The Princess and the Fangirl

By Ashley Poston

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 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 2, 2019
• ISBN: 9781683690979

Ashley Poston

Ashley Poston is the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip. A native of South Carolina, she lives in a small gray house with too many books. You can find her on the internet, somewhere, watching cat videos and reading fan fiction.

Reviews for The Princess and the Fangirl

[jessicadelellis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Quirk Books) in exchange for an honest review. Omg this book was incredible and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I read Geekerella about 2 years ago and loved it, but I don’t remember having this level of response to it. I’m obsessed. So first off, I loved the writing style. Sometimes when you read books about fandoms it can come across like a fan fiction. This book read like a nice YA contemporary with fandom references. I also loved that this book tackled the darker side of fandoms. A big focus was on how harsh fans (particularly in the sci-fi community) can be on actors. This is something that happens all the time and I’m glad the book gave the perspective of the actor on the receiving end of it. I also liked that this darkness was balanced by the positives of fandoms. It showed both sides well. As for the plot, I liked that it took place entirely at the con. I thought the romances were adorable and I loved the representation (LGBT and POC).The fandom references were so on point. My favorite was the Blue Eyes White Dragon reference to Yu-Gi-Oh on page 251 (I was super obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh as a kid). Lastly, if you miss Darien, Elle, and Sage from Geekerella, don’t worry. They all make an appearance in the book and I was so happy to see them again.Overall, this was an amazing companion novel to Geekerella. If you loved that book, you’ll love this one!

[ethel55_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a lot of fun to return to the world of Excelsicon following the release of the long awaited Starfield movie. Imogen is no stranger to the Con, as her mothers have had a booth there for years and she is the driving force behind the save Princess Amara petition. The actress Jessica Stone, to whom she bears a bit of a resemblance, is not a hug fan favorite as she comes across as disliking all things Starfield. A leaked script and chance encounter have this following the frame of the fairytale in a very 21st century manner.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We're back at the ExcelsiCon with a new set of characters. A loose retelling of the "Prince and the Pauper", Imogen is the ultimate fan girl of Princess Amara while Jess can't wait to be rid of her. The two switch places while simultaneously trying to figure out who leaked the sequel script and save Jess' reputation. There are lovely romances and lots of geeky moments for lots of fun.

[reallifereading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun read that was a nice break for me from some emotional reads. I loved the con setting, and the adorable romance!

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised that I liked this sequel, as much as the first book and that very much is not my typical reaction.

[herenya_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is set at ExcelsiCon the year after Geekerella. Jessica Stone, Starfield actress, swaps places with a fan, Imogen. Jess needs to find a mislaid script before she’s accused of leaking it, and Imogen hopes she’ll get an opportunity to promote the #Save Amara initiative.I enjoyed the way they both experience a different side of fandom. Imogen discovers the pressures of being a star, when con appearances are part of your job, and, away from the spotlight, Jess discovers how cons allow people to come together and celebrate the things they love. My only disappointment is with the way Imogen and Jess deceive Imogen’s fandom friend, Harper. I wish that had been handled differently. “I think sometimes the stories we need are the ones about taking the hobbits to Isengard and dog-human dudes with space heelies and trashy King Arthurs and gay ice-skating animes and Zuko redemption arcs and space princesses with found families and galaxies far, far away. We need those stories, too. Stories that tell us that we can be bold and brash and make mistakes and still come out better on the other side.”

[oddandbookish · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher (Quirk Books) in exchange for an honest review. Omg this book was incredible and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I read Geekerella about 2 years ago and loved it, but I don’t remember having this level of response to it. I’m obsessed. So first off, I loved the writing style. Sometimes when you read books about fandoms it can come across like a fan fiction. This book read like a nice YA contemporary with fandom references. I also loved that this book tackled the darker side of fandoms. A big focus was on how harsh fans (particularly in the sci-fi community) can be on actors. This is something that happens all the time and I’m glad the book gave the perspective of the actor on the receiving end of it. I also liked that this darkness was balanced by the positives of fandoms. It showed both sides well. As for the plot, I liked that it took place entirely at the con. I thought the romances were adorable and I loved the representation (LGBT and POC).The fandom references were so on point. My favorite was the Blue Eyes White Dragon reference to Yu-Gi-Oh on page 251 (I was super obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh as a kid). Lastly, if you miss Darien, Elle, and Sage from Geekerella, don’t worry. They all make an appearance in the book and I was so happy to see them again.Overall, this was an amazing companion novel to Geekerella. If you loved that book, you’ll love this one!