I really wanted to love this book. I have previously enjoyed a book by Benjamin Dean, and I have a niche liking for political contemporary fiction based around heads of state and their families. 

Unfortunately it didn't work for me. On the plus side it was gripping and I read it quickly, but for most of the book it felt very middle of the road, perfectly fine but not great. Then the ending came and I really disliked it. 

Ultimately this book was not what I wanted it to be. Some of that was unfortunate advertising - a quote on the back of the book described it as "funny", and if there's a single humorous moment in the book I clearly missed it. I expected a romance but while a gay relationship is centre stage here you don't actually see a lot of romance. There was plenty of focus on politics on the form of scandal and tabloid journalism (and all the racism that we sadly see far too often in reality) but I wanted more attention to government and the role of the king. The thriller part of the book was both my favourite part and the biggest let-down at the end. 

I imagine a lot of people will enjoy this book, but unfortunately I wasn't one of them.