cover image The Prince & the Apocalypse

The Prince & the Apocalypse

Kara McDowell. Wednesday, $24 (320p) ISBN 978-1-250-87304-0; $12 paper ISBN 978-1-250-87306-4

An American teen stranded in England must rely on European royalty to navigate an imminent world-ending comet collision in this high-stakes rom-com by McDowell (This Might Get Awkward). Eighteen-year-old Wren Wheeler did not expect to spend half of her senior-year trip to London sick with a stomach bug, nor did she anticipate that her best friend Naomi would want no part of Wren’s meticulously curated itinerary. But that’s not going to keep Wren from enjoying her last day in London—until she finds her final stop closed, and her class leaves for their flight home to Chicago without her. The only bright spot is meeting ruggedly handsome Theo, the on-the-lam prince of Wales. When they learn that a 14-mile-wide comet will strike Earth in eight days, Wren and Theo try making their way to Greece, where his family has a private plane. Though canceled flights, panicked citizens, and relentless paparazzi plague their journey, Wren finds herself falling for Theo and learning to embrace life’s unpredictability. The duo’s magnetic chemistry and wry banter work levity into a would-be dire situation, culminating in a cavorting, globe-trotting jaunt. Characters read as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Grinberg Literary Management. (July)