Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
Release Date: March
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Middle Grade/Young Adult
Pages: 239
Source: Publisher
Interest: Debut Author
Challenge: 2010 Debut Author Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon
|Barnes & Noble
When a well-dressed woman steps out of a bubble and wants to know if you'd like to become a substitute princess, do you
A) run
B) faint
C) say yes?
For Desi Bascomb, who's been longing for some glamour in her Idaho life, the choice is a definite C). Desi has a rare ability: with the help of "Royal Rouge," she can temporarily transform into the exact look-alike of any princess who needs her subbing services. Dream come true, right?
Well, Desi soon discovers that subbing involves a lot more than wearing a tiara and waving at cameras... In this winning debut, one girl's dream of glamour transforms into the desire to make a positive impact. And an impact Desi makes, one royal fiasco at a time.
Summary from GoodReads
My first impression after hearing the title “Princess for Hire” was something along the lines of Princess Diaries... I was way off.
Desi, the main character, doesn’t find out that she is a long lost princess... not even close. Instead she actually get’s to ‘become’ an actual real-life princess! Well for a day or two at least. There is a lot more magic in this novel than what I was expecting, which I loved! Magic Potential! What a great idea! And the aspect of the Facade Agency, where princesses can have some sub for them, classic! I mean who wouldn’t want that job! Although now, that I’ve witnessed Desi’s experience, I might think twice about accepting a job like that.
Desi is sweet, insecure and maybe a little bit of a push-over. It was great watching her find her true self while ‘wearing’ the identity of others. Sometimes our best observations can be made standing in someone elses shoes. I wish she would have used some of that new-found confidence on her relationship with Celeste. Not that I want Desi to be friends with a brat like Celeste, but I’d love to see Desi stand up to Celeste and let her know just whose fault their falling out was.
I was a little confused with the introduction of the character Reed. He’s mentioned early on in the story... and then doesn’t make an appearance until the last few pages. I don’t understand why he was there. Perhaps we’ll get to see a little more of him in the next installment? At least I’m hoping, because I really liked the little bit we did get to see of him.
UK Cover
The writing was great, the story moved quickly and it had really cute and endearing characters! Plus, it has a great message.
I don’t usually do this, but after reading the book I really love the UK cover and how it depicts the story! I do love the US one as well.. they both are really great representations of the pages within.
I am so very much looking forward to reading more by Leavitt! Great debut.