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thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
3.5
I really loved Shanti in this book! She knows what she wants and is so driven. And wow, she has to put up with a LOT.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Grief
annerollins's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
martamae77's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Moderate: Colonisation
the_vegan_bookworm's review
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The book was cute, but I didn't love that so much of the plot was revealed in the synopsis. The last quarter of the book was very confusing and didn't outline Njaza's history clearly for me. In fact, the persistent mystery of what happened to the queens felt very low stakes and not engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Colonisation
ruthlessreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was so much fun! I will definitely keep reading the rest of this series.
Sanyu has recently inherited his title as King and must marry. His first wife has been chosen from a royal dating app. Shanti has always wanted to be a queen and her parents have supported her through every step of her journey. When the opportunity comes to marry the new King of Njaza, she jumps at the chance. However, she is surprised to find that, despite their strong immediate connection, Sanyu is both distant to her and to his people, ruling with an iron fist & relying on his advisors to do most of the work of ruling a kingdom. For his part, Sanyu was raised without love & is unsure of what to do with the emotion that bubbles up in his chest when he's with Shanti. Can Sanyu learn to open up before it's too late? Can he save his marriage and his country? And will Shanti achieve the dream she's been fighting for since childhood? Read the first book of the Reluctant Royals series to find out!
This book is perfect for fans of royal romances who want funny, fast-paced writing with great main AND side characters. Bonus: queerness & polyamorous couples are treated very matter of factly and without discrimination in this story. It was a breath of fresh air to see these things referenced in a cishet couple's romance without being bashed. I truly enjoyed this book & can't wait to read the rest.
Sanyu has recently inherited his title as King and must marry. His first wife has been chosen from a royal dating app. Shanti has always wanted to be a queen and her parents have supported her through every step of her journey. When the opportunity comes to marry the new King of Njaza, she jumps at the chance. However, she is surprised to find that, despite their strong immediate connection, Sanyu is both distant to her and to his people, ruling with an iron fist & relying on his advisors to do most of the work of ruling a kingdom. For his part, Sanyu was raised without love & is unsure of what to do with the emotion that bubbles up in his chest when he's with Shanti. Can Sanyu learn to open up before it's too late? Can he save his marriage and his country? And will Shanti achieve the dream she's been fighting for since childhood? Read the first book of the Reluctant Royals series to find out!
This book is perfect for fans of royal romances who want funny, fast-paced writing with great main AND side characters. Bonus: queerness & polyamorous couples are treated very matter of factly and without discrimination in this story. It was a breath of fresh air to see these things referenced in a cishet couple's romance without being bashed. I truly enjoyed this book & can't wait to read the rest.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Violence and War
keatynbergsten's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this well enough but didn't love it the way I expected to based on the recommendations I had gotten. Overall a fun read but I just couldn't get super invested in the love story and felt like it was lacking something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual content
paolina's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I didn't enjoy this book as much as Alyssa Cole's other books, but still a solid novel. If you like your romances with a hearty dose of social critique, her books are for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Grief
graceemc's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A sweet but predictable sub-plot. Sex scenes could use a little more creativity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved Shanti as a character. She seemed very cold when she made her debut in A Princess in Theory and when she showed up again in A Prince on Paper. I'm glad that she got so much more fleshed out here. She's a badass! I was also really endeared to Sanyu. He reminded me of Chidi on The Good Place: he has so much undiagnosed anxiety, but I'm glad that he gets therapy in the end. So many characters in romance novels very seriously need therapy, not just romantic love, and I'm glad Alyssa Cole understands that!
As in previous books taking place in this world, the fictional African nations have same gender loving characters and it is a complete non-issue, and even celebrated. I loved the idea of triad marriages in this book. It is so healing to read these stories in which homophobia functionally doesn't exist in Africa (at least in the two countries we've visited through these series).
I don't really understand why this is being considered a separate series than the Reluctant Royals series, since so many of the characters in that series show up here. But I'm glad we readers get to spend more time in this world!
As in previous books taking place in this world, the fictional African nations have same gender loving characters and it is a complete non-issue, and even celebrated. I loved the idea of triad marriages in this book. It is so healing to read these stories in which homophobia functionally doesn't exist in Africa (at least in the two countries we've visited through these series).
I don't really understand why this is being considered a separate series than the Reluctant Royals series, since so many of the characters in that series show up here. But I'm glad we readers get to spend more time in this world!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, and Vomit
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