July 8, 2024
Following a friend’s betrayal, a public breakup with a model, and a scandal in which he was recorded criticizing the prime minister, 17-year-old “Prince Un-charming” Jadon of Îles de la Rêverie vows to be “as normal and unproblematic as possible.” Livid over Jadon’s actions, his father threatens to cut him off if he doesn’t shape up. What the king doesn’t know is that Jadon was defending his California-born mother from the prime minister’s xenophobic comments. To repair his reputation, Jadon is sent to Los Angeles to complete a carefully curated media tour. Despite swearing off romance, however, Jadon immediately falls for pink-haired film enthusiast Reiss, a student at his prestigious new school Willow Wood Academy. The teens bond over shared feelings of being an outcast, and Reiss plays tour guide, introducing Jadon to all of L.A.’s best spots, but when Jadon’s ex-boyfriend shows up, his arrival jeopardizes everything Jadon and Reiss have built. Online celebrity journalist posts open each chapter, highlighting the media and monarchy’s often damaging effects on Jadon’s life. Winters (As You Walk On By) meshes fun-in-the-sun antics with perceptive examinations on new experiences, changing identities, and rebuilding trust in this rollicking romance. Ages 12–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary.