This is a perfectly fine, fluffy book, if you don't care whether your authors have thought through the world they have created.

To explain: I don't care whether it's realistic that a US teenager is actually a prince. Fantasy setup, no problem! I care about character holes (like plot holes but for characters) that show the author ran with an idea without actually thinking about how things actually work.

Like that when Jamie finds out about his real birth mother, the thought of grandparents doesn't even cross his mind.

Like that that European royalty speak English with non-native accents. If you know anything about highly-educated Europeans moving in an international environment, you'd know they speak English perfectly.

Like that the supposedly-rich Erik has thoughts like "our suite was twice the size of a normal apartment" and "the garden looked as if every inch had been meticulously planned" (um, yes. it's a formal garden. created by professional gardeners. who, you know, plan things.) These thoughts would have been normal for Jamie but don't make sense for Erik to have.

I also think that the "forced to date someone that you will eventually marry, for the Look of the Thing" premise would work 100 times better if they MCs were, say, 21 instead of 17.

So, yeah, this book's weak spots hit all the things that annoy me. If you don't care about that, go ahead, it's a cute book.

Got an arc from the publisher; thoughts are my own.

Jamie recently finds out that he's the heir to the throne of Mitanor. He is tutored by Erik, the spare prince of another kingdom. Sparks fly....

Love the teenager angst. Fun and sweet. A queer princess diary. Really enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Cale Dietrich is a one-click author for me and this new book was highly anticipated! I was not let down and the chracters were lovely and unique with great chemistry and a lovely dynamic! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and reading queer stories by queer authors is such a vibe!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary Romance + Young Adult + LGBTQ

This is a queer young adult romance. The plot revolves around two princes from different countries who are neighbors. It was inspired by "The Princess Diaries." One of them is Jamie Johnson, who, up until the time he turned seventeen, was completely unaware that he was supposed to be a prince. The second one is Erik Von Rosenborg, the prince of a European Kingdom.

Erik is asked to tutor Jamie on everything about being a prince. How to speak, how to conduct oneself, and all of the associated royal etiquette. During the course of all of that, the two young princes develop feelings for one another, which ultimately leads to the beginning of a romantic relationship between them.

The narrative is told in the first person, but it is told from the points of view of the two main characters. Even though the story is endearing and the book itself is adorable, it lacks any kind of depth. This is the kind of story that is ideal for going through when you are looking for something simple to read that does not contain a lot of tension. You are going to have a good time with it, but I do not think you will remember it for a very long time.

My primary criticism of the writing in this piece is directed toward the voices of the two main characters. They are very similar, and it is hard to distinguish them from each other. Even though the events of the story allow you to differentiate between the two voices, the point I am trying to make is that both voices share the same characteristics. I feel these primary characters needed to be more unique.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.

This book is giving princess diaries, in a fun not cliche way. There is an American boy who finds out he is a prince and a prince who is tasked with teaching him the way of royalty. Through etiquette lessons, video game sessions and deep talks they start to fall.
But it's complicated. And there are political reasons and family opinions to consider. BUT them being gay is not the issue, which I love. This is not a queer trauma book, just (what I imagine is) regular teen angst for royal kids. This is a proper you g love YA book that is appropriate for most ages.

This book has me totally loving how many gay royalty books exist-- I never would have dreamed of that.
What are his parents doing the whole time? Ad how can they not afford plane Tix, but just take the whole summer off work....both of them?
Got a lil slow in the middle and mind wandered
My only complaints, the pacing is weird. There is very little happening and then a lot. And honestly, not enough HEA for my taste....unless there is to be a sequel? Maybe Max can have her own book? I LOVED her.

Essentially, this was a light-ish teen royal queer romance and it was fun to read. I really like Cale District's works and plan to keep reading anything he writes moving forward!

Imagine a normal American teenager learning the family secret. His bio dad is a king! Yep, a king! In a flash his life changes forever. He doesn't know anything about being royalty so he is given a tutor to learn at least the basics. Eyes meet, hearts beat and romance begins. A story of young romance isn't just for girls and guys. These 2 guys sizzle. I like that Jamie doesn't forget his American friends but keeps them informed on what he is experiencing. He tries to do some good along the way. A nice story!

I really wanted to like this story. I’m a fan of stories about people from different walks of life, people who are in situations in which they can’t choose their own fate, things like that.

I think my main problem with this story is that it was kind of flat for me. Neither Jamie, nor Eric, the main characters, particularly appealed to me.

I suppose if what you’re looking for is a cute story about a couple Of young men developing your crush on one another and hoping for it to be more Then this might be the book for you. I just wish there had been a bit more depths to the story.

I wanted to like this book, I've liked other books by Cale Dietrich in the past but this one wasn't it for me. There was nothing wrong with the plot or the characters but the book lacked any interesting conflict or character depth. I know this is a YA book and so it must be looked at through a different lens but I found it boring and slow.

Thank you to St. Martins press for this eARC. This was a fun read. There were for sure spots that felt a little rushed that I really would have wanted to see more detail of. Like the final act, when Jamie leaves the wedding but then suddenly reappears. I feel like something happened off page that was important to make him turn around and come back and we didn't get to see it. It was a lot of little moments like that. But this was a lovely little mix of The Princess Diaries and RWRB vibes, totally fun!

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange of my honest review.
Great storyline with slow space, great characters. It took me a while to finish it, overall I enjoyed the story..

Charming Queer Royalty Romance
“Rules of Royalty” by Cale Dietrich offers a delightful premise with its queer representation, something I deeply appreciated and wished I had access to in my younger years. The story revolves around Jamie, an American teen who discovers he's the heir to the throne of Mitanor, and Erik, a prince from a neighboring country who becomes his royal tutor. The burgeoning romance between the two princes is charming and engaging.

While the book draws comparisons to The Princess Diaries, the similarities are limited to Jamie's sudden discovery of his royal lineage and his struggle to adapt to princely etiquette. Those expecting a storyline closely mirroring The Princess Diaries might find the comparison a bit of a stretch.

Despite enjoying the overall read and valuing it as a significant addition to YA queer literature, I found the timeline within the story somewhat disjointed. The rapid progression of events over what felt like just a few weeks didn't quite align with the depth of the characters' experiences and development.

In conclusion, Rules of Royalty is a delightful read with valuable queer representation, though its timeline might feel rushed to some readers.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Cale Dietrich for this eARC!

When American born Jamie turns 17 his mom decides it’s time to reveal a big secret. He’s always know he’s adopted and his birth mom was his mother’s best friend. She didn’t tell him at the request of his birth mom that his dad is a prince in Europe and he is a prince. Erik is a prince from a neighboring country who is tasked with helping Jamie aclimate to his new life. This was a cute relatively drama free rom com. For royalty who still try to chose the significant others of their children they all seemed pretty okay and accepting of a child out of wedlock during break but I’lljust have to suspend belief and move on. This was a fun read that kept the teen angst to a minimum and should be enjoyable to YA readers and those who just need a little royalty themed read.

All of my favorite parts of my favorite books combined into one. This was so cute and I loved it so much.

Super cute take on the Princess Diaries! A few parts were predictable and the writing was okay, but overall a lighthearted and well-paced romance.

1 Sentence Summary: Jamie Johnson lived a totally normal American life until he turns seventeen and learns that he’s actually the prince of Mitanor, a sunny European country, and when his father—the king!—invites him to spend the summer at the palace, Jamie agrees; however, he doesn’t know anything about royal etiquette, so it’s a good thing Erik, a prince from a nearby kingdom, agrees to tutor Jamie in the rules of royalty.

My Thoughts: This was essentially a gay Princess Diaries, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The romance was super cute, and the story had an overall light, happy, and positive tone.

I loved how supportive all of Jamie and Erik’s family and friends were. And yes, maybe the story was cheesy at times and unrealistic, but the world is already dark enough as is. Let me read my happy feel-good love-conquers-all fictional romance novel in peace.

The characters could have had more depth and the writing could have been more developed, but overall it was a fun YA romance—a lighthearted and quick read, perfect to get out of a reading slump.

Recommend to: Fans of YA romance and stories about royalty.

(Warnings: swearing)

I had to DNF this one, unfortunately. I usually love this author but there was way too much telling and not showing. It read like a Disney Channel TV show.

Firstly, I would like to say thank you to NetGalley And Cale for allowing me the opportunity to read an arc of your upcoming book in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt like the story was well thought out. I felt the characters had a great connection and you can just kind of feel that through the writing. I would’ve really liked more in the beginning. I felt like the beginning didn’t have as much details as I feel like it could’ve, I also feel like the ending was a little bit more rushed but overall the book was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt like it’s such a great book to have especially as a book for the YA audience. As well as the LGBTQ+ members. As somebody from the LGBTQ plus community myself, I felt like this book was just really important especially for kids or teenagers who do fill out of place, who do feel like the society norms and having to do what your parents want is more important.
Overall, 4.25 ✨
Would definitely read again and recommend ❤️

Cute take on the Princess Diaries theme, but everything was a little too easy. The main drama was whether or not Erik would stand up for his autonomy, but the ease in which Jamie settled in to royal life without any hiccups and was accepted by his bio family seemed too fluffy and trouble-free.

This book is like cotton candy - fun, quick, and a little too sweet.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book follows Jamie, who discovers he’s actually a prince of a foreign country on his 17th birthday. He is whisked away to spend the summer there and work with Erik, another prince around his age, to learn how to navigate the royal world. All while trying not to fall for each other, as it’s been forbidden by Erik’s family.

Overall, this was a fun and fast read. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters and going on the journey with them of getting to know each other and figure out what rules to follow and what to let go of. However, I just wanted more from this book. A lot of it feels very surface-level and I would have loved to dive deeper into the world, the characters’ struggles, and the conflict, especially the conflict around Jamie and Erik being forbidden from being together. The reasoning behind it didn’t feel solid enough, and the resolution felt way too easy. That said, I do still recommend if you want a quick, easy read with royalty vibes.