This is such a cute story! If you're a fan of The Prince and Me and The Princess Diaries (but with spice), I really think that you'll like this one.

Emma Yoon has a goal for her life. No, not marriage, opening up her own culinary school. She teaches on a smaller scale Korean royal court dishes (which I had no idea was a thing!) but wants to expand.

Emma is very close to her godmother, who's really filled in as an honorary mom to Emma. She's a very successful matchmaker. Some women who are pretty jealous about her success call out the fact that Emma isn't married. So Emma goes on a blind date. A blind date that is... ugh.

During that blind date, she catches the attention of visiting Professor Michel. Who's actually not a professor but a Prince. Who needs to find his true love.

Their relationship is so sweet and charming. Sure, Michel is hiding a big secret, but to be honest, is it really a bad secret? Michel comes with his best friend who is a real professor and his bodyguard. They have a lifelong friendship that's gotten a little bit complicated. Emma is super close to her dad and godmother. We also meet her God brother (I've never heard that term before, but it explains their relationship) who's keeping his OWN secrets.

I really enjoyed this sweet story. I learned a lot about Korean American culture, and it's a sweet love story!

3.5 stars
That Prince is Mine is exactly what the cover and title depict it as. A middle class Asian-American woman unknowingly falls in love with a prince who would do anything for her. There's some insta-love, and at times the plot stalls, but overall, it was really adorable. Michel is pining after Emma from day one, and although over the top at times, it's cute. I did have a couple issues with the story. I found it lost momentum in the middle, was oddly enough a little too pro-arranged marriage for my liking, and Emma's reaction to finding out Michel is a prince was really subdued, but otherwise, I had fun. If you liked Crazy Rich Asians, you'll love this book. It's very similar but with less drama and more pining.
Thank you to the publisher and Macmillan Audio for the eARCs in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this book. I learned more about the Asian culture, and was enamored with the main character. A good read.

Unfortunately I DNF this book. It just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into it and struggled with the 3rd person pov.

While meeting her matchmaker’s prospects, Emma spies a handsome man across the room and is immediately drawn to him. As they participate in the dance of attraction, Emma has to decide whether to put her future career dreams on the line or take a moment to satisfy her personal desires.

Jayci Lee gives us a meet cute hidden identity romance with That Prince Is Mine. I like the courting which happens here and the dual pov of the main characters. Lee gives us a full foundation for Emma and Michel, so that we are rooting for independent individuals who don’t really need love. Michel really wants to find love whereas Emma doesn’t believe in romantic love. They are both focused on their future careers. They are both entrenched in their culture. This is what makes them a good couple to root for because it really is all about love.

The chemistry is good. I even want to see the affair between the secondary characters as it jumps off the page too. There is humor to go along with the romance as the characters can laugh at themselves.

That Prince Is Mine is a quick read romance filled with culture, humor, and steam. The perfect way to end the summer.

I love Jayci Lee! Her books are always so charming and her characters are always lovable. Emma and Michel are both of those things - charming and lovable! I love that they added in the culinary aspect - it's something I don't do well so I enjoyed reading about it. I think anyone looking for a light-hearted love story will enjoy this!

While I don't consider Jayci one of my favorite authors, I still will read everything of hers that I can get my hands on. She always makes banter one of the highlights of her novels and I live for it. This didn't disappoint at all.

This book gave me the same feeling that Princess Diaries 2 gave me and that’s one of my favorite descriptions of a book I’ve ever given.

This story follows Emma and Michel, a Korean royal court cuisine instructor and a European prince “disguising” as a professor. Watching their love story unfold despite a host of differences was so fun and entertaining, while also being incredibly heartfelt with a lovely splash of spice. I also really enjoyed the side characters and getting to have their stories come full circle at the end along with Emma and Michel.

I recommend this book if you like:
- he falls first
- love averse female
- spice 🌶️
- fwb turned love story
- opposites attract

A chance encounter with a prince is a dream come true…or is it? I loved the culture and family love in this book. The story, the characters, just all of it is so well done!

This book was a quick, delightful read with a charming Hallmark-like vibe. I connected with Emma, who was relatable and endearing, and found the unique romance with a prince captivating. As a fan of similar movies, it was a perfect fit. I also enjoyed the insights into Korean culture and the mouthwatering dishes Emma prepared. Overall, a sweet and enjoyable romance!

Overall, I thought this was a very cute and fast-paced story.

Read this one if you enjoy:
> Royal MMC (hidden identity)
> Insta-attraction/love
> He falls first
> Loveable side-characters

The premise of this story was the classic "royal pretending to be a common person". I liked the California setting and the occupation of a visiting professor really made sense for the MMC's overall character. I thought the initial meetings between the two MCs were cute and quirky - for the MMC to be a bit shy and not totally put together was endearing and not what I had expected from a character who was really a prince. The FMC was fun - I loved the representation of Korean heritage and tradition that was woven throughout the entire storyline.

At times, the storyline did feel a little predictable and surface level - the conflict was pretty easy to see coming and the overall plotlines were generally along a predictable path. I did like the way that Jayci was able to give a variation on the storyline mainly with the family dynamics and supporting characters. There were some great supporting characters in this book that I really enjoyed and definitely took the story to the next level.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

“‘Having things in common isn’t what makes people compatible. Sometimes it’s how their differences complement each other that makes them perfect for one another.”

I’m a sucker for royal romances. There’s something really eye-opening to find that a person from a common background and a person from royalty find that they connect more with each other than with people they’re normally surrounded with. That’s why I had hopes for this book when I read the cute premise. Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. The only things I liked about this romance story was the quote above, learning about Korean food and culture, and the MMC’s banter with his cousin 🙁

Prince Michel wasn’t a very well-developed main character. It seemed like the only thing he seemed to focus on besides sleeping, eating and breathing was finding a true love in America on a tight deadline of 2 months. Then when he meets Emma, all his thoughts are consumed by her and he can’t think of anything else but wanting to be with her. It felt very two-dimensional; it would’ve been nice to see more written about what his life in Rouleme was usually like, what he enjoyed about being crown prince/living in Rouleme, etc. He appealed to me because of how he was secretly a hopeless romantic at heart, but it shouldn’t have to be his only personality trait. I would’ve liked to see more of how he planned to rule Rouleme and just see more of his own internal thoughts of things that weren’t just Emma. He was like this the entire book.

I have lots to say about Emma Yoon. I related to the part of her where she wanted to build a safe future for herself and wanting to be proud of her heritage. But that’s all that really made her likeable? After she meets Michel, it seemed she was so obsessed with proving to herself that she could never be with him because they come from 2 very different backgrounds and worlds. Which made no sense whatsoever conflict-wise when she would switch around and say how she was starting to fall for him, or agree to more dates with him. She was honestly really irritating the more I read the book. Almost every single page, every single date, and every single encounter with Michel, she always points out how he hasn’t done this or that and she has; this makes them completely incompatible. It was so annoying; I don’t think I’ve rolled my eyes more for one main character ever 🙄 She meddled in Michel’s friends’ love life and relationship even though she didn’t know all the facts and then when Michel called her out on it, she grew defensive. She’s only known them for a few weeks, and he’s known them his whole life? I don’t think that necessarily promotes her to be giving life-changing relationship advice when she can’t even sort out her own relationship with Michel 🤷‍♀️

Their relationship was one big insta-love, miscommunication mess. It was not fun to read and I skimmed through most of the chapters once I hit the 40%-50% mark. Emma gets mad at Michel for proposing to her, even though the last few pages she was complaining why he still hasn’t proposed and doesn’t actually want to be with her. She wanted him to propose but didn’t want the consequences of him proposing to come after, like moving back to the country where he’s next in line to rule? Then she accuses Michel of having a backup plan for his life in the event she rejects him. But many times throughout the story, she says she will just treat her thing with Michel as a fling and then she will go back to going on her Auntie Soo’s matseons (formal blind dates) after he’s gone. Hypocritical, much?

Michel is totally heartbroken from her response and in return, decides to abdicate his crown. Which is so out of character for him because he’s portrayed as this ruler who cares so deeply for his people. And even though Emma gets mad at him for making her give up everything she has in LA, she gets even more upset when she finds out he’s abdicating just for her. If they’re not arguing, the only other thing they do is make out and sleep with each other constantly. It’s pretty much the foundation to their relationship; how the two fell in love with each other is beyond me. It just felt like lust and attraction 🙄

I can’t even process most of what happened because of how frustrating the characters were. They weren’t likeable and by the end, I wasn’t even rooting for them anymore 😐 I would’ve rather read a story about Michel’s friends, Gabriel and Sophie, rather than them. I’m disappointed overall, but not everyone has the same opinions or resonates with the same stories. Maybe this wasn’t for me, but it might be for you!

Tropes:
- Third person POV
- He falls first, she falls harder
- Korean-American culinary instructor FMC x Crown Prince MMC 🍴👑
- Open-door romance

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Looking for a book to make you hungry, revive your affection for fictional royalty and make you feel? That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee should be your next read.

She’s a culinary wiz looking to open up her own school, no time for distractions like love she has her heart set on an arranged marriage.

He’s a prince taking a gap year in America as a college professor. On the hunt for love to get out of an arranged marriage.

Their relationship seems doomed from the start. Can he win her mind over from thinking they are only fun as a fling and into believing they can have a lasting loving relationship?

Make sure you have your stomach full while reading this book. The recipes and descriptions of food will make you hungry. I am a fan of Jayci’s work, and this one is no exception. Olivia Song shone as the narrator for this audiobook. I really appreciated the correct way to pronounce some of the Korean dishes. It brought authenticity through to the character.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio for the ALC.

I didn't overly enjoy this book. It was a cute story but there was very little substance. I didn't feel any great connection between the two main characters and the romance and the solutions to any obstacles were resolved in a whirlwind way.
My favourite part of the book was Emma's disastrous blind dates and Michel observing them while secretly admiring her. There was a lot of humour in these scenes. I also liked the references to culture and cuisine.

This was a cute, if somewhat predictable rom-com. I did really enjoy the Korean cultural and food references. I'd recommend this book as a fun, light, easy to read story. Thanks #NetGalley #StMartinsPress

This was a cute romance. I enjoyed reading about the multi cultures of Emma & Michel who were both very tight with their respective families and didn’t want to hurt anyone with their relationship. Emma was just a fun character. She was so loyal to her family and put them above herself at times. I’m happy that her character evolved throughout the book and eventually stood up for herself. I also enjoyed how Michel was genuinely a good person and so what on the shy side even though he would eventually be running a country one day. Their relationship was fun to watch evolve as was their personalities. There was definitely a lot of growth from both characters in this book from beginning to end.


***Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

That Prince is Mine is a cute story with a little bit of spice. I could definitely see this as a Hallmark movie. Emma wants to open her own cooking school and offers to help her aunt's matchmaking service until she meets Michel, a handsome man at the cafe. After her parent's divorce she believes that feelings fade and compatibility is the only thing that matters. Michel is the crown prince of Rouleme working as a visiting professor at the university, hoping he can find love in LA because once he goes home he will wed his childhood friend.

It was fun to read about the different Korean foods and culture. I usually dont like love at first sight books, but the characters actually got to know each other to see if it was more than lust. Overall, good story and I look forward to reading other books by Jayci Lee.

Rarely does one read an undercover royal story with a plot that seems actually plausible, but this one was! Emma's culinary goals were deliciously aspirational, and Michel's bodyguard was one of my favorite parts of the whole story. I enjoyed watching Michel and Emma find love and trust with each other.

I really enjoyed this quirky rom com and had a great time reading it. There was good banter and I thought the characters were good together. A great pallet cleanser book.

“That Prince is Mine” is the spicier version of a “Christmas Prince” with some cross-culture plot. I received this as a Netgalley arc, but unfortunately this was not a love for me. I felt like the instant-infatuation was a bit too far fetch and so was Emma and Michel’s expectations on love and relationships. While the discussion of food was really appetizing and interesting I felt like the discussion of race and discrimination was just glossed over. Like the author was scared to upset the perfect mold of their relationship by having real conversations. Also having a fake country being progressive and white seems a little toooooo far fetch like Genovia or Aldovia. And let’s not forget did Emma just not get to start her culinary school at all? Or did I miss that? Any way if I watched this in a movie I probs would have loved it but reading it made me want to cry for all the romantics who are bullied for being represented by books like this. Sorry, Jayci Lee better luck next time.