A secret sapphic romance at an all-girls boarding school? With a princess? Sign me up!

This was so cute and super bingeable. Danni and Rose had great chemistry, and I was rooting for them from the start. I also really loved Molly and it was interesting to see the push and pull of her friendships with both of them. The identity of who ratted them out to the royal family was pretty easy to figure out, as well as their motive behind it, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. And I loved the ending!

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

It’s giving sapphic, royal goodness and I ate up every second of it. This was a super realistic YA romance. I really enjoyed our FMCs and the way the author built tension between the FMCs and their romance but also the overall plot of one of them being a royal and the tension that comes on carrying that.

I thought the characters in this were extremely well developed and thought out and i loved seeing them come into their own and stand up for themselves and what they wanted as the story progressed.

You see a lot in this book on being comfortable in being who you are completely out in the open from the perspective of a “regular” person and a royal and i enjoyed watching those stories flourish.

I dual read this with my ears and eyes, and i really loved the audiobook! I felt like the voices deeply matched the characters and i loved that it brought my vision of the characters to life! The audiobook absolutely added to my overall enjoyment of the book!

The Vibes:
-Royals
-YA queer romance
-Secret Dating
-Dual POV
-Coming of Age

Overall it was a great time. I would absolutely recommend it to my audience and the cover is just sooooooo good.

I always enjoy a royal and regular person trope.

What I liked:

I really enjoy Sophie Gonzales’ writing. This was fun and an easy listen.

I like Rose & Danni. I think I liked their personal stories more than the romance between them. Danni’s struggles with performing and being perceived, and Rose’s struggles with her royal duties and how that really directs everything she can and cannot do.

The supporting characters were fun. I liked the little friend group and how those relationships were different between the girls.

What didn’t work for me:

It seemed like there was a lack of chemistry between Rose & Danni.

The characters all felt a lot younger than they were.

Thank you netgalley!!
This book was really cute! I adore the cast of characters and how fleshed out they all were
This book and its writing were impressive, and I can confidently say that Nobody in Particular was very good!!

Nobody in Particular is a book that reminds me why I love Sophie Gonzales’ writing. Her writing makes me feel … elated. Even when I’m upset over what’s happening on the page, reading her books makes me feel a deep sense of joy. I love her style, and I always adore her characters.

I read a somewhat similar book years back, which this reminds me of, except, this is better. This feels perfectly executed, and is such a lovely, and kind of hopeful story. I would read this again. I will be buying this after release.

Nobody in Particular was so cute!! The premise was very unique for a contemporary, YA romance and I really enjoyed it. Rosemary's character development and growth over the book was stellar and definitely my favorite element. I appreciated how the author writes Rose's character slowly opening up to the reader, it felt personable and realistic. Danni's story felt more coming of age, but it was still appropriate and well written. I also found the romance between Danni and Rose true to life and accurate for baby queers navigating their first relationship. Overall, I found Nobody in Particular was an adorable, quick read that embodies a quintessential YA romace.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

thank you to netgalley and st. martin’s press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 36%

Baby's first ARC!

I didn't ask to cry reading a queer contemporary YA romance, but I did cry during a queer contemporary YA romance!

Rose and Danni are both struggling with new directions in their lives, Rose with her royal title and a scandal shadowing her every appearance and Danni coming to a new school in a new country following years of prior bullying.
When they share a moment of romance, both of their lives are changed forever in ways they could never imagine.

This was an excellent coming of age novel with humour, heart and happily ever after.

I absolutely adored this book. Dani and rose are so cute and their relationship is inspiring. Dani is the new girl at boarding school and it's there she meets rose. The princess of henland. Their relationship has its ups and downs, especially when someone leaks it to the palace, but despite it all, they continue to fall in love with each other. They each bring out the best in each other and help each other see themselves differently. The complexity in their relationship and what it truly means for royalty to be part of the lgbtq publicly, is handled so well. I laughed and cried and felt so many emotions while reading this story. It's truly one of Sophie's best books she's written so far.

Nobody in Particular is my first novel by Eliza Gonzales—and certainly won’t be my last. Interestingly, while it was the first manuscript she ever wrote, it’s actually her seventh published book. The story has a sense of depth and heart that makes it clear why it was finally brought to readers. I’m glad the tides have changed and the market can bear the story.

The story follows Danni, a new American student who moves to Henland and enrolls at an all-girls boarding school. There, she crosses paths with Rose, the future queen, setting the stage for a compelling and emotionally layered narrative.
Gonzales excels at crafting distinct and authentic inner voices for chapters that switch POVs.

The real strength of the novel lies in its portrayal of friendship—particularly the fractured relationships among the girls in the aftermath of a tumultuous year, and their attempts to rebuild trust. These intimate, character-driven moments stood out far more than the mystery subplot that monopolizes the last quarter of the book. It’s in these quieter scenes that Gonzales’s writing truly shines.

Overall, Gonzales’s writing brings the story to life, adding emotional depth to already tense and heartfelt moments. A strong book with real emotional resonance.

Nobody in Particular is a super sweet and emotional romance between a princess and her new friend at boarding school. I really enjoyed their dynamic, and the epilogue was just perfect. I highly recommend this for fans of Red White and Royal Blue and Twisted Games; while the stories may differ slightly, NIP has similar vibes to both.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this royal romance for fans of Young Royals and Red, White, and Royal Blue, Princess Rosemary meets her match in the new American student, Danni Blythe.

This had such promise and I really am such a fan of royal romances, but this was a bit of a drag. It was unnecessarily slow and repetitive at times, yet had interesting characters with ever changing relationships. However, I don’t feel like enough time was spent on those relationships, especially between Princess Rosemary and her former best friend Molly.

Ultimately, I DNF’d this book around 60% because of the fade to black scenes. They seemed a bit too much and frequent for a YA novel in my personal opinion, although I’m open to other perspectives as well.

I don't think I've ever read a disappointing book by Sophie Gonzales. I love her characters, and I always feel like the side characters have just as much thought and development put into their creation as the main characters. All of the characters feel real, because they have flaws and realistic characteristics. Danni and Rose, the two main characters, are also well-developed. It takes a while to really get to know Rose, while Danni was easy to love from the beginning, but by the end of the book I loved both of them.
I really loved that Danni and Rose communicated with each other. My least favorite trope in romance novels is miscommunication, and while there are some elements of miscommunication in a few places, it always gets resolved quickly. I thought that their relationship was accurate and realistic for a high school relationship, and Danni and Rose didn't feel like they'd been written as adults in a relationship. The writing felt mostly smooth and consistent throughout the book, other than a few places that were a little choppy. Overall, this was a solid book, and an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this eARC. This is my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this as it progressed on. I think each individual character was very flushed out three dimensional. Both of the main characters had their own personal issues outside of the romance which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the progression of their relationship. i wish there was more “world building” or at least a broader setting so I could understand the country a bit more outside of the prestigious school and life as a royal. I think with what the characters had to go through, as the reader, I didn’t care for it that much. The ending was wrapped up nicely and I’m glad everything worked out in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

Nobody in Particular is my first Sophie Gonzales book, and it definitely won’t be my last. It’s the perfect royal teen romance, that’s just a touch on the cheesy side in the absolute best way. More than that, though, it deals with serious topics that the sub-genre sometimes avoids—the pressure the girls are under, how Rose’s life isn’t her own, grief and mourning, etc etc.

All of this comes together to create a cast of well-rounded characters, with their own flaws and struggles. While it shines as a fun sapphic contemporary romance, it shines too in portraying the value of friendship and living for yourself, too. Overall, I really loved this book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a fun but moving romance.

Thank you to Sophie Gonzales, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review (unpaid).

This book starts off slow and was very reminiscent of other modern Royal romances at first, but quickly begins tackling difficult topics in a way that I have not seen from other works. While this is a romance, it is largely about the lives behind politicians and being raised in that shadow and not knowing who to trust because of it. I was delighted by the mystery because it took me a while to figure out who the culprit was (the red herring really got me) and I loved that William got fired.

This is a sweet romance and the cover art is stunning. All-girls boarding school, the monarchy, drama, girlhood, it was a very fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sophie Gonzales for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzalez single-handedly saved the royal romance sub-genre for me! I haven't found a contemporary royal romance that I've liked before this book. I guess I needed this sapphic royal romance to do the trick for me!

I loved how real all the characters felt. Danni, being the outsider that gets a lucky break in getting in with an established friend group. Rose and her faults being a significant contributor in the tension for that friend group. It felt like a real high school drama without being insufferable to me. The issues each person faces and the stress put on a royal heir actually have significant impacts on the characters. This isn't something money can solve.

I devoured this book and could feel the emotions from the characters seeping from the pages. If you are not typically a fan of this kind of book, I say give this one a try! 5/5 would absolutely recommend!

Danni was such a loveable and genuine character. She was so cute and shy at first, but I really loved seeing her grow and become more confident in herself. My heart definitely felt for her, having to go to a brand new school and learning to fit in is extremely difficult, especially when taken into account how bad she was bullied at her old school. Once she started getting closer to Rose, I adored her banter and sharp wit and how she wasn't intimidated by Rose being a princess. As soon as she realized her feelings for Rose, my heart just melted for the two of them. So many cute dates and stolen moments that sealed the deal!

Rose was even more of a gem. Even though it took a bit to fully understand her, once you had all the information, it was impossible not to fall in love with her. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes and having to always be “on” and aware of everything you are doing and saying, knowing that eyes and ears are always on you. It was a tremendous burden for such a young girl to have to deal with all those expectations and having to put aside her own wants and needs for her country. The fact that she was still able to be there for Danni and mend her relationship with Molly was all the sweeter and admirable. I especially loved how she always put Danni’s safety and feelings above her own and did her best to protect and love her with all her heart. Even though her sarcasm and humor was mostly her way to deflect off her suppressed feelings, I really did appreciate that side of her as well. The breaking point though, that made Rose the remarkable person that she is, was when she finally broke down and allowed her emotions to be felt in front of Molly and how she actually listened to Molly and respected her feelings too. It was truly a heartfelt healing and emotionally powerful moment.

As for Rose and Danni as a couple, there isn’t really any complaint I have, which isn't usually the case when it comes to a young, YA couple. They both just handled everything so maturely, even when they were arguing, or making up, or having a difficult conversation. The build up was absolutely phenomenal and everything just felt right and natural. The chemistry was amazing from the start, and through their individual growth, they were able to bring out the best in each other. I especially adored their teasing and hilarious text threads, which was well balanced with some of the heavy issues they had to deal with. It was also super refreshing to not have to go through a ridiculous third act breakup, and instead have them both work through a tough moment and be able to come out on top. With so much working against them, you couldn't help but root for them to get the happily ever after they deserved.

Side characters were just as well written as the main characters. I especially loved the depth of Molly and that most of them felt real, rather than just thrown in there to progress the plot. I loved how involved Molly was with both Danni and Rose and how she showed them both support in her own way. Yes she probably should have had the conversation with Rose earlier, but at the same time, Rose had to realize her emotions on her own and be ready to hear what Molly had to say. Eleanor was also very supportive and supplied a lot of the humor to the group. Harriet was difficult to read, especially because she 100% intended to break up Rose and Danni, and yet towards the end, it was sad to learn that no one had ever returned her feelings. I must admit, I never really trusted Alfie from the start, so it didn't surprise me that he ended up being a snake. My only complaint is that we didn't get enough time with Danni’s mom and her best friend Rachel.

In terms of plot and conflict resolution, I honestly wouldn’t have changed a thing. Most YA’s are terribly predictable, so I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t see all the twists and turns coming before they arrived. The story just felt real and true from the beginning to the very end, I especially adored the hopeful ending, and how Rose’s parents seemed to take a turn for the better. From the romance to the drama, to the subplots and the character development, nothing felt forced or unrealistic, which was very refreshing. I also appreciated how the heavy topics were handled, yes there could have been more explored with the drug use and full impact and repercussions of the overdose, but for the most part, how teenagers deal and process their emotions and balance obligation and duty, with learning to trust yourself and fight for what you believe in, was really special. Overall, I just couldn't help but fall for Danni and Rose and find joy in their extremely heartwarming story.

A queer, royal romance? Oh yeah, that's right up my alley...
Heres our tropes:
Forbidden Romance
Royalty
Boarding School
Forced Proximity
Sapphic / Queer Romance
Bisexual & Lesbian FMCs
Dual POV
Past Trauma
Academia
Found Family
Young Adult

I went into this book knowing it was YA, but wanting to give it a chance because I have enjoyed books from this author before! I did enjoy it, but there were points where it was a little too YA for me. Especially in the romance where I felt too old to be reading about young highschoolers' experiences.
But I did still enjoy this book! I think the way the author handled the girls' sexuality and past trauma was brilliant. Rose and Danni deserve all the happiness life can give them. 💕

I think lovers of queer YA will eat this book right up!! It's a 3.5⭐️ for me.