First - Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book! All my opinions are honest! Yaaaay!

This was a take on the Prince and the Pauper and that did not disappoint. This was good read - something more chick lit and contemporary romance, and an easy read. I could breeze through the pages without flipping pages back.
There is a whooooole lot of pop culture references (sometimes, i feel a little tooooo much that i lost myself in them) that i think a reader may feel lost if they cannot associate the reference. Also - the POVs switch between Jess and Imogen and because they swap places (a'la the Vanessa Hudgens Christmas Movie on netflix), it gets a teeny bit confusing whose POV i am reading at certain points.
But all in all , i think this was well written and a beautiful book and something you could take to read on a beach!

This was a super fast, light-hearted cute read. The book takes place at a con, with a gender bent retelling of a classic take. The writing references pop culture, Twitter (truly some hilarious lines about that social media platform), and it’s just so current it’s hard not to read the book without feeling like you’re talking to a really close friend.

The POV shifts between our two heroines and while engaging to read, I did find their first POV to be somewhat interchangeable. I so wanted their voices to be a touch more different than each other, a bit more distinct and nuanced.

Overall, a fun read. Also! I’d read GEEKERELLA! There are some characters who make an appearance. :)

Such a fun read! I love how delightfully geeky The Princess and the Fangirl was! And a few peeks at characters from Geekerella was an extra treat.

The dual POVs also made this super fun. I recommend The Princess and the Fangirl for a pick-me-up kind of book on a day you need something bright, fast-paced, and indulgently fun to read.

Also, I LOVE the subtle Yuri on Ice!! mention!!

I wish I had liked this title more than I did. To be honest there was a lot that did not mesh well in the story, in my opinion, which was disappointing considering I loved Geekerella so much. I didn't really get behind the love interests too much, the one with Jessica being slightly more enjoyable than the one with Imogen. Also, I had a problem believing that Imogen's best friend wouldn't find out that Jessica was pretending to be Imogen right off the bat, just believing that Imogen "forgot" the reason why they became best friends in the first place. All in all, I was just sadly disappointed by this sequel.

Attending the popular culture event is an institution for Imogen Lovelace, Starfield enthusiast and creator of the online campaign to save Amara, the female heroine of the popular franchise. The online petition amassing thousands of signatures. Attending the convention with her brother Milo and parents Kathy and Minerva, Imogen intends to campaign for the Starfield sequel and intermingle with convention aficionados, including internet friend and artist Harper Hart.

Jessica Stone is an award winning actress reprising the role of Amara, the princess of Starfield. Darien Freeman has portrayed the immortalised Prince Carmindor to acclaim and Jessica, a target of internet abusers dissecting her credentials, her appearance and the comparison to the original Princess Amara. Jessica isn't interested in reprising her character in the Starfield sequel, despite the online campaign gathering momentum and in a moment of resentment, Jessica discards her script at the convention as the narrative is disclosed on social media.

The alternating narrative accompanies Imogen Lovelace and Jessica Stone, two dissimilar young women colliding through happenstance at the Excelsicon event. Aesthetically, Imogen and Jessica are interchangeable, Jessica is suffocating under the expectations of the Starfield fandom and Imogen is the creator of the Save Amara campaign. Imogen is answering questions on a Starfield character panel at the convention, successfully mistaken for Jessica and uses the opportunity to lend voice to her online campaign. Reluctantly, Jessica allows Imogen to covertly assume her convention appearances, chaperoned by manager Ethan Tanaka as Jessica investigates the saboteur who has obtained her script.

Excelsicon is atmospherically exhilarating, in particular the assiduous Artists Alley and African American artist Harper Hart, Starfield merchandise designer. Believing that Jessica is Imogen, Jessica and Harper are developing a gentle friendship and endearment and Imogen in her capacity as Jessica, despite her frustration, is developing an attraction to Ethan, Jessica's confidant and assistant. The Princess and The Fangirl is a celebration of diversity and friendship. Platonic love, attraction, same gender relationships, parental relationships and memorable acquaintances. American Asian, African American, gay and lesbian, vibrant, diverse and inclusive characters.

Popular culture enthusiasts can create a wonderfully inclusive environment as experienced at Excelsicon but also discloses the negative and antagonistic factions that engage in online abuse and harassment. Jessica Stone reprised the character of Amara in the successful Starfield franchise. On social media she is taunted, abused and degraded rather than being exposed to the inclusive environment. It also touches upon creators and unpaid labour, the acknowledgement of the prejudice against black women in film, sexual assault and also challenging the inequality of female actors within the industry as Jessica is harassed and Darien Freeman, celebrated.

The Princess and the Fangirl is categorically enchanting. A whirlwind of effervescent and charismatic characters, diversity and inclusiveness, challenging stereotypes and societal adversity. A gentle romance and tender friendship, creating one of the loveliest contemporaries you're likely to discover this year. Absolutely, positively recommended wholeheartedly.

This was a cute fandom themed YA romance which I could enjoy even though I haven't read the first installment, Geekarella. The idea to do a modern retelling of <I> The Prince and the Pauper</I> is a good one, I think, and the book is self-aware enough to acknowledge the delightful tropey-ness of this premise rather than trying to overexplain things. I did feel that, since the whole story only takes place over one convention weekend, the story felt rather rushed, and I didn't get the character development and deep relationships that I was hoping for from this. Also, it did feel like every possible fandom reference was thrown in at times, a lot of times just for the sake of having a reference, which can wear on you after a while. But I think the bones of the story and the message it shares about fandom, online culture, and female characters are very strong.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free preview copy of this novel from NetGalley. I was so excited when I saw it pop up to request because I loved Geekerella! It has been a while since I read Geekerella, and I think this affected my view of The Princess and the Fangirl. I remember thinking Geekerella was a cute little romance with a fun view of the comic-con world, but Princess doesn't come across the same way. In Geekerella, Poston creates the Starfield world and fandom, but she assumes the reader remembers all of that well enough to just pick up and keep following that world. I know sequels have to ride a fine line between reviewing too much and not reviewing enough, but when it's a story based on a completely fictional show that the characters watch, I'm guessing there are plenty of readers like me who need more specific reminders and fewer allusions because we can't remember it all and we don't have time to re-read previous books every time a sequel comes out.
What I liked:
Ashley Poston's writing style is smooth and easy to read. Generally, there's a good balance between narration and dialogue that doesn't feel awkward in one direction or the other.
The length of the novel is good for attracting adolescent readers -- not so long that they'll avoid it on the library shelves, but not so short that plot and character can't be (somewhat) developed.
I was concerned at first that the book's big relationship would be between Imogen and Jess, the two main characters, and it really bothered me that they would fall in love and stick together without thinking that it's odd for them to look so much alike, especially with Imogen having been conceived with a sperm donor she doesn't know...thankfully, that was not the case. Maybe I just worry too much.
What I didn't love:
The characters don't seem realistic, especially Milo. Character development is awkwardly paced, too -- lots of slow, repetitive parts, but then lots of hurry-up-and-make-a-change-happen-inside parts.

Ashley Poston has a wonderful way of writing fandom; she doesn't shy away from the dark side of it, especially as it concerns women in fandom/on the internet/in nerd culture, but she also doesn't ignore the best parts of it, either. I really loved all of the discussions about fame/celebrity and being a woman in that sphere, I loved the cute romances, and I loved being reacquainted with old favorites from Geekerella. I would read many more books in the Once Upon a Con series. They're just a good time, and will leave anyone who has ever been part of a fandom feeling warm inside.

Oh man this book! I loved the sweetness of Geekerella and was so excited to return to Excelsicon in this book. It takes the Prince and Pauper, makes them a starlet and a nerd girl. I loved them both over the course of the book and it was so fun to get tiny glimpses of Elle and Dare. It gave me such warm feelings and every time I put it down I couldn't want to get back to and read it. I hope Poston continues to give us more stories in the Once Upon A Con world.

A great follow-up to Geekerella, The Princess and the Fangirl follows actress Jessica Stone (Starfield's Princess Amara) and Imogen Lovelace (super Starfield fan) at Excelsicon. After being mistaken for one another, the two girls swap lives for the week to pursue their own goals; Imogen is campaigning to bring Princess Amara back in the next Starfield film while Jessica is trying to find the lost script for the same film. Both girls learn to see their world from different perspectives and the typical mistaken identity hijinks ensue.

If you have ever been involved with fandom, this is the book for you. If you have ever wondered what a small scale Comic Con was like - this book will give you a great perspective on that too. If you are looking for a story about two girls pursuing their dreams - however simple as they may be - you won't find a more quirky, fun read.

The Princess and the Fangirl is the cuddly fandom contemporary you want and need! From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Imogen and Jess were two great leads in this fan-tastic show.

Here is a brief synopsis: At ExcelsiCon, Imogen, lifetime con attendee and spearhead behind the #SaveAmara movement, gets mistaken for the actress who just happens to play her favorite fictional character in need of saving in the newest reboot of Starfield. But Jessica Stone, the real Princess Amara does not want to be saved. When the script to Starfield's sequel is leaked at the con, the two look-a-likes switch places to figure out who's behind the leak--and who's trying to pin it all on Jess.

Although this book takes place in the same realm as Poston's previous novel, Geekerella, readers don't have to be familiar with it in order to completely love this one! If you have read Geekerella, some of your favorite characters pop up, and there are some things that you'll pick up that readers who haven't read Geekerella won't. But, if you haven't read Geekerella, never fear! You will still love this book as a standalone! Geeks and nerds will love references to their favorite fandoms, as well as some made-up ones, and your fangirl heart is sure to melt multiple times.

The voices of the characters were perfect and they felt so real. So many of the topics brought up are so important and it's great that Poston did this in a way that the readers will appreciate.

Definitely pick this one up when it comes out!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I must admit that I loved the first title in this series, ‘Geekerella’ and was extremely happy to see that there was a sequel.

While the characters from Geekerella are referenced in this title and Darien (one of Geekerella’s protagonists) features, this is definitely Jess and Imogen’s story. The action occurs over a long weekend at a ‘con’ and Jess and Imogen have contrasting views and experiences of fandom. A loose retelling of ‘The prince and the pauper’ the focus of the story is on how actress Jess swaps places with fan Imogen and the resultant chaos er, friendships and relationships etc. Sorry, you’ll have to wait for the book to be released for more, as I prefer not to be a ‘spoiler’.

This book does contain F/F & B/B relationships.

My review will be posted January 23rd on my blog.

This link will go live at 12AM on the 23rd:
https://livthebooknerd.blogspot.com/2019/01/review-princess-and-fangirl-once-upon.html

My Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I am so thrilled to be a part of the hype for this book. April 2nd cannot come quick enough. I cannot wait to see the whole layout for the finished copy. Geekerella was such a gorgeous book. When I read Geekerella last year, I didn't expect to get a sequel -- of sorts. The Princess and the Fangirl is actually a companion that follows Jess (Dar's co-star who plays Amara) and another new character, Imogen.


TP&amp;TF is a modern gender-bent retelling of The Prince and the Pauper. I've never actually read The Prince and the Pauper, but I am very familiar with the Barbie classic: The Princess and the Pauper. Call me a dork all you want, but the earlier Barbie movies were 8-year-old Olivia's favorite. I loved those movies. They were cliche, they weren't the best plot-wise, the music wasn't as fantastic as the kiddos of the time thought, and they weren't animated that fantastically either. HOWEVER, I really do appreciate the emphasis on powerful and capable women throughout the movies.


In this book, there are so many amazing characters. Ashley Poston has such a talent for writing about characters -main and side characters, alike -- that are so well written and complex. I love it when the side characters have their own personalities and lives outside of the POV of the main characters. It adds such a fantastic depth to the overall story. I would have loved to get to know more about Imogen's moms. They were so nerdy and caring. I loved their relationship and their relationship with their kids. They seemed to be so different, but so perfect for each other. I love them.


I also absolutely adore Imogen's brother and his boyfriend. I loved getting little glimpses of their relationship. I hope that the next companion (if we get one) is about them. I definitely need that in my life. They were too freaking cute!


Let's talk about Ethan. I love him. He's definitely a Hufflepuff and I love his quirks and grumpy attitude. I'm sure that people aren't going to like him, but he reminds me too much of my boyfriend at times to actually dislike his attitude. I love his dedication to his best friend (Jess) and I love what he does when he gets stressed and worried. (I will let you find that out yourself. Please read this book.)


Speaking of Jess, let's talk about her too. She's so complex and I really enjoyed her as a character. She and Imogen are technically the main characters of this book, but I really felt like Jess was the #1 focus. She goes through so much growth over four days and I just love her growth as a character. Her behavior, at first really bugged me, but as the book continued I finally understood what all she went through as the reboot Amara. I love how Ashley Poston highlighted the positive and negative aspects of fandom culture. There are definitely wonderful and perfect moments about being in a fandom, but there are toxic behavior and toxic behaviors that come with it. This was the perfect love letter to fandom culture.


This book was exactly what I needed during my long Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. I cannot wait to read what Ashley Poston has next. I definitely need to pick up Heart of Iron soon! She is quickly becoming a new favorite author. I need to read HOI before the sequel, Soul of Stars comes out in July. Ashley is such a badass writer! Wow!


If you love fluffy romance novels with hate to love romance, slow burn romance, wonderful sibling dynamics, fandom references, healthy growth and badassery, sweet diverse couples, and laugh out loud/squeal out loud/scream out loud moments, definitely pick up this book! Pre-order it! It comes out April 2nd! You need this book in your life!


This is definitely a favorite of the year!

ARC provided from the publisher(Quirk Books) via Netgalley+ in exchange for an honest review (Thank you, Publisher!!)
Well, I loved Geekerella and yes !! I read it a couple of times maybe I loved it so much because of being a Disney retellings. Disney retellings are kind of classic, we grew up watching Disney movies and I adored them . Ashley Poston took Disney characters and power of fandom and created a marvelous combination named Geekerella with adorable characters and sweet storyline.On the side note ,everything being downright cute and fluffy . Year 2019, Ashley Poston took another characters of Disney bandwagon , Princess and Pauper and power of fandom and Con’s and created The Princess and The Fangirl (A companion novel to Geekerella ) and I read it within five years inspite of being sick.But the bigger question looms; does it live up to expectatation of Geekerella Fandom ? My Answer would a big YES (and it is a huge relief) .
It has all the quirkiness and fangirling of its previous characters , I always wanted to know more about Jessica Stone , she was a rather different character and perhaps the only one who was not a huge fan of the fandom. We all are a part of some fandom and this book just displays the love of fandom and Con’s /particularly in this book we have a settings in the starfield’s ExcelsiCon./
“Look to the stars. Aim. Ignite.”
Characters:The two Heroines of the Novel , Jessica Stone and Imogen Lovelace who looks similar but have such a different striking personality and then being a fangirl of Starfield and other just wanting to leave the franchise with loads of nerds stuffff. With such protagonists stepping into each others world lots of unexpected things , waiting to happen .
Set up: The Starfield’s ExcelsiCon and then there is so much about the Starfield and the story takes place in a span of 4 Days .
Romance: A very insta kind of love with quick attraction between drop dead gorgeous characters , but honestly being modern Disney Retellings this book had a happy ending sort of vibe .
Well, I don’t say much about the book as it becames to easier to get spoiled. The Modern Disney Retelling does not disappoint at all with loads of nerd stuff and the power of fangirl and fandoms. The vibe of the story was cute , fluffy and soooo Disneyish.

The sequel or companion book to Geekerella, The Princess And The Fangirl sees the gaze shift to Jessica, Darien’s co-star in Starfield, giving us a whole new take on The Prince And The Pauper story, and it’s a really good one.

Where we have seen many of the characters in this book fleshed out in the first book, Ashley really gives us a whole new cast of some really great characters, Harper and Imogen in particular in unison with Jessica (who really works well in antagonism with Imogen throughout this book) make for a trio of really well made characters and they all make for a great plot.

The plot and the romances in particular I did enjoy to be honest, which is something of a rarity for me. This book giving us an excellent location for some really great plot twists and turns and some really freakin’ cute moments - that finale for one is the most ridiculously cute thing I’ve read in a very long time, and I mean that in a good way. ( I also kinda like the touches with the names, Lovelace is an excellent name for a ‘geek’).

As much fun as the first book, this makes me look forward to more from this writer, I really enjoyed reading this book this week - if you like Becky Albertalli and need someone new, Ashley Poston is your go to.

What a wild ride this con was !

It was so much fun to revisit our dashing Carmindor and Elle's Excelsicon world and hang out with some old favourite characters and new favourite characters.

One of my favourite classic stories is "Prince and the Pauper" and The Princess and the Fangirl is a spunky spin on a classic.

Pair a nerd like Imogen and a star like Jessica and you get a recipe for a beautiful disaster. These girls look like each other and while one is desperately trying to save Princess Amara from a permanent death in the now hit movie Starfield, the other is trying to stay dead and doesn't want to reprise her role.

It's only by working together that they can avert a PR disaster while pretending to be each other to save Jessica's reputation and Imogen's fandom.


Oh and there's a bit of romance and a Mark Hamill style cameo. You always need an Easter egg and a kiss or two.

I really enjoyed Ashley Poston's retelling of Cinderella in Geekerella, so I was delighted to see the same treatment for the Prince and the Pauper with the return of some of our beloved characters from the first book.

When actress Jessica Stone decides to flee her "princess" post after being ripped apart by critics, lookalike Imogene steps in to save the character. As the girls experience living in each other's shoes, romantic side plots and a mystery about script leaks are added.

The book was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed that there was a female/female romance. I think many teenagers will be just as pleased with this book as they were the first.

While it could stand alone, I think readers will enjoy it more with the first book.

Ms. Poston continues to show great romance, wit, and fun in her writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley.com, the author and publisher for my advance reader copy.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Geekerella so when I found out that the author was making a sequel I was beyond excited! The Princess and the Fangirl is just as cheesy cute as Geekerella was, which means it was perfect. Ashley Poston knows how to write the nerdy fangirl and the princess of entertainment. Right when I started this book I couldn't put it down. Imogen Lovelace and Jessica Stone are such likeable characters that the reader can't wait to see how their story ends. I loved the minor characters just as much as the main characters too, which can be hard to do. Ethan, Harper, Milo are the ideal characters you want side by side with the stars in a book. Ethan is the assistant to Jessica, the famous movie star, and who happens to be a massive nerd. Harper is Imogen's best friend online. Milo is Imogen's adorable brother. The story sucks you in from page one and keeps you reading till the end. I need more of this series! I love the romance, nerdness, and the fairy tale aspect of this series.

I loved Geekerella, and I think I might love The Princess and the Fangirl even more!

This cute, quirky, and adorable book has a princess swap at the con - but it's also a novel that comments on femininity, ideas of feminism, and (without explicitly saying so) toxic concepts of femininity in Hollywood and the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Timely and fierce yet also sweet and romantic, this novel deftly mingles social commentary with all the positive feelings!

I loved this book. I didn't even realize it was connected to Geekerella until I started reading it. The connections just made the book even better!

Cute modern day retelling. So many geeky references. Fun story line. Old characters returning/making appearances. New awesome characters stepping in. Overall a fun fast read! You do not need to read Geekerella first but it will help tie in some of the old returning characters stories.