modryzamek's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
iamliterate's review against another edition
4.0
Alyssa Cole starts out her new series, Reluctant Royals, with a solid first book. And it hits the shelves Feb. 27, so make sure you pre-order now! I'm excited to see where she goes with the series.
pn_hinton's review against another edition
4.0
This one took me awhile to get through for a handful of reasons. One was that I kept getting distracted by other books, which has happened before and is something I will actively be working on as a book goal in the new year. Another is that I read the second book first and already had a spot in my heart for Portia. So reading about someone disparaging her, even lovingly, was a bit much. Plus the premise was based on a lie which can be a bit hard to get over. All that being said I did enjoy this story and once I finished it, promptly picked up the third one since I read it out of order.
I was prepared to dislike Prince Thabiso at first, and I did but I warmed up to him a bit quicker than I though. I could sympathize with Ledi and how stand-offish she was with all the knock downs she had gotten in her life. I enjoyed how the mistaken identity aspect was figured out quickly to work on their relationship and each of them getting over their preconceptions about each other. A lot of this story was about forgiving past misunderstandings, learning to trust again with no real reason to, and that family may be where you least expect it. The 'mystery' aspect was a bit easy to figure out and I was there was a little more exposition on why Ledi's parents left since I still feel that was vague. But overall an enjoyable read.
Not my favorite in the series by far and I can't comment on what that might be yet since I'm still reading the third full novel and only read one of the in-between novellas. But it was cute and enjoyable.
I was prepared to dislike Prince Thabiso at first, and I did but I warmed up to him a bit quicker than I though. I could sympathize with Ledi and how stand-offish she was with all the knock downs she had gotten in her life. I enjoyed how the mistaken identity aspect was figured out quickly to work on their relationship and each of them getting over their preconceptions about each other. A lot of this story was about forgiving past misunderstandings, learning to trust again with no real reason to, and that family may be where you least expect it. The 'mystery' aspect was a bit easy to figure out and I was there was a little more exposition on why Ledi's parents left since I still feel that was vague. But overall an enjoyable read.
Not my favorite in the series by far and I can't comment on what that might be yet since I'm still reading the third full novel and only read one of the in-between novellas. But it was cute and enjoyable.
picotly's review against another edition
4.0
Thoroughly satisfying romance with compelling leads. Also really enjoyed the world building.
mundinova's review against another edition
3.0
Do you love the romantic bits in the movie Coming to America? If yes, then you'll love this book.
Because it's Coming to America without the comedy. Still good, but not great.
https://readingbetweenthestitches.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/a-princess-in-theory-by-alyssa-cole-3-stars/
Because it's Coming to America without the comedy. Still good, but not great.
https://readingbetweenthestitches.wordpress.com/2020/11/24/a-princess-in-theory-by-alyssa-cole-3-stars/
andipants's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the premise of this a bit more than the execution. A series of apparent scam emails that turn out to be true? That's exactly the kind of far-fetched what-if scenario a modern royal fairytale romance should start out with. I also liked Naledi's backstory and character — former foster kid, smart and independent but with some believable baggage from her tough childhood, that's a good mix for an interesting and layered character. The setup with Portia was a good basis for a side-plot: the best friend who means well but is a mess and it's putting a strain on their friendship. And the early interactions between "Jamal" and Naledi were great; I loved the flirty banter and the chemistry.
The second half of the book kind of lost steam for me though. Once the ruse is revealed and especially once they go to Thesolo, new conflicts pop up, particularly with Thabiso's family, that seem random and disconnected from anything that's been previously set up. The resolution of the "mystery illness" plot in particular is sudden and weak, as is the reunion with Portia. Moreover, the romantic conflict gets awfully muddled here. She's pretending to be betrothed to him, but she actually likes him, but she doesn't want to like him, because...reasons? This is dragged out much longer than is interesting.
That's not to say the entire thing was worthless. There were definitely elements I liked, and I'll probably check out the next book in the series to see if it can improve on the weak points here. Overall, I'd give it a solid "meh".
The second half of the book kind of lost steam for me though. Once the ruse is revealed and especially once they go to Thesolo, new conflicts pop up, particularly with Thabiso's family, that seem random and disconnected from anything that's been previously set up. The resolution of the "mystery illness" plot in particular is sudden and weak, as is the reunion with Portia. Moreover, the romantic conflict gets awfully muddled here. She's pretending to be betrothed to him, but she actually likes him, but she doesn't want to like him, because...reasons? This is dragged out much longer than is interesting.
That's not to say the entire thing was worthless. There were definitely elements I liked, and I'll probably check out the next book in the series to see if it can improve on the weak points here. Overall, I'd give it a solid "meh".
chirson's review against another edition
3.0
This is, for the most part, a charming romance novel with adorably escapist vibes. However, I felt like the ending let the novel down - at around 90% mark, the story becomes rushed. Conflicts get resolved with the wave of a magic wand, and the happy ending does not have the space to reverberate and allow the reader to bask a little bit.
In addition, I felt like there were a couple of obvious plot contrivances that would become annoying if one were to pause and look at them more closely. I know romance isn't always mean to be entirely plausible, but on occasion, the suspension of disbelief became difficult.
Still, it was entirely fun and delightful, I really liked the female protagonist, and I already have the next book in the series, and plan to enjoy it.
In addition, I felt like there were a couple of obvious plot contrivances that would become annoying if one were to pause and look at them more closely. I know romance isn't always mean to be entirely plausible, but on occasion, the suspension of disbelief became difficult.
Still, it was entirely fun and delightful, I really liked the female protagonist, and I already have the next book in the series, and plan to enjoy it.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
A Princess in Theory is a fun story, with some pretty dense complications both for Naledi and Thabiso. I loved that Ledi was a scientist, and also the way she guarded her heart - from everyone. Thabiso was such a romantic, and while the way he went about winning Ledi wasn't the best, his heart was definitely in it.
I would have given five stars if it hadn't been for the fact that in the beginning of the story, there's a Swiss chef, Yves. And when he swore out loud, he did so in Swedish. I know there are people that mix up Switzerland and Sweden, but it really took me out of the story in a big way. So yeah, in Sweden, people speak Swedish, in Switzerland, there are four national languages, and none of them is Swedish.
A Princess in Theory is a fun story, with some pretty dense complications both for Naledi and Thabiso. I loved that Ledi was a scientist, and also the way she guarded her heart - from everyone. Thabiso was such a romantic, and while the way he went about winning Ledi wasn't the best, his heart was definitely in it.
I would have given five stars if it hadn't been for the fact that in the beginning of the story, there's a Swiss chef, Yves. And when he swore out loud, he did so in Swedish. I know there are people that mix up Switzerland and Sweden, but it really took me out of the story in a big way. So yeah, in Sweden, people speak Swedish, in Switzerland, there are four national languages, and none of them is Swedish.