While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown - and the intriguing Miles - might be trying to make Daisy into a lady...but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rule book to suit herself (from Goodreads).
So, welcome back to our book club. We haven't gotten off to the best start in the sense we are not exactly managing a regular review date, but we will hopefully get there one day. There should be another book review coming very soon as Sophie has caught up now.
1. Why choose this book?
Rachel: This was one of my choices, because there is only so much control I can exert on my rom-com tendencies, and what with the Royal Wedding sweeping the nation this year, I just couldn't resist.
2. What did you like
best?
R: I enjoy stupid books like this, so I enjoyed the premise of
it a lot. It had flaws in its execution, but it did stay true to the genre.
Daisy was a good main character for a book like this, and her parents were
funny and dysfunctional.
Sophie: it was just a fun book. Like one of those low-budget teen rom-coms I love but in book form. I guess I liked the relationship progression too.
R: ah, those summers of watching Disney Channel original movies. Fun memories.
3. What did you like
least?
R: The fact it was about the Scottish Royal family. why??? How does that work??? Where is the divergence in history??? Please, I just want an answer. Even if it's stupid, I just want to know. Also, the focus was very much Daisy in this book, but there were
so many other characters that could have done with a bit more of a push.
S: I agree. There was history hinted at but never explained, but when you decide to ignore that, which I did, it's fine. Yes, a few more characters could've helped develop things, instead of just having a select few who are relevant and then a few cameos occasionally where it's hinted Daisy has spent time with them but not shown.
4. What books does this
remind you of?
R: The Prince and Me, What a Girl Wants (both not books, but
ssh)
S: all of the above, and all the amazingly bad Hallmark-esque movies such as A Christmas Prince and Once Upon a Prince.
5. Which
character/characters did you like best?
R: I liked Miles and his snark. I enjoyed Daisy.
S: I think they were all fairly likable but they weren't necessarily all super developed besides maybe Daisy and Miles, which makes sense due to work count and not wanting to drift too far from the plot and stuff, but I would have liked to explore more characters. So probably them.
6. Which ones did you
not like?
R: Ellie was boring.
S: Ellie seemed nice enough though. She was uptight and concerned about her future and despite most of the book mentioning she and Daisy fought and had grown apart, a few small things indicated she cared about her sister, which was nice. But she didn't grab me as a character. I wouldn't say I disliked her, but I wish she'd talked to Daisy more so we could have seen her develop.
R: it was the same with Alex. We didn't really get to know him, did we?
S: again, he was okay but pretty one-dimensional. He's not a main character so I get why he wasn't a huge focus, but all I can remember about him is that he was classed by everyone in the book as 'the boring brother' so that's mostly his character.
R: so we're agreed - we want more character development in the next books.
S: yeah, I want to see more interaction and for them to become more than just what Daisy sees.
7. If it were made into
a movie, who would you cast?
R: I’d cast Katherine McNamara (loved her in Shadowhunters) as
Daisy, as I could definitely see her getting the snark of Daisy down. I’m
pretty sure Seb would be played by Grant Gustin, cause he just has that smug
look down (as Sebastian from Glee). Which leaves Miles. I have no idea who
would play Miles, but he would have to have a really nice smile.
S: I wasn't really imagining anyone, I'm bad at that. But I guess I agree about Grant Gustin though.
8. Have you read any of
the author’s other books? How do they compare?
R: Years ago, I borrowed Hex Hall (the first book in her YA
paranormal romance series Hex Hall) with every intention of reading it. then I
didn’t. or maybe I did and have forgotten. Either way, had no preformed
opinions going in to this book of this writer’s style. I did read an interview
about this book, and what her influences were. She talked about how much she
loved Edinburgh when she visited, so I had hopes.
S: I haven't, but I mean I'll probably read the sequel. I want to see more of these characters and see how they develop. All I want is development.
9. What did you think of
the book’s length? If it’s too long, what would you cut? If it’s too short,
what would you add?
R: The last few chapters felt very rushed, and the book felt
like it ended just as things really got going for our characters. Ellie was
finally showing some growth, and we were seeing Alexander is a slightly
different light. I would have liked perhaps a one-on-one conversation between
Daisy and Alexander, where he tells her from his point of view why he fell in
love with Ellie and what it means to have Daisy’s blessing going forward,
showing some kind of understanding of the normal life Ellie has given up to be
with him.
S: I agree, it just felt a little quick at the end. It could've been a good place for some quick final character development for everyone, another glimpse into Ellie or Alex, but suddenly we're in Florida again and it's all over.
10. What song does this
book make you think of? (suggests making a playlist)
R:
Royals by Lorde
(obviously)
Someone to You by
Banners (for Daisy and Miles)
Wreck Havoc by
Skylar Grey (sums up Seb and his friends well, I think)
11. What do you think of
the cover? Does it work? If the book has been published with different covers,
which one do you like best?
R: I liked the cover. It was very pink, so I did feel kind of
self-conscious reading it on the tube in rush hour. Did slow me down reading
it.
S: the cover looks really young, kind of pre-teen glam. I don't know what else it could have been but it seems so overly young, despite it being a teen novel.
R: less pink, more Princess Diaries basically? Damn, they were good books.
12. Which character would
you most like to meet?
R: I liked to meet Miles and Alex. Don’t think I could keep up
with Seb and his other friends.
S: Daisy and her friend whose name I've already forgotten seem nerdy and also kind of cool, so I guess them.
R: I've also forgotten her name, but yes, I would agree you would fit in nicely to their group. But does that make me Ellie? Cause, you know, I'll happily marry a Prince if that's the case.
13. Would you want to
live in this world?
R: As previously mentioned, if I knew the history of how the
Scottish royal family still existed in this world, I could let it go and would
be very interested in seeing their touch on modern Edinburgh. But yeah, I’ve
been to Edinburgh before for the Fringe festival a couple years ago and loved
it a lot, and have recommended going to everyone I’ve met since.
S: I guess we kind of do already. I mean, it's the real world; there's just a Scottish Royal family. So I guess it'd be cool to see it, but it can't be that much different.
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