booksonawire's review against another edition
4.0
A leading lady in STEM, a huge diverse cast of characters, this book had a lot going for it. It's recommended as "Coming to America" meets "Black Panther." And like the latter film, I enjoyed the women over the make lead. I really enjoyed Naledi as well as Likotsi (the Prince's lesbian assistant - please please let us have a book for her), and Regina (the wheelchair bound bad-ass business woman - I want a book for her too), even Nya, who we saw a little of but I liked her. The representation was killer. The next book is Portia, the spoiled, alcoholic best friend, who has a lot of work ahead of her.
Prince Thabiso, or Jamal, was just "eh" for me - he came off a tad rigid, very formal but he is a prince so I guess it's to be expected but the chemistry was affected. Plus you had a very logical, analytical, heroine who was all in her head and had her own abandonment/trust issues. So "the heart" of the book wasn't all there - it was very driven by the head. But the supporting cast gets this a bonus star. I own the next story (A Duke by Default) but I will be watching for more in this series. I would love to see a mainstream publishing house feature a wlw romance and see Likotsi again. Avon Romance has really upped their game with diversity (see Cat Sebastian and Alisha Rai) so hopefully more publishing houses will improve representation as well *fingers crossed*
Prince Thabiso, or Jamal, was just "eh" for me - he came off a tad rigid, very formal but he is a prince so I guess it's to be expected but the chemistry was affected. Plus you had a very logical, analytical, heroine who was all in her head and had her own abandonment/trust issues. So "the heart" of the book wasn't all there - it was very driven by the head. But the supporting cast gets this a bonus star. I own the next story (A Duke by Default) but I will be watching for more in this series. I would love to see a mainstream publishing house feature a wlw romance and see Likotsi again. Avon Romance has really upped their game with diversity (see Cat Sebastian and Alisha Rai) so hopefully more publishing houses will improve representation as well *fingers crossed*
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Nerdy scientist girl meets African prince - YES PLEASE. Loved this one so much! No damsel in distress here.
cantocultzineo's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
amydieg's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t usually like contemporary Romance but I loved this. Alyssa Cole is fast becoming a favorite author.
moonbites's review against another edition
4.0
After this book I realized how naive I am! This book is downright sexy, the kind of sexy I never seek out. Of course, the sexy scenes aren't what made me want to give this a 4 stars. What I loved the most is the romance. It was just super fun. It was a great balance of hawt and fun. The storyline is a familiar one. But, Alyssa Cole can still rev it up and make it awesome.
It reminded me of the Prince and Me and the Taming of the Shrew. It had touches of familiar story lines with different settings and different characters. I am very interested in reading more from this series. Alyssa Cole has the kind of writing that I love the most. It's digestible, with just enough detail and description.
I would recommend for those who love sweeping romances, with particular interest in royal romances. If you are anything like me, you will be...
shellysbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
Prince Thabiso is the sole heir in a fictional place called Thesolo. As the sole heir to the throne he is expected to get married and have kids. Thabiso decides he wants to find his missing betrothed, Naledi. Now based on this alone you may think you know where this is heading. Their first encounter is rather funny since she mistakes him for the new hire at their job. I LOVED this scene so much! Thabiso was so arrogant and seeing him get humbled was the icing on the cake. I loved that Naledi was able to get him to see things from a different perspective and I love when a character matures in a story.
Naledi was brought to America from Thesolo and sadly her parents died and she was left all alone. Due to her upbringing she keeps people rightfully so at an arms distance except for her friend, Portia, who I loved and I’m so happy she’s getting her own book! But back to Naledi she is reserved and when she mets “Jamal” aka Thabiso he knocks her walls down and you get to see another side to her as well. I loved the banter between the characters. They made me laugh, smile and I didn’t want the story to end. As a born and bred New Yorker, Cole nailed it several times throughout the story. I loved the part where Naledi took Thabiso on the subway for the very first time. I couldn’t stop laughing!
This was the first time I’ve read anything by Alyssa Cole and I need to know where she has been hiding? I loved this story as it was refreshing, held my attention and the writing was on point. I did my best to read slow but sadly all good things must come to an end. I’m so happy I found this series and I can’t wait to read Portia’s book this summer.
4 1/2 Stars
Naledi was brought to America from Thesolo and sadly her parents died and she was left all alone. Due to her upbringing she keeps people rightfully so at an arms distance except for her friend, Portia, who I loved and I’m so happy she’s getting her own book! But back to Naledi she is reserved and when she mets “Jamal” aka Thabiso he knocks her walls down and you get to see another side to her as well. I loved the banter between the characters. They made me laugh, smile and I didn’t want the story to end. As a born and bred New Yorker, Cole nailed it several times throughout the story. I loved the part where Naledi took Thabiso on the subway for the very first time. I couldn’t stop laughing!
This was the first time I’ve read anything by Alyssa Cole and I need to know where she has been hiding? I loved this story as it was refreshing, held my attention and the writing was on point. I did my best to read slow but sadly all good things must come to an end. I’m so happy I found this series and I can’t wait to read Portia’s book this summer.
4 1/2 Stars
littlemisscass's review against another edition
2.0
I was mildly looking forward to this and was actually pretty disappointed. What I'd assumed might be a cute plot was actually pretty creepy, the writing was really stilted (although with decent romance scenes) and the characters rather unlikeable. Everything just seemed too forced. I would not recommend.
mdettmann's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book!!! Filled with science, steam, and sweetness, I am looking forward to the rest of this series.