Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This one is such a fun, light-hearted read. It has all the Princess Diaries vibes and is absolutely perfect for us women who were once little girls dreaming of growing up to be princesses. Who am I kidding? I still want to be a princess even now! I love a good royal romance and Kate did so well with this one.

Maddie...a total Mia Thermopolis mood and my millennial heart was here for it. I loved witnessing Maddie come into her own and truly discover her purpose. All the Texas and pop culture references were a nice touch and I appreciated how down-to-earth this FMC was even though she was an actual princess!

Alexander...To be honest, I didn't absolutely fall for this MMC. He's just not really my type. I did, however, enjoy seeing him go from a playboy to totally besotted with Maddie. They truly are two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. It was also incredibly sweet how much of a hype man Alex became for Maddie.

Things I loved...Maddie's sweet relationships with Alice and Vlad, Chloe's fierce individuality and loyalty, Alex's siblings (such fun personalities), and just all the royal things that allowed me to live in a fairytale while I was reading.

I'm so excited to read Sofia's book. I think her personality is going to make it such a fun one!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

A very sweet clean romance. A slooooow burn to a kiss. A lovely little palette cleanser between what I usually read.

If there is something like a meet-ugly, this is it!
Punching a prince in the face, before even really meeting him, doesn't sound like the beginning of a deep friendship.
In this case, it works out, though.
This novel is really funny and entertaining. I truely enjoyed it.

what i love about this book :
👑 royal romance
👑 dislike to lovers
👑 prince x princess
👑 a very funny meet-'ugly'. this moment is very iconiic.
👑 she's a new princess but he is there for her to help her out!!! he hold her hand when she felt ovewhelmed, being with her to practice her first speech and etcetc!!
👑 THE MOTORCYCLE RIDEEEE!! aaah when he takes her on a ride to visit places she never went to, buy her ice cream, and spend the whole day with her<333
👑 the prince's siblings!! they are so freaking funny! and im so excited to read sofia's book!
👑 the friendship between the princess with her lady in waiting and her bodyguard!!
👑 the whole both kingdoms too! those kingdoms sounds so cozy, magical, and beautiful!

This was a quick, easy read. The storyline was adorable, albeit predictable. Based on the timing of events during the book, it didn't really seem realistic but it was an overall good read.

This was such a cute read! When a 20 something from Texas finds out she’s next in like for the throne, she heads off to see what’s to come in her future and if she’s cut out to be a princess.

Likable characters albeit a very expected plot line, this book was good! I can’t wait for the next in the series.

Adorable enemies to lovers story!

When two private security men come into Maddie's jobsite demanding that she leaves with them immediately, she knows that her mother's past has come for her. Her mom was a Princess in Europe who fell in love with a man from Texas. Her parents let her leave and move to the US to raise her family quietly. Maddie's mom died when she was just a child, making her a princess. Now she becomes the next heir after her uncle decides he had had enough and walked away from the Crown.

Prince Alex is known as the playboy prince. He isn't due to inherit the throne for another 7 years so he has time to party. But he's become bored with the scene. He's looking for his one true love. Meeting the new American Princess and falling in love with her was never in his plans.

A funny, lovable read!

Cute, sweet read. Enjoyed the story arc of the relationship between the two main characters. Overall enjoyable read.

4 / 5 Stars

This was the first Kate O’Keeffe book I have read, and it was a cute and light story that I enjoyed as it gave me Princess Diaries vibes but in a more grown-up way that’s also dual POV so we get both sides of the story. When Maddie, a taco-loving Texan, finds out that she is now next in line for the throne of Malveaux after her Uncle abdicated his role, she has to learn to be a princess quickly. What happens when she meets the annoying playboy prince from the country next door? Prince Alexander of Ledonia, the playboy prince, is trying his best to improve his reputation, but when he meets the new Princess of Malveaux and he annoys her, causing her to accidentally punch him, it’s obvious that they hate each other. But as they spend more time they spend together, they realize that maybe they misjudged the other person and don’t actually hate each other but they actually do like each other. This makes for a perfect closed-door romance that’s quick and easy to read.

This book was so cute! Total Princess vibes and I loved it!

Maddie is an ordinary girl from Texas, who finds out she is next in line for the throne of the country Malveaux. She is whisked away for training and meets Prince Alexander of Ledonia, a neighboring country. Prince Alexander has the reputation of being the “party prince” and hasn’t been able to shake it even though he is ready to settle down. Neither of them is very fond of the other when they first meet, but as they are forced to spend time together feelings start to change.

I loved how Maddie was able to find herself in her new role, and that Alex was able to stand up for himself. Together, they made each other better.

Things I loved:
-the “meet ugly”
-Royal romance
-Dual POV
-Cheese rolling
-Enemies to lovers

I’ve been enjoying the titles from O’Keeffe I’ve had a chance to pick up so far, and definitely need to read more of her back catalogue - she’s a very good writer and grabs my attention quickly, making me not want to put the books down. I haven’t been able to read too many yet, but I’ve had an opportunity to read a couple arcs and grab a few from kindle.

The Backup Princess is very sweet - it initially had vibes of the Princess Diaries, but was definitely quite different in the long run. Main character Maddie has a vague idea that her late mother was a princess who gave up her title to marry her dad and moved to the USA. A Royal Guard comes to summon her to her grandparents who ask her to take her place as the first in line to the throne, as her uncle is planning to abdicate his spot. Hence, the book’s title. Prince Alexander, Europe’s most eligible bachelor, is the heir to the throne of a nearby small monarchy, and the pair meets during her coming out party… in a terrible way involving a right hook. He’s the one to give her the backup princess nickname.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Alexander and Maddie, how they bantered and the growth of each throughout the book. Even with this being a romcom, it has a great undertone of many other things also (monarchy rules, international relations, outdated rules about succession, etc.). His siblings are great side characters too, and I’d love their stories, as well!

I definitely recommend this book, which as a clean romance is great for all readers. It’s enjoyable and entertaining and a new series so a complete standalone.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Wild Lime Books, and this is my honest feedback.

The Princess next door....

Maddie is just a Texas girl until she is informed she's the newest heir to the throne of Malveau.
Alexander is pretty, likes being a prince, is "dating" any female he hangs out with and is photographed but has no real relationship experience. He's also the Prince and heir of Ledonia, the neighboring kingdom.
I do like that Maddie punched him. It may have knocked some sense into him.

Did you love watching Princess Diaries as much as I did? Do you enjoy royal romcoms with a side of enemies? Do you want your books to make you keep guessing until the end of the book to know how they'll fully resolve?!!

This book will give you all of that and more!

👑 Meet cute gone wrong
👑 Nicknames
👑 Fireworks
👑 Royal balls
👑 Larger than life choices

I am very excited about reading the next books in this series!!

Thank you so much for a copy of this book Kate and Netgalley

✨ royal romance
✨ he falls first
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ forced proximity

For fans of The Princess Diaries, this is a sweet story about a Texas girl that is called back to her family’s home country to serve her royal duty as next in line for the throne. She’s quirky, clumsy, and doesn’t have a poised bone in her body.

This was a fun, light hearted read that had me giggling.

📚Thank you NetGalley, Wild Lime Books and Kate O’Keeffe for the ARC of The Backup Princess.

Than you so much to Kate O'Keeffe and Wild Lime Books for the eARC of this title. This is such a quick and easy read for anyone who loves a light-hearted romance. I loved the characters. It is very similar to The Princess Diaries. But I think people will either love this or not be a fan of it.

The Backup Princess is a delightful, feel-good read that’s perfect for fans of lighthearted romance, like me!
While the storyline may follow a predictable path, the charm of this royal romance lies in its fun and endearing characters.
The author’s writing is engaging making it easy to get lost in the world of royalty and love.
With its heartwarming moments and sweet, Hallmark-style romance, this book is sure to leave readers with a smile on their face.
Well done!
Thank you to author Kate O’Keeffe, Wild Lime Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Charlene 📚🤗🌸 @lastnownext

This one was just no for me....Thank you for the chance to read it, though! I think I just found it to be too predictable.

Do you like The Princess Diaries movies? If so, this book is for you. It had all the magic and charm of a princess rom com movie.

I would have liked more from some of the side characters. Thankfully there is another book coming about one of Alex’s sisters!

The ending felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the book. It almost felt like there was more tension building and the characters could have had at least two books. To be fair, this means I liked the characters and wanted more.

This is honestly a romance for someone looking for a Disney romance. There is no spice in this book and it 100% didn’t need it. For me, it was a nice palette cleanser from all the dirty talk in romance these days. It was pure and enjoyable.

This was a super cute royal, romcom, that reminded me of The Princess Diaries. Maddie getting thrown into royal life after a normal life in Texas was definitely entertaining, clashing with the heir to the neighboring kingdom made it that much better.
If you’re looking for a quick, sweet read you can get through relatively quickly, this is a perfect choice. I was entertained the whole way and was happy with the ending. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book in the series when it’s released.

This was just the sweetest rom-com. This has definite Princess Diaries vibes in all the best ways. I loved the brief enemies to more vibe and the way Maddie and Alexander both helped each other find confidence in the areas where they were lacking it. This was a quick read that was tender and laugh out loud funny! I can’t wait for the next book in this series and I really hope we get a story for each of Alexander’s siblings. They were all wonderful side characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own