Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn

Book Title: Undercover Princess (Rosewood Chronicles)
Author: Connie Glynn
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Source: Blog Tour (Thank you @WriteReads for including me in this tour.)

Goodreads, Amazon UK

Plot: When fairy tale obsessed Lottie Pumpkin starts at the infamous Rosewood Hall, she is not expecting to share a room with the Crown Princess of Maradova, Ellie Wolf. Due to a series of lies and coincidences, 14-year-old Lottie finds herself pretending to be the princess so that Ellie can live a more normal teenage life.

Lottie is thrust into the real world of royalty - a world filled with secrets, intrigue and betrayal. She must do everything she can to help Ellie keep her secret, but with school, the looming Maradovian ball and the mysterious new boy Jamie, she'll soon discover that reality doesn't always have the happily ever after you'd expect...

What did I think?

To celebrate the release of the fifth book in the Rosewood Chronicles, I've finally read the first one, Undercover Princess.

This is a whimsical and engaging Middle Grade adventure that I would have gobbled up as a ten-year-old.

Personally, I found the writing a bit clunky in places, but the story more than made up for it.

The characters are likeable. The protagonist is one hard-working Lottie Pumpkin (yes, that is her name!) who has been accepted to attend a prestigious boarding school on a scholarship. That's where she meets Ellie.

Ellie is the kind of character I love. Rebellious, sassy, laughs in the face of authority, and causes trouble wherever she goes.

Their blossoming friendship is one of the highlights of this book.

My favourite part was the setting. Rosewood Hall is quintessentially British, and I adored the quaintness of the gothic boarding school. It reminded me of curling up with Enid Blyton novels as a child.

I'd recommend this series for children aged 10-14, who enjoy both Harry Potter and The Princess Diaries - I'm showing my age here, whoops.

Undercover Princess is essentially an adorable fairytale with princesses and fencing. What's not to like?