Ok, I am always going to be interested in queer romance involving royalty. I am a millennial woman from the United States, what do you expect?? This book gives Red, White and Royal Blue, my favorite book, meets The Prince and Me, one of my favorite 2000s movies. I loved every second of it.

Prince Jadon has had some bad press, leading to his temporary exile to America to clean up his image. But while there, he ends up learning so much about himself and what he wants out of life. And not to mention, he stars in his school play and finds love along the way. This book was on the spicier side for YA, too. I loved this story with my whole heart.

My only feedback that isn't glowing is about how the story was set up. I found the whole banishment thing a little confusing. If he was trying to improve his reputation in his country, why wouldn't he be doing that in his country? And the timeline about the breakup and the viral video was kinda muddled for me in the beginning. But once the story really got moving, I was hooked.

This book ended up on my radar because of the comps to Red, White, and Royal Blue, which is one of my favorite novels. Also, I’m from LA, so having the book set there sealed the deal for me.

Prince Jadon finds himself banished to the United States after an Incident at home. Part of his image rehab involves enrolling at an elite private school. This is a big step for Jadon because he’s always been educated by tutors at home. He falls in with the theatre kids and even auditions for the play.

He also meets Reiss, who is very different from the other people who Jadon has met, both at home and now in LA. Reiss doesn’t try to impress Jadon; in fact, their first couple meetings are acrimonious. But then they take the time to get to know each other, and–excuse the cliche– the sparks fly.

Even without Reiss, Jadon’s time in LA is marked by growth and change. He’s away from home for the first time in his life, and even though he’s living in a mansion and has an extensive support system, he’s still faced with situations he’s never had to consider before now. He has always had to justify who he is to his royal parents, but now he has the opportunity to be unapologetically himself as he reveals the catalyst behind the Incident that led to his banishment.

I would absolutely recommend Prince of the Palisades. This book was simply delightful from start to finish. It’s bursting at the seams with Easter Eggs and sly references to all sorts of things. I loved the history behind Jadon’s island home and I love that his mother was a USC student and Jadon wants to experience Los Angeles as she did, all those years ago. I love that this book is full of Black joy and queer joy and it’s just overall such a joyful and happy book. I don’t mean to imply that this book is free of tension and drama, but strife is not a focal point of the narrative.




I received a digital ARC of this book from Penguin/NetGalley.

Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters is such a beautifully written story!
I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. It is a perfectly crafted story with the absolute best characters! I love how fun and full these characters feel while also being able to reflect diverse, intersectional identities.

Thank You NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is a captivating and heartwarming gay-friendly story that blends hilarity, romance, and a strong personal growth arc with with brisk and breezy writing and a fast-paced story. Winters’ delightful characters and distinct plot come together to explore relationships, identity, and a lot of the big questions faced by young readers. I loved the representation, and the uplifting sense that it imparts.

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.