This was a sweet, if predictable, YA read. Seventeen year old Prince Judon (from the fictional country of Rêverie) needs to fix his reputation after a video is leaked of him badmouthing the Prime Minister. So he moves to a swanky place in the Palisades and enrolls in a swanky high school. He doesn't want to care about anyone in America, he just wants to go home. Enter Reiss, a scholarship kid and aspiring filmmaker who doesn't take Jadon's princely shit and sees him for who he really is: a scared teen trying to find himself.
I would have liked this book to go a little deeper... Jadon's teen angst felt shallow, and the opulence of royalty and the class difference between the two main characters was hardly addressed.
Jadon and Reiss had a sweet banter, and some of the sude characters were intriguing. Overall, a fun, quick read.

I received this digital ARC from @netgalley and publisher @penguinbooks in exchange for an honest review.

Prince of the Palisades will be released August 20, 2024

This was a great read! I've read other Julian Winters books in the past and they just keep getting better. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone. There was great character development and it was great to see Jadon come out of his shell as the book progressed, and the romance was all around adorable and realistic for teenagers. This book is for anyone still stuck on Red, White, and Royal Blue, as well as Young Royals (there's even a RWRB reference in there).

P.S., and slight spoiler: I NEED a spin off that follows Annika and a certain bodyguard.

Do you guys even understand how much I adore Julian Winters? He is one of the best writers in YA, and I will die on this hill. His stories always make me smile so hard, and I always love seeing the character growth throughout. I loved the twist of one of the boys being actual royalty this time, which made it a fun little change from his regular contemporaries. His writing, as always, is flawless and gorgeous, and I can never get enough of the style. Though I am not part of the LGBTQ or Black communities, I still found several things to relate to in this novel, especially Jadon's struggles to be who he wants to be. If you've never read Winters before, don't make this your last!

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. 

Prince Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie, a fictional island country with a heavy French influence, is exiled to Los Angeles, California after a scandal. His only goal is to rehab his image and bolster his credibility as crown prince with the public. At every turn, he can’t stop putting his foot in his mouth and undoing all progress he has made. That, coupled with his talent of pushing people away after being burned one too many times, causes deeper strife with his country and more importantly, his parents. With the help of his entourage, his older sister (the future queen) and Reiss, the main love interest, he learns that maybe he doesn’t have to change for the public— the public needs to change for him. 

As my second book by Julian Winters, I’m happy to see the progress he has made in his writing. The angst was real with this one but simultaneously cathartic. The feeling that the world is against you is a familiar teen experience but when the world, or at least the media, is actually against you, the struggle of growing up and striving for acceptance is crushing. 

This was a sweet story about reconnecting with one’s self and creating the world you want to live in no matter who is there to judge you. No matter if you are a prince(ss) or a regular person, finding out who you are and accepting and loving that part of you is a difficult journey. It won’t always wrap up in a nice bow at the end of a book like this one, but it is better to live an authentic life instead of a life for others. That is what the heart of this book is about, so I highly recommend any age to read this book.

This is for the fans of the show Young Royals.

Prince Jadon gets sent to America to go to school after a scandal involving him saying some pretty terrible things about his countries prime minster. He meets Reiss, a fellow student, who's the opposite of him. But along the way they fall in love. Of course there's the usual teenage drama but there is a HEA.

I loved this book because 1) Julian is an amazing writer and 2) who doesn't love a royal romance? Also look out for some easter eggs of certain other YA authors and even some LGBTQ+ ships. (hint hint)

I cannot overstate HOW FREAKING CUTE THIS IS. It's like if you swallowed a whole bag of your favorite candy, whole, with the promise that you wouldn't get a stomach ache afterwards. It is so focused on joy, on the love between families and friends and boyfriends, that it made me want to scream with how much it made my heart squeal. But it also focuses on the messy parts of life, the imperfect ones, and how they are just as important, just as valid, and just as needed. Because teens are teens, and they will make mistakes, but they are still so, so deserving of the whole world.

This book is like if Young Royals and Red White and Royal Blue had a baby - sweet, dramatic, and with more mature themes scattered throughout. It's fluffy, yet heavily relatable.

I was hooked from the start and thought the characters worked with the universe that was set. I enjoyed the plot of this book and how everything worked with the characters. Julian Winters does a fantastic job in writing this and left me wanting to read more from these characters.

I binged this book, and woah.. did it make an impact. I loved the character development of Ajani(and a few other characters), while trying to find himself and where he fits in, he also has the pressures of being the prince on top of that. I loved the lgbtqiap representation. Ajani was my favorite character. Lol hopefully we get a book for Annika*fingers crossed*! Thank you penguin teen for the arc!

Actually STUNNING!! Literally read it in the span of a day cause I was so invested. That's only happened with other book, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar, which is one of my favorites. This book is definitely up there now.

First of all the growth Jadon has throughout the book is so beautiful. He truly grows into himself and learns its okay to not always be perfect. Not only does Jadon have beautiful character development so does like every character, especially Queen Ava and King Simon. All the friends Jadon meets are so loveable.

The conflicts were done so well and didn't feel forced. Truly this book is a beautiful dive into the world of being different. Wanting different, knowing how to get it. Building courage and strength, and bonding with those like you along the way.

Again STUNNING!!!

Young Royals is one of my favorite shows and Red, White & Royal Blue one of my all time favorite books, so a story combining those into a new book by Julian Winters was of course something I needed to read! Prince of the Palisades might not be exactly of the same caliber as RWARB, but it was certainly a wonderful, sweet, adorable and emotional mm romance story between a struggling prince and a badass pink-haired commoner!

Prince Jadon is the spare of the fictional kingdom Reverie as the younger, messy brother of crown princess Annika. After a leaked video of him trash talking the prime minister (who is also the father of his ex) makes his parents lose their patience with him, Jadon gets exiled to Los Angeles and a preppy private school together with his sister and two royal guards. In order to be allowed back home, Jadon must change the public perception of him and prove that he is worthy to represent the royal family. Including making friends with his fellow students, joining the school play and making public non-political speeches. But definitely not getting involved with someone or getting caught kissing in public. Which turns out to be harder than expected when sparks start to fly with a certain pink-haired film student…

Running With Lions is my favorite Julian Winters book, with all the amazing characters. This story had the same kind of vibes and fleshed-out characters, witty banter and focus on love and friendship. I truly adored Princess Annika, the quirky royal guards and Reiss’ family.

Jadon and Reiss had a wonderful chemistry and I loved their fun banter and how Reiss kept Jadon grounded and showed him what a “normal” life and family looked like. It was perhaps a bit too insta-lovey the way Jadon immediately was intrigued by Reiss, and it took me a while to warm up to Jadon who came across as a little too immature and selfish at first. But the character development was amazing and at the end I fully rooted for him and his relatable struggles to find his path in life.

I also loved the fanfiction references to RWARB and The Princess Diaries in the tweets and comments.

All in all, this was a sweet and charming YA read about finding your true self and taking a chance on love!

the description was definitely what drew me in as an avid rwrb fan. i truly enjoyed this book and it's take on the commonly now seen royal x non royal relationship. i loved the characters and the development of their relationship!! and the communication!! the representation!! chefs kiss

The description states “Young Royals meets Red, White, and Royal Blue” which immediately drew me in! While this comparison is pretty accurate, I found this story to be a refreshingly new take on the royal/commoner romance!

Julian Winters creates such a brilliant setting for this story with beautifully written imagery. He has an incredible talent to intertwine descriptions of the physical setting with the descriptions of the characters. I have never seen this executed so flawlessly; “The gourmet kitchen’s lighting accentuates how many of our parents’ features Annika and I share.”, “His face brightens like the fairy lights strung around the letter board menus.” Apart from the diverse characters and well-rounded plot, I was truly drawn into Prince Jadon’s physical world.

Moreover, I was truly blown away with how authentic the voice of this young male narrator was written. Winters finds that delicate balance of a young male character who is dealing with real emotions, specifically anger and fear, and has the vulnerability to be honest, kind, and respectful. I am fond of dual POV romances as someone who really enjoys understanding both characters feelings but the excellent portrayal of healthy communication allows for deep insights into Reiss’ feelings regardless of not hearing his first person account.

Embedded in the wonderful story are also hilarious tidbits which had me laughing out loud! The little Ao3 and multiple fanfiction references were great. Possibly my favorite easter eggs were the nods to RWRB (@historyhuhhenry) and Princess diaries (@genovia_diaries) in the tweets!

Some other favorite quotes:
“…she’s the calm, optimistic one. I’m more of the ‘burn shit down, ask questions later’ variety.”
“Forgive me for being informal…but you’re badass. Black, queer, and powerful. Three things this world loves to hate.”
“‘No one talks about sex. It just happens. Talking about it is-‘ I interrupt, ‘Great! Sexy. Necessary.’”
“I hope you know you’re worthy, no matter who you are.”


Is it too early to hope for a sequel? Or a book with Annika's story? or a prequel with the parents romance?

This book was delicious and I ATE IT UP. I loved it. It was such a quick, fun read and I’m obsessed with Jadon and Reiss.

Things I loved about this book:
Letting Jadon fail!! It was so important and showing that he was just a person who makes mistakes was an A+ choice.
I loved watching Jadon come into his own and figure out his feelings for Reiss. When he asked for a date!! That first kiss!!
Reiss! Nerdy hot is 👌🏻😏 and he was just so much fun. Such a sweet guy and he brought so much to Jadon’s growth. I LOVED his relationship with his family too.
Brother/sister vibes were strong.
Friend group was awesome!!
Anjani 🥹.
Consent is sexy!!!!
Communication is sexier!!!
That first time was 🥰🥹.
I loved the third act conflict. I also loved how it was solved.
That ending was so so good and that epilogue was strong.
Basically I loved it.

So so good! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.