A Princess in Theory

(4.5 stars, probably, rounding up.) Loved this one! Love Ledi and Likotsi so much - I know the next book in the series is about Portia, but I hope there's a way in the future to go back to Likotsi's story, because I need her to get a happy ending so much. This book had a whole lot going on, what with the secret-prince and the bizarre epidemic and the evil uncle poisoning everyone but it mostly came together really well. The villain's motives and how they played into why Ledi and her parents fled weren't all that satisfying to me, honestly, but I wasn't reading this for that stuff. I was reading for Ledi and her discovery of her family and heritage, and her learning how to let people in after being hurt so many times in foster care. And also because I pictured Thabiso in my head as M'Baku from Black Panther. This is a wonderful romance novel that was like a breath of fresh air - I've loved everything I've read by Alyssa Cole, and oops, I just bought the second book in this series. And preordered the third.

Romance is a genre I tend to skip over but this book had gotten very positive reviews and honestly I needed something a little fluffy so I gave it a shot! 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.