• attending on a music scholarship, danni starts at an elite boarding school in a small european country, & quickly falls in with the ex-bff of the nation’s princess, rose. very quickly, rumours start about danni & rose, and a possible romance. could the rumours be true?
• generally mixed feelings about this one. it felt like the romance & conflict built too soon, and then spent too long focusing on the mystery of who outed danni & rose’s relationship.
• a loooooooot of parallels to ‘red, white, & royal blue’ that were hard to ignore.
• a sweet story, but not one that i need to revisit.

This is my favourite book by Sophie. I can’t even explain it. I love royalty books and I’ve read a couple this year and it seems to me that one side of the couple falls flat but this one? Was amazing. Both characters grew and became better people. The romance was adorable. Without getting into spoilers, I loved both characters. This book broke me out of my DNF streak and I’m so glad. This is everything.

3.75 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC; all opinions are my own.

Someone has probably already said that this is like The Princess Diaries" but make the MC american and the princess a lesbian? Or The Princess Diaries meets Red, White, and Royal Blue?

Either way, this is a heartwarming, straightforward, eminently readable lesbian romance. The romance is believable, and the context of the fictional country of Henland and the boarding school, Bramppath, are interesting enough to provide backdrop and interest to that romance. Supporting characters were not fully fleshed out and served largely as... supporting characters... but that largely didn't take away from the enjoyability of the storyline.

This is not a groundbreaking book, but it was a lot of fun. I'd read a sequel about either of the MC's lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this story. Danni and Rosemary were so fun to read, I didn’t want this book to end!

Princess Rosemary of Henland is determined to rebuild her damaged reputation, but meeting Danni—a talented, down-to-earth pianist on scholarship—throws her off course. Danni, new to the elite boarding school, is drawn into a social circle that brings her closer to Rose, sparking a connection neither expected. As rumors spread, Rose faces pressure from the palace to end the relationship or risk everything. It’s a heartfelt, high-stakes romance that explores the tension between personal desires and public duty.

Such a cute and heartfelt sapphic YA romance! This book had all the right vibes from Young Royals to The Princess Diaries to Red, White & Royal Blue but with a sapphic couple. Even though it’s Sophie Gonzales’ eight book to be published, it’s in reality her first one that she wrote eleven years ago. But due to being told there was “no audience for a queer royal romance” it never got published. But, eventually Sophie decided to revisit it and thankfully, the publishers now were on board the fact that there is a HUGE audience for queer royal romances!

The story takes place in the small country called Henland (yes, lots of glorious Genovia vibes) and follows Princess Rosemary, who is trying to recover from a huge scandal last year, and her new schoolmate, the American commoner Danni, who enrolls at the elite boarding school thanks to a music scholarship.

Rose is very much in the lesbian closet, and Danni is perhaps not hiding but also not telling anyone about being bi. But the moment they meet, there is a spark they can’t deny and that makes Rose realizing what she is giving up to be a future queen and question if she can give up on her true self and a chance of true love.

I loved so many things about this book! The main characters and their friends, and the fact that they were allowed to be full of flaws and making stupid decisions. The funny bantering and authentic dialogues. The cute romance (it's very YA in the best possible way - nothing spicy, just pure sweetness throughout). The plot with the meddling royal servants, the twists with people not being the caring friends they claim to be and the way both Rose and Danni grew and learned to navigate a new reality.

“You can’t give me simple. But you can give me you.”

If it hadn’t been for the fact that similar stories now have been told, it would definitely have been a five star read for me. As it is now, it lacked a bit of uniqueness for that extra star. But overall, this was such a delightful, sweet, and wonderful YA story! I’m so glad that it finally got to be out in the world, even though it took way too long time for the publishers to make the right decision!

At first glance, Nobody in Particular seems like a light-hearted, breezy romcom. However, it contained a lot more emotional depth than I was expecting. I felt like the book managed to hit both the bantery, romantic moments that I was expecting alongside thoughtfully handling difficult topics like grief and compulsory heterosexuality, while maintaining a good balance of both. One thing I would've liked to see more of was both Rose and Danni's relationships with their parents - while both Rose's parents and Danni's mom become more significant near the end of the book, with Rose's parents already having appeared sporadically, I think a little more exploration into those relationships earlier on would've helped flesh out the characters and make this book an even more enjoyable read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC!!

Sophie Gonzales' books are always so good. I recommend this one for young adults. I really like her perspectives and her characters!

I really enjoyed this forbidden romance, it worked well with what I was looking for and enjoyed about the genre. The characters had that overall storyline that I was looking for and were written perfectly. Sophie Gonzales has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.

it's kinda giving young royals for lesbians icl (i never watched young royals)

this book follows dani, a young musician who moves to henland and falls in love with the crown princess, rose, while attending a prestigious private academy. i like sophie gonzales' writing; she's a great ya author and i generally tend to like her books. i think this may be my favorite of the four books i've read that have been by her.

i loved the dual-pov; it allowed us to explore both rose's journey to reforming her reputation after a previous accident, and dani's exploration to finding herself in a new country. their individual arcs were well-done, and their relationship was well-developed. i found myself rooting for them to get together. watching them struggle with being together while facing societal challenges was realistic. i liked how the side characters were fleshed-out, especially molly. her relationship with rose was complicated and imperfect, and it was treated in a good way. i think the book is well-paced too; i never felt bored or rushed.

my only complaint is that the country is called henland. we couldn't have been more creative? are the people hennish? that's not real

overall i really liked this; i think it's a great ya romance with plenty of well-developed characters and a strong central romance that still takes into consideration a well-done plot. i would recommend this to queer ya readers or previous fans of gonzales' work.

The cover on this one is absolutely adorable. This story has plenty of the hallmarks of a good YA novel. I loved every second.

The cover on this one is absolutely adorable. This story has plenty of the hallmarks of a good YA. such a stunning coming-of-age story about love, hope, hurt, and yearning

4.75

Setting: Henland (fictional European country)
Rep: lesbian FMC, bisexual FMC

Sophie Gonzales is the QUEEN of queer YA. Every time I think I'm probably done with YA, she's like "nope you're not" - this was excellent, so much heart and soul with fantastic characters. The sapphic royal romance I needed!

"It's an odd and wonderful thing, to barely dare to hope you might be tolerated as you are, only to find out the real you is beloved the way the false you never was."

What am I going to do? Dislike a book about the importance of being true to yourself, hope, and love? Let's be serious here. Nobody in Particular is such a perfect YA romance with just the right amount of humous, fleshed-out characters, a minor yet significant suspense plot line, and interesting relationships, both platonic and not.

The boarding school setting sits genuinely so well with me. That, the fast pacing of the story, and the descriptions of emotion had me read this in one sitting-- and definitely past my established bedtime.

I also really enjoyed Sophie Gonzales' other novel, Never Ever Getting Back Together-- so no part of me was surprised that I really did enjoy this one. This book is highly recommended for those who enjoyed Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins, and Flip the Script by Lyla Lee. Gonzales offers a standard trope in Nobody in Particular, but does so excellently.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an absolute gem! I was completely drawn into their world, where every glance and secret meeting felt like a daring act of rebellion. Rose’s struggle to reclaim her reputation adds a rich layer to the story, making her connection with Danni even more poignant. Their relationship blooms against the backdrop of societal expectations and personal stakes, creating a rollercoaster of emotions that left me breathless. The tension is palpable as they navigate the choppy waters of rumors and scrutiny, and I found myself rooting for their love to triumph against all odds. The supporting characters add depth and complexity, enriching the narrative and providing a perfect balance to Rose and Danni's journey. I was captivated by the exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the sacrifices one must make for love. If you’re a fan of royal dramas with a side of heartfelt romance, you absolutely cannot miss this.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

The author does a great job of demonstrating the difficulty of being true to oneself when a person does not conform to expectations or stereotypes. Princess Rosemary is an extreme example, as the vast majority of people are not princesses or princes or future queens or kings, and do not have the weight of public perceptions and expectations weighing them down. Even if it sometimes feels like everyone is judging us, the reality is that most people are less concerned about us than we think. However, that realization does not necessarily make it any easier. A princess, prince or other celebrity is always going to be in the public eye and is always going to have fans and detractors; it comes with the territory. Yet most of the people judging them are and always will be strangers. For the "normal" person, the scope of people potentially judging them is much smaller but often much more important -- family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. -- which can make the risk and fear greater.

I enjoyed the ups and downs of Rose and Danni's relationship, as they tried to figure out how to be together, especially as their relationship had to be a secret. I also enjoyed the personal growth that Rose, Danni, and others experienced -- Danni gaining confidence about performing in the public and having people's attention on, Rose realizing how much of herself she suppresses and how it has harmed her relationships, including with her former best friend, Molly. While there is a lot of seriousness in the story, there is also plenty of humor and intimacy.

What a sweet & heartfelt novel!! Sophie Gonzales ability to authentically write queer young adult romance is unmatched. This is a book that will make you feel. Absolutely adored it!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books Marketing for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody in Particular highlights Sophie Gonzales' incredible skills of building tension and devising real characters. ALL of the characters in this novel felt real to me, and had their own distinct storylines, quirks, and personalities. This is not true of all writers and Sophie does a great job with it. The boarding school scene makes for a wonderful world in which Rose and Danni feel like they can live outside the perception of the world itself. Of course, this is never the case and conflict always comes, but I think Sophie did a phenomenal job with this book. I wish this could have come out years ago and I want to send a strongly worded letter to the person who said the world wasn't ready for a royal queer romance.