A Princess in Theory
Series: Reluctant Royals #1
Also in this series: A Princess in Theory
Publisher: Avon
Release date: February 27th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Pure Textuality PR
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Star rating:Heat rating:
From acclaimed author Alyssa Cole comes the tale of a city Cinderella and her Prince Charming in disguise . . .
Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn’t have time for fairy tales…or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she’s betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she’s learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won’t convince her otherwise.
Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can’t resist the chance to experience life—and love—without the burden of his crown.
The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after?
The GingerSnap’s review
The saying goes that when one door closes, another opens. Applied to romance, it goes: when one book sucks, the next will be amazing. That has absolutely been true for me this week. This book is insanely good. Like, couldn’t-put-it-down stayed-up-way-too-late-reading-it I-want-to-read-it-again kind of good. The story begins with Naledi Smith, an overworked graduate student who suddenly starts receiving what she thinks are spam emails from the African country of Thesolo, claiming that she is, in fact, the future king’s betrothed. She writes these emails off as a nuisance, but Prince Thabiso and his assistant, Thabiso, are not joking about her destiny. When these emails go unnoticed, they both fly to New York to meet Nebi, but hijinks happen and Thabiso ends up impersonating a trust-fund kid from indiscriminate origins who quickly falls in serious love, and lust, with Nebi. But once Nebi knows the truth about her childhood and the parents she thought she’d lost, will their love last?
Amazing things about this book, in no particular order:
- It shows a strong female friendship that also has realistic problems we can all relate to.
- Thabiso read Mills & Boon romances as a kid.
- Nedi talks back to a mansplainer, who then gets his just desserts.
- Nedi gets up to pee after sex because she doesn’t want to get a UTI. (I want all romances to have heroines getting up to pee after sex. I know it’s fiction, guys, but vaginal health is important, even for made-up people.)
- Thabiso uses a condom during sex, and this is no big deal. All contemporary romances need to include contraception or at least a discussion of it, so kudos to Alyssa Cole.
- The writing is hilarious! Case in point: “This city is held together by hope and insomnia”; “Anyone willing to fling himself on this floor after the information you’ve given me about bacteria should be considered an artiste of the highest calibre– obviously prepared to suffer for his art.”
The sex scenes are also amazing, and I LOVE that in the first one, Thabiso is totally focused on Nedi’s pleasure. The scenes themselves are also insanely well written.
This is the romance that the romance community needs; it’s a badass own voices romance with female friendship, contraception, peeing after sex, and a heroine wearing realistic cotton underwear that her partner still thinks is totally hot.
I would recommend this book to…
EVERYONE. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. But particularly people who like romances with royals, scientists, and crazy-hot sex scenes.
About Alyssa Cole
ALYSSA COLE is a science editor, pop culture nerd, and romance junkie who lives in the Caribbean and occasionally returns to her fast-paced NYC life. In addition to writing, she founded and hosted the Jefferson Market Library Romance Book Club and taught Romance Writing for Beginners. She speaks on topics such as writing erotic romance, writing multicultural romance, and self-editing. She has contributed romance-related articles to publications including RT Book Reviews, Heroes and Heartbreakers, Romance at Random, and The Toast. She has also started a bi-monthly column in the Romance Writer’s Report, Romancing the Globe, in which she chats with romance writers from around the world. When she’s not busy writing, traveling, and learning French, she can be found watching anime with her husband or tending to her herd of animals.
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