Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by changenotcoins
How to Date a Prince by Hayden Stone
3.0
I think this was trying too hard to be Red, White & Royal Blue… but missed the mark.
Okay, so I wanted to love How to Date a Prince. I mean, queer royal romance? Reality TV? A prince falling for a guy who literally wants to abolish the monarchy? Sign me up, right?
But unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. It felt like it was trying a little too hard to capture the charm of Red, White & Royal Blue without doing the work to build that same emotional depth or chemistry. The vibes were there… but the execution? Kind of messy.
Let’s talk about Prince Auggie. He’s the future king, deeply closeted, and clearly struggling with pressure and grief, which had potential for some real character growth. But early on, he seriously lost me. Yeah, NO. I felt icky and disconnected from him as a love interest because of the lack of maturity he displayed, all because he was unsure of himself. I couldn’t root for someone who did that and then just brushed it off like no big deal. In fact, both of them are so immature and childish and it really took me out of the story. To be honest, I wondered several times if this was written by AI because the way the characters acted were not... right? I do not really know how to explain it but it was either that or the author had not ever met another human and it was just odd.
So, not every book is for every reader and I’m sure a lot of people will love the reality show angle, the spicy tension, and the royalty/celebrity drama. But for me? The awkward start, undercooked character development, and the whiplash hot and cold romance made me not like it.
That said, I totally see the appeal and I hope others enjoy it more than I did!
Big thanks to NetGalley, Hayden Stone, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.
Okay, so I wanted to love How to Date a Prince. I mean, queer royal romance? Reality TV? A prince falling for a guy who literally wants to abolish the monarchy? Sign me up, right?
But unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. It felt like it was trying a little too hard to capture the charm of Red, White & Royal Blue without doing the work to build that same emotional depth or chemistry. The vibes were there… but the execution? Kind of messy.
Let’s talk about Prince Auggie. He’s the future king, deeply closeted, and clearly struggling with pressure and grief, which had potential for some real character growth. But early on, he seriously lost me. Yeah, NO. I felt icky and disconnected from him as a love interest because of the lack of maturity he displayed, all because he was unsure of himself. I couldn’t root for someone who did that and then just brushed it off like no big deal. In fact, both of them are so immature and childish and it really took me out of the story. To be honest, I wondered several times if this was written by AI because the way the characters acted were not... right? I do not really know how to explain it but it was either that or the author had not ever met another human and it was just odd.
So, not every book is for every reader and I’m sure a lot of people will love the reality show angle, the spicy tension, and the royalty/celebrity drama. But for me? The awkward start, undercooked character development, and the whiplash hot and cold romance made me not like it.
That said, I totally see the appeal and I hope others enjoy it more than I did!
Big thanks to NetGalley, Hayden Stone, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.