I haven't quite fallen onto the royal rom-com novels like many others have, but I've read a few here and there (Red, White, & Royal Blue is definitely the best - or maybe it's just Casey McQuinston). The last royal-esque novel I read I basically hated (A Tale of Two Princes), but I found that everything that book did wrong, Prince of the Palisades did so well. The main character was so... *eyeroll*.... and pretentious, but there was such great character growth. The story was really sweet, and the supporting characters were solid. Heartwarming and not overly-dramatic. I just really did appreciate this one.

I ended up reading most of this in one day!! I’ve found myself moving away from the YA genre recently, but this reminded me of why I love it so much. Jadon was a multifaceted MC and his story, while being Royal, felt very indicative of the young adult journey of finding yourself and discovering how you fit into the world.
All of the characters were diverse and interesting. I would love a book about his sister and her man too!!

Fantastic and realistic story of a queer modern prince sent to semi-exile in the United States. I loved the representation of Black and queer identities, examples of social issues currently being faced, and the way social class specifically played into this story.

This was DNF for me. I thought the characters were great, but I couldn’t get into the story. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a YA book that isn’t a thriller and I think YA just isn’t for me anymore.

This was exactly the cute, lighthearted read I needed. The romance is adorable, and I appreciate how the Julian Winters naturally integrate the topics of race and class within the story.

Julian Winters delivers royal romance easy to root for.

The writing throughout this book was great because Winters doesn’t rely on slang or other elements to solidify the world building or develop characters. And the relationship development? Was excellent! It was lovely to see a romance start with a foundation based on what the boys had in common and the differences they liked about each other instead of the prince being the prince or unrealistic instant love.

The perspective supported the twists in the story as well as key plot progression and the way information was revealed since we don’t see the world throughout Prince of the Palisades with an omnipotent lens. It was refreshing to get a first-person perspective that delved into Jadon’s thoughts and felt naturally stream-of-consciousness without leaving important details out. Winters is great at showing and telling where we need it, so nothing felt overbearing or ridiculous.

As mentioned before, the characters and their development were great! Background characters didn’t see as much progress as our main characters, but it worked for the story and fit with the framework of the overall book. I would have liked a little more of an ending for some of them, but was satisfied with the ending.

Overall, Winters accomplished everything he set out to do with a romance that was sweet but not overly so as a bonus to a gorgeous coming-of-age story. I definitely would recommend this to those who liked Red, White, and Royal Blue or who love reading about modern royalty finding their place in the world.

Unfortunately, I DNF'd this book! Not the vibe or age range for me. Maybe I'll give it another shot in the future.

I love this troupe, but I don't think this book was for me. I normally enjoy a good ya book, but the begining of the book just felt too young for me. I had a hard time shaking that feeling and I think it made it hard for me to take this book too seriously.

I loved this book! A prince gets shipped off to the United States to rehabilitate his image. He starts going to a private school where he meets an interesting cast of characters and for the first time in his life he has friends. He starts to reckon with issues as he considers whether to be public about his thoughts and feelings.

This book pleasantly surprised me! I don't have many negatives to say other than I wish we had gotten more time with all of the friends, it felt like we barely got to know them at all.

I enjoyed seeing Jadon's progression throughout the book from being closed off, angry, and frustrated by his duty to letting loose and finding what matters to him, and how the friendships he made along the way helped him get there. It was a heartwarming easy read that inspires you to go do the things you love without caring what others think.

4.5

I have no clue why I (and the rest of y'all) have been sleeping on Julian Winters, but this is the second book of his I've read this year and I am immediately searching out the rest of his backlist. Yes, there are some minor gripes I have with the writing and plot/pacing, but I just love the way Winters plays with tropes and the combination of fluffy/light-hearted and real life conflicts. Here we follow the prince of a small island nation as he's exiled to Los Angeles after causing an international incident. Think like the Princess Diaries meets Red, White, and Royal Blue, but the island nation has the same Black isolationist policy as Wakanda. It's fun and inclusive and sex positive in a way that is still appropriate for teenage audiences and I really loved the entire reading experience. Also I loved the little call outs to other YA authors in the text. I did a full double take over Dr. Garza Villa.

First and foremost, if Julian Winters is the author, I’m going to read it. He’s been talking about this one for years so I was excited to finally have my hands on it.

I loved this book. The romance was great, as all Julian Winters romances are, but where this book really shines is the family dynamics. Everything felt so lived-in, as if these characters existed beyond the pages.

Just waiting for Julian to take up permanent residence in Santa Monica at this point and keep writing queer stories about LA teens.

The premise for Prince of the Palisades is great. I even liked the messages of leadership and social activism throughout the book. Unfortunately, I just didn’t connect with the characters. I like them individually. I just didn’t care about them or their romance. I didn’t get invested. I don’t know why. It was a surface level read for me.

Don’t take my opinion into account, you may enjoy this story. I just didn’t connect with the characters. Read it and let me know what you think.

Thanks to Netgalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Prince of the Palisades, is the first book I’ve read by author, Julian Winters.

When I saw this book was recommended for fans of Young Royals and Red White and Royal Blue, I hit request so fast I think I cracked my screen.

This YA Queer Romcom was everything I wanted. Humor, fire, romance, and more. It’s not just a romance though, and explores deeper themes which need to be discussed.

I’m definitely adding Julian Winters to my auto-read list.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Prince of the Palisades is a charming young adult coming of age romance book that delivers on what it promises the reader. Jadon really is a likable main character and I really liked watching him sort through his problems and figure out who he wants to be in the world. Reiss is a breath of fresh air and normalcy for Jadon and I thought he was written really well. Overall, I greatly enjoyed Prince of the Palisades and I'll definitely check out other books by Julian Winters.

Another fun, angsty read with a young royal learning who he is and what he wants in life.

At first, I didn’t like Jadon all that much. He carried a lot of anger and privilege and saw himself as a victim. He also saw the students around him as temporary. It wasn’t until he started opening up to his classmates a little, that his true self really came out. And all of the hurt from being betrayed by people who were supposed to care about him.

Reiss was pretty awesome. He doesn’t put up with Jadon’s nonsense, and share his life and friends with Jadon. They didn’t hit it off right away, but their relationship grew as they got to know each other better.

I loved that Jadon started creating real friendships and that he got involved with the theater department, especially after the betrayal he experienced at the beginning of the book. And his baking was awesome as well!

I wasn’t sure, at first, if everyone on his staff had his best interests at heart. There were some really questionable decisions for ways to improve Jadon’s image along the way. But I liked the way things turned out. And I was right about Annika’s bodyguard/security!

The ending was perfect.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC for review consideration through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved how casually queer this book was. Like the main character had so many problems, but the fact that he was gay wasn't one of them. It was so refreshing. And I really did love the stories and characters, making it a solid 4.5 stars. This makes me want to read more books by this author!

Why Did I Listen To Price Of The Palisades by Julian Winters?
Prince Of The Palisades by Julian Winters appealed to me because I think it’s important for these stories to be told. Also, I am such a sucker for books about royals. Then we get to the whole rehabbing an image and well, yes, sign me up, this sounds fantastic! Of course, I went for audio because I have had such a tough time physically reading lately.

What’s The Story Here?
This book follows Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie who ends up in America after he has a breakup that is very public and very viral. So, to clean up his image he goes to a school in America. While there he makes friends and finds a cause near and dear to his heart.Jadon has to turn things around so he’s posing with puppies and going to art galleries. He also ends up falling for a pink haired boy named Reiss who is really into films. Reiss is not at all wealthy like Prince Jadon, in fact, he is a scholarship student. Oh, and Jadon also gets involved with the theater. He starts really taking up the cause of trans rights, which I truly loved.

How Did I Like Prince Of The Palisades?
I enjoyed Prince Of The Palisades overall.I am glad to have read it. This is a book where the main character starts off quite shallow and truly grows throughout the story. You know we love character growth over here. I also would like a novella featuring Jadon’s sister, the heir to Îles de la Rêverie. Oh and the romance in the story is quite cute. I will probably not ever pick this book up again, but the time I spent with it was quite nice.

How’s The Narration?
The audiobook of Prince Of Palisades is narrated by Joshua David Scarlett. Honestly, this was a new narrator to me. I had no issues with the pacing or vocal stylings of the narrator. The narration flowed smoothy. It kept me engaged through the full 8 hours and 17 minutes. Overall, I think that is how I would recommend experiencing this book — via audio.

I truly enjoyed this novel, the characters and storyline. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it!

Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters is a really fun take on the modern royal romance. What makes it stand out is that it centers a Black queer couple, which we don’t get nearly enough of in these kinds of stories. Gabriel and Simeon’s relationship feels natural—they’re awkward and sweet, but there’s also real tension as they deal with public scrutiny and their own personal struggles. What I liked most is that the book doesn’t turn their identities into a source of conflict. Instead, it just lets them exist in this big, romantic, kind of over-the-top world. It’s got all the fun of a royal love story but with characters who feel fresh and real. Definitely worth a read if you like feel-good romances with a little bit of drama.