A review by nmcannon
How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

Alyssa Cole is a legend in the modern romance genre for good reason. Once Ghosted, Twice Shy is a stellar dapper butch/high femme novella, and I was very eager to see Cole’s second sapphic foray. How to Find a Princess is in a newer, sister series to the Relectuant Royals one, and can be read without knowledge of the Relectuant Royals or Runaway Royals book preceding it.

Makeda Hicks lives with both feet squarely on the ground and a minimum of two back up plans on how to pull herself up if she falls down. She doesn’t believe any hogwash touted by her grandmother and mother about being a lost princess from Ibarania. She especially doesn’t believe it when a (sexy) World Federation of Monarchies investigator shows up. With her tantalizing, helpful chaos, Beznaria Chetchevaliere encourages Makeda to shoot her shot on a television show centering the search for the country’s lost royal family. Makeda’s grandmother’s bank account finally convinces Makeda to attend, but the real journey is arriving to Ibarania…on a cargo ship…as Bez’s wife???

According to what I’ve seen in other reviews, How to Find a Princess is loosely based, or was marketed as based, on the 1997 animated Anastasia film. After reading the book, my thoughts are “sort of kind of not really.” Rasputin is nonexistent, Makeda is hardly an orphan without a past, and Bez isn’t a con artist. We do have a search for royal family members and the bulk of the story is spent on the journey to Ibarania, especially Makeda’s beachy hometown and the cargo ship. Where the story really shines is the take down of the “helpful caretaker” trope. Both Bez and Mekeda struggle to not help others. Their problem-solving abilities get stuck in thinking that they know best, that they can do things on their own, and that they must orient their identity around being “helpful.” Again and again, other characters don’t ask for help, our duo bulldoze their way into others’ problems, and the results are mixed at best. Their caretaking is more about them feeling needed and taking control in a chaotic world. Needless to say, I felt called out, haha. I try not to anymore, but I’m human and backslide. Everyone deserves the freedom to try, and the freedom to fail. Including Makeda and Bez! 

Another interesting note is how Cole may be totally done with the very concept of monarchy. Granted, my Cole TBR remains long–I’ve only read A Princess in Theory and Once Ghosted–but How to Find a Princess’s tone seemed much more cynical, with a side-order of wacky hijinks. Sure, rulers Naledi and Thabiso acknowledged that monarchy, as an institution, is an easily corruptible waste of money, but that novel focused on how modern monarchs can be a force for good and encourage a democratic replacement. Ibarania overthrew its monarchy two generations ago, and there aren’t major grievances mentioned in the text. The TV show is a big PR stunt to boost the tourism industry. Yet from the narration to the characters, everyone seems totally exasperated and super done with the whole kit and kaboodle. The book’s villain is a ‘tache-twirling monarchist. I don’t want to live under a monarchy in real life, but something about the negativity seemed extreme to me. After seven books, perhaps Cole no longer finds the royal trope as compelling and is ready to move on to other ideas.

 Overall, How to Find a Princess reminded me why I love Alyssa Cole’s work. If you’re in the mood for sapphic romance and a superb caretaker trope study, pick up a copy!

My review of Once Ghosted, Twice Shy: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/eab8d4cd-5916-4960-9d99-720407948255