And just like that, I stopped worrying.

Royal Wedding picks up several years after the original series ended. Mia Thermopolis is now twenty-six years old. She has graduated from college and is living in New York City with her high school sweetheart, Michael Moscovitz. Mia is no longer the awkward teen struggling with algebra; she is a functioning adult, though she still retains her neurotic charm and her love for writing lists.

“I can’t walk down the aisle in this. I’ll fall. I’ll break my nose. Our wedding video will go viral for all the wrong reasons.”

One month ago, my handsome, sushi-obsessed, perfect-in-every-way fiancé, Michael Moscovitz, got down on one knee in the middle of a Genovian olive grove (he had an olive leaf stuck in his hair—it was adorable) and asked me to marry him. Obviously, I said yes. I’ve loved him since I was fourteen years old and he was a brooding artist who smelled like paint thinner and justice.

Fans of the original series get to see how Mia’s inner circle has evolved:

Meg Cabot’s Royal Wedding is more than just a nostalgic victory lap; it is a thoughtful continuation of a beloved character’s life. It addresses the reality that growing up royal—or even just growing up—is rarely a fairy tale without complications. By blending the charm of the original series with mature storytelling, Cabot successfully gives Princess Mia the royal send-off her fans had been waiting for, while simultaneously expanding her literary universe with new, younger characters.

: Mia discovers her father, Prince Phillipe, fathered an illegitimate daughter twelve years prior. This leads Mia to find her half-sister, Olivia Grace Harrison, and rescue her from an unpleasant living situation in New Jersey.

This is the first adult installment in the series, following Mia Thermopolis as she navigates life in her mid-twenties.

“Hey yourself,” I whispered back.

: Five years after college graduation, Mia is living in New York City, running a teen community center, and still madly in love with Michael Moscovitz.