Publishers Weekly
03/19/2018
After her sister becomes engaged to Prince Alex of Scotland, Daisy is whisked off to the palace to spend the summer learning how to behave like a member of the royal family. There, Daisy is considered a breath of fresh air by some and a pesky American social climber by others, and she is predictably thrown into romantic situations with more than one potential suitor, including Prince Sebastian, Alex’s younger brother. Hawkins peppers the story with tabloid gossip posts, which help to introduce the various characters, including the many wealthy Scottish boys with titles who love to play with the hearts of the young women around them. Though Daisy’s consistently reluctant attitude towards palace events, beautiful ballgowns, and the attentions of handsome young men stretches believability, Hawkins maintains an appealing sense of humor throughout, while introducing enough conflict to drive the romantic narrative forward. Ages 12–up. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (May)
From the Publisher
"A crowning achievement . . . this is the pitch perfect teen movie of your dreams." —EW.com
"Lighthearted, pure fun." —Romantic Times Book Reviews
"Sweet, romantic, and adorable, fans of Meg Cabot will thoroughly enjoy Hawkins' latest!" —Buzzfeed
"[A] beach-read-daydream of a novel . . . . Think Mia Thermopolis meets Pippa Middleton, dotted with romance and scandal for good measure." —Elite Daily
"A sweet romance and a royally fun time." —Hello Giggles
"Perfect for the beach." —Culturess
"Don't miss Royals by Rachel Hawkins, a delightful romp of a book for when you need to bliss out with a light romance starring a sweet and snarky heroine." —NPR
"Once you pick up Royals you aren't going to want to put it down . . . you definitely don't want to miss out on Daisy Winters and her crazy Scottish summer." —Hypable
"Perfect for Princess Diary fans or readers craving a snappy rom-com." —Booklist
"A hilarious romp through a larger-than-life royal family fable." —Kirkus Reviews
"[P]ure escapist fun for readers seeking the inside scoop on royal life—plus a little romance . . . . Funny, witty, and realistic, Hawkins elevates the classic teenage romance into an exciting novel that keeps the pages flipping." —VOYA
"Teens won’t need to be fans of the royal gossip columns to enjoy this light, funny take on the fairy-tale world of royalty." —School Library Journal
"After her sister becomes engaged to Prince Alex of Scotland, Daisy is whisked off to the palace to spend the summer learning how to behave like a member of the royal family. There, Daisy is . . . thrown into romantic situations with more than one potential suitor . . . . including the many wealthy Scottish boys with titles who love to play with the hearts of the young women around them." —Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
04/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Daisy Winters plans to spend her summer with her best friend, Isabel, working at the Sur-N-Save in her quiet hometown of Perdido, FL. The highlight will be a trip to Key West for Key Con with an opportunity to meet their favorite science fiction author. However, plans change when a blogger gets an interview with Daisy's ex-boyfriend who claims she dumped him for a prince in Scotland. Daisy's sister, Eleanor, is engaged to Alex, the heir to the Scottish throne. The interview threatens to distract from the palace's controlled message about the upcoming wedding, so Daisy is whisked off to Scotland for a summer of immersion and "optics" control. Not only does Daisy resent losing her summer of fun, she is not looking forward to spending time with the notorious Royal Wreckers, the blogosphere's term for the teenage royals. Almost immediately, Daisy finds herself in hot water with the queen and has to fake a relationship with the handsome but stoic courtier, Miles. Teens will see the romantic relationship coming from a mile away but will happily continue reading to the satisfying conclusion. The plot moves along at a compelling pace and the characters, though clichéd, are entertaining. Daisy's voice is at times laugh-out-loud funny and very relatable. VERDICT Teens won't need to be fans of the royal gossip columns to enjoy this light, funny take on the fairy-tale world of royalty.—Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD
Kirkus Reviews
2018-02-20
Hawkins (Ruby & Olivia, 2017, etc.) delves into the weird and wonderful world of royal matchmaking.Daisy Winters, an unconventional white 16-year-old from ordinary Perdido, Florida, becomes embroiled in royal drama when her older sister, the impeccable, blonde Ellie, becomes engaged to Prince Alexander of Scotland. Daisy is whisked across the Atlantic into a world of drafty castles, drunken royal hangers-on, snobbish relatives and endless run-ins with tabloid paparazzi. Although Daisy does her best to support her sister, her inability to keep her mouth shut and follow the rules get her into all kinds of trouble with her sister's future in-laws, especially the icy Queen Clara. The young royal set behave worse than Daisy can imagine, and she spends much of her time in Scotland embroiled in a fake-dating damage-control scheme engineered by her sister's future in-laws to limit negative press. Told in confessional first person with a liberal mix of British and American slang thrown in, Daisy's story makes some light points about the importance of personal integrity in a world where the slightest actions can be misconstrued and writ large in the media for the world to see.A hilarious romp through a larger-than-life royal family fable. (Fiction. 14-18)
