Another #NetGalley for the win. Here's Julian Winters's "Prince of the Palisades." Advertised as "Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue in this heart-pumping romance by award-winning author Julian Winters!", how couldn't I?!?

["When roguish Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie is left in America to clean up his image after a horribly public break-up gone viral, romance is not on the table. Carefully planned photo ops with puppies? Yes. Scheduled appearances with the Santa Monica elite Absolutely. Rendezvous with a pink-haired, film-obsessed hottie from the private school where he’s currently enrolled? Uhhhh . . .

Together with his entourage—a bitingly witty royal guard, Rêverie’s future queen (and Jadon’s brilliant older sister), and a quirky royal liaison—Jadon’s on a mission to turn things around and show his parents, and his country, that he’s more than just a royal screw-up. If he doesn’t prove that he’s the prince Rêverie deserves? Well, he may not be allowed home . . .

But falling for a not-so-royal American boy has Jadon redefining what it means to be a leader. If he can be someone’s Prince Charming just by being himself, maybe that’s all it takes to win over a nation. Or at least a prince can dream . . ."]

How do YA books manage to be sooo freaking deep?! How can you manage to cover so much and break my heart and heal it and cover more? Gender, race, class, sexuality. All of it.

Jadon was told to figure out how to be the prince his country needed while being told who to be, how to act, what to do. All the while trying to figure out who he is as a person. And being a teenager. Like oooof.

Not being able to trust anyone, not being able to speak up for causes you believe in, not being able to have a safe place, not being able to tell anyone the trust, not being able to confine in someone about the moment that wrecked everything. Add into that figuring out a new country, a new school, a new set of peers, a new normal. Plus a fight with your parents weighing you down. AND falling in love (and fucking it up a few times).

Quote of the day: "Be a little fearless."

AND there was a SERIOUS and 100% legit reference to RWRB (#HistoryHuh) ANNNNND one to Princess Dairies (#Genovia)

#princeofthepalisades #julianwinters #books #queerbooks #ya #queerya #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

Julian Winters absolutely never disappoints. He delivers another swoon worthy romance but this time about modern age royalty. The kind of book you will giggle and kick your feet to. But also a book with a lot of heart! A lovely m/m romance and an easy to read page turner.

Prince of the Palisades is a story about Prince Jadon, who, to clean his image following a media scandal, is shipped off to America, where he meets a film geek who seriously turns his life inside out.

This book has so much heart—not only with the main couple but between friends and family as well. You can tell a lot of emotional labor went into crafting each and every relationship. I especially love Ajani’s character. The communication between characters is also written very nicely. Teenagers are inherently messy, but they find their paths eventually.

This novel is primarily about Jadon and Reiss’ romantic arc, but it does touch on some very serious real-world topics like police brutality. Jadon struggles with his beliefs, which clash with how he’s expected to think and behave as a prince. It is very much a story of self acceptance and finding your own place in the world. It’s one of a few romance books I’ve read recently where I can say for sure that the protagonist actually learned something.

In all, I think this is a really important book coming out at an important time. I hope a lot of people give it a try.

P.S. It’s my understanding that there are easter eggs scattered in the text referencing Julian Winters’ other works, which I haven’t read…yet. How fun is that!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I really really enjoyed this one. Julian Winters is such a talented writer and I always get sucked in with his stories. This was the right amount of sweet and adorable to keep me invested. I loved Jadon and Reiss. I also warmed up a lot to all the characters, even the ones who had to be redeemed a little. I saw all the relationships coming a mile away but they were still so cute. This book was so sweet and sour. We have so many nice moments with Jadon and Reiss but they were so back and forth. It seemed like for the small amount of time they were together they were also apart. They fell hard and fast. I also noticed a few of the Easter eggs with our authors being named as characters. That’s such a neat idea! This is a short story and I enjoyed it a lot. I liked Jadon’s character development and him learning about himself was so good to see. It’s so important for people to read and see others like them. Nowadays especially. I need to read more of Julian’s books because the stories are always so refreshing and fluffy!

Julian Winters does it again. This book was so funny and heartfelt. I didn’t want it to end! All the characters were so lovable. ( Except the prime minister, forget that guy) Would recommend this to everyone and anyone!!!

This is a story of personal growth and learning to stand up for what you believe in. I liked all the characters, the diverse LGBTQ+ representation, and focus on Black American experiences. I recommend this one if you're after the drama of Young Royals and heartfelt explorations of identity, family, and activism. Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved watching Jaden try and figure out what type of prince he wants to be. I think so many times we forget that royals are people outside of what the media tells us. Also, so much of what is posted about them can be through the lens of the person taking the photo and video and that person’s intent is maybe not always the best. Jaden is a dynamic character. I will say I grew to love him the further we went into the book. Reiss is also a fun character, and their courtship jumps off the pages in such a lovely way.
Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was a really sweet story! Jadon and Reiss were really great characters, even if the story felt a little fast. I think the final version of this novel is a lot longer but what I read was only about 240 pages long so it really felt like the characters were speed running with their relationships/arcs. Overall though I throughly enjoyed it! The dialogue was great and a lot of the characters, even the ones people might consider "the bad guys", all had redeeming qualities. Grace and Leon in particular had fairly good arcs for side characters as you learn how they're also trying not to buckle under the same pressure that Jadon is facing and because of his (Jadon's) strength in the story, it allowed them to stand up as well. (Though I think Leon does a better job than Grace in this aspect). One of my favorite characters was Karan but you don't get to see him much in the story overall. I thought he was hilarious though and reminded me of myself in high school. I also loved how Jadon joined the theatre guild! Overall a very adorable book!

PRINCE OF THE PALISADES is a queer YA romance about jadon, prince of îles de la rêverie, who finds himself exiled to the united states after a video of him talking about his nation's prime minister goes viral. his parents, king simon and queen ava, send him to california with the instructions not to return home until he manages to clean up his image and earn the respect of the citizens of rêverie. but his time in exile makes him question who he is and who he wants to be, and when he finds himself falling for reiss hayes, a pink-haired classmate from his private school, jadon wonders whether being himself is simply enough.

i love julian winters's writing and this book was no exception. the story was engaging and exciting, and following jadon as he comes to terms with what he wants and what's important to him was captivating. the romance between jadon and reiss was so sweet and i loved how things played out for them at the end. and throughout it all, the message about taking a stand and speaking up for what you believe in was so important and so necessary.

read if you like:
- royalty romances
- queer friend groups
- coming-of-age stories

thanks to netgalley and penguin teen for the advanced copy! PRINCE OF THE PALISADES comes out august 20.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this one! It was a lot of fun and such a nice break from the fantasy I'd been reading. I love a story you can get lost in and this is exactly what this did!

Thank you for the opportunity to review - I really liked this read. The movement was great and the scenic descriptions kept me wanting more. I'm curious if other characters will be followed and made into a series?

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for the e-arc!
I am so excited for this book as I really loved Jillian Winters' other books! This book was no exception; in this book, we follow a prince who recently left for America after a really bad public breakup goes viral. Prince Jadon needs to revamp his image so he starts on a bunch of scheduled appearances and photo ops. In comes Reiss a hottie with pink hair to throw Jadon's whole schedule away!
This book gives exactly what I wanted! It is fun, fresh, and sincere, with an absolutely amazing cast of characters. Jadon is amazing as he deals with the pressure of living in the spotlight for such a long time. Watching him and Reiss fall in love and start to understand each other better is so amazing. They are just so good together, and I was rooting for them the whole time.

Prince of Palisades by Julian Winters is a captivating and heartwarming story that blends romance and personal growth with deft storytelling. Winters’ vibrant characters and engaging plot create a compelling narrative that is both entertaining and emotionally resonant. The novel’s exploration of identity and relationships adds depth and authenticity, making it a standout read. Overall, it’s a beautifully written and uplifting book that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages.

I thought this was really sweet. I enjoyed the story line and all the focus on important issues that people face daily, and the message behind standing up for what you believe in.

I especially loved the “side characters” Annika and Luc…I want, NO NEED, more of their story. Anaji was another standout character for me.

I am only giving this 3 stars because while I enjoyed the story, i felt the writing was very “young”.. which to be fair, this IS a YA novel. As a 31 year old, all the lingo and dialogue felt off to me. I think this would be a *wonderful* read for those of middle and Highschool ages.

This book was everything I had hoped for in more. It was so cute! I immediately fell in love with the characters and I felt their connection. It was so good and so freaking cute. I loved the flirting that was happening between them and how Reiss would get all shocked that he flirted like he didn't mean to. I also really liked that no one cared that Reiss was a scholarship kid dating a prince. They didn't attack him for being a gold digger. The only reason it was frowned upon was because he was not from Reverie. I also like that the story was not only about the romance but about Jadon finding himself and standing up for himself and others. Overall another fantastic book by Julian Winters. I would love to see this be adapted! If you love young royals and red white & royal blue then you will love this one!

Content warning: racism, homophobia

I am a sucker for the Royal/Commoner trope and an even bigger sucker when it is gay.

I LOVED The Prince and the Palisades. On the surface it’s a cute love story. But at its heart it’s about finding your place in the world and how that is so much harder when you’re marginalized. It’s about living up to your parents’ expectations, but also confronting them when those standards are unrealistic.

This was such a good story! Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Sweet and swoony but also apologetically black and queer which is the highest complement I can give it. I loved this story and Jadon's character arc especially as he discovers what he needs to be.

I swear 2024 has been the year of the YA book in my house because they just have been banger after absolute banger and this book is no exception.

Jadon is the 17 year old Prince of Îles de la Rêverie, when some… less than flattering remarks he made about his country’s prime minister went viral his father made the executive decision to ship him on over to the States where he’d go to school and hopefully stay out of trouble. This of course is easier said than done of course when you’re a teenager who just happens to be famous. Everything he does seems to be a headline, from meeting Reiss to a surprise visit from his ex. Even just a shopping trip with his older sister makes the tabloids. It’s definitely accurate and just wild.

This book is full of tender moments, drama, advocacy, and side characters that you start off really loving to hate but honestly they grow on you (looking at you Léon). There are also some top notch conversations about consent and relationship boundaries that felt natural. Absolutely adore.

Thank you to my friends at Penguin Teen and Julian Winters for the gifted copy of this beautiful book.

Prince o the palisades was a most anticpaited read of mine and it didn't dissapoionted me! I was nervous for this one cause this is my first read from Julian but it was a total hit and I think the reason why is cause I recently read a short story by him that made me love his detial in writing! I was very excited to have this early and then eve more excited to actually read this one before the release date?! What who am I??
This is a ya contempoary standalone novel that has a lot of LGBTQIA+ REP and I would say check trigger warrnings before reading this book because there is some points in the book where our main character prince Jadon got a lot of hate for being gay. Also there was a protest and police bruitality in here but I thought that secene was so badass and dealt with really well!
There was a character I ended up loving which is funny cause I thought I would hate him because he banished his son to america for a mistake he didn't make but then gets blame for him and now Jadon has to try and discover himself again! So this is a ya contempoary and that is coming of age and learning how to love and accept others! Hope u guys check Prince of the palaisedes out and thank u to Penguin Teen for sending me an e-arc and thank u to the author for sending me a physical arc too!(:

4 stars

Winters fans, especially those who are familiar enough with this author's YA contemporaries to latch onto an easter egg or two, will find a lot to like in this charming YA romance. While there are strong distinctions, the comparisons to McQuiston's _Red, White, and Royal Blue_ are apt, so readers drawn to this book for that purpose will likely be pleased with the queer royal romance element.

Prince Jadon comes from a fictional location but a well-trodden path: one of early and public relationship disaster. While most of us are fortunate enough to avoid tabloid coverage of these kinds of teen life challenges, Jadon's is so well observed that he leaves the country - with his sister and royal guards along for the ride - to heal his image and his heart. How does one best get over a breakup? As the saying goes, get out from under one and get on top of another.

While I wanted a bit more depth in the relationship between love interests, I enjoyed their connection overall. The standout wins here are the protagonist's personal identity development, the charming secondary characters, and the representation (queer - royal! - characters of color).

Prince Jadon is definitely living that 'jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash' life that Lorde let us know about, but Winters makes him incredibly relatable in all the ways that matter. This is a speedy, engaging YA romance that many different kinds of readers will enjoy for its characters and straightforward goals.