The Prince & the apocalypse by Kara McDowell

Roller-coaster romance in the face of terrible terror!  Wren Wheeler begins the story as an American teen planning her future, quashing her fears, and travelling on a study tour to the UK. Her life, and the rest of the world, goes into freefall when a comet’s path is forecast to catastrophically destroy the earth. Fear overtakes the world. Wren’s accidental encounter with a young male member of the British Royalty gives her opportunity to see a way to return to the family she loves before the end of the world. (Note: This is not the Royal family we know, but a fictional representation – a brave author choice.) But first, does Wren also need to rescue the Prince?

This is such a whirlwind story. An impending apocalypse is perhaps the catalyst for action and romance to be compressed into a very short time span – a real roller coaster. This story catapults the reader into an ‘amazing race’ journey across Europe, in a chaotic and erratic attempt to find a solution to Wren’s problem – to find a way home to her family. Prince Theo, also separated from his Royal family, is in contrast trying to run away from obligation and expectation and stay far from his own family, but he also has the resources to help Wren, provided he can remain hidden from the world. The young teens also become unlikely romance partners in their separate quests, and there is romantic tension for much of their journey. As with all romance stories the road to love is marked by twists and turns and stretches of turbulence, and yet desires rise to the surface at the same time as the young teens are battling with their own inner battles. The overarching torment of the approaching ‘end of the world’ scenario, plus the complications of royal life, adds a complexity to this story that lifts it above most teen romance stories. Recommended for readers aged 14-18 years who enjoy romance and a fast-paced story.

Themes: End of the world, Romance, Monarchy, Family relationships, Family expectations.

Carolyn Hull