Give me anything with a prince in disguise and I am SOLD. I loved these characters and really enjoyed their love story.

So disappointed to write this review. I have LOVED all of Jayci Lee's previous titles, so I was looking forward to this. Sadly, this is not one I enjoyed, or would recommend.

I love the premise of this - a modern fairytale, briming with hope and Korean culture. What's not to love? Unfortunately, the characters were one-dimensional and left much to be desired. Emma, a culinary instructor and master of Korean cuisine, had one thing on her mind - to prove that Michel, the rakish crown prince from Rouleme, was her un-perfect match. It was a weird premise to center a book around, especially since Michel's only purpose was to prove Emma was his perfect match.

I had hopes that Emma's career would help her become more interesting, and there was a hint of that at the beginning of the book, but it faded away. The remainder was her internal perseveration at possibly falling in love.

Bummer.

Thanks to Netgalley and Edelweiss for an early copy to review.

A perfect blend of sweet and spicy, this is a romance you don't want to miss. Love the diverse rep and the fact that it was a royalty romance, which I have a soft spot for.

Jayci Lee's "That Prince Is Mine" offers a delightful blend of romance, cultural heritage, and the timeless battle between duty and love. The story follows Emma Yoon, a determined culinary instructor specializing in Korean royal court cuisine, who is focused on finding a practical, no-nonsense husband to secure her dreams. Emma's journey is thrown into disarray when she meets Michel Aubert, a charming professor with a secret identity as a prince. Emma and Michel's story is a heartwarming reminder that love can be both a choice and a destiny, offering a sweet escape into a world where happily ever afters are not just for fairy tales.

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. I wasn't a big fan of this book. It tells the story of a middle class Asian-American who falls in love with a, wait for, prince. Only she doesn't KNOW he is a prince! Oh my! Insert eye roll here please.

Really cute romance between a culinary instructor and a prince in disguise as a professor. Their relationship was cute and the side characters (namely his cousin and bodyguard) were a lot of fun. I do wish he had revealed he was the crown prince earlier, but I did like how well she took it. Overall, a fun cute read.

That Prince is Mine follows a classic romantic plot, blending elements of modern fairy tales and heartwarming moments. The book's premise, involving a prince and a hardworking protagonist, had me intrigued right from the start.
What I enjoyed most was Jayci Lee's writing style—it's engaging and easy to follow, making it a quick and enjoyable read. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and their interactions were often adorable and sweet. I also appreciated the diverse representation within the story, which added a refreshing layer to the narrative.
However, there were a few aspects that left me wanting more. The plot felt somewhat predictable, and there were moments when the story seemed to drag. Some of the secondary characters could have been developed further to add more depth and complexity to the plot. Additionally, certain conflicts resolved a bit too conveniently for my taste, making the story feel less realistic.
Overall, "That Prince is Mine" is a delightful read for those who enjoy light-hearted romance with a fairy-tale twist. While it didn't completely wow me, it still provided a pleasant escape and left me with a smile. If you're in the mood for a sweet, feel-good romance, this book is worth a try.

I loved this book. I loved this premise or trope although I normally don't like royal tropes, but this one was toned down and Michel was a sweetheart and down to earth. Emma had some major baggage leading her down a very boring life path, thankfully Michel changed that. I loved learning about Korean culture too. Another great book from Jayci Lee.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sweet and fun. This was a great one to read at the beach for just something easy. I live Lee's writing style

I truly enjoyed Jayci Lee’s That Prince is Mine. I love romance books that flesh out the characters’ backstories to make them actual humans - I think Lee did that extremely well in this book. Emma is a culinary instructor and Michel is, well, a prince who’s moonlighting as a visiting professor. While this is a fairly extraordinary set of circumstances, I found the plot to be pretty down-to-earth with the characters doing their best to communicate their feelings instead of misunderstanding each other.

The one thing that prevents me from giving this 5-stars is I just get annoyed by FMCs who are ~quirky~ and I think Emma was written to be cutesy and quirky in her mannerisms. Other than that, she had a great personality and awesome relationships with her family and friends.

All in all, I really liked this romance and think you’d enjoy it too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee is a contemporary royal romance.

Emma is a Korean Royal Court Cuisine instructor who meets Michael, a visiting professor who is also a prince.

This is a fast past romance full of indecisiveness and angst.

I don't think I will be requesting any more Jayci Lee books. They have all been fun romps but they are generally a bit boring with some bland character development for me. I'm sorry if you love these books they are just not for me!

A compelling, intriguing, and entertaining novel! This amazing story had me on the edge of my seat as I read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Adult romance with connection at first sight and slow burn. I enjoyed this book. The main characters, Emma and Michel, had sizzling chemistry and I love a royal MC! The way they met was super cute and interesting. I loved how supportive Michel was and the romance was spicy. There were also great and funny side characters, Sophie and Gabriel.
Finally, I want to note that the pacing of this book was slow, similar to Elena Armas’ books. A little too slow for my taste, but loved the ending!

This was a fun and cheesy romance that reminded me so much of the princess switch on Netflix!! It had great banter and I love a good royal romance.

Title: That Prince is Mine
Author: Jayci Lee
Length: 391 pages
Format: ebook arc
Pub Date: July 30, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Romcom
Rating Out of 5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice Level: open door
Summary:
Emma Yoon, a culinary instructor in Los Angeles specializing in Korean royal court cuisine, dreams of opening her own school. When her matchmaker godmother's rivals meddle in Emma's love life, she’s pushed into a series of arranged dates to save her godmother’s reputation and her own dream. But after meeting Michel Aubert, a USC professor and secret prince, she begins to reconsider her stance on love, as Michel is also seeking a partner who loves him for who he truly is.

Thoughts:
2.5 rounded up to 3. I had such high hopes for this book, but I feel like it just fell flat. The characters seemed pretty one dimensional and even hypocritical at times with very little chemistry. It was an okay story, but at any point during this book I felt like I could put it down and never be tempted to pick it back up again. I did, however, enjoy all the Korean food talk 🤤.

Special thanks to the @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really do enjoy Jayci Lee romances as they are easy to read and very cute but this one felt verrryyy long and didn't have much depth to it. I will still read the author but this just categorizes as one of my least faves.

As someone who loved watching princess movies, I really had high hopes for this book but it took me a while to keep myself afloat. I felt like it lost momentum a few times but as long as you stick through it you will reach the end be like "Oh that was a really cute book." The arranged marriage was a little heavy but that could be because I haven't read a book that had an arranged marriage in quite awhile. Give this story a chance...it might be your taste more than mine!

That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee is a cute royal romance book. Overall, it was easy to listen to and follow along. I enjoyed both characters and felt they had good chemistry. I would recommend this one.

The story of That Prince is mine shows a lot of similarities with the movie Coming to America (with Eddie Murphy). Yes, I’m that old… Same as in the movie, prince decides to go abroad undercover to try to find a bride, although he already has a pre- arranged betrothed at home.

When he finds … he decides to try to woo her, before he reveals to her that he is the heir to the Kingdom. And of course, after falling in love, she finds out he is the royal prince and she sends him packing. Just as the movie, the story is cute and funny and heartwarming.

Three out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.