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The Princess Diaries #2
Princess in the Spotlight
No one ever said being a princess was easy.
Just when Mia thought she had the whole princess thing under control, things get out of hand, fast. First, there's an unexpected announcement from her mother. Then Grandmère arranges a national primetime interview for the brand-new crown princess of Genovia. On top of that, intriguing, exasperating letters from a secret admirer begin to arrive.
Before she even has the chance to wonder who those letters are from, Mia is swept up in a whirlwind of royal intrigue the likes of which haven't been seen since volume I of The Princess Diaries.
Just when Mia thought she had the whole princess thing under control, things get out of hand, fast. First, there's an unexpected announcement from her mother. Then Grandmère arranges a national primetime interview for the brand-new crown princess of Genovia. On top of that, intriguing, exasperating letters from a secret admirer begin to arrive.
Before she even has the chance to wonder who those letters are from, Mia is swept up in a whirlwind of royal intrigue the likes of which haven't been seen since volume I of The Princess Diaries.
257 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 26, 2001
About the author
Meg Cabot
276 books34.5k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,288 reviews
July 17, 2018
WHY DIDN'T I START THIS REREAD LIKE A MILLION YEARS AGO???
I mean, honestly. These books:
- are the literary equivalent of a warm cinnamon roll (speaking of which: I'm going to go microwave a cinnamon roll so let's make this review quick, yeah?)
- take literally like 45 minutes to read
- are nostalgic af
- surprisingly, are pretty inoffensive for the early 2000s
- contain a romance you kinda root for??? And it's a slow burner! Hurray.
Bottom line: THIS REREAD WILL CONTINUE. Hard to say whether current me or 12 year old me is more thrilled about it.
I mean, honestly. These books:
- are the literary equivalent of a warm cinnamon roll (speaking of which: I'm going to go microwave a cinnamon roll so let's make this review quick, yeah?)
- take literally like 45 minutes to read
- are nostalgic af
- surprisingly, are pretty inoffensive for the early 2000s
- contain a romance you kinda root for??? And it's a slow burner! Hurray.
Bottom line: THIS REREAD WILL CONTINUE. Hard to say whether current me or 12 year old me is more thrilled about it.
March 17, 2024
3,5/5
Byłoby 4 gdyby nie określenie mamy jako „puszczalska”.
Byłoby 4 gdyby nie określenie mamy jako „puszczalska”.
February 13, 2017
I AM LOVING THIS SERIES IT IS SO ADORABLE OMG
June 10, 2015
4.5 stars *reread
These books FLY by.. I JUST started this book and I feel like I haven't spent hardly any time reading it! While I still loved this book, I don't think it's AS good as the first, and I think it's closer to 4.5 stars.
Mia finally starts having to do more public Princess things like her big interview (man could you IMAGINE? I would have passed out probably..). In the first book she goes through a huge change finding out about being a princess.. this book has some really big changes too. More with her mom and (sort of) love life though!
Definitely a fun book and I'm looking forward to rereading the next one!
These books FLY by.. I JUST started this book and I feel like I haven't spent hardly any time reading it! While I still loved this book, I don't think it's AS good as the first, and I think it's closer to 4.5 stars.
Mia finally starts having to do more public Princess things like her big interview (man could you IMAGINE? I would have passed out probably..). In the first book she goes through a huge change finding out about being a princess.. this book has some really big changes too. More with her mom and (sort of) love life though!
Definitely a fun book and I'm looking forward to rereading the next one!
March 25, 2024
3.5/5
Niezmiennie przyjemna odskocznia, choć starzeje się średnio 😅
Niezmiennie przyjemna odskocznia, choć starzeje się średnio 😅
August 7, 2015
I simply adore these books. This one was equally as adorable as the first and I'm excited to get to the next one! I love Mia because she feels authentic to me - confused, unassuming and of course surprisingly intuitive. I really like how adults are portrayed in this series. They are in extraordinary circumstances but they are very real and flawed. I really can't say anything bad. Loved it all around! :)
November 27, 2019
Reread on 4/29/15: I adore this series. All the 2001 pop culture references were pure gold. Can't wait to reread all the rest of the books as well!
April 11, 2024
Taki prześlizg między drugą a trzecią częścią, który ma być głównie podkładką pod następną książką i komplikuje sytuację związkową Mii. Więc nie jest to moja ulubiona część, czekam na trzecią.
August 29, 2016
I still am not behind Mia and Lilly's friendship 100%. Also, I never realized how short a span these books cover. This one takes place only a month after Mia learns she's a princess. And she is still bemoaning her flat chestedness and height of 5'9. Come on, kiddo. It'll be okay.
December 31, 2015
Wow, every time I re-read a Princess Diaries book, I just fall more and more in love with Mia. In A Royal Disaster, Mia has now come to terms with the fact that she is the sole heir to the Genovian throne, and is having daily princess lessons with her Grandmere to prepare for the upcoming visit to Genovia in December. She's also come to terms with her mother dating her algebra teacher, Mr Gianini. However, her mother being pregnant, and engaged, is a whole other thing entirely. On top of all this. Grandmere is forcing Mia to do a TV interview, during which Mia spills the beans on the whole Mr G and her mam situation. Next thing we know, there's a royal wedding being planned for Helen and Mr G, and Mia feels guilty for it all.
As with The Princess Diaries, family is really important in A Royal Disaster. Mia and Helen are as close as ever, and I love seeing Mr G become a part of their family. Grandmere is still Grandmere, but we know she's sort of doing everything because she cares about Mia, sort of. Philippe is still scared of his mother, and chasing every woman in sight, but he steps up in this book. When Helen and Mr G want to stop the wedding from becoming an absolute farce, Philippe tries his best to stop his mother going crazy - try being the optimum word. Mia's interactions with all of her family members, including her maternal grandparents who've flown in for the wedding, were lovely to see. You can always tell that family is important to Mia, and that she wants to be able to please them all, even if that bothers her at times - like with the TV interview.
Family is not the only thing happening here, though. Mia is also crushing on her best friend Lilly's brother, Michael, and can not stop thinking about him. When she starts to get letters and IMs from a mysterious JoCrox, she thinks it might be him, and that makes the crush even harder to ignore. Honestly, I couldn't remember who JoCrox was from reading the books all those years ago, and even I was wishing it was Michael. When it was revealed, I remembered just before then, and I can now start to remember some of the events from subsequent books. I can't wait to dive into Princess in the Middle right now!
The Princess Diaries series is just one of those series that you can't help but love. From reading the books more than 10 years ago til now, I fall even more in love with Mia. She is just one of those protagonists that you want to be real so much, and want to be best friends with. She is loyal and loving, and each book with her in is just wonderfully funny, and witty, and just plain cute. I'm completely overjoyed that these books have been re-released for the 15th anniversary of the series, and wish that a new generation of readers fall in love with Princess Mia!
As with The Princess Diaries, family is really important in A Royal Disaster. Mia and Helen are as close as ever, and I love seeing Mr G become a part of their family. Grandmere is still Grandmere, but we know she's sort of doing everything because she cares about Mia, sort of. Philippe is still scared of his mother, and chasing every woman in sight, but he steps up in this book. When Helen and Mr G want to stop the wedding from becoming an absolute farce, Philippe tries his best to stop his mother going crazy - try being the optimum word. Mia's interactions with all of her family members, including her maternal grandparents who've flown in for the wedding, were lovely to see. You can always tell that family is important to Mia, and that she wants to be able to please them all, even if that bothers her at times - like with the TV interview.
Family is not the only thing happening here, though. Mia is also crushing on her best friend Lilly's brother, Michael, and can not stop thinking about him. When she starts to get letters and IMs from a mysterious JoCrox, she thinks it might be him, and that makes the crush even harder to ignore. Honestly, I couldn't remember who JoCrox was from reading the books all those years ago, and even I was wishing it was Michael. When it was revealed, I remembered just before then, and I can now start to remember some of the events from subsequent books. I can't wait to dive into Princess in the Middle right now!
The Princess Diaries series is just one of those series that you can't help but love. From reading the books more than 10 years ago til now, I fall even more in love with Mia. She is just one of those protagonists that you want to be real so much, and want to be best friends with. She is loyal and loving, and each book with her in is just wonderfully funny, and witty, and just plain cute. I'm completely overjoyed that these books have been re-released for the 15th anniversary of the series, and wish that a new generation of readers fall in love with Princess Mia!
January 27, 2021
you can pry early 2000 YA literature from my cold dead hands
February 28, 2016
A Mia continua sendo uma personagem maravilhosa e tô amando acompanhá-la novamente! O proximo livro da série eu nunca li, então daqui pra frente só surpresas. Tô super empolgada!
May 26, 2020
3.5 - I enjoyed rereading this even more than the first book! I had completely forgotten the plot of book 2 and ended up gasping out loud on page 1. These are just such quick, fun reads. It's great to be reminded of why I loved them so much back in the day.
March 24, 2021
Kommt leider nicht ansatzweise an den ersten Teil ran, ist aber trotzdem sehr süß😊
December 27, 2020
3.25 stars.
Honestly, there's not much else I can add to this that I didn't say in my review for the first book. I don't think anything can truly top my love for the first book, where it all really starts, but this book is not far behind. Princess in the Spotlight is still just as well-written, still super cute, and I love the nostalgia that comes with it. I find it amazing that these books have passed the testament of time for me and are still just as enjoyable. Not only that but the audiobook, narrated by Anne Hathaway is freaking amazing. She brings such life and character into Mia (which is no easy feat, because her diary is already very colorful and full of character!) that it was an absolute joy to listen to. I finished it in a day, and I was trying to savor it because she only narrated the first three!
Once again, a huge sucker for the slow-burn soft cute romance where both of them are idiots and really like each other but are also oblivious.
Truly a fun, lighthearted, yet somehow also heartwarming read. 10/10 would recommend.
---
Also cute. Also need to properly review but I'm busy finishing up The Autobiography of Malcolm X so I don't have any books I'm in the middle of for next year.
Yes I'm also already listening to (and am halfway done with) the audiobook for the third book.
Just know this book is adorable, it's cute, Anne Hathaway is amazing as the narrator, and it's just soft and cozy and such a fun read.
3.25 stars.
Proper review to come.
Honestly, there's not much else I can add to this that I didn't say in my review for the first book. I don't think anything can truly top my love for the first book, where it all really starts, but this book is not far behind. Princess in the Spotlight is still just as well-written, still super cute, and I love the nostalgia that comes with it. I find it amazing that these books have passed the testament of time for me and are still just as enjoyable. Not only that but the audiobook, narrated by Anne Hathaway is freaking amazing. She brings such life and character into Mia (which is no easy feat, because her diary is already very colorful and full of character!) that it was an absolute joy to listen to. I finished it in a day, and I was trying to savor it because she only narrated the first three!
Once again, a huge sucker for the slow-burn soft cute romance where both of them are idiots and really like each other but are also oblivious.
Truly a fun, lighthearted, yet somehow also heartwarming read. 10/10 would recommend.
---
Also cute. Also need to properly review but I'm busy finishing up The Autobiography of Malcolm X so I don't have any books I'm in the middle of for next year.
Yes I'm also already listening to (and am halfway done with) the audiobook for the third book.
Just know this book is adorable, it's cute, Anne Hathaway is amazing as the narrator, and it's just soft and cozy and such a fun read.
3.25 stars.
Proper review to come.
April 1, 2008
This i very interesting book. I realy love M.C. books. I think she's very, very clever and modern. I realy like that Mia is a feminist;)
I luve Princess Diaries;)
I luve Princess Diaries;)
March 25, 2021
I don't dig the friendship between Lilly and Mia. They call themselves bffs and they hide so much from each other. I get how Mia judges everybody on basis of looks since she is in a teenage phase where looks matter, and puberty is way too annoying. But I also know that bffs are the world to you. Specially when it comes to first kisses or your mom getting married to ur algebra teacher. So idk why the friendship wasn't developed better.
October 29, 2007
I've never liked the movies, but at least they cut out most of the unnecessary junk that fills these books. Are boyfriends and kissing really the most important things on the mind of the average 15-year-old girl?
June 21, 2015
This was so much fun, as expected :)
January 23, 2022
Nää kirjat on ihan parhaita!
March 17, 2020
This series is just too much fun. I love Michael 💖
October 24, 2020
A really sweet re-read!
December 1, 2015
At A Glance
Genre: Young Adult; Chick lit; Romance
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: Slight Triangle.
Cliff Hanger: nope.
Rating: 4 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 7
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: 9
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 8
In Dept
Best Part: Mia's interview had me laughing!
Worst Part: I feel bad for Kenny
Thoughts Had: Oh no, that's gonna end badly; Yep, i was right; Poor Kenny!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: yes
Short Review: Lily is still my favorite. Mia should have seen it was kenny, you badly give him mixed signals all day every day it seems. The interview was so funny, i laughed a lot in this book. I keep imaging Julia Andrews with drawn on eyebrows!
Review in GIF Form:
Genre: Young Adult; Chick lit; Romance
Love Triangle/Insta Love?: Slight Triangle.
Cliff Hanger: nope.
Rating: 4 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 8
Characters: 8
World Building: 7
Flow: 8
Series Congruity: 9
Writing: 8
Ending: 8
Total: 8
In Dept
Best Part: Mia's interview had me laughing!
Worst Part: I feel bad for Kenny
Thoughts Had: Oh no, that's gonna end badly; Yep, i was right; Poor Kenny!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: yes
Short Review: Lily is still my favorite. Mia should have seen it was kenny, you badly give him mixed signals all day every day it seems. The interview was so funny, i laughed a lot in this book. I keep imaging Julia Andrews with drawn on eyebrows!
Review in GIF Form:
September 4, 2023
A delightful popcorn read in between some heavier books. This series has such a nostalgic place in my heart, and I love the epistolary format and the character of Mia way too much that I’m willing to look past the flaws in this book. There are parts that undeniably do not hold up in today’s current climate, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Mia is such a mess but I loved seeing her caring heart. Her awkwardness is also just so typical high school that it couldn’t help but endear me to her. Plus, the slow burn between Michael and Mia is just perfect. Whenever I need a little pick-me-up, I’ll slowly work my way through this series again!
April 15, 2017
This series is so fun to listen to! I love that it's Anne Hathaway who does the narration. Mia is a very funny character and even if her reactions are too much I care about her. I'm glad I'm enjoying it even if it's so different than the movies.
July 2, 2016
I simply adore this series <3 I would love to have Mia as a friend ^^
June 1, 2022
Reread on June 1, 2022: I'm not sure about how I feel about a freshman/senior relationship, but I simply have too much nostalgia for this series. Read via audio (narrated by Anne Hathaway).
December 1, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
February 28, 2021
I bought the whole series as a Kindle set so I guess we're doing this.
April 8, 2020
Still enjoyed this one but the pop culture references have not held well. I can only imagine Helen Thermopolis's reaction to hearing that Grandmere invited Orange Turd to her wedding today. Also, unrealistic that Orange Turd would actually let Martha Stewart talk or even be talking to her when there were super models in the room. Also, given that this book was written around the time of the great bus incident it's even more creepy.
To see full binge review of books 1-3 click here.
This is weird. I’d almost classify Princess in the Spotlight as a bridge book, but it’s not. There are some important things that happen in this book that make its existence needed.
Mainly, the fact that Mia’s mom gets knocked up and ends up marrying Mr. G (it’s not that much of a spoiler since Mia’s mom is puking in the first couple of pages of the book and we all know that Mr. G is going to do the honorable thing…).
What is also interesting about this particular plot, is reading and reflecting upon it now makes me realize how Grandmere-zilla Grandmere is going to be at Mia’s wedding.
I wonder if Vigo will make an appearance.
And if she’ll want John Tesh to provide the music again.
For Mia’s sake I hope she has gotten over her fear of drinking foreign water and elopes…
Digressing aside, I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. While I did initially enjoy it (a lot), when I was planning the reread, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it as much.
I was wrong.
That being said, Princess in the Spotlight wasn’t a perfect book. There were some things I just wanted to shake Mia for.
Mainly, her love life.
It was very obvious Kenny was the one behind the secret notes, but once again I think this is an age thing more than anything else.
Some of the jokes in this installment have also gone a little stale with the passage of time-but that’s a given for about every book in the series.
A good reflection point,I think, in this book is Lilly and Boris’s relationship. It’s obvious that they are having problems at this point and this is only book two? They’re together I think until at least book five. It’s sad I sort of rooted in a weirdo way for Lilly and Hank. I can’t remember if we ever see him again…I want to say yes, but I think it was just a brief cameo.
Anyway, this one’s a lot of fun but not as pitch perfect as the original.
To see full binge review of books 1-3 click here.
This is weird. I’d almost classify Princess in the Spotlight as a bridge book, but it’s not. There are some important things that happen in this book that make its existence needed.
Mainly, the fact that Mia’s mom gets knocked up and ends up marrying Mr. G (it’s not that much of a spoiler since Mia’s mom is puking in the first couple of pages of the book and we all know that Mr. G is going to do the honorable thing…).
What is also interesting about this particular plot, is reading and reflecting upon it now makes me realize how Grandmere-zilla Grandmere is going to be at Mia’s wedding.
I wonder if Vigo will make an appearance.
And if she’ll want John Tesh to provide the music again.
For Mia’s sake I hope she has gotten over her fear of drinking foreign water and elopes…
Digressing aside, I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. While I did initially enjoy it (a lot), when I was planning the reread, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it as much.
I was wrong.
That being said, Princess in the Spotlight wasn’t a perfect book. There were some things I just wanted to shake Mia for.
Mainly, her love life.
It was very obvious Kenny was the one behind the secret notes, but once again I think this is an age thing more than anything else.
Some of the jokes in this installment have also gone a little stale with the passage of time-but that’s a given for about every book in the series.
A good reflection point,I think, in this book is Lilly and Boris’s relationship. It’s obvious that they are having problems at this point and this is only book two? They’re together I think until at least book five. It’s sad I sort of rooted in a weirdo way for Lilly and Hank. I can’t remember if we ever see him again…I want to say yes, but I think it was just a brief cameo.
Anyway, this one’s a lot of fun but not as pitch perfect as the original.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,288 reviews