Review: "That Prince Is Mine" by Jayci Lee

That Prince Is Mine by Jayci Lee
Published July 2024 via St. Martin's Griffin
★★★

In the kitchen, Emma is a queen—she teaches Korean royal court cuisine, and she has every reason to believe that her business will continue to grow. She doesn't have much dating experience, but she's clear in her expectations: her godmother will arrange a match for her, and she'll end up with a husband who is perfectly suited to her. Someone compatible. Not, say, a prince from a small European country who is from a different culture and class and shares almost none of her experiences...

I am a sucker for a royal romance, which is what led me to this book. That Prince Is Mine has the added benefit of some cultural diversity that I don't often see in romance novels—I've read books in which the heroine is a cook and the hero a prince, but never one delving into the intricacies of Korean cuisine. (The ARC I had didn't have a final cover, and by the time I picked up the book I'd already forgotten the plot details, so I was a bit disappointed to find that the prince in question is Generic European—one of these days perhaps we'll get a Generic Asian prince!)

The book leans rather fluffier than I expected, a bit like an extended Harlequin or perhaps a soap opera. Partly because so many of the side characters have romantic plots, the plot pretty much all moves quickly to romance, leaving little room for anything else. I'd have loved to see a bit more from the characters, especially things that aren't so hormone-driven. It's the end of the book before we learn that Sophie (Michel's bodyguard and childhood friend) used to paint, for example, and I can't help but think that if she'd not had a romance plot, we could have seen more of her personality (followed by a separate book about her, if the author were so inclined).

Generally speaking, this is not one to pick up if you're looking for more depth in a romance novel, but it would be a good read for those looking for a bit of instant-princess fluff (bonus points if you salivate over Korean food!).

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.