Review: The Nerd and the Prince (Small-Town Dreams #1) by B.G. Thomas

Prince Charming is the man next door.

Small-town business owner Jason Brewster has big dreams: world travel, adventure, and most of all, a passionate romance worthy of a fairy tale. But he doesn’t believe fantasies can come true….

Until Adam moves in next door.

He’s handsome, cultured, European, and best of all, interested in Jason. It’s like something out of the stories Jason loves.

But Adam—whose real name is Amadeo Montefalcone—has a secret. He's royalty, prince of the small country of Monterosia. Only he doesn't want to rule, and especially doesn't want the loveless marriage waiting for him at home. So he ran away in search of true love. With a man. And with Jason, he finds it.

But Adam can't run forever. The truth will come out. If Jason can forgive Adam’s deception, they might find their happily ever after.


I am normally a sucker for the international royal in hiding in a small American town who falls for a local who has no idea who they are or even heard of the country where they are royalty. I eat these stories up getting lost in how romantic it is to fall for someone this way; to simply be seen for who you are and not your title yet at the same time, shaking my head at the over the top shenanigans that happen once the royal takes the commoner home… yeah. I love this trope but sadly, this story did not work for me.

I had a hard time with this book. I tried three times to really get into it, even starting over completely with a new mindset hoping I could connect with Jason and Adam on some level but never could. From the beginning, Jason read so…so… off. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but it was too much. Too much sugar, too much of wanting everything perfect and too much mythology. I love mythology but this seemed to be placed in the story as filler because it made no sense to include it. This wasn’t a fantasy romance and the referencing of gods doing xyz because of fate added nothing to the romance.

Adam read like either an old man or someone who is from the past. I get he’s from another country and all that comes with being royal but this is 2018 and the vast amount of information he could have at his fingertips makes him read far more vintage than his hat and glasses would make one believe.

I won’t go on with a list of what didn’t work for me, just know this didn’t. I couldn’t connect with either man and never felt them as a couple. The flow of the story felt very stop and start and just… ugh. I don’t know. I’ll stop here and hope the next book works out for me.



An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.



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