Review Detail

THE PRINCE & THE APOCALYPSE is a charming YA contemporary romance/end-of-the-world story. Wren is on a trip to London with her classmates, and she is finally starting to feel better and get back to her itinerary, but her BFF has decided to ditch her for other classmates. She heads to The World's End for breakfast, but finds it closed when she gets there. However, she runs into Prince Theo, next in line for the English crown, who is trying to avoid attention. When he is spotted, she helps him to evade the public. In return, he offers her a favor she can cash in at any time.

Not too long later, Wren finds herself missing her flight home and the dreadful news that the planet is about to be hit by a large asteroid in eight days, which is expected to end the world. Determined to get home and see her family and with all the flights canceled or being full, Wren calls in her favor. Theo asks her to be his bodyguard and help him travel to Santorini, where a private plane can then take her home. Not seeing many other options, Wren agrees, and they set out across Europe in an unexpected trip that leaves them both with so many complicated feelings - made even more complex by the impending doom of the asteroid.

What I loved: Despite being about the end of the world, this story managed to be uplifting and hopeful with plenty of cute and funny moments between Wren and Theo as they travel together. It seems everyone is searching for him, so it takes a lot of effort to keep his identity under wraps. During that time, they really get to know each other, connecting on a deeper level and building a lot of trust very quickly. With the short timeline to get to Santorini and the impending asteroid strike, it really ups the ante on their experiences and growth of their relationship, which feels slow-build even though it's only a matter of days. The level of connection was really strong and grew really well.

The story is told from Wren's perspective, and she was a really compelling main character. Wren has spent her life striving for the perfection she feels that her family needs from her. The end of the world allows her to reevaluate the path she has been on and value her passions, such as photography, more. Her life has felt very rigid and scheduled, and this trip is anything but with lots of readjusting on the fly and being a bit impulsive. Wren begins to experience herself and her desires in a new way through letting go of all these expectations. At the same time, she is really driven by the need to see her family one more time before they go - while also enjoying the journey she is taking to get there.

The romance was really strong, the build was steady with a lot of discussions and really getting to know each other. There was a cliffhanger at the end that suggests that there might be a sequel forthcoming, and I would definitely want to read it and see where their story goes. Themes around family, choices, obligations, mental illness, humanity, trust, and betrayal make this a deeper read as well. That being said, it does have quite a few funny moments that keep it feeling light and sweet overall.

Final verdict: THE PRINCE & THE APOCALYPSE is a charming YA romantic comedy around the end of the world that I would recommend for fans of AMERICAN ROYALS, ROYAL BLOOD, and ALL THAT'S LEFT IN THE WORLD.