If you are on the internet and you follow fashion, especially celebrity fashion then you probably know Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan or as their known, the Fug Girls. Their fashion blog, GoFugYourself, is one of the most popular on the web. It’s a mix of humor and fashion as they dissect what celebs are wearing and the latest trends. They are also huge Royal watchers and not just the British royal family but all of them. Although the Wills, Kate, Harry and the Queen do hold a special place in their hearts so it’s really no surprise that they inspired this luscious book. Unless you have been living under a rock for the last ten years then you know how Prince William and Kate Middleton became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Their romance took the world by storm since Kate is a commoner and basically living almost every living girl’s fantasy of meeting a Prince and marrying him. (If I can take a moment here: Kate was a commoner but it’s not like she was poor. If I remember correctly her parents have a very successful business and were considered upper middle class. They just were not apart of the aristocracy.) The Royal We mirrors their relationship but ups the ante by making our Kate, Bex an American. Bex meets Prince Nick at Oxford instead of St. Andrews and live in the same house throughout university and even break up for a while only to get back together. So while the trajectory of their relationship was familiar, it’s what happens in between that is truly interesting. Bex is wonderful. I’m not just saying that since she’s from our home state of Iowa but she’s funny, smart and real. Nick is rife with insecurities and a sense of duty. It must be hard to be born into a position. Nick is in constant fear of being caught doing the wrong thing that he he has to hide who he is. In fact throughout the book both Nick and Bex go through periods of indecisiveness about who they are and how they are supposed to act and it usually gets them into trouble. They behavior is understandable. I wouldn’t want to live under the constant scrutiny that the Royals live in today. With social media and everyone having a camera on their phone you must be on your best behavior all the time. That must be exhausting. They both had a lot of growing up to do and even after all they still find ways back to each other and forgive because that is what you do when you are in love.
The story wouldn’t be complete without a Prince Harry and Kate’s sister Pippa. Prince Freddie is a ladies man. Sleeping his way across London and the world and escaping any kind of condemnation by his charm. Lacey is Bex’s twin sister who is the good girl to Bex’s bad. I’m not sure what I make of her. She’s an intelligent woman who is full of life and optimism. When we meet her she is premed and eventually starts Medical school but she gives all that up to be a party planner in London to be closer to Bex. In one way, I do understand Lacey’s motivation. Bex isn’t just her twin, her sister but her best friend. They shared a womb, shared bedrooms and even went to the same college and then all of a sudden Bex decides to study abroad at Oxford, meets and falls in love with a Prince. Lacey starts to feel left behind. I get it. Kate may not be my twin (though we have asked multiple times if we are) but she’s my sister and my best friend. We have lived together and have the same group of friends but like Bex, Kate has studied abroad (many times) and yeah I felt a little lost without her being close by. I look at her and see all that she is doing to realize her dreams and ask myself what am I doing? It was one the reasons why I made the decisions to move to NYC. Kate was moving to Buffalo to work on her phd. and I just sorta felt stuck in Iowa City. So why not move and try something different. But as close as I am to her and my desire to live nearer, I never thought about giving up what I want or ask her to give up what she wants. Sure I’ve had thoughts of moving to Buffalo but those are thoughts never stuck. As close as we are, we are our own people. For Lacey to give up Medical school that she has been working for most of her life to be near Bex, live the high life and possible have a chance with Freddie just doesn’t sit right with me. Maybe I’m being to judgmental. I’m not upset with Freddie who spends the book partying and sleeping with women so why should I be with Lacey? The difference is that Freddie is the spare. While Nick was born with too many expectations, Freddie was born with not enough. He’s not going to rule but he’s not going to have to get a job either. He acts the way he does because he knows it will get under the skin of his father, who is real piece of work. So I guess his actions are more understandable.
All the characters are fun. I do love Bex and Nick’s group of friends. Especially Cilla, Gaz and Bea. They make the story more real and when Bex gets in one of her funks, they save the day. I hope that real Kate and Will have friends like that because how else do they survive. I was looking for a good romance and that’s what I got. They are not perfect, actually they both are flawed but through it all there was no question about how much they loved each other and in the end they found themselves. Anyone looking for a nice beach read or a little light reading to get you through the cold months, this is for you. Even if you are not a royal watcher.
*Spoilers Ahead*
With all of our talk about whether or not to reread previous books before starting the latest book in a series, this should have been one that I did that. This series has so many characters, subplots, locations and so many dead characters it’s hard to keep track. It’s very Games of Thrones like that. Which is actually what I think it’s trying to be or at least the teen version or it. While not as ambitious, it’s the same concept of multiple parties fighting over thrones and kingdoms but also looking for the mysterious kindred that grant to the owners with unprecedented powers to rule them all. So there is a lot going on. *Spoilers* 
There is so many things to love about this book and this series in general. It’s beyond funny. Sophornia is in finishing school but it’s not just any Victorian age finishing school. Yes, Miss Geraldine’s teaches her girls how to behave like a lady and how to land a good husband but also how to kill them too. Miss Geraldine’s develops the best lady intelligencer’s in the majesty’s realm. Sophronia and her friends may still be students but they are all that stands in the way from the evil Picklemen taking over the realm and keeping peace with the vampires and werewolves. So don’t take these girls lightly. They may have all the charm and manners of a lady of quality but that only makes them more deadly. If there was one downside to this and that it needs more Soap. Soap is Sophronia’s one true love. In a world where social class is important, they are a forbidden match. Sophronia doesn’t come from most wealthiest of families but she is expected to marry a certain class of gentlemen and a black sootie is not that class. At the end of the last book he is turned werewolf to save his life. In this Steampunk London, supernaturals are granted equal footing with the upper class but he’s still the wrong race and well now the wrong species. His role is a little lesser then in past books since he is no longer at the floating school. He is not really given much to do but he does make the most of the time he does have. All and all it was a good ending to a great series. I’m going to have to read Gail’s other series that take place in the same world because if these are any indication, they will be a hoot.
This is it. I don’t want to say that this will be the last time I read Winter or The Lunar Chronicles but I am ready to move on. This was a very lovely series that was just fun to read. So here we go. My last few observations 
We are big fans of Rick Riordan here at Stacks so we or at least I am since Kate has yet to finish Blood of Olympus (and I will continue to publically shame her until she does, out of love of course). We saw that USA TODAY published the cover to the first book of Rick’s new series The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle. The series is a small spoiler as to what happens to a certain God at the end of the last series but then again, if you know your Greek Mythology then you know that Apollo has a history of pissing off Zeus and that he gets turned into a human. The most exciting part of all of this is that it returns us to Percy Jackson’s world and another trip to Camp Half-Blood. Rick may explore other mythologies like Egyptian in the Kane Chronicles and Norse in his latest Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard but he always seems to come back to Greek mythology and Percy. USA TODAY not only revealed the cover but also 
2 Women, So Many Books 