Publishers Weekly
11/21/2022
A closeted prince and an out-and-proud cowboy, both 17 and white-cued, discover that they are twins in this raucous tale by Geron (Bye Bye, Binary). Weeks before his 18th birthday and investiture, a ceremony during which he will be named heir to the Canadian royal throne, Prince Edward Dinnissen serendipitously bumps into his doppelgänger, Billy Boone, a gay rancher from Montana. Billy is attending a Juilliard audition and Edward is appearing at a charity ball in N.Y.C. when they learn that a hospital error separated them at birth, and Billy—born minutes earlier—is the true heir to the throne. Billy soon moves to New York to prepare for his own investiture under the demanding tutelage of a royal adviser. Resentful of Billy’s sudden rise to fame and his ease with being out, Edward recruits his pretend girlfriend and best friend to turn public opinion against Billy and reclaim his title by purposefully misleading him in royal propriety. When Edward and Billy finally begin warming up to each other, however, a long-buried family secret jeopardizes their fledgling siblinghood. The twins’ dynamic relationship unfurls swiftly, and their unique alternating perspectives, paired with the narrative’s solidly crafted emotional landscape, offer monarchical fanatics a hijinks-filled royal escape. Ages 13–up. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada US. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
The Princess Diaries meets The Parent Trap is right! These two long-lost twin brothers, aka the twinces, will steal your heart as they search for their own happily ever afters.” —Emiko Jean, New York Times bestselling author of Tokyo Ever After and Tokyo Dreaming
"The perfect dream-come-true-fairytale!" —Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Jay's Gay Agenda and Out of the Blue
“Effortlessly charming, funny, swoon-worthy, and sincerely moving.” —Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions
“The enchanting cast of characters hooks you into a regal setting full of drama, romance, and intrigue, with relatable underlying journeys of self-love and struggle.” —Brian Zepka, author of The Temperature of Me and You
"A quintessentially feel-good novel so richly plotted that it is hard to put down—and the empathetic, beautifully developed characters are to die for. Long may they reign." —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean
The Princess Diaries meets The Parent Trap is right! These two long-lost twin brothers, aka the twinces, will steal your heart as they search for their own happily ever afters.”
New York Times bestselling author Jason June
The perfect dream-come-true-fairytale!”
author of The Temperature of Me and You Brian Zepka
The enchanting cast of characters hooks you into a regal setting full of drama, romance, and intrigue, with relatable underlying journeys of self-love and struggle.”
award-winning author Julian Winters
Effortlessly charming, funny, swoon-worthy, and sincerely moving.”
Kirkus Reviews
2022-11-16
Accidentally separated at birth, gay identical twin brothers Edward and Billy are thrown into a royal whirlwind when their unexpected reunion interrupts both of their plans for the future.
Crown Prince of Canada Edward Dinnissen is starting his senior year of high school at an elite prep school in New York City. He’s ready to shed the bad press from a mishap on his last birthday and is busy preparing for his upcoming investiture ceremony. Meanwhile, Montana native Billy Boone is trying to find his place in the world, torn between working on his family’s ranch and carrying on his recently deceased father’s legacy and feeling like he's meant for something bigger. A gifted violinist, Billy is elated to be invited to try out for Juilliard. The two boys’ worlds are turned upside down when an accidental run-in while Billy is in New York City for the audition leads to the discovery that the presumed White 18-year-olds are in fact long-lost twins. Pax, Billy’s best friend from home, is a Black, nonbinary aspiring fashion designer whose attraction to Prince Edward takes an exciting turn. The plot is relatively engaging, with scenes that will keep many readers interested. Unfortunately, character development is weak, and as a result, the characters’ motivations come across as inconsistent and ungrounded. Since many deeper themes and feelings are spelled out rather than emerging organically, events that should evoke serious emotions often fall flat and lack resonance.
A pleasant but unremarkable coming-of-age tale. (Fiction. 13-18)
