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marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
What a stinking cute romance! If you love the cover pick it up because it's 100% inspired by a scene in the book. The only thing keeping this from a 5 is the plot point at the end that seemed rushed to be solved. I can't wait for more romances by this author.
I got an ARC of this book at Bookcon via the publisher; all opinions are my own
I got an ARC of this book at Bookcon via the publisher; all opinions are my own
cathyolibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Zora Emerson has big ideas and the plans to accomplish them. Already heading major community programs in her black New Jersey suburb at age 17, she heads to a summer program on a prestigious college campus to learn more about community service and funding non-profits. A chance meeting on campus with fellow student Owen (who just so happens to be the prince of a small island near England) starts a sweet romance.
Truly Madly Royally is a quick and witty romance with themes of privilege and community building. Zora’s focus on Black Excellence and the contrast between her life and Owen’s adds additional interest.
Fans of sweet YA romances like those by Jenny Han will like this book, as will fans of Cinderella stories such as The Royals series by Rachel Hawkins. This book is also perfect for fans of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s romance.
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2019/12/02/quick-picks-for-reluctant-readers-qp2020-nominees-round-up-december-2-edition/
Truly Madly Royally is a quick and witty romance with themes of privilege and community building. Zora’s focus on Black Excellence and the contrast between her life and Owen’s adds additional interest.
Fans of sweet YA romances like those by Jenny Han will like this book, as will fans of Cinderella stories such as The Royals series by Rachel Hawkins. This book is also perfect for fans of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s romance.
http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2019/12/02/quick-picks-for-reluctant-readers-qp2020-nominees-round-up-december-2-edition/
jnwunder's review against another edition
3.0
Very short, cute, not much depth but enjoyable. I wish the prince had a tad more of a personality but overall a light hearted summer romance.
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
yuniesan's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, let me get through the parts I like before I get to the fact that I give this book a 2.5 out of five stars.
1. Summer College Courses = Meeting Cute Royal Prince
2. Positive Role Model in Zora
3. Mixing two cultures together while also dealing with the awkwardness of trying to be a high school student on a college campus
Now that that's over.....
Honestly I had so much hope for this book, but it was such a mess from start to finish, firstly there's the way it's written it so weird it made it hard for me to get through, sometimes it's written in present tense and it makes no sense. Secondly, it felt really hard to connect with the things that Zora was passionate about, they were often rushed moments where too many characters were talking at the same time never really letting you get to know those characters and their relationship to Zora. Like the kids in the program she started, they were a jumbled mix of sentences and that's all you had, never the reasons why they were so close to her, or why she knew everything they dreamed of. Third, it didn't feel like you were reading about a place, sometimes setting the scene makes everything possible, but even that was a rushed mess of words. The book was too short for what it was attempting to accomplish, and the rush of the relationship was weird, seriously it goes from zero to sixty in such a short time that you can't really get to understand their relationship in the end.
1. Summer College Courses = Meeting Cute Royal Prince
2. Positive Role Model in Zora
3. Mixing two cultures together while also dealing with the awkwardness of trying to be a high school student on a college campus
Now that that's over.....
Honestly I had so much hope for this book, but it was such a mess from start to finish, firstly there's the way it's written it so weird it made it hard for me to get through, sometimes it's written in present tense and it makes no sense. Secondly, it felt really hard to connect with the things that Zora was passionate about, they were often rushed moments where too many characters were talking at the same time never really letting you get to know those characters and their relationship to Zora. Like the kids in the program she started, they were a jumbled mix of sentences and that's all you had, never the reasons why they were so close to her, or why she knew everything they dreamed of. Third, it didn't feel like you were reading about a place, sometimes setting the scene makes everything possible, but even that was a rushed mess of words. The book was too short for what it was attempting to accomplish, and the rush of the relationship was weird, seriously it goes from zero to sixty in such a short time that you can't really get to understand their relationship in the end.
ennitsud's review against another edition
4.0
this was such a cute story!! i loved zora and owen together and i really liked how simple and undramatic it was. there were some features that felt a little flat but overall an easy read :)
maddieg's review against another edition
3.0
I was really expecting a lot from this book, but it fell flat for me. Personally, I thought all of the characters fell flat for me and they didn't experience any growth. I would've thought Zora would've experienced some type of growth after she started dating Owen and was getting attention, but she didn't and I don't know how to feel about that. This felt to me like a retelling of Meghan and Harry's relationship and while I love their story, this just didn't thrill me. The royal aspect of Owen coming to study in the States was good, but that was about it. I would recommend this to younger readers but it was not my cup of tea.
fleurdujour's review against another edition
2.0
This is a rather ambivalent review on Truly Madly Royally. I thought it was pretty cute, and I really liked the perspective of Zora. But I also thought that the writing was trying to be convincingly young and didn't really succeed. Things happen really fast in this book, Zora went from having a lot of contempt for who she assumed Owen was based on the few times she'd glimpsed him about campus to falling hard for him basically overnight with no explanation and little interaction with him. I'm not saying insta-love here, but what ever the next closest thing to it is.
lilrongal's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book so, so so much!
Zora is inspirational and adorable, and Owen is amazing.
What I loved about this book was that it wasn't too angsty (we all know YA can get pretty dang angsty). It was a love story, but with a prince who was considerate, thoughtful, and had the most adorable crush, and a girl who wore natural hair and was unapologetically black, whose family and friends loved her fiercely, and who was making a difference in her community.
This book will be perfect for pre-teen Black girls who are desiring to see themselves in a fluffy, fun book. More rom-coms starring girls of color, please and thank you!
Zora is inspirational and adorable, and Owen is amazing.
What I loved about this book was that it wasn't too angsty (we all know YA can get pretty dang angsty). It was a love story, but with a prince who was considerate, thoughtful, and had the most adorable crush, and a girl who wore natural hair and was unapologetically black, whose family and friends loved her fiercely, and who was making a difference in her community.
This book will be perfect for pre-teen Black girls who are desiring to see themselves in a fluffy, fun book. More rom-coms starring girls of color, please and thank you!