Young Royals is one of my favorite shows and Red, White & Royal Blue one of my all time favorite books, so a story combining those into a new book by Julian Winters was of course something I needed to read! Prince of the Palisades might not be exactly of the same caliber as RWARB, but it was certainly a wonderful, sweet, adorable and emotional mm romance story between a struggling prince and a badass pink-haired commoner!

Prince Jadon is the spare of the fictional kingdom Reverie as the younger, messy brother of crown princess Annika. After a leaked video of him trash talking the prime minister (who is also the father of his ex) makes his parents lose their patience with him, Jadon gets exiled to Los Angeles and a preppy private school together with his sister and two royal guards. In order to be allowed back home, Jadon must change the public perception of him and prove that he is worthy to represent the royal family. Including making friends with his fellow students, joining the school play and making public non-political speeches. But definitely not getting involved with someone or getting caught kissing in public. Which turns out to be harder than expected when sparks start to fly with a certain pink-haired film student…

Running With Lions is my favorite Julian Winters book, with all the amazing characters. This story had the same kind of vibes and fleshed-out characters, witty banter and focus on love and friendship. I truly adored Princess Annika, the quirky royal guards and Reiss’ family.

Jadon and Reiss had a wonderful chemistry and I loved their fun banter and how Reiss kept Jadon grounded and showed him what a “normal” life and family looked like. It was perhaps a bit too insta-lovey the way Jadon immediately was intrigued by Reiss, and it took me a while to warm up to Jadon who came across as a little too immature and selfish at first. But the character development was amazing and at the end I fully rooted for him and his relatable struggles to find his path in life.

I also loved the fanfiction references to RWARB and The Princess Diaries in the tweets and comments.

All in all, this was a sweet and charming YA read about finding your true self and taking a chance on love!

the description was definitely what drew me in as an avid rwrb fan. i truly enjoyed this book and it's take on the commonly now seen royal x non royal relationship. i loved the characters and the development of their relationship!! and the communication!! the representation!! chefs kiss

The description states “Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue” which immediately drew me in! While this comparison is pretty accurate, I found this story to be a refreshingly new take on the royal/commoner romance!

Julian Winters creates such a brilliant setting for this story with beautifully written imagery. He has an incredible talent to intertwine descriptions of the physical setting with the descriptions of the characters. I have never seen this executed so flawlessly; “The gourmet kitchen’s lighting accentuates how many of our parents’ features Annika and I share.”, “His face brightens like the fairy lights strung around the letter board menus.” Apart from the diverse characters and well-rounded plot, I was truly drawn into Prince Jadon’s physical world.

Moreover, I was truly blown away with how authentic the voice of this young male narrator was written. Winters finds that delicate balance of a young male character who is dealing with real emotions, specifically anger and fear, and has the vulnerability to be honest, kind, and respectful. I am fond of dual POV romances as someone who really enjoys understanding both characters feelings but the excellent portrayal of healthy communication allows for deep insights into Reiss’ feelings regardless of not hearing his first person account.

Embedded in the wonderful story are also hilarious tidbits which had me laughing out loud! The little Ao3 and multiple fanfiction references were great. Possibly my favorite easter eggs were the nods to RWRB (@historyhuhhenry) and Princess diaries (@genovia_diaries) in the tweets!

Some other favorite quotes:
“…she’s the calm, optimistic one. I’m more of the ‘burn shit down, ask questions later’ variety.”
“Forgive me for being informal…but you’re badass. Black, queer, and powerful. Three things this world loves to hate.”
“‘No one talks about sex. It just happens. Talking about it is-‘ I interrupt, ‘Great! Sexy. Necessary.’”
“I hope you know you’re worthy, no matter who you are.”


Is it too early to hope for a sequel? Or a book with Annika's story? or a prequel with the parents romance?

This book was delicious and I ATE IT UP. I loved it. It was such a quick, fun read and I’m obsessed with Jadon and Reiss.

Things I loved about this book:
Letting Jadon fail!! It was so important and showing that he was just a person who makes mistakes was an A+ choice.
I loved watching Jadon come into his own and figure out his feelings for Reiss. When he asked for a date!! That first kiss!!
Reiss! Nerdy hot is 👌🏻😏 and he was just so much fun. Such a sweet guy and he brought so much to Jadon’s growth. I LOVED his relationship with his family too.
Brother/sister vibes were strong.
Friend group was awesome!!
Anjani 🥹.
Consent is sexy!!!!
Communication is sexier!!!
That first time was 🥰🥹.
I loved the third act conflict. I also loved how it was solved.
That ending was so so good and that epilogue was strong.
Basically I loved it.

So so good! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.