Alex is the son of the US president. He’s well-liked by his friends, intelligent and witty. His mother sends him and his sister on a diplomatic mission: attend the Royal Wedding of the crown prince of England. Unfortunately for Alex, he is forced to interact there with the prince’s younger brother Henry. Alex thinks Henry is a stuck-up sod and goes to confront him. Hijinks ensue, and the two end up faceplanting into a seventy five thousand pound or dollar (the novel is unclear about which currency) wedding cake. Needless to say, this does not result in much positive press, so Alex’ mother forces him to spend time with prince Henry. Behave civilly, the message reads. Show the world you’re best buds. Alex hates it, but does as he’s told. But before long, he discovers prince Henry isn’t as bad as he thought he was; in fact, Alex soon starts to have feelings for the man.
BUT CAN THEY EVER BE TOGET yes, of course they can. At least, in the short term.
I’m not much of a romance reader, but I was up for a bit of fluff and this did hit that sweet, undemanding spot. It’s a ridiculous tale (Barron would never), of course, and I suspect the way intercultural communications occur between The White House and the Windsor Institute is vastly oversimplified, as if the running of a re-election campaign, press affairs. general security and the bloody country in the first place (I freely admit that my knowledge of these things begins and ends with The West Wing and similar shows). Nevertheless, it’s a cute tale that mixes light-hearted fun with more serious issues, primarily: can men like these two – a prince and the son of a US president – be in a gay relationship without suffering serious consequences? Henry, in particular, struggles with this: his grandmother the Queen, aware of his preferences, has told him to keep it under wraps. Wryly, he points out that he was named after several other kings, all of them gay. Alex, meanwhile, struggles with what it all means for his own identity (he never considered himself to be attracted to men) and his mother.
Aside from that, the book is a fun mix of delightful banter as Alex and co combine forces with Henry’s friend circle and form a transatlantic group. There’s also steamy sex scenes that read a little unrealistic (nobody’s going to be boinking in the storage room of Wimbledon, least of all a public figure like a prince and the First Son) but they are, nevertheless, a lot of fun to read. The letters that Alex and Henry exchange are touching.
I was reminded of The Royal We, which has a similar plot (if not LGBT-related) of an American embarking upon an affair with a British prince. I know a lot of people loved that one, but it wasn’t for me; the drama of will-they-won’t-they was exhausting, and while it’s realistic to have the MC swamped in royal protocol, it wore me down. This book cleverly avoids that, and its main issues are a bit more relatable. It helps that both main characters are sweet. You want them to do well and be happy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the last chapters, as they seemed rushed but still dragged a little, but I understand the author wanted to give the reader a bit of closure.
It’s a nice, undemanding, heartwarming romance with just enough steam to keep you on your toes. The perfect beach read, really.