I feel like I’ve been here before…

Gossip Girl. The Clique. The Princess Diaries. These are three titles I remember reading as a teen, all three about upper-middle class/wealthy teens and the friend/boy drama that follows them. As a teen, these were not the stories that inspired me, and in reading Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon, I found a similar storyline that was not meant for me.

The story follows Caterina LaValle, a young Italian heiress set on proving to the world that she is perfectly fine, better even, after her boyfriend cheats on her with a fellow classmate. In order to accomplish this, she attempts a “My Fair Lady” (or rather, The Frog Prince) with Rahul Chopra, a shy classmate who is desperately in love with her.

But where is the plot?

Unfortunately, the dynamic between Caterina and Rahul feels like it has been written before, and although there was a subplot (no spoilers, don’t worry) I just did not feel enough of a pull to be fully captivated. Menon is definitely a good writer, but even teen-me wanted more than a book that was all about kissing.

Additionally, why do people keep writing about these (technically) unhealthy romance dynamics? A kind, thoughtful person (such as Rahul) should not be willing to change to please the pretty princess. Is this really the type of romance we want to teach teenagers about?

Maybe I’m overthinking this book, but I cannot give it anymore than 2.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read it, but it wasn’t a good fit for me.

Oh well! Not every book is for every person, and another reader might enjoy this story. To share your thoughts, questions, or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

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