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A Princess in Theory: Reluctant Royals Mass Market Paperback – February 27, 2018

by Alyssa Cole (Author)

4.2 1,739 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Reluctant Royals

Editors' pick Best Romance

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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!

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Alyssa Cole is the newly coronated queen of contemporary royal romance! A Princess in Theory is delicious fun... a smart, funny heroine; a sweetly sexy prince; swoon-worthy romance; and an epic happily-ever-after. Long live the queen!” — Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries

“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?

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 6.62 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #797,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,171 in Multicultural & Interracial Romance (Books)
- #20,222 in Romantic Comedy (Books)
- #92,375 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 1,739 ratings

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Alyssa Cole

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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.

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Perfect, Heady Romance

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

Shockingly, Alyssa Cole is a new-to-me author, but now that I've read this book I can assure you that she's been bumped to the top of my auto-buy list. I already know I'll devour anything she writes.
As for "A Princess in Theory"? I'm not even sure I have the words to list all of the things I adored about this story, but I'll try.

First, I loved Ledi's irresistible combination of genius and cool. Ms. Cole never minimizes how smart this woman is, but instead of taking the easy and common route of making that a negative, Cole deftly turns it into one of Ledi's many admirable qualities. What's more, she allows Ledi to own it. This character knows her worth. She has doubts and uncertainties by the boxload, but she also has boundaries, and she sticks to them. I loved her wryness, and her bravery, and her loyalty, and her vulnerability. I *died* of happiness every time she muttered, "This motherf*cker" under her breath. lol

Next, I especially loved that Ms. Cole gave this character a hero that was worthy of her. Thabiso is spoiled, yes - but he's not rotten. He appreciates the things that make Ledi unique, and time and time again he stands up and fights for her right to be herself. He also fights for *his* right to be himself, and the ways he does that take him far afield of a cookie-cutter prince and directly into the territory of a swoon-worthy man who might just save the world. These two are perfect for each other, and their chemistry is delectable.

Speaking of which, one of the things Ms. Cole does so expertly in this story is pace the relationship of Ledi and Biso. Each step they take manages to feel natural and logical - but also deliciously heady - all at the same time. The book is nice and long (and trust me when I say, you won't want it to end) and never feels too slow or too rushed. You'll care deeply about the characters, and be very invested in what happens to them. For a little while, you'll live happily in their world.

That's the magic this author works, and the thing we all love so much in a great romance. At this point, when I tell you I one-clicked the next book in the series (A Duke by Default) so fast I might've broken the sound barrier...you'll probably believe me. But before you laugh, know that you will definitely be doing the same thing.

One person found this helpful

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Gabby M

Fun, Sexy Read

Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2023

Verified Purchase

Romance is another genre I tend to skip over but this one had gotten very positive reviews and honestly I needed something a little fluffy! Naledi Smith is a grad student working hard towards her dreams of a career in epidemiology, with emphasis on the “work”, so she has no time at all for the scammy emails that have been showing up in her inbox proclaiming her the intended bride of an African prince. Ledi is an orphaned former foster kid, so being royalty isn’t even on her radar. She’s at her side waitressing gig after a day at the lab when she meets a man she assumes is Jamal, the trainee due to start that day. What she doesn’t know is that he’s actually Prince Thabiso, sole heir to the Kingdom of Thesolo, whose assistant has been sending her those emails after tracking her down online. Despite his absolutely terrible debut as food service staff, there’s a spark between the two which turns into a full-blown flame as he engineers his way into her life. The two were betrothed as toddlers, and while he means to explain, he’s thrilled to be meeting someone who has no idea who he is and growing an organic bond with her like a regular person. Complications of course ensue when she inevitably discovers the truth after the two have developed feelings for each other. Tropes abound: hidden royalty, destiny, break up/make up, even a makeover montage for Ledi. But they’re executed charmingly enough, and Ledi is a winning heroine: kind, smart, driven, and sex-positive. I appreciated that Alyssa Cole gave her a complex relationship with her best friend Portia that’s she’s negotiating alongside her relationship with Thabiso, which makes her feel much more well-rounded and like an actual person who might exist. There are definitely some underbaked elements in the narrative, but I was enjoying the ride it was taking me on enough that I didn’t much care.

One person found this helpful

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Richelle Robinson

Great Read!

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2018

Verified Purchase

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

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Top reviews from other countries

Maritza Ramos

Light Romantic Comedy

Reviewed in Mexico on March 26, 2024

Verified Purchase

This was nice, imaginative, a light novel which could easily turn into a Romantic Comedy Movie. The main characters are genuine, believable, and the story a modern Cinderella well-executed.

bwihighheels

A fabulous story of identity and second chances

Reviewed in Canada on January 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

There are so many things to love about this book. The heroine has had a rough start but keeps going by sheer grit. The hero is a bit of a prick but learns quickly and keeps learning. The explicit consent. The strong female friendship with its own growth arc. The banter and teasing. The fabulous supporting characters. The neat turns of phrase.
Even the deception (not normally my thing) is handled well as we clearly see Thabiso’s dilemma and how many times he tries and fails to tell the truth. I very much enjoyed reading this book and will be looking for more by this author