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A review by mastersal
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
3.0
This was a very cute story. The premise of the book caught my eye when this book came out last year - our heroine gets these emails about her bethroal to an African prince which turns out to be more than spam. That was enough for me to pick this - about a year later.
The heroine was wonderful and it was great to she her work in a STEM field. She was good looking, brainy and hardworking but managed to avoid becoming a sainty cliches. Her issues were understandable and real at the same time.
Our princely hero, was cute but not as real. He starts this book being a little spoilt (but not too much) and learns to love and recognise his privelage. He is very much patterned after Eddie Murphy character in Coming to America before going off the rails slightly in the second half of the novel.
In fact, the first half of this book very much reminded me of the movie but updated from the 80s setting. It was pretty great with the lie between them not really being too much of an issue. The second half of the book was a little too serious too fast.
The book was a little too long to keep the pace, with the second half exploring the fictional African country which could have been Wakanda without vibranium or alien armies and a half-silly plague plot. I think it was meant to give the book a little more depth and angst that the 1st half didn't but the lack of time spent in this fantasy environment made the scene setting a little thin.
None the less there is much to like in the book. I like the lead couple and the time they spent together. Their interactions felt guiniune. The Prince's assistant was also a hoot and I think I'd read the novella which she stars in.
All in all a light read which is a little uneven near the end but nothign particulaly annoying or off putting here. I'll likely continue with the series.
The heroine was wonderful and it was great to she her work in a STEM field. She was good looking, brainy and hardworking but managed to avoid becoming a sainty cliches. Her issues were understandable and real at the same time.
Our princely hero, was cute but not as real. He starts this book being a little spoilt (but not too much) and learns to love and recognise his privelage. He is very much patterned after Eddie Murphy character in Coming to America before going off the rails slightly in the second half of the novel.
In fact, the first half of this book very much reminded me of the movie but updated from the 80s setting. It was pretty great with the lie between them not really being too much of an issue. The second half of the book was a little too serious too fast.
The book was a little too long to keep the pace, with the second half exploring the fictional African country which could have been Wakanda without vibranium or alien armies and a half-silly plague plot. I think it was meant to give the book a little more depth and angst that the 1st half didn't but the lack of time spent in this fantasy environment made the scene setting a little thin.
None the less there is much to like in the book. I like the lead couple and the time they spent together. Their interactions felt guiniune. The Prince's assistant was also a hoot and I think I'd read the novella which she stars in.
All in all a light read which is a little uneven near the end but nothign particulaly annoying or off putting here. I'll likely continue with the series.