Hello, everyone! This evening I’m reviewing The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich. This is an author who has been a bit hit or miss for me in the past. I loved his work with Sophie Gonzales, If This Gets Out, but I despised his recent solo novel The Pledge. So, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his new work. The premise was enough to pique my interest, though, and here we are.

Two princes from neighboring countries fall into a whirlwind royal romance in this sparkling spin on The Princess Diaries by Cale Dietrich.

Jamie Johnson has never been the centre of attention, and he’s perfectly okay with that. His entire world unravels as a hidden truth emerges: he’s the heir to the throne of Mitanor, a sun-drenched southern European country, and the press is ready to expose this secret to the world. An invitation to spend the summer in his father’s palace arrives, giving Jamie a chance to get to know the man he never thought he’d meet.

Meanwhile, in a northern European kingdom known for its cold climate and stoic royals, Erik Von Rosenborg, the spare prince, grapples with the upcoming marriage of his golden-boy elder brother. With the country’s spotlight trained on his family more than ever, Erik feels sidelined and tightly controlled. So when he receives an offer to tutor the newly found American prince in the ways of royalty, he accepts without hesitation.

At a magnificent summer palace, Erik guides Jamie through the intricacies of royal etiquette, politics, and history. What neither prince anticipates is the connection that sparks between them—one that challenges both of their futures. Now each must make a choice: follow their hearts, or the time-honored royal path where crown and country reigns supreme, no matter the personal cost.

***Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I don’t quite know how to express my feelings about The Rules of Royalty. I’m conflicted. The premise was great, and I loved how it mixed ideas from The Princess Diaries and Red, White & Royal Blue into something fun for a YA audience. The story just required such a suspension of disbelief, and I wasn’t able to get there. Most aspects of the story also lacked depth, and I often found myself wanting more from it.

My favorite thing about The Rules of Royalty was how it made me feel while reading it. There were a ton of adorable moments, and the story had an atmosphere of positivity that was infectious. I grinned so much while reading and loved getting to experience the royal life alongside Jamie. Additionally, every interaction between Jamie and Erik was just so heartwarming and wholesome. They really were couple goals even if things did move a bit quick.

Unfortunately, the character development in The Rules of Royalty felt a bit lopsided. Jamie was seemingly great at everything and took the giant upheaval to his life in stride. It made him seem really flat. A perfect person doesn’t really make for a riveting character. Erik on the other hand had a great arc with significant growth. He had to learn to stand up for himself and not let his family control his whole life. Hiding his true self from everyone, even oftentimes himself, took its toll, and I loved that Jamie helped to kickstart Erik’s journey to living more authentically. I just wish Jamie had a more satisfying arc of his own considering the difficult circumstances he faced in learning to be a prince.

As for the plot of The Rules of Royalty, there wasn’t that much to it. Once Jamie finds out that he is a prince, the story mostly focuses on his lessons of royal etiquette and his blossoming relationship with Erik. Everyone accepted Jamie very quickly. He faced almost no obstacles that he didn’t immediately overcome. I needed way more angst. lol. The end finally provided a little more drama, but I never doubted that things would work out.

If you are looking for something heartwarming that doesn’t take itself too seriously, you might love this book, especially if you’ve ever harbored fantasies about being a secret royal. I wanted more depth and angst from both the plot and most of the characters. However, I still enjoyed my time with The Rules of Royalty and found the lovable vibes endearing. Therefore, I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars.

Have you read The Rules of Royalty or any of Dietrich’s other books? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!