The Royal We

American Rebecca Porter definitely did not take a semester abroad at Oxford because she wanted to fall in love with the prince of England. But she did. And she quickly learned that if she was going to be with him, all her other wants and needs would go out the window. She has zero privacy from paparazzi and vicious bloggers. His family hates her (except for his hot younger brother). And after she has a falling out with her twin sister, Rebecca doesn't have anyone she can trust and confide in. Is she doing the right thing? Is all of this worth it?

This is a very fun read, and I read all 450 pages in two sittings. The subject matter is a bit fluffy but the book is very well written, with complex and sympathetic characters. (Bea is my show more favorite.) But there's some meaning here as well. The book has a lot of relevant things to say about the royal family's relationship with the media, in a way that is similar to the play [King Charles III]. There was the tiniest bit of character stuff that annoyed me: I have zero sympathy for Lacey. If she didn't like living in Bex's shadow, why didn't she go off and live her own life instead of just tagging around behind her sister? The comparisons between Lacey and Freddie don't hold water, because Lacey is free to leave (unlike Freddie) and Lacey has only had to be in her sister's shadow since Bex started dating Nick, while Freddie has been in his brother's shadow since the moment he was born. But it reads so quickly that it's easy to gloss over a small annoyance or two.

The ending of this book was hard to pull off, but I liked it a LOT. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something fun and absorbing to read. show less

What a mess! And I liked it. This is juicy Lifetime drama disguised as a Hallmark miniseries. Sex, scandal, lots of alcohol which didn't help either front. I laughed. I gasped. I couldn't stop thinking about this ridiculous and stupid book. I regret nothing and everything.

I completely adore this book. Even though I am a diehard (American) royalist, I never entertained princess fantasies after the age of 9 (other than hoping I’d run into Prince Harry while on a London vacation when I was 16), but I am a sucker for a well-written and convincing royal love story. Thankfully, The Royal We delivers on both counts.I’ve been burned by terrible royalist fanfiction over the years, drivel full of simpering and annoying characters that made we want to gag (you can be royal and still have a personality you know…) and the last time I read a decent royal princess book was when I read Ella Enchanted and Just Ella back to back and over and over again when I was in the 4th grade. That was 16 years ago and I’d show more been searching ever since. Finally, my search is over!

Bex is a modern American young woman (props to the authors for writing awesome college characters!) who jumps at the chance to study art at Oxford as an exchange student from Cornell – yep, she’s witty and brilliant too! She thoroughly embodies what I think of when I think of a model New Adult protagonist – like Mary Poppins, she’s practically perfect in every way! And by practically perfect, I mean she’s real, she has flaws, she can be impulsive and indecisive and questioning but also strong and fierce and proud to be herself. Nick is charming, and also particularly perfect in his flaws as well. To the point where I questioned whether or not Heather Cocks and/or Jessica Morgan knew Prince William and if he was anything like Nick in his early twenties.

Beyond the two main characters (as The Royal We is told from Bex’s point of view, clearly it’s mostly about her and Nick and their relationship), the supporting cast are equally intriguing (oftentimes more so than B & N) and never fall flat, unless they’re literally falling flat on their faces, which might happen occasionally… Prince Freddie behaves in what I imagine to be a very Prince Harry like fashion, their father is cold and cruel (which does contrast to the image of slightly goofy Charles) and the addition of a mother character on the royal end is fascinating. Bex’s family is charming and clearly love her unconditionally, but it’s her twin sister that readers see the most of, and, well, Lacey’s not too thrilled to be giving up the spotlight. A good bit of sisterly drama unfolds which, having a sister, I could thoroughly appreciate, and it a strong point of the story to see their relationship change, evolve, and, eventually, deteriorate, though there is hope for future reconciliation!

I could read The Royal We over and over again and probably not get bored, for at least the first three re-reads. Though now, Laura is reading it, so given that she had at first hoped I’d mock it, we’ll have to see how she weighs in in her review in a few weeks! show less

I thought this book was utterly delightful (except for one incredibly heartbreaking and well-written part), like a long-awaited blockbuster movie with a fantastic cast in which the plot hardly matters. Except in "The Royal We," the plot DOES matter (I cared, anyway!), and it moved at a pace that kept it fascinating and nearly unputdownable. :) I appreciate that the authors set this fictionalized version of the British royal family in England, not a made-up country; in fact, they went to great lengths to create a believable family tree. Unlike so many comparable styles of novels these days, the authors fully developed the minor characters, and made the main characters realistic (somewhat faulted) but still completely endearing. It was a show more fun story, and a perfect break from the really heavy recent book club picks I've had to slog through.

The only reason I didn't give it a fifth star is that I can't bear to shelve it with my other 5-star favorites--not the fault of the story or its writers, just my own literary preferences. show less

I've been a fan of the authors' website, Go Fug Yourself, for years, and I enjoyed their YA books. I was thrilled to hear they were writing a book involving a royal romance because their coverage of the royals, particularly Kate Middleton, has been so much fun. So I was an easy sell, and the novel lived up to my expectations. While there are a lot of similar details (the description of the wedding dress stood out to me), this isn't a complete rehash of Kate and William. Most significantly, the authors make Bex a believable, realistic character whose choices will resonate with readers. There are some plot points that I found absolutely gut-wrenching, so while the book is a fast read, it's not entirely easy-breezy. The balance of tones is show more another of its strengths. show less

4.5

Five Reasons You Should Read The Royal We

YOU HAVE A SECRET (OR NO-SO SECRET) INTEREST IN THE ROYAL FAMILY

I don’t think anyone has tried to deny that the The Royal We‘s central romance is based on that of Prince William and Kate Middleton, so if you can’t help but listen whenever you hear bits about the couple—or their siblings—this is for you.

YOU CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF GO FUG YOURSELF

Authors Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan are the brains behind Go Fug Yourself, a fashion and gossip blog I’ve been reading so long it’s hard to imagine life before its existence. Their commentary on the site is absolutely hilarious and the snarky love language they use to talk about the Royal Family totally crosses over into The Royal show more We.

YOU READING NEEDS A DOSE OF FUN

I read some awesome books, but most of them are total bummers. Personally, I love that, but I know I should have at least one or two sunny recommendations in my back pocket. The Royal We fills that spot without feeling completely mindless.

YOU WANT TO GET LOST IN A BOOK

I don’t know if there’s anything better than a book you can’t bear parting with, and I found myself wanting to skip out on almost everything to stay huddled up with The Royal We. It’s quite long, but I felt like I could have read 200 pages more by the time I got to the end.

YOU THINK IT’S “NOT YOUR THING”

I’ll be the first to admit that a book with kissing cartoons on the cover makes me want to run for the hills, so I get it. The premise is so far outside my normal reading, I can’t see it from where I’m standing here in my comfort zone. But Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks come from a place of satire, so they know how ridiculous it sounds and write with just enough edge to stop The Royal We from becoming a piece of fluff they’d want to poke fun at. show less

I could not put it down. For something that is essentially royal family fanfiction, it was incredibly well-written, engaging, and so very very compelling. The characters were wonderful and felt like real people, warts and quirks and all.

Super fun. I imagine this will become a comfort read of mine.