Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an electronic advanced reader copy of this novel.

A Tale of Two Princes by Eric Geron is a fun but semi-predictable novel - but that's okay. It's YA take on the Prince and Pauper with a dash of Red, White and Royal Blue. The narrative switches between Billy, an aspiring musician who helps run his family's ranch in Montana, and Edward, the heir to the Kingdom of Canada (yes, they have royalty there in this novel). Billy and his friend Pax go to New York so Billy can try out for Julliard, but a chance meeting with the Prince makes them realize that Billy and Edward were twins, separated at birth.

Resentment, fish out of water and scheming ensues. The characterization was pretty surface=y, and I wasn't super invested in the plot, but I enjoyed reading this - it was fun and light and if you are looking for a quick breezy novel, this might be the one for you.

I’m pretty sure I snagged this when it was a Read Now promo and that’s my own fault. I was hesitant, but also I want to read more gay stories by men because there just aren’t enough compared to how many are written by women (and other non-masculine identifying authors). But I tried this and it just…doesn’t work for me. I forgot I’m really not a fan of royalty with very few exceptions and the whole premise of a Canadian Royal Family just…doesn’t sit super well with me. I’m sure this will be a delight to others, but for me it’s a case of wrong reader, wrong book.

They wanted an honest review, and they are getting one. This book is a complete 180 from the previous M/M romance ARC I reviewed here. This book was a massive letdown and an utter trainwreck. The driving force behind me requesting this book was because I wanted to see how the hell he was going to explain the existence of a Canadian monarchy and also how he was going to explain how a working royal in the 1980/90s could a) be pregnant with twins without ANYONE knowing and then b) somehow lose one of those twins, ALSO without anyone knowing. It didn't take long at all in the book to realise that the author a) didn't bother researching how constitutional (modern) monarchies actually work or b) understand anything about Canadian culture and politics beyond stereotypes and news headlines. It's so over the top and just saturated with tropes and stereotypes and just not the best writing that I could not move beyond how annoyed I was to bring myself to care beyond the introduction of both main characters. I set the book down at the end of chapter 2 and decided I have too much else to read and I needed to move on.

There was absolutely potential here, the author had a great idea but took it in the wrong direction. It just comes off as a cheap knock-off of Red, White, and Royal Blue with the trappings of The Man in the Iron Mask. If this had been written and marketed as a parody it would have been a brilliant coup of a novel, but it's trying to be serious and earnest and that's where it goes wrong for me. If the author had pulled a Princess Diaries and created his own country it would have made much more sense than what we've got here, then the monarchy could have behaved however he wanted, but that's not what we got and at a certain point you have to question the editorial decisions as much as the authorial ones.

I will say that the characters on their own merits seem like very interesting people but that's not enough to make up for all of the other faults. Every book has its reader and every reader has their book, sadly this book and I just were not meant to be, clearly.

A very cute YA novel! As a Canadian, I had a hard time wrapping my head around there being a Canadian Royal Family and rolled my eyes at all the "cliche" comments about canada (lots of maple leaf and canadian goose mentions). Overall though, I thought it was a really fun read!

Sweet, but such a mess.

Let’s sit down and see how many times the word “maple” can be used in a single book…

This is about twin boys who are separated at birth due to a ridiculous mix up. One is the crowned prince of Canada… yes, Canada… and the other is a boy growing up on a ranch in the US. When the two meet in New York, shenanigans ensue.

The Royal system in this book and the fact that there is a monarchy in Canada (the way it is done and explained) is messy and confusing, leaving a lot of questions unanswered.

There was just not enough in this book to enjoy. I hate giving poor reviews… but it happens every now and again.

Eric Geron has taken the much used idea of twins separated at birth who find each other and written a captivating story of love and inclusion.
Heir Apparent, Edward has been training all his life to be crowned Prince of Canada on his eighteenth birthday. But he has secrets. The lesser secret is that he loves to bake wonderful sweet treats. The greater secret, the one that could cost him the crown, is that he is gay. Only one close friend knows this and his lips are sealed. Due to an indiscretion, he has been "banished" to New York under the firm watch of his advisor, where he is attending a very exclusive high school.
The other twin, Billy, works on his deceased father's ranch in Montana. He is openly gay and dating the basketball hero of his small high school. Although he and his family can not afford for him to attend the famed Julliard in NYC, he has submitted an application and has gained an audition. He is going, not to get in, but for the experience of it. He is sure that moment will last him a lifetime, even though he is committed to keeping the ranch for the rest of his days.
New York City - An odd chance meeting happens and he meets his twin, the Prince. How will this play out? Royal politics and teenage rivalries will play into the story as will friendship and betrayal.
This book will grab you and demand that you keep reading until the final pages.

‘A Tale of Two Princes’ by Eric Geron was like a present-day fairytale, sweet and witty, with a bit of humor thrown in that balanced the book’s heavier moments that had me all kinds of emotional. Overall, this was a quick, lighthearted read, and I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend!

I’m sorry! I couldn’t get into this one…. It had a bit too much exposition at the beginning. The writing was much more telling than showing and that left me a little bit disconnected from the main character for too long. I liked the idea of the plot…but it just didn’t snag my interest.

Friendship, found family, and more than just acceptance - love.

And two words: rainbow carriage.

If you love a good happily ever after, you'll love this book.

Honestly we all deserve it.

My favorite character is Pax's grandma ❤

"This is doing the right thing. This is choosing to be part of thr right side of history."

Very cute, very YA. It hits all the feel good tropes and just enough angst to keep you entertained, even if the stakes are not all that high.

A cute queer royal YA novel about dreams, finding your place in the world, and standing up for yourself and being true to yourself. In a world where Canada has a royal family, The plotting was a bit predictable at times, but still a very enjoyable read. I loved the characters, and found the book charming.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super disappointed in this book, I had such high hopes! Very few people were likable in this story. For me it was mostly Billy that I liked despite it being a duo pov between him and Edward. I understand that running a country is important, but no one seemed to be considerate of Billy and his fish out of water experience with being thrust into now being the heir to the throne after finding out that his parents weren't his actual parents among other things. Edward complained for the longest time about his position, but the second it goes to Billy he just is outraged that this nobody came in and took what was his. It wasn't until about half way through that he even realized "oh, I now have a brother" Not to mention that I was still trying to figure out why did Canada of all places needed a monarchy to begin with (since apparently it is relatively new anyway!) They don't explain any part of this world that they created. Plus everyone knows Canada gave LGBTQ+ community marriage equality rights long before America so I don't understand why it would have been a thing if Edward came out of the closet.

Absolutely charming story of two young men who, in a "Prince and the Pauper" style story, switch their roles, only to discover something very surprising. Both Prince Edward and Billy are well-drawn, believable characters, and I loved this twist on regal romance. The mild jibes at Canadians were charming and the New York City setting very believable.

This is a fantasy, after all, so I'm not going to quibble about some of the less-believable elements.

A cute, modern twist on the Prince and the Pauper.

The story was well written, but the plot was a bit obvious, even without knowing the fairy tale it was based on. I wound up skipping a health chunk in the middle, and I was still able to pick up the plot without issues.

A fun read, and the characters were mostly likeable.

If you're looking for a book that is poignant and tackles serious issues deftly, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a quick, fun read that doesn't require much concentration, look no further.

A different type of YA romance--the dual points of view in alternating chapters are not the typical potential lovers, but a pair of twins. The romance is secondary to the drama over who will be the next crown prince (of Canada?!) when a long lost twin to the current crown prince suddenly appears on the scene having grown up on a ranch in Montana. Nearly every character is compromised here and the plot gets a bit messy. It is hard to keep track of who is sabotaging who and who is lying about what to whom. There are alot of descriptions of expensive clothes and royal finery if you enjoy that.

All the plotting did keep me engaged for the length of the book--I was constantly wondering how the author was going to resolve all of this--the ending was not (completely) predictable. An engaging cast of young people. Liked Mack alot! I also liked the catty tabloid articles the author intersperses between chapters. Sweet, fluffy, story of two young men finding out who they really are. and what (and who) they want.

not sure why for a book about Canadian princes, we spent 80% of the book in NYC

this is a prince and a pauper mix-up, except it's actual twin princes who were accidentally separated at birth. Billy grew up in Montana, coming out, losing his dad and developing a love for music. He's comfortable with his sexuality, uneasy about his high-school relationship and torn between his duty to his family ranch and aching dreams to live somewehre else.

Edward grew up ready to ascend to the Maple Crown. He's charming, sure of his place in the world, and hiding a massive secret - he's gay. So when the world discovers his twin brother and his twin comes out as gay, he feels sidelined. Not to mention, he's no longer the heir apparent, because his twin is slightly older than him.

And there's the story for you. Was it far fetched and ridiculously cheesy? yes
did i read the whole book? yes

if you want to turn your brain off and eye-roll at a maple syrup reference every other page, then this is an okay read. Don't expect much reality when it comes to why in the world there's a Canadian monarchy or the ethics or real-life implications of monarchy. Keep in mind, it's very very YA - the romance, the hijinks, and the storytelling is for younger readers.

This was sweet but didn’t totally work for me. It felt like too much telling instead of showing. I think I’m just not the target audience, but I think its target audience will enjoy it.

I received a free eARC so I could read this book. Thank you for the opportunity.

One thing you hear a lot in relation to juvenile literature is that representation matters-that kids need to see others like them in books. The other side is that literature is often escapist and a way of exploring fantasies.

A Tale of Two Princes does both. It is kind of an LGBT version of the Princess Diaries, with a bit of The Parent Trap thrown in.

Edward is the heir apparent to the throne of Canada. He’s hiding his sexual orientation, and, indeed, even things like his love for baking, because he needs to live up to those expectations. This is turned on it’s head when he discovers his long lost twin brother, Billy, who has been raised on a farm in Montana, where he has a boyfriend.

In many respects, this is a fairly typical contemporary fairy tale. Fans of the Princess Diaries and similar books, and monarchy watchers will enjoy it. And the struggle that both Edward and Billy face in finding ways to be themselves, to adapt to this new situation, and to handle friends, family and responsibilities will ring true. And like the Princess diaries, there is nothing objectionable content wise. “Sexual” content is far more subdued, in fact, than in many YA books-because a kiss between Billy and his long time boyfriend is seen as scandalous. This is a sweet, fantastic yet in many ways realistic book that is absolutely age appropriate-and shows that, guess what-gay teens, queer teens…are teens.

It is absolutely frustrating that this is a book that will likely face struggles and challenges in school libraries. It’s well written, enjoyable, age appropriate literature.

A Tale of Two Princes felt like reading a story of pretend games we used to play as kids. It has its funny and heartfelt moments, but it’s saturated with plot twist to add to the drama of the book. More bonding moments between the twins would have felt more satisfying at times instead of more hurdles being thrown in to try and shock the readers. Eric Geron did a great job creating this new royal family, and even though it seems far fetched, readers who enjoy royal fiction will surely enjoy reading Geron’s story.

I was very excited to read this tale of two princes, separated by birth. The plot is based upon a monarchy in Canada who are also a part of the British Royal Family. It tackles many issues about family and responsibilities and how that plays into people being able to live their true authentic selves without recriminations. Throw in the expectations of a monarchy and the pressures are even more so. Sadly most of these characters were extremely unlikeable and the plot far fetched and predictable. That being said, how awesome to see the representation in this book. We have numerous queer characters as well as a non binary character. Each one has a different journey as to coming out or finding acceptance and it was so nice to see some of the parents willing to put tradition aside and focus on the well being of their kids. But it also highlights how even if that support isn’t there, you can find your own family in your friends and peers who love and accept you.