23. Royals, by Rachel Hawkins

Hawkins, R. (2018). Royals. NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

The main character is  Daisy Winters. She’s an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with long red hair; a part time job at a grocery store, , and a perfect older sister Ellie, who’s engaged to Alex, the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie in Scotland. 

When Daisy arrives, she meets Sebastian, Alex’s younger brother.  He seems to kick up scandal wherever he goes and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride.  Daisy does ends up in the tabloids, accursed of going after Sebastian,  which is not true.  This gossip attracts the attention of the queen.  She wants the rumors stopped, so it is decided that Daisy and Miles, Sebastian’s closest friend, will begin to date only for the benefit of the press.  

Daisy is going between weekends in the country and balls “pretending” to be dating Miles.  Sometimes during the “pretending”, things became real.  Daisy and Miles don’t want to admit it. 

Just before Daisy and her parents return to the States, Sebastian confesses to Daisy that he is “in love” with Ellie.  Daisy freaks out at this admission but keeps his secret.  In the end, Sebastian tells Alex about his feelings for Ellie and Alex proceeds to cold cock him.  Daisy decides to break things off with Miles because she is leaving.  She and Ellie have a heart-to-heart talk and patch things up between them.

When she returns home, Daisy is sad and afraid.  She Misses Miles, and she is afraid to leave her house because of photographers.  Her dad drags her out and takes her to get her old job back at the grocery store.  After being back to work for a couple of weeks, she has a visitor, Miles.  He tells her he has missed her, and he decided to “visit the colonies” for a bit.  They kiss over the conveyer belt of her checkout line.

This was a fun book.  It was light, and very funny. The dominant theme is the strength of the bond between sisters.  Ellie and Daisy live in different worlds and are constantly butting heads, but they manage to work things out in the end.  Ellie apologizes to Daisy for dragging her into that lifestyle.  This book was re-released with the title “Prince Charming”.  There is a second book about Flora, Alex, and Sebastian’s sister.  It is titled “Her Royal Highness”.  This book was on the YALSA’s Quick Pick list.