An exciting, well written, and emotionally deep page-turner! The storyline is engaging and interesting with drama, twists, suspense, steam, and more. The characters are likeable and intriguing; the chemistry between them is instant and off the charts! Definitely recommended!

I’ve been a Kate O’Keeffe fan since discovering “Dating Mr. Darcy.” I loved the world and characters she crafted. As I devoured ther backlist, I kept hoping she’d write a Royal romcom. Alas, here it is!

The Backup Princess tells the story of two royals, Maddie and Alex, who come from two opposite ends of the Earth. From the “meet ugly” to the epilogue, I was immediately drawn in by these two and loved being able to root for them as their love story developed.

As always, Kate has done a wonderful job with this story. I loved Maddie’s fish out of water experiences and being able to watch Alex develop into a man who can stand up for himself.

My only criticism is that I wish the plot point with Nicolas had been a little more dramatic. It seemed to just be an afterthought, however, it did not detract from the story.

I can’t wait for Sophia’s book later this year!

The Backup Princess is a fun, light read perfect for fans of The Princess Diaries and the royak romance trope.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to Wild Lime Books and NetGallet for allowing me to enjoy this ARC copy.

All thoughts are my own.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

What a sweet and endearing romantic comedy. I loved Princess Madeline and Prince Alexander and all their family and friends.

Maddie and Alex didn’t start out on the greatest of terms however despite his Dads agenda, Alex falls deeply for Madeline but will their families keep them apart? Will the princes reputation prevent them from growing closer?

Great read and one I definitely will be recommending.

This is a sweet, well-written royal trope. Madeline is an ordinary young woman from Texas, where her dad runs a hardware store. Her deceased mother had been a princess in the small European principality of Malveaux, before she fell in love with Madeline’s American dad. Madeline’s royal grandparents suddenly send for their American granddaughter, and she discovers that might be in line for the throne. With all eyes on her, Madeline begins to learn about being a princess. Alexander is the heir to the throne of a neighboring principality, and has grown tired of being Europe’s most eligible bachelor. After their meet-cute, Madeline begins to discover that the Playboy Bachelor Prince is actually a really good guy while Alexander finds himself increasingly drawn to Malveaux’s backup Princess. This book has details about royal life, humor, interesting characters, paparazzi, a HEA and even peacocks. There are some extremely swoony moments. I’d downgrade a half-star because I would have liked a little different solution for a legal dilemma that faced the characters, but otherwise this is a fun and engaging story. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

It was cute. Not really anything stand-out in it to separate it from other books in the genre. It’s fast-paced and you won’t have any struggle to get though it. A great one to pull you out of a book slump for sure.

Saturday read: The Backup Princess by @kateokeeffe_ - 🫑romance, not spice. But this is a cute book - a quick read. If you were a fan of The Princess Diaries 2, you’ll probably like this book too, the story is very much a reimagining of it. Maddie, the reluctant princess meets and falls for Prince Alexander. Of course, hilarity ensues. I would recommend this for anyone looking for something not too heavy! #bookstagram #booklover #romcombooks

This was a perfect book for the mood I have been in - I have been looking for a nostalgic and easy read! 💕

"Maddie, I would give up everything to be with you, to make you happy. To love you."

Adorable right? If you’re in the mood for SUPER sappy, unrealistic *but fun* romance about a girl who becomes royal and meets a prince - then this is for you!

If you’re thinking this reminds you of princess diaries - then you are right! It’s such a perfect read for us 90s babies wanting to relive our old movie days.

Maddie and Prince Alexander are both likeable characters who grow into their best versions of themselves!

Prince Alexander used to be a bad boy but he changed before meeting Maddie (despite the medias portrayal of him!!)

The ending was super sappy (a little unrealistic but hey - gotta love that) and I was here for it!

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Wild Lime books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoy Kate’s writing style, and the way she weaves together sweet and romantic stories. This Royal Rom Com about a regular girl from Texas, who finds out she is actually a Princess and then falls in love with a Prince was so so cute! Even though Prince Alexander was a reformed “Bad Boy” I found him to be so likeable, especially watching him try to become his own person under the strict and watchful eye from his father, the King. I also really loved Princess Madeline, she was an easy FMC to love because she was so sweet, genuine, and funny. I also really enjoyed the conversations where Maddie would slip in some American slang and have to explain what it meant, to her Malveauxean Grandmother! (My favorite was probably No Cap! lol).

It gave me definite Princess Diaries vibes, and I am so here for it! Madeline is quite shocked when she finds out she is the Princess and Heir to the throne after her Uncle has abdicated. Straight from Texas to Malveaux, she is swept into the Royal Life immediately. She meets Prince Alexander of Ledonia, in the most embarrassing way, leading them to get off on the wrong foot. But as they’re forced to spend more time together she notices how he is actually quite kind, and totally different from what the Party Prince the Press has painted him to be.

As they spend more time together their friendship begins to turn into stronger feelings. But can they ever actually be together if they are both the Heir to their individual countries? Ancient Country Law says no they can’t, so tough choices will ensue. Do they take the crown? Or true love?

Overall, I definitely recommend this book! And I am also so excited to see the series will continue, with Alexander’s sister Sofia getting her story next!

Tropes include:
-Royal Romance
-Princess Diaries vibes
-He falls first
-Prince & Princess
-Dual POV
-Closed door

The Backup Princess is a fairytale-esque read with some Texas roots mixed in. This book definitely gave me Princess Diaries vibes all the way down to the best friends quirk and style. It was a fun quick read and would be great for getting out of a reading slump.

Thank you netgalley for an arc of The Backup Princess by Kate O'Keeffe

here's the scoop: imagine a fairy tale, but with a texas twist. when texas gal, maddie ends up decking a prince instead of curtsying, you know things are about to get interesting. suddenly, she’s not just your average texan anymore—she’s a princess. but then she meets prince alexander, europe's most eligible bachelor, and accidentally gives him a broken nose instead of a bow. whoops. he's annoyingly handsome, but also kind of a jerk. now, she’s racing against the clock, trying to navigate royal life without letting down her new country or her own wild heart.


so, about “the backup princess” by kate o'keeffe... first off, the title grabbed my attention, and after checking out the synopsis, i was totally sold. it sounded like it had all the makings of a killer rom-com. but for me, it fell short of its potential. everything moves at warp speed, which made the pacing a real struggle. the plot feels scattered, and there's zero development—no character growth, no depth to the romance. honestly, i couldn't muster up any interest in the characters from the very beginning up till now. so yeah, i was pretty bored most of the time.

but hey, maybe it's just me. the story itself isn't terrible, though. the writing is fresh and breezy, with a casual tone that i really liked. it's just... i couldn't connect with any of it, you know? hopefully, it finds its audience and someone else out there falls head over heels for it!

”thank you netgalley, xpresso book tours, and the author for sending me a copy of this e-arc. opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.”

The only thing I LOVE more than a really good love story is a love story that also has a princess and a castle. I'm a suckered for them, like sign me up every time! This one did not disappoint! Funny, touching, light drama, family situations, love and royalty. This book had it all and I for 1 cannot wait for the next!

The Backup Princess is a quick and fun read. Reminiscent of The Princess Diaries, Madeline gets thrust into the royal life after growing up in America. Prince Alexander, of the neighboring country, is there to witness her mistakes and triumphs. Their story starts as an "enemies" but quickly turns to love. In my opinion this love story was too "instant love" for me; they went from hate to I want to spend my life with you in the span of an afternoon it felt like and that is not my favorite.
I also felt this book was a little too cliche. I realize by the title and description alone, I knew what kind of story I was getting but it ended up being very "recycled" in my opinion with minimal new or different plot points compared to other books or movies I have experienced.

3.75.
I liked the concept and how lighthearted it was. I liked the attempts at comedy, but out didn’t connect with me. Maddie sounded a little immature to me and the dialogue very surface level.

I loved Maddie and Alex! I enjoyed the pacing of the story, how it was very Princess Diaries in a way, etc. I feel that the banter and the crazy situations that happened were on point. I want more stories with Alex's siblings. I gave it four stars because Maddie's dialogue sometimes drove me insane! It maybe I am too old now, but the slang in the dialogue took away from her character/ intelligence of the character. It also pulled me out of the story, because I didn't know what 99% of it was so it made me hard stop in my reading to have to figure it out.

A really lovely rom com with a fabulous meet cute. Maddie & Alex meet under unusual circumstances with a hilarious outcome and build their relationship whilst Maddie settles into her new role. Definitely for those who were fans of the Princess Diaries.

This is a nice quick read. I like to read rom coms in between thrillers to switch it up. The characters are likable and it definitely gives princess diaries vibes.

Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for this ARC**

I am once again very thankful for NetGallery for allowing me to read this book as an ARC against an honest review.
I don’t think this book was meant for me. “she’s an american, so she probably likes burgers and coke” probably is the line that sums up this book the best for me: it’s simplistic, a little cliché, and maybe too on the nose. the dialogues felt a little too breezy and ‘modern’ for royals, and I could not for the life of me get sucked into the story.

everything happens at max speed, and we as readers are left to deal with people who get over their differences too quickly. I am not one to say that romance books should always been 400 pages long, but sometimes there is a middle ground to be reached between too long and slightly too short. plus, there’s maybe one too many red white and royal blue references in this book that quite confused me, as i’m pretty sure there would be other tokens of one’s affection than a key(!?), quite similar scenes in hospitals & polo matches alike, a texan main character and a namesake (…).

I wonder however if it is the subject that wasn’t it for me —and that being said, I would gladly read more from that author if given the chance, as the writing itself was very pleasant!

The Backup Princess is a very entertaining and cute story from top to bottom.

At the beginning of the book, you’ll feel like traveling back to “The Princess Diaries” movie. Only this time the protagonist, Maddie, is a naive and sweet older girl who lives in Texas with a father as her only relative, and trapped in a life that somehow doesn’t feel her own. When her deceased mother’s past knocks her door she will be forced to embark on a life adventure far away from home.

Alex is not only a prince and heir of a Kingdom but a very hot, handsome and the most eligible bachelor in Europe heir of a Kingdom. He is resigned to his fate and his father’s expectations of him, even though he yearns for his independence and meaning in life besides his title.

When destiny strikes and puts Madie and Alex in one confined space, war sparks appear. Whether they manage to tame the sparks into a beautiful flame is something you’ll need to find out when you read the book.

I find that 90% of the book is based on humor and cute romantic scenes, 5% drama and 5% very short ending. So, if you are into sweet romantic, positive and supportive relationships then you’ll enjoy this book very much.

I just reviewed The Backup Princess by Kate O'Keeffe. #TheBackupPrincess #NetGalley

Oh my goodness! Where to even start?! This book was pure enjoyment!
Described as Princess Diaries meets The Hating Game, The Backup Princess did not disappoint in being a delightful story.
Madeline is plucked out of her ordinary life and into her role as princess. Much to her dismay she must interact with Prince Alexander of a neighboring country, who she is not very fond of because of his playboy ways. She has some very Princess Diaries goofs but soon finds her footing...and also discovers that Alexander isn't exactly how hes portrayed.
This story had me giggling, tearing up a couple times and with a HEA it was absolute perfection to me.
(Bonus points for the FMC name...its also my daughter's name!)

I received an ebook copy in return for my honest review.

A cute yet comical read, I would definitely recommend!

Alex and Maddie's story was truly something special. Starting with a hilarious meet cute that starts with a bang (quite literally, she punches him), it is wonderful to see the journey these characters embark on, both with themselves and with each other. The period where they initially disliked each other and then fell for each other was cute too.

The writing style was dual POV 1st person which was nice to get a feel of both characters. I do occasionally go for royal romance but this one was really special. I felt like I really knew the characters and became invested in their story.

I hadn't read anything from this author before and will definitely be looking out for more books she's published. This is great for anyone looking for a read that is sweet but will give them plenty of laughs. This was exactly what I was looking for!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.