The Prince & the Apocalypse - by Kara McDowell

About the Book

Eighteen-year-old American, Wren, is stranded in England when news of an impending world-ending comet causes global chaos, but when she meets a runaway prince with an agenda of his own, she realizes he might be her only chance of getting home in time to say goodbye.

Book Synopsis

An American teen stranded in London is forced to team up with the British crown prince if she wants to make it back home before the end of the world in this delightfully rompy high-stakes rom-com.

Wren Wheeler has flown five thousand miles across the ocean to discover she's the worst kind of traveler: the kind who just wants to go home. Her senior-year trip to London was supposed to be life-changing, but by the last day, Wren's perfectly-planned itinerary is in tatters. There's only one item left to check off: breakfast at The World's End restaurant. The one thing she can still get right.

The restaurant is closed for renovations--of course--but there's a boy there, too. A very cute boy with a posh British accent who looks remarkably like the errant Prince Theo, on the run from the palace and his controlling mother. When Wren helps him escape a pack of tourists, the Prince scribbles down his number and offers her one favor in return. She doesn't plan to take him up on it--until she gets to the airport and sees cancelled flights and chaos. A comet is approaching Earth, and the world is ending in eight days. Suddenly, that favor could be her only chance to get home to her family before the end of the world.

Wren strikes a bargain with the runaway prince: if she'll be his bodyguard from London to his family's compound in Santorini, he can charter her a private jet home in time to say goodbye. Traveling through Europe by boat, train, and accidentally stolen automobile, Wren finds herself drawn to the dryly sarcastic, surprisingly vulnerable Theo. But the Prince has his own agenda, one that could derail both their plans. When life as they know it will be over in days, is it possible to find a happy ending?

Review Quotes

"Chaos, certain death, and a dash of sweet romance - this book was exactly the European summer vacation I needed." -NPR

"A charming, high-stakes rom-com...two parts entertaining chaos and one part charming banter." -Paste Magazine

"Witty banter and romantic tension between the leads, combined with a fast-paced plot...A charming escapist romance." -Kirkus Reviews

"Readers who like a dose of adventure with their romance will devour this page-turner (and hope for a sequel)." -School Library Journal

"A treat for fans of rollicking, romantic road trip novels or rom-coms in which independent-minded young women fall for intelligent, good-looking princes." --Booklist

"Hard-hitting lines create tension between plenty of deadpan and situational humor...Enchanting entertainment." -Shelf Awareness

"The duo's magnetic chemistry and wry banter work levity into a would-be dire situation, culminating in a cavorting, globe-trotting jaunt." -Publishers Weekly

"This book is just pure fun, romance and action swirled together in one wild, adrenaline-fueled package. Kara McDowell excels at crafting comedic moments, lovable characters, and life-or-death tension. A royally perfect romp!" --Rachel Lynn Solomon, NYT bestselling author of See You Yesterday and Today, Tonight, Tomorrow

"The Prince & the Apocalypse is a page-turning rom-com utterly unlike any other, full of heart, humor and huge surprises. This wonderfully whimsical, genre-mashing royal romance is the ride of a lifetime." --Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, bestselling authors of The Roughest Draft

"Kara McDowell is--hands down--my favorite rom-com author of all time. The Prince & the Apocalypse is an absolutely perfect blend of romance, humor, and adventure--Wren and Theo are going to live rent-free in my heart forever!" -Kass Morgan, bestselling author of The 100

"The Prince and the Apocalypse has to be the most inventive novel I've read in a long time! Twisty, romantic-as-heck, and heart-wrenching, I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read the final page." --Sophie Gonzales, author of Never Ever Getting Back Together

"I am obsessed with everything Kara McDowell writes and her new book is no exception. This book was EVERYTHING I wanted it to be. One part humor, one part angsty romance, one part vulnerable feels, and all parts bonkers. THIS IS THE ROYAL ROMANCE WE DIDN'T KNOW WE WANTED BUT ABSOLUTELY NEED."--Kristin Dwyer, author of Some Mistakes Were Made

"Cute, witty, and alarmingly funny in all the right places. Only McDowell could make the apocalypse seem swoon-worthy! A fantastic read." -Alex Light, author of The Upside of Falling

"If you're looking for a heart-racing good time, this is it--for more reasons than one. I adored Wren, who wants to spend her last week alive getting home to the people she loves most... and winds up finding love with the last person she expected. The Prince & the Apocalypse is a relatable, charming page-turner readers won't be able to put it down!" --Diana Urban, author of These Deadly Games

About the Author

Kara McDowell is the author of The Prince & The Apocalypse, One Way or Another, This Might Get Awkward, and Just for Clicks. She lives with her husband and a trio of rowdy boys in Mesa, Arizona, where she divides her time between writing, baking, and wishing for rain.