Royally Lost

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I WANT MORE!!
Okay so this book was super sweet and I really liked it. I am a fan of the whole secretly royalty and stuff
I think everyone is. Its like we all dream of finding our on princess/prince and getting married and getting out happily ever after.
WHICH IS WHY I WANT BOOK 2!!
I want to know what happens next with these characters xD
I like how it was a very easy read, it was a short book too. I got really into it, specially towards the end when they are starting to be found by the paparazzis and the royal guard.
I also do wish that this book was a movie xD
Id pay for that.

I wouldn't even give this one star. I bought this book for my vacation, waited weeks to read it and begrudgingly finished it. I was expecting something like Audrey Hepburn's Roman Holiday (film) but it was completely different. It's not realistic nor is it interesting. It was even very vapid at times. If you're looking for a fun adventure book that makes you want to go on adventure, this is not the book for you. The main character was annoying and traveling to these places without enjoying them and lying to her dad just for what? This book was predictable and boring. I wound up leaving it behind on my vacation after finishing it. Maybe I'm not the age group the writer was aiming for (20y/o) maybe a 15 year old would like it better. Who knows, all I know is I wouldn't suggest it, there are much better uses for your time.

Royally Lost is fluffy chick-lit. I don’t mean that in a bad way! It’s girly and not likely to ever happen (though many girls will dream about it!). But I still like chick-list and I liked this book. Yes, it’s soo over the top and I didn’t learn anything about myself really, but hey – it’s fun! Similar to Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, this is a good time and I liked going on the ride. It’s , for lack of a better word, cute. And I’d say it’s definitely on the younger end of Young Adult, and could even be read by middle graders (despite the fact that the characters are 18). By far, my favorite part about this book was its setting. Becca’s familiy is on boat trip on the Danube and one of their stops is Vienna, Austria. I loved that the book showcased Vienna, which I feel like is always in the shadows of Paris and Berlin. Vienna is a beautiful city and I enjoyed hearing about Stephensdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), the Vienna Riding School, and Schoenbrunn – and the best part? I’ve been to ALL of these places. Vienna was my home for a little bit in 2008, when I did my study abroad there and I’m so happy that this book was able to capture the greatness of this city. I only wish that the entire book had been set here! There are so many good spots for scenes – like the HundertWasserHaus! MuseumsQuartier! Karlsplatz! I recommend this one for readers who are in the mood for something super light and fun!

If you have a parent/ parents who demand a lot from you and you always don’t see eye to eye, you might relate to this book.

In life, people usually expect something from us. As kids, we are asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, and our answers would come easily from our innocent minds, “to be a doctor”, “to be a nurse”, “to be a lawyer” and things like that. Maybe most of those answers were ingrained in our brains one way or another by our parents, maybe we were inspired by someone for us to answer such, or it was just something we saw on TV at one point in our lives. Whatever the case, our answers then would likely change. Cause as we grow older, our surroundings and our circumstances change. Along with it, we change.

Set in one of the most romantic places in the world, Royally Lost is fun to read. It’s just too bad that the character herself didn’t appreciate where she was. Becca was more upset of the fact that she is in Europe having a vacation with her family than thinking that most girls her age would kill for a chance to have a trip like that. All the more, it wasn’t as if she had a lot to miss back home. Her boyfriend dumped her for her best friend, I think going to Europe (even though she’s with her family) would beat staying at home and sulking over the break-up or trying to get over it.

Becca is full of dislike towards her parents. And about 60% of the book, she wastes moaning and complaining about how unlucky she was about being on the trip, about her step-mother, about her father, and life in general. One positive side to her though was that she and her brother are on good terms and it’s nice to read about sibling camaraderie like theirs. Dylan, the older brother, albeit a bit reckless and a happy-go-lucky fellow, he was a protective brother and pulled through for Becca when she needed him. I think Dylan was even more likable than Becca at some point, and if ever another book would pop up, Dylan’s book is what I would want to read next. ;)

Enter Prince Nikolai. The crown prince who does not want his parents to control his life, even for duty’s sake. He was an outstanding character, smart, and a caring brother. But just like Becca, he had parent issues, but his reasons were more sensible, not to mention that his parents were so infuriating with their traditional views.

Both just out of high school, they are trying to find out what they want to be and what they want to do with their life. Confused and wandering the streets of Europe, they met and spent time together and it was one of those instant love stories between a prince and a commoner.

The book was good and it’s one of those books you are curious what would happen next once you read enough. The plot was good, but if explored more, it could have been better.

Like for example:

*The main character is a prince, it would have been more riveting if he did more princely stuff and had a lot of skill.
“For starters, I don’t have too many skills other than shaking hands, playing polo, and fencing.”

I was embarrassed in his behalf when he couldn’t even protect Becca and get back her snatched purse. That scene was horrible. Even more upsetting was that he couldn’t protect himself if he would likely be attacked cause that did happen, even though it was his father’s guards, he couldn’t even fight back.

*The use of media

When he was running around Europe, he was photographed and appeared in magazines and their news, but when prince Nikolai was attacked, by their own guards no less, it should have caused a massive “netizen” attack or even simple complaints from the people of his nation for their crown prince to be treated like that in public. Even by the orders of their King, it should have been pointed out that the scene caused by the guards to retrieve Prince Nikolai caused an uproar and thus creating that “international incident” he was trying so hard to avoid.

*The King
He was the king of the country. Even though the monarchy isn’t involved in more political stuff, he should have been more perceptive. He was downright a fool, in every sense of the word. He couldn’t even come up with the same solution (and a simple one at that) that Prince Nikolai presented him in the end, and he was upset with his son? Yeah, fool doesn’t even describe him.

*Becca should have been more positive and more open. In the book, she seemed a bit selfish, really.
*More of Europe integrated to the plot
*The ending.

If it could have been different, it would be in a way that there was an epilogue where both Becca and Prince Nikolai grew up to their twenty-somethings or far into the future after they finished college and an insight if they have stayed together through the long distance and through the years.

Royally lost is a cute and amusing story. Not too heavy but a heartwarming and enjoyable read.

3 stars

I received a copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Royally Lost by Angie Stanton is a young adult contemporary, romance novel that takes place in Europe. Much like her past novels, Stanton's latest features a strong romantic attraction at first glance and seriously cheesy lines about love. But what was cooler about this one was the traveling aspect, since we got to learn a little bit about the places the protagonist explores.

Becca, the protagonist, is on a trip of a lifetime with her family. After having a pretty bad breakup with her boyfriend, the last place she wants to be is stuck on a boat full of older people and in small groups of tourists addicted to history lessons about the small European cities they pass by.

The thing about Becca is that, sure, she grows as a character, but she's a bit immature for her age. She's eighteen and can't appreciate the beauty around her. I know that she just wants to escape the tours and go home, but come on, how upper-middle-class of her to not enjoy the fact that she's in Europe. All of her complaining ends, however, when she meets Nikolai, a prince who's run away from home.

The narrative in Royally Lost is separated into two voices--Becca's and Nikolai, which is, as some of you may know, my favourite kind of story. Though the adventures these two experience are fun and great for a summer read, it's kind of weird how quickly these two connect.

I've read Stanton's previous books and I've always found the romance in her novels to be a little unrealistic and over-the-top. In reality, if a teenager were to "bump into" the same strange guy in multiple cities, then that would be questionable. I'm a romantic, don't get me wrong, but let's be realistic here. I mean, we've all watched Taken, right?

The parental issues that the characters face are nothing new (strict, overbearing parents and the unable-to-understand-you parents), but I like the fact that there is closure between the characters and their parents, since a lot of books seem to just ignore the need to fix things between parent and child. I find that this is where Becca and Nikolai both grow, because they assume (for the most part) responsibility for their admittedly stupid actions.

Despite the cheesy one-liners exchanged between the characters, the over-sexed big brother, the dangerous plot line, and the parents who don't seem to understand that their kids are adults, I did enjoy this. It's a quick, light read that will feed your romantic and traveling craving. It was cool to learn about cities that aren't normally explored in other travel-themed novels. Plus, I love the name Nikolai, so that won points with me.

I recommend this one to anyone looking for a light summer read. If you want to escape, then check this one out--you might enjoy the adventures these characters go on.

Ever find yourself somewhere you don't want to be, doing things you don't want to do with people you don't want to be around? That's the condition of both Prince Nikolai and Becca. Both are eighteen and both have their parents running their lives. So what are they to do? Abandon ship and play tourist together hiding from security and parents alike.

Both of these characters are sweet. They have that strip of free spirit running through them just trying to escape. They need some time to figure out who they are and how they want to live their lives. Unfortunately, no one wants to let them figure that out. I think that's why they are so drawn to each other and they definitely are drawn to each other. A couple chance meetings and a few kisses and they are both hooked.

The writing is third person and I sometimes struggle with that but in this case I still felt very attached to the characters and I was definitely pulling for them.

I loved the ending. Happy with a touch of who knows - it fit the story well.

If you enjoy the YA genre and especially a sweet story where two people help each other figure out who they are, then this story is a great of one read.

A+

I would never have guessed at the start of this story that I would end up giving it less than a four-star rating. The first half of the book flowed well and I was completely onboard with the romance between Becca and Nikolai. Sadly, a little after halfway, everything started falling flat when – after knowing each other for less than a week – these two MCs became so lovesick and obsessed with each other, and their romance so sappy, it put me off completely. Clearly Stanton has not yet received the memo that insta-love has become a big no-no and a thing of the past. Both these characters are eighteen and therefore I expected a certain level of maturity and clear-headedness, especially from the one who is a royal.

Prince Nikolai isn’t exactly princely. He only seems to be one in name, but does not behave like, or talk like, a royal. He comes across as a very ordinary teenager and I feel the author could’ve done a lot more to make him more like a prince. To me it didn’t feel like a prince fell in love with Becca; more like just a boy falling in love with just a girl. Why then bother to make Nikolai’s character a prince at all?

The upside of this book was that I got to travel to a lot of places with Nikolai and Becca. The author either travels a lot, or did her research incredibly well, because she got the different settings down pat, and it was effortless to imagine the places she described.

I would consider reading more of Angie Stanton’s future novels. But for that to happen she will definitely have to get her A-game on where romance is concerned, as well as doing away with the immaturity of her characters. She has potential and this book was centered on a fantastic idea, it’s just a pity the ending was so predictable and left me disappointed.

Written well. I like her books. Sweet clean romance across cultures.

I really liked the idea of this story, because I'm all about hunky princes and beautiful European cities. Some of the dialogue was a little awkward, but it was a great story about chance love. Fun and refreshing!