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| The Royal We |
Title: The Royal We
Author: Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Publication Date: 4/7/15
Pages: 464
How I Found It: The real question is, how could I not have?
Date Completed: 5/3/15
Summary: American exchange student Rebecca "Bex" Porter ends up in the same dorm hall as HRH Prince Nicholas at Oxford. Fairy tale moments, paparazzi stalking, and royal drama ensue.
What I Thought: Let's be honest. This book is Will & Kate fan fiction. I mean, look at that cover. There is no getting around it and authors Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (curators of fashion and celeb gossip blog Go Fug Yourself) freely admit their story was inspired by the British royals. That being said, there is enough fact included to continually remind you of the real couple and enough fiction to keep readers interested and invested in Bex and Nick in their own right.
I cannot cite the book as anything particularly original or groundbreaking, but it is fun. I raced through it, soaking up every word, loving the comparisons to the real life Cambridge family and the escapades of the fictional royals as well. I loved feeling like I was getting a peek behind the scenes, even while knowing the look is an entirely fictional one. Even with that in mind, reading Bex's perspective on entering royal life made me wonder how much our dear Duchess of Cambridge may have had in common with her thoughts or experiences. If nothing else, it is a great reminder that Will and Kate are real people with real feelings and real problems, not just fairy tale figurines for our enjoyment.
I found myself really surprised at the quality of the writing. I picked up the book expecting something rather thrown together and poorly written - my working definition for Chick Lit. Instead, I found a story that had been clearly researched and thought out. The writing itself, while not perfect, easily surpassed my expectations and left me feeling less guilty about my guilty pleasure read. Cocks and Morgan gave a great ending, too. Not a cliffhanger, but certainly open to the idea of a sequel. I, for one, will be rooting for such a book to come into existence.
Of course, my timing reading this book could not have been more perfect. I finished it the very day after Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana entered the world. Talk about good timing. I have no doubt the publishers had just such a scenario in mind when they determined the release date.
The Royal We is no masterpiece, but I fully expect it to be widely read and enjoyed by beaches and pools around the world this summer. If you like the royals, Cinderella stories, or just fun romances, you will enjoy this one!
Rating: ★★★★★
Will I Re-Read: At some point, maybe
A Reduced Review: Will & Kate fan fiction makes for the perfect beach read this summer.
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