Carter Ogden has been wallowing a bit since he broke up with his cheating ex. It’s getting to the point where he almost doesn’t believe true love exists, even though he prays to his patron saint, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that his prince may come along someday.
And then he does, in the form of Prince Edgar, the openly gay Prince of Wales, next in line to the throne. Edgar and Carter meet at the UN, when Carter’s company is arranging an event that Edgar is speaking at. The chemistry between them is intense, but he’s royalty—isn’t he this polite with everyone?
It’s not long before Edgar makes his interest in Carter clear. But for self-doubting, self-deprecating Carter, trying to have a relationship with the future king is more challenging than he could ever imagine. Not only is Carter and his every action under intense scrutiny by the Palace and the world (and Carter is prone to colossal missteps), but both he and Edgar have their guards up to protect themselves from getting hurt, which keeps them from expressing their true feelings and their fears.
Playing the Palace is romantic, sometimes funny in an almost slapsticky way, and it’s a beautiful story that shows everyone deserves their fairytale romance. Paul Rudnick is a comedy genius, and some of his characters made me laugh—and reminded me of some relatives!
Don’t go in expecting Red White & Royal Blue (which was my favorite book of 2019): this is a very different story and it doesn’t want to be that one. Enjoy the rocky ride with Edgar and Carter (and you may never want to eat trifle again)!
NetGalley and Berkley provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
Playing the Palace publishes 5/25!!
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