Perfect for fans of:

The movie The Prince and Me (but make it gay)
The humour in Pitch Perfect and the old-school TV series The Nanny
Kooky families and overprotective “will-maim-you-if-necessary” sibling energy
The Golden Girls gang but make it British

Review:

“I’d made awful mistakes. Love under any circumstances is the greatest risk, the most highwire undertaking, and I’d fooled myself in the past. I wanted to be in love, this yearning defined me, but I’d spent far too long, my entire life, arguing myself out of it. I wasn’t worthy, I wasn’t anyone’s type, my trapezius muscles were nonexistent, I drooled when I slept, I still hadn’t found the right pair of jeans, I was a minefield of quirks and obsessions and excuses.”

Let’s be honest here, this book had me the moment I saw the The Prince and Me comparison. I mean, an American event planner who ends up dating the gay Prince of Wales? Sold. Throw in two emotionally stunted, flawed and confused characters and you have the fantastic ride that was this book.   

I loved how Playing the Palace approached being queer in the public eye. Prince Edgar is of course glad that he can be a role model, someone queer kids can look up to, but that doesn’t diminish the pressure that is constantly put on him to be the ‘right’ kind of gay—you know, noble, basically not acting on his feelings in public and overall being the prim and proper Prince everyone expects and demands him to be. Edgar encounters this completely different way of being himself, of being vulnerable and open to change thanks to Carter and that made this love story so compelling. Because paired with Carter’s self-deprecating and constant questioning whether he even deserves love (his past relationships would indicate the opposite), these two made such a dynamic and interesting couple. Opposites attract really works here; Edgar finds himself torn between being what the crown wants and what he wants for himself, and Carter—while finally getting the epic love story he always dreamed of having—wonders whether he is the right guy to become the ‘leading example’ on gayness for all the world to see. Both Edgar and Carter have been burned before but despite their past struggles, these two find a way (eventually, after much drama because hello, this is what we are here for, after all) to be together, not in spite of their struggles but because of them and how they have irrevocably altered them.

But what really made Playing the Palace an unforgettable read was the humour. Rudnick’s writing style would best be described as “no rest for the wicked.” I have no idea how the man does it, but there’s humour infused into almost every other sentence. Every single line is poignant and punchy, which at times feels like you’re taking a breath at the start of the chapter and don’t get another until the next one begins. It’s hard to describe, but even the simplest of descriptions of the surroundings or food (read: English trifle) pack so much subtle humour that at times you don’t even notice you’re chuckling reading it and have to go back just to take in the wittiness of it all.

It’s not just the dry snark one remembers British humour to be from beloved series like Gavin and Stacey or the juxtaposition of American vs. British values like in the 90s sitcom The Nanny. In fact, it’s all of the components, from Carter’s eclectic family to Edgar’s snarky but loving employees, not to mention Carter and Edgar’s witty back and forth, work perfectly together. Is the humour over the top? Yes. Are there scenes where you question your own maturity based on how much you’re laughing at someone throwing up on live television? Absolutely. Are there characters that you want to repeatedly hit with a pan over the head while suppressing giggles at their stupidity? Hell yes. But that’s the fun of it all! No one, not even the Queen herself, takes herself too seriously in this book and that is why it works.

Throw into that a whirlwind romance, a nefarious and narcissistic ex-boyfriend, deep discussions about expectations to uphold tradition while also going forging your own way as well as a relative that puts bread rolls in the Queen’s bag “for the plane ride” and you have yourself a smashing success of a novel.

Compulsively readable and expertly witty, Playing the Palace will make you laugh out loud, cringe with self-recognition and above all else, root for two men facing the world’s most cruel court—the public.

DNF at 70%

I, like I’m sure many other readers, was hoping this would be the next Red, White, and Royal Blue. It’s gay and it’s royal. Alas, it is not RWARB. Instead, it’s a bad comedy where one character continuously effs up, the world (and the reader) laughs at him, and then they have sex. No thanks. I don’t like stories of second-hand embarrassment.

Royal romances are generally one of my favorite tropes to read, and so, I was excited about this one mixed with the queer representation of the leads. However, this story wasn't my type and it's pacing was off for me. Here, American event planner Carter starts dating the openly gay Prince Edgar of Wales when a royal media uproar ensures in this rom-com read. Carter's fresh off a painful breakup and no longer believes is in the cards for him before he randomly meets the prince. But, there's a sizzling chemistry between the two of them, and that's true, I was full-on shipping them together by just a few chapters into reading. They set off on an international romance, setting off media fireworks everywhere they go. Between that and average guy Carter fighting this newfound pressure in the spotlight, things get to be a lot, and if they want a HEA, they're going to have to fight. It felt like it was going to be an adult version of "Red White and Royal Blue," however, it's not, and nothing really like that. It's more like other royal-average person romances. The writing is quite funny and engaging from the start that kept me interested, making this pair so freaking cute and adorably awkward. It's a cute read, sure, however, the pacing is all off and just way too fast. We speed through literally every milestone that could have been milked and teased to enthrall us, but it didn't. I also couldn't really vibe with these main characters or get inside of their heads. Yes, the writing is good, however, this book wasn't exactly my personal cup of tea.

This is a cute little royal rom-com about the Prince of Wales and a guy from New Jersey. It moves too fast at times (slow it down! give us something to pine for!) and has one cringe-worthy awkward situation after another, but ultimately it delivers.

I honestly think this book tried a little too hard to be like Red, White, and Royal Blue. Obviously it's impossible to avoid similarities with any book because there's only so many things you can do with realistic fiction, but I wouldn't have much of an issue with the attempt if it were a little more successful. The pacing of the first half of the book was way off, much too fast to be believable, and while it slowed down a little after the halfway mark it still didn't work quite well. The characters, despite having (familiar) flaws, were a little flat, and I actually enjoyed the side characters far more than the mains.
Semi-unrelated, but something I'll note anyway: I did not enjoy the first person narrative. It's too distracting, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the book--I just didn't like it personally.