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A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals Mass Market Paperback – February 27, 2018
| Alyssa Cole (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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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!
- Print length384 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAvon
- Publication dateFebruary 27, 2018
- Dimensions4.19 x 0.96 x 6.63 inches
- ISBN-100062685546
- ISBN-13978-0062685544
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“A delightful and sexy take on love between a suave African prince and a nerdy epidemiology student.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))
“Attention-grabbing from page one, this first book in the Reluctant Royals series will absolutely warm your heart. A Princess in Theory is a delightful love story that introduces a princess — with attitude! — who readers will enjoy rooting for. Naledi is skeptical about modern royalty, but her ambition and tough demeanor shine. Cultural differences aside, this is a simple and heartfelt story to be savored.” (RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars- TOP PICK))
“a funny, fast-moving, smart-alecky romance... A PRINCESS IN THEORY is pure fun. It will have you laughing, cringing and hooked from the start!” (Romance Junkies)
“the best new romance I’ve read in a while...” (New York Times Book Review)
“This is a fun, fanciful romance perfect for readers dreaming of royal weddings.” (BookPage)
“In Cole’s world, royalty and romance go hand in hand with compassion, open-heartedness, and intelligence, as well as a clear-eyed sense of real-world politics. A Princess in Theory is a fairy tale, yes, but one consistently grounded in reality, which makes the happily-ever-after all the more satisfying.” (Entertainment Weekly)
“This book was a lot of fun, sexy, with a compelling story. I really enjoyed the romance as it developed between Ledi and Thabioso, both interesting characters together and as individuals. Lots of erotic tension and a deeply satisfying ending. Definitely dive into this one.” (Roxane Gay)
From the Back Cover
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?
About the Author
Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her contemporary rom-com A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018, and 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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Product details
- Publisher : Avon (February 27, 2018)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062685546
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062685544
- Item Weight : 9.5 ounces
- Dimensions : 4.19 x 0.96 x 6.63 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #265,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,648 in Multicultural Romances
- #17,728 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
- #36,170 in American Literature (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Alyssa Cole is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of romance and thrillers. Her debut thriller When No One Is Watching was the winner of the 2021 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Paperback Original and the Strand Critics Award for Best Debut. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and her contemporary royal romcom A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. Her books have received critical acclaim from the New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Shondaland, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.
Customer reviews
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Of course, this all backfires spectacularly…and actually there IS a fire, because Prince Thabiso is the worst waiter ever. Not that he can explain why he has no skills in this area. Undeterred by his knack for catastrophe and Naledi’s complete lack of interest in him, Prince Thabiso finds other ways to be in her immediate area of residency, and slowly but surely, he begins to win her over with his own charm. Except now he realizes he still hasn’t told her who he really is—and she’s going to be ticked when she finds out.
This is not a new storyline, and we all know what’s going to happen, but the way Alyssa Cole is able to tell the story, this trope feels fresh, new, and believable. The characters are multi-dimensional, smart, sexy, and human. If you’re looking at this book, you likely read romances—and I read a lot of them. I’m telling you: this was well-executed on many levels in terms of character, plot, dialogue, setting, and sizzle.
Okay enough gushing about Naledi, I really like her, its obvious. The leading man, Thabiso, is a sweetheart. There's obvious chemistry between the two early and often. The plot revolves around capitalistic greed hurting innocent people, lost royalty, and allowing yourself to find a place to belong. I won't delve into the plot too deeply because I don't wann ruin it, but it's a very fun read with some excellent characters.
Speaking of, Likotsi, Thabiso's dapper lesbian assistant/friend, really REALLY deserves her own book and her own happy ending. She's amazing.
Top reviews from other countries
What Naledi doesn't realise is that the emails aren't a scam, and when Prince Thabiso and his assistant, Likotsi, arrive in New York, an opportunity arises in which he can get to know Naledi while pretending to be a normal guy.
I sped through the first half of this novel, but from around the mid-point onwards it started to drag and I was surprised that it ended up taking me around three days to finish - three days isn't a huge amount of time by any means, but if a romance novel has me hooked I can usually power through it in a day and come out of it craving more.
There were plenty of things I enjoyed about A Princess in Theory. I loved reading a romance novel in which pretty much every lead character was a person of colour, it was so refreshing in a genre that I've found to be very white so far, and while the romance is, of course, the main focus, there's other stuff going on in this novel that's just as interesting. Personally I loved basically every scene Likotsi, who I met in Once Ghosted, Twice Shy, was in, and she's still my favourite. Especially because she still calls Thabiso out when he acts like a prat, despite the fact that he's her employer and the future king of her country.
You see, Thabiso was my biggest problem with this novel. If there's one thing I've discovered during my journey so far through the romance genre, it's that I really don't like the hidden identity trope. Get ready kids - it's time for another chat about consent!
So Thabiso poses as Jamal, a man who isn't a prince and doesn't have the weight of an entire country's future on his shoulders, and I can completely understand why he wants to see what Naledi thinks of him as a person, and not as the celebrity he is back home. As he starts to develop feelings for Naledi, he tries a few times to tell her who he really is. The problem is he doesn't try hard enough, because the first time he and Naledi have sex she still thinks he's a man called Jamal and she also doesn't know that he knows things about her past and her childhood that she's long forgotten.
I know some people probably don't find this a problem, and there are readers out there who will forgive Thabiso for how regretful he is (which is their right to do), but as far as I'm concerned, if you don't really know who you're having sex with, if you think they're someone else, then you haven't actually consented to have sex. You've consented to have sex with the person you think they are, and that's not the same thing at all. I'm sorry, but that really squicks me out and I think it's very poor behaviour on Thabiso's part that I can't look past. Especially when he knows that, because of her background in foster care, she already has trust issues.
I was pleased to see that the sex they had was always safe sex, though. It seems like a silly thing to be pleased about, but seeing someone using a condom in a romance novel just makes the safe and consensual sex advocate in me happy.
As well as that squicky consent issue, I did also feel like the novel as a whole wrapped up far too quickly and the 'villain' felt a little too over the top. Also, I don't know why Thabiso's mother was written in such a stereotypical horrible mother-in-law way. Can we just not with that trope? I'm so bored of it.
All that aside, this is a very fun book and I'm definitely interested in reading more from this series - if Likotsi's anything to go by, then I think this is the kind of series where I find the many side characters and couples who populate the following books are a lot more up my street than the princess and the prat.
In fact I think it is testament to just how much I was enjoying this book that I never even considered DNF-ing despite how long it took me to read.
This book was very well written. I enjoyed all the characters although it took me a while to warm up to Thabiso, both the leads had great character development and grew as people in their relationship. I found myself quickly becoming invested in the romantic relationship despite knowing full well how it was going to end.
In addition I thought some of the worldbuilding was really cool. Part of this novel takes place in the fictional country of Thesolo. I thought the religious and technological aspects of Thesolon culture really interesting to read about.
And since this is a romance novel I think I'd be wrong not to mention the sex scenes. I'm not heterosexual so M/F sex scenes aren't usually my thing but these were extremely good and I found myself getting hot and bothered a few times while reading.
My only criticism of this book is that the ending felt rushed. I understand that the romance plot is the main focus but it felt like very little time was given to resolving the plot points of Ledi's parents and the epidemic. I think this book would have benefited from giving a little more time to the resolution of these plots.
Overall this was a fun and well written romance novel which I would certainly recommend.
Content Warnings: Parental death, misogyny, serious illness, abuse (of a secondary character)
I really loved Ledi, she was such a fantastic MC. She's whip smart and doesn't take any nonsense. I'm so here for any book that has women in STEM, and that is intensified if it is a romance book or a POC lady and this is a black romance novel, so yes lot's of excitement about the representation.
The relationship between the two MCS both romantic and non romantic was really sweet and playful. They were always ribbing each other and even when they were upset with each other you could still tell they had feelings.
If you're worried about this being an arranged marriage, do not worry because like most arranged marriages there is no force involved and they are super sweet with each other.
Thabiso's assistant, whose name escapes me was a force of nature as well. She definitely made the book even more enjoyable. She wasn't just an assistant who would roll over and do whatever her boss said without argument. And she wasn't afraid to tell him he was being an idiot. She was also a lesbian and it was just casually mentioned without being made a big thing and I love that.
I really liked Cole's writing. It flowed really well and I didn't have any bored patches. I loved that she took the characters to Africa as well instead of just staying in New York. It would be so easy to just have it set in the US.
I cannot wait for the sequel but I'm also hesitant because the love interest is Scottish and we all know how I feel about inaccurate Scottish depictions, but I feel like she can do it.
Ledi is a great heroine - feisty, smart and independent. She isn't taking any nonsense from anyone, and she isn't letting her childhood in foster care hold her back. It has left its mark though - she's been let down so many times, she can't let defences down again. Thabiso is a nice foil to this - he doesn't realise how privileged and sheltered he is until he comes to find Ledi. And as the two of them get to know each other it's great to see him maturing and changing. The conflict is good and the resolution sees both characters made stronger by being together rather than weakened or diminished. My first Alyssa Cole, but I've already preordered the next in the series.
Just look at that amazing cover! The first time I saw it I admired the book. Then I read the blurb and I was panting with need. And then I read it and what started out as infatuation turned into love. I wish Thesolo was a real place in Africa because Ms. Cole made it so appealing that I’m sure I’d book a ticket for a visit. The details of the environments, characters, and even scientific work Naledi did were vivid and thorough, but not overwhelming. Perfect is how I’d describe it.
Naledi has pulled herself through a rough life to make a success of it. Her childhood in foster care has shaped her in a way that she is both determined to get and do what she needs for her career, yet hesitant to stand up for herself when it’s clear that she really needs to.
Prince Thabiso has a huge responsibility as the future king of Thesolo. He has pressure coming at him from every direction, but he’s been groomed for the role so he handles it well. I like that Nadeli teaches him with their experiences and that he’s willing to learn and grow through knowing her. His deception when he first meets her doesn’t sit well (with me or Naledi), but things had to happen the way they did to get the outcome. At least they both knew for certain that Naledi appreciated his true self rather than his princely title.
The chemistry between the two was incredibly beautiful. So were the relationships with the other characters in the story. I’m so glad that I read this book and look forward to reading book two and hopefully more, as soon as Ms. Cole releases them.













