Nobody In Particular by Sophie Gonzales (2025)
This mixture of Royal and sapphic romance takes its own sweet time to get the beating heart of its story, but when it finally does, it's an insightful, heartwarming and comforting experience.
About the half the book's devoted to setting up our lead 17 year old romancers at the exclusive boarding school in the Kingdom of Henland (which I assume shares borders with Princess Mia's Genovia and other neighboring European kingdoms from Hallmark Royal romances).
There's the headstrong Princess Rosemary, who's weathering through a tragic scandal that's left her shaken, her public image in tatters and estranged from her best friend. New to the school comes U. S. commoner Danni, a gifted pianist on a music scholarship and recovering from a lifetime of bullying in public schools.
Sparks duly fly between these two adorable girls and by that time, they face a whole array of daunting challenges to their being together. Rosemary's dedicated to ascending the throne as Queen to do good for her country, but will the Royal family (and her country, for that matter) accept Danni as Rose's official consort? Would Danni remain hidden as a secret lover, while Rose has to fake marry some Prince for appearances?
With their future outlook cloudy, Rose and Danni find their tender moments together eclipsed by overwhelming obstacles thrown in their path.. Their own self doubts cause them further strife, while the Royal family's P.R. spin doctor arranges photo ops with a boy eager and willing to play Rose's fake boyfriend. And no matter how hidden the girls try to keep their trysts, nothing staunches the flow of toxic social media gossip.
Author Sophie Gonzales does a superb job in creating relatable, believable characters out of Rose, Danni and their unique (and sometimes spot on funny) circle of friends. (Believe me, when Rose, who's fiercely protective of the much more vulnerable Danni, goes on the warpath in her defense, she's a sight to behold.)
After the book finally puts all its issues on the table for Rose and Danni, their final reckoning and resolution is laid out with all the skill and warmth you'd want in a feel-good read. Which, come to think of it, make the perfect close-out for this review.
4 stars (****).
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