Dylan is used to being the plain sister of reality TV star Dusty, who fell in love with a Scottish lord filming hit show Prince in Disguise. Unlike her camera-ready sister, Dylan avoids the camera like the plague. But when Dusty and her "prince" head to Scotland for their wedding, Dylan is dragged along too—and the draconian production crew makes it very clear that the gloves are off on the kid sister. Fortunately, things begin to look up with the appearance of a nerdy and incredibly friendly English boy, and soon sparks are flying between camera-shy Dylan and geeky Jamie.

A cute and fluffy read that goes by very, very quickly. There were some laugh out loud moments, and some moments where I admit I did tear up a little, but like a reality TV show this had a lot of what were they thinking?! moments. However, despite me constantly asking why Dylan wasn't thinking with her head when she's so smart in other areas (*cough cough* NOT Jamie *cough*), it has a lot of heart and is an adorable holiday read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

If you are looking for a young adult, fun, and charming romance this is for you. Where Mississippi, Scotland, and England are combined for a laugh out loud good time. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

DNF 33% - The premise of this book seemed like it was going to be really cute. In reality, I found all of the characters immature and annoying. It also made Scotland/England feel like a fairyland which would annoy the heck out of me if I were from one of those countries. I just couldn't make myself keep reading it.

Posting on the Blog December 8th,2017

Prince In Disguise is one of those books that had me laughing out loud so many times. This isn't something that easy to do for my cynical romance heart, but Dylan and Jamie have the best banter.
Dylan is the younger sister of Dusty the former Miss Mississippi winner and the Prince In Disguise bride to be who is going to be married to a Scottish Lord!
Dylan is the less popular, more athletic sibling and has tried to stay out of the reality show and finds it all to be rather annoying. But now she can't escape it and is forced to be apart of it and her big sister's wedding. The plus side is she gets to visit Scotland and meets a certain someone who helps make it all worth it. Jamie is a groomsman in the wedding and is the same age as Dylan. This makes them the youngest in the group and automatically makes them have to spend a lot of time together. The good part of this is that Jamie knows all the secrets of the Castle and shows Dylan a good time even if the camera's are following them around the whole time.
We slowly start to see a romance form between them and for a change I really loved it, they still had witty banter and it wasn't just all about them. Dylan was still concerned about Dusty after learning certain things and was willing to do anything to protect her big sister.
It wouldn't be a type of reality show though if we didn't have some family drama added in as well, which means that a absent family member suddenly shows up and upsets Dylan. Jamie has his own secrets as well and it might be more than Dylan can handle on top of everything else.

Overall I loved this book. Not only is it full of witty banter, but the side characters were the best as well. Kit and Heaven were the most unlikely pair to work together, but they did and they made something pretty amazing happen. Plus they both had witty comments and comic relief all while still being their for there friends. Nothing was left out in this book and it all worked.
It's going to be the perfect holiday funny read that you won't want to put down!

Fun. Cute. Sweetly romantic. Prince In Disguise is the perfect read for those who are obsessed with all things Royal, especially in light of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming nuptials. Dylan is a relateable character and I looooved that she was tall! The holiday setting was fun as was the banter between Dylan and Jamie. This is one I can give to pretty much anyone to read.

This book shot to my top favorite reads for this year! It is full of heart, romance, quirkiness, hilarious and just the right amount of snark and bite. Thank you Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for providng me an egalley copy in exchange for an honest review.



Life is real enough for Dylan, especially as the ordinary younger sister of Dusty, former Miss Mississippi and the most perfect, popular girl in Tupelo. But when Dusty wins the hand of the handsome Scottish laird-to-be Ronan on the TRC television network's crown jewel, Prince in Disguise, Dylan has to face a different kind of reality: reality TV. As the camera crew whisks them off to Scotland to film the lead-up to the wedding, camera-shy Dylan is front and center as Dusty's maid of honor. The producers are full of surprises-including old family secrets, long-lost relatives, and a hostile future mother-in-law who thinks Dusty and Dylan's family isn't good enough for her only son. At least there's Jamie, an adorably bookish groomsman who might just be the perfect antidote to all Dylan's stress...if she just can keep TRC from turning her into the next reality-show sensation.



I am normally not into books that put romance up front, but I was genuinely surprised how well the romance and the rest of everyones story balanced out. Jamie has become my new book boyfriend (Stand in an orderly line to fight me for him) and his wit and charm will sweep everyone off their feet. When I began the first few pages, I was confused because it seemed like there might have been a previous book on the Leigh sisters and Dylan's best friend, Heaven. But a chapter or so later everything started to come together and I realized this is the first book (standalone I believe). 



Dylan is a very likable and relateable 16 year old girl who just does not want to be in her older sisters, Dusty, shadow. She wants to be left alone and out of camera and America's sights. Dusty was roped into expanding her reality tv experience much to Dylan's distaste. After being flown off to Scotland on her own for Dusty's upcoming nuptials, Dylan meets Jamie under funny circumstances. Throughout the story we meet a slew of interesting and hilarious characters. The dynamic between the two sisters are interesting and sometimes the flow is a little clunky, but comes together well in the end. You'll laugh and cry and will want more of these characters after this book. Prince in Disguise releases December 19, 2017. Perfect timing for the Holiday season.

Disney published this book, and although the Disney references were spot on, it felt a little obvious to me. This story is fluff, and that's okay. But, it made me think that this was possibly going to be made as a Disney Channel movie, but then they decided to make it a book instead. Dylan is the overshadowed younger sister who gets dragged to Scotland when her sister is on a reality show. A little over half of this book is filled with the typical mean girl, sister angsty teenage drama. The last part though almost redeemed itself with me. I think if you are a teen who loves The Bachelor and is a Disney fan you'll find this light and funny. It has many cute moments and I did love the ending.

Verdict- borrow

Two stars because I liked her more by the end.

I started reading this and then skimmed to the end. It is cute and has its moments, but this was too fluffy for my tastes.

A great rom-com about reality shows and finding one's prince.

3.5.

Dylan's perfect older sister was part of a successful reality show where she unknowingly fell in love with a lord from Scotland. Now she's about to get married, the family needs to spend a too long a time in his estate back in Scotland, being filmed for a special follow-up. And the big house comes with all the clichés, secret passageways, mean mother-in-law, and cute boy with a British accent. Maybe it's not going to be so bad for Dylan having to live with cameramen following her all around after all.

I was so happy to be able to read another work by Strohm so soon! Her quirky style had left me wanting more after finishing The Date to Save. Perhaps, my higher expectations this time made feel Prince in Disguise wasn't as entertaining, but I'll still say this: it's a great book. Back to Strohm's style, I appreciate how she doesn't go for a surprise with her plot but with the focus she'll give in the story.

So, what I really liked in this one book was, first, the characters. Most of them were very well constructed. Some did seem to act a bit with a clear purpose, like Dylan's mother and Jamie's mother, for them I didn't see enough depth. I should also add her best friend Heaven, she was funny but again because the writer wrote her in to be funny. But those with actual depth were really lovely. Even Ronan, Dylan's soon-to-be brother-in-law, who didn't do much during the book, showed to have an interesting personality. Dylan's sister Dusty spent most of the book just being a nasty but perfect older sister, but got me in the later half, she was great! I almost wish we had a prequel to see her falling in love with Ronan. Their backstory was so subtly entwined with this one I would believe if anyone told me Prince in Disguise is actually the sequel, it's like all that had really happened.

Now onto the main characters, Dylan and Jamie were the romance that I thought had failed in The Date to Save. They were just so cute together Dylan and I both thought it was too good to be true. But was it? That's the main question in the book for me.

Which brings me to my real issue with the book, we had such a nice mystery to solve but not enough thrill surrounding it. As a result this great story lost rhythm after the first half and dragged a lot. If Strohm wasn't so good at presenting different aspects of a situation, especially in this case with the schemes from the reality show production trying to control Dylan's impulsiveness, I'm not sure this would have earned as many stars from me.

Talking about the reality show, bonus points for being able to shine a new light on what could have been the dullest cliché. To be honest, I was ready to be bored by it and instead this plot saved the second half, in my opinion.

It seems when I want a funny contemporary YA, Strohm is turning out to be a go-to author.

Prince in Disguise is a good, sweet, fluffy romance that was a great read in the lead up to Christmas. Dylan is the younger sister of Dusty, the winner of the titular show, who is now preparing for her wedding to Ronan (who, actually, is a Lord, but still...). Roped into the filmed special about the wedding, Dylan goes to Scotland for the Christmas Eve wedding and finds that, while a lot of what she feared about having a camera in her face 24/7 is true, there are some benefits to being there too.

The setting being in Scotland, I liked the mysterious castle that belongs to Ronan's family and the description of the Atholm Arms, the local pub. I might have appreciated a bit more description of the landscape and what have you, but considering it was the middle of winter and shortly after Dylan arrives and it snows heavily, I'm not terribly upset, especially since this weather did lead to some fun dates.

Dusty meets Jamie, a groomsmen of Ronan, who turns out to be a great friend and, eventually, date material. Not quite sure I'd say boyfriend, but romantic interest for sure. Bonding over their dislike of being filmed constantly, their friendliness grows. Jamie is a boon for Dylan, with his constant quotes and sense of adventure. Exploring the castle, secret passages included, is a relieving activity, considering they have to deal with Florence, Ronan's mother and Dusty's #1 fan (HAH! Not really...), and Pamela, the coordinator of the show who DOES NOT CARE about anyone unless there's value to the show and even then she's a horrible person. I get that she has a show to create, but I didn't get a good sense of her humanity, if it exists. These two were easily the "villains" of the piece, what with their behavior and the shenanigans they orchestrate/get up to.

Dylan has a strong family and you can really see it. Dusty and her aren't the closest siblings for two reasons: Dusty is a bit older than Dylan (ten years at least is my guess) and they're interested in different things. Dusty was a pageant princess and is more interested in all the accompanying activities and Dylan is interested in running and eating (food challenges, etc.). Their mother, who raised them mostly on her own, is doing the best she can in the scope of reality t.v. and even with that hovering over their shoulders, she has her Mama moments when you see the kind of person she is off-camera.

One of my favorite things about the book was that, while there was a romance for Dylan, it wasn't a forced instalove situation. Both she and Jamie do mention that they could love each other, and they certainly like each other quite a bit, but they never have one of those over-the-top I Love You scenes. I think it would have been one step too many for their budding relationship. It's not certain whether these two sixteen-year-olds will stay together at the conclusion of the story, primarily because they live on separate continents, the way in which the final page ends is hopeful and I like to think they do.

The big "twist" in the book was not quite obvious; I think I figured it out about half way through, but up to that point I will say that I didn't suspect it. It was kind of an "oh s*&$" moment when I realized where the story was going and I was excited to get to it, rather than realizing what it was and being disappointed. There was also one other small "twist" that I thought was well written, particularly when we got to see the main cast and others reacting to it, Dylan's keeping it a secret, and then the reveal, both to Dylan's family and the show's staff.

All in all, this was a fast read I would recommend for when you'd like a fluffy read. It was relaxing and easy to sink into. The only thing I might have liked a bit more would be seeing Ronan more, but as this was Dylan's story more than Dusty and Ronan's, I was happy with the glimpses we got. The reality show process cannot be easy and while I might not like the majority of them in real life, reading about Dylan's experience made it obvious on the page that there are real people behind these cameras, these personas that the network wants to create. Whether they're good or not is another story, of course, but in this instance, Dylan and Jamie and their families were wonderful. Funny, caring, intelligent, and sometimes unexpected.

What a great way to spend Christmas: at a castle in Scotland or, at least, reading about it. :)

~Disclaimer~
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dylan just wants to be a normal 16 yr old and live her life in the shadows. But her sisters rise in reality stardom throws her into the spotlight. Meeting her undercover royal fiancé Ronan on a show called Prince in Disguise has led to Dylans sister Dusty being on another show. 'Count Down to the Crown' will feature Dylan and her family meeting Ronan's family and planning the wedding in Scotland. The last thing Dylan wants to do is be on camera so she plans to be as boring as possible. Things don't go quite the way she hopes. Her unexpected romance with Ronan's friend Jamie keeps the cameras on her at all times.
You'll just have to read the book to see what happens.

This book was well written. With this storyline it could have easily gotten super cheesy but it didn't. Dylan is a well rounded character with insecurities and family drama. I loved all of the literary references, especially the Harry Potter ones. I really enjoyed the setting of this book. All of the historical details and secret passageways. It definitely made me want to got to a Scottish castle.
4/5 ⭐

I was unable to finish this book and, as such, will not be posting a full review on my blog. The writing was clunky and the story defied the suspension of belief, from the very first sentences. I was unable to force myself to finish this. Thank you for your consideration

Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Release Date: December 19, 2017
Summary
Dylan likes being the girl no one notices. Dusty, Dylan’s sister, likes being the one everyone looks at and EVERYONE is looking at Dusty. Dylan’s former beauty pageant sister, she was Miss Mississippi, is now the star of her own reality show. Dylan found love with a Scottish Lord on the popular television show “Prince in Disguise” and her wedding is going to be the hottest show of the season. Dylan is now forced to spend her winter break in a drafty castle being followed around cameras. The only bright spot in Dylan’s day is Jamie, the adorable groomsman who may just be Dylan’s own Prince Charming.

Review
Oh, how this book was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a cheesy Christmas read which I did get but I also got so much more. This book is laugh out loud funny. I found myself giggle at Dylan and Jamie’s intellectual banter throughout the book. Plus, the character are wonderfully likable with layers that make them feel a little more real and goes far beyond what you would expect in a teen romance book. Even seemingly one dimensional Dusty has surprising layers which is highlighted in one of the funniest and cutest scenes in the book. But the real reason this book is such a winner is the romance between Dylan and Jamie. Dylan is sarcastic and strong willed while Jamie is nerdy and cure while quoting classic literature and Disney movies. Together they are adorkable, they are sweet, they are believable, and they are what makes this book work.

Bottomline: “Prince in Disguise” is a funny and sweet YA romance that I highly recommend.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

When I want to read something that is fun, I know I cannot go wrong with a book by Stephanie Kate Strohm. Once again, Strohm delivered a charming and witty rom-com, which left me in a sunshine day mood.

•Pro: Strohm is the queen of banter. The dialog was witty and filled with the perfect pop culture references. I swear, there were moments I felt as though I was in an episode of Gilmore Girls (which is my gold standard for whip smart verbal exchanges).

•Pro: This book is filled with some really awesome and quirky characters. I absolutely could not wait to see what they would do next.

•Pro: Dylan was so fabulous! She had just the right amount of snark and heart to make you adore her, and being inside her head was a treat.

•Pro: Jamie was the perfect foil for Dylan. Poetry quoting, horseback rescuing, and a total gentleman, he slowly worked his swoon, and it was so much fun to see him in action.

•Pro: Jamie and Dylan together was a thing of beauty. They had great chemistry, and took adorable to the nth level.

•Pro: I really enjoyed the reality TV angle. It was a fun spin on Bachelor type shows, and the in show antics were especially amusing.

•Pro: I always like getting outside the US via a book, and throughly enjoyed this trip to Scotland.

•Pro: Did I mention how awesome all the pop culture references were? Seriously, could not get enough of them, because they were per-fect.

•Con: Psych! I have none. I loved this book!

Overall: As always, Strohm delivered a clever, witty, and fun story that warmed my heart and made me laugh.

Dylan is tired of being forced into situations unsuited by her big sister's fame, but now the situation has climaxed because her sister is attending a reality show called Prince in Disguise and found that she has been able to snatch the heart of the noble Ronan and they will all go to the UK for the wedding of the year under the watchful eye of millions of fans. Dylan has no choice but to go and it's in that hour when it appears the sweet knight in shining armor Jamie, one of Ronan's groomsmen who takes her to his destination.
The book tells the story of Dylan in the chaos of wedding preparations with an unbearable mother-in-law, cameras everywhere, new friends and many adventures in the castle. A typically Disney story with several literary and cinematographic references beyond the references of Disney’s princesses.
I found the story super cute, well written and romantic. Dylan's discoveries about the family and her new point of view at the various situations she faces are the strong point of the plot and the icing on the cake is Jamie. I fell madly in love with the boy and because of that I was expecting a more excited and closed end to their friendship.
I recommend it for teenagers and adults, a fun and sighing plot.

Dylan finds herself swept off the Scotland for her sister's destination wedding. Her sister Dusty won Scottish laird Ronan's hand on the Prince in Disguise, a reality show, and now they will be filming all that leads up to the wedding. Nothing could make camera-shy Dylan less happy. Of course being left at the train station by the best man and rescued by cute Jamie gives her adventure quite a start.

Dylan and Jamie become good friends as they both try to avoid the cameras. Dylan was a great character. She loves her sister and mother as much as she hates being part of a reality TV show. She really doesn't want her budding romance with Jamie to become a plot thread on the program but she is willing if it will distract the producer from Dusty's secret.

The story is filled with great characters from the over-the-top best man to the evil future mother-in-law to Dusty who can turn on and turn off Southern Belle at will to Jamie who is a geeky, gawky hero with a secret of his own. I liked Dylan's relationship with her absentee father who shows up to walk Dusty down the aisle. I thought it was realistic that she had no interest in forming a relationship with a man who walked away from his family before she even knew him.

This was by turns funny and touching and romantic. I recommend it to fans of romance and reality TV.

While this book was definitely cheesy, it was so cute and fun! A great Christmasy romance for this time of year :) Longer review to come on my blog.

*Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC via Netgalley!!*

Okay, this book was adorable and fun AND HAD THE BEST DISNEY REFERENCES. I was dying with each witty Disney reference/comment that was made, and Strohm definitely has confirmed that she is a master of adorable, cheesey goodness - my favorite contemporary kind of novel. This story did drag in a few parts, and I started to get really bored - however it was cute for the most part.

The best part of this story was the comedy and wit. I read Strohm's previous novel, It's Not Me, It's You, and I actually laughed out loud quite a bit in this one - it was the same case for this one. She just has a wit to her that seems so effortless and not forced. I screengrabbed so many lines because I just had to remember them to laugh at in the future. There were a lot of comic moments, too, and I love a book that can just launch out in a comedic moment without any effort.

I also really enjoyed the characters. Dylan was fantastic, and I can so relate to her being thrown into this situation. She was funny, she was so easy to root for, and she was just a fun character. Jamie was cool, as well. He made a few too many references that went right over my head, and but I mean, you got to love a man that will start singing, "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman" to woo a girl out of her room at night and then names expeditions like The Premeditated Trapdoor excursion. Literally, I feel like he is me as a love interest in a story. XD Both of them were fun, and I loved them together.

The plot was engaging as well. I loved the idea of a Bachelor- type show with a magical prince in disguise and then the accompanying reality show following them. There was some kind of mystery involved, and all the antics that followed in Scotland was great. It was truly a lot of fun.

However, some things felt like it just was repeating over and over. Like, it didn't feel like the plot was moving and we were focused a bit too much on the comedy. At that point, it just felt kind of boring. I got disengaged with the story at some points, but it still was enjoyable overall.

This was a fun, enjoyable read, but it did dwindle in parts. I really enjoyed the characters and the comedy, and the ship was super cute. There were a few references that I did miss, but they were overall enjoyable. Three crowns and a Belle rating - which if I remember correctly did have a reference in here, too!

Favorite Quotes:
*****
On what was supposed to be the last day of filming Prince in Disguise, when I thought we were done with the Reality Channel forever, Ronan revealed he was secretly a lord, and then he dropped to one knee and proposed to my sister. See? Ronan seemed nice, but he was probably insane. You don't marry someone you just met. Did they not have Frozen in Scotland?
*****
"Little Match Girl? Because you were frozen? The Hans Christian Anderson story?"

"Yeah, I got the reference." I returned to poking the puck. It was proving to be distressingly resistant to my attempts to pierce it. Like an actual hockey puck would be. "Not really my favorite story. Kind of a downer."

"Unlike that heartwarming, not-at-all-depressing Hans Christian Anderson classic, The Little Mermaid."

"It's heartwarming when it involves singing crabs. Say what you will about Walt Disney, that man knew how to jazz up a real bummer of a story."
*****
"Did you stash that flashlight down here?"

"The Premeditated Torch is, naturally, the follow-up to the smash best seller The Premeditated Trapdoor."

"That is seriously the worst idea for a book series I've ever heard."

"Balderdash. Dashing British hero and his plucky American lady sidekick explore uncharted territory? It's brilliant."

"Plucky?" Eh, I'd been called worse. "And this territory has already been charted. By you."

"But it's uncharted for you, my plucky American lady sidekick." I turned to see him grinning at my side. "You can hold the torch, if you'd like."