Title: The Quarantine Princess Diaries
Series: The Princess Diaries #12
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date: March 28, 2023
Mia Thermopolis knows just what to do in a crisis: Rule.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, a section of the diary of Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia fell into the hands of Meg Cabot, the Princess’s royal biographer.
As reported in media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly, The Mary Sue, Refinery 29, Bustle, and more, from March until June of 2020, sixteen entries of the princess’s diary were leaked onto Ms. Cabot’s blog, to the delight of over a million fans.
In these entries, titled The Coronavirus Princess Diaries, the princess recorded her most heartfelt emotions while dealing with her husband’s quarantine after exposure to the virus; her personal (and political) battles while imposing health restrictions on her small European nation; life during lockdown (even in as idyllic a location as a palace on the Riviera); and of course, dealing with her demanding royal family, especially her grandmother.
Since then, readers have been clamoring for more chapters of Mia’s coronavirus diary . . . and here they are at last: The Quarantine Princess Diaries include not only the previously released entries (now edited and updated with new content), but two hundred more pages of entirely original, never-before-seen entries, including the princess’s worries over a possible royal affair; a showdown between Mia and Grandmère over the latter’s intended nuptials; the eventual development and distribution of a groundbreaking intranasal vaccine for every citizen in Genovia; and, as always, a royally happy ending.
I have to say that I'm disappointed. I mean the Princess Diaries' first book was refreshing and cute. This one not so much.
The novel is supposed to be about Princess Mia dealing with the pandemic arriving at her doorstep. In my opinion, the author had a great chance to give some substance to the characters instead the majority of the book is just fluff. No real conflict. Worse, Mia is still insecure about her husband Michael. She passes her time drinking wine in sweatpants. She says she is worried about her family and the people of Genova but she doesn't do much except a couple of indictments to mandate masks and social distancing. Worse, all the fun of reading it went away between how political the book was and Mia making fun of Americans.
No one is sadder that I didn't like it than myself.
Cliffhanger: No
2/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Avon Impulse via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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