This is a sweet ya queer romance. Prince Jadon is half Reverien and half American. He doesn’t feel like he fits in either place. I always see this in media and books that you are either not enough of one or the other to be fully accepted. I don’t get it, we are all mixed with something, why the exclusions.

Jadon had a video leak of him talking bad about an official after he heard that official saying nasty things about a loved one. It’s so hard to tell someone what you’ve heard when it will hurt them. So instead of telling his royal parents why he acted out, he gets a punishment to go to the US to go to school.

His ex started off ruining everything and kept showing up to ruin his progress with Reiss, his new love interest. This was a coming of age story about finding your place and finding your voice. Jadon had a lot of growth and learning to do but with a change in setting and people it helped him.

They do have some closed door scenes we know nothing about but that something happened. The focus is more on communication and friendships.

This book was a such a cute read. It was interesting to see how public reaction can sway those in power. I’m also a sucker for a royal/celeb in a normal setting so this book was my jam. Prince Jadon was down to earth and easy to relate to so it was easy to get into this book. The connection he forms with Reiss was cute and although not too deep was a sweet read. I never understood exactly why Jadon wasn’t able to be honest with his father but I overlooked that because the story was cute and it was well written.

I'm such a Julian Winters fan, and this is such a great addition to his works - and my classroom bookshelf. There's something so lovely about a queer, BIPOC-led YA romcom that I just know my students will be drawn to.

Following Jadon's story, labeled the "rebellious" prince of his home kingdom of Reverie, to find out that he's really just a misunderstood, mostly well-meaning teenager put in a near-impossible situation with parents who have to balance parenting with running a country, and Reiss with his loving family and steadfast morals... They act both as great counterpoints of each other and as romantic partners. The secondary characters are well fleshed out, and I'd love to see more of them in future books set in this same universe.

When the tabloids get wind of a video of Jadon (Prince of Reverie) partying wild and badmouthing his country's PM, his father the king banishes him to California to clean up his act. Now Jadon is forced to figure out the type of royal he wants to be and if his people will ever accept him. If like stories about young royals figuring out who they are then this is the read for you. Despite the cover giving off summer beach read vibes, there were actually a lot of important topics such as racism, prejudice, acceptance, Trans rights etc. that were discussed. Unfortunately I didn't think each topic was explored sufficiently. I liked some of the side characters but I felt too much happened off page for me to truly invest in anyone. Overall this was an OK read for me but I can see it being just the thing for others.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the eARC and gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Real Rating 4.5

This took me a while to write a review about because I enjoyed it so much. I had no idea that when I started this I was going to be staying up until 3 am to finish it. A royal romance! Idk what Winters put in this, but I was hooked!

First of all, let’s get something straight….. My boy Jadon is NOT roguish. He was just misunderstood and passionate about things. So all the bad press and evil people who tried to name him that can kick rocks lol He really was a sweet kid, but everyone just labeled him whatever they wanted because he was royalty and I don’t think that was fair. They literally kicked him out of the country to try to make him act the way THEY wanted him to act, which just was some BS. But throughout the book he shows you that he’s sweet, kind, and actually cares about his friends. Does he have a hard time getting there? Yes. But like, he’s a teen? Of course he has some issues. I hated that people didn’t take him serious.

The unexpected thing in this book tho is the humor. I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in a Winters book like ever. Jadon had the same sarcastic nature as I do and I can’t tell you how much I related to him. He was was so me. And then there was the stuff that just happened to him, like the pool thing. I would have been so mad lmao (that could have been a completely different situation if it was a femme presenting person) And he just handled it with grace. Idk, I really liked his character.

On the other hand, there was the boy with the pink hair. I thought he was such a great match for Jadon. He was the only one who made him second guess things and to make sure that he didn’t seem like such a screw up. He challenged him and I was glad to see Jadon’s character try to make things right. I also LOVED his family. His little bro? Hands down my favorite character lol But I can say, I was a little put off by him in the end, but I didn’t understand why he said what he said. Especially in that setting. But in the end, they got there so i wasn’t too mad.

This was pretty much a basic royal romance story, with pictures in the media, royal guards following him, and even a whirlwind romance that seemed to sprout up out of nowhere. And I ATE THIS UP. Trust me when I say this is going to be one of the books I submit to work for our Tournament of Books for next year for our fluffy romance pick. This deserves all the praise!

This was a fun and cute ya romcom that I enjoyed so much. I loved everything about this book, from the royalty to the high school relationship and feelings to Jadon’s character development and all his different relationships. First let’s talk about Jadon’s character development, which I really enjoyed. We see him go from a shunned and lonely prince to someone who lets other people in and is unapologetically himself. All the actions he’s done are that of a teenager and it’s gotta be hard in the spotlight, especially as a prince, and I loved seeing him come into his own and recognizing that he’s not a bad prince as he thought, but just a boy who will make mistakes and will continue to grow and fight for what he believes in. And that development is due to all these relationships in his life both from family and friends and romantic. I loved seeing his growing relationships with his new friends at school and how he learned to let people in after his previous friendships. I also loved his relationship with Reiss. These two have such a high school-esque relationship it’s so cute and I love it and them.

Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

I really appreciate that queer YA books and queer books in general are becoming more prominent in books and will always try to give one a chance.

This one wasn’t bad, but just fell a little flat for me. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and although this one wasn’t quite for me, I’d read more by them.

Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie has been exiled to America — LA, to be exact — where he’s going to be enrolled in the prestigious private school, Willow Wood. There, he’s expected to make friends, smile, behave, and repent for his past scandals: Yelling at one of his father’s prime ministers, having a public breakup with his boyfriend (the aforementioned prime minister’s son), and going viral for badmouthing the prime minister on social media.

He’s so screwed.

Because Jadon isn’t sorry. He’s angry. Angry at his father the king, who went from being a loving father to an absent one when he became king of of Rêverie; angry at Prime Minister Barnard for what he said about Jadon’s mother; angry at his ex, who dumped him; angry at Kofi, who he thought was his friend and who let him be filmed; angry at having to play nice, smile for the camera, and pretend to be the prince he’s supposed to be when all he wants is … well, he has no idea.

And then Jadon meets Reiss, with his cocky smile, sharp tongue, clever friends, and biting humor, and Jadon finds himself wanting more. First, it’s just friendship — and flirting — but it quickly becomes something more. Reiss doesn’t care that Jadon’s a prince, and it’s refreshing. Reiss challenges him, insults him, and makes him try harder. And Reiss and his friendship are just what Jadon needs when he’s feeling homesick and worthless. Everything’s almost perfect, until the paparazzi find them.

This story is about a young royal falling in love with an all American boy, with all the complications and complexities one would expect. The ex-boyfriend coming back, the disapproval of the king, the school play, the private jet flying the couple to the storybook kingdom, complete with a castle and a bustling market adventure. It sets up all the expected dominoes quite nicely, and topples them in the proper order … all while adding more nuance and more social commentary due to Jadon’s race.

When Jadon attends a protest for transgender rights with a friend, he’s oblivious to the potential harm that could happen to a young black man who isn’t afraid of the police, even in a liberal city. He doesn’t understand why his father is so horrified, because his kingdom, Îles de la Rêverie, is a kingdom of black people who threw off the shackles of their colonizers. All of Jadon’s life, his blackness has never been an issue, and while he’s heavily protected by his guards, his friends are not. This isn’t the biggest focus of the book, but it’s an undercurrent — along with Jadon’s older sister, heir to the throne, who has to represent not only her kingdom but her gender and her own blackness. Jadon and his sister are biracial; their mother is white. It’s an undercurrent that shapes so much of the familial relationships and it’s handled so well, with delicacy and a happy ending ,while still accepting and acknowledging that not every place is going to be Rêverie.

However, the main focus is Jadon and his coming of age, moving from young prince to public scandal, all while being expected to be and act like an adult at seventeen. He’s also suffering the emotional loss of his father, the current king, who was a present and active parent, who made him feel loved and wanted. He had a family, and now it’s gone, his father replaced by a distant and often absent king; his mother an obedient and dutiful queen, bowing her head to her husband’s commands; and a sister often away on her own duties, being a model royal. Jadon is still, in many ways, a child wanting comfort, needing support, needing someone he can turn to for comfort. And he has no one.

While trying to do everything right — say the right things, obey the rules, be the right kind of person, the right kind of prince — he continues to fail not just his friends, but himself. So, for once, Jadon decides to embrace his anger and do something out of spite, and realizes that he’s angry for a reason. Not just because he’s a spoiled prince, but because he feels helpless and powerless and nothing he does is good enough to protect the people he loves.

Reiss is there as a balance, someone who is willing to love Jadon, the boy in front of him rather than the prince, someone who will also stand up to him, say no when things are too much, or say yes when he’s willing. He’s a good friend, a sounding board, and someone who comes without the bias of a preconceived notion of who Jadon ought to be. Reiss is kind, loving, and open in a way Jadon struggles to be. He balances Jadon, a bright and shining light to combat the despair, and is someone who will not only stand shoulder to shoulder with him, but toe-to-toe against him when he doesn’t agree with Jadon’s words or actions.

This is just a lovely book. Jadon is a very sympathetic character, though he struggles for much of the book to find out who he wants to be, and — as many seventeen year olds are — can be curt, cruel, thoughtless, and self-centered. But by the end of the book, when he’s found himself, he is able to reconnect with his father, his mother, and his sister, all of whom it’s clear he adores.

If you like coming of age stories, friends to lovers, princes in love, and strong family bonds, you should very much give this book a try. It’s well worth the read, and I’m so glad I am able to review it.

3.5 Stars. First of all, can we talk about how gorgeous this cover is?!? There was a lot that I really loved about this book. I loved our wonderful male leads and many of the side characters were equally well developed. I did struggle with the cartoonish-nature of the story's villains and how awful the parents were in general. I can see why so many are comparing it to RWRB.

wow. wow. wow.

i’ll read anything julian writes. and i’ll devour it. but this book…

there were so many moments in this book that i had to pause and reflect on. there were quotes that had me closing the book, and thinking on how these concepts could be mirrored in our world. there were times that had me wishing this book was real because the queer black boy joy felt palpable and i WISH that was more common.

i’m finding it hard to put into words how important this book is. but it feels like a dedication to BIPOC authors, readers, and people. (the easter eggs pointing to other authors, books, or people in this community were also so fun to find and recognize!)

if you haven’t picked up any of julian’s books yet, this is your sign to do just that. and then pick up another. and another. read the backlist.

I love a good rom-com so I was excited for this one. While I enjoyed the story, it fell slightly short of what I find to be a good rom-com. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and found everyone to fall a bit flat and live to the stereotypes only. Jadon is a prince who has recently gotten some negative press. His parents order him to stay in California, his mother’s original home, until he can prove he can be the prince that Reverie needs. Jadon struggles with maintaining the prince persona and burying his true feelings. He doesn’t have a hard time not repeating the horrible video someone took because he had a very good reason for going off on the prime minister, but he refuses to repeat those words so no one is aware of it. Jadon wants nothing more than to go home, but he finds there’s more to American high school than he knew and no matter how hard you try you can’t pretend you don’t care about the people around you. Jadon finds a boy he likes, but how can he have a relationship and be the prince his country needs. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up for great representation.

An entertaining read, but Julian Winters could never write anything that doesn't entertain the readers as well as bring light to the characters and their life lessons. At 17, Jadon's parents have different expectations of him than he does. His actions cause conflict and embarrassment to the royal family, so he's sent off to discover how he's meant to fit into the world. The back story may seem familiar but the story and the wonderful cast of characters are originals. No, it's not all light and birds singing; these young adults are still trying to figure out who they are much less how to face the huge changes coming soon. Written as a YA title, PRINCE OF PALISADES would be enjoyed by anyone tween age and up, including us old folks who have been over 17 for a few years.

DNF @25%

Everyone in this book was judgmental and they all annoyed me. I didn't really care for the writing either.

*4.5

I have a soft spot for queer romances with queer princes and queer princesses. So I was really curious about this and I am not disappointed at all. It’s a cute romance with a cute story. But it also a lot more. This book shows racism and homophobia in such a vivid realism I felt sick in some moment. But it was necessary. This book is necessary. I’m so grateful to the author for writing this. So grateful.

Thank you Negalley and the publisher for the arc.

Thank you so much Penguin Group for my Arc copy! I think this books leans more toward Litfic compared to soley being a romance novel. Overall I loved the book and Jadon's story. I also love the rep in this books as well!

I love Jadon and Reiss so much. Their relationship is raw and felt realistic in ways that I didn't expect. This coming of age story speaks to racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and more in such an approachable way. I love all the side characters, and the way the author beautifully describes the atmosphere. There is a bit of miscommunication, but it wasn't the main conflict of the story, and a lot of impeccabl fashion. Seeing as I cannot stop smiling after finishing this, I will definitely be reading more from Winters.

Thank you to Penguin for the review copy, my opinions are my own.

This was a cute story about the rebel prince who gets in trouble with his family and banished to LA while he works on getting his image back under control. But things aren't going the way that his parents want, because he meets people that help him figure out who he exactly wants to be.

This is a royal/regular person romance between two gay black teens in LA. Seriously, this was so cute and I really enjoyed reading Jadon and Reiss's relationship development, and Jadon's character development. I was regularly annoyed with Jadon's parents because why didn't they listen to him?
Of course, also Reviere the country sounds gorgeous.

Highly recommend for those who liked Red, White and Royal Blue, Young Royals tv series, and those who love a prince with a bad boy reputation.

Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters follows Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie. After some negative press following a horrible breakup gone viral Prince Jadon is sent to America to clean up his act. With the help of the people closest to him he tries various things to show the world who Prince Jadon really is. In the midst of this endeavor he meets a pink haired hottie who wants to know who Jadon (not prince Jadon) is. If you enjoy royal romances and coming of age stories you’ll enjoy Prince of the Palisades. I like this book but I did feel like the story needed a little more flushing out. There were things that were left somewhat unresolved. The romance is a smaller part of the story so if you are picking this up solely for that know that this is about Jadon He’s figuring out who he is and how he wants the world to know him. I liked that he was able to figure himself out and that he was given the chance to live life more freely without having to hide parts of himself. This was cute.

I'll admit that at times I was so frustrated with the character of Leon that I just wanted to put the book down, and I was deeply uncomfortable with the ways he didn't seek consent from Jadon never being challenged in any way, especially when it was juxtaposed with all the ways Jadon constantly sought Reiss's consent. I'm so glad I didn't though.

I really loved Jadon's story and watching him grow from feeling forced to maintain the neutrality his role required to coming into his own and deciding who he wanted to be and what things were worth raising his voice and dropping the carefully maintained neutrality. I thought the moment that he sees himself in Grace and decides to fully commit to being himself to show her that there was another path was so lovely and showed exactly how much he grew over the course of the novel. Overall this was a really sweet love story with a love interest after my own film-nerd heart, while also navigating how we all negotiate with the intersections of our identities and choose how we want to be seen existing in the world. Julian Winters is an author who I've been meaning to pick up his books for a long time and just never got around to, but I'm so glad I took the chance on this book. I'm so excited to see it find its audience, and hope it finds more people who love it as much as I did.

Thank you Penguin Group and NetGalley for the ARC of Prince of the Palisades by Julian Winters.

Julian Winters’ Prince of the Palisades is an outstanding novel that expertly weaves together contemporary romance and personal growth. With echoes of Red, White & Royal Blue and Young Royals, this book excels not only in its engaging storyline but also in its authentic representation.

Jadon, the central character, is incredibly compelling. His journey of self-discovery and his struggle to reconcile his role within his kingdom with his own desires make for a powerful narrative. Watching Jadon evolve throughout the book is both moving and inspiring, as his character development is portrayed with depth and nuance.

In contrast, Reiss stands firm and unchanging, offering a fascinating counterpoint to Jadon’s growth. This dynamic adds layers to the story, enriching the reader's experience and highlighting the complexity of personal transformation.

What truly sets this novel apart is its thoughtful representation. Winters handles sensitive themes with care, providing a refreshing and impactful portrayal of identity and acceptance that resonates deeply.

Prince of the Palisades is a triumph of storytelling, blending a gripping plot with meaningful representation. It’s a book that not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impression.