Prince Charming

March 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.

April 1, 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

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
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)

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May 15, 2018
Grades 7-10 Daisy Winters' sister Eleanor is engaged to Crown Prince Alexander of Scotland, but when tabloids begin taking an interest in 16-year-old Daisy, she escapes Florida for the isolation of the Scottish castle. There Daisy must contend with learning the royal ropes (which is so not her) and the arrival of Prince Sebastian, Alex's wild younger (and yummier) brother. Daisy's big mouth unintentionally thrusts her into disfavor with elder royals, but the paparazzi adore her irreverence. To clean up an incident involving her and Seb, the palace fixer arranges a fake romance between Daisy and Seb's closest friend, the snooty Miles Montgomery. Verbal sparring ensues, but after a downpour drives the mismatched couple into a cozy, highland hut, Daisy's irritation with Miles takes an affectionate turn. In this world of tartans and tweeds, Daisy's candid, unfiltered views make her a fun and likable narrator. Her perspective and humor yield some ripping good observations that enhance this entertaining twist on a princess story. Perfect for Princess Diaries fans or readers craving a snappy rom-com.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)