Whoever okayed this book, they were trying to ride the hype of Red, White & Royal Blue. Well, it is a queer romance, it involves a prince. In fact, two princes. But I'm almost sure that's not the book the author had in mind while writing. If anything, it's closer to Princes Diaries or maybe Roman Holiday.

Well, both. As we have two main characters: Edward, the crown prince of Canada who is always bringing trouble, and Billy, the actual crown prince of Canada who just found out who he really is after being raised in a farm of the States. They're twins, but lived completely different lives in different countries. And now they're inverting their roles, now Edward isn't the next in line to be king, but Billy, for being the older twin. Worst, for Edward, it's like Billy is getting everything, he doesn't need to pretend to be straight, as he's been out of the closet for a long time, and his parents and the press seem to love him.

3 plus.

I like the idea, but the development dragged in my opinion. I can't point out what would have made me like this book more (maybe if it weren't two stories in a single book? Focusing more on one of the princes?), but the feeling that I was supposed to like this more stuck with me to the end. I found both princes not easy to relate to, especially Edward, of course. The certainty that all he did would come back to bite him made me anxious. The part of the Canadian royal family was also a little weird, I didn't really understand the mechanics behind it and would probably have preferred if they didn't get into details and just present it as a fact, but then the book started going into the relations with the British side. Weird. Not what I'm here for. So, maybe this book loses us in the extras the author probably worked hard to insert when we were okay with just the romances. And the romances ended up bland as a result.

Still, a good book, deserving that plus. As I said, I can see the author put effort.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

*DNF*

When I originally saw this book I was intrigued but as I read it I lost the spark that made me first interested. From what I read, the premise seemed okay however I just wasn’t interested. Canada as a monarchy was a weird choice but whatever.

The premise of this book sounds like a ton of fun. Twins separated at birth. One is royal and one becomes a rancher. Both are gay and through complete happenstance, they discover each other and the truth.

I was ready to fully throw myself into this book and almost immediately realized that it was going to be a rough one. The characters were all over the place and for each step forward with growth or a character arc, we’d take three steps back. I was hopeful this would abate sooner rather than later, but it lasted almost until the end of the book.

There’s a deeper conversation to be had about the nature of families. Those who are blood, those who are chosen, and those who are complicated. This book seemed to know that this was the heart of the story, but it never really wanted to go there.

I didn’t mind suspending my belief for a Canadian monarchy, but I did mind getting to the end of the book and wondering why I spent so much time for little.

2 stars

This was adorable. I'm always up for a good sibling focused YA Contemporary and this one fit the bill. I liked getting to know Edward and Billy throughout this story. I thought the author did a good job of portraying their journey's of self-discovery and acceptance. The tension between the two of them as they navigated the new dynamics around what was once expected of them felt authentic and relatable.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good YA Contemporary with a hint of romance. I thought the focus on the two main characters was important to the story and I liked that the romance didn't get in the way of the relationship they were all building together.

It's official: I'm a sucker for gay royal romances. A Tale of Two Princes was no exception. It was quirky, romantic, and fun in all the right places.

I will always recommend two princes falling in love. Come on!!!! Let's go!!! Yes, this book wasn't my absolute favorite, but I did thoroughly enjoy it and I hope every queer NA will enjoy it as well. I loved the chemistry between the two main leads. The tropes were epic and I wanted more by the ending!! This book makes me want to fall in love with a prince, which hasn't happened since I was still in the closet watching Julia Stiles' The Prince and Me.

I was excited to read this when I first read the synopsis, but sadly it just wasn't for me. The plot was confusing, I wasn't crazy about the writing style, and I just never really connected with the characters. I ended up DNFing it about 40% in. A Tale of Two Princes just wasn't for me.

Ooof this book was waaaaaay too long. Even while reading on a kindle, I felt like it took forever to finish and kept dragging on so bad. I didn't like a single character in this book. There's two POVs alternating between each brother. However, if there's no additions of french expressions from Edward, I wouldn't have been able to tell either of these two characters apart. The acts of sabotage or "almost sabotage" just felt childish for someone who wanted to be the future King of Canada. All the characters seemed super childish, even for teenagers.

Also, the whole fact that Billy's mom's child died and didn't realize it was so awful. I wish they had gone the adoption route without realizing that the child they adopted was a royal sibling. So not only did Billy's mom lose her child she carried and birthed, but then Billy's father (in all ways but biologically) dies too when Billy is a young teenager.

The Review

This was a truly compelling and entertaining LGBTQ-driven read. The author did an amazing job o balancing the emotional character development with the drama and glamor of Royal and the Royal family. The unique story addition of a Canadian Royal Family and the twist on the classic Parent Trap/long-lost twin trope added depth to the narrative that was both wildly engaging and thoughtful. The magical setting of New York and Canada’s royal property was a great juxtaposition to the calm and serene beauty of the Montana countryside.

To me, the heart of this narrative rested in the rich character development and the inclusivity that the author’s story provided. The way the author tackled the fears and hardships of both staying closeted and being out as a gay teen, let alone a gay teen in the public eye, was greatly represented by the brothers and their unique backgrounds. The drama that ensues as the pressures of royal life and the line of succession, as well as scheming behind the scenes and subtle yet passionate romances, made this a truly compelling story.

The Verdict

Memorable, emotionally-riven, and thoughtful written, author Eric Geron’s “A Tale of Two Princes” is a must-read LGBTQ YA novel of 2023. The heart of this story and the gripping story of two brothers, a shocking backstory, and the emotional depths of the themes, from lost loved ones and family secrets to battling homophobia and accepting oneself for who they are, make this a book I couldn’t put down.

A Tale of Two Princes was also a tale of fun, through and through. Family and friend drama coupled with a readership who has grown up on the sensationalism surrounding royalty and social media, this is sure to be a hit with the young adult crowd.

This wasn't the book I thought it was. And the main character was way too whiny for me. I got to about 35% of this and tried on 2 different formats to read this and I just couldn't get into it.

This was a cute book. Definitely had some Hallmark movie vibes - which is not a bad thing - I love Hallmark movies. Edward was a douche and I still really didn't like him by the end. Billy was bland. Pax was the best character.

This book was so Canadian it hurts, and as a Canadian, I loved EVERY second of it. The nods to Canadian culture, the maple syrup, the touques, and so much more made this book so enjoyable to me. I'm certain setting and background had a lot to do with it, but, I couldn't get enough of this book. Would absolutely recommend to all my Canadian friends.

dnf @ 20%. i couldn't do this one. the concept of a monarchy in canada told in a very "pro monarchy" voice was giving me the ick. i also read some other reviews and the story seems pretty juvenile. don't need to waste my time with this one.

A fun book if thin in places; relies heavily on the architecture of the genre in its execution and ends up falling short of other entries. Definitely not bad, but not the best book in the Contemporary Queer young royal section.

I couldn’t stand this book. I tried to like it. Tried to see some good in it. I usually CAN find some good in books, some sort of redeemable factor that makes it worth it, but I couldn’t with this. The plot is terrible and makes no sense. Why is there a monarchy in Canada, and why were the citizens just OKAY with this happening? And that’s just the tip of my complaints about this book. The characters are all flat. The choices and demands are infuriating. The writing was okay but wasn’t creative enough to make up for the one dimensional personalities we were being handed. I read about half before I DNF.

I loved the idea of this book so much more than I did the reality of reading it. Sadly it seemed to drag on for a really long time and I just really didn't like any of the characters much at all.

I do thank you for the opportunity of reading it though and I'm sorry that this one just wasn't for me.

This book was too long. Too much telling, not enough showing. All the side characters were either one dimensional or a caricature. The dialogue was clunky. Interesting concept, poor execution.

A fun, and sometimes funny, m/m romance that I ended up wanting to like more than I did.

I really enjoyed the characters, but the frenetic pacing with the constant one-liners stayed on the same emotional note a tad too long, making the story seem longer than it was. Splitting it up over many days helped, also, the utterly delightful Pax. Much as I liked their royal highnesses, I ended up wishing it was their (meaning Pax's) story, the focus on them.

Thank you to @netgalley and @inkyardpress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of this novel. Royal twins separated at birth that happen to run into each other setting of a spiral of unexpected events. Princess Diaries meets Parent Trap meets Red White and Royal Blue meets American Royals series. This story addresses how royal families must live up to a certain image, homophobia, the paparazzi, and how families (blood or not) are the most important in the end.

Overall, it was a fun read. Pretty far-fetched, but that did not make it any less enjoyable. If you want a book of characters, you can cheer on, this book is for you.

4 stars

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