The Prince & the Apocalypse

May 15, 2023
An American teen stranded in England must rely on European royalty to navigate an imminent world-ending comet collision in this high-stakes rom-com by McDowell (This Might Get Awkward). Eighteen-year-old Wren Wheeler did not expect to spend half of her senior-year trip to London sick with a stomach bug, nor did she anticipate that her best friend Naomi would want no part of Wren’s meticulously curated itinerary. But that’s not going to keep Wren from enjoying her last day in London—until she finds her final stop closed, and her class leaves for their flight home to Chicago without her. The only bright spot is meeting ruggedly handsome Theo, the on-the-lam prince of Wales. When they learn that a 14-mile-wide comet will strike Earth in eight days, Wren and Theo try making their way to Greece, where his family has a private plane. Though canceled flights, panicked citizens, and relentless paparazzi plague their journey, Wren finds herself falling for Theo and learning to embrace life’s unpredictability. The duo’s magnetic chemistry and wry banter work levity into a would-be dire situation, culminating in a cavorting, globe-trotting jaunt. Characters read as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Grinberg Literary Management.

August 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-The apocalypse meets cute royal romance in this fast-moving novel. Eighteen-year-old Wren's senior trip to London has derailed from her carefully planned itinerary, starting with a stomach virus. Then she crosses paths with Prince Theo, heir to the British throne, and helps him escape the paparazzi-and kisses him. When she later finds out the world will end in eight days due to a massive comet crashing into Earth, she calls him, hoping he can help her get home to Chicago. Theo, on the run from the palace, promises to get her home if she accompanies him to Santorini where his family has a home and plane. So begins a romp of a trip through Europe dodging passport control, hopping trains, stealing a car, rescuing a dog, and more-all while everyone is on the lookout for the rogue prince to get the reward his mother, the Queen, has promised for finding him. Wren and Theo get closer with every passing day (each chapter begins with a countdown to the comet strike), and everything seems plausible in the chaos of the end of the world. While mostly light with fun banter, the narrative, told from Wren's perspective, hits on real issues of grief and impending loss. Theo, who lives with untreated clinical depression, has disdain for his privileged life and struggles with the expectations of his mother. Wren and Theo are white; Theo's best friend, Will, has a boyfriend. VERDICT Readers who like a dose of adventure with their romance will devour this page-turner (and hope for a sequel). Recommended for YA collections.-Amanda Mastrull

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2023
After missing her flight home from London, an American teen faces further travel interruptions when she hears an announcement that the world is ending in eight days. Nothing has gone to plan during 18-year-old Wren Wheeler's summer study abroad trip to London with her BFF. After years of anticipation, planning, and creating itineraries, she spent most of the time sick in her hotel room, and now she's missed her flight home just as the news breaks that a comet is due to hit Earth, putting an end to life as we know it. Wren was running late in the first place because earlier, in a meet-cute at Camden Market, she helped 19-year-old crown prince Theo evade paparazzi after he ditched his security detail in hopes of enjoying some freedom before it was too late. Calling in a favor, she asks Theo for help getting home to Chicago. He agrees but in exchange wants Wren to help him get to Santorini, where he was happiest and would like to die. He'll send her on to Chicago in the private jet that's waiting there. The two embark on a trip across Europe involving trains, a ferry, and a stolen car, not to mention a blossoming romance. Quirky Wren is full of personality, and her lively first-person narration is engaging and sympathetic. The witty banter and romantic tension between the leads, combined with a fast-paced plot, help readers suspend their disbelief. Main characters are white. A charming escapist romance. (Romance. 13-18)

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