Name: The Princess and the Fangirl
ISBN: 9781683690962

Ashley Poston

"The Prince and the Pauper" gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming novel from the acclaimed author of "Geekerella."

The Princess and the Fangirl

julia 

strasznie irytowała mnie Imogen ale rozdziały z Jess były super

in the end, i am not a princess waiting to be saved. i will do my own saving. <3

Absolutely fun and whimsical, a real palate cleanser of a book. The comedy-of-errors in the gender-bent Prince and the Pauper plot line are so cute, and any attendee of DragonCon will be charmed by the many homages.

That said, avoid this book if you don’t like pop culture references, because I don’t think a single sentence occurs without one (I understood maybe half of them?). Be forewarned that the HP references are plentiful.

Liz Griffin

Absolutely fun and whimsical, a real palate cleanser of a book. The comedy-of-errors in the gender-bent Prince and the Pauper plot line are so cute, and any attendee of DragonCon will be charmed by the many homages.

That said, avoid this book if you don’t like pop culture references, because I don’t think a single sentence occurs without one (I understood maybe half of them?). Be forewarned that the HP references are plentiful.

cute. reading geekerella was definitely a step in the right direction as i would be very confused have i not done that.

Steph L 

A love letter to fandoms and cons

If you have read Geekerlla you will love this companion novel. If you have not, you still would. You don’t have to read both, but there is crossover with some of the characters. This is a delightfully fun novel about finding yourself and finding something to fight for. Within the novel is a love of fandoms and cons, and I loved that.

The Prince and the Pauper gets a Geekerella-style makeover in this witty and heartfelt novel for those who believe in the magic of fandom. Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: to save her favorite Starfield character, Princess Amara, from being killed off. On the other hand, the actress who plays Amara wouldn't mind being axed. Jessica Stone doesn't even like being part of the Starfield franchise--and she's desperate to leave the intense scrutiny of fandom behind. Though Imogen and Jess have nothing in common, they do look strangely similar to one another--and a case of mistaken identity at ExcelsiCon sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives. When the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, with all signs pointing to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. The deal: Imogen will play Jess at her signings and panels, and Jess will help Imogen's best friend run their booth. But as these "princesses" race to find the script leaker--in each other's shoes--they're up against more than they bargained for. From the darker side of fandom to unexpected crushes, Imogen and Jess must find a way to rescue themselves from their own expectations...and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

mighty dragon 

THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.

While Geekerella really felt like a fairytale, this one is a bit more real. A bit more relatable. I can relate to Imogen a lot here. I love both of hers and Jess' characterizations, I love their insecurities. (Not that it's important but: I keep playing Free, yup that very soundtrack of Barbie The Princess and The Pauper, inside my head while reading this and it fits really well.)

I would like to thank Ashley Poston for writing this story. Thank you for making me feel validated as a fangirl. All these Once Upon a Con (haven't read the third book yet but I'm on my way!) stories means a lot to me, so thank you. Thank you so much.

The Prince and the Pauper gets a Geekerella-style makeover in this witty and heartfelt novel for those who believe in the magic of fandom—now with an excerpt from Ashley Poston’s latest, Bookish and the Beast. Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: to save her favorite Starfield character, Princess Amara, from being killed off. On the other hand, the actress who plays Amara wouldn’t mind being axed. Jessica Stone doesn’t even like being part of the Starfield franchise—and she’s desperate to leave the intense scrutiny of fandom behind. Though Imogen and Jess have nothing in common, they do look strangely similar to one another—and a case of mistaken identity at ExcelsiCon sets off a chain of events that will change both of their lives. When the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, with all signs pointing to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. The deal: Imogen will play Jess at her signings and panels, and Jess will help Imogen’s best friend run their booth. But as these “princesses” race to find the script leaker—in each other’s shoes—they’re up against more than they bargained for. From the darker side of fandom to unexpected crushes, Imogen and Jess must find a way to rescue themselves from their own expectations...and redefine what it means to live happily ever after.

Vilde

Flavia Louise

This was very enjoyable and had some nice realtionships.

Lincy

Courtney ✿ @librarycutie

this was so good!! i loved getting more of the geekerella story and at first i didn’t think i would like jess, but i loved it. i love how this ended and was smiling so much because ahhh cute!!! i can’t get over how many of the nerdy culture references there was and how i really relates to this series, i hope there’s more! this series, geekerella and the characters associated, are starting to mean a lot to me.

Wynne Aretae

another stunning book in this series. i didn't like it as much as the first book, the characters leaned more on the annoying side in my opinion, but it was still really good.

Tânia Borges

Not bad if you're looking for a light-hearted, fun and quick read.

Patti Reinheimer

I am totally charmed! Loved this book even more than Geekerella.

Jessica Williamson

4.25 Stars

I'm not sure what I rated Geekerella, (I just looked it was 3.5) but I know what I liked about it. I didn't love the beginning but I loved the convention part of the book. 

This book? It took place, cover to cover, at Excelsicon and I could not be happier! This book was fantastic. I laughed, I cried, I swooned. This book was everything I loved from the first and so much more.

The characters were lovely and fun and just a joy to read.

The part of this book that really got me is the exploration of fandom and what it means to be a fan. How much these worlds mean to us. How much the characters can mean. How much it can all inspire us to be a better version of ourselves.

And this one took it a step even further. In Princess and the Fangirl, we exploree what it means to be Jessica Stone and all of those girls in our real life world who play women in Sci-fi/Fantasy movies. The scrutiny they endure, the fanboys (and girls) releasing their putrid spewing online of how that girl isn't ENOUGH to play a character they think they deserve. All without thinking about the real girl behind that character. 

The topics in this book brought me back to the first time I read 'Wishful Drinking' by Carrie Fisher and how utterly disgusted I felt hearing about how she had been treated as a young actress playing Princess Leia.

I think Ashley did an amazing job of portraying the issues in the Sci-Fi/fantasy fandoms right now, as well as highlighting everything in them that can go absolutely right.

I just loved this dang book. The plot was a little, meh, but it was a fun read that I really enjoyed. 

Cover 4; Characters 4; Pace 4; Plot 3; Writing 4; Enjoyment 5; Cry 1.

Heather Heaton

3.5/ 5 stars
I won this book in a giveaway here on Goodreads, but that doesn't affect my opinions in this review. 

Parent trap meets the scifi world
Imogen has grown up in the halls of Exceliscon each year she comes back with her moms who sell figurines from popular scifi shows and movies. This year she is coming with her own booth to save Princess Amara, her favorite character, who sacrificed herself in the movie Starfield. Jessica, the actress who plays Princess Amara, will also be at the convention for panels and publicity. Jessica and Imogen look uncannily alike and they both have ulterior motives to wanting to live the other's life. 

I loved all the fun scifi references built into the story especially Star Wars for me. Ultimately, this story was lighthearted, fun and entertaining and in the end it left me feeling fulfilled and happy as well as had a good message. The girls' learned about each other's lives outside of their preconceived notions about each other. There was great LGBTQ rep with several couples throughout the book and it was just a normal piece of society, not something that had to be called out as different. I would recommend this book to a young adult who is searching for their identity. I think there are some great values to be learned and points that are thought provoking for a young mind.

laura

I really adored this book. I love the small cameos we got to the previous book in this series. I also really enjoyed Ashley twist on the the prince and pauper myth. I really had a hard time putting this book down. I loved the duel female POV and also how the book featured two very different romances pairings. I really enjoyed how this book tackled different parts of fandom life especially how women as actress are treated in the media. I really flew though this book and found it to such a prefect read. This book was the right book to life my heart and just remind me why I love cons so much!

Kath Lau

I read Geekerella in 2017 and I really loved it so The Princess and the Fangirl immediately became my most anticipated releases this year. I didn’t love this book as much as I wanted to but it was still an enjoyable read. Check out my full review HERE.

Ruth Parker 

This was cute but I think I might now be too old for this kind of fan fiction style book. It was cute but predictable.

Erin Pitstra

This was really cute! And very fast for me to read!

Lonneke

This took so long even though I really liked it! It wasn’t as good as Geekerella, but still a nice read.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from Quirk Books and Netgalley! I got an e-arc from Netgalley and the physical from Quirk Books! Thank you guys so so much! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Once Upon a Con #2

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: April 2, 2019

Genre: YA Retelling/Contemporary Romance

Recommended Age: 13+ (slightly mature romance scenes, slight sexual assault, sexual harassment, some language, and a naked cat)

Publisher: Quirk Books

Pages: 320

Amazon Link

Synopsis: The Prince and the Pauper gets a modern makeover in this adorable, witty, and heartwarming young adult novel set in the Geekerella universe by national bestselling author Ashley Poston.

Imogen Lovelace is an ordinary fangirl on an impossible mission: save her favorite character, Princess Amara, from being killed off from her favorite franchise, Starfield. The problem is, Jessica Stone—the actress who plays Princess Amara—wants nothing more than to leave the intense scrutiny of the fandom behind. If this year's ExcelsiCon isn't her last, she'll consider her career derailed.

When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible. That's easier said than done when the girls step into each other's shoes and discover new romantic possibilities, as well as the other side of intense fandom. As these "princesses" race to find the script-leaker, they must rescue themselves from their own expectations, and redefine what it means to live happily ever after. 

Review: Holy cow Batman! How can I sum up how much I loved this side story/sequel to Geekerella? I loved it so freaking much. The story was well thought out and I loved how it was a Prince and the Pauper retelling. The writing was incredible, Ashley Poston is a force to be reckoned with, so watch out SJM! The characters were well developed and this book just made my little geek heart happy. I also loved how Poston drove home the injustice of fan-people when it comes any strong female character. It’s hard to be a female in the fandom world and I’ve read more than a dozen comments discussing the actress’ breast size and how she’d be better if she supported this male character and how the exact color of her hair does not match the characters and blah blah blah. But you remake Spiderman 40 times and no one complains (except me. I complain. Shameik Moore as Miles Morales is better than Tobey Maguire any day and don’t even get me started on how much we need a Gwen Stacey movie). I think the sexism among some of the fandoms is really sad. We can have the strong female character and the strong male character and the even stronger non-gender conforming character. We don’t need to have these archaic notions of what men can do compared to women and, in my opinion, if you choose to keep those beliefs then you won’t progress as a person in the future. The future is inclusive and we see success and strength in all, not just some.

If I had to choose a working point of this book I’d have to say that I think it’s great, but I wish that the relationships were expanded a bit more. Poston had enough material to go another 100 pages easily and I would have enjoyed them. As is the book is great, but I just want more of the couples.

Verdict: A definite must read!

Love, Love, Love, can’t wait to get my hands on the 3rd book❤️❤️

While this book was only a 4-star rating for me, not as loved as the beginning of the series, I honestly had so much fun with this one.

The Princess and the Fangirl weaved in some slightly more hard-hitting topics, such as self-deprecation, social-media bullying, sexism, and sexual assault. But in saying that, it wasn't any less fun and easy to fly through. In particular, I loved the exploration of self-deprecation with both of our main characters. They are two sides of the same coin, with one feeling invisible and the other feeling constantly ridiculed and judged.

Oh and I ADORED Imogen's brother and his boyfriend. I really wish they had more of a role in the story and am hoping they feature in a future book in the series.

Becca Futrell

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of The Princess & the Fangirl in exchange for an honest review! Please note that any quotes used in this review may not match with the final copy.

Extend the hand first, act like the bigger person, grip tightly, and then punch your fist through his sternum — no wait. That’s a Mortal Kombat move.

Holy geekery & cuteness, Batman. Wow. Little fun fact, Geekerella by Ashley Poston is the very first book that I reviewed on my blog, so it means the world to me that I was able to read & review an ARC of it’s companion novel, The Princess & the Fangirl! It can probably go without saying, but this book is one of my 2019 anticipated releases & it definitely, without a doubt, didn’t let me down. I smiled the entire time I was reading — that at some point, my cheeks started to ache. & when I got to that final page, I felt the goosebumps arrive & the tears threaten to pour out.

THIS WAS SO GOOD.

Ashley Poston is absolutely phenomenal. A lot of it has to do with how relatable she truly is, but also the fact that each word in her Once Upon a Con series shines with how much she really loves what she’s writing. & a writer that is passionate about her work is a writer I can find myself supporting.

I’m going to be 100 with ya, this review is probably going to get lengthy. I have two pages worth of notes that I’m ready to just scream about. So, look to the stars! Aim! Ignite!

I was in complete awe with Geekerella; I even remember the night I stayed cuddled onto the couch, flipping page after page & laughing out loud at the references to different fandoms. It was definitely one of the books that stood out to me last year. 

The Princess & the Fangirl is the perfect companion novel to Geekerella.﻿

The writing continues from novel to novel so seamlessly, although it's main focus is on two totally different characters -- Jessica Stone & Imogen Lovelace. In the first entry of the Once Upon a Con series, we get to meet Jessica Stone as she takes on the role of Amara in the new Starfield film. However, we don't really get to dive into her personality until The Princess & the Fangirl. As for Imogen, she's a whole new player in the book. Ghouls, I didn't expect such a dramatic turn of events, but Jessica Stone became one of my characters in this universe. 

Things start off rocky when the two characters come face to face -- Imogen, a fan who wants nothing more than to save Amara & Jessica, who wants nothing more than to be unattached from her character in Starfield. By the end of The Princess & the Fangirl, both girls have undergone so much development on their own & within their relationship.

There's a big difference between the writing of Jessica's P.O.V. & the writing of Imogen's P.O.V. Jessica's portions felt very lyrical? Her inner thoughts/monologue had me in my feels for a majority of the time. Whereas Imogen's portions felt more like it was coming from a fangirl (which she is -- which makes this whole concept even more amazing). I have no idea if this was intended, or just a thing that fell into place as Ashley Poston wrote this book; whatever is, I absolutely loved it. 

For me, Imogen was such a relatable character. She's placed in a setting that I'm very familiar with & talks about how good Nightwing's butt is, HELLO?!@1 IT'S ME. But, really, she's such a lil' nerd & is very knowledgeable about fandoms & says things like, "why am I like this?!" -- I absolutely adored Imogen. 

OH, SPEAKING OF NERDS -- y'all, just like in Geekerella, The Princess & the Fangirl is filled with references. Imogen's mothers (yes, plural!!) create an Iron Throne out of Funko boxes, Nerfherder is hurled as an insult, time is wibbly-wobbly, Yuri!! On Ice is featured on t-shirts, Darien Freeman is a Hufflepuff (hashtag blessed) -- the list goes on and on and on. & we all know that I'm a MAJOR sucker for some nerdy references. 

We're just satellites that fall into each other's orbit for a breath and then travel on.

One of the things I feel people were unsure of when this book was announced was if there'd be LGBTQ+ representation in The Princess & the Fangirl & I'm happy to say that yes, there is a F/F ship (outside of Cal x Sage from Geekerella) that I would die for. Both of the ships in this book had me feelin' some type of way. 

The Princess & the Fangirl is one of those books that's so hard for me to review, because I just want to talk about every detail -- which, unfortunately, spoils the book. If you are a Geekerella fan, you will not be disappointed! Plus, there are cameos & mentions of things that we already fell in love with when we read Geekerella. I definitely 100% recommend getting your hands on The Princess & the Fangirl!