--- product_id: 57996837 title: "- A Princess in Theory: A Modern Cinderella Romance with an African Prince – First in the Reluctant Royals Series" price: "€ 16.60" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/57996837-a-princess-in-theory-a-modern-cinderella-romance-with-african store_origin: GR region: Greece --- # - A Princess in Theory: A Modern Cinderella Romance with an African Prince – First in the Reluctant Royals Series **Price:** € 16.60 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** - A Princess in Theory: A Modern Cinderella Romance with an African Prince – First in the Reluctant Royals Series - **How much does it cost?** € 16.60 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/57996837-a-princess-in-theory-a-modern-cinderella-romance-with-african) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description From acclaimed author Alyssa Cole comes the tale of a city Cinderella and her Prince Charming in disguise . . . 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? Selected as one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2018! Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this - The first thing that attracted me to this book was the gorgeous cover! A close second was the title. This is my first Alyssa Cole book, and let me just say wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. In this Cinderella-story, a case of mistaken identity thrusts a prince in a situation where he gets to live as a commoner while wooing the woman he’s destined (by royal and religious decree) to marry. This is a good thing because said woman, Naledi, has no knowledge of this betrothal. Though naturally caged, Naledi finds herself opening up to Thabiso and their attraction soon leads to some very steamy encounters. The romance between them is sweet and they each learn to step outside their comfort zones. From their affair in New York, the story takes us to Thesolo where we get to see Naledi as the princess she was always meant to be. I’ve always thought, of all the fairytales, Cinderella is the one you can’t really do a whole lot with. Ms Cole shakes this position with her story. I really liked the strong female characters and the general celebration of femininity in the story – particularly when they arrive in Thesolo. The secondary characters were well-rounded and added flavor to the story. I am thrilled to know that all those who made an impression on me get their own stories too! All of that said, I should mention that Thabiso’s cluelessness in some parts was a little odd for me especially since 1) he was already exposed to world outside the continent and 2) his country wasn’t some backward underdeveloped nation. That was a little too Coming To America-y for my liking. The other thing is purely me being critical as an African. There were one too many West African references for a country that’s nestled in the tail end of Southern Africa. I noticed them, because I’m West African; most readers would probably not notice. Overall, this is an excellent read whether you believe in fairytales or not. Highly recommended! Review: My feelings are a mess, just like this review - This is a story told in two parts - there's the Before and there's the After. Epidemiology-student-by-day waitress-by-night Naledi meets a gorgeous man who is the worst waiter she's ever had to train and who incidentally moves in across the hall from her. She's drawn to him in ways she doesn't fully understand and he gets past her defenses in ways she's never allowed with anyone else. Their courtship feels like a dream and Jamal seems too good to be true... So of course he is. Jamal turns out to be Thabiso, Prince of Thesolo and her long lost betrothed. He's traveled all the way to the States to find the girl chosen for him when they were children and taken from him by her traitorous parents not long after their childhood betrothal. The first half of the book is a boy-meets-girl "Coming to America"-esque romcom while the second half is a "Black Panther" meets "Princess Diaries" second chance romance. Personally, I much preferred the second half. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I love Ledi! She's brilliant and driven and has a love for science that consumes her. Being a woman in STEM, especially a Black woman, she has to work 10 times as hard as her white male colleagues to get half the respect and has to deal with constant microaggressions from her supervisor. She's out to save the world because of a drive inside her to do good and because it's what she believes is right. Ledi is a gem of a human being, but she's far from perfect, which makes her all the more compelling to read. Ledi's parents were killed in an accident when she was too young to remember much of them. She was orphaned and turned over to the state and spent her entire childhood moving from one home to the next. Because of her childhood spent being shuttled from foster family to foster family, Ledi (understandably) does not let people in easily and never asks for help because she has always had only herself to rely on. Even her friendships are arms length, relationships she understands are conditional - if she pushes too hard or asks for too much or stops "being useful," Ledi knows how easily people have always walked away from her. Ledi has had a life of never being chosen, of people constantly leaving her or sending her away so she never allows connections that "stick." Until Jamal. Something about him feels familiar to Ledi from the moment she meets him - he feels safe and profoundly dangerous to her all at once because she knows he could be the one who might actually stay. Which is where my problems start. Thabiso (aka "Jamal") is a liar. He meets Ledi and through a misunderstanding, takes the place of Jamal as a new hire at Ledi's second job as a waitress. Cute shenanigans ensue wherein this spoiled prince actually has to do manual labor for the first time in his life and he starts to realize how self-centered and pampered he's been. Of course, the night ends in literal flames (he's a TERRIBLE waiter) and Thabiso demeans both Ledi and her job out of a bruised ego. From there, instead of telling Ledi who he actually is (and who SHE is), the prince buys out her neighbor's apartment so he can move in across the hall from her, and spends the next 100 or so pages lying, stalking, taking advantage of this woman. At every turn, his assistant and best friend Likotsi tells Thabiso that what he's doing is reprehensible but he doesn't listen. Even when the grandparents that Ledi does't know exist fall ill back home, Thabiso STILL can't manage to tell Ledi the truth. We're meant to see that he WANTS to tell Ledi but he can't because he likes her so much and he's afraid he'll scare her away - well, tough! He sleeps with her under false pretenses while lying about his identity. That's about as scummy as it gets. The courtship between "Jamal" and Naledi would be cute and romantic (Ledi opens up bit by bit and slowly starts to trust her feelings for Jamal) if it weren't for all the lying. At one point, Thabiso and Likotsi refer to both their love interests in the States as their "American conquests" and that about sums up my feelings about the American portion of this book. Prince Thabiso cares more about getting what he wants than he does about telling Naledi the truth about who she is, where she came from, and the country and family she lost. Ledi is an orphan who cannot remember the only home or family she ever had because she was so young when she lost them and has spent her entire life facing rejection after rejection from families who couldn't manage to want her. Thabiso, upon finding out about the painful past lived by the woman he supposedly cares for, continues to withhold Ledi's true identity from her for the sake of "getting to know her" while making it impossible for her to know him. And, ya know, gets her into bed along the way. Everything finally comes to a head when Naledi finds out for herself who "Jamal" really is and is rightfully hurt and humiliated. Which leads us to the After. After Naledi finds out she's a princess, she and Thabiso come to an agreement about faking their engagement for the sake of Thesolo and Ledi's career (and her finally being able to meet what's left of her family) and the whole book changes. Everything is finally out in the open, Ledi knows who Prince Thabiso is, and more importantly she knows who she is. She travels to Thesolo to try and help fight the pandemic that has swept through her grandparents' village and try and save her grandparents in the process. I'm not a huge fan of the fake relationship trope, but seeing as how royals have arranged (loveless) engagements all the time, this one wasn't really all that fake. Naledi and Thabiso are truly engaged and have to deal with the realities of their engagement. I LOVED Ledi meeting her cousin Nya - finally seeing your face reflected in the face of a blood relative after years of being an orphan? Someone pass the tissues, please! Ledi learning all about her parents' homeland after a life spent as an American? PUT IT DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS. The kingdom of Thesolo is a magical, technologically advanced paradise and I WANT TO GO TO THERE. Everything wrong with Thabiso in the first half of the book is immediately fixed in the second half - he's remorseful and communicative, giving Ledi everything she needs including space. He doesn't make excuses for his bad behavior and repeats his apologies and reassurances to Ledi as many times as she needs in order to finally believe him and start to trust him again. He prioritizes LEDI'S wants and needs instead of his own and THAT is the Thabiso I wish we had met earlier in the book. Everything in the second half of the book moves a little too fast - big things are brought up so late in the game that I had to double check how many pages were left. Issues that get brought up are resolved pretty abruptly, almost like Alyssa Cole was in a rush to make a deadline and I found myself looking for missing chapters or an epilogue that wasn't there. Aside from my issues with the love interest in the first half of the book and my wish that the ending had been a bit more fleshed out, my love for the main character really made this book an enjoyable read. Ledi's journey from closed-off orphan to recovered princess, her reacquainting herself with her lost country and people, and her realization that she doesn't have to make herself small and useful in order to keep people from rejecting her kept me engaged the whole book even through my issues with the love interest and the rushed ending. I look forward to seeing more of Ledi (and her bestie) in the next book in the series. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #378,228 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #720 in Feel-Good Fiction #1,007 in LGBTQ+ Science Fiction & Fantasy (Books) #1,149 in City Life Fiction (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,770 Reviews | ## Images ![- A Princess in Theory: A Modern Cinderella Romance with an African Prince – First in the Reluctant Royals Series - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91a+Bq81o4L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I thoroughly enjoyed this *by A***A on March 6, 2019* The first thing that attracted me to this book was the gorgeous cover! A close second was the title. This is my first Alyssa Cole book, and let me just say wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this story. In this Cinderella-story, a case of mistaken identity thrusts a prince in a situation where he gets to live as a commoner while wooing the woman he’s destined (by royal and religious decree) to marry. This is a good thing because said woman, Naledi, has no knowledge of this betrothal. Though naturally caged, Naledi finds herself opening up to Thabiso and their attraction soon leads to some very steamy encounters. The romance between them is sweet and they each learn to step outside their comfort zones. From their affair in New York, the story takes us to Thesolo where we get to see Naledi as the princess she was always meant to be. I’ve always thought, of all the fairytales, Cinderella is the one you can’t really do a whole lot with. Ms Cole shakes this position with her story. I really liked the strong female characters and the general celebration of femininity in the story – particularly when they arrive in Thesolo. The secondary characters were well-rounded and added flavor to the story. I am thrilled to know that all those who made an impression on me get their own stories too! All of that said, I should mention that Thabiso’s cluelessness in some parts was a little odd for me especially since 1) he was already exposed to world outside the continent and 2) his country wasn’t some backward underdeveloped nation. That was a little too Coming To America-y for my liking. The other thing is purely me being critical as an African. There were one too many West African references for a country that’s nestled in the tail end of Southern Africa. I noticed them, because I’m West African; most readers would probably not notice. Overall, this is an excellent read whether you believe in fairytales or not. Highly recommended! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ My feelings are a mess, just like this review *by J***E on July 30, 2020* This is a story told in two parts - there's the Before and there's the After. Epidemiology-student-by-day waitress-by-night Naledi meets a gorgeous man who is the worst waiter she's ever had to train and who incidentally moves in across the hall from her. She's drawn to him in ways she doesn't fully understand and he gets past her defenses in ways she's never allowed with anyone else. Their courtship feels like a dream and Jamal seems too good to be true... So of course he is. Jamal turns out to be Thabiso, Prince of Thesolo and her long lost betrothed. He's traveled all the way to the States to find the girl chosen for him when they were children and taken from him by her traitorous parents not long after their childhood betrothal. The first half of the book is a boy-meets-girl "Coming to America"-esque romcom while the second half is a "Black Panther" meets "Princess Diaries" second chance romance. Personally, I much preferred the second half. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I love Ledi! She's brilliant and driven and has a love for science that consumes her. Being a woman in STEM, especially a Black woman, she has to work 10 times as hard as her white male colleagues to get half the respect and has to deal with constant microaggressions from her supervisor. She's out to save the world because of a drive inside her to do good and because it's what she believes is right. Ledi is a gem of a human being, but she's far from perfect, which makes her all the more compelling to read. Ledi's parents were killed in an accident when she was too young to remember much of them. She was orphaned and turned over to the state and spent her entire childhood moving from one home to the next. Because of her childhood spent being shuttled from foster family to foster family, Ledi (understandably) does not let people in easily and never asks for help because she has always had only herself to rely on. Even her friendships are arms length, relationships she understands are conditional - if she pushes too hard or asks for too much or stops "being useful," Ledi knows how easily people have always walked away from her. Ledi has had a life of never being chosen, of people constantly leaving her or sending her away so she never allows connections that "stick." Until Jamal. Something about him feels familiar to Ledi from the moment she meets him - he feels safe and profoundly dangerous to her all at once because she knows he could be the one who might actually stay. Which is where my problems start. Thabiso (aka "Jamal") is a liar. He meets Ledi and through a misunderstanding, takes the place of Jamal as a new hire at Ledi's second job as a waitress. Cute shenanigans ensue wherein this spoiled prince actually has to do manual labor for the first time in his life and he starts to realize how self-centered and pampered he's been. Of course, the night ends in literal flames (he's a TERRIBLE waiter) and Thabiso demeans both Ledi and her job out of a bruised ego. From there, instead of telling Ledi who he actually is (and who SHE is), the prince buys out her neighbor's apartment so he can move in across the hall from her, and spends the next 100 or so pages lying, stalking, taking advantage of this woman. At every turn, his assistant and best friend Likotsi tells Thabiso that what he's doing is reprehensible but he doesn't listen. Even when the grandparents that Ledi does't know exist fall ill back home, Thabiso STILL can't manage to tell Ledi the truth. We're meant to see that he WANTS to tell Ledi but he can't because he likes her so much and he's afraid he'll scare her away - well, tough! He sleeps with her under false pretenses while lying about his identity. That's about as scummy as it gets. The courtship between "Jamal" and Naledi would be cute and romantic (Ledi opens up bit by bit and slowly starts to trust her feelings for Jamal) if it weren't for all the lying. At one point, Thabiso and Likotsi refer to both their love interests in the States as their "American conquests" and that about sums up my feelings about the American portion of this book. Prince Thabiso cares more about getting what he wants than he does about telling Naledi the truth about who she is, where she came from, and the country and family she lost. Ledi is an orphan who cannot remember the only home or family she ever had because she was so young when she lost them and has spent her entire life facing rejection after rejection from families who couldn't manage to want her. Thabiso, upon finding out about the painful past lived by the woman he supposedly cares for, continues to withhold Ledi's true identity from her for the sake of "getting to know her" while making it impossible for her to know him. And, ya know, gets her into bed along the way. Everything finally comes to a head when Naledi finds out for herself who "Jamal" really is and is rightfully hurt and humiliated. Which leads us to the After. After Naledi finds out she's a princess, she and Thabiso come to an agreement about faking their engagement for the sake of Thesolo and Ledi's career (and her finally being able to meet what's left of her family) and the whole book changes. Everything is finally out in the open, Ledi knows who Prince Thabiso is, and more importantly she knows who she is. She travels to Thesolo to try and help fight the pandemic that has swept through her grandparents' village and try and save her grandparents in the process. I'm not a huge fan of the fake relationship trope, but seeing as how royals have arranged (loveless) engagements all the time, this one wasn't really all that fake. Naledi and Thabiso are truly engaged and have to deal with the realities of their engagement. I LOVED Ledi meeting her cousin Nya - finally seeing your face reflected in the face of a blood relative after years of being an orphan? Someone pass the tissues, please! Ledi learning all about her parents' homeland after a life spent as an American? PUT IT DIRECTLY INTO MY VEINS. The kingdom of Thesolo is a magical, technologically advanced paradise and I WANT TO GO TO THERE. Everything wrong with Thabiso in the first half of the book is immediately fixed in the second half - he's remorseful and communicative, giving Ledi everything she needs including space. He doesn't make excuses for his bad behavior and repeats his apologies and reassurances to Ledi as many times as she needs in order to finally believe him and start to trust him again. He prioritizes LEDI'S wants and needs instead of his own and THAT is the Thabiso I wish we had met earlier in the book. Everything in the second half of the book moves a little too fast - big things are brought up so late in the game that I had to double check how many pages were left. Issues that get brought up are resolved pretty abruptly, almost like Alyssa Cole was in a rush to make a deadline and I found myself looking for missing chapters or an epilogue that wasn't there. Aside from my issues with the love interest in the first half of the book and my wish that the ending had been a bit more fleshed out, my love for the main character really made this book an enjoyable read. Ledi's journey from closed-off orphan to recovered princess, her reacquainting herself with her lost country and people, and her realization that she doesn't have to make herself small and useful in order to keep people from rejecting her kept me engaged the whole book even through my issues with the love interest and the rushed ending. I look forward to seeing more of Ledi (and her bestie) in the next book in the series. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect, Heady Romance *by A***R on August 9, 2020* Shockingly, Alyssa Cole is a new-to-me author, but now that I've read this book I can assure you that she's been bumped to the top of my auto-buy list. I already know I'll devour anything she writes. As for "A Princess in Theory"? I'm not even sure I have the words to list all of the things I adored about this story, but I'll try. First, I loved Ledi's irresistible combination of genius and cool. Ms. Cole never minimizes how smart this woman is, but instead of taking the easy and common route of making that a negative, Cole deftly turns it into one of Ledi's many admirable qualities. What's more, she allows Ledi to own it. This character knows her worth. She has doubts and uncertainties by the boxload, but she also has boundaries, and she sticks to them. I loved her wryness, and her bravery, and her loyalty, and her vulnerability. I *died* of happiness every time she muttered, "This motherf*cker" under her breath. lol Next, I especially loved that Ms. Cole gave this character a hero that was worthy of her. Thabiso is spoiled, yes - but he's not rotten. He appreciates the things that make Ledi unique, and time and time again he stands up and fights for her right to be herself. He also fights for *his* right to be himself, and the ways he does that take him far afield of a cookie-cutter prince and directly into the territory of a swoon-worthy man who might just save the world. These two are perfect for each other, and their chemistry is delectable. Speaking of which, one of the things Ms. Cole does so expertly in this story is pace the relationship of Ledi and Biso. Each step they take manages to feel natural and logical - but also deliciously heady - all at the same time. The book is nice and long (and trust me when I say, you won't want it to end) and never feels too slow or too rushed. You'll care deeply about the characters, and be very invested in what happens to them. For a little while, you'll live happily in their world. That's the magic this author works, and the thing we all love so much in a great romance. At this point, when I tell you I one-clicked the next book in the series (A Duke by Default) so fast I might've broken the sound barrier...you'll probably believe me. But before you laugh, know that you will definitely be doing the same thing. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/57996837-a-princess-in-theory-a-modern-cinderella-romance-with-african](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/57996837-a-princess-in-theory-a-modern-cinderella-romance-with-african) --- *Product available on Desertcart Greece* *Store origin: GR* *Last updated: 2026-10-11*