Review also posted to my blog.


content warnings: microaggressions, loss of parents, excessive drinking, portrayal of lethal diseases
representation: black main and side characters, black lesbian side character, disabled side character


“Everybody wants something from you, but sometimes there’s a person you want to give to. Sometimes what you give them makes you better for having given it. And it makes having to give to everyone else not so bad.”


This was absolutely delightful and I can’t believe it took me so long to read!

A Princess in Theory is about Ledi, an overworked grad student who keeps getting these weird emails saying that she’s betrothed to an African prince. She’s not an idiot so she ignores them, until one day she’s in a terrible mood and basically tells them to fuck off. Well, turns out there really is an African prince who is really betrothed to her and he’s decided to meet her in person. Only she mistakes him as a new coworker and he decides to go along with it.

The second that Thabiso started to pretend to be Jamal, I expected the entire book to come crashing down, but it actually worked. I think a big part of that is that the book never tries to convince you that what Thabiso is doing is right; his assistant, Likotsi, spends the entire book telling him that he’s a piece of shit for lying to her, and when Ledi finds out she’s never treated like a bitch for not trusting him. Thabiso has to work to earn back her trust and he’s never anything but apologetic for what he did.

Moving on, this is just such a cute romance. Ledi and Thabiso have fantastic chemistry with each other and I loved the culture clash. Both are at different points fish out of water and seeing the other one playfully making fun of them while also helping them was so cute. The sex scenes were also A+++.

I want to talk about Ledi for a second because she’s one of my new favourite romance protagonists. She’s a grad student trying to become a scientist (I’m the Worst and don’t remember what her field is called, but she’s basically trying to prevent diseases) and she also works at a restaurant on campus. She grew up in the system and is a black woman in STEM, and these experiences are never diminished over the course of the book. They’re a fundamental part of who she is and even as the romance really gets going the book never loses sight of that.

Her complicated relationship with her best friend Portia was also fantastic. They love each other, but because of Ledi’s childhood she finds it really hard to trust people and let them in, and Portia has a drinking problem that makes her a terrible friend sometimes. I loved that the faults in their friendship wasn’t one-sided and that by the end of the book their both vowing to do better.

Something that you don’t see in romance books very often is a vibrant setting, and this has that in spades. Thesolo, the country Thabiso is going to rule, is described in such gorgeous detail, and I loved the little intricacies added about their landscape and culture. Honestly, those descriptions are a massive reason why I would love to see this adapted into a movie.

If you’re looking for a cute, funny, diverse romance then look no further than this book! I’m so glad that I already have the sequel to continue the series.