Love the boarding school vibes and royalty. Such a fun premise. I wasn’t super invested in the story. The writing was well done. But it just wasn’t for me.

I had such a hard time setting this book down to deal with real life! I just wanted to read more about Danni and Rose and their friends. This was all I've ever wanted from a royal romance, and I am so grateful that the author didn't let it die on her hard drive.

I loved the romance aspect but also the slight mystery of who was causing the rumors to spread. I struggled a bit with Danni's sudden ability to perform again after one try on page.

Note: Both main characters are forcibly kissed (by different people), and one of the MCs is outed. Read with care.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Sophie continues to knock it out of the park. I always love her characters and watching them learn and grow. I love that the side characters are well developed too so it adds to the nuance and depth of the story.

This story is told from two different perspectives the first being the Princess Rosemary’s and from Danni’s. Together they are both navigating large changes in their lives. Rosemary is trying to recover her image and making the country trust in her again and Danni is trying to fit into a new school while trying to be true to herself. When their world collide, they both find ways to help each other through their past and along the way find that they want to be together. Being with a royal though is not always a simple road. There are expectations that must be upheld. Can Rosemary and Danni find a path forward that will allow them to have the life together they dream of. This is a really encouraging book and I hope that the path they found at the end is something that the world would be more open to. Love is love and everyone including royals should be allowed to be with someone who loves them for who they are and not have to hide who they are just for image’s sake.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

4.5 rounded up!

This book pleasantly surprised me! I've grown a bit wary of young adult romance in recent years, and I'll admit that the start of this book did not really impress me, but by a few chapters in, I was hooked and I ended up really enjoying the story! The characters developed really good chemistry with each other, and although the story had plenty of miscommunication and turbulence, I didn't feel like it was toxic or irritating the way I often find romance drama!

I will admit that I'm a sucker for a good "forbidden/secret" romance, and this one had plenty of good markers of the trope! The interplay of tension and tenderness in the story was fantastic, and I was rooting for Danni and Rose the whole time.

I highly recommend to any fans of royals romance, forbidden romance, or just a fun romance read!

3.75 stars!!

let me just start off by saying, i ate this up. sapphics, secrets, sneaking around, AND a boarding school setting??? not to mention, one of the main characters is literally a princess. nobody in particular is dual pov following both princess rosemary and her struggles in the royal role and public eye, as well as danni blythe as she starts school in a new country. and the vibes were immaculate. the writing was my favorite type for ya novels, which is where the author uses a blend of witty banter and dialogue while also throwing in some interesting and well written thoughts from the characters’ inner monologue. and the characters were SO adorable.

starting off with my love danni blythe. i feel like we probably could have seen a little more depth in her character, but i didn’t mind that much because she was so sweet. my girl was just always trying to do the right thing and help everyone. also seeing her growth by the end of the book was so cute. i just love seeing an adorable blonde sapphic with the best heart IDC.

princess rosemary had to be my favorite character though because personally, i relate to her a lot. she had such a sarcastic and resolute outer persona, but she was simultaneously caring and compassionate on the inside. plus, her relationship with danni was so cute. but the main reasons i admired her tremendously were because of her thoughts on childbirth and her experience with grief. i don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but it was so relatable yet sad to read, especially her perspective, considering she didn’t have a ton of options or choices about most things being a princess.

danni and rose’s relationship was perhaps a tad rushed, but it felt real all the same. and truthfully, this was so fun to read, there were only a couple things that i didn’t like. they were honestly so cute together, i just wish we'd gotten a bit more time to see their friendship before they got together. i also wanted there to be more scenes about danni’s experience moving so far from her home and some insight on what her life was like before. while there were many descriptions of her previous social life, other than that, the author didn’t explain much. the majority of the scenes were either at some party or in their dorm rooms, which were fun scenes, but the lack of diversity in the settings made things feel a little too structured. and the last complaint i had was the ending feeling rushed too. though i realize most of these points probably sound like i’m extremely overcritical and that might be true, but having read many ya romance novels, it’s difficult for them to really stick out. but overall, i did fully enjoy reading this and i look forward to reading more of sophie’s books.

my apologies for this review being a tad late but thank you to netgalley for the arc!!

If you love royalty romance, boarding schools, secret relationships, and girls loving girls, Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales just might be for you.

Set at an elite all-girls boarding school, this contemporary queer romance follows Princess Rosemary, who's trying to rebuild her reputation after a tragedy, along with Danni, an American music scholarship student who unexpectedly steals the princess's heart.

Fans of American Royals and Red, White, and Royal Blue might enjoy this book It didn't win me over in every aspect, but there's plenty here for lovers of royalty, Sapphic romance, and boarding school drama.

My first issue with this book is that the characters, especially Princess Rosemary, feel incredibly flat. Even after reading the book, I couldn't tell you a single thing that Rosemary likes or any hobbies that she has. Even when the other female main character, Danni, gave her a gift, it had nothing to do with anything Rosemary actually enjoys, because there doesn't seem to be anything.

The other characters seemed to lack any real identity. I still don't have a clue who Florence is. Another character, Oscar, is described as having "bright blond hair" when Danni first learns about him and sees a picture of him; later, Princess Rosemary describes him as having "auburn hair." A bit awkward, because I might not have noticed had that not been a big defining feature of Oscar (which many of the other characters lacked).

This isn't an entirely uncommon thing, though; I know there's a similar error in Brandon Sanderson's The Final Empire that hasn't been corrected across multiple years and editions. So, not the end of the world, but it did take me out of the story a bit.

Next, the background of the country this takes place in, Henland, was questionable at best. We don't really understand its place within the rest of the world, only that the citizens are tired of having ruling monarchs and want them gone. However, Princess Rosemary states that she's little more than a figurehead and that the most she can do is allocate money for charities when she's queen. To be honest, that makes it seem as though the 'royalty' part of the storyline is really only existent for vibes. And sometimes, that's fine!

But I think the reason royalty works so well in comparable titles is because the figures in power are using their position to try to make a difference in the world, especially within the queer community.

What I found the most questionable about the book is relevant to this. So, Henland is a majority Catholic country, and they're already fed up with having a monarchy and want them gone. They tried to abolish the monarchy ten years ago and failed, but there are still protesters trying to continue that movement. When Rosemary comes out as a lesbian, suddenly, all that goes away. They're not only fine with having a lesbian as a princess, but they just don't mind having a monarchy anymore. I'm sorry, but that's just not entirely realistic.

Also not entirely realistic: the idea that two 16-year-old girls are "forever." But that seemed to be what Rosemary and Danni decided: that they are going to be together forever. Maybe it was just meant to be seen as the optimism that comes with young love, but combined with what I said above, there just seemed to be a lot of suspension of belief in this story that took me out of it.

Truly, I think this book would be great for people who are willing to overlook the lack of realism and go into this book knowing that it won't dive super deep into political issues. I did pick it up expecting a fun, lighthearted read. It ended up being a bit darker than I expected, and while it was overall quite a fun read, it still left a lot to be desired in the depth of the background and the setting.

Two stars for me, because while it was a nice Sapphic read, I just wanted more.

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.*

This was a sweet read! The royalty trope is one that I enjoy a lot but often go into with some hesitation because I find it can be done so many different ways and, because I love it so much, I can be a little pickier about all those options. This one was great tho! It did a wonderful job navigating the dynamic of being a high school (college) student while also being royal. Rose's chapters were my favorite for that reason! I loved watching her grapple with her feelings and watch her character develop in that way. One thing I will say about this book is that I found the pacing a little off at times. There were moments when it felt like it was dragging and then would ramp up out of nowhere. It was a bit off-putting and that made the chemistry between Danni and Rose a bit hard for me to buy into at times, as well. I got into the swing of things eventually, but it took some getting use to for sure. Overall, it was a cutie and I did really enjoy it! I also did bits of the audio (thank you to libro.fm's ALC program) and the narrators do a wonderful job, so shoutout to them as well!

Before I get into my review, I first want to say thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of “Nobody in Particular”!

I loved this book so much. This book has so many moments that were just so cute and adorable, but it also had moments that were dark as well, and it handled all of them so beautifully. This book was amazing in how it made you feel; it had me crying one moment and then laughing the next.

The chemistry between Dani and Rose was so amazing and had me swooning the entire time. Through the book, we get to see the struggles between them with their own personal issues and having to keep their relationship a secret, and it was done so beautifully

in the end, this is such a good YA book that I think everyone should read!

ALERT: FAVORITE AUTHOR NEW BOOK ABOUT TO DROP

Sophie prefaces Nobody in Particular by saying she wrote this book about a decade ago and that, at the time, no one was interested in royal queer romances. Well, guess tf what??? The girlies have arrived and they are now thriving. (everyone say thank you Red, White, and Royal Blue and Young Royals) I hate that Sophie had to backburn this book but I'm also kind of glad because now it has a better chance of doing numbers. (As if I wouldn't read a Sophie book at anytime...)

Forbidden Love. Betrayal. Found Family. Yearning. Commoner/Royalty. Did I mention the yearning? Nobody in Particular is the story of a disgraced princess a new student from America at an all-girls boarding school. Danni and Princess Rosemary of Henland start up a quick and witty friendship that quickly turns into something more. but Rose can’t afford distractions as she works to repair her image after a tragic scandal. And Danni, who is attending Bramppath College on a music scholarship, doesn't need anything to happen to get her kicked out of the elite school. But soon rumors of their forbidden relationship start circulating. No one knows who might betray who. And Rose and Danni have to decide what really matters in the end.

Sophie always tells such fun stories but yet there's still depth to her characters. There's still a plot to the chaotic chaos. Nobody in Particular has very distinct voices. Gail Shalan and Imani Jade Powers give extra life and layers to these characters in the audiobook. I could listen to both of them narrate forever. Nobody in Particular is one of my top favorite Sophie books. And I would never say no to a sequel.

If you have made it this far, please, for the love of everything book holy, go read Sophie's debut The Law of Inertia and hype it up so she will write me a freakin sequel ok thank you.

And if you are looking for a similar story written ahead of it's time, Rachel Hawkins wrote Her Royal Highness. Which is also fabulous.


***Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Macmillan Audio for always giving me the privilege of checking out Sophie's books early.***

I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the interactions between characters and it was a great easy read for me while I am in my slump! Though I do wish there was more interactions between Dani and the other students I enjoyed this friend group.

A princess with a dark scandal, a new girl just trying to fit in, and the way their paths cross as friendship, romance, and scandal collide. The story follows Princess Rosemary of Henland who has recently gotten out of a bad scandal that left one of her friends dead. She's meant to be focused on the new year and on keeping up her image... but then she meets Danni, a pianist who has become her ex best friend's new friend, and someone who Rosemary finds herself drawn to. Danni and Rose begin a friendship but it begins to turn into something more... but can a romance work when Rosemary is meant to be married to someone else and the fact that she hasn't come out to the public either? Can Danni live with the scandal that follows rose everywhere she goes? This was definitely a drama filled book with a touch of romance and friendship. I do think other readers can have fun with it but I just felt like it wasn't as compelling and as interesting as I would have wanted. It's a fine YA sapphic romance and I would think that other readers can have a good time reading it.

Release Date: june 3, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Nobody in Particular is a beautiful story... equal parts tender, daring, and emotionally charged. This is a YA sapphic romance that follows Danni, a musically gifted American, and Rose, a crown princess trying to reclaim her reputation after a public fall from grace. Their relationship blooms in secret, against the pressures of societal expectations, family scrutiny, and relentless rumors.

Sophie Gonzales excels at writing real, nuanced characters. Every person in this book feels real. The themes of identity, friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery are handled respectfully and with care. At times, it felt like this book reached into my own teenage memories and healed my inner child.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC. I cannot wait for release day!! For anyone craving a return to slow-burn yearning and heartfelt coming-of-age queer story: this one’s for you.

I can’t get enough of the royal x commoner trope, so naturally I was excited to pick up Nobody in Particular. This is a sapphic love story set at a posh all-girls boarding school between the future queen of Henland and an American scholarship student.

Danni and Rose’s romance is the main focus of this novel and it was such a joy to watch these two grow both in and out of their relationship. Rose has the weight of the country on her shoulders and after undergoing a serious trauma over school break she is holding a lot of unresolved grief within her. Danni on the other hand, is terrified of outside perception and her aversion to rejection is the one thing standing in the way of her dreams of performing piano. Theirs is a relationship that should be doomed from the start but every moment they connected felt true and genuine. There is a tenderness to their romance and the yearning from both parties made my heart pang.

I didn’t expect to fall so in love with Rose and Danni’s adorable friend group, but that is, in fact, exactly what happened. The side characters, particularly Molly, added immense depth to the story. There were so many times I felt like I was at boarding school right alongside these girls and I was able to fully immerse myself in the setting due to how relatable everyone felt. As I mentioned above, Rose’s unresolved trauma impacts her and Molly heavily and their grief journeys were raw and vulnerable. This addition to the story, as well as the rounded group dynamic made Rose and Danni feel even more realized.

Nobody in Particular is the type of heart-affirming, young adult romance I adore. The inclusive, positive tone made me yearn for a brighter future where queer youth feel affirmed and comfortable in every setting. The cover is also too cute for words and I LOVE the little tiara on Rose’s head!

What You’ll Find:
-Sapphic love story
-Boarding school setting
-Bisexual and lesbian rep
-Royal x commoner
-Fierce female friendships
-Clandestine trysts
-Grief journeys
-Gossip and online speculation

Thank you Wednesday Books | St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

I've been thinking about this book a lot since I finished it, which I suppose is a good thing. :)

This was a really good, very unique sapphic book. Danni and Rose's relationship was really sweet and I love how much they fought for their love once they made the decision to do so. That said, for me it felt a bit dark and as such a bit long for a YA book. I wish she could have made this work without the really sad friend back story.

🎧 The audiobook was lovely! Gail Shalan and Imani Jade Powers were both FANTASTIC and I loved their accents. They brought this story to life in a really beautiful, believable way.

Read if you like:
-YA Sapphic Stories
-Royalty
-Boarding schools
-Grief journeys

Overall, I did enjoy it and would recommend for those looking for a royal sapphic story. That said, go in knowing it's not as lighthearted as some of the other YA LGBTQ books we've read before.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Publishing for the ARC of 'Nobody In Particular' in exchange for an honest review.

This mixture of Royal and sapphic romance takes its own sweet time to get the beating heart of its story, but when it finally does, it's an insightful, heartwarming and comforting experience.

About the half the book's devoted to setting up our lead 17 year old romancers at the exclusive boarding school in the Kingdom of Henland (which I assume shares borders with Princess Mia's Genovia and other neighboring European kingdoms from Hallmark Royal romances).

There's the headstrong Princess Rosemary, who's weathering through a tragic scandal that's left her shaken, her public image in tatters and estranged from her best friend. New to the school comes U. S. commoner Danni, a gifted pianist on a music scholarship and recovering from a lifetime of bullying in public schools.

Sparks duly fly between these two adorable girls and by that time, they face a whole array of daunting challenges to their being together. Rosemary's dedicated to ascending the throne as Queen to do good for her country, but will the Royal family (and her country, for that matter) accept Danni as Rose's official consort? Would Danni remain hidden as a secret lover, while Rose has to fake marry some Prince for appearances?

With their future outlook cloudy, Rose and Danni find their tender moments together eclipsed by overwhelming obstacles thrown in their path.. Their own self doubts cause them further strife, while the Royal family's P.R. spin doctor arranges photo opps with a boy eager and willing to play Rose's fake boyfriend. And no matter how hidden the girls try to keep their trysts, nothing staunches the flow of toxic social media gossip.

Author Sophie Gonzales does a superb job in creating relatable, believable characters out of Rose, Danni and their unique (and sometimes spot on funny) circle of friends. (Believe me, when Rose, who's fiercely protective of the much more vulnerable Danni, goes on the warpath in her defense, she's a sight to behold.)

After the book finally puts all its issues on the table for Rose and Danni, their final reckoning and resolution is laid out with all the skill and warmth you'd want in a feel-good read. Which, come to think of it, make the perfect close-out for this review.

♛ 2.75 stars ♛

A big thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication Date: June 3rd, 2025

👑 Sapphic romance
🔥 Spice: 1.5/5

~ Plot ~
After a shocking scandal, Princess Rose of Henland is determined to repair her image and avoid bringing shame to the royal family. When new student Danni arrives at her boarding school, Rose's facade cracks. As their forbidden relationship blossoms, so does the risk of being caught and further tarnishing Rose's reputation. Rose and Danni must decide whether to continue their relationship in secret or break up.

~ Thoughts ~
This book was cute! The main characters were endearing and I loved Danni and Rose's relationship. My main gripe with the book was how juvenile it was. The characters are 16/17 and had some mature moments (particularly Rose), but some of the dialogue and inner monologues felt very Disney Channel. Especially Danni, who starts the book with a very childlike scene in which she associates a leather bag with... driving a Porsche? For a book handling some fairly heavy topics, it was a bit jarring to go from discussing hiding one's sexuality to an embarrassing mom wanting her daughter to be friends with the princess.

Otherwise, it was a cute read! It's similar to Young Royals, so if you like that show, you might like this book.

Neutral 3 stars
——————

DNF @ 30%.

I so wanted to enjoy this book based on the summation, but I just couldn’t get past the writing. It felt juvenile and really took away from the story. I was forcing myself to pick this book up. The characters are boring and the plot was a little expected. I just couldn’t get myself to want to read it. I won’t be reviewing elsewhere.

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

Nobody in Particular follows teen princess Rosemary, and a scholarship student Danni, as their paths cross at an all-girls boarding school.

Sophie Gonzales is, to me, something of a queen of queer YA romance, so I wasn't surprised when Nobody in Particular gave me exactly everything I could want out of a YA sapphic royal romance. Danni and Rose were wonderfully rounded characters who I found it easy to root for, and while some of the turmoil they faced in their relationship felt like silly drama, much of what they encountered -- bullying, rumors, societal pressures -- didn't come off as contrived or unnecessary (three cheers for the death of the forced miscommunication trope!), which I appreciated. I also adored that the book wasn't solely focused on Rose and Danni's romance. While it was the center of the story, the plot point with Molly and all the things that happened in her and Rose's past was equally vital to the book, and it was such a rich and fulfilling addition to the characters' arcs.

In all, Nobody in Particular was an absolutely lovely read, and perfect for anyone itching for that quintessential YA sapphic royal romance.

***Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

Royalty, boarding school, and a sapphic love story all penned by Sophie Gonzales… There was no way that I wasn’t reading Nobody in Particular. I’m a huge fan of this author, and every one of those story elements is one of my favorites. So, it seemed like this book was perfect for me. Unsurprisingly, I really, really loved it.

Both of the main characters in Nobody in Particular were quite compelling. Danni struggled with the aftermath of being bullied at her previous school, which resulted in anxiety and difficulty trusting others and making friends. She hated being in the spotlight because attention in the past usually led to ridicule. Over the course of the story, Danni developed confidence in herself and became more comfortable being perceived by others. There were plenty of bumps in the road along the way, including a pretty awful outing experience, but she managed to grow into a young woman who was confident in her skin.

Rose faced a lot of obstacles in Nobody in Particular. Her royal status felt like a cage that kept her from being her true self. Those restrictions were a toxic mix with the PTSD she experienced from watching a friend die. As a result, she essentially became a walking shell of a person that dissociated a majority of the time. Her relationship with Danni put her issues into focus and ultimately led to her needing to decide if hiding everything that made her unique was truly the best way for her to serve her country.

Rose and Danni had great chemistry, and I really bought into their relationship. They had a wonderful friend group, as well. Of course, it wasn’t without its drama. They were teenagers after all. It would have been weirder if there wasn’t any angst. lol. My only issue with the story was that I wanted more world-building. Both the foreign country and the boarding school felt like little more than a backdrop. I enjoyed the story’s focus on character, but I would’ve loved to see more of Henland and the academic study of the girls.

Overall, Nobody in Particular was another fantastic queer YA romance from Gonzales. It had everything I expected from a royal-entangled story set at a boarding school. The characters had such great depth, and I was wholly invested in their struggles as they figured out what it meant to be their authentic selves. Therefore, I rate the book 4.25 out of 5 stars.