A review by tyras_bookshelf
The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-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

I’m really here for anything Talia Hibbert so the following is very biased 😃

The store moves pretty slow in the beginning because the focus is mostly on the spice (and setting the tone of Cherry and Ruben’s relationship) but then the tension speeds up the plot in the last few chapters. 

Cherry and Ruben are swept up in a hasty fake engagement when their passions get the better of them. It’s an easy read and while I could have used more backstory and developing of Cherry (she’s perfect with no flaws or actual arc. Has utterly perfect dimples and charm and only a slight case of insecurity she quickly smooths over), I loved about this book what I love about all of Talia’s books. 

*spoilers* 

Utterly cute couple working through the strains of loving fiercely while truly trying to learn a person and fit them in your life. Ridiculously sexy and slightly lewd. A perfect folding in of characters with diverse backgrounds that doesn’t feel heavy handed but perfectly natural as if people with differences are also perfectly natural (because duh). 
An easy happy ending because her characters are precious and deserve all the happiness in the world. 

Ruben’s arc was the most flushed out. The man has major daddy issues and a complicated relationship to his title. He both wants nothing to do with the responsibility of the crown but also won’t renounce his claim as it’s connected deeply to his identity and his family. He carries so much pain about his birth and the role it’s played in fracturing his family’s image. But he also comes to separate his self-worth from anything that’s not actually about him and takes back control over his life. 

He’s reckless and has some baggage but his brother is an absolute ass-hole and abuser. I wish something more drastic had happened to him but it was satisfying to watch him lose control after lording his power over the other characters for so long. 

Cherry is funny and cunning, even if she shrinks herself and plays dumb as a weapon (had mixed feelings about it because it seemed unnecessary and minimized her in a way that didn’t actually feel powerful). We could have used a connection as to why that was her coping mechanism. Hibbert also could have taken the baking thread somewhere as she set it up like Cherry’s true passion in life only to do nothing else with it. Cherry, though wonderful and thoughtful, wasn’t written very thoroughly. 

This as an audio book is wild! The narrator is a guy which I thought you be weird and it was but not as bad as I thought. Ruben’s accent is terrible though 😂. 

This is from 2018 and Talia’s writing has improved in my opinion but I still ate this up and look forward to the other two in the series. 
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