A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole | Reluctant Royals #3 |
April 30th 2019 | Avon
Source: Bought
The Reluctant Royals series returns with a good girl searching for the life that’s not too big, and not too small, and the bad boy prince who might be just right for her…I was so beyond excited for A Prince on Paper but I am shocked as to how far it fell for me. I love the cover so much but there wasn't a lot going for it under that gorgeous cover. For one, I felt like Nya's characterization was all over the place and it was hard to get a feel for her. As someone who understood (to a certain degree) her abuse, I felt like there should have been some talk about unpacking and unlearning from her abuse. Nya should have gone to get therapy to help her better adapt to a world where she didn't have to face that level of abuse.
Nya Jerami fled Thesolo for the glitz and glamour of NYC but discovered that her Prince Charming only exists in her virtual dating games. When Nya returns home for a royal wedding, she accidentally finds herself up close and personal—in bed—with the real-life celebrity prince who she loves to hate.
For Johan von Braustein, the red-headed step-prince of Liechtienbourg, acting as paparazzi bait is a ruse that protects his brother—the heir to the throne—and his own heart. When a royal referendum threatens his brother’s future, a fake engagement is the perfect way to keep the cameras on him.
Nya and Johan both have good reasons to avoid love, but as desires are laid bare behind palace doors, they must decide if their fake romance will lead to a happily-ever-after.
I've rewritten this review so many times and I don't think I've found the right way to talk about why this just didn't work for me. It could be because the book is exceptionally long and doesn't need to be this long. There were so many moments I felt were unnecessary to the story. I also couldn't find myself loving the relationship between Nya and Johan. I don't know where this romance came from but I wasn't a fan. I wanted to mention that Nya is read as demisexual which is amazing. However, the word was never used on the page so it could also not be true of the character. I will say that I didn't like how Nya kept calling a penis an "eggplant emoji." This read as ridiculous and silly, to me, and I couldn't help but wonder why this was the case? Why can't you just have a grown woman call a penis a penis?
Anyways, I think that this book just wasn't for me. I'm eager to read more by Alyssa Cole either way!
Add your comment