Princess Mia Thermopolis of the tiny country of Genovia is back for another round as she deals with the stunning conclusion of the previous book in The Princess Diaries series. She broke up with her beloved Michael just as he is about to take a job in Japan. He is now agreeing with her that it might be for the best to just "be friends" for now, and she is devastated. To make matters worse, her best friend Lilly is no longer speaking to her because she think Mia stole her boyfriend. As a result, our American princess hides out in her jammies and the sanctuary of her bedroom for four days.

Her parents put their feet down, and she finds her self in counseling with Dr. Knutz (yes, you read that correctly), a pychiatrist with a strong interest in the Western living. She settles back into life in her high school and ends up finding another level of stress as she is chosen by Domina Rei, an organization of women devoted to the influence of the fairer sex, to give a speech on what teen girls can accomplish. To make matters worse, the invitation comes through the mother of her archenemy Lara.

As Mia is confronted with all of these troubles, she finds some comfort in her counseling sessions, even as she doubts the capabilities of Dr. K (she just cant call a counselor by that name). In the process that she finds and inner strength allowing her to confront the various obstacles she faces, whether it is just dealing with the loss of Michael, the speech she must give, or a family secret that will change everything.

This ninth volume in the series is filled with the usual humor that balances the everyday troubles of an American teenage girl and her dual role as the future ruling princess of a small European country. As usual, Mia's voice rings clear in her journal entries ... so much so the reader can almost hear her voice reading the contents to him.

This is a great addition to the series, and it leaves enough unresolved challenges to gurantee a 10th adventure to everyone's favorite teen princess.