Texan teen, Millie Quint, hopes that she will get over her sort-of girlfriend if she packs her geology loving self off to school in the Scottish Highlands. Millie arrives in her new world to find that her arrogant roommate is actually Princess Flora of Scotland who is determined to get herself kicked out of school and doesn’t care if she takes Millie down with her.
The premise for this story was so cute and I was so up for it. The royal falling for a commoner trope is always entertaining; throw in teenage hormones and a same sex relationship and you have a rollercoaster like Her Royal Highness. It was such a fun read and I loved Millie and Flora’s relationship. I loved that they both had something to learn from each other and their journeys to this were hilarious. I liked the parts of Flora and Millie that were exposed when they were around each other and how they navigated their way through such an interesting journey.
I loved when we got to see the real Flora and I particularly found her relationship with her family interesting. One thing I really loved was that her mom, Queen Clara, was totally supportive of her being gay. She didn’t try to make her keep it quiet and was only concerned about her attempts to get herself kicked out of school.
It was interesting to see Millie’s relationships with her friends and how she navigated making new friends in a new country and being from different societal backgrounds. Millie is dating a princess and is best friends with a Lady. This is a world away from her friends at home. I loved Millie’s friendship with Saks. Their different backgrounds meant nothing to Saks and she was willing to fiercely champion for her friend. We are here for fierce friendships like that!
I really enjoyed reading about Millie’s family but don’t think we got enough of them; I need a meet the family epilogue or a whole sequel. Millie had a great relationship with her family who were all so supportive. I loved how close she was to her stepmom and how she doted on her baby brother; no drama or animosity, just a loving, supportive family.
Growing up, I didn’t see myself or people like me in books much but baby gay, teenage Jo would have loved this. Millie made being nerdy seem cool and her intelligence was seen as a positive. She wasn’t looked down on for being smart and we need more of that in books.
The random gossip articles dotted throughout the story were an interesting perspective on events as they unfolded. It was a clever way to show what it would be like to grow up royal and have your whole life on display for the public.
The expected ‘I don’t belong in your world’ scene was utterly heart breaking and I sobbed my way through it. This book was an entire whirlwind of emotions that I hadn’t been prepared for.
I loved this book and am going to force it on everyone. I need someone to turn it into a TV series so that I can have more of everyone’s stories. The side characters were amazing and I need more of them and everything else about this book!
CW: death of a parent, homophobia, bullying, violence, alcoholism
Only If I Can Bring A Book 