Please say there is a sequel!)

Perfect for fans of A CUBAN GIRL’s GUIDE TO TEA AND TOMORROW by Laura Taylor Namey.

An enormous thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and of course, Kara McDowell for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

Damn. What a book. I got so sucked into this one from the get-go, I had to know how everything played out for Wren and Theo. An adorable, gender-reverse Princess Diaries shenanigans, European romp romance that's all set against the apocalyptic backdrop of a comet on its way to destroy the earth.

They strike a deal to help each other reach the place they want to be most when the world ends but of course, chaos ensues. They're swept from one situation to the next, poor Wren is hurt multiple times, and they get to know each other along the way. Stolen cars, dogs, what's not to love?

I loved this so much from beginning to end, and speaking of end, don't read this if you're not capable of handling a cliffhanger. There had better be a second book, because THAT LAST LINE.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Thoughts: Wowza! What an utterly delightful read. I’ll be honest, I went in with pretty high expectations because I loved Kara McDowell’s first two novels…and The Prince & The Apocalypse did NOT disappoint! It might even be my favorite of hers so far!

The story follows Wren Wheeler, who can’t wait to get home from her senior trip to England. She is a big time planner, but nothing about the trip has gone according to plan…and little does she know, it’s about to get even worse. Or is it about to get better once she meets Prince Theo? Wink wink.

For me, the characters in a story make all the difference and I loved Wren and Theo. Their chemistry is so strong, and I really felt for them in their individual goals/desires. McDowell does such a great job bringing the story to life. I was sucked in from the first page. Absolutely can’t say enough good things about this novel. Can’t wait to see what‘s next!

This contemporary apocalyptic YA novel was a fast and enjoyable read! I wasn't sure what to expect from a book that takes place as the world is ending, but it was a delightful surprise!

I really enjoyed the writing style and it helped me breeze through the book. The banter between characters was fun and full of tension and I found myself liking some of the side characters as well. As ridiculous as the Armageddon-esque plot may seem, you can't help but get sucked into the story and root for Wren and Theo. I loved the little nods to learning to life your life the way that makes you happy and to enjoy all the little things in life since you never know when it might be your last chance to do something. It's a great message for readers of all ages!

I did find the book to be almost overly cheesy and superficial at times and there was an overabundance of TikTok references. I also felt like there was a lot more drama than I expected from a generally cute and quirky read, but that's just me being a little picky. The cliffhanger was also a bit unexpected in the sense that the book felt like a standalone and the cliffhanger opens the door to more of a story that I don't think is necessary, but I am hopeful that if a second book arises that it refines things a little more and continues the story well.

Overall this book is a fun adventure for any YA fan and you'll enjoy the way that the author ties together the end of the world, a chaotic roadtrip, a runaway prince, and a teen girl who is trying to break away from her sister's shadow. Who knew running across Europe while the world is ending could sound so fun?

This book took me a second to get into,, but once I was in I felt like I had to finish it immediately. Wren and Theo were both complex and lovely to read about. I liked their different reactions to the things around them and how they handled the trauma of the events at hand. I think going through the motions of dealing with that while also genuinely having a good time and accepting there are some things you cannot change. I also definitely enjoyed the little twist at the end.

This was a really fun romance adventure. My main critique is I didn't care for the main character all that much. The main reason why is that I felt like I've seen the very same main female character before in dozens of books. She felt a bit like a Wattpad lead, so I didn't like that very much.

However, the premise of the story was really fun, as was the relationship dynamic between the two characters. Not to mention, the cover is absolutely stunning.

And that plot twist at the end? Genius! I can't wait for the next installment to see what happens next!

Read this cute little gem in one sitting. The pace was fast, the writing was captivating, and the story was hilarious. Eagerly awaiting the second installment!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for an eARC version of this book. Opinions are my own.

I'll be honest, I had my doubts about this book. I had no idea how Kara Mcdowell was going to pull this off. An apocalypse? Falling in love at the end of the world? Sci-fi?? And on top of all that, she sprinkles in a British prince (royalty!!) set against a devastatingly beautiful European backdrop. Like, what? I couldn’t wrap my head around this. I kept thinking she was going to bring the book of revelations to life. How wrong I was. The Prince & The Apocalypse far exceeded my expectations. From the stunning cover single handily capturing what's at the center of the story (down to the little details like the scar on our prince’s eyebrow) to the writing and dialogue, this book was a joy to read from beginning to end. Kara Mcdowell did a fantastic job nailing the British slang and pronunciation. She didn't simply remind us throughout the story that her character had a lovely accent, no, she made sure we didn’t forget it with Theo's every word syllable and mannerisms. It’s why Prince Theo felt so realistically…well, British. I was laughing throughout the whole book from the banter between Wren and Theo and the hilarious scenes during their epic road trip across Europe. It was an absolute delightful rom-com I could easily picture as a movie sequence. And not to spoil anything but my gosh that ending deserves an oscar. Needless to say, I LOVED this book and would recommend it to anyone.

I always enjoy anything written by Kara McDowell and this book was no different. I loved The Prince And The Apocalypse so much! Kara is the queen of slow burn and it gets me hooked every time. Once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. I finished the whole book in one day. This book had a great mix of romance, drama, adventure and comedy. The book is about an American girl who is traveling abroad and accidentally meets a prince. She finds out the end of the world is coming and they help each other out and go on an adventure. The ending had a twist and left a great opening for another book. I need more!!!

The Prince and the Apocalypse is a young adult romance set before the end of the world. Wren Wheeler has been planning her school trip abroad for 5 years. When she gets sick and has to stay in bed for the whole trip, she is not happy. So on the last day of her trip she decided to visit the Worlds End restaurant where she runs into the Crown Prince Theo in disguise. When she helps him to not get spotted, he offers her a favour. She doesn’t think of it until she finds out that a comet is going to hit the earth in 8 days and all the flights to go home are cancelled. So she calls him to help her get home and this puts them on adventure to get their destinations before the comet hits.
I gave this book a 2/5 stars. The plot was just so absurd that I couldn’t even really get into it or try to understand why this might be a fun book idea. This seems like some writing prompt you would find online. It took me a very long time to finish this book despite how short it is. I didn’t understand how you wouldn’t know if the world was going to end and also how did you end up with a prince. The little cliffhanger at the end was also not enjoyable. Like seriously? You left it at that? I did like the romance between Wren and Theo. They were really cute together and were the only part of the book I liked. Overall, I personally did not like this book and thought the plot was a bit dumb
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wren Wheeler just wants to go home. Her grand post graduation trip to London has been nothing but a disaster. On her final day in the city, she visits the one restaurant where she wants to eat, only to find it closed. Dejected, she runs straight at missing prince Theo and saves him from getting caught by the paparazzi. With a thank you and a quick number exchange, Wren and Theo part as Wren prepares to return home. When the announcement that a world-ending comet will hit in 8 days, Wren is left stranded in London - unless she can convince Theo to help her get home. The unlikely pair will have to cross Europe amidst the apocalypse, dodging authorities to get Wren safely home.

This book was unexpectedly heart-wrenching. There are a lot of funny moments, ethical dileamas and travel high-jinks, but at the core, both characters are struggling with the consequences of their actions. It was a very enjoyable read with an unexpected twist at the end.

No one expects the end of the world. Wren has been planning her senior year trip to London since freshman year, but nothing seems to be going as planned. So when she runs into the Prince of Wales fleeing paparazzi, she does something spontaneous: she helps him. But then she misses her flight home, and the world erupts in chaos as the news breaks that a comet will destroy the world in eight days. Desperate, Wren calls Prince Theo, who strikes a bargain with her: if she helps him get to Santorini, he will get her home. Road-tripping across Europe at the end of the world has never been so fun.

The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell is a rare book because it feels original. Now don’t get me wrong, I love YA chick-lit, but to do something new and different is rare, and to see an interesting concept written well is even more rare (as likely as a comet hurtling at earth). The story is set against a backdrop of catastrophe but remains hopeful and uplifting until the very end. Human nature is studied, in Wren’s reactions to the event, but also in the way society reacts to everything. If the world was about to end, I can only hope it would be as oddly peaceful as McDowell describes. That being said, the setting felt realistic in the most unexpected way: it wasn’t impossible to imagine a future like the one the author constructed.

Beyond an interesting backdrop, The Prince and the Apocalypse featured interesting characters with strong relationships and hidden depth. The story is truly centered around Wren and Theo; there really isn’t a supporting cast, which means they have to be able to stand alone. And they were able to support the story together. Wren deals with what I have decided to call I-must-be-better-than-my-sibling complex. With an overachieving sister, she feels trapped in her sister’s shadow and uses plans and lists to stay in control. Obviously, the end of the world means lists go out the window, so watching her struggle to find who she was without a safety net was fascinating. While Wren spends all her time looking toward the future, Theo desperately wants to escape it. Watching him realistically deal with depression was crucial because it was casual mental representation. Especially in stories that don’t center around mental health disorders, casual representation is important because it normalizes what hundreds of thousands of people struggle with.

Wren and Theo’s romance was sweet and natural: the chemistry between these two was palpable. They balanced nicely, and the banter between them was adorable! I loved how their romance didn’t feel rushed, even though the story only took place over a couple of days. My one negative with this novel is that the end (last twenty or so pages) really did feel rushed, and while the author is hopefully setting up for a sequel, it was unclear if that is the case. Overall, The Prince and the Apocalypse was such a fun read, and I’d recommend it to fans of They Both Die At the End (I promise, there’s less crying), American Royals (but better written), and Anna and the French Kiss (road trip addition).

This book was highly entertaining and kept me interested from start to finish. What an adventure! The juxtaposition of the honest, relatable characters against the unbelievable circumstances was so amusing. And the author beautifully captured the idea of hope shining through even when the world is in chaos.

The book wasn’t as clean as I prefer for a teen story, and a few things felt forced. But overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ARC.

Honestly, this book was tropey and fun and full of adventure. The addition of the world ending in eight days plt for me made the stakes for everythig else lower not higher, but I could see how our characters made the choices they did. It was definitely interesting and not something I'd read before.

Synopsis:
An American teen stranded in London is forced to team up with the British crown prince if she wants to make it back home before the end of the world in this delightfully rompy high-stakes rom-com.

Wren Wheeler has flown five thousand miles across the ocean to discover she’s the worst kind of traveler: the kind who just wants to go home. Her senior-year trip to London was supposed to be life-changing, but by the last day, Wren’s perfectly-planned itinerary is in tatters. There's only one item left to check off: breakfast at The World’s End restaurant. The one thing she can still get right.

The restaurant is closed for renovations—of course—but there's a boy there, too. A very cute boy with a posh British accent who looks remarkably like the errant Prince Theo, on the run from the palace and his controlling mother. When Wren helps him escape a pack of tourists, the Prince scribbles down his number and offers her one favor in return. She doesn’t plan to take him up on it—until she gets to the airport and sees cancelled flights and chaos. A comet is approaching Earth, and the world is ending in eight days. Suddenly, that favor could be her only chance to get home to her family before the end of the world.

Wren strikes a bargain with the runaway prince: if she’ll be his bodyguard from London to his family’s compound in Santorini, he can charter her a private jet home in time to say goodbye. Traveling through Europe by boat, train, and accidentally stolen automobile, Wren finds herself drawn to the dryly sarcastic, surprisingly vulnerable Theo. But the Prince has his own agenda, one that could derail both their plans. When life as they know it will be over in days, is it possible to find a happy ending?

5/5 stars! This was an unexpectedly fabulous read! I started it and couldn't stop. I read the whole thing in one sitting and was floored....HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS HAD A CLIFFHANGER!?!?! I am suffering right now. I need to know what happens next. If there isn't a sequel, I'm going to riot. I am a total expat who has traveled like 20 countries solo and I'm also a Veteran, meaning I swear like a sailor. Add in my social media addiction and this book hit everything perfectly. Some may not enjoy that angle but it was true for the millennial generation. Occasionally, Wren was a little annoying. but Prince Theo had my whole heart. Keeping my fingers crossed for a sequel very very soon.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Kara McDowell perfectly described her book as “But what if the apocalypse was fun?” By limiting the reader's knowledge of the impending comet to just what the characters know, she manages to keep the story lighthearted and focused on what really matters: whether Wren and Theo will get to live happily ever after.

This YA novel is adorable and whimsical and everything an adult reader of YA could want. Wren and Theo are developed enough to give readers reasons to love and hate them at times but you don't get bogged down in their flaws.

I look forward to seeing where McDowell takes these characters or others in future books. Her writing is delightful and the perfect easy read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I can't say that I anticipated a YA Rom-Com about the world's end to be so captivating! The writing is fast paced and action packed with plenty of witty banter between the loveable and engaging cast. The story told from Wren's POV was relatable as a fellow type A list-lover. She is realistic and spontaneous, leading to some hilarious moments.

While light hearted and fun, Kara McDowell also manages to draw attention to meaningful topics about individual growth and finding one's own happiness. This is my first read by this author and it will not be my last.

Be prepared for a cliff hanger, friends! I'm sincerely hoping book two is already in the works!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St Martin's Press for allowing me early access to read and review this delightful book.

5 stars

Thank you Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and I still want more. The banter between Wren and Theo is so genuine and lovely - I found myself smiling throughout the pages. I love the mental health aspect and the way that Theo is constantly battling his own inner demons. The characters are relatable and lovable and I found myself rooting for them well before they were falling for each other.

Best line of the book: "If I'm starlight, you are daylight, chasing the shadows out of my mind." SWOOOOOON!!

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who wants a cozy romance, witty banter, and twists/turns around every corner through this apocalyptic adventure.

This was such a fun book! I didn’t know what to expect going into to it. Was it going to be over the top cheesy? Some moments were, but mostly, it was just adorable.
That ending, though! It’s one of those books that you know would make a great movie.

This book had me drawn in from page 1 and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. While set in an apocalyptic universe, the issues were real and ones many teenagers face on a regular basis. Netflix should snag this book up as it has the makings of a perfect new series.

I am also hoping for a sequel after the epilogue!