This book was a delightful read! I was immediately drawn into the story and found the characters compelling. The Catholic setting added a unique layer of intrigue. While I did anticipate the plot twist, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the ending. I especially appreciated Rose's character arc. Her dedication to her royal duties was refreshing; it wasn't the usual "I'm trapped by monarchy" narrative. Instead, she embraced her role and sought to make a real difference. The strong friendship between Rose and Molly was a highlight for me, and I loved that their bond was a central focus. The emphasis on their platonic relationship, rather than romantic entanglements, was a welcome change of pace.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd this book.

I really wanted to like it and I think I stuck around longer than I would've just because I'd heard comparisons to Red, White & Royal Blue. Rose was hard to like, for me. I feel like when you have a character - especially a royal - that has a outward persona that contradicts who he/she really is, you have to give the audience enough of that 'really is' to make them want to learn more about what they're hiding. I'm sure finding out more about Amsterdam would've helped with that, but there just wasn't enough intrigue for me to continue to wait or that point. The banter between characters and the sarcastic humor felt very repetitive in a "Enter Sarcastic Quip Here," she said with an over-exaggerated tone/gesture/face and lots of "She's new, she won't get this humor.... oh wait... she got it."

I just wanted to like it so badly but for me, it fell very flat.

Because this is a DNF, I did not post reviews on social media or Goodreads/Story Graph. I have marked the book as a DNF however.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early. Nobody in Particular is a slow burn in every sense—emotional, heavy at times, and definitely not in a hurry. It started strong, but the pacing dragged more than I’d like. If you love YA, young love, fish out of water with a royal twist, this could be your thing. I’m not usually into royal plots, but I still found myself invested… even if I kept waiting for it to speed up.

I just finished the arc of nobody in particular. If you really liked red white and royal blue or young royals the tv show but you just wanted it to be sapphic than this is for you and it was 100% for me. We follow Danni who earned a scholarship to an all girls boarding school as well as Rose who is the princess of Henland where they are located in this book. Rose is a closeted lesbian who is unable to come out due to her family and thinking her country would not accept her being queer. She’s battling with her identity throughout this book with what the right choices she should be making especially when she meets Danni and starts to fall for her. I thought this was an almost perfect YA romance especially because it didn’t read very young to me. I thought this was a great depiction of young love with lots of yearning between the two love interests. You could tell they really cared about each other and wanted to be with each other but there was this big obstacle in the way. We also saw the characters really grow throughout the book which I appreciated and accept themselves for who they are. I think a lot of people will like this!

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Can you believe this is the first book Sophie Gonzales wrote and (tried) to publish? Apparently, there was "no market" 11 years ago for a queer "royalty falls for commoner" romance.

Welp, I hope these publishers are crying over their loss of revenue because they were SO. WRONG.

The author promised that this story has its own unique twist and I DEFINITELY agree.

I absolutely loved this book.

First : QUEER. (Need I say more?)

Second : I'm a sucker for academic settings/boarding schools.

Also, the dual perspectives allow the reader to truly understand the main characters. They are loveable, relatable (yes, even the royalty) and I DID. NOT. expect that ending !!!!

Such a wholesome story 10/10 recommend

Rating: ✨4.5 stars ✨

From the moment I started reading, I was so invested in the story, the relatable characters, the cute cover, and the romance ❤️

Nobody in Particular follows Danni, a music scholarship student who has just moved to the small country of Henland and the elite Bramppath College, and Rose, a princess who is determined to get herself and her reputation back together. Both are dealing with their own struggles, and this book is as much about them falling in love with each other as it is about them growing and navigating life.

Danni and Rose are honestly so cute together! It's the perfect mix of forbidden love and grumpy/sunshine with Rose's sharp wit and sarcasm paired with Danni's sunshine and understanding nature.
The way they went from sort of friends to talking to texting, and then ultimately falling in love with each other had me invested in them both, especially with being able to read both POVs and their cute texts to each other! I loved the pining and *not-so-subtle* glances, seeing their interactions, and the way that Danni found a group to belong to, got more comfortable performing piano, and most of all how they both became more comfortable being themselves and moving forward from their past experiences/backstories (especially with Rose and Molly).

This was so close to being another five star read, but the ending was a little too rushed for me. I'd have liked to see more of what happened after their decision to go public and a little bit more of the path to the epilogue.

That being said, the rest of the book was so good and I loved this cute, sapphic romance!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.

High school Darcy would've quite literally killed for a book like this when they were a teenager. To know they weren't alone, that others in the world felt like they did, and that they weren't abnormal or wrong would've been everything.

Both girls come to the relationship with their own issues and traumas that are pretty similar. The only difference being that Rose's play out on a much larger scale. I love how Gonzales makes a connection between them in this way. It doesn't matter whether being hated and blamed for so much when it's not your fault is down on a school level or country level, both are horrible and traumatizing to go through.

I appreciate that the person who revealed everything to the palace wasn't Harriet. I felt really bad for her by the end for she was going through similar issues as Danni (without the support of her parents) and had so much piled on her from everyone that I didn't want another thing added to her plate. Not that it erases what she did to Danni at the party but it still sucks to be outed that way. I definitely had suspicious feelings surrounding Alfie. There was just something gross about this guy who was so willing to be a fake-boyfriend and how he interacted with Dannie was uncomfortable, especially how he acted around and treated Rose when Dannie was with them felt off.

Slight spoilers for the ending, but his explanation at the end to Rose about why he did what he did was so infuriating that I wanted to jump into the book and beat his ass! Thankfully, there was nothing homophobic about his actions in the end, which yay cause homophobia in queer books get old. Everything about his actions is blatant sexism towards Rose. His entire monologue is dripping in condescension. I mean he's so close to patting Rose on the head and saying she should go off with the woman folk while the men discuss important business. The saddest and most infuriating part is that he doesn't see it either, doesn't hear his condescending tone or his sexism and misogyny. He believes he's doing all of this for Rose's own good, and he's in the right. He doesn't see that he did anything wrong. I'm reminded of the post that Gaston is the worst Disney villain because he can be any man in the world. That's the same case with Alfie, although much worse because Alfie acts like a "good guy." All of this was so well done though and definitely needed for Rose to see that none of it mattered.

The only part that was uncomfortable for me was the foreplay between Rose and Dannie. Obviously, not for the homophobia but for the fact that I'm in my 30s and reading about teenagers engaging in foreplay or having sex feels too gross for me at my age now. I also don't think it's a deal breaker for teenagers to read or for the book to be banned (although it probably will be). Those scenes between Rose and Dannie and even Dannie and Harriet, do a great job of explaining consent in relationships without being cringey that is important for teenagers to read.

According to the author note, this manuscript predates many of the popular royal-themed books, and Nobody In Particular can definitely stand with all the others. This is a heartwarming coming of age story, filled with drama, emotions, political intrigue, and school. Great teenaged main and side characters, all with relatable problems and concerns - well, almost all, but I’m not gonna spoil the one. Would love to see a New Adult sequel with them older and out in the real world!

I really enjoyed this book. I found the pacing a little slow, but I don't usually read YA romance, so that could be why I felt this way. Overall, I really think it was good. I love a royal romance book. I liked both Danni and Rose as characters and narrators. I'm glad Sophie decided to rework this book and share it with the world.

A sapphic teen romance about a princess falling in love with a girl at her boarding school. Sign me up immediately!

This book follows Danni as she starts her new life at an exclusive boarding school where Princess Rosemary also attends. Cue adorable teen romance and coming of age story that deals with grief, coming out, and first relationships.

I really loved the idea of this book, and the entire time I read it, I kept thinking about how much I would have loved to have a book like this as a teenager. That being said, Nobody in Particular was actually quite a let down. This is my second book from Sophie Gonzales, and I just think she is not the author for me. Things felt very drawn out at some points, and the scenes where I was enjoying myself lasted way too long. A book about secret relationships with royalty should not feel nearly as mundane as this one did.

Overall, I wish I had been able to read this at 15 cause I think I would have loved it so much more than I did. I do recognize that at 26, I am not the target audience which is why I am giving it a 3 star instead of lower.

I would actively recommend this to teens who are interested in the plot though.

Everything about this book was so random and I loved it :) I guess I should have predicted from the (beautiful) cover that it was about a member of a royal family entering into a wlw relationship while at boarding school (where they did not study or attend class in the entirety of the book). I think Sophie Gonzales just wanted to write a sapphic story about a princess and that's so valid and I was here for it

It's not an outstanding read but I do think her fans will be happy with it--good writing, loveable characters, the perfect pace, and a really beautiful and well-developed sapphic story !!! I'm so glad that I exist at the same time Sophie Gonzales does

Thank you St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC

I absolutely loved this YA sapphic romance. Danni is an American who has just moved to Henland and starting at a prestigious boarding school on a music scholarship. She's incredibly nervous; she was bullied at her last school, knows no one in this country other than her mom and step dad, is in a wildly different social class than her schoolmates, and is a closeted bisexual. However, she quickly befriends Molly who shows her the ropes and introduces her to her friend group. One of Molly's friends is Princess Rosemary of Henland, who with Molly was caught up in a tragic accident last Spring. The tragedy has dissolved Molly and Rose's friendship and also ruined her reputation with the people of her country. She needs to move past this scandal by doing everything perfectly. Danni and Rose are intrigued by the other, but there's many obstacles to overcome if the relationship is going to work out.

To be honest, I am usually mildly disappointed by most sapphic romances (both YA and Adult) even though I'm a lesbian. Nobody in Particular did not disappoint, instead it greatly exceeded my expectations. Danni and Rose both felt very flushed out (Rose a tad more than Danni) and as a reader I understood why they made the decisions they did at every part of the book, none of them felt random or like it came out of nowhere. The pacing was great, from start to finish I was invested and engaged. I think a major part of that was that instead of the plot being "I like her, but I don't know if she likes me" the entire book it has the characters investigate and overcome the obstacles, both external and internal, that they are facing. From now on I will be comparing every YA sapphic romance I read to this one and would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book.

Obsessed is one way to put it. I adored Rose and Danni’s story together and growth as individuals. Their story is told with care but also with very realistic reactions. While the whole princess thing may not be something most have or will ever deal with the stress and risk of being outed before you’re ready is real. This story takes some hard moments and ties them with character growth and some adorable moments.

This book was so great! The trope of royal and commoner was perfect executed in the cute story. The author did a great job of building up the story and dropping all the right hints so you were extra surprised at the end! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good sapphic read, it has the perfect amount of hurt/comfort and drama and all things to do in a good story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This is an absolutely captivating YA romance set at a boarding school in the fictional country of Henland. It follows the princess, Rosemary, and an American scholarship student, Danni, as they each come of age. In finding themselves, they also find each other, and develop a beautiful romance worth the struggles that come their way.

Both Rose and Danni are a delight to follow. The book is dual perspective, which gives the reader insight into both girls’ inner lives. I especially appreciate this aspect of the book considering that each girl has important history, trauma, and self-discovery that is uncovered over the course of the novel.

The European boarding school setting makes for a fun twist on the typical contemporary romance model, and the fictional country of Henland and its history are impressively constructed. In fact, it’s described well enough that I had to double-check whether it was actually a fictional country. The book feels so grounded in reality that the fictional setting only serves to sweep the reader away even more.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and her writing style does not disappoint. The tone is witty and tongue-in-cheek throughout, yet distinct between the two narrators. It’s easy to follow and entertaining to read, while also having beautiful quotes and strong dialogue.

While the plot mainly revolves around romance as Rose and Danni find themselves as lesbian and bisexual young women, respectively, it also delves into some serious topics. Rose has to deal with the pressure of being a lesbian princess and how those seemingly competing identities will affect her future, while Danni is grappling with a history of bullying and trying to overcome her own insecurities as she works toward performing as a professional pianist.

Some trigger warnings are also warranted, as death of a friend/peer is mentioned and described on-page, as well as drug/alcohol use and sexual activity (though it does fade to black without being extremely descriptive). Personally, though, I think these events are described tastefully. It adds to the impact of the story while showing multiple aspects of how these things can and do affect teens.

With all of those factors, I would definitely recommend this book. I think it will especially resonate with girls in their late teens who like other girls and are finding their own place in this world. It’s a beautiful tribute to lasting teenage love, processing trauma, and ultimately, queer joy.

I thought this book was cute! This is not my favorite book by this author. But I really enjoyed this one. This was a cute YA queer romance

4.5/5

Stayed up late last night to finish this but slept on it to properly compose my thoughts for a review, because this book had me feeling feelings I haven't felt in a *long* time.

This is just, from beginning to end, an extremely well-crafted, beautifully written love story that had me hooked from the very beginning. Rose and Dani (and all the ancillary characters) are all captivating with their charm and humor and really make you become invested in their story. Almost a little too much, in fact; by the end of the story it got to the point where I felt like I wanted to physically climb into the book and try to punch whoever was going after the couple myself. (That probably says more about me than the writing, but still)

Really, looking back on how the book begins it's surprising how impactful Danni and Roses' love story becomes, considering it's inauspicious and (kinda bland) beginnings: Danni is a transfer student at the ultra-exclusive Bramppath boarding school in the fictional country of Henland. There on a music scholarship, she's a fish out of water - as the title implies, she's "nobody in particular" compared to the children of steel tycoons, law firms, and literal royalty.

Speaking of royalty, there's our co-star: Princess Rose, heir to the throne of Henland. Every decision, every move she makes has been calculated to the Nth degree, to the point where she's had to hide almost all of her personal feelings behind a façade. Bramppath is the one place where she is (relatively) unmonitored by the press and her family, and she is free to be somewhat "normal". But after a scandalous event the previous summer, she finds her friend group divided and trust that was once left to her is now gone. Worst of all? This inexplicable crush she feels for the new girl Danni.

Princesses can not marry women; their job is to make speeches, create causes, marry men, and continue the line of succession. And in the ultra-conservative, mostly Catholic country of Henland, that job description isn't going to change any time soon... right?

An amazing book that tracks a blooming romance, this book caught me off-guard with how good it was. It was very much like Danni and Roses' romance - not too much too much at first, but then just comes out of nowhere and builds and builds at a frenetic pace, until by the end you're so invested in both of these characters lives that anything short of a Happily Ever After would be considered a personal affront!

Best book I've read in a long time, and I hate that I have to wait until June to get a physical copy in my hands!!

[Not part of my review, just more of a technical issue- on the iPad version of kindle, there was one bit at Chapter 11 where the formatting got all wonky. This was the first "texting" bit, and for some reason the text kept shifting over right and right and right, until it was just a single letter on each line in a vertical row. This was the only part where it happened, and it looked fine on the kindle app on my phone!]

I love a royalty romance, so I was really excited for this one! Nobody in Particular follows Danni, a new American student at an all-girls boarding school in the fictional country of Henland, and Rose, the princess of Henland and a fellow student.

Danni and Rose are both complex characters, and their story goes beyond romance, exploring themes of identity, grief, and the pressures of public life. I was completely invested in their journey.

At times, some conflicts felt a bit unnecessary, making the story feel more crowded than needed for its length. There were also a few time jumps that weren’t clearly explained, which left me confused in some parts. That said, this was still a heartfelt and compelling read with strong character development and emotional depth.

If you love queer romance, royalty drama, and forbidden love, you will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 ⭐️
Nobody in Particular by: Sophie Gonzales
Publishing Date: June 3, 2025

A disgraced princess falls for a new student at their all-girls boarding school, but the two must hide their forbidden love at all costs.

I enjoyed the emotional insights about Rose and Danni and what the other characters add to the story. It's a interesting representation of queer romance, that includes discussions of consent. While a YA book is does have parts are of a sexual nature but not entirely graphic. I think my favourite part is the growth seen in the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to read this story and share my honest review

this was an enjoyable, cute book though some parts felt a bit flat
thanks to netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review