I'm normally not a fan of the whole commoner royal match up. But with this rom com I loved it. I loved the banter between Erik and Jamie. And the fact that we get a Northern European fictional kingdom instead of it suppose to be Britain.

This is a very cute book about a European prince and an American boy who finds out he’s a prince. Queer royal romance is basically my bread and butter, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this and Dnf’ed about 40% of the way through. I would still recommend it for fans of m/m YA romance and red white and royal blue.

The Princess Diaries meets Red, White, and Royal Blue. Cale Dietrich has created a magical queer, YA world that is every young person’s fantasy - what if I was secretly Royal and what if I fell in love with a Prince? A very cute love story and as an almost nearly middle-aged woman - hot dads. 🤣 3.75 stars.

This was a lighthearted LGBTQ+ retelling of The Princess Diaries. IT was really sweet and was a nice YA to read that I would recommend to students!

This story was one that I desperately needed in a time like this.

Cale weaves us a fun, enjoyable tale about two young men who likely wouldn't have gotten together in any other circumstance than this. It's a gay Princess Diaries -- which is pretty much right up my alley.

The cover was adorable, which is what made me want to read it in the first place. Between the pages we get taken to a new world where ordinary people find out their princes, and then wind up getting lessons on how to fulfill their duty.

While you DO need to suspend belief in reality for this one, I don't think it's a bad thing. You get to have fun, go on an adventure, and find love all while being at home.

If you're looking for a good time, then this is the book to pick up. It was well worth the time.

In this fun royal romance novel, readers follow Jamie Johnson as he discovers that his father is the king of Mitanor, a sunny southern European country, and he is the heir to the throne. Invited to spend the summer in Mitanor and meet his father, Jamie meets Erik Lindstrom, the second son and prince of a northern European kingdom, who has agreed to tutor the new Mitanorian prince in etiquette, politics, and history. With a surprising connection forming between the two royals, both must choose between their duties and their happiness, especially since the crown and country usually come first. With alternating perspectives and two fascinating narrators, this is a fun new royal romance that fans of similar titles like “Red, White, and Royal Blue” will love. Emotional, entertaining, and full of tension (romantic and familial), the characters’ internal conflicts are excellently written and suitably dramatic, while the growth of characters and their relationships is also incredibly enjoyable to follow as the novel develops. The characters really pull readers into the story, and Cale Dietrich has done a great job developing the two kingdoms and their cultural differences, which only add to the characters’ decisions and the tensions in this charming new release.

The Rules of Royalty is a decent YA Queer romance between an American who discovers he's a foreign royal and the neighboring prince who tutors him on how to be a royal. The story is fluffy with low angst, while it was enjoyable , I didn't love it and found it to be overall nothing rememberable about it.

Cale Dietrich’s The Rules of Royalty is a heartwarming, romantic, and delightfully regal tale of identity, duty, and love. With its lush settings, layered characters, and a romance that feels both tender and profound, this book is a must-read for fans of modern royal stories and LGBTQ+ romance.

Jamie Johnson, a grounded and likable protagonist, is thrust into the spotlight when he learns he’s the heir to the throne of Mitanor, a fictional sun-drenched European country. As he navigates the overwhelming world of royal life and begins to build a relationship with the father he never knew, Jamie’s journey feels authentic and deeply personal. Across the continent, Erik Lindstrom, a charming but overshadowed spare prince, struggles to find his place within a family and country that prioritize perfection over individuality. The contrast between Jamie’s sudden rise and Erik’s simmering frustrations sets the stage for a heartfelt connection.

When Erik is invited to tutor Jamie in royal etiquette and protocol, sparks fly in more ways than one. Their chemistry is palpable, but Dietrich balances their romance with the weight of their responsibilities, making their journey both swoon-worthy and emotionally resonant. The push and pull between duty and desire is explored beautifully, and the summer palace setting adds a dreamy, cinematic quality to their budding relationship.

The audiobook, provided by Macmillan Audio, enhances the experience with outstanding narration. Each prince’s voice is distinct, capturing Jamie’s uncertainty and Erik’s stoic yet vulnerable demeanor perfectly. The lush descriptions of palaces, formal events, and quiet moments between Jamie and Erik are brought vividly to life, making the audiobook an immersive delight.

Dietrich also weaves themes of self-discovery, family expectations, and the weight of tradition into the narrative, giving the story depth beyond its romantic core. The political and royal elements feel well-researched, and the stakes are high enough to keep readers engaged until the satisfying conclusion.

I’m grateful to St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to the book via NetGalley and to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook. Both formats are excellent, but the audiobook adds an extra layer of charm that makes it a standout.

The Rules of Royalty is a romantic escape that’s as heartwarming as it is thought-provoking. With its mix of glamour, heartfelt connections, and a swoon-worthy love story, this is a book you won’t want to miss. Fans of modern royal tales and sweet LGBTQ+ romances will be eagerly awaiting what Cale Dietrich writes next!

I loved this one. I especially loved the beginning banter between Jamie and Tomas when they first met and the way Erik stood up for Jamie to his grandmother. I also enjoyed seeing Jamie fight for the shelter for queer people. Cale Dietrich once again knocked it out of the park!

I can not resist a teen royalty story, and this one was so charming. Jamie discovers he is the Prince of Minator, and when he meets his father, the King, he is thrust into the royal world. The King arranges for Prince Erik, the spare prince of a neighboring country, to tutor Jamie in all things royal. Sparks fly, but will the family of the two princes allow them to be together?

One of the things I loved so much about this novel was that both princes were out and accepted by everyone around them. That is how the world should be. I loved the blossoming relationship between these two characters. Jamie jumped headfirst into his new role and did so with such bravery because he knew he had the support of his family and friends. I just found everything about this novel to be hopeful and sweet.

Love a good romance. The slow burn was so good. Don't fall in love with the one you're not supposed to.

This was ok. It had potential but the writing was a little stilted and I was bored and wished things could have moved faster. It also felt very repetitive at times and felt like they repeated several times in a chapter that they couldn’t be together and all the reasonings. Once or twice is fine but don’t need a reminder every single chapter. There was also a lot of focus on their romance and not enough around Jamie’s new circumstances or the new family he discovers! How he has a new dad and you would imagine he would want to spend time with him and get to know him. Jamie’s friends also felt very one dimensional and just there to move the story along but not much of a role otherwise.

stop it this is so cute I have to scream. SCREAM I tell you I love them and their silly teenage romance

I love the princess diaries so when I read the description, I knew I had to give it a try. It really did feel like a princess diaries type tale with the finding out as a teen that your dad is a king of another country, the make over, the prince training lessons, etc. It was a fun and cute novel but at times it could have been better. I enjoyed the growing romance between Erik and Jamie. It was cute but didn't give me the deep tummy butterflies. But again still very cute and just because I didn't get the butterflies doesn't mean it didn't hit me in the feels. The book has a lot of fluff and I'm glad that it didn't have a lot of paparazzi scandal stuff happening with Jamie being an outsider and with Jamie and Erik dating in secret. That could have had a lot of scandal, but it was very nice to not have that dark side. I will say that I didn't like the whole fake dating plot point that was forced on Erik and Sebastian. It barely existed and seemed like we could have done without. That being said, I would be down to read a story about Sebastian. He wasn't there much but I think he would have an interesting romance to read. Overall an enjoyable read and it you love the princess diaries and queer stories then I think you should check this one out.

Audio book specific: I liked both narrators. I think they both did a great job on their respective characters. I thought Erik's narrator did a better job with all the accents than Jamie's did. So having such drastically different sounding accents was a bit weird at times but easy to get past. I also love Erik's narrator because Max Meyers is one of my favorite narrators so I'm a bit biased.

Content warning: death of parent

3.5 stars rounded up. I thought this book was going to be a solid four star read for the first third or so and then it kind of fizzled out for me. I liked the characters and the overall story was likable and pleasant. I appreciated how accepting everyone was and that that wasn't an issue. Unfortunately, the story as a whole ended up being kind of boring. Part of me liked that there wasn't a lot of conflict, but I felt like the book was missing something. The conflict that did pop up didn't really make sense to me. That said, this was a light palate cleanser kind of book and works well in that sense.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

This book didn’t work for me only because it wasn’t what I was looking for. This was very cute and pretty darn wholesome but it read as a very YA book and I’m not the target audience for that. The main characters are 17 years old and the plot, while Disney channel TV series-esque, did not resonate with me (a mom of 3 in my 30s). But for a teenager looking to read a sweet YA romance, this would be the perfect book!

I also don’t love books about royalty set in imaginary places (i.e. the name of the kingdom has been invented) but that is just a personal preference and I’m sure will not bother many people.

DNF at 56%. Unfortunately this story did not resonate with me. I was not enjoying it and did not connect with it so instopped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!

First and foremost, I’m a sucker for this type of book: LGBTQ+ romance, royalty, light angst, etc. Naturally, this book is perfect for anyone who enjoys those tropes!

I really enjoyed Jamie and Erik’s story! Overall, the book was a fun and easy read.

(The cover of this book is also really cute!)

The Princess Diaries (gender-swapped) meets Red White and Royal Blue. That's it, that's the book. Everything unspools as expected, the challenges are predictable. Enjoyable for someone who wants that story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Rules of Royalty follows newfound heir to a European throne Jamie as he is introduced to the ins and outs of a royal role by prince Erik.

This was a cute, generally lighthearted read with major rom com movie vibes. Jamie and Erik were perfectly pleasant main characters to hang out with, and their healthy communication style artfully dodged any contrived miscommunication plots, which was such a refreshing aspect of this read. The premise of the plot is a bit absurd, but in a rom com, it's pretty easy to suspend some disbelief about how another country might handle its transition to an American-born monarch. However, because it's a rom com, the romance is almost entirely the sole focus of the novel, which results in other potentially interesting aspects of the plot being underdeveloped or ignored altogether. As much as I definitely picked this book up for romance, it would have been nice to see a more holistic plot that more thoroughly dealt with the newfound-royal side of things.

In all, I thought this was a cute read that will be a hit for romance readers who've been trying for over a decade to recapture the magic of watching The Princess Diaries for the first time.