Evie's arrival at Oxford makes her feel immediately more connected with her late mother, who was British. Even though her mother died when Evie was young, she arranged for letters to be delivered to Evie on each of her birthdays. This time, the letters invite Evie to explore London to learn more about her mother's past. In doing so, Evie becomes increasingly convinced that her mother was an aristocrat before she fled London to marry Evie's father. A burgeoning relationship with a royal heir, mysterious clues about her mother's heritage, and some mean-girl rivalry put Evie constantly on edge. Prince Edmund, the aforementioned heir, is handsome for sure, though being with him involves unpleasant paparazzi barrages. Perhaps London is not the place she had hoped it would be? Readers who love Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries (2000) will appreciate this debut, which confidently combines royalty, romance, and mystery.

Evie Gray is entering her freshman year at Oxford University; her mother went there, and she just knows it is the right place for her. While making new friends, she encounters Edmund and has no idea that this supercute guy is the prince of England. She figures it out, though, and along the way begins to receive letters from her mother, letters that lead Evie toward the secrets in her mother's past. As Edmund and Evie's relationship gets deeper, obstacles stand in their way, including her commoner origins and Jax, the girl his parents want for him. Evie may not be as common as she suspected, however, and the truth of what her mother left behind is more overwhelming than Evie ever could have dreamed.The story of Evie and Prince Edmund has been told before, in real life with Prince William and Catherine Middleton and masterfully in fiction by Meg Cabot with her Princess Diaries saga. While Evie turns twenty during the course of the novel, she seems much younger, and collegiate readers will have a hard time engaging with this character. The instant love connection between her and Edmund is not realistic and further alienates the main characters. Evie's new circle of friends is intriguing, and more time should have been spent developing their stories. Ultimately, the mystery of Evie's true origins is not enough to overcome plot pitfalls, and the relationship is not a swoon-worthy romance. Consider this a strictly additional purchase for libraries with hardcore young adult romance readers.Morgan Brickey.