Wear It Like a Crown By Zarah Detand
summary Wear It Like a Crown
As part of a team of fixers hired to handle a gay scandal in Buckingham Palace, Leo expects Prince Joshua to be a lot of things, most notably a royally spoilt brat. But when planning the Prince’s coming out throws them into close contact, a tentative friendship blooms. Leo has no intention of ruining it with the admission that Prince Joshua used to star in quite a number of his teenage fantasies. Wear It Like a Crown
Wear it Like a Crown
By Zarah Detand
Published by the author, 2019
Five stars
OK, I loved this book. I loved that it was LONG, because all y’all really need to develop an adult attention span. For me, novellas are rarely satisfying, because they purposely skim over things that need depth. Here, I wallowed in the many pages, savoring the deep dive into Joshua and Leo’s minds. I adored the exploration of the interconnected friendships of the five gay, bi and straight modern young men. Yes, there were times when I snarled to myself: get the hell over it, Leo. But, I am a cynical old man, however romantic. One gets impatient with the maunderings of youth—even though I maundered rather a lot in my own youth.
I loved that the book spent very little time in Buckingham Palace, or with Joshua’s royal family, because the point of the book was the group of twenty-something men who form the emotional core of the story. The fact that Joshua lives independently in a chic flat in a great neighborhood might seem unlikely, based on what we know of current royal practice—but then again, this is a different royal family, more like today’s other European royals, who live relatively normal lives about which most of us know nothing. Queen Louise and Princess Emma, however brief their roles, were awesome and surprising, and I confess I would have liked to spend more time with them; but hey, Zarah Detand could always write a sequel. Happy ever after is a bloody long time, after all.
The author was very good on the careful reveals—building fragments of knowledge until we finally got the whole picture. I appreciated that Joshua was truly smart and good; and that, despite his dark curly hair, one could replace him with either of today’s actual royal princes if one wished. Part of the fun in these “different reality” stories is slotting in real-life royals with the clever fictional ones. I adored Leo, whose apparent lack of self-pity masked a deep shame that has crippled him emotionally without his own realization. Quite unexpectedly, Leo becomes a conduit for understanding how vulnerable all LGTBQ young people are, in spite of the improvements in the world today.
Equally welcome was the fact that the on-page sex is limited to critical moments in the narrative—so that it was not only hot, but emotionally on the nose. Corollary to that was my happiness that all of this was focused on the young men and their feelings, and not idiotic leering over body parts.
“Wear it Like a Crown” is in fact part of a small sub-genre of gay romance fiction—British Royal Coming Out romance. Who knew, right? The most popular of these books right now, because it is from a mainstream press and is getting big promotion, is Casey McQuiston’s charming “Red, White and Royal Blue.” Most interestingly parallel is Lilah Pace’s two-book series, “His Royal Secret” and “His Royal Favorite,” which spend a lot more time deep inside Buckingham Palace dealing with fallout among the fictitious royals. Oddly enough, the queen in that one is also Louise.
None of this works, of course, unless the author knows what she is doing, and Detand is pretty darn good. The book has its flaws, but nothing that derailed my constant pleasure as I read through it. Although it is about Leo and Joshua, it is also about Nate and his friendship with Leo; and about Tristan and Mo, and their devoted love of their friend Joshua. I hope millennials are, at least some of them, as endearing as this group of guys is.
Wear It Like a Crown 5 Stars
“Of course I’ll still want you, Princey. Happily ever after, isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”
Smuttily ever after,...
Wow! This was so good! Zarah Detand has been on my radar for YEARS (and I am side-eyeing and critically judging myself for not reading her work sooner). This story has its origins in the author's earlier One Direction AU (AO3). I've never read One Direction AU, but I enjoy imaging Harry and Louis playing lead roles in this version.
The story takes place in a fairytale-esque fictionalized version of Britain where the Queen of England has a gay son (nope, not THAT royalty mm book) who is threatened by a blackmailer with compromising photos. A team of PR/professional fixers is called in to help manage the scandal.
Leo is part of the team of fixers and Joshua is his Princeling.
What starts out as an abrasive, antagonistic beginning between the Prince and Leo transforms into a sweetly supportive slow-burn relationship. Prince Joshua is a doll; he is kind, down-to-earth, still a bit innocent about the world, and coddled by the most loving group of friends.
Leo is prickly, combative, snarky and hides the softest, sweetest, most marshmellowy center. Watching their tentative friendship blossom into a loving, supportive relationship is like watching the sun slowly rising in the sky, feeling warmed by its rays.
I loved the supporting characters and the way they all form a tight-knit chosen family. There is a bit of angst as Leo deals with some past traumas, but the overall tone is uplifting and hopeful.
Highly recommend! Wear It Like a Crown Such a good read! 🥰. Wear It Like a Crown was recommended to me and despite my misgivings due to the cover (which I really don’t like and which isn’t at all representative of the story, or the way it’s written so beautifully by Zarah Detand), I downloaded it. And I’m sooo happy I did 😊.
This is a mm royalty, coming out story, along the lines of Red, White & Royal Blue (OMG how I adore that book!) It's a little bit angsty, with some triggers (based around living on the streets) but basically it's Prince Joshua and Leo's love story. The supporting characters are brilliant too and who doesn't love a HEA?! 🧡💛💚💙💜.
It's probably a NA, but there's a healthy level of 🔥🔥🔥 to keep readers smiling.
Highly recommended 4.5 ✨✨✨✨ Wear It Like a Crown DNF @ 35%
Unfortunately, I'm DNFing this book for the exact same reason that I DNF'd 'Pull Me Under'. Both stories very obviously started out as 1D RPF AUs (translation: alternate universe settings into which the author put the real-life One Direction band members; the first story is a sports setting and this one is a modern royalty setting) and all the author did to turn the stories 'original' was change the characters' names (and maybe other minor details, I don't know anything about 1D except that there were five members). I love fanfic and RPF but in my opinion, just flipping the characters' names isn't enough to turn the story into an interesting original story. Why? For the following two reasons:
First - there was barely any plot and the majority of the scenes in the part I read involved the MCs hanging out with each other or with three side characters. I was so bored that I nearly fell asleep. When reading fanfic/RPF, readers go into the story already knowing and loving the characters so having fluffy slice-of-life scenes where they're hanging out are enjoyable to read because readers already love the characters. In addition, creating an AU makes those simple scenes even more enjoyable because what makes an AU so interesting is seeing how the author has used the canon characters in the AU setting and how certain aspects of the characters were tweaked to fit them into the AU. But none of this applies when you're going into the story without any background knowledge about the characters. These fluffy hanging out scenes were boring and repetitive because I didn't know or care about the characters. The way to make readers care about characters is to put them into interesting scenarios. In fanfic/RPF, those interesting scenarios are the canon things that all readers know have already happened but they didn't happen when you're dealing with brand new characters in a brand new world.
It didn't help matters that the characters who take up the most on-page time are all very nice, very friendly people who care about each other very much. This is all very nice but it added to the boredom. There was a huge deal made out of Leo resenting nobility (especially royals) and not liking Joshua in particular, but within just a few interactions between them, Leo has warmed up to him and we're back to a snoozefest.
Second - I found it annoying that three of the side characters (Mo, Tristan, Nate) had a very big presence in the story. Most of their interactions with the MCs didn't serve any narrative purpose. So why were these three in nearly every scene, taking up space and interjecting their opinions and thoughts when it didn't add anything to the story? Because One Direction consisted of five band members and when this story was RPF, it wouldn't have made sense not to include all five characters. But like I said - going into this without knowing anything about the characters just makes it annoying to have so much time devoted to three side characters.
Lastly, it drove me nuts that Joshua being a modern-day Prince was only important for the OMG-He's-A-Prince-!!! situations. While many of the details surrounding Joshua were accurate representations of how the UK's modern day royal family lives life (for example, having the head of communications for the royal family serve an important purpose), the day-to-day realities of what Joshua's life was supposed to be like were conveniently brushed aside.
Two small examples were his decision to not have bodyguards with him except during public events and also having Joshua living in a random London flat by himself. The lack of bodyguards and the random apartment served as handy plot conveniences, but it ruined the realistic vibe that the author seemed to be going for. Most noticeable was the fact that Joshua barely did any work in the 144 pages I read. He went to one engagement and spends the rest of his time hanging out with his friends or in his apartment. In reality, senior royals (which is what Joshua was supposed to be) carry out an average of 300 engagements per year, with many doing closer to 400. Having Joshua rarely work bothered me because the author spent a lot of time justifying Joshua's privilege and wealth but her reasoning seemed to be that he deserved those things because he's a nice guy, not because he actually does the work he's being paid to do. I would have much rather had Joshua spend less time being the world's kindest and most easy going man and instead, have him going to more engagements and being involved in the dozens of other tasks that senior royals are expected to participate in.
The above issue is why I'm going to stop reading modern royalty romances. It's clear that the majority of romance readers just like having a character with a royal title, while seeing that title in action isn't high on their priority list. Since my desires for modern royalty romances are very different, I'm going to steer clear of this subgenre from now on.
In addition, I have a sneaking suspicion that many more MM romances by this author are 1D RPF AUs that she filed the serial numbers off of and re-published. Since I don't like her chosen method of 'filing', I'm going to steer clear of her work in future.
But lastly, I want to be fair to the author and explain that my criticisms are mostly based on what I like to read. Is this an enjoyable romance for somebody who enjoys slow paced, fluffy, easy reads? Definitely yes. The writing is good and the author did a good job creating the modern royalty AU setting and creating a cast of characters who made the world fairly realistic. And if I had been in the 1D fandom back at its peak, you bet I would have devoured this author's stories when she published them on AO3. But as an original MM romance, it didn't work for me. Wear It Like a Crown ⭐︎2.5 stars rounded up⭐︎
This felt a little tough to rate so low, because a lot of the time, I did enjoy this, and the characters, and parts of Leo and Joshua's romance.
But that's just the thing...I didn't love all of it, and that is mainly due to Leo. Like, later on Joshua might have had a few slip ups, a thing or two he said or did that maybe he shouldn't have. But for the majority of it, it was all Leo.
Man, I had a hard time with Leo. He frustrated me to no end. I genuinely disliked him at the beginning. He endeared me to him as the story went on, but then he'd do or say something stupid or dickish and I'd be feeling more complicated, mixed feelings about him. And the way he treats Joshua throughout, when he was an asshole to him even when he was in love with him, was hard to take at times.
Because Leo, in the beginning, hates Joshua right off the bat because he's nobility. He looks at Joshua being in the closet as Joshua being a privileged coward, and he hates all nobility on principle, and he is completely unfair to to him. I don't know how Joshua could find anything about him likable at the beginning.
And like yeah, I get that he's the freaking prince of England, and of course he's live a privileged life, but he judges Joshua as a person before even knowing him. And while having had a crush on him before when they were in high school. But because he's nobility, he deserves to be treated like shit right off the bat? Even though he's closeted and being gay is no small thing, and coming out is no small thing, for anyone. Where is the compassion?
Then Joshua, for some reason, wants Leo's help when he chooses to come out - after having avoided a blackmail scandal with the help of Leo's firm, where he works to help control the narrative for things - because Leo isn't biased and tells it like it is.
Leo starts to thaw around this point, but he still has moments where he takes things out on Joshua, completely unprovoked, and unfairly, and even if he starts to apologize, it was hard for me to get past it. Especially when, as far as I recall, he doesn't even apologize for how he treated Joshua on the offset.
We learn more about Leo and his past as the story goes on, so I came to understand him more, and like him more, but I still didn't feel like it was an excuse to treat someone like shit.
It was funny to me that Leo was former nobility, and had been in the position of being gay, and being in the closet, and then coming out, kinda the same position Joshua was in, and yet he looked down on Joshua in the beginning. You'd think their similar situations would make him more sympathetic, but nope. Like yes, his parents were absolutely horrible, but Leo was ALSO nobility and wasn't horrible like them, so why does he assume Joshua is too? Or really, why does he take out his own deep seated issues on Joshua, and Joshua just kinda lets him?
Joshua was a very kind, sweet character. He was my favorite in this. For being born into privilege, he never acted much like it. He was kind to others, caring, wanted to make a difference for others, and help others. Of course, even the kindest privileged person has some blind spots, but that's okay, because Joshua learned, and became even better for it.
Also another thing is that Leo himself admits what a privileged asshole he was before he was kicked out at 17, and then being on the streets made him see what real life is like - so the way he describes himself, he was probably worse than Joshua ever is - and yet he still judges him harshly...
I just couldn't really get past it for the longest time. And then when I'm starting to, and I'm starting to like Leo, and feel more for him, he and Joshua kiss and have sex, and then the next day he pushes Joshua away in the worst way, and then has the audacity to feel sad and upset that Joshua is mad and upset at him!
Like no. I hate when characters who royally fuck up then feel sad and heartbroken themselves and then act they are the wronged party, or at least partially the wronged party. Like no, you did ALL the fucking up here, own up to it. Leo even lets his best friend, Nate, think that Joshua was the one putting a stop to them for awhile. He doesn't say that, sure, but he lets Nate believe it. I was glad when Nate learned of this and properly called him out for it, at least.
And I get that Leo was scared. He has a past, a past he thinks will make him not be a good candidate for Prince Joshua to be with, that if his past was found out that it would ruin Joshua and the crown and all that. Like I get his emotions and fears behind his actions. But that still doesn't make his actions okay.
He doesn't want to tell Joshua anything, for the longest time, and just kind of expects Joshua to accept it and move on. And yet LEO is the one to come back after HE is the one to push Joshua away, he is the one that wants to explain things - without truly explaining - and expects....I honestly don't know what he expects.
He apologizes, but that's about it, no explanation, nothing, just vague sayings of I do want you, I just can't be a guy who's with you and some such. How is Joshua supposed to take that? How can he understand if Leo doesn't fucking tell him anything?
So we start off this story with Leo being a big ass twat, but eventually get him to somewhat likable, only for him to be a big ass twat again, only this time for like 20% of the story, maybe a little more, before he gets his head out of his ass. And it was just too much. Leo was too much.
And I also get that what he had to tell Joshua was hard to tell someone. I get that part. But to have it drag on for SO long, and have Leo himself be the one to come back to Joshua, when HE was the one who put an end to them, and then to also act like the hurt party, is what I had a problem with. Leo should have owned up to his shit and taken the hit of Joshua being angry at him, because he had good reason to be.
And in the end, Joshua kinda forgave Leo a little too easily. Like yes, he finally got Leo telling him the whole truth and that was a start...but it should have just been that, a start. I wanted Leo to work for it more. He really, truly hurt Joshua, and yet all it takes is some apologizing and finally explaining shit and that's enough? For me, it wouldn't have been. I would have made him work a little more for it, but to each their own, I guess.
As for the rest that made me give this 2.5 stars, there were just little things here and there. Like there was quite a few typos here and there throughout. After skimming some reviews, I learned that this had been a One Direction AU fic, which makes sense as to why Nate, Leo's friend, would sometimes call him Lou out of nowhere. Because Leo was Louis in the fic. I was stuck feeling bewildered like huh? Is that some special nickname Nate sometimes has for Leo or what?
The royalty aspect didn't feel all that realistic for a lot of this. Especially Joshua seemingly being able to live on his own without much supervision at all, and being able to go places alone. One bodyguard betrays him, but even if that were the case, I feel like the royal family wouldn't allow Joshua to go without one at times? I feel like it'd be a firm must have at least one bodyguard at all times we only see another bodyguard being Joshua's bodyguard a few other times in this.
For as big a deal as Joshua coming out was made to be....there wasn't much time spent on the fallout of it when he did. We just kinda got a vague sense of yeah there were hateful comments, but for the most part it wasn't that bad like...I feel like it'd be a huge deal. It shouldn't be, but we all know it would be.
Also when Joshua went out, a few times he had a lot of people come up to him, but other times he didn't, and sometimes people didn't even recognize him? Which, might happen outside of England, sure, but in London?? I feel like most everyone would recognize Joshua. Like where were the crowds of people clamoring for a shot of Joshua, or to meet him? The story introduced this PrinceWatch thing, but was barely put into the plot.
Also the line of succession thing...Joshua's older sister is first in line for the throne, which has to mean that maybe earlier in this worlds history, the line of succession was changed so as for the female, if they're born before a boy, that they get to be ahead of them in the line of succession. Because that only got changed very recently - in fact Prince William's daughter is like...the first female for that to have gone into affect for. So she's behind Prince George but ahead of her little brother now. But before that was changed in like...the last decade or so, she would have been behind her older and younger brother.
AND that was changed for only those who were born AFTER the thing was put into affect, so...was something like that done a lot earlier in this worlds history? It's, of course, never spoken about. And if it's been a thing for a long time, then that's pretty progressive for royalists, but then at the same time it's a huge deal for there to be a gay royal family member? The contradictions are a little confusing.
ALSO, it was too long. It could have been cut down considerably. This was 335 pages, and that's about, I think, 100 pages too long.
So all these things served in dampening my enjoyment of this. Mainly it was Leo and his up and down, hot and cold nature, but these other things contributed as well.
It was still enjoyable at times, and I came to care about these characters, enough to want to find out where their stories led to, and there were stretches of this where I just straight up enjoying what was happening, and Leo and Joshua did have good moments, fun moments, although the steam could have been better, imo. It was pretty mild overall. I wasn't feeling it much between these two the few times we got sex scenes (their first time being cut off halfway through for some reason did not help on that front either).
So...a lot that I disliked, unfortunately. But I rounded up from 2.5 stars for what I did like and enjoy, and for this managing to keep me invested in the characters until the end, even Leo, for as much as he made me angry and I was up and down on liking him.
But overall...this could have been greatly improved, I think. It's definitely a story I wish I could have given a higher rating to, it had that potential...but there was just too much that frustrated me to give this a higher rating, unfortunately. Wear It Like a Crown
I thoroughly enjoyed this MM romance. I loved the writing, I loved the main characters, I loved the secondary characters, I loved the storyline and I loved the way the romance developed between Leo and Joshua.
I did not want to put this story down. Definite 5-star read for me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wear It Like a Crown I really enjoyed this one except for the exceedingly drawn out drama at the end. The MCs and even secondary characters were well developed and relatable. It had a nice slow-burn, and medium but well done steam. Solid 4 stars for me. Wear It Like a Crown Detand's books work for me (she's an auto-buy author now), and this has all her trademarks of decent conflict, real characterisation & witty oblique dialogue.
If this has 3 stars not the 4 I'd like to have given it, it's because I have problems with the royal setting, which is made far less rigid that I instinctively feel it must be. Only Lilah Pace (His Royal Secret & His Royal Favorite - both excellent) gives me a totally believable royal background.
Wear It Like a Crown I absolutely loved this - a heart-warming tale of two people fighting to be themselves and with each other. Beautiful ending that kept me grinning for days and with a great supporting cast to boot! Wear It Like a Crown This is really well written fanfic that doesn't work for me personally as a book.
There's just so much hopping around. Multiple POV shifts per chapter, and sometimes within the same scene. And we're given only 3 or 5 paragraphs at a time before yet another page break followed by either a change of scene or a change of POV, or sometimes both.
It's a me problem, but I just couldn't get into a rhythm with this one. It's a pass from me. Wear It Like a Crown