I received this book for free from Avon in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole
Series: Reluctant Royals #3
Published by Avon on April 30th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance
Source: Avon
Goodreads
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…
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.
Idk how its possible but each book in this series has been as good as or better than the previous one and I am just truly in awe of Cole’s talent. I’ve been reading romance for a while now and I truly feel that Cole is changing the landscape of romance literature. Not only is A Prince on Paper unbelievably swoony and adorable, it also takes on really big and relevant things. It isn’t afraid to dissect racism and call out colonialism, we see fake news and propaganda make an appearance and we also see our MC deal with emotional and mental abuse from a parent.
When Nya’s father is arrested and sent to prison for attempting to poison Naledi, she can finally start living her life. She runs away to NYC to pursue her masters but life isn’t as glamorous as she expected. When she has to return to her homeland for her cousin’s wedding she is anxious about what people will say about her and afraid of having to be in close proximity of her abusive father.
Johan isn’t your average fuckboy. Whenever people think of Johan, they are really thinking of his persona Jo Jo and that’s just how he likes it. It allows the things he does away from the eye of the media more special and shields his sibling from unwanted attention. Johan may not really be interested in long term romance but that doesn’t stop him from proposing a fake engagement to Nya on a whim.
Sparks are already flying but when Johan and Nya spend so much time in close proximity to one another, sparks turn into something more. And boy is it a whole lot of fun watching their feelings deepen. There is something so soft about it because neither of them ever try to hide their feelings for each other from themselves. They both struggle with relationships but they’re also open with themselves and as open as possible with each other. ITS ALL VERY ADORABLE.
A Prince on Paper is a complex look at two characters who both come with a lot of baggage, figuring out what they want for themselves and also how to be happy together. Throw in some supportive friends, adorable siblings, quips about colonization and a major referendum and you’ve got a book that’s both well rounded with its characters but also very exciting and funny.
The Reluctant Royals series has been winning hearts since A Princess in Theory came out last year and it has been so much fun getting to see all these characters have their own stories but also see them through each others eyes. I cannot wait to see where Alyssa Cole takes us next!
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