Review: Romancing the Throne by Nadine Jolie Courtney
10:00
Series: None
Author: Nadine Jolie Courtney
Published May 30th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads Synopsis
For the first time ever, the Weston sisters are at the same boarding school. After an administration scandal at Libby’s all-girls school threatens her chances at a top university, she decides to join Charlotte at posh and picturesque Sussex Park. Social-climbing Charlotte considers it her sisterly duty to bring Libby into her circle: Britain’s young elites, glamorous teens who vacation in Hong Kong and the South of France and are just as comfortable at a polo match as they are at a party.
It’s a social circle that just so happens to include handsome seventeen-year-old Prince Edward, heir to Britain’s throne.
If there are any rules of sisterhood, “Don’t fall for the same guy” should be one of them. But sometimes chemistry—even love—grows where you least expect it. In the end, there may be a price to pay for romancing the throne...and more than one path to happily ever after.
Goodreads
Review
This book was immediately on my radar as soon as the first mention of it was had on Twitter. As you might know, a book with some form of royalty in it is bound to be one I want, so I preordered this book as soon as I could, and waiting quite impatiently for my copy to arrive.
In Romancing the Throne, we have two sisters, Libby and Charlotte, who are attending a glamorous English boarding school, that the Crown Prince of England, Edward, also attends. Both sisters are nothing like one another. Libby, the oldest, is quiet and a bit shy, whereas Charlotte is always the centre of attention, and part of an elite group of British teens. Lotte sees it as her duty to bring Libby out of her shell, and incorporate her in her friendship group, but that soon brings Libby into Edward's radar, and because both are so alike, they end up falling for one another. However, Lotte has decided from day 1 that her goal in life is to marry Edward, and even if Libby is her sister, she won't let that get in the way.
This book could've been so good, but, it wasn't. Lotte was a dreadful main character, who made me want to DNF the book neigh on every few pages - if I'm being honest, I don't know why I didn't. Libby was someone I probably could've related to more, and if the book had been in her PoV, I likely would've given the book a higher rating. Because their family is 'new money', middle class, Lotte sees this as an issue, and needs to shake off the stigma (a la Caroline Bingley in P&P). So, she surrounds herself with the well to do, trying to fit in, and she doesn't, partly due to her family, but mainly due to her crassness. All she cares about is marrying well, and the best marriage she could make is Edward. She doesn't even really like him, though, only likes his title, and there was just no chemistry between them. Whenever Edward was busy, dealing with being a working Royal, or other family obligations, she would just complain, not what a good Princess or Queen should do. Libby and Edward were such a good fit, and she would be the perfect companion for Edward, which quickly becomes apparent.
My main issue with the book is that it's dead clear that the author is American, as even though it's completely set in England, with English characters, nothing about it felt authentic. Sometimes, I wish authors wouldn't write about England or Britain without actually doing some research, and not just expecting everything to be the same as in America.
All in all, Lotte was awful, Libby a sweetheart, and this book could've done well, but ultimately failed.
Dates Read:
June 27-July 10, 2017Rating
3 Stars
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