almost royalty

almost royalty

Courtney, The main character in Courtney Hamilton’s Almost Royalty, is on my level. I have no idea what level that is on the L.A. Eco-Chain of Dating, but I think I’ll be ok if I never find out.

Almost Royalty tells stories throughout Courtney’s time in L.A. right after she broke up with her second fiancé. It’s a romantic comedy of sorts, but with a dark side. Luckily, though, that dark side is real and funny.

Courtney and I live in the same reality, which appears to be on a different plane than most of Courtney’s friends and suitors. Marcie and Bettina are the best friends you never asked for–because it’s too exhausting to deal with their backhanded compliments and social rules. And Courtney’s dates may be cute (even if her fiancés aren’t), but they are more concerned with their reflection than her happiness. Where Courtney works to pay the bills and takes comfort in junk food, her friends take on debt to fit in with the Ivy Elite and wouldn’t be caught dead eating anything heavier than a salad.

Almost Royalty may exaggerate some of their worst qualities, but I recognize features of Courtney’s friends in some people from my own life. Haven’t we all met these insecure, social status climbing, sometimes hilarious people? I have, and like Courtney, eventually it made me weary.

Like the rest of us, Courtney is trying to figure it all out. Because she’s grounded in reality, her point of view is a bit different than her social status conscious pals. This contrast is also why Courtney hits on some hilarious truths:

However, Andre’s revenge techniques were the classic male pattern. His intention was to make me believe I was a mess.

“You still think too much,” he said. If that wasn’t the classic line that every guy used when his attempt to hustle a girl were going south.

And when did you decide that your help included ignoring my feelings, pushing me to date stalkers, or celebrating my perceived inadequacies?

Courtney’s struggle to find her way resonates. Her people might be worse than mine (thank god) but the mistakes she makes are all too familiar. It’s a fun ride (for the reader at least, maybe not for Courtney), and when she starts to get things together, I’m cheering for her.

Almost Royalty, by Courtney Hamilton, comes out May 29, just in time to become your next beach read.

I got a copy of this book from the publisher; words are my own.

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