A Prince on Paper - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

A Prince on Paper (Reluctant Royals #3)

by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:

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.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

I loved the first two books and the novellas in this series, but somehow it took me ages to pick up this book.

And it turns out I really should have picked it up sooner, because this is such a delicious book.

I loved both Nya and Johan from the start. Nya has been sheltered in a bad way all her life, so she has trouble with opening up to others, while Johan is used to playing the bad boy prince to protect both his heart and the people he cares about.

I rooted for both of them to open up to each other, as they were such a perfect fit. The tension between them was so good. I kept reading to get to the satisfying conclusion of this romance.

If there's one thing I can say against this book it's that I had some trouble with the name of one of the minor characters: Arschlocher... Yeah... Anyone remotely familiar with the German language will probably raise an eyebrow at that name. How much more obvious do you want the name of an @hole to be? I wondered if his first name was Zak.

That aside I had lots of fun with this book, and I'll most definitely get my hands on the first book of the spin-off series Runaway Royals.

Why should you read it:

It's a delicious and very enjoyable Romantic read.

buy from Amazon

The A.I. Who Loved Me - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

The A.I. Who Loved Me
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
Trinity Jordan leads a quiet, normal life: working from home for the Hive, a multifunctional government research center, and recovering from the incident that sent her into a tailspin. But the life she’s trying to rebuild is plagued by mishaps when Li Wei, her neighbor’s super sexy and super strange nephew, moves in and turns things upside down.

Li Wei’s behavior is downright odd—and the attraction building between them is even more so. When an emergency pulls his aunt away from the apartment complex, Trinity decides to keep an eye on him...and slowly discovers that nothing is what it seems. For one thing, Li Wei isn’t just the hot guy next door—he’s the hot A.I. next door. In fact, he’s so advanced that he blurs the line between man and machine.

It’s up to Trinity to help him achieve his objective of learning to be human, but danger is mounting as they figure out whether he’s capable of the most illogical human behavior of all...

falling in love.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I love all the books I've read by Alyssa Cole so far, so when I saw this book mentioned online, I grabbed it immediately.

And this is such a fun read!

It starts out as what seems to be a simple and cute romance: girl meets cute neighbor, but there's something strange about him. The title pretty much gives way what might be strange about him, so I didn't expect any surprises. There were small mentions of things that made me wonder if something else was going on though...

Once these two get together, soon things escalate and I was surprised by a whole extra layer to this story I hadn't expected. I was totally hooked and had to keep reading if Trinity and Li Wei will get a Happily Ever After.

All in all a fun, sweet, and thrilling romance.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable and twisty Romance.


buy from amazon

Can't Escape Love - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

Can't Escape Love (Reluctant Royals #3.5)
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
Regina Hobbs is nerdy by nature, businesswoman by nurture. She's finally taking her pop culture-centered media enterprise, Girls with Glasses, to the next level, but the stress is forcing her to face a familiar supervillain: insomnia. The only thing that helps her sleep when things get this bad is the deep, soothing voice of puzzle-obsessed live streamer Gustave Nguyen. The problem? His archive has been deleted.

Gus has been tasked with creating an escape room themed around a romance anime…except he knows nothing about romance or anime. Then mega-nerd and anime expert Reggie comes calling, and they make a trade: his voice for her knowledge. But when their online friendship has IRL chemistry, will they be able to escape love?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I love the Reluctant Royals series. Reggie is a minor character in the other books and I really liked her, so a novella where she is the heroine: Bring it on!

And this novella is awesome! Reggie and Gus are both deliciously nerdy and geeky, although both in different ways. Together they're super cute, and sparks of attraction are flying everywhere. Reggie had build quite the armor around herself however, and it's up to Gus to convince her he's serious about her, and up to her to see if she can let him in.

Once I started reading I was hooked and I finished this novella in one sitting. If I can say one thing against this story it's that I wanted it to be novel sized, because I wanted so much more of this couple and of this sweet and satisfying romance.

You bet I'll be impatiently waiting for the release of the next Reluctant Royals book!

Why should you read it:
It's a sweet and delicious romance


buy from Amazon

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy - Book Review by Olivia

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals #2.5)
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she’s determined to rediscover her joy—so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart.

When Likotsi and Fabiola meet again on a stalled subway train months later, Fab asks for just one cup of tea. Likotsi, hoping to know why she was unceremoniously dumped, agrees. Tea and food soon leads to them exploring the city together, and their past, with Fab slowly revealing why she let Likotsi go, and both of them wondering if they can turn this second chance into a happily ever after.

What did Olivia think of it:
We loved the first two books in the Reluctant Royals series, so I had to get my trotters on this novella about Likotsi.

And this is a beautiful and sweet story about second chances.

The story is told switching between the present and the past. Slowly we learn about the passionate few days Likotsi and Fabiola shared in the past, what drove them apart, and how they try to discover if they can fix the broken pieces.

I already loved Likotsi after reading A Princess in Theory and I soon fell for Fabiola as well. I could understand the hurt Likotsi felt, but learning more about Fabiola I could also understand why Fabiola ghosted Likotsi as she did. I rooted for the both of them to find the way back to each other and to be able to build a future together.

All in all this is a lovely and sweet novella. I read it as an ebook, but must most certainly get hold of a print copy to add it to our collection.

Why should you read it:
It's a sweet second chance romance



buy from amazon

A Duke by Default - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

A Duke by Default (Reluctant Royals #2)
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
Award-winning author Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series continues with a woman on a quest to be the heroine of her own story and the duke in shining armor she rescues along the way

New York City socialite and perpetual hot mess Portia Hobbs is tired of disappointing her family, friends, and—most importantly—herself. An apprenticeship with a struggling swordmaker in Scotland is a chance to use her expertise and discover what she’s capable of. Turns out she excels at aggravating her gruff silver fox boss…when she’s not having inappropriate fantasies about his sexy Scottish burr.

Tavish McKenzie doesn’t need a rich, spoiled American telling him how to run his armory…even if she is infuriatingly good at it. Tav tries to rebuff his apprentice, and his attraction to her, but when Portia accidentally discovers that he’s the secret son of a duke, rough-around-the-edges Tav becomes her newest makeover project.

Forging metal into weapons and armor is one thing, but when desire burns out of control and the media spotlight gets too hot to bear, can a commoner turned duke and his posh apprentice find lasting love?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I had such a great time with A Princess in Theory, I just had to have this book as well. And then Jeffe even got me a signed copy!!!

And this book is just as fun as the first book in the series.

I really liked Portia. She feels like a failure, and it was easy to see how wrong she was, but why she didn't see it herself. Tav was a very interesting hero as well, even though Portia and he himself think he is old while he is totally not.

The romance is slow burn, there's immediate attraction, but both have their reasons not to give into temptation. I loved reading about their growth as individual persons, friends, and as a couple. This book is fun, emotional, and delicious.

Characters from the previous book have small roles and it was nice to get a glimpse of what they're up to. During the book I was starting to get an idea about the possible couple of the next book, and there was a teaser in the back of the book that confirmed my hopes.

All in all a very enjoyable read. I'm going to get my hands on the third book for sure!

Why should you read it:
It's a fun, enjoyable, and adorable Contemporary Romance



Buy from bookdepository

Let It Shine - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

Let It Shine
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
**Let It Shine originally appeared in The Brightest Day: A Juneteenth Historical Romance Anthology. This version features the original story, as well as a bonus short story, No Valley Low.***

Sofronia Wallis knows that proper Black women don’t court trouble by upending the status quo, but it’s 1961 and the Civil Rights movement is in full swing. Sofie’s spent half her life being prim, proper, and reserved—as if that could bring her mother back—but the nonviolent protests happening across the South bring out her inner agitator.

Ivan Friedman has devoted his life to boxing, loving the finesse of a well-delivered punch and the penance of receiving one. His family escaped from Europe before the horrors of WWII, and Ivan decides to help fight injustice in their new country, even if it goes against all his instincts as a fighter.

When Ivan and Sofie meet, they realize that their pasts are intertwined and—with the sparks that fly between them—perhaps their futures will be too. With everything in their society lined up against them, will Sofie and Ivan be able to beat the odds? Or will their chance at love be destroyed by the tumultuous times they live in?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I loved A Princess in Theory and picked this novella up because I was curious about other books by Alyssa Cole.

And this is a beautiful and emotional story.

I will confess that Sofie's struggles to fight for what she believes in made more of an impact on me than the romance. I loved to see her shake off the corset of restrictions she put on herself after her mother's death and to see her stand tall and take on an unjust world with courage and strength. The way she grows in this novella and learns to stand up for herself and her beliefs had me cheering her on, and blinking back tears at times.

I have of course heard about the Civil Rights movement and the violence the peaceful protesters had to endure, but reading about those things in dry history books is very different than encountering them in a story like this, and feel the emotions.

The romance was really good as well. Sofie and Ivan have a shared history and know a shared future will be difficult, but there's an attraction between them that cannot be denied. I loved how they gravitate towards each other, knowing they won't have it easy, but still wanting to give it a try.

All in all I loved this novella and I will most certainly read more by Alyssa Cole in the future.

Why should you read it:
It's an emotional Historical Romance


Buy from Amazon

A Princess in Theory - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals #1)
by Alyssa Cole

What is it about:
Between grad school and multiple jobs, Naledi Smith doesn’t have time for fairy tales…or patience for the constant e-mails claiming she’s betrothed to an African prince. Sure. Right. Delete! As a former foster kid, she’s learned that the only things she can depend on are herself and the scientific method, and a silly e-mail won’t convince her otherwise.

Prince Thabiso is the sole heir to the throne of Thesolo, shouldering the hopes of his parents and his people. At the top of their list? His marriage. Ever dutiful, he tracks down his missing betrothed. When Naledi mistakes the prince for a pauper, Thabiso can’t resist the chance to experience life—and love—without the burden of his crown.

The chemistry between them is instant and irresistible, and flirty friendship quickly evolves into passionate nights. But when the truth is revealed, can a princess in theory become a princess ever after?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
In my search for fun Contemporary Romances this cover drew my eye, and the blurb sounded too good to resist.

And this is indeed a very fun Contemporary Romance.

I really liked Naledi and could only too well understand why she deletes the emails telling her she's engaged to an African prince. Then Thabiso shows up at the restaurant where she works part-time and she mistakes him for the new waiter.

Thabiso is a really great guy, but he is bad at handling life and love. His attempts to get to know Naledi and to tell her who he is are terrible, but also adorable. I could understand why Naledi, who's usually very guarded, opens up for him. I had a great time reading how the two of them fell in love.

Some of the things happening in this book where predictable of course, but I didn't mind. I was having fun with this book, and that can be more important than originality.

The one thing that didn't work for me was a storyline near the end of the book that was a bit out there in my opinion. Again it was easy to see what was going on, but at the same time it felt unbelievable. That aside though, I very much enjoyed this romance and will see what other books Alyssa Cole has written.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and enjoyable Contemporary Romance.


Buy from bookdepository