Love Kate’s books! They’re always easy to follow and they draw you right in! It was light, cute and funny! It’s like inverted princes diary and I loved it!!

The Backup Princess by Kate O’Keeffe is a fun and spirited rom-com that turns the classic fairy tale on its head. When a Texas gal unexpectedly becomes a princess, she must navigate royal life with her signature sass—starting with punching the kingdom’s most eligible bachelor, Prince Alexander. Full of humor, charm, and a dash of royal intrigue, the story delivers a delightful mix of romance, self-discovery, and navigating both love and power. With a lovable heroine, a swoon-worthy yet complicated prince, and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, it’s a modern fairy tale with heart and humor. Perfect for fans of witty romance and quirky heroines.

I was promised The Princess Diaries vibes. The only way this book resembles The Princess Diaries is that it's about an American becoming a European princess. This felt like being told "We have Princess Diaries at home" and then ending up with a badly written script that not even the likes of Lifetime or Hallmark would touch.

It honestly feels like people saw the success of Red, White & Royal Blue and just thought "Oh, I bet I can do that too." No. No, you can't.

I found The Backup Princess to be a light and fun read, with its combination of a modern fairytale vibe and romantic comedy. However, certain aspects could've benefited from further development.

Character Depth: The protagonist's transformation into her new royal role feels a little rushed. Providing more insight into her struggles and growth could've enriched a reader's understanding of the character and made her more layered.

Pacing: Some plot points occur abruptly, which disrupted the narrative flow for me sometimes. Smoother transitions between key events could've improved the immersion.

Conflict Resolution: The central conflict is resolved in a rather predictable way, which diminishes suspense that would've kept the reader more invested or so I'd say.

Side Characters: Quite a few secondary characters lack depth in my opinion, making them mere plot devices rather than have their presence feel enriching to the story. Developing their backstories and motivations would've been interesting to read about.

Cultural Nuances: The portrayal of European royalty and Texas culture sometimes relied on clichés. Nuanced details would've added a more realistic, authentic feeling.

Overall, The Backup Princess was an enjoyable read with a cute concept, that could've been improved with the points suggested above, but if one is just looking for something light-hearted, this will absolutely do the trick.

This had serious Princess Diaries vibes and I absolutely loved it! The tension between Maddie and Mr. Party Prince was exquisite, and the relationship between her and her grandparents (the king and queen) was so sweet. I also loved how she fell in love with the actual duties of being a princess, and was determined to do things right if she ended up as princess. I’m very much loving this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
A fun escape from reality, with the pungent bouquet of The Princess Diaries. Love the thought of this being a series, with stories including all the siblings!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a cute story of two people totally unsure of how their families were defining their lives. Great character development and a fun plot. I can’t wait to read the next one!

I don't think this is a book that I would reread. I felt like the universe was a little under-developed. I also was not a fan of the FMC. I felt like both her and the MMC were a little immature, which made it hard for me to route for them.

I had SO much fun with this book. Loved the plot and the characters. Very nice writing style. It was really funny and I love that the FMC is from Texas. It is a fun contrast to the European Prince. And what I also loved was that the book is great without having any spice in it. I will definitely recommend this to a lot of people!

This book was so cute! It made me smile the whole way through.

If you want something cute and easy to read this book is for you. I’m a sucker for stories like this, it has a lot of the princes dairies vibes, a meet cute and so much more wonderful moments.

Maddie is one day in Texas enjoying everything about it and then she is caught up by some men and rushed off to a country she never heard of. After speaking with her father she finds out that it is true that she is the next in line to be the princess of a Country she had never heard of or never knew her mother was from. She starts to fit in and she has some fun moments and meets some nice people along the way but what will she do when the decision is to be made? I found this to be a much better book than I thought it was going to be and very much worth the read.

I laughed so much with this book! it. was giving princess diaries vibes! this is such a cute sweet clean romance I would definitely recommend this one to people who aren't big on spice! the dual pov made this book easy to follow and it made the story flow better and I loved getting to see both main characters views.

"Believe me, Texas, if I were hitting on you, you would know." (swooooooon)

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬
Royalty Romance
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Dual POV
Slow Burn
Princess in Training
Seemingly Bad-boy Prince
Lots of Banter

I’m a sucker for a fun, sweet story with no third act breakup. Maddie is a Texas girl not quite sure she’s where she’s supposed to be. She wants to find where she fits when she learns she is a true Princess. I enjoyed watching Maddie come into her own and find what she’s always been looking for.

Alex is a Prince who earned his reputation from past behaviors but is ready to prove he’s more than what people think. He and Maddie have an interesting meeting which reenforce their already preconceived ideas of each other. When they are forced to spend time together they learn who the other person truly is and help each other discover their own strengths.

Loved everything about this book and I can't wait for book 2 later this year!!!

Was it a cute book? yes, did I cry? also yes, did I laugh? also a hard YES.
it isn't a story that's reinventing the wheel, but it's comforting, and surprisingly has a twist at the end I did not see coming and I've read my fair share of royalty books, it's one of my favorite genres.
I found the prince Alexander to be so adorable, I loved the newly minted princess, and her grandparents the king & queen.
I felt like I was reading a Hallmark Movie but in the best way, it was endearing, heartwarming, but thoughtful, funny had a punchline, and had great supporting characters like the prince's sisters.
had an under touch of feminism which I quite enjoyed as it wasn't too on the nose.
All in all, 4.5/5, would definitely recommend! I also hope there'll be a second part?

Thanks NetGalley and Publishers for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

👑Book Review 👑
|| The Backup Princess ||
|| Author: Kate O’Keeffe ||
Format: NetGalley ebook
Read from: June 20, 2024 to June 30, 2024
2024 RG: 86/100

MCs: Alex and Maddie

Maddie has just been living in Texas working at a glazing company when security dudes show up saying that she needs to come with them. Her uncle is abdicating and she is next in line to inherit the throne.

Alex is the heartthrob prince. The Party Prince. Only he hasn’t been like that in a while. He gets away from the noise for a little bit at the ball and steps into a cabinet only to get punched in the face by the new princess.

Perfect for fans of the Princess Diaries, complete with a prince, garden kiss, grandparents, and even a royal makeover.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

“You know what they say: there’s a fine line between love and hate.”

This book kicks off the series, Royally Kissed, and what a delightful start it is! It seriously gave out Princess Diaries vibes and I absolutely loved it. Maddie is an ordinary girl from Texas who suddenly finds herself the new Princess of Malveaux after her uncle abdicates. She travels to Malveaux to begin her training and meets Prince Alexander, who gives her the impression of being nothing but a cocky playboy. He, in turn, doesn't have a high opinion of Maddie either, and here is where the fun begins. Their initial hate for each other was evident, but it was fun to see them peel back the layers and realize that they are each more than meets the eye. As they get to know each other better, Alex helps Maddie gain more confidence in her new life and duties and she helps him grow and become a better version of himself.
This was an adorably sweet story with endearing characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with. I especially enjoyed the back and forth banter between them which was so much fun to read. A charming start to what looks to be a delightful series!
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This one ended up being a DNF for me. One of these days I'm going to learn that I don't normally like Royal romances. How it wasn't because this one was a royal romance that I DNFed this one. It was because the heroine got on my nerves for page one. And even the fact that I did like hero and his story I couldn't continue knowing she was going to end up with him.

This book was really not my cup of tea. The world building felt under-developed and in cohesive. The MC backstory didn't really make any sense. The characters did not act their age at all- their maturity levels were all over the place and ultimately that made them feel very fake.

I really wanted to love this one but I didn't. The beginning seemed really slow. It took me forever to get into it. I loved the romance and the games. Alex is the perfect MMC. The line from Pride and Prejudice was overkill. This one was just okay.