*2.25 stars rounded down

eARC provided via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Let me preface this by saying that I actually had a fun time reading this book. It was very enjoyable and a cute, quick read, but it did fall short for me in a lot of aspects.

In terms of positives, I loved the banter and writing. This book had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions, and I was always curious to see where it was going. It was also cheesy in the best way possible.

What I didn't love so much was actually the main relationship. I actually have nothing against insta-love, which this book very much is, but I expect even more development in a relationship if this is the case, and I didn't get that. The two MCs really don't have any goodreads for falling in love other than the classic 'one is uptight and the other is very laidback' trope. Honestly, we don't get to see much of their relationship, and that was a little upsetting given how fast they move. Basically my big issue was that I didn't like the character arcs and I wish we had more of a reason to love Carter and Edgar, both alone and together.

It was overall a book that I enjoyed and had fun with, but I wanted more from it than I got.

Playing the Palace is funny and quirky but it seems to move at a breakneck speed with the men meeting, dating, falling in love, breaking up, the ending just hurtling. Also, EVERY. SINGLE, THING is over the top and exaggerated.

This is where I say it's a me thing – if that’s what you enjoy as a reader then go forth and read! It has a large cast of enjoyable characters and the guys are sweet. Just not my thing.

(also – this is not Red White and Royal Blue – nor was I expecting it to be but I guess a lot of readers thought it would be similar but nope. Much lighter and rom-com-ish)

This book was magic! I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I sulked right along with Carter Ogden (the main character).

The main character has such an overactive imagination that it is absolutely hysterical! All the characters are both funny, endearing, and relatable. This was a whirlwind of everyday life mixing with extraordinary circumstances and just when you think you see where things are going it takes a 180-degree turn and you end up asking "did that just happen?"

Paul Rudnick has created a masterpiece of normalization of the LGBT community, in a lighthearted, fun, and captivating piece of literature.

This book was cute and I loved the insta love of Carter and Prince Edgar.
I went into this book knowing it would be nothing like Red, White and Royal Blue and I am glad I did.
It was a fun and unpredictable read which I enjoyed.

Carter and Edgar are adorable and totally meant to be! My only complaint was that it happened so fast, which might or might not be realistic, but I wish for more of a slow build on the decisions to purse each other. I liked that Carter threw himself in, but I hated how Edgar didn't prepare him enough. If you are a fan of the coming of age, Red White and Royal Blue, you'll love this story or two guys who know who they are and now they are just trying to make their dreams come true.
There were some truly laugh out loud moments in this book which made it so fun to read. Royal hijinks are some of the best storytelling.

This was not that good. Insta-love stories usually fall flat for me and this one really did. I couldn't get into the main relationship because it was so sudden. Not at all charming. I liked the secondary characters, but overall this is not something I'd suggest to library patrons, even those who loved Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Say hello to one of my new favorites of 2021! Playing the Palace was an unexpected gem of a story and it hooked me from page one. I fell head over heels for hapless Carter Ogden and (understandably) reticent Prince Edgar. Event planner Carter, in all his neurotic, self-sabotaging glory, meets England’s Prince Edgar and sparks fly. From a pancake date at IHOP to a stay at Buckingham palace, Carter and Edgar’s whirlwind romance spans two continents and includes plenty of over the top hilarity. As Carter and Edgar go public with their relationship, there are gaffes and humiliations galore (including guest spots judging a televised baking competition with disastrous results), and even the Queen herself (Edgar’s beloved “Nana”) seems intent on sending Carter slinking back to New Jersey in disgrace. Are Carter and Edgar doomed, or can they overcome what seems to be insurmountable obstacles and find a happily ever after?

With an incredible cast of quirky side characters (shout-outs to Carter’s sister Abby, his great-aunt Miriam, and the Queen), Playing the Palace was a nonstop ride of snarky, laugh-out-loud humor. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and instead delivers a campy, frothy good time full of pop culture references and a wickedly funny narrative. An instant new favorite that I know I’ll return to again and again.

Overall, a cute romance. The way Carter and Prince Edgar meet is cute and the beginning of the romance is adorable. After that, the romance seems to move into warp speed and time just zooms by. I might have enjoyed a little more of a slow burn and focus on the romance itself instead of all the comedic incidents they found themselves in.

This book does have a great supporting set of characters. Carter’s family is hilarious and the Queen is a hoot.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

I found the humor to be on par with most romcoms that I enjoy. I did have a hard time getting out of the thought process of this being another Red, White & Royal Blue but did enjoy the book overall.

This was a fun, quick, and cute queer romance that follows Carter, just a normal American, who so happens to fall for the prince of England, Prince Edgar. It was a whirlwind of a romance with tons of fun moments and quite a few serious conversations on what it means to be queer on a very public scale. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

What happens when an American event planner meets the openly gay and absolutely gorgeous Prince of Wales?

A ton of fluffy fun that feels like a rom-com that leapt off the big screen.

You've got the openly gay but still conflicted over loyalty to his country Edgar, the just getting over a terrible break up with an actor Carter, and a meet cute at a political event Carter happens to be planning. There's chemistry, flirtation, and love at first sight. There's big humor that had me genuinally laughing out loud multiple times (who knew the Queen of England would end up being one of the funniest characters?). There's wry and supportive members of the Prince's team, very enthusiastic big sisters, and an aunt who always put a bread roll in her purse for later. There's big breakups and big makeups and lots of romantic drama. There's too many second hand embarrassment sequences for my taste, but that kind of thing always makes me cringe.

This may not be the greatest work of literature ever written, but that's not what I wanted when I picked it up. What I wanted wasa exactly what I got, a book that made me smile and laugh and feel good.

All Carter Ogden wants is to make the world a better place and to find true love. Sometimes that feels so out of reach living in the chaos of Manhattan, but with the help of his favourite saint – Ruth Bader Ginsburg – he’s got a pretty good shot at success.

So when his job as an event architect takes him into the revered halls of the United Nations, he finds that his greatest wish is coming true far sooner than he imagined.

“I want to be like my idol, Justice Ginsburg. I want to be fair-minded and dedicated and compassionate, and look great doing it. Only, of course, without going to law school. I want Ruth’s spirit of justice and curiosity and not taking any shit.
I want a big life. I want to fall in love, not like what happened with Callum, which sometimes felt wonderful but more often like an educated guess, as if while I was kissing him I needed to remind myself: this is love, right? I want to know I’m in love, no, not even know it—I want to understand why it’s called being in love. I want to be overwhelmed by the miracle of another human being. Love is like God—it’s the place where need and rumor and dreams become something else entirely, something sacred, something beyond questions or arguments or therapy. Ruth Ginsburg and chocolate and oxygen and God and love: the real things.”

Prince Edgar is the first openly gay Prince of Wales in the history of the royal monarchy. He’s also its greatest humanitarian.

Edgar is wickedly handsome and yet approachable to everyone. The world sees him as a role model for both his vast charitable work and his determination to be true to who he really is.

He was just supposed to give a speech at the UN. Instead, he falls head over royal heels for a gregarious American who is determined to teach him how to truly live.

Carter and Edgar are the paparazzi’s dream come true. Everyone seems to want an exclusive of the newest “it” couple. And they will do just about anything to get it. Pressure is building and trust is tested. Is there any hope of them getting their very own “Happily Ever After?”

“I was standing too. We were equal. He was destined to become the king of England, and I was a nice Jewish boy from New Jersey; we both knew what we were supposed to be doing, but we were fighting it. When it came to emotional stability, neither of us had a prayer. Maybe in some way, everyone feels inadequate and broken and ashamed of being so needy.”

I can’t remember the last time I laughed reading every page of a book before Playing the Palace! Paul Rudnick creates an unforgettable cast of characters that made me immediately want to move to New York. Their hysterical banter – both between friends and lovers – is filled with the rare combination of sharp wit and a soft heart. That alone is worth all the stars!

But it’s still a story about love – in all of its wonderful and agonizing forms. And I think that Justice Ruth would be quite proud….

In this feel-good meet-cute, Carter Ogden is just scraping by: almost 30, recently heartbroken by a cheating ex-boyfriend, making ends meet (barely) as an "Associate Event Architect." He likens himself to St. Patrick's Cathedral, "silly and theatrical," and wants nothing more than to find a sense of purpose and meaning in his life that could live up to the spirit of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom he idolizes.

Prince Edgar, also known as the Crown Prince of England, is one of the few "out dreamboats on such an international level." Unlike Carter, he is put together, polished and just about perfect in every way--or so it appears to those outside his inner circle.

The cross-Atlantic relationship between the two--condemned by everyone from Carter's Broadway-loving best friends to the actual Queen of England--forms the center of Paul Rudnick's Playing the Palace, as sparks fly, hearts grow and an international media storm kicks up around them. It's a "guy next door falls for royalty" story that's been done in other ways, but in Rudnick's capable hands, the story feels fresh and exciting. A playwright, screenwriter and essayist in addition to a novelist, Rudnick (Gorgeous; I Shudder) imbues every page of Playing the Palace with a sense of humor and quick-witted snark. It combines the best laugh-track pacing of a sitcom with the big-hearted story arc of a romantic comedy. The over-the-top storylines and characters are guaranteed to leave even the most cynical readers rooting for an improbable happily-ever-after. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

Discover: A romantic comedy features a bumbling event planner in New York who falls for the prince of England in a novel full of wit, humor and big-hearted love.

I think I maybe wanted to this hit as much as RWRB hit for me and it was not the case. I enjoyed a few things, but overall couldn't fully get into the story. I'm sure other people will enjoy this, though!

I think this book had a lot of potential, but the plot and pacing just fell really short. I think the writing was great--the author is clearly very witty and knows how to entertain. However, the characters were very 2 dimensional and their relationship didn't make much sense. We rarely see moments where they truly bond, where they show that they're right for each other. I don't even know enough about their personalities to tell for myself whether they would be good together or not. The whole thing is VERY insta-lovey, which isn't typically a bad thing but in this case there was just no development that showed WHY it was insta-lovey. The witty writing was definitely this books only saving grace. That said, it was very entertaining, and I finished the whole thing in just 3 hours.

(sorry I submitted the same review twice. I'm not plagiarizing, I'm just in the middle of two netgalley accounts because I had to transfer to a new one, and there were a couple books I had gotten on both accounts as an accidental overlap.)

2.5 stars

I think this book had a lot of potential, but the plot and pacing just fell really short. I think the writing was great--the author is clearly very witty and knows how to entertain. However, the characters were very 2 dimensional and their relationship didn't make much sense. We rarely see moments where they truly bond, where they show that they're right for each other. I don't even know enough about their personalities to tell for myself whether they would be good together or not. The whole thing is VERY insta-lovey, which isn't typically a bad thing but in this case there was just no development that showed WHY it was insta-lovey. The witty writing was definitely this books only saving grace.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the gifted copy.

Prince Edgar is next in line to the throne, and is openly gay. Carter is an event architect from New Jersey. They meet, sparks fly, and what could possibly go wrong?

Well, first of all, Carter is coming off a bad relationship. Edgar has trust/relationship issues. Carter is a commoner, Edgar is royalty. Carter brings Edgar to his sister’s wedding, and Edgar meets Aunt Miriam. Edgar brings Carter to England, where he meets Queen Catherine (Miriam and Catherine need to be BFFs by the way). Queen Catherine doesn’t approve of Carter, and try as he might, Carter keeps screwing up and not doing anything to make the Queen, or the rest of England, approve of him.

This book is reminiscent of Red White and Royal Blue, but with a humor that will have you snort laughing. Check it out for a fun summer read! 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.

I was granted this ARC in exchange for my honest review and honestly, it just wasn't for me. I was excited to read a queer rom com, but the writing just didn't do it for me. I'm sure others would enjoy something like this, though.

Holy guacamole, so I have a doozy of a review for you. I don’t want to be 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭, but I 𝘥𝘰 want to be honest because what’s the point in being a reviewer otherwise?⁣
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You’re probably thinking what everyone seems to be thinking, and reasonably so - here is the next 𝘙𝘦𝘥, 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 & 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 (one of my favorite books 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫)! And part of the problem is that it 𝘪𝘴 a little too similar in more than one way. We need just a bit more originality here. 🤔⁣
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I’m a big dialogue person, and 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 contains some of the most painful I have ever read. It’s going for hip and missing the mark by a whole heck of a lot. Overall, the whole book could have greatly benefited from more editing. There are so many problems and plot elements that don’t make sense, and then it’s at least realized but all a little bit too late, which results in more “quick fixes” and delayed explanations than anyone should have to stomach.⁣

Playing the Palace is a delightful, campy fun read. Carter Ogden is an assistant event planner in NYC. He lives his life with the motto, "What would Ruth Bader Ginsburg do?". He is still getting over his three year relationship when he meets the British Crown Prince Edgar. After only three dates including an over the top wedding of Carter's sister Abby, Edgar invites Carter to England.

This is a book reads like a rom-com movie screenplay. It has hilarious one liners delivered by friends, family and even Queen Catherine herself. Carter has tons of love and support but his inner angst knows he will mess up. Edgar has trust issues and knows the world is watching.

I enjoyed this fluffy, fun read. It is a great shout out for positive gay role models. The romance itself was fairly weak. Very little getting to know you conversations with instant attraction. Their problems were written more with comedy in mind than serious relationship issues. The intimacy is mostly off the page making this appropriate for high school and up. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars