[Review] Playing the Palace - Paul Rudnick

Summary: After having his heart trampled on by his cheating ex, Carter Ogden is afraid love just isn’t in the cards for him. He still holds out hope in a tiny corner of his heart, but even in his wildest dreams he never thought he’d meet the Crown Prince of England, much less do a lot more with him.  Yes, growing up he’d fantasized about the handsome, openly gay Prince Edgar, but who hadn’t? When they meet by chance at an event Carter’s boss is organizing, Carter’s sure he imagined all that sizzling chemistry. Or was it mutual?

This unlikely but meant-to-be romance sets off media fireworks on both sides of the Atlantic.  With everyone having an opinion on their relationship and the intense pressure of being constantly in the spotlight, Carter finds ferocious obstacles to his Happily Ever After, including the tenacious disapproval of the Queen of England. Carter and Price Edgar fight for a happy ending to equal their glorious international beginning. It’s a match made on Valentine’s Day and in tabloid heaven. (Pub Date: May 25 2021)

 

This is really like reading a dream come true to everyone who's ever read a fairy tale. All of a sudden a prince shows up in the middle of a job you're doing and asks for your critique while not so subtly flirting with you? Considering this won't happen to most of us, we might as well dream together. 

Of course this will go like the trope dictates, Prince Edgar's family won't be happy with his involvement with an American, but this time not only because Carter is American, Edgar actually has history with being a magnet for troublemakers. And our main character Carter might be a sweet but he does his blunders too, so I can't reprimand the queen for wanting him away from her first-in-line-of-succession. 

3.5.

I like that even when we the readers feel Edgar's disappointment in Carter went a little overboard, the book also recognizes it quick enough and doesn't make us lose too much time to move with the story.

Although this book has almost none of the family drama we'd expect (it exists but again, it doesn't waste our time), I also think it had too feel of the good moments. Carter and Edgar do have a lot of cute moments together, but it didn't give me any thrill. And this definitely isn't the story that'll make you wonder what will happen to them in end, so it wasn't a read that got me too caught up. 

Carter also has a few embarrassing moments that did get a few laughs from me, but no big one. The core part was very lukewarm. The best part of the story were the side characters to be honest. Carter's friends commenting on his new romance, his great aunt talking to the royals, they were the ones to give me the most memorable moments. I really loved each one and would read side stories featuring them. 

Recommended to fans of the royal wedding trope, since it's a good book nonetheless. I can't help but note it's great to have a LGBT romance book written by a male author, who is openly gay actually, considering how the best sellers are usually penned by women. It gives the narrative a different color. 

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Rating: 4 out of 5.