The Rules of Royalty takes one drop of Red, White and Royal Blue, one drop of The Princess Diaries, and then it swishes it about in a beaker. The end result isn’t bad, but not original enough to warrant anything above a B grade. But it’s a pleasant, enjoyable story.

Jamie Johnson is just as ordinary as his name – which is why he’s startled to learn that he has a very extraordinary destiny. It seems he’s the heir to the European throne of Mitano – illegitimately born, but nonetheless the heir – and he needs to head down there ASAP. Fortunately, he manages to blend in well with his new family and the job – with everyone but a certain Icelandic prince who has no respect for him.

Erik Rosenborg is a spare prince to a kingdom that cannot stay out of the media spotlight. Tired of being his family’s also-ran, he jumps at the chance to do something new with his life by volunteering to tutor Jamie in royal etiquette.

Sparks fly during those lessons, and those sparks soon turn to shared attraction. But can they find love together, breaking through centuries of tradition to find affinity with one another?
This is going to be a familiar formula for Red, White and Royal Blue fans, but that doesn’t mean that The Rules of Royalty is a bad book. It just means it feels a little been there, done that, right down to the couple’s ultimate us-against-authority stance.

What works is Jamie and Erik’s ability to stand out as individuals against this backdrop. Jamie’s sense of humor and Erik’s stiffer personality may not be unique, but it does make them memorable. The romance is cute, and the royal setting is suffused with enough tension to make for an entertaining story. It’s not an exceptional romp, but The Rules of Royalty is a fun one, and will likely be forgiven for its sins more readily by the teens who are its target audience.