Is it 5 stars? Is it 2 stars? I still don't know...

The Crowned Mystics by Lauren Kutney is a royal romantasy complete with agents, princesses, and mercenaries. It gives Princess Diaries x James Bond, and I really enjoyed its uniqueness.

So why is it so hard for me to choose a star rating?

For plot, I'd give it 5 stars. It was a fun adventure-princess novel. I read it in under 36 hours because I was constantly on the edge of my seat.

For writing, I'd give it 3 stars. It's often repetitive (yes, we know they notice every tiny detail about each other that would be imperceptible to others). The dialogue is also strangely broken up. And it's definitely missing an editor.

For world-building, I'd give it 1 star because we never learn anything substantial about Elena's new country. Who are the people? How are the buildings and the landscape? What are some major cities? Major tourist attractions? What countries is it beside? It's set in our world but in a fictitious country, much like The Princess Diaries. But it references "other countries" as enemies. How? Why?

The romance, though, was a solid 4-star slow burn. I love both characters and they're generally consistent personality-wise throughout. I love their slow burn romance and the tension. Sometimes I wish there were more because it's not entirely clear until the end that Alexei has strong feelings for her. But overall it kept me cheering for them.

After all of this, I'm thinking this book is around 3.5-4 stars for me. Maybe a nice 3.75 because I don't quite feel it's at the 4 star range, but I do like it more than the average book.

Recommended for readers who enjoy:
~ The Princess Diaries
~ spy/secret agent romances
~ royalty romances
~ adventure/action elements