stephd711's review
5.0
Niki Burnham's sequel to Royally Jacked is even better than the first. Spin Control takes place right where Royally Jacked leaves off with Valerie finally getting her Prince. But her life isn't the fairy tale she thought it would be when the newspapers start a horrible rumor about her. Her life begins to spin out of control. Then Georg suggests they "cool off", and a confused Val heads home to spend Winter Break with her mom and unfortunately her mom's girlfriend, Gabrielle. Back home she has to face her friends who still don't know that her mom has come out of the closet and are already mad at her for not telling them about her relationship with Prince Georg. But things start to pick up when her old crush David pops back into the picture.
Spin Control answers all the unanswered questions Royally Jacked left. Burnham delves into Val's relationship with her mother and the secrets she had kept from her friends. And we find out whom her heart truly belongs to. It's a lighthearted comedy that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. If you haven't read either book, you should order them both today. You won't be disappointed.
Spin Control answers all the unanswered questions Royally Jacked left. Burnham delves into Val's relationship with her mother and the secrets she had kept from her friends. And we find out whom her heart truly belongs to. It's a lighthearted comedy that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. If you haven't read either book, you should order them both today. You won't be disappointed.
delnasoir's review
5.0
I love the way Valerie realized her feeling for Georg finally. I was so happy!!
noveladdiction's review
3.0
This is one of those books that I read in an hour and a half because it's so easy (and short). But you know what? It was cute. This is one of those books that was teen fiction blew up and became a thing that everyone wanted to read. And it actually dealt with some fascinating issues - a parent possibly cheating on another, gay marriage, what exactly "cool it" means when it comes to relationships, etc. Had I read this when I was 12 or 13, I would have gobbled it up.
Is it the best thing ever written? Hardly. But it was cute and amusing.
Is it the best thing ever written? Hardly. But it was cute and amusing.
cherrygeli's review
5.0
Niki Burnham is now one of my favorite authors. She captured me with "Royally Jacked" and stole my heart with "Spin Control".
These books are just completely awesome! If you are into teen comedic romances, than you should totally be reading these books.
"Spin Control" picks up right where "Royally Jacked" left off. In this one the main character Valerie has to go back to the States, after living in a German palace for a month, because of a little media problem shes having with her new bf. But home doesnt get any better. There are several issues she has to face with her friends and her mom, who just came out the closet. Going home also makes her have to decided who she wants to be with: David, the guy shes been crushing on forever who is FINALLY starting to notice her or Georg, her prince who really gets her and doesnt judge about the whole gay mom thing.
Though its probably true that a prince doesnt fall in love with an ordinary girl, all the time, its concept and meaning are completely heart felt and relatible. You'll love every part of it!
These books are just completely awesome! If you are into teen comedic romances, than you should totally be reading these books.
"Spin Control" picks up right where "Royally Jacked" left off. In this one the main character Valerie has to go back to the States, after living in a German palace for a month, because of a little media problem shes having with her new bf. But home doesnt get any better. There are several issues she has to face with her friends and her mom, who just came out the closet. Going home also makes her have to decided who she wants to be with: David, the guy shes been crushing on forever who is FINALLY starting to notice her or Georg, her prince who really gets her and doesnt judge about the whole gay mom thing.
Though its probably true that a prince doesnt fall in love with an ordinary girl, all the time, its concept and meaning are completely heart felt and relatible. You'll love every part of it!
mrskatiefitz's review
3.0
This is a review of both [b:Spin Control|211619|Spin Control (Royally Jacked, #2)|Niki Burnham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389421755s/211619.jpg|204832] and [b:Do-Over|211610|Do-Over (Royally Jacked, #3)|Niki Burnham|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1256586838s/211610.jpg|204823].
In these last two books in the trilogy now compiled as Royally Crushed, Valerie continues to experience the ups and downs of her relationship with Prince Georg. In Spin Control, she believes she has been dumped, so when she heads home to Virginia for Winter Break, she goes on a date with David Anderson, only to discover that she loves Georg more than ever. In Do Over, she returns to Schwerinborg to reconcile with Georg, and to work on gaining confidence in his feelings for her, even if they can’t always demonstrate their affections where the press can see. Before the end of the trilogy, Valerie also sees her dad start dating again, and finally finds a way to come clean with her friends about her mother’s newly revealed homosexuality.
I know this trilogy is not the best-written in the world, but I really loved reading it. The ultimate outcome was fairly predictable, but the emails between Val and her friends in Virginia, and her awkward uncertainty around Georg, as well as the cattiness of the girls in her Schweringborgian school, all made for great entertainment. I was distracted repeatedly by references to Heath Ledger, who has died since the publication of these books, but the Google books preview of the new edition shows that this problem has been corrected with several passing references to Ledger resting in peace. The only other thing that felt vaguely out of place was the fact that Val and her friends email rather than text or send Facebook messages, but I am sure there are teenagers out there somewhere for whom this is still the norm, so it doesn’t ruin the books by any means.
All in all, these are light reads, even at their most serious moments, and they provide insight into all the drama of first relationships without ever becoming too weepy, or losing hope that the ending would be happy. The series was definitely worth finishing, and I’ll be looking for more from Niki Burnham, starting with her latest book for teens, Shot Through the Heart.
In these last two books in the trilogy now compiled as Royally Crushed, Valerie continues to experience the ups and downs of her relationship with Prince Georg. In Spin Control, she believes she has been dumped, so when she heads home to Virginia for Winter Break, she goes on a date with David Anderson, only to discover that she loves Georg more than ever. In Do Over, she returns to Schwerinborg to reconcile with Georg, and to work on gaining confidence in his feelings for her, even if they can’t always demonstrate their affections where the press can see. Before the end of the trilogy, Valerie also sees her dad start dating again, and finally finds a way to come clean with her friends about her mother’s newly revealed homosexuality.
I know this trilogy is not the best-written in the world, but I really loved reading it. The ultimate outcome was fairly predictable, but the emails between Val and her friends in Virginia, and her awkward uncertainty around Georg, as well as the cattiness of the girls in her Schweringborgian school, all made for great entertainment. I was distracted repeatedly by references to Heath Ledger, who has died since the publication of these books, but the Google books preview of the new edition shows that this problem has been corrected with several passing references to Ledger resting in peace. The only other thing that felt vaguely out of place was the fact that Val and her friends email rather than text or send Facebook messages, but I am sure there are teenagers out there somewhere for whom this is still the norm, so it doesn’t ruin the books by any means.
All in all, these are light reads, even at their most serious moments, and they provide insight into all the drama of first relationships without ever becoming too weepy, or losing hope that the ending would be happy. The series was definitely worth finishing, and I’ll be looking for more from Niki Burnham, starting with her latest book for teens, Shot Through the Heart.
sryoung's review
3.0
Was cute and just what I needed after a long couple of weeks filled with testing, studying, and a sick dad. It totally got me put of my world for awhile and into the crazy world of Valerie. Again, just what I needed.
heatherinjapan's review
1.0
Update August 17th, 2017:
I definitely didn't read the first book because the order in book series was not relevant to me at the age of 10 apparently.
i didnt really like it and i read it a while ago so i dont really remember it so i dont really have n e thing to write about.
I definitely didn't read the first book because the order in book series was not relevant to me at the age of 10 apparently.
i didnt really like it and i read it a while ago so i dont really remember it so i dont really have n e thing to write about.
katekat's review
3.0
Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies are always a fun read. These books are not necessarily the best written novels but the stories are always fun and you know you will get a happy ending. I think some adult romances could take a note from these books b/c they are characterized well which is much of the battle in writing any novel since you want your characters, for the most part, to be endearing and relatable.
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