Publishers Weekly
01/16/2023
Bestseller Cabot’s charming 12th foray into the world of the Princess Diaries (after Royal Wedding) injects levity and light into life in lockdown. The conceit is this: at the height of the Covid pandemic, Princess Mia Thermapolis of Genovia shared select portions of her diary with Cabot, her royal biographer, first published on Cabot’s blog and now expanded into this full-length volume, detailing how Mia’s crazy family coped during quarantine. Though being stuck in the Genovian royal palace isn’t the worst fate—and Mia does love getting to do diplomacy in sweats over Zoom calls—Mia feels overwhelmed running the principality when all she really wants is some alone time with her husband, Michael, who’s been forced to self-isolate after exposure to the virus. Meanwhile, her grandmother recklessly declines to stay at home and her relatives still scheme to steal her throne. There’s an unabashed silliness to the proceedings, with Princess Mia’s oversized imagination and anxiety driving most of the drama. Cabot successfully finds joy in a difficult time. Agent: Laura Langlie, Laura Langlie Agency. (Mar.)
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
In the 12th installment of the Princess Diaries series, Cabot brings readers back to Genovia in the year 2020 as Princess Mia navigates her hardest, wackiest challenges yet.
It’s March 2020, and for Princess Mia Thermopolis, it’s not all sunshine and pears in the royal palace. Not only has she just been informed by the prime minister that there is a worldwide pandemic, but her own grandmother has just been seen partying on a yacht with several fratty spring breakers from America. Within days, Mia issues a quarantine for the residents of Genovia, closing their small country’s borders…much to the dismay of her bar-owning Cousin Ivan and a family of bakers conveniently named the Paninis. When Mia’s husband, Michael, is exposed to the virus and ordered to self-isolate, Mia resorts to day-drinking and sweatpants-wearing, all in an attempt to remain sane with the entire Thermopolis family under one roof. Over the course of early quarantine, the number of palace inhabitants begins to resemble a small country, including Mia’s best friend, Lilly; ex-frenemy Lana and her Beyoncé-ified kids, Purple Iris and Sir Jason Junior; and her “InFLUENZer” Grandmère’s new American friends, Chad and Derek. While Mia works to maintain a semblance of normalcy within Genovia, conditions begin to escalate for the worse. Ivan sues her for disrupting the sale of booze, her other cousin Prince René stages anti-mask protests outside the castle walls, Michael is creating a vaccine with his high school ex-girlfriend, and Grandmère declares that she and Derek are engaged to be married. Can Mia protect her country from a deadly virus amid family lawsuits, purchases of 5,000 wedding napkins, and one ancient, pool-drinking cat named Fat Louie? Cabot’s beloved princess has grown into a strong, resilient leader, though her pandemic problems are perhaps relatively mild compared to those of real European countries. Regardless, Mia’s quirky and honest diary entries are a welcome take on subject matter readers know all too well.
A quick read that offers a fun, modern update on the lives of a royal family many know and love.
