The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean (Audiobook also available)
After the death of his father, James is preparing to wear the crown. As a Black heir to the throne with a secret boyfriend, he’s worried about the public’s reaction. When his boyfriend disappears and a mysterious source starts spilling palace secrets to a reporter, James must find the leak
before the crown falls into ruin. But, with his most closely guarded secrets printed in the papers, James realizes the people closest to him are the only suspects.
This book had more mystery than romance, with plenty of misdirection on who the leak is. Things were slowly paced in the beginning, but it picked up about halfway through. The book’s biggest strength was the way it realistically portrayed the effect of the crown on James’s relationships and how it depicts racism in the British media, reminiscent of the way Meghan Markle was treated when she married Prince Harry. Overall, the mystery may have been the thing driving the plot, but the relationships between characters was the thing I enjoyed most.
3 out of 5 stars