Cale Dietrich’s The Rules of Royalty is a heartwarming, romantic, and delightfully regal tale of identity, duty, and love. With its lush settings, layered characters, and a romance that feels both tender and profound, this book is a must-read for fans of modern royal stories and LGBTQ+ romance.

Jamie Johnson, a grounded and likable protagonist, is thrust into the spotlight when he learns he’s the heir to the throne of Mitanor, a fictional sun-drenched European country. As he navigates the overwhelming world of royal life and begins to build a relationship with the father he never knew, Jamie’s journey feels authentic and deeply personal. Across the continent, Erik Lindstrom, a charming but overshadowed spare prince, struggles to find his place within a family and country that prioritize perfection over individuality. The contrast between Jamie’s sudden rise and Erik’s simmering frustrations sets the stage for a heartfelt connection.

When Erik is invited to tutor Jamie in royal etiquette and protocol, sparks fly in more ways than one. Their chemistry is palpable, but Dietrich balances their romance with the weight of their responsibilities, making their journey both swoon-worthy and emotionally resonant. The push and pull between duty and desire is explored beautifully, and the summer palace setting adds a dreamy, cinematic quality to their budding relationship.

The audiobook, provided by Macmillan Audio, enhances the experience with outstanding narration. Each prince’s voice is distinct, capturing Jamie’s uncertainty and Erik’s stoic yet vulnerable demeanor perfectly. The lush descriptions of palaces, formal events, and quiet moments between Jamie and Erik are brought vividly to life, making the audiobook an immersive delight.

Dietrich also weaves themes of self-discovery, family expectations, and the weight of tradition into the narrative, giving the story depth beyond its romantic core. The political and royal elements feel well-researched, and the stakes are high enough to keep readers engaged until the satisfying conclusion.

I’m grateful to St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to the book via NetGalley and to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. Both formats are excellent, but the audiobook adds an extra layer of charm that makes it a standout.

The Rules of Royalty is a romantic escape that’s as heartwarming as it is thought-provoking. With its mix of glamour, heartfelt connections, and a swoon-worthy love story, this is a book you won’t want to miss. Fans of modern royal tales and sweet LGBTQ+ romances will be eagerly awaiting what Cale Dietrich writes next!

Ordinary high school student Jamie Johnson gets the surprise of his life when, on his 17th birthday, he learns that his biological father is the king of a small European country. This means that Jamie is a prince! He leaves the U.S. to spend a summer in Mitanor and needs lessons in how to conduct himself as a royal, so he is introduced to Erik Von Rosenborg, the prince of a neighboring country. It turns out that they have a lot in common, including a mutual attraction. But Erich's grandmother, the queen, doesn't approve. Can they find a way to be together regardless?

I read a lot of reviews likening this book to The Princess Diaries (and the blurb for the book makes this comparison, too). Yes, the foundational premise is pretty similar, but that's basically where the similarities end. I thought that Jamie and Erik were absolutely adorable together and I love that ALMOST everyone is supportive of each of them. I kept waiting for them to get caught while they were sneaking around as a secret couple and it never happened, which seemed so hard to believe, but otherwise I thought the story was told really well.

Both audiobook narrators were perfectly chosen for this story.

4.5 stars.

The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich is a cozy and queer retelling of The Princess Diaries featuring an American teen who learns his father is the king of a small European country on his seventeenth birthday. Meanwhile, a queer second son from another kingdom receives an offer to tutor the newly found American prince in the ways of royalty.

This was cute, but I had to suspend my disbelief a bit too much and it was a little on the slow side for me. In the end, I DNFed at 55%. This is really geared towards the YA audience and as an adult reading it, it didn't really hold my interest. I wish there was a bit more conflict.

I think both narrators did a pretty good job with the audiobook, which I listened to while following along in my physical copy. Blended reads are very much my vibe at this point in my life.

I think this would be a great option for queer teens who love low stakes in their books and wished The Princess Diaries was more gay. The publisher recommends it for fans of Becky Albertalli (whom I haven't read yet) and Casey McQuiston.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audio!

This is my second book from Cale Dietrich and it was such a DELIGHT! And I really mean a delight. Cale was a co writer on one of my all time favorites, If This Gets Out so I knew that I already enjoyed his writing style.

Jamie turns 17 and learns that he is heir to the throne in a European country called Mitanor. I love how his family was open to him about his birth mother and then when learning of this news also learns about his father. I was waiting for Jamie to be upset or to have such a negative reaction but that was not the case. When he does meet his father King Alexander, it was nothing but opened arms and warm welcomes. So who is the lucky fellow who wins over Jamie's heart? None other than Prince Erik of Sunstad.

See King Alexander thought that Jamie needed someone his own age to help guide Jamie on how to be a royal. But Jamie also wonders if his father paired them together because they both are openly gay so there was that extra comfort. Their relationship was just the cutest and I love seeing their friendship blossom! It was really obvious that their feelings for each other was more than just friendship. There were a bunch of obstacles that was getting in the way of them having an actual relationship. I am glad they were able to work through those challenges to be able to give us that HEA.

There was a side storyline involving Jamie and his American friends and their journey with learning of his new life. As the reader, you could see the walls starting to crumble in the relationship between Jamie and his best friend Max. Things were changing rapidly and neither knew how to navigate this new world. I was glad to see that they were able to resolve their issues by having a conversation.

I paired my reading with the audio and this audio had two fabulous narrators: Major Curda, Max Meyers. Max Meyers is a pro narrator and I have enjoyed all the books that I have listen to with them as narrator. They have a very distinctive tone (not a bad thing) and I know what I'm in for while listening. Major Curda is a new narrator to me but I would certainly listen to him narrate again in the future. Each narrator brought their characters to life and even made them sound vulnerable at times.

This book just really made me smile and was just so darn enjoyable!

If you are a fan of The Princess Diaries meets Red, White & Royal Blue, definitely give this one a read!

4.5

I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would but it wasn't overly exciting or captivating. I liked the characters and the loved the royalty aspect. This is basically a gay princess diaries and I was here for it. Overall I really liked how everything played out. I just didn't think it was very exciting getting there. I think this could have used a little something to make it more dynamic. Sam was a good character but I felt like she wasn't used to her full potential a better, more central plot line could have been created for her. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was fine, it just wasn't geat--and it should've been. A guy who finds out he's a prince a la Princess Diaries gets etiquette lessons from a gay prince from a controlling family, and the two fall for each other. I wish this was as good as the premise, but the execution was somewhat lacking. It took me way too long to get invested in a story I was initially very excited for, and I never found the story itself as interesting as I think it should / could have been. Alas.

This was a cute easy queer read! I liked it better than red white and royal blue. It felt like the queer version of the princess diaries, but the prince consented to his new life.

This was definitely a Hallmark feeling book, with lots of Princess Diaries vibes. As a fan of the Princess Diaries, I really did enjoy this book as a quick and fun read. Fluffy comfort is what I’d call this story. Jamie and Erik are lovable main characters, even though Erik could be a little standoffish at times. It was enjoyable, and I would recommend this to those who like a hallmark movie romance or the Princess Diaries.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc to preview.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the free book and to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This was just delightful and even more so than I anticipated. Jamie is a regular teenager when his adoptive mom sits him down to share his lineage. It turns out he is a Prince of Minator. And his father, the King, wants him to come visit for the summer. The king recommends Erik, the second son prince of a neighboring country as a contact who can help Jamie with the transition to being a prince.

There were so many sweet moments. I thought the family drama and pressures were handled in a well that transcended the fantastical royal plot and can just resonate with current youth.

I also greatly appreciated that both men were out and accepted. This book celebrates queer joy. I know there's a place for more difficult coming out stories, but sometimes it's such a relief to read a book where people are accepted for who they are and love.

I would have liked a bit more from secondary characters, especially Jamie's friends from the US. They felt like they existed only to move the plot forward and weren't quite as fleshed out as I prefer.

Overall, this was a fun royal romance and a great queer spin on Princess Diaries. The audiobook format was a delight with dual narration by Major Curda and Max Meyers. They performed all the parts seamlessly.

I love royal romances and RWRB is one of my favorite books, so I had really high expectations for The Rules of Royalty and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved Jamie and Erik's story and I was really rooting for them the whole time. Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy!

This was a really good book. Definitely gave off "The Princess diaries" vibes. Jamie finds out his father is a king. Like in the princess diaries Jamie will have to be schooled in how to behave like a prince. Erik, from a neighboring kingdom is picked to train him. Both of them are gay, but Eriks grandmother, the queen of Sunstad, does not want Erik to get involved with Jamie.
I loved the interactions between Jamie and Erik. It was so well written and I didn't want to put the book down till I found out what happened.
Well worth a read!

The audio version was perfect. The narrators did an excellent job!

This everything that I thought it might be. I heard it was going to be like The Princess Diary and although I wasn’t sure this was going to be as good, it definitely was. It was basic, but also had some LGBTQ+ characters and royals, which of course I loved so much. Definitely made this a little more less basic lol

So the characters were one of the reasons I said this was basic. They didn’t exactly have anything that made them different than any other royal. The best part was Jaime finding out that he was a Royal. There wasn’t a lot of back story on them, so I just had to judge them on what they were finding out about each other in the book. I think it was ok since this was more like a new beginning, but I didn’t really FEEL anything for them. And then there was Erik who was just ok. I felt sad for him, but I was not happy with any of his family. They were terrible. Why is every adult in YA books such horrible people lol But they were too sneaky for me. But I didn’t feel any real empathy to them because we don’t really know much about why she was so extra.

The romance was cute. I like forbidden romance and even more so when it’s royals lol It was interesting trying to see how they were sneaking around and trying to find different ways to be by themselves. Their flirting?! Top tier! They didn’t exactly have “banter” but their flirting was very sweet. I wouldn’t call it elite, but…. Well you get the idea. I didn’t like that they brought someone else into this whole thing tho. Even if he did seem like he didn’t want to be there. I don’t think they should have kept that one person there. But here we are.

The writing style was the best part of this tho. I think if there was more like descriptors and some more in-depth information about the characters or something I would have given them 5 stars. But this was ok. I still love Dietrich and will read what they have. This was good, make sure you pick it up and let me know what you think!

{🎧 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℝ𝕠𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕪}
by Cale Dietrich
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Narrator(s): Major Curda | Max Meyers
Length: 10h 55m
Source: ALC - NetGalley, Macmillan Audio
Release Date: December 10, 2024

#QOTD 👉🏻 What’s your favorite movie or fandom?

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~ Two princes from neighboring countries fall into a whirlwind royal romance in this sparkling spin on The Princess Diaries. ~

Jamie Johnson is used to being in the background and he likes it that way. But when the truth comes out and the world finds out he’s the only heir to the small country of Mitanor, his life is thrust into the spotlight. Side Note: His love of Studio Ghibli is my faaave!!! He’s so nerdy and I LOVE it.

Erik Lindstrom is the stoic “spare” prince of a neighboring country. Often looked over and used, he jumps at the opportunity to tutor the new southern prince in all the ways of royalty. What he doesn’t expect is to find himself and love along the way.

This was the SWEETEST little romance. First love, identity crisis, familial expectations, and two young men who pull strength from each other. Gah! Erik and Jamie were well developed, mature, and considerate characters. I adored them both and rooted for each of them.

NARRATION:
Love, love, loved these narrators! Not only did each narrator portray their character perfectly, they also had a fantastic production. The audio added such a vivid and personal touch to the story. It made my rating a half star more just from it.

{I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. All reviews are my own.}
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It seems there's something about MLM romances and royalty that really captivates people, and I definitely fall into that category because I enjoy it every single time. but I feel like this could have been shorter. It kind of dragged in the middle, and it took me a bit to get through. Still, it was really cute, and I loved the voice actors, especially Erik's!

4.5 stars. This was such a fun book that gives the vibes of The Princess Diaries meets Red, White, and Royal Blue!

On his 17th birthday, Jamie learns that his biological mother who died when he was a baby was an european aristocratic and his biological father he never expected to meet is the king of a small southern european country. To help Jamie navigate being thrust into a royal family overnight, the king asks Erik, who is the "spare" prince of a neighboring country, to teach Jamie what it means to be a prince. For Erik, this gives him a break from the weight of his family's expectations. But suddenly he finds himself in risk of breaking the one order he was given for his summer away, don't develop feelings for Jamie.

I thought Jamie and Erik had a really sweet dynamic. Jamie is navigating so much during this story and I loved seeing how he navigated the situations gracefully. He is simultaneously coming to terms with who his biological is but also that his mom lied to him his entire life that she knew nothing about them. There's so much pressure placed on the main characters and what it means to be a prince, so I really enjoyed getting to see how they were able to let their walls down with one another since they knew that the other understood what they were going through.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an ALC of this book!

What a sweet and lighthearted queer romance, with a royal twist! There's forbidden love set within a beautiful European setting that made me want to jump on a plane! Overall, I found the direct writing style left little room for reader engagement. I enjoyed the narration and felt the voice acting brought depth to the characters that the writing maybe overlooked.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I did end up enjoying this one, I would say that I'm probably not the target audience. I'm finding myself leaning more and more away from young adult books and I know that's 100% a me thing. I know there were a lot of things that happened in this book that were just too easy for me and I was expecting things to take a turn that it never really did.

But all that said, I would say that if you're looking for a book that really doesn't have high stakes, is just a nice pleasant read about two princes falling in love, I would definitely recommend this one. I feel like I read it at just the right time because I've been struggling a bit with reading lately, so reading such a fun little romance really was what I needed.

Cale Dietrich’s The Rules of Royalty is a heartwarming and refreshing YA love story that brings a modern, LGBTQIAP+ twist to the classic “royalty meets commoner” trope. With its relatable themes, endearing characters, and engaging narrative, this novel is an absolute gem for young readers and beyond.

The story evokes the charm of The Princess Diaries while carving out its own unique space in the genre. At its heart, it’s a tender romance that explores identity, societal expectations, and the courage to pursue love in the face of obstacles. Dietrich skillfully weaves in themes relevant to the LGBTQIAP+ community, addressing them with authenticity and care. This grounding in real-world issues adds depth and relatability, making the story feel both timeless and timely.

The characters are truly the beating heart of this book. Lovable, multifaceted, and brimming with personality, they draw readers in and refuse to let go. From their heartfelt struggles to their joyous victories, you can’t help but root for them every step of the way. The chemistry between the protagonists is electric yet tender, making their romance an irresistible thread that keeps the pages turning.

Dietrich’s writing is as delightful as the story itself—sharp, witty, and emotionally resonant. The pacing flows naturally, and the dialogue feels authentic, capturing the voices of young people navigating love and self-discovery.

Verdict:

The Rules of Royalty is a must-read for fans of inclusive, feel-good YA romance. Cale Dietrich delivers a story that’s as charming as it is impactful, blending royal fantasy with relatable, real-world themes. With its lovable characters and uplifting message, this book is destined to become a favorite for readers looking for a story that celebrates love in all its forms.

In this cutie-patootie nod to The Princess Diaries, the nostalgia runs deep and so do the feels
The Rules of Royalty has a truly heartwarming love story. Jamie and Erik have the perfect balance of modern fairy tale and awkward first love.
This queer YA romance brings together two gay 17 year old boys from totally different worlds.
When Jamie Johnson learns his biological father is the king of a small European nation, he is invited to stay in the palace and get to know his father and his country. To help him adjust, the king introduces Jamie to Prince Erik, the second son of the royal family of a neighboring nation, as someone he can talk to and who understands what it is like to be a gay prince. The two fall for eachother, even though Erik's family has already decided that the perfect boyfriend for him.is the son of a politician who has his own political aspirations.
The story is sweet and the boys' emotions seem real.and relatable even with the fairy-tale premise. The narrators are excellent, but my only complaint is that they sound very different in age and itb took a little time to get used to that. Otherwise, this was a really great coming-of-age romance plus fans of The Princess Diaries are sure to enjoy all the sneaky little references to the movie.

This is a DNF for me.
I requested the ARC based on its comps, not realizing it was YA, with 17-year-old main characters. I gave the book a try anyway, and unfortunately, it doesn't work. If I were younger or still read YA romances, this would be right up my alley with a hidden prince situation.
The narration was great, and from what I listened, would be a good way for a reader to approach this book.