The Princess and the Fangirl was incredibly cute, made me goofy smile and was so easy to read. After reading Geekerella last year I knew I had to get my hands on this book. It was so nerdy and I loved every second of it.

It is set at a convention, known as Exelsicon, which is based on a show and movie franchise called Starfield. We meet some brand new characters but also see some familiar faces from Geekerella. It follows two main characters, Jess and Imogen, who each have different but intertwining weekends at the Con. Jess is an actress who played a character in the Starfield universe called Princess Amara, but she is feeling the pressure from the press and the fandom about her performance. So when a girl who looks exactly like her (Imogen) runs into her, she takes advantage and swaps identities with her for the Con. Both Jess and Imogen experience different lives and learn about themselves and each other in the process. And they both happen to find some romance.

It was such a heartwarming and addictive book! It made me laugh out loud so many times and I loved every character. It was such a nice experience to read about relatable and real characters, full of geekiness. What I loved about this book was that although the two romances were fantastic to read, the book also had a bit of mystery to it. A movie script has gone missing at the Con and its up to Jess to try and find it. This only added to my love for this story.

If you love adorable and super nerdy books with cute romance that will leave a goofy smile on your face I would highly recommend The Princess and the Fangirl, and its prequel Geekerella! Ashley Poston is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

What a wonderfully heartwarming tale about learning to see things from another's point of view. Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary teenager who doesn't feel quite good enough and Jessica Stone is a starlet who doesn't feel like she can be herself, if she even knows who she is anymore. Switching lives for a few days allow them to understand the challenges of love, fame, and anonymity and the pitfalls of social media and stifling your personality. Add in a sweet homage to geekdom and you have a fantastic followup to Ashley Poston's Geekerella. Jess says it best when she says "sometimes the stories we need are the ones that can show us a happy ending and make us feel whole and welcome and loved." The Princess and the Fangirl is just that kind of story.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

So let’s flashback for a moment. The year is 2018. I’m reading Geekerella for the first time, thanks to a recommendation from Malka. The strange thing is, when I went onto Goodreads to add Geekerella to my currently reading I saw, “Once Upon a Con #1”. Obviously, I automatically freaked out. Is there a second one? Will there be a second one? Is this just a glitch on Goodreads?

After 5 minutes of freaking out, I totally forgot about it. That is until I visited the Quirk books booth at Comic-Con. It was there that I got confirmation about a second book! Flashforward a bit, and I got the confirmation notification from Netgalley that I was approved for this book and it absolutely made my day!

I really liked Geekerella, it was so cute and nerdy, and none of that was lost in this wonderful companion novel.

I don’t think you have to read Geekerella to understand what’s going on in The Princess and the Fangirl, but you definitely should. If only for the fact that you’ll understand all the amazing cameos.



The Princess and the Fangirl is a modern retelling of the Prince and Pauper. It follows look-alikes Jessica Stone-actress extraordinaire-and Imogen Lovelace-fangirl supreme-as they switch places during ExcelsiCon.

Jessica Stone is fed up of being Princess Amara. Constantly being attacked by fans about her interpretation of the role, no love is lost between Jess and Starfield fandom. Meanwhile, Imogen, a die-hard Starfield fangirl, is working her best to make sure that Princess Amara doesn’t get killed off from the franchise. After accidentally crossing paths, Jess and Imogen clash immediately However, when the script for the next Starfield movie begins to leak, they realize that they must cooperate to find the culprit.



This book was so cute! One thing I  loved was how we got to read from Jess’s point of view. In the first book, Jess is a side character, whom you don’t know much about, and she honestly comes off as a little rude and bitter. But in The Princess and the Fangirl, you see that Jess really has it tough with all the hate coming her way. She feels as if she isn’t valid as an actress in the role of Princess Amara, and I think it’s a really important point to bring across.

I know that it’s hard for fans to realize that actors and actresses are real people, but Ashley Poston helped by showing both sides of the story in this book. You’ve got Jess, who is just fed up with everything. She hates Starfield, she’s constantly barraged with hate, in person, and over social media, and it’s hard for her to see what’s positive about the role. Then you have Imogen, who is trying her best to save Princess Amara. She’s a fangirl who looks up to Princess Amara, and who thinks there couldn’t be anything better than playing Princess Amara in a movie.

Jessica and Imogen are complete opposites, and they clash upon meeting due to the simple fact that they don’t understand each other at all. Jessica can’t understand why Imogen is so obsessed with Amara, and Imogen can’t understand how Jessica can throw away such an amazing opportunity. By switching places they slowly come to understand each other and that leads to amazing character development. Showing that people can change when given an alternate point of view.

One thing I definitely preferred about The Princess and the Fangirl over Geekerella I is the way the con is described in this book. I don’t think that Geekerella gave that much page time to the description of the convention, but it was definitely all covered in this book. From the description of the booths to the panels to all the people in costumes, it made you feel like you were really there.

All in all, I enjoyed it. It was a cute, fluffy read with good characters and a fun environment.

I loved going back into the Geekerella world of fandoms and geekdoms that unite us all. The Princess and the Fangirl is exactly what I was expecting and wanting! I really enjoyed the shoutouts to the different fandoms throughout the book and I love that we see some characters from the previous book make some appearances.

We start with Jessica Stone, the actress who played the beloved Princess Amara, who would rather do any other part and is happy her character met an untimely end. On the other side is Imogen, who would do anything to save Amara and save her franchise future. When Imogen impersonates Jessica Stone, they meet, and due to a missing movie script, decide to switch for a few days.

The best part about this book is that it really delves into the fandom experience. It includes the good and the bad that come with fame, excessive fans, and the love of something that has meaning to so many. I love that we get both perspectives. We understand Imogen’s love and belief in a character and how it has influenced and transformed her life. We also understand Jessica’s side, with how ruthless and truly horrifyingly mean fans can be when it comes to their fandom and others interpretations of that world.

I also really enjoyed the growth we saw with Jessica’s idea of fandoms. Originally, she wants nothing more to do with Amara or the fandom. She believes that they are of “lesser” value in the film world because they aren’t and most likely will never be Oscar worthy. That the only stories worth telling are deep, poignant, and layered in metaphor. I love that Imogen opens Jessica to a new world and that these stories are just as important, even if they might never win a prestigious award. That stories about heroes and villains and the princess and a spaceship and the grand adventure are worth telling too.

The only thing that I wasn’t completely sold on was the romance aspect, from either Jessica or Imogen. They have two seperate romantic plots and both felt unengaging. The book does only take place over the course of 4 days, so maybe it was too much, too quick. I love a good love story, but it didn’t quite cut it for me this time.

I definitely look forward to reading more by this author and hopefully the continuation of this series!

Disclaimer: I was given an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Quirk Books and Ashley Poston for this opportunity

LOOK TO THE STARS. AIM. IGNITE!

STARFLAME! I was swept away by this book! I love every single thing this book offered: friendship, love, courage, representation, adventure, confidence

I was craving for a good YA read, and this book totally satisfied it! I can't wait for everyone to read this in April! I loved Geekerella but I only gave it a 4.5 stars because I know it could offer more, and Ashley Poston finally did it in The Princess and the Fangirl!

Starfield will now have a special place in my heart. ALWAYS. I couldn't recommend this enough.

GO. READ. THIS. BOOK.

If I had to get you to read this book by only telling you one thing, I would let you know that I read this book—in its entirety—in one sitting. Sure, I may have gotten up once or twice to go to the bathroom or get some water, but otherwise, I was stuck in bed with a cat on my lap until I finished the whole book. If that’s not enough to get you to at least try, I don’t know what will be, but just in case, let me tell you a little more.

It’s worthwhile to note that this is a companion novel to Geekerella and not strictly a sequel. This means that reading Geekerella, while suggested, is not necessarily necessary to enjoy The Princess and the Fangirl. The events of this novel take place after the conclusion of Geekerella, but we get two new perspectives! One is someone we met previously, the fabulous and talented Jessica Stone. While she played a very minor role in Geekerella, she’s front and center this time around. Our other perspective comes through the eyes of new character Imogen Ada Lovelace (kudos to Poston for her character-naming skills). Known as Mo or Monster (a nickname used by her family that she somewhat begrudgingly allows), she’s got a bright pink pixie cut and a striking resemblance to one fabulously talented actress. Shenanigans incoming.

Our fairy tale to be adapted in this case is, predictably, The Prince and the Pauper. Which means that there were less universally acknowledged elements that had to be a part of the story, as was the case with a Cinderella adaptation. So this book was a delightful surprise at every turn. It takes the best parts of Geekerella and brings all sorts of new twists and turns. Jess and Imogen attempt to use their physical similarities to their advantages, but they each have motives they keep to themselves and things get messy quickly.

What makes this story so fun is that it is set entirely during ExcelsiCon, the convention devoted to Starfield, a Firefly-esque sci-fi television show that has a strong cult following and a new movie reboot that has premiered a little under a year previous to the start of the book. The convention makes a brief but important appearance in Geekerella and is, in my humble opinion, one of the best parts in that book. So now we get to see it front and center, for all three days of the convention, as our story unfolds.

The chaos and excitement that always accompanies conventions lend themselves well to the turmoil Jess and Mo both experience in their time there. The decision to switch places, made perhaps somewhat hastily, shows them both the other side of the coin. Jessica, who was just using Starfield and her role as Princess Amara as a springboard to get her name into consideration for more serious acting roles, gets to see the convention as Imogen, aka Amara’s greatest fan. And Mo, who couldn’t understand why Jess wouldn’t absolutely love being Amara, experiences firsthand how toxic the internet can be and how difficult it is for her to stand under the scrutiny of thousands of “fans” to whom she could never be good enough. They both only saw the side of the Starfield fandom that they wanted to see.

Over the course of this book, their experiences change them in ways they couldn’t have anticipated at the start of their convention weekend. And while I may have anticipated the general arc, my voracious YA novel reading gives me an unfair advantage. But that did not diminish my experience reading this book in the slightest. There were still twists I didn’t expect, a mystery I couldn’t solve ahead of time, and plenty of heartstrings to be pulled.

So don’t think that just because you think you know how this book is going to go that that’s enough reason to not pick it up. Because a) it’s not and b) you don’t. Trust me. This one is worth it. It’s a quick read that will delight you and cause you just enough distress to keep you clinging to the pages until you’ve come out the other side. For six hours. Without moving.

I regret nothing.

Thank you to Quirk Books and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Geekerella so when I heard there would be a companion book I was so excited! And this book did not disappoint. In fact I probably loved this even more than Geekerella.

This book is filled with so much adorable geekiness, I just cannot deal! It’s a feel good book that left me feeling giddy and wanting to go to a con myself. There is so many pop culture references and I loved it! From Harry Potter to Star Wars and so much more. It made the characters, being at the con so real and so relatable! Honestly, I don’t read many contemporaries especially cute fluffy ones but wow did I love this.

This story is essentially a modern prince and the pauper retelling and it was so nice to see a retelling of a different story, as all I seem to see a beauty and the beast retellings. With the added bonus of it being set in a con over four days, it was fun and fast paced and intense. A lot happens in these four days from each of the girls learning more about themselves and each other to how it is on the other side of the fandom.

I really loved the diversity in the book too. Ethan is Asian and there is a f/f romance. I thought it was really well written and not like it was forced in there.

Jessica is the actress who plays Princess Amara on the film Starfield and she receives a lot of hate. People are always commenting all over her social media, sending her hateful messages, which is difficult for her to handle. She feels as though no one wants her there because she wasn’t a Starfield fan and she didn’t want to be in future films. As a result of all of this she is distant and generally looks like she doesn’t want to be there. Although I didn’t particularly Jess at the beginning of the book as her story developed and we get to see all that she has had to go through and how unhappy and lonely she is and I ended up really loving her and totally rooting for her!

“We need those stories, too. Stories that tell us that we can be bold and brash and make mistakes and still come out better on the other side”

Imogen is probably the opposite of Jess. She is reckless and passionate and adores Starfield. So much so that she has spearheaded a campaign and started a petition to save Amara. She has a younger brother Milo who she feels she is constantly in the shadow of. Her mums can be a little over protective and she had her heartbroken at the last excelsicon. So she puts everything into the saving Amara campaign, regardless of whether Jessica Stone wants to continue being Amara or not. Throughout the story we learn why saving Amara is so important to Imogen but she also learns why it isn’t okay to force Jess to play a role that makes her so unhappy.

They both have some great character development even though it is only set over four days and the beginning of a romance. While they switched places they both meet someone who they start to develop feelings for. Imogen’s hate to love was great, I loved how they both misunderstood each other and their own prejudices got in the way of them realising their feelings. And I oved that Jess was able to meet a girl who she could talk openly to without fear of her words being twisted and shared all over the internet. I loved seeing their friendship develop into something more. I liked that neither couple “fell in love” but that it was the beginning of something as they have only known each for a few days.

I loved that the darker side of cons and being part of a fandom was also discussed from how obsessive fans can make the actors feel uncomfortable and unsafe. To how females are portrayed in films, especially sci-fi/fantasy. They tend to be a love interested and there to push the story and character development of the male hero. How actresses are held to higher and stricter standards than their male colleagues, even mentioning real actresses that this has happened to.

“I’m sick and tired of princesses being either damsels in distress or the foil for a male character’s emotional growth.”

I think the only thing I was unsure of was the motives of the person who leaked the script. Why was it leaked? What did this person hope to achieve? I also figured out pretty early on who it was but none of this lessened my enjoyment of this book. It’s honestly so fun and anyone who loves cons and is part of a fandom will love this!

P.S Can we have Starfield made into a real show?

(Review will go live 26th March on my blog)

Ya'll are probably aware of how much I loved Geekerella already (and if you aren't then go check out our A Tale of Two Booksellers podcast Episode 1 where we RAVE about it!) so of course when I heard there was going to be a spin off book, you can bet I lost my MIND with excitement.

I am an absolute sucker for anything related to or hinting at fandom and conventions. I grew up in a time where manga was niche, when it wasn't the done thing for girls to be reading comics and I ended up hiding a large part of who I was in my late teens, early twenties. So to see these kinds of books hitting YA shelves just makes my heart sing with delight.

I threw myself back into the world of ExcelsiCon and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. Imogen was spunk and sass, I loved her. Jessica on the other hand, I really struggled to like at first. I didn't GET HER. The further into the book though, the more it became clear that she sometimes didn't get herself either. It was more Jessica's journey than it was Imogen's but I loved how the two characters stories interwove. Ashley Poston is really amazing at writing dual POV and making the characters fit together in their storytelling flawlessly.

The love interests in this book were cute and fun. How they all fitted in together was great and I loved how it all ended. I think in the end Jessica was actually my favourite character. She had the most growth and she found a new appreciation for fandom. I loved it. (I want to say more about some of the last scenes and how they made my heart race and my face break out into a grin but it would be too many spoilers!!)

If you are any kind of fan or part of any fandom, this is a funny and sassy read that you'll love!

I was really happy when we were approved for an e-arc of The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston on Netgalley.  I don't read a lot of contemporaries, especially cute fluff ones, so I do like it when I can get a good one to change up my reading a bit.

Let me start off by saying I liked Geekerella but I LOVED The Princess and the Fangirl. It's a loose retelling of The Prince and the Pauper and just that is a refreshing change form the usually fairy tales that every author seems to pic (cough*Beauty and the Beast*cough). Ashley Poston was able to bring this story to a modern geeky time and she did it brilliantly in my opinion. I also feel her writing got much stronger in this one compared to Geekerella.

Yet again the geekiness in The Princess and the Fangirl, as was Geekerella, is at a maximum. As a geek I can't tell you how much I loved all the references from pop culture there was in this book. Major props for making a Hamilton / Burr joke, almost spit my coffee out on that one. The story moves at a good pace and I didn't feel like it lagged at some places. As expected from an Ashley Poston book, there is a ton of diversity which we always love to see.

I loved these characters. Jess and Imogen, our two main ladies, are just the perfect pair. Though they come from different places, I felt their story was very similar. Their whole quest was about doing something meaningful and being enough in this world. When they cross path in the most unusual circumstances, both of them will be put face-to-face with their fears and struggles while looking through the other's eyes to see that they are not alone to live in doubt. For Imogen, living in the shadow of her overachiever sibling isn’t a new thing but with her initiative to #saveAmara, Imogen struggles to have her voice heard. Jess, the actress, who was cast into an idolized and almost « canonized» character, wishes she could leave it all behind. She is always in the spotlight, scrutinized and judged from every angle as her social media accounts keep reminding her. She's used to being deemed unworthy of the character and the success that she has so much so that you can see that she has started to believe it. Why do we continue to do this to successful women in this society? Instead of elevating each other we have a tendency to find flaws and diminished one another.  If you look at the life expectancy, career wise, of women in show business, by their 30s some have trouble finding work, nothing changed in their acting skills between their 20s and 30s except they got older. It's ridiculous. Even in every day life, women are more judged than men. We have to be attractive and successful but not too much so we don't appear intimidating. We need to want kids because if we don't then there is something seriously wrong with us. I hope for future generations that we start to empower our girls and show them that they are enough and that they do not need to fit in all these boxes that prior generations have determined, that who they are is just what this world needs. I love how Ashley Poston put a light on these fears and struggles that we all have and showed how one can be strong and that the only person you have to please and make happy is yourself.

I was really happy to revisit some old friends and meet some new ones with this book. I am hoping that we might get a third book in this universe where we might see Sage story told??? I really enjoyed this book and hope you guys will too. I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars.

“We need those stories, too. Stories that tell us that we can be bold and brash and make mistakes and still come out better on the other side.” - The Princess and The Fangirl, Ashely Poston

*Special thanks to Quirk Books for sending me an advanced copy!!! 

The Princess and The Fangirl did not disappoint. It was a perfect follow up to Geekerella and I may have even enjoyed it a bit more. It is technically a companion novel but I really think you should read Geekerella first because there would be a lot of little references you wouldn't understand or appreciate. We've got reoccurring characters and also some new ones thrown in. Similar to Geekerella there are two alternating points of view. We have Jess, the actress who plays a sci-fy princess, and Imogen, the fangirl. This is basically a new take on the classic story of the prince and the pauper. Have you've ever seen one of those movies where 2 people who look exactly the same, meet and end up switching places? Yea that's what this is lol. If I'm being honest I wasn't really expecting much from this book, I thought it was going to be one of those companion novels that just kind of flop ya know? Or doesn't live up to the first one, but I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this one. 

I really loved all the representation in this book! We had so many characters of different races and sexualities, I was loving it. I do have to say though that the romance is this was very insta-love and that's not really my style, but I still found it super cute. Another one of my favorite things about this book is all the fandom elements. Ashley Poston just gets what it's like to be apart of a fandom and she captures it perfectly. What's really special about it is she also writes about the toxic side of fandoms. We all know exactly what I'm talking about here, right? And these characters!! They were real and flawed and within the span of the book (which is like 4 days) they grow so much it was truly beautiful and inspiring to read.

The Princess and The Fangirl is full of cute fluffy moments but mo has a more serious side. I really loved this and if you liked Geekerella you can't miss The Princess and The Fangirl.

Available April 2nd

Ashley Poston has done it again. I love the way she looks at classic fairy tales through a modern lens, especially with how geeky it is. This one was all girl power and I couldn't get enough of it. We see our two MCs realizing they're not that different from each other and have very similar struggles. Plus swoon-worthy romances and a glance at our darlings from the first book.

I think Jessica's character was really important in today's society. Stars are closer to us now more than ever. We can communicate directly to them, unlike ever before. The internet is a glorious place but it brings out the worst in people. Jessica's story is humanizing stars for us again and making us realize that they do see what we say about them and it can hurt. They're people, not untouchable robots with no feelings. We can criticize their acting or portrayal of a character but we have to remember that they're not those characters. I think this is a reminder everybody could use and I loved that we got to see it through the star's eyes.

I absolutely loved Imogen and her crusade to save Princess Amara. She's the perfect foil to Jessica which really makes this an extraordinary read. She gives us the perspective of the fan which really drives home our need to be reminded that stars are people. I loved the girl power and feminism woven through their stories and how it was the reason for Imogen's campaign to save the princess. It was a really great critique of women in sci-fi and the roles that they're allowed to play.

The characterization in this one is just as stunning as Geekerella and I absolutely cannot wait to see if Ashley does anything else in this universe.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Quirk Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

This was a delightful follow up to Geekerella. I enjoyed the characters of Jess and Imogen. While I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one I still would highly recommend this to people who loved the person or people who love fandoms and cons.

I loved this book so much! This book is truly a love letter to the fandom experience. I loved all the little inside jokes and moments that helped remind me of my community and all of the things that I love so much!!! I liked that we got to meet new characters and follow two different romances within the book, both of which were really sweet. My only drawback was the character of Jess, it took me a long time to really trust her and get past some of her superficiality.

Okay, I definitely liked this more than GEEKERELLA. I'll admit things didn't go exactly as I thought they would based on what little I knew of the plot (which, as always, wasn't much because #TeamNoBlurbs) but I knew THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL was set in the same fandom world as the first and would feature a f/f pairing. It just wasn't the pairing I thought and that is <b>more</b> than okay.

"<I>I'm [..] sick and tired of princesses being either damsels in distress or the foil for a male character's emotional growth.</I>"

I'm really enjoying Poston's contemporary fandom retellings, this one obviously being a THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER reimagining, and I hope there's more to come! This follow up felt even more chockfull of references and memes and fandom and sci-fi and all sorts of geekery. If that's your thing, you'll love this.

<I>The internet makes it easy for us to forget that there are people on the other side of those characters, and whether you like us or not, we're people too. So your hot take shouldn't dehumanize me, or tell me that I'm wrong, or that I'm worthless, or a slut who slept on some casting couch for the role.</I>

In addition to all the fun-times, there's also some great commentary regarding internet behaviours, online and fandom culture, including the toxic sides, and just how devastating it can be to be targeted by trolls. But, on a lighter note, there's a little bit of that fairy-tale magic impossibility in the air and a mystery to solve; complete with a <I>Scooby Doo</I>-like adventure squad team up, featuring some familiar faces from the first <I>Once Upon a Con</I> instalment and plenty of new ones, too. In fact I might have liked the new characters even more..

<I>This is a bad idea. I can think of ten ways to Sunday why this would never work in real life. Only in K-dramas. Only in anime. Only in YA novels. This sort of thing doesn't happen in real life, and it most certainly doesn't happen to me. And yet..</I>

If you liked GEEKERELLA or if, like me, you wished you had liked that one more, I think you'll be very happy with THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL.


** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

4/5 Stars

In need of a high dose of nerd in your life? Craving a cute contemporary? If both are true, The Princess and the Fangirl is definitely for you! This retelling has an actress and a fan switch places over a convention weekend and the wild ride that plays out is nothing less than blissfully fantastical. I would expect nothing less though from a great writer like Ashley Poston.

Jess is the high profile actress whose character was just killed off a prominent scifi franchise. Being in the industry, she's learned to protect herself by presenting a gruff, closed off demeanor. Imogen though is incredibly open and passionate about the things she loves and does not hold back. During this madcap plan, the two of them see the realities the other is facing and find a little romance along the way.

I absolutely adore fandom life and seeing it on the page always brings me joy, so spending a whole weekend at ExcelsiCon was a perfect setting for me. From panels to booths, Artist Alley to sci-fi showings, nerd life was on full display. The good does come with the bad though and Poston took a deep look at the trolls that permeate pop culture and the entitlement that comes with being passionate about someone else's work.

Overall Ashley Poston's The Princess and the Fangirl was another lovely addition to the Once Upon a Con universe. This companion was plenty sweet but also took on the difficulties of fandom toxicity. Jessica and Imogen while look a likes had quite different personalities and it was cool to see how each of them dealt with the other's life. I totally recommend this one to Geekerella fans and those in need of a dose of cute.

OH GOODNESS THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN!!

I already want more. Please give me a full series set in sci fi conventions around the franchise of Starfield. The first book in this series was Geekerella. Although I loved the call back to a Cinderella story in a modern day context, there were some parts of the living situation that Elle had to put up with that really were quite hard to read.

Unlike in that book, this one has a loving family--well, the one we see anyway. Imogen has two moms and, if she feels like she's overshadowed by her younger brother, it's something that's very much not deliberate and the two of them are very close. If the two moms isn't enough, Milo also has a boyfriend, Bran. So that's one very queer family all on its own.

But what I really wasn't expecting was to have a main romantic plotline between Jessica Stone, who is in this retelling the princess, and Imogen's internet friend Harper. And they were so so super cute.

Every single issue that was brought up throughout this story was well handled before being removed. There were consequences to every action. And, at the same time, this was just some really nifty YA fluff.

I've been looking for a retold fairy tale series I can get on board with after The Lunar Chronicles concluded, and I think I may just have found it.

I loved this cute story about how two girls switch places and see the upside and downside from being famous to normal. For all the people out there who love to dress up in their favorite characters this book is for you! I loved the two point of views and how we can be blind to other people's struggles. Loved it !

Geekerella was one of my favorite reads of 2017, so I jumped at the chance to read this one too. I am glad to report that this one was just as adorable and as fun to read as Geekerella. I was also pleased to see most of the characters from the first book making appearances in this one.

This book is told by both Jessica Stone and Imogene Lovelace. We meet Jessica in the first book, she is Darian’s co-star, but it was great getting to know her better. Imogene is the new character and I really liked her.

Jessica is a hard person to like, but you do like her. She is rather closed off and somewhat angry and anxious all of the time. When she was with fans she was still acting. She was only herself when she was with her life long friend Ethan, her PA. It must be hard being a celebrity these days, with everyone’s instant access to your life. Jess doesn’t want to return to the world of Starfield, she doesn’t get why people love and care so much about this show. She struggles with understanding the fans who both love her and hate her for her role as Princess Amara. As she is pretending to be Imogen, she starts to see what fandom is all about and begins to get it. Through her we see the downside of fandom and it isn’t pretty. She begins to accept herself as well.

Imogene was a great character that I had an easier time relating too. She always felt like she was in her brother’s shadow. That she wasn’t important in the big scheme of things. When she accidentally gets mistaken for Jessica, and she see something of a glimpse of what it would be like to be a star, she feels even smaller and unimportant. But then she sees some of the uglier aspects of stardom, and begins to see how harmful fans and their comments can be to people. She becomes a better and stronger person through out this book because of that.

There is romance in this book, but not between Imogene and Jessica. The romances were both well done, although a little bit on the instant side for Jessica. Both love interests were good choices, and I did enjoy watching them develop. Because this is a short book, they maybe didn’t develop as much as I might have liked, and Imogene’s was left a little bit up in the air by the end, but I still enjoyed them.

The Prince and the Pauper retell was well done. Both characters were able to see both the plusses and minuses of what the other’s life was like. They both come away from the experiences a better person. There is some great stuff about the evils of trolling and not letting the bad side of social media ruin your life. There are positive messages about learning to love yourself before loving others.

This is only the second book by Ashley Poston that I have read, but I will definitely be picking up some of her other work from now on. I enjoy her writing style and her characters are complex and relatable.

If you loved Geekerella like I did, you will adore this one as well.

Even though this is a companion novel to Geekerella, I didn't feel too lost having not read that, other than not knowing the back story of some characters. In all honesty, I loved it so much that I couldn't put it down.

As a modern-day Princess and the Pauper, the story focused on actress Jess, who was at ExcelsiCon with the cast of her movie Starfield, and her look-a-like and con attendee Imogen, who accidentally ended up taking the place of Jess on a panel. When the audience didn't realise, and after Jess got in a spot of trouble that she had to figure out, they decided to swap places.

The novel was written from both sides, and I loved hearing the adventures of both Jess and Imogen, who got more than they bargained for in the swap. It was a novel that touched my fangirl heart, and I laughed, smiled and cried the whole way through. I'm definitely going to have to pick up Geekerella soon to read!

[ 4.5 🌟 ]

I read this book in a day, and I loved EVERY MOMENT OF IT!! From reading things like The Plague by Albert Camus and Beyond Good & Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche to a lighthearted and joyful story about friendship, family, fandoms, and nerdy conventions was exactly what I needed! Just another note: The Princess & the Fangirl is a companion novel to Geekerella, but you don't have to read Geekerella first to understand the story of The Princess & the Fangirl! Though, I do have to say, it's fun to see the cameos of some of the characters from Geekerella.

THOUGHTS

To write my reviews, especially if I'm reading on my kindle, I look back on what I've highlighted. For The Princess & the Fangirl, one of the first highlights was commentary on Hollywood through Jessica Stone's perspective. It really makes you re-evaluate at how you look at the idols of society. Sometimes it's difficult to remember that they are people, too.

On a similar thread, Poston also contemplates the good side and the bad side of social media. On one hand you can make some incredible connections that would not have been possible if it were not for social media (I can attest to this), but then, since people are anonymous behind their screens and their usernames, one has the potential to be cruel to others because that anonymity protects them. At the same time, Poston stresses how internet friends are valid and very much so real. One does have to be cautious about what they're putting out there but similar interests can lead to friendships that are not limited by time or distance. 

THE CHARACTERS. I love them all (to varying degrees, of course), and I need to protect them. Plus, it's amazing that Imogen's nickname is Monster; I love that! Ashley Poston writes such developed (and wholesome) characters, which was evident in Geekerella, and even more so in The Princess & the Fangirl! The book is a little over 300 pages (according to the e-ARC), but I have such a clear picture of each one of the characters, probably because Poston creates such diverse and unique cast. The characters are similar in their own ways, but, ultimately, they are all different with their own wants, desires, and insecurities, and that is refreshing to see. Plus, the hate-to-love trope showed up, and I'm definitely here for that.

It was so great to see Darien, Elle, Sage, and Calliope again!! When I first say Elle's name, I was like, ELLE!!! (Geekerella has such a special place in my heart that I was not even able to fully express my thoughts in a review).

What particularly struck me about Poston's writing was how relatable it is. I felt it in Geekerella, and The Princess & the Fangirl was no different. I highlighted so many things Imogen said about her insecurities. I had not even thought about this aspect of myself, but once she expressed how she sometimes felt like "nobody," I realized that I definitely have those kinds of thoughts and feelings as well. It took a book character and a brilliant author to make me face some of the insecurities I have about myself ( I tend to push my fears deep down and ignore them, which is not healthy, please don't do this).

Some other random(ish) thoughts: Ashley Poston mentions J-pop!! I'm more into k-pop but I have heard of J-pop!

Also, I can't write a review about The Princess & the Fangirl without mentioning the nerdiness!! The Once Upon a Con books always have a center message: Be proud of your nerdiness! (but I do now really have to watch Star Wars and Star Trek) 

I can't wait to see what else Ashley Poston has in store for the Geekerella Fairytales/the Once Upon a Con books because these stories are such a love letter to nerdiness and cons and fandoms, and they always make my heart so happy in such a special way (as in I feel like my heart is going to explode from the joy and all the smiles)! The fun and geeky (with a dash of romantic) books are always balanced with hard-hitting realness with Ashley Poston, and I think that is what makes these stories even more unique.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quirk Books for letting me read The Princess & the Fangirl early!