JUNE 2021 - AudioFile
Karen Chilton narrates the story of an unconventional search for a princess with a happy and delightfully unexpected ending. Makeda Hicks wants nothing to do with princesses or fairy tales, despite family stories of her grandmother’s youthful fling with a prince. So when Beznaria Chetchevaliere suddenly appears, saying she is the long-lost heir to a small kingdom, the meeting does not go well. While it could have been easy for Chilton to turn the women into parodies, she gives them fully fleshed-out personalities and personal agency. The time the two spend together on their journey to Ibarania is arguably more important than the outcome of the princess test. Chilton is at her best when Makeda and Beznaria are simply being together, learning to communicate and building a relationship. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/05/2021
Leaving behind the angstier drama of How to Catch a Queen, Cole juggles the conventions of romantic comedy, fairy tale, and social satire in her heartwarming second Runaway Royals romance. When Makeda Hicks loses her job and her girlfriend in one day, it sends the insecure people pleaser into an emotional tailspin. So when quirky, scene-stealing investigator Beznaria “Bez” Chetchevaliere shows up hoping to discuss Makeda’s long-disputed royal roots—the stuff of Hicks family legend—the usually compliant Makeda finally flashes her claws. But with an overdue debt threatening the future of her family’s B&B, Makeda can’t refuse the bounty Bez offers in exchange for her traveling to the multicultural Mediterranean island nation of Ibarania as a potential heir to the throne. Mistaken identities, puns, and wordplay abound as the recalcitrance of Bez’s boss, “Lord Higginshoggins of Hogginshiggins, Director General of the World Federation of Monarchists,” lands the warring women on a two-week ocean voyage to Ibarania and requires them to play newlyweds for free passage. Though some abrupt emotional shifts may give readers whiplash, Cole convincingly demonstrates why fake relationships and forced proximity remain rom-com staples: on neutral ground, within clear boundaries they set together, guards fall, and chemistry takes flight. This is a charmer. Agent: Lucienne Diver, the Knight Agency. (June)
From the Publisher
Alyssa Cole is the newly coronated queen of contemporary royal romance! A Princess in Theory is delicious fun. It has everything anyone could ever want in a royal romance, including a smart, funny heroine; a sweetly sexy prince; swoon-worthy romance; and an epic happily-ever-after. Long live the queen!” — Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries
“The best new romance I’ve read in a while.” — New York Times Book Review on A Princess in Theory
“This book was a lot of fun, sexy, with a compelling story. I really enjoyed the romance as it developed between Ledi and Thabioso, both interesting characters together and as individuals. Lots of erotic tension and a deeply satisfying ending. Definitely dive into this one.” — Roxane Gay on A Princess in Theory
“In Cole’s world, royalty and romance go hand in hand with compassion, open-heartedness, and intelligence, as well as a clear-eyed sense of real-world politics. A Princess in Theory is a fairy tale, yes, but one consistently grounded in reality, which makes the happily-ever-after all the more satisfying.” — Entertainment Weekly
“Cole’s humorous and delightful romance is perfect for those looking for a fun read with a memorable cast of characters and neurodivergent representation, whether the reader is new to Cole’s work or an established fan.” — Library Journal
“Bitingly funny…Cole makes virtuoso use of the familiar rhythms of a romance arc. Joyful and absolutely perfect.” — New York Times
“Alyssa Cole is best known for her swoon-worthy romances.” — PopSugar
“If you like faux engagements, ultra steamy scenes, and an eventual happily-ever-after, this one’s for you.” — Oprahmag.com
"Neuro-divergent nerds…are a highlight of this treat of a story.” — Washington Post (Best Romances of 2019)
“Cole includes just the right amount of sass, sex, and heart to satisfy romance readers.” — Publishers Weekly
“Alyssa Cole has rightfully garnered acclaim from all corners for the impeccable construction and emotional complexity of her romance novels. But her new novel, A Duke by Default, underscored something about her writing that I think deserves to be celebrated just as much—how joyfully and unrepentantly nerdy her work is.” — BookPage
“Cole explores sexual and gender identities, grief, self-respect, acceptance, and love in this faultless romance. She weaves family drama and emotional growth into a passion-filled story worthy of its irresistibly complicated (and diverse) characters. This affair of the heart is deeply satisfying.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An impressive ending to a series featuring an international cast of complex, multicultural characters balancing their royal responsibilities with their modern lives and loves.” — Booklist (starred review)
Meg Cabot
Alyssa Cole is the newly coronated queen of contemporary royal romance! A Princess in Theory is delicious fun. It has everything anyone could ever want in a royal romance, including a smart, funny heroine; a sweetly sexy prince; swoon-worthy romance; and an epic happily-ever-after. Long live the queen!
Washington Post (Best Romances of 2019)
"Neuro-divergent nerds…are a highlight of this treat of a story.
Oprahmag.com
If you like faux engagements, ultra steamy scenes, and an eventual happily-ever-after, this one’s for you.
PopSugar
Alyssa Cole is best known for her swoon-worthy romances.”
Roxane Gay on A Princess in Theory
This book was a lot of fun, sexy, with a compelling story. I really enjoyed the romance as it developed between Ledi and Thabioso, both interesting characters together and as individuals. Lots of erotic tension and a deeply satisfying ending. Definitely dive into this one.
New York Times Book Review on A Princess in Theory
The best new romance I’ve read in a while.
Entertainment Weekly
In Cole’s world, royalty and romance go hand in hand with compassion, open-heartedness, and intelligence, as well as a clear-eyed sense of real-world politics. A Princess in Theory is a fairy tale, yes, but one consistently grounded in reality, which makes the happily-ever-after all the more satisfying.
New York Times
Bitingly funny…Cole makes virtuoso use of the familiar rhythms of a romance arc. Joyful and absolutely perfect.
null PopSugar
Alyssa Cole is best known for her swoon-worthy romances.”
null New York Times Book Review on A Princess in Theory
The best new romance I’ve read in a while.
Roxane Gay
This book was a lot of fun, sexy, with a compelling story. I really enjoyed the romance as it developed between Ledi and Thabioso, both interesting characters together and as individuals. Lots of erotic tension and a deeply satisfying ending. Definitely dive into this one.
Booklist (starred review)
An impressive ending to a series featuring an international cast of complex, multicultural characters balancing their royal responsibilities with their modern lives and loves.
BookPage
Alyssa Cole has rightfully garnered acclaim from all corners for the impeccable construction and emotional complexity of her romance novels. But her new novel, A Duke by Default, underscored something about her writing that I think deserves to be celebrated just as much—how joyfully and unrepentantly nerdy her work is.
New York Times Book Review
the best new romance I’ve read in a while...
Library Journal
04/16/2021
For her whole life, Makeda Hicks has heard that she's the descendant of the infamous pirate queen of Ibarania, but she has no interest in being a princess. Beznaria Chetchevaliere, a neurodivergent junior investigator from the World Federation of Monarchists, wants to restore her family's lost honor; her grandmother was guarding Queen Aazi when the royal disappeared. Makeda and Beznaria find themselves at odds in this contemporary queer retelling of the life of Anastasia, the Romanov princess. Makeda has just lost her job, she owes money on a loan she cosigned with an ex, and her grandmother is in danger of losing her bed-and-breakfast. If Makeda were proven to be the lost heir to Ibarania's throne, the accompanying royal riches would solve a lot of problems, but she has seen how her mother was destroyed by her own dreams of being royal. Makeda reluctantly agrees to accompany Beznaria to Ibarania, but privately vows she'll never take the throne. The story features a fake marriage, abrasive but lovable matriarchs, and a two-week ocean crossing on a cargo ship. This is the second book in the "Runaway Royals" series (after How To Catch a Queen), but it can be read as a standalone. VERDICT Cole's humorous and delightful romance is perfect for those looking for a fun read with a memorable cast of characters and neurodivergent representation, whether the reader is new to Cole's work or an established fan.—Claudia Berger, New York, NY
JUNE 2021 - AudioFile
Karen Chilton narrates the story of an unconventional search for a princess with a happy and delightfully unexpected ending. Makeda Hicks wants nothing to do with princesses or fairy tales, despite family stories of her grandmother’s youthful fling with a prince. So when Beznaria Chetchevaliere suddenly appears, saying she is the long-lost heir to a small kingdom, the meeting does not go well. While it could have been easy for Chilton to turn the women into parodies, she gives them fully fleshed-out personalities and personal agency. The time the two spend together on their journey to Ibarania is arguably more important than the outcome of the princess test. Chilton is at her best when Makeda and Beznaria are simply being together, learning to communicate and building a relationship. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-04-14
The tale of Anastasia Romanov receives a fresh retelling in this queer love story between a potential princess and the investigator who must unearth the truth of her identity.
Makeda Hicks’ life arguably couldn’t get any worse. Not only has she lost her job, but her longtime girlfriend has also just dumped her. Moving in with her grandmother and helping out at their family-owned bed-and-breakfast might be just what she needs to reset her life—until an investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies comes knocking. Beznaria Chetchevaliere has made it her personal mission to seek out the long-lost heir to the Ibaranian throne, and she thinks Makeda is the one she’s been searching for—only Makeda’s unconvinced, until she realizes accepting her possible birthright could have a financial benefit that would save her grandmother from going into debt. A long, closed-quarters journey on the high seas ensues, with everything from the improvisation of a fake marriage to the promise of only one bed for Makeda and Bez to share, and over the course of their trip, the two women come to the realization that they want their future to be together even if responsibility demands they stay apart. Cole's characters are delightful, and her prose brims with humor and sexy, romantic tension. Though the ending feels a bit abrupt, readers looking for another delightful romance from Cole will be well served by this charming tale.
An effervescent queer romance that challenges the institutions of monarchy and marriage.
