The Princess Plot by Kirsten Boie, 2005

Click to view
on Goodreads 

Jenna has just won the starring role in a film about a princess--sweet! In the wink of an eye, she's whisked off to a remote, romantic kingdom for the "shoot." But something's amiss: First, she finds out she bears an uncanny resemblance to the real princess, who has run away following the death of her father, the king. Then she learns that the conniving regent plans to use her to take control of the country, now being fought over by rebels. As the plot twists and turns, Jenna discovers just what she's made of--and just why she resembles the missing princess so much!

(400 pages)

This is a really good escapist book, one of those novels that meets all of your unspoken desires.

It feels a lot more clunky now that I'm older, a lot more manipulative as you realize how obviously Boie is catering to the emotional desires of a teenage girl reader who dreams of being whisked away to wear nice dresses, smile to an audience, play the part of royalty, and be a hero in a complex political mess - a political mess that, in this case, seems so big and complex and yet is designed in a way that gives one side all of the moral superiority over the other. It's funny how I didn't notice how crazily unrealistic that was the first time I read it.

But then, the first time I read it I really was a tweenage girl whose emotions were being perfectly catered to.

So maybe the main character is kind of an idiot (I mean seriously, she falls for everything). And maybe the politics are a little off. And maybe Jenna's mom seems a little too pushy to be realistic (who seriously makes her kid behave perfectly all the time?). But it really is a fun book to read, and a great book for the summer. I'm glad I reread it, and if you're in the mood for a pretty fluffy (but not romance-heavy) novel then I definitely recommend this one. Read it, then let me know what you think of it in the comments section below.