Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. 4.25 ⭐️ I absolutely loved the premise of this book and the chemistry between the characters was flawless. It felt so real and genuine, and the commentary on queer representation was spot on (felt very timely right now). I did feel overall there were some events/conflicts that felt a bit forced and unnecessary, almost like there was too much going on than needed. Some of the characters were eye roll annoying but I think that’s me being a crotchety 35 year old reading YA lol. So it’s my problem. 😉 I will definitely be looking into more of Sophie’s backlist. I absolutely adored the authors note at the beginning about her long process to getting this book published and I appreciated the book so much more after reading that bit.

Nobody in Particular follows Danni, a new American student at an all girls boarding school in the fictional Henland, and Rose, princess of Henland and fellow student at Danni's school as they navigate their growing relationship and the stakes of being discovered/coming out. To be honest I was hooked at the Author's Note at the start were Sophie Gonzales outlines how this book was written 11 years ago but she kept being told "there's no market for queer royal romances" so it was shelved until the social/publishing climate would be more accepting. While I would have loved to have this book 11 or so years ago, I'm so glad it's seeing the light now. Danni, Rose, and all of their friends were all well-developed characters, often making some terrible decisions, but they all made sense given their history, grief, and circumstances. I really felt the stakes of their relationship - as the speculation around Rose and Danni's secret relationship grew, threatening to out both of them, I could feel the tension and needed to keep reading to know how it all resolved. Overall this book had so much heart, dealt with grief with such care, and I hope it finds the readers who need it.

This was everything I wanted out a teen book with this premise! I had a great time reading this one and it's an easy recommend.

I’m a sucker for boarding school books. And sapphic? Even better! This gave me Red white and royal blue x maxton hall x princess diaries x Twisted games (but high school and not spicy just the princess side of things). I loved this story from the start! It’s the first time I read from Sophie González and I can’t wait to read more from her. This is my second ever ARC read (thank you NETGALLEY), in which I’m definitely getting the physical copy of this book when it is published. And it is rare for me to do that. I really love their story and I hope this books gets the love it deserves.

Danni and Rose got along from the very start (even tho it didn’t seem quite so from the outside) and I couldn’t help but notice that even before something blossomed between them, they were noticing things from each other without them realizing and I enjoyed. It made me kick my feet. Both Danni and Rose are opposites but opposites do attract. One is used to the spot light while the other comes from a place than when the spotlight was on her people laughed. I’m glad we saw them grow throughout the year and help each other be the best versions of themselves.

Nobody in Particular is the Red, White, & Royal Blue for YA sapphics!! The story of Rose and Danni and how they navigate their love in a Catholic boarding school covers a lot more ground than its cute but simple forbidden love premise implies. They are both deeply complex young characters in difficult positions, dealing with histories of trauma, PTSD, grief, and both learn the hard way how the media and PR adults exploit famous young people. Diving deep into that topic was such a pleasant surprise for me; I don’t think I’ve read another YA book that discusses it, all its consequences, and how it affects the MC mentally and in all of their relationships like this one. I could tell the author prioritized realism in this story, and was successful in that I cared deeply for both MCs and believed both of their thought processes and actions, even if they were vastly different coming from a highly scrutinized European Princess vs an American scholarship student. I loved both of their journey’s and how they always seemed to come back to each other despite their circumstances and obstacles. This story had a lot going on but was so fulfilling and satisfying, and truly a delight to read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's
Press for the ARC of this book!
This was one of the books being released in 2025 that I was most excited about so when I got the chance to read an arc I jumped right in! It did not disappoint.
There's so much about this book that appealed to me, a queer forbidden romance that involves a monarch is something l've read before but it always feels exciting-I mean, talk about high stakes!!! Danni and Rose absolutely captured my heart even when the story was somewhat predictable. I was rooting for them and I think a sapphic version of this story was much needed.

Sophie Gonzales’ Nobody in Particular is a heartfelt and witty exploration of identity, belonging, and finding one’s voice. With her signature humor and emotionally resonant storytelling, Gonzales introduces a protagonist who feels invisible in their own life but embarks on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. The characters are relatable and authentic, and the narrative beautifully balances lighthearted moments with deeper, thought-provoking themes. A charming and uplifting read for fans of contemporary fiction with heart.

A beautifully written story that tackles much more than your typical princess falls in love with the commoner trope! As someone whose favorite movie growing up was “The Prince & Me”, I was so excited to see it inspired into as a YA sapphic novel. I was taken by surprise how deeply moving this story would be. The loss of friendship and grief was painted so vividly and I deeply resonated with both sides of the characters struggles. To see characters heal throughout the story through friendship and new love was beautiful! You can tell that Sophie Gonzales really thought out and put immense care into this story that would be impactful to readers on various journeys (grief, familial issues, classism, queer identity, etc.). This was an enjoyable read that made me laugh and feel deeply for these character (even when they were frustrating!). Although not perfect, this book checked all my boxes and more for a coming of age story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC 🫶🏻

I always love a book that discusses royalty and the challenges that accompany roles like that. Two girls are drawn together, but he palace is insistent on tearing them apart. Will they be able to keep this secret? Will the couple persevere? Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.

This beautifully written story captures the heartfelt coming-of-age journey of two queer young women in a world that isn't always friendly, offering a vital and much-needed representation in today’s media landscape. The narrative is both inspiring and deeply moving, as it portrays young characters facing the choice that choosing love can also mean embracing sacrifices. This is an important read; it celebrates resilience, self-discovery, and the beauty of authentic connection.

The Prince and Me meets a sapphic Red, White and Royal Blue, with hints of Gossip Girl and Young Royals, Nobody in Particular is going to be a fan favourite.
Thank you NetGalley and Sophie Gonzales for giving me early access to an e-arc.
There is so much I could say about this book. It has been on my anticipated reads since it was first announced, and finally getting to read it, it rightly belongs on that list. Danni and Rose couldn’t be more different, and yet they manage to find themselves in each other. It’s a beautiful coming-of-age romance, with no shortage of drama but also many funny moments sprinkled within to balance it out.
I love the way Sophie writes. I think the way she handles the topics of grief and self-acceptance is really delicate and thought provoking. Especially given the age demographic, and the age of the characters, I think the way Sophie writes about the girls dealing with young love and dealing with their sexualities, that can be very relatable to readers, even if they’re not at the same place in their lives as the characters are. All of the characters, especially our two main girls, are well-rounded and well developed. She doesn’t forget about making sure none of the characters remain stagnant throughout the story. I’m so happy with how Rose and Danni evolve throughout the novel, not just as a couple but as individuals too. They manage to find bits and pieces of themselves in each other that would’ve taken much longer on their own. But I also love how their friendships develop with the other characters.
And I’m happy to say, without giving too much away, that the ending did not devastate me, despite some of my worries that I would not survive emotionally. Overall, I will definitely be preordering and rereading this book, and highly recommend it. It is officially my favourite Sophie Gonzales book, although she delivers every time.

thank you netgalley for the arc!
this is good!! the characters were well plotted and their backgrounds were built into the plot well! i did not see the bad guy coming even though i should have. it was written eleven years ago and unfortunately you can tell. it has a lot of tired coming out tropes and inability to reconcile closeting with partners that are very ten years ago but it was still good!

A really fun, royal sapphic novel for fans of the ever popular one of us is royal books! I would definitely recommend this to those looking for sapphic romances in general.

a stunning and intimate tale with a pleasantly-surprising amount of political intrigue! while this is not my first Sophie Gonzales book, i do believe it is by far my favorite. the characters were immediately intriguing— particularly our protagonist Danni, largely because her passion for music echoed my own (i attended college for music education)— and though i have no real experience with boarding schools or fictitious kingdoms (even if Henland did give me Genovia vibes once or twice), i felt perfectly immersed in the story. i appreciated that texting was used as a multimedia storytelling device and that it wasn't super heavy-handed, and i was thrilled by the epilogue that made me eager for a sequel just to bask in the world Gonzales has created. absolutely a 5 star sapphic read that tackles difficult topics with nuance and care.

note: i received an ARC from Wednesday Books as a member of Sophie's street team for Nobody in Particular; however, my review opinions are my own.

full review / photo to come soon on @spoonie.reads: https://www.instagram.com/spoonie.reads/

Nobody In Particular is a class difference sapphic romance that could have benefited from being more of a character study—but is still a wild ride filled with tonally intriguing plots and surprisingly dynamic characters.

The novel focuses on Danni, an American girl who moves with her parents to Henland and begins attending a private boarding school filled with all sorts of rich elite girls—including Rose, the country's crown princess. To tell you that the plot then carries on with the two of them falling in love and dealing with the ramifications of Rose being a future Queen in a heavily Catholic nation while also being a closeted lesbian would be overly simplifying, though that is the through line.

The plot deals with perhaps one too many twists and turns—a fight between Rose and her old friend Molly tied back to a shockingly dark night in Amsterdam before the setting of the book, the pressures of PR put on Rose, a fake relationship with a childhood friend in an attempt to keep her in the closet, trauma that she hasn't unpacked to the point of having issues feeling—

Which kind of brings me to the main issue in this book, which is that it should have really been a book about Princess Rose. I appreciated the romance, but Rose was a significantly more dynamic character than Danni. I've listed out all of these major plot beats and all of the ones that felt compelling were focused on Rose, not Danni—who does struggle with performance anxiety with her piano work, and perhaps a sprinkling of homesickness. But she felt like a much less well-developed character than Rose did and while I think their relationship would have still had a place, I think I would have enjoyed the book so much more if it was a character study on Rose with the relationship as one of the through plots.

I think this would have helped focus the book because I do think the book did lose focus a little over a third of the way in, when suddenly every 5% or so (on my e-reader) I felt like there was another major dramatic twist that needed to be thrown in. Because of this the book definitely felt more plot heavy than character heavy and while I do love a little bit of melodrama, I think the clash of the dramatic twists and turns tied with another part of the book—going back to that night in Amsterdam—felt a little off tonally. I think there was a more serious book somewhere in here that I really would have adored to see as well even though I had a good time with this one.

All in all, I can't say no to a fun, class difference sapphic romance—I love forbidden love, and I love more than anything when it conquers the day. It's truly a sense of optimism that we need right now. Thank you Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

“poor little blossom. our world is going to break her.” ok gossip girl!

i’m a sucker for texts in books.

i love how the sense of humor varies within
characters. within the ya genre sometimes it is always the same kinds of jokes, but this oscillates between dry humor and typical teenager humor which is interesting to read.

the dialogue is witty but also is appropriate for the situations. no untimely jokes or awkward moments (without purpose, ofc).

Personally, while I found the premise to be fun, the writing style was not for me. It was dialogue heavy and cumbersome in several sections. It is possible that it just wasn’t my genre!

This book follows a very similar overall plot to a lot of media that has been released lately, but I think it does it well enough that it’s still worth reading. As a fan of “Red, White, and Royal Blue” and “Her Royal Highness”, I really liked this book. The connection between the main characters felt real and believable, and the plot felt well thought through and nicely paced. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

One the outside this looks like it’s going to be the typical story of first love in a high school setting. But instead, you get a story where there is less about an identity crisis and finding yourself and more about conforming for those around you for their benefit rather than being true to yourself. While the love story is the main plot the subplot about the fallout of a friendship from an incident is also just as interesting. I loved the balance between both storylines.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin Press for an advanced copy of Nobody in Particular in exchange for a fair and honest review!

<i>Thanks for the ARC,</i>

I think it read a little like <i>Her Royal Highness</i> at the beginning to such a degree that I thought I'd already read this book. I'm not sure how many people will make the connection, but it was distracting for the first few chapters. Overall it was fun in its own right.