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A review by eileen9898
Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
1.0
* so sorry, but I still had a few things to add *
I read this because it was advertised to be gay as fuck. When did I get that? After 85% of the book was over.
◇◇◇
Things I didn't like:
• I thought this book was about Milly wanting to go to the boarding school because of her love for geology? That it had some fancy geology program or something? After Milly gets there, geology is never mentioned again, aside from talking about the decor rocks she keeps in her room. I'm really sick of authors giving characters really cool hobbies and interests, basically shoving them into our faces and throats in the first 10 pages of a book, and then never mentioning them ever again. Milly could have just gone to school because she liked Scotland. No geology needed. Why invent an interesting fact when you don't use it?
• I'm sorry but a romance where the romance starts after 3/4 of the book? This isn't slow burn, it's garbage.
• It takes talent to ruin the setting of a Scottish boarding school in the misty and beautiful highlands, but hey, mission accomplished!
• Milly seems really put off by the others drinking beer in the pub they go to. I really don't like it when Americans come for European teenagers because we can drink earlier than them. It doesn't put you above someone else or make you better in any way, get over it.
• The sudden shift in their dynamic was so unrealistic. There wasn't a proper development in their feelings towards each other, it went from not liking each other to 'hmmm she's not that bad' to 'nevermind I actually loved you the whole time' without any steps in between.
• Milly is describing nothing about Flora, other than how pretty she is. I could paint Flora's face like a photograph because I have every fucking detail burned into my ears (I listened to the audiobook) since Milly can't shut up about it. Believe it or not, girls who like girls also like personalities? We don't like girls just because they are pretty. I know, such a shock!
• I know that Flora is a fucking princess, Milly! I fucking read the synopsis! Every second sentence is 'Flora is so pretty! But she is the princess of Scotland and she lives in a castle in Edinburgh! Did I mention she is the princess?!' At one point, it started to feel like Milly addresses Flora as the fucking princess of Scotland, every time she mentions the name.
• 'Ohhh, I'm so plain and normal! I have boring brown hair and brown eyes, boohoohoo! The princess is too good for a normal girl like me, I'm so normal, boohoohoo!' - Milly, 2018
• I actually really liked Flora? She was a multifaceted character that was really brought to life by the narration. It's just sad that the actual text -well, Milly's words- don't portray her as such.
• The representation of the fake Scottish royals felt clishé and stereotypical.
• A fucking princess kisses a girl in public during the royal wedding procession and ... That's it? The book ends?
• Speed up the first 100 pages of nothing and add another 100 at the end, then the plot would be worth getting through. 300 pages shouldn't have felt this long.
• This read like a middle-grade novel with teenage characters. If I had found out that Milly and Flora were 12 instead of 17 I wouldn't have been surprised.
◇◇◇
One thing I liked:
• The narrator did a really great job at all the different accents and distinguishing between all the voices.
◇◇◇
I just really wanted a sapphic romance book to gush over. This definitely wasn't it.
But If you're in the mood for some pure fluff with no angst what so ever, this is the book for you. I just had hopes, that weren't met (I should have known before since I was aware of the books this author has written before but hey, a girl can dream).
I read this because it was advertised to be gay as fuck. When did I get that? After 85% of the book was over.
◇◇◇
Things I didn't like:
• I thought this book was about Milly wanting to go to the boarding school because of her love for geology? That it had some fancy geology program or something? After Milly gets there, geology is never mentioned again, aside from talking about the decor rocks she keeps in her room. I'm really sick of authors giving characters really cool hobbies and interests, basically shoving them into our faces and throats in the first 10 pages of a book, and then never mentioning them ever again. Milly could have just gone to school because she liked Scotland. No geology needed. Why invent an interesting fact when you don't use it?
• I'm sorry but a romance where the romance starts after 3/4 of the book? This isn't slow burn, it's garbage.
• It takes talent to ruin the setting of a Scottish boarding school in the misty and beautiful highlands, but hey, mission accomplished!
• Milly seems really put off by the others drinking beer in the pub they go to. I really don't like it when Americans come for European teenagers because we can drink earlier than them. It doesn't put you above someone else or make you better in any way, get over it.
• The sudden shift in their dynamic was so unrealistic. There wasn't a proper development in their feelings towards each other, it went from not liking each other to 'hmmm she's not that bad' to 'nevermind I actually loved you the whole time' without any steps in between.
• Milly is describing nothing about Flora, other than how pretty she is. I could paint Flora's face like a photograph because I have every fucking detail burned into my ears (I listened to the audiobook) since Milly can't shut up about it. Believe it or not, girls who like girls also like personalities? We don't like girls just because they are pretty. I know, such a shock!
• I know that Flora is a fucking princess, Milly! I fucking read the synopsis! Every second sentence is 'Flora is so pretty! But she is the princess of Scotland and she lives in a castle in Edinburgh! Did I mention she is the princess?!' At one point, it started to feel like Milly addresses Flora as the fucking princess of Scotland, every time she mentions the name.
• 'Ohhh, I'm so plain and normal! I have boring brown hair and brown eyes, boohoohoo! The princess is too good for a normal girl like me, I'm so normal, boohoohoo!' - Milly, 2018
• I actually really liked Flora? She was a multifaceted character that was really brought to life by the narration. It's just sad that the actual text -well, Milly's words- don't portray her as such.
• The representation of the fake Scottish royals felt clishé and stereotypical.
• A fucking princess kisses a girl in public during the royal wedding procession and ... That's it? The book ends?
• Speed up the first 100 pages of nothing and add another 100 at the end, then the plot would be worth getting through. 300 pages shouldn't have felt this long.
• This read like a middle-grade novel with teenage characters. If I had found out that Milly and Flora were 12 instead of 17 I wouldn't have been surprised.
◇◇◇
One thing I liked:
• The narrator did a really great job at all the different accents and distinguishing between all the voices.
◇◇◇
I just really wanted a sapphic romance book to gush over. This definitely wasn't it.
But If you're in the mood for some pure fluff with no angst what so ever, this is the book for you. I just had hopes, that weren't met (I should have known before since I was aware of the books this author has written before but hey, a girl can dream).