A Princess in Theory book review

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Series: Reluctant Royals #1
Published by Avon on February 27, 2018
Pages: 360
Goodreads

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!

I have really delved deep into the romance genre over the last couple of months, and this one fell short. A Princess in Theory follows Naledi Smith as she finds herself in a relationship with Jamal, an adult who seems to have no experience with the real world. There was a lot of potential throughout this book but it just felt really predictable and unrealistic, which I sometimes appreciate but A Princess in Theory just wasn’t it.

Characters in A Princess in Theory

I wish I had connected more with the characters in A Princess in Theory but they seemed to be extremely predictable and two dimensional. Naledi for me had all the potential of being a great main character and she just fell short of so many tropes which cheapened her and the experience she was trying to portray. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t a massive fan of how hers and Jamal’s relationship started and the complete lack of development there. It would have been nice to have more of a redemption arc and have something to trigger the massive change, but unfortunately the characters all the way through felt a little false and I was hard pressed to empathise with their decisions.

The one redeeming factor was regarding some of the scenes together, there were some really great moments that shone through. The ones that stood out to me was when they took a trip to Naledi’s favourite place and Jamal setting himself on fire, both added unexpected depth to the characters as a whole. I also enjoyed reading about Jamal’s assistant and her love life, it was a refreshing change to the self-imposed drama.

Good and the Bad

So the main thing I struggled with throughout A Princess in Theory was the characters, but I did find the whole scenario a little more unrealistic. I wanted for there to be a moment where they both turned around and realised just how stupid it was. The naivety from both of them was sickening at times, and a little concerning. It was almost as though they had both forgotten the general principals of being human and living in the big city.

What I liked about this romance was the fact that it was an easy enough read, there was no major plot lines to follow, and the story flowed quite easily which made it a nice pick for the first month of the year. By the end I was rooting for the characters to sort themselves out and I wasn’t struggling as much with the tropes.

Recommendation

For me, I would recommend this one to someone who was looking for an easy read but not to expect too much. There are definitely frustrations all the way through this book and there is definitely moments that need a deep breath. I don’t think I will be carrying on with the series because it just doesn’t capture my attention enough. But overall, not the worst thing I’ve read.

Have you read A Princess in Theory? Or have you read any good romance stories? Let me know what they were in the comments!