Cute. Fun. Fast paced. The ending?! But what happens to the comet?? I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I got an arc of this book through net galley and actually read it before the publishing date (7/11)! Kara writes ya romance, and I loved her While You Were Sleeping retelling, This Might Get Awkward, so Prince and the Apocalypse was highly anticipated.

Let me tell you, once I got started on this book I wanted to forget all other responsibilities to see what was going to happen next. The stakes were high, the banter was cute, the prince was swoony, and the pacing was quick. I think Kara did a great job balancing a fast moving plot with plenty of introspection, emotions, and mental health rep. When I got to the end, I actually cried (which doesn’t happen often), and immediately preordered it from my local indie. So if you want to read a (non-historical, totally fictional) book about American and English relations (😏), treat yourself to this little gem.

In The Prince and the Apocalypse Wren Wheeler is on her senior-year trip to London. The much anticipated trip is turning out to be a disaster. Hoping to end on a high note, she goes to The World's End restaurant, only to find it closed. But there she meets Prince Theo, who is on the run from the palace and his mother. When Wren helps him escape, he gives her his number and offers to return the favor, which she uses when her flight home is cancelled. A comet is heading toward earth, and the world is ending in eight days. Prince Theo offers to take her to Santorini and send her home on the family's private jet. Traveling through Europe by boat, train and an accidentally stolen automobile, trying to avoid the paparazzi, Wren and Theo develop a bond that only seems threatened by the apocalypse. The undeniable chemistry and amusing banter make this a fun read, albeit the dire consequences.

I never ever would have discovered this book if I hadn't seen a tweet announcing that this book was gonna be marked as read now on Netgalley for a limited time. It doesn't fall into the categories I usually check. It's not the kind of book I usually read. And yet for some reason this book spoke to me. I like to watch romcoms, but usually I need my written romcoms to have a little more. With the apocalypse approaching I really hoped that would be that little more.

This book was exactly what I had hoped it would be and I'm really glad that I decided to give this book a chance. It's everything you expect it to be. It's in the first place a romance. But a romance between two very real people in a terrible situation. But despite that terrible situation, despite the apocalypse, the book felt light hearted, positive and entertaining, filled with all those cliche-moments you want in a romance novel.

What I loved most about this book is that those characters are far from perfect. I don't want to give too much away, but it's clear that those teenagers each have their own issues. The prince because he clearly is trying to run away from his golden cage. The American Girl because she needs checklists, itineraries and to do lists to get things done and panics as soon as something doesn't work out or if something happens that wasn't part of the plan.

Together they're crossing Europe, from London to one of the Greek Isles, each with their own goal. Since the characters are traveling with a time limit we don't get to see much of Europe, but that doesn't matter. The apocalypse is happening, but even that doesn't matter either. Our characters don't check the news and are mostly out of the loop. With reason. The apocalypse and the trip through Europe are nothing but a setting to challenge these characters to find themselves AND each other.

I hope there will be a sequel. The epilogue screams for one. If there will be a sequel I'll certainly get it!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: July 11, 2023

First off…WHAT!!! This has a mega cliffhanger and I need a sequel ASAP!!

Whew, as someone who travels A LOT, it was difficult to not want to just shake Wren in the first chapters. I love an itinerary but man, you need to be flexible. That being said—it doesn’t matter at all because this has such a fun, frenetically youthful energy that I couldn’t put it down! This is delightfully farcical and I loved every minute of it—light, fun, plus the fictional Prince of Wales! If you need a good summer read, look no further.

“When you love someone, you can’t help but shout it from the highest rooftop and whisper it in the stillest dark.”

Hi yes this book was so good!!!

You would think a book about the apocalypse would be terribly sad, and in some instances it was, but I didn’t this this book would affect me so much. I cried, I laughed, I cheered, and I gasped my way through this book in the span of two days and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Wren and Theo sold me with their banter and chemistry and I just couldn’t get enough of them.

Highlights:
-a cross-European journey to make it home in time before the end of the world
-a rescued dog named Comet (appropriately)
-banter and nicknames
-sentimental moments that will leave you teary eyed

This book will definitely stick with me for the longest time and I haven’t even mentioned THE EPILOGUE. I’m serious if we don’t get a sequel I’m burning something to the ground.

Pub date: 7/11

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Prince & The Apocalypse by Kara McDowell is the adorable story of Wren, who plans everything down to the minute until she gets stranded in London on a school trip, and Prince Theo, who ran away from his family ( the British Royal family!) when a comet is headed to earth which will destroy it. What could be more fun than the apocalypse??? This book! Please let there be a sequel!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Just what I needed to get out of my reading slump! This book was so fun!

Wren has everything all planned out - but when she finds out the world is going to end, she has to team up with an unlikely boy to find her way home. And that unlikely boy?! The Prince of Wales.

I think my favorite part of this book was the internal dialogue of the main character. It was VERY reminiscent of my favorite romance author, Emily Henry. I loved hearing themes repeated throughout the story, it made it feel very cohesive and well thought-out!

My biggest con was the ending (which it looks like I’m in the minority, based on other reviews!). I also wish there was MORE banter so we could see more of the character’s chemistry.

Overall, I loved this book. I think it’s important to stay open to the story and just enjoy the ride it takes you on! Also imagining it as 90s Mary-Kate and Ashley movie made me giggle.

4/5 “you are my starlight” stars ✨

Really hoped I would like this book more, but unfortunately this isn't the one for me :(

I couldn't really connect with the main characters, specifically Wren. She felt too childish and negative to me.
The pacing of the book was okay, but I still didn't really care about what will happen when the end of days arrives. Really didn't enjoy this book not having a proper ending because it does leave us on a cliffhanger.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book!

The Prince & The Apocalypse is the most fun book I've read in a long time! The premise is perhaps a little silly at first glance--an American teen stranded in London on the eve of a comet destroying Earth who meets the Prince of England--but I assure you, it works and this story is so entertaining! Wren is planner who just wants to. get home to her family, and Theo is a runway Prince. She needs him to have any hope of getting home and he needs her to treat him like a real person since the rest of the world doesn't.

This book has it all--travel, swoony romance (that ending!!!), tons of character growth, and of course, the pending apocalypse.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was utterly enjoyable and I read it over one long flight. I am a sucker for these kind of YA romances especially when they involve reluctant, angsty royals.

I've loved all of McDowell's books that I've read (to the point of recommending them to everyone I know and their dog), however, I did not love this one. The story was interesting, but the characters and intensity of the book were not quite what I was wanting.

I liked that this felt like how the world would act if a world-ending phenomenon was about to happen. However, it made this book a bit high-stress to read. The characters were constantly in trouble and I was constantly stressed about their welfare and decision making.

Wren was a bit of a wishy-washy character. She was a girl who stuck to itineraries, but that was the only constant about her. She was constantly changing her mind about her friend and Theo and her feelings about everything. I know she's a teenager and she's in this very high-stress dilemma, but it was annoying honestly. But actually, I didn't love Wren or Theo as characters. Theo lacked substance for me. And since I didn't love either character, the story because a little harder to enjoy.

The ending was surprising, especially the epilogue. Maybe it shouldn't have been, but I like the way McDowell handled things.

Overall, not my favorite McDowell book. I might pick up the next book because I want to see how Wren and Theo handle things, but it won't be a top priority. I'll probably rent it from the library and skim it. You can skip this book.

A cute rom com about the end of the world and meeting a prince. A meet cute turns into life on the run as both Wren and Theo try to make it to Greece before the world ends. Cute, quick read.

4.5 Stars

I read The Prince & the Apocalypse on an ill-fated camping trip during which it poured half the time and two of the three people on said trip ended up sick. I was glad for the distraction, and so drawn-in that I finished the book in 24 hours.

Even though the apocalypse genre has pretty much been covered, everything about The Prince & the Apocalypse just works. And works in a way that you can see it play out cinematically. It’s a fast-paced high-stakes rom-com that covers all the bases.

The two unlikely allies-turned-love-interests are Wren and the Prince (Theo). They’ve both got a whole lot of baggage, which makes for interesting twists throughout the novel. You finish really feeling like you know who Wren is, and wishing you knew more about Theo.

The ending of The Prince & the Apocalypse is so unexpected that the thought of it being a standalone is kind of infuriating. Pretty please, Kara McDowell, write a sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was absolutely adorable and a great adventure.

Wren has always dreamed of following in her big sister’s footsteps and falling in love with London. When she has the opportunity to go abroad, it’s less than stellar. All she wants to do is go home while she’s in London. On the last day, right before she needs to leave, she has one more place to visit on her agenda and all hell breaks loose. She runs into Prince Theo and helps him escape the press and his adoring fans. In exchange, he gives her his phone number and tells her he owes her a favor. She thinks nothing of it, until she gets to the airport and misses her flight and the flights she’s booked on are cancelled. A comet is barreling towards earth and they all have 8 days to live.

What comes next is an epic road-trip filled with secrets, mayhem and learning what’s important in life. I absolutely loved this book and really enjoyed Wren and Theo’s story. The end threw me and I really hope there’s a sequel in the works. Kara is a great storyteller and you instantly want to fall in love with and root for her characters. I found myself asking what I’d do if I was in this situation and honestly I have no idea but I loved reading this book. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for an epic and chaotic road-trip with a (famous) stranger and a cute romance.

One of my favorite quotes is “You and your plans stepped into my life at the darkest moment and dragged the sun in with you”.

I LOVED this book. Everything about it was spot on. The characters are endearing and believable. I found myself enjoying every second of their adventure together and loved that they both were able to let loose to finally grow together. I am hoping for a sequel!

4.25 stars

If you’re looking for an adventure story with a slow burning romance and hijinks galore, look no further. The Prince and the Apocalypse takes a premise closer to real life than some might be comfortable with, and asks the question, “If you had eight days left on the planet, what would you do?”

I thoroughly enjoyed both Wren and Theo as characters, and their actions felt true to their ages and life experience. The world building was great, and, while the overarching conflict of this particular book is resolved, it leaves you with one heck of a cliffhanger.

I’m on pins and needles waiting for what is to come, but didn’t feel narratively cheated at the end of the book. That’s how to execute a proper cliffhanger. I need the next book in my hands immediately, please and thank you.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

🦇 The Prince and The Apocalypse Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

❝ "We're all born, we all die. And every fucking thing that happens in between those moments matters. That's what makes up a life." ❞

❓ #QOTD How would you spend your last day? ❓

🦇 After a horrible trip to London that left her entire itinerary in shatters, high school senior Wren Wheeler is desperate to check one item off: breakfast at The World's End restaurant, right before her flight home. Instead, she crashes into a cute, posh Brit: Theo, Prince of Wales. After rescuing him from tourists and the paparazzi, Theo promises Wren a favor; one she intends to cash in on when she misses her flight home, only to learn a comet will end the world in eight days. In a race against the clock, Wren and Theo work together to get Wren home to her family and Theo to a compound n Santorini. Is it possible to find a happy ending at the world's end?

💜 Kara McDowell's Wren is a complex, type A character who struggles to maintain control over her life, even with the world ending. Meanwhile, Theo's entire life has been predestined for him. Both beautifully flawed characters must abandon the masks they've worn around their family members for too long to recognize who they truly are side by side. Wren's deflective sarcasm and eagerness to maintain control in chaotic situations are all too relatable, as is Theo's desire to live a life of his choosing, outside obligations and expectations. This was a fast read and adorable, heartwarming rom-com with a light bit of steam that begs two questions: are you actually living your life...and how much are you willing to do for love?

🦇 While a cute, quick read, there aren't many surprises—save for one, which seems unnecessarily out of place (sorry, book bats, but it's too big of a spoiler to mention). The start of the story leaves a lot of room for character development, but none of that development is awe-inspiring, even with the end of the world looming. The pacing is a little messy, relying too much on the running clock (yet that somehow doesn't build enough tension). The cliffhanger leaves the opening for an unnecessary sequel; an ending we could have gotten in the actual epilogue. While a cute story, this is likely a forgettable read.

🦇 Recommended to anyone who loves cute yet adventurous YA contemporary fiction!

✨ The Vibes ✨
☄️ Friends to Lovers
☄️ Forced Proximity
☄️ Different Worlds
☄️ Fake Kissing
☄️ Only One Bed
☄️ Sass and Sarcasm
☄️ Depression/Mental Health Rep

🦇 Major thanks to the author @karajmcdowellbooks and publisher @stmartinspress for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #ThePrinceandtheApocalypse

This was so much fun! Silly and charming, and fantastical, it’s a smart and tender book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I especially LOVED the ending, and the ways the book keeps you guessing.

Was this book slightly bonkers, and slightly unbelievable? Yes. Did I race through it because I had to know what happens? Also yes.

I would classify this book as older YA/Teen, with the characters being 18 and 19 years old. This book is completely an adventure, with so much stuff packed into it, over 8 days of the book.

With a rom com movie feel to it, all you need to know is, I need the next book, like right now!