Such a great read. Its definitely based on Kate Middleton and Prince William, but it just doesn't matter, thats how good this book is. A nice look beyond the glitz and glamour of royalty. Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Enjoyable story of an American student studying at Oxford who falls for the heir to the British throne. I enjoyed the parallels this story has to Kate Middleton and Wills. Meeting at university, long-term relationship before the engagement and marriage brouhaha. Of course, Kate is not an American like Bex is, so I enjoyed that twist, but I found it a slight nod to the red-headed spare heir and his American bride. I found it interesting how much my mind noticed just how similar is this story to Kate and Wills as well as similarities of Freddie to Harry. I mean, really, even the cover gives the reader a nod to Kate and Wills before the story even begins. I am sure it’s all fiction, and good fiction at that.

I really liked Bex and Nick as a couple. They start out as friends who enjoy eating American junk food while binge watching episodes of Bex’s favorite television show sent across the pond by Bex’s sister, Lacey. Bex even begins dating one of Nick’s mates, if you can call a shag buddy dating. The blossoming of their relationship from friends to more is a treat to watch, not only because he’s the future King of England and how cool is that?! but also because their relationship is really sweet and I was rooting for these two from the beginning.

I also liked Freddie, the rascal that he is, but his friendship with Bex is special. Through her eyes, we see Freddie as the brother, the second, the flirt, and the one who appears will never measure up in the eyes of their father. The pain and hurt he carries at feeling rejected resonates keenly and you can’t help but feel a lot of empathy for him and understand the masks and personas he hides his true self behind, but Bex sees through him.

I also enjoyed getting a bird’s eye view into the workings of the royal family through Bex’s eyes. I learned they aren’t all that different from any other family. They have their good days and bad days, successes and disappointments, secrets and scandal. The only difference is that their lives are heavily documented all over the tabloids for our entertainment.

I also found the circus that Bex is put through to “train” her for her upcoming roles as Duchess of This That Or The Other as well as Baroness What’s Her Name and Countess So and So were interesting. Things that those of us who live in the commoner's world would never worry about, such as exiting a car with grace and style, how to hold a flute of champagne or even how to cross one’s legs when sitting.

My Final Verdict: This story ends with some interesting twists so it came as no surprise that there’s a sequel which I will have to read as I’m nowhere ready to see the end of Bex and Nick and hopefully Freddie will get his happily ever after too.

The Royal We has been on my radar since 2015. I kept saying I would read it, but I always put it off, and after all these years I have to admit the hype had me nervous to finally start. The hype was justified, though, and I loved this book for so many reasons.

I’ve been a ‘royal watcher’ since I was a child. Like many, I adored Princess Diana, and I mourned with the world when she died. I’m halfway between Princes William and Harry age-wise, and having lost a parent myself just a few years before, watching them publicly grieve made me feel a strong connection to them. I paid slightly less attention to them as I grew up, but Will and Kate’s engagement rekindled my interest. The fact The Royal We is basically Will and Kate fanfiction was a huge draw for me, and it didn’t disappoint.

My favourite part of the book was the beginning, when Bex and Nick were in Oxford, largely in their own little world, separate from the duties and responsibilities of Nick’s usual life as a prince who would one day be king. I enjoyed watching them become friends and then watching as their friendship blossomed into something more. This part of the book was the most relatable - watching them fall in love, watching Bex make new friends, adjust to life in England, miss her family back home, and basically have a normal college experience except for the fact she was friends with a prince.

I did thoroughly enjoy the royal aspect of the book too. You could feel Bex’s frustration and pain at not being able to go public with Nick while still having to deal with the press. I loved her friendship with Nick’s brother Freddie (the ginger-haired spare who was known for being a partying playboy...hmm, I wonder who he was based on?), and I appreciated the complexities of her relationship with her twin sister, Lacey. One of the things that really stuck with me is just how pervasive the media is. I don’t think I ever quite grasped the lengths people will go to for a story or a photo of a member of the royal family (or any celebrity). I’ve always been aware of the gossip - I make a point to scan the ludicrous headlines of the tabloids in the grocery store waiting line, just for giggles - but I try not to believe anything unless it comes from an official source. Many people don’t feel the same way, though, and will treat any and every crumb of gossip as fact, even if it’s wildly false. This book really makes you think about how things can be twisted and turned for the sake of a headline, how relationships can be damaged or ruined, and the strain it puts on the people who aren’t able to step outside their door without having it turned into a story.

Royal romances can be hit or miss for me, but this one knocked it out of the park. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, romantic, and it pulls at your heartstrings. Part of me regrets waiting so long to read it, while the other part of me is grateful I let the hype monster keep me away for so long because it meant I got to start the sequel, The Heir Affair, immediately and spend more time with these characters who came to mean so much to me.

Just ok. Wasn't a huge fan of how this was told as a reflective/flashback story. I know that romances tend to be predictable with an HEA at end...but there are always ups and downs and push and pull and you don't always know if the author will get you to that happy place. But here you start at the end and then it goes back to the beginning. With random jumps in time to get to where it all starts and it just lacked the tension that makes for a really great romance.

2.5 stars -- I had higher hopes. The structural conceit made the book feel excessively drawn out, to a point of tedium, and I could not relate to the main character's litany of horrible, drunken decisions nor care about her self-absorbed, shallow sister. I liked a few of the secondary characters and bits of the story but by the third section was somewhat forcing myself onward and definitely cannot be arsed to read a sequel.

One of my favorite books of all time. I really can't recommend this novel enough and recommend it to everyone I know - Heather and Jessica were great in my book club and we are all looking forward to the sequel!

I’ve been a die-hard fan of Go Fug Yourself for years so, naturally, when I heard they were writing a book – a book that’s essentially William and Kate fanfiction – I was delighted! Guys, I managed to score a copy on netgalley, that’s how long this one has been sitting around unread! I should be ashamed. This month I’ve been trying to go through old (okay, ancient) netgalley books to clean it up a bit and, lucky for me, the audio was available at my library.

I’m definitely in the minority here, but I wasn’t as head-over-heels with this one as I had expected to be. It could have been that the audiobook was an insane 17 hours long, that’s a good 10 hours longer than this one needed to be. I also couldn’t stand the majority of the characters (Rebecca’s twin sister Lacey was a nightmare) and the plot meandered on for far too long. I hate saying this, but I wasn’t a fan.

This book.... It was so fun and such an escape. Books like this are why I enjoy reading. It was fun. romantic, and silly in a good way. You really grow to love the Characters and root for them, even when they're being boneheads.