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    A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals
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    A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals
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    A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals
    Ebook392 pages9 hours

    A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals

    By Alyssa Cole

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    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?

    Selected as one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2018!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 27, 2018
    ISBN9780062685551
    Author

    Alyssa Cole

    Alyssa Cole is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers and romance (historical, contemporary, and sci-fi). Her books have received critical acclaim from Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her many pets.

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    Reviews for A Princess in Theory

    4/5

    209 ratings18 reviews

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    • 5/5
      What a fabulous start to a new series!?! An equally smart and steamy novel is not easy to find and this ticks all the boxes. Interesting storyline about class, culture, science, mixed with a lovely love story.
    • 5/5
      This was a refreshing read for my recent romance category books. The perspective of a strong, independent woman and a storyline that was more realistic than some recent ones I've read made for a welcome retreat into Naledi's world.

      Quotes and moments:
      eggplant emoji jeans.
      "I know you are used to doing everything yourself. But I wanted to make sure you are okay after receiving that news, are you ok?"
      sexy donkey riding
      "I contain multitudes your highness."
    • 4/5
      Sweet as can be and refreshingly current. The book is honest about life for young Black women (and to a lesser extent all women) in male dominated fields and the attack on science currently underway. It also touches on the costs of growing up in the foster system. It is honest about living in NY without money. I loved when Naledi says her apartment would fit into the bathroom on Friends, because seriously, the Friends apartment is absurd! No one has that much space! I likes the leads, I liked the side characters, I loved that one of the primary side characters is Queer and it is not a thing anyone really cares about, I liked the sense of humor displayed throughout. A really enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      A very traditional romance and the plot has some major holes, but the characters are relatable.
    • 3/5
      Naledi Smith has worked hard to get where she is. Growing up in the foster care system she's had to grind her way to her current work as a grad student studying epidemiology and not once has the stress let up. Adding to the strain is the string of persistent and weird spam emails she starts getting claiming she's the betrothed of an African prince. Meanwhile, Prince Thabiso is the sole heir of Thesolo who has grown up with his fantasy of his lost betrothed. When he finally has an opportunity to meet Naledi he jumps on it. What neither of them expect is that letting someone else into their lives could make everything so much better.A cute romance that plays on the secret prince trope quite effectively. I really appreciated how much of Naledi's scientific pursuits make it into the novel and that her career always remains her first priority throughout. The romance that builds between her and Thabiso is pretty believable and while the mystery element of the plot is not once actually mysterious, the book is still enjoyably plotted. However, for readers who are language sensitive, Naledi's character drops regular f-bombs throughout.
    • 4/5
      Absolutely adorable!I've been dying to read this book since the episode of Smart Podcasts, Trashy Books where author Alyssa Cole talked about creating the gorgeous cover for this book (and of course, gave teasers for the book itself), and am happy to report that it did not disappoint! I loved Ledi and the fact that she is a graduate student in epidemiology--and that she actually does epidemiology-type-stuff throughout the book. Gotta love dedicated, brainy heroines, amirite? :) And (Prince) Thabiso? OMG, that first trip to a bodega--and on the subway--had me giggling. And don't even get me started on his adorableness and princely behavior throughout (checking Ledi for consent whenever things heat up *almost* makes up for the whole pretending-to-be-Jamal thing).The mysterious illness/villain portion of the story wasn't the strongest--it wasn't too hard to guess who the "bad guy" was, their motivation, or even (at least a basic idea of) how they were attempting to accomplish their goals. Still, the romance between Thabiso and Ledi more than made up for any weakness that might have existed in other parts of the story.This modern twist on Cinderella was a great start to Ms. Cole's new series, Reluctant Royals, and I can't wait for book two! Portia wasn't my favorite character throughout much of the book--she's got some major issues to work through--but I'm looking forward to seeing how Ms. Cole will make her a more sympathetic character.Rating: 4 stars / B+I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
    • 5/5
      Loved this. It was funny and entertaining. I loved that most of the awkward, embarrassing things happened to the H instead of the h as usually happens.
    • 4/5
      I'm not usually a romance reader and fully admit that I brought some preconceived notions to the table when starting this book, but I really enjoyed it. The protagonist is smart and competent and vulnerable in turns, her love interest actually cares about enthusiastic consent, and Cole expertly depicts persistence on Prince Thabiso's part that never turns into stalking/creepy behavior. It's fantasy, but it's all grounded in principles that respect emotional health and healing.
    • 4/5
      This book is going to be an amazing movie someday, I can feel it. Our heroine Ledi is a former foster kid on her way to a career in STEM. Our hero Thabiso is an African prince with a playboy reputation but a head for politics. Mix in a family mystery, a case of mistaken identity, meddling friends and family who seem to mean well, some good old fashioned fake relationships, an international incident and a mysterious illness.

      While the story has a dabbling of fake dating, it's not the strongest setup or execution but that doesn't diminish from the story. I was more invested in the mystery which resolved quickly and partially off-screen, I would have read another chapter devoted to wrapping up those loose ends.

      How steamy was it? There are a handful of explicit scenes sprinkled in, let's just say I neither skipped nor lingered.
    • 4/5
      Audiobook narrated by Karen Chilton - When Naledi Smith gets an email from an African prince who claims they need to get married, obviously she ignores it. But Prince Thabiso is real, and when he stops by Naledi’s job to convince her and is mistaken for a waiter, he goes along with it to get close to her.Mostly a fine romance, though I have some issues with consent when one party is lying about their identity. The general concept of an African prince scam email being real is very funny, and I do love it when a rich/royal person has to learn how to live in the real world. I did not like this one as much as An Extraordinary Union, but I did like a lot of the side characters, particularly Naledi’s best friend and Thabiso’s bodyguard, so I might pick up some more in this series in the future. Karen Chilton narrated this one and she was great.
    • 4/5
      When they were children, Prince Thabiso of Thesolo and Naledi Ajoua were decreed to be future mates by the goddess Ingoka. Then suddenly Naledi’s parents took Naldi and left the country without notice.Fast forward to Naledi, now grown up, with no memory of her parents, who died in a car accident shortly after they came to America. Naledi grew up in a series of foster homes “passed around like Brussels sprouts at dinner before they became trendy.” Now she is studying epidemiology, and working as a waitress. This is how she meets Thabiso, when he came into her restaurant, and she mistook him for a new worker named Jamal. In that guise, the two fell in love. Then, when Naledi joined her best friend at an African gala where the guest of honor was none other than Prince Thabiso, she realized she had been deceived, and was furious and deeply hurt.Will it all work out? You can imagine, but the journey is enjoyable getting there. Fans of the movie “Coming to America” may feel as if they stumbled across a slightly revised screenplay. So it is quite predictable, yes, but still an entertaining read.
    • 2/5
      A grad student is courted by an African prince.2/4 (Indifferent).I gave up on it after about 90 pages. It's very much like a formulaic Hollywood romantic comedy (where everything can be predicted two scenes in advance), minus the comedy.
    • 4/5
      I liked it!
      The setting is kind of ridiculous - what if all that spam you get in your inbox about nobility from an African country being your distant relatives or leaving you inheritance was actually true?
      Naledi has been kicked by life and is tightly wound and distrustful of anything good happening to her, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. She is smart, stubborn, capable, and fiercely loyal to the people she considers friends.
      Prince Thabiso comes from the African kingdom of Thesolo, and he kinda reminded me of the MC from the Asian drama Boys Over Flowers in it that he is a privileged rich boy comically divorced from all the aspects and intricacies of a regular person's life. But he's also very serious and capable in what he was born and bread to do, quick to apologize and own up to his own mistakes and unbearably sweet to Naledi. Seriously. My teeth ached (in a good way!).
      When the two meet there's an instant attraction, but they will have to work through Naledi's issues with trust (in herself, other people, the universe). It doesn't help in the least that Thabiso lied to her about who he was (which was a shitty thing to do, but I also understood his motives).
      The ending was perfect imho - just the right kind of hfn. I wouldn't mind reading the sequel, even if I only get a glimpse of how they settled down in the end.

      Final rating: 3.5 stars
    • 5/5
      Gosh, I really really loved this book. I loved the characters, the romance, the relationships, and I cannot wait for the second book (which is good, because I already have a copy from the library waiting to be started ASAP). I heart Naledi and Thabiso and I loved seeing them develop both as people and as a couple throughout the book. There is the "pretending to be someone else to get closer to romantic interest" as an essential plot point but I think Alyssa Cole handles it very well and keeps Thabiso from falling into, ahem, fuckboy territory because of it.
    • 5/5
      My god that was good.
    • 4/5
      So fun. The premise is a bit absurd of course, but I loved this and would definitely read something else by this author.
    • 5/5
      This book was really excellent. It was a very light read and I loved Naledi as a character. She was strong, smart and sweet and I loved the growth that she underwent in the book. I also really liked Thabiso, even though at times he was very arrogant (I feel like I was able to excuse that a bit though because it really comes with the territory of being a prince). Overall I found the plot really worked. The only thing that I would have liked more of was to see how their relationship was doing and what it looked like after the ending of this book took place. I didn't feel like that was really resolved for me. I also would have liked to see more of Thesolo. I would have liked more of a window into the culture and the politics of this particular place and how the two main characters were working to navigate in the political world of Thesolo.
      Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed the setup of the story and the main characters. It was a really cool premise. I saw the ending coming a mile away, so the conclusion came too quickly for me. It looks like the supporting characters have their own stories in the series, so I'm guessing these main characters will make cameos in those as well.I was expecting A Princess in Theory to be in the contemporary romance genre, but I have to say I wasn't expecting the handful of explicit romance scenes, which I could have done without, and which pushed it into the erotic romance genre. I don't typically read adult romance, but I gave this one a go because of the lovely cover, diversity and the unique story line.