Let me be upfront. I love Alyssa Cole. And I freakin’ adore this series.

Nya and Johan are both struggling. Nya is struggling to find out who she is and what she wants after years of emotional manipulation and being repressed by her father. Johan has been struggling to keep a lid on his emotions since his mother passed away years ago.

I loved this book, the journey these characters took, their individual evolution and growth, as well as how their relationship developed. I loved Johan’s not to secret hidden depth (he WAS nice!) and Nya’s desire to be her own hero and rise up from her past. These were two excellent characters to root for, both of whom, despite the tragedies their lives had handed them, found enough strength and fortitude to take a risk on the biggest gamble life has to offer...love.

5 solid stars.

Alyssa Cole just keeps knocking this series out of the park. I feel like I've been waiting for Johan's book forever. His prominent appearance in a Duke by Default had me desperate to read his love story. Nya has been soft spoken in the other books and I didn't know how I would feel about her story. But now I can safety say she was one of the best parts of this book. Nya isn't soft spoken and timid. We get a better understanding of her viewpoint and how she feels about her life. Her progression in this book is amazing.

We get still get a decent amount of Portia and Ledi too, which I was hoping for! I don't want this series to ever end. This is everything I want in a romance; geeky girls, royalty, and sass. If you liked the previous installments this is a must read!

ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s not often that I love a book so deliriously much that not only do I stay up late on a work night because I HAVE to read the ending, but I also procrastinate for a week on writing the review because I’m afraid that I won’t do it justice, AND I also have book hangover for a week. But that was exactly how I felt about A Prince on Paper.
Going into reading this book, I expected to enjoy it. Alyssa Cole is one of my favorite historical romance novelists, and this story sounded like it had a Prince Harry fanfic feel to it, which sounded fun. A Princess in Theory, the first in this series, was a solid romance, but I didn’t wildly love it, and I haven’t read the second book, because I didn’t like Portia and wasn’t sure I wanted to read a whole novel about her. So I didn’t actually remember much about Nya going into this story (which, it turns out, wasn’t a hindrance to enjoying the story). Which is all to say, I didn’t have huge expectations for this story, other than that I expected it to be at least moderately enjoyable. Well, and also I really loved the cover. Gorgeous!
Yet somehow, from the very beginning, I was sucked in by Nya and Johan and their story. Perhaps I could relate to a traumatized and shy but courageous nerdy heroine. Perhaps I love the damaged bad boys (who really aren’t so bad). But certainly I loved these two. Nya is carrying so much at the start of this book. Not only trauma from a lifetime of emotional manipulation and abuse at the hand of her father, but also the stigma that came from being the daughter of a convicted traitor and terrorist of her own country. So while she is dealing with the trauma of being wronged by the same person as everyone else had been, she has to contend with that with lots of additional unkind scrutiny and hostility, without many of the connections and relationships that most of us take for granted in our support networks. It’s such a pleasure to see her grow and become stronger and more confident throughout this story.
Meanwhile, Johan, or the playboy “JoJo,” as the press knows him, is one person to the outside world, and another person within himself, and yet another person, a weird combination of public and private persona, with a select and trusted few friends and family. I found Johan so utterly refreshing as a male lead in a romance. He is openly bisexual (I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance with a bisexual hero before.), and highly sensitive, in a world that has made it clear that his sensitivity is unwelcome. So his tender heart of gold is buried so far far down where it’s safe. He has so many defense mechanisms–and probably an attachment disorder or two. That made me really sad for him (although sometimes also very frustrated). He’s also hilarious. The scene where he tries to amuse/ distract Nya by “talking dirty” to her is absolutely hilarious. I laughed so much reading it that I had to read it to my spouse, who also laughed at it. That’s not his only funny line, but it might be my favorite.

Alyssa Cole has outdone herself in character development of these two, and at sharp, smart, insightful dialogue. I highlighted so many passages, which I cannot quote directly, due to having read an ARC. Whether discussing the hard realities of the world we live in, or the silly elements of romantic relationships, the dialogue felt rich and real and immersive. Even the fictional home countries of the two main characters were drawn in rich and believable detail. I could imagine I was walking around their streets and through their gardens. I also found the lack of American setting at all to be a welcome change of pace.
The story also had so many romantic novel firsts for me, a long-time romance reader. Not just a bisexual hero, but also a character who comes out as *spoiler*. A heroine who is believably virginal, to the point of having learned most sexual concepts from her online dating games. A heroine who is also better at online gaming than at live human interactions. Having the heroine’s menstruation contribute a significant point to the plot. Matter-of-fact references to beauty from an African woman’s perspective, from worries about preventing ashy skin to both traditional and modern African clothing styles to repeated mention of Nya’s braids. Even the sexual interactions between Nya and Johan were different than I’d read in romance novels before. No spoilers about them. They were just different from stereotypical romance novel sex scenes.
Being me, of course I have a few small critiques. For instance, Johan is just about superhumanly selfless in many sexual interactions in this book. I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, or is totally unrealistic, but I thought it stretched credulity a little that he didn’t even ask/ try for anything more for so very long. Also, the three couples from previous stories in the series didn’t add a lot to this story for me, aside from moving the plot line along by being supportive of the two main characters, adding advice and providing encouragement. Otherwise they got really boring with their flawless happiness. I’m glad they were still happy. It just wasn’t very interesting to read about. And while I suppose it’s realistic for a moody teenager, Johan’s little brother Lukas was a real brat a lot of the time. Finally, a major plot point got resolved way too easily at the end, in my opinion. The perpetrator did not appear to face appropriate consequences for the often cruel sabotage they’d enacted, and it was all just breezily dismissed from the story, even though it seemed like there would have been national or even international repercussions. Speaking of endings, I also really rolled my eyes at the epilogue. This book ended perfectly without it, in my opinion, but the cheesy stereotypical romance novel epilogue dragged that ending down a little for me. It didn’t seem to flow with the nuanced telling of the rest of the story, and I was disappointed.
But while I may have had some gripes, I still absolutely loved this story. I read it in 48 hours, to the detriment of a full night of sleep. I laughed repeatedly, often out loud. I felt deeply for both Nya and Johan, and was completely absorbed in the hope of a happy resolution for both of them. This was a delightful story, and one of my very favorite romance novels in a long time. I will be buying a copy of this to share. I hope you’ll pick up a copy to read as well.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved Alyssa Cole’s latest book, A Prince on Paper. Sometimes by the time an author reaches the third book in a series, it feels redundant, but not this time. Nya and Johan are fresh characters that are three dimensional people the reader wants to spend time with.

Both Nya and Johan are members of Ledi and Biso’s royal wedding party (from A Princess in Theory). They’ve each tried to avoid their attraction to each other but with no luck. Add in family drama, adorable nicknames and a fake engagement, and all the elements of a fabulous romance are in place.

Once they are pushed together, they realize the playboy prince and the naive royal have more in common than it seems. Their banter and bickering are fantastic. Nya in particular shows how she’s developing a sense of herself. Having the strength to bicker and tease someone without fear, especially Johan, is a big step forward for her. I love the ways they both take advantage of their tight knit friend networks, too. This book is a fantastic conclusion to the Reluctant Royals series. I’m sad to say goodbye to these characters, but I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying conclusion.

All the characters I love in one book. Alyssa Cole did it again by covering several important issues manipulation, grief, anxiety, gender identity, and how gaming impacts irl relationships. I loved Nya's storyline to find her footing within relationships (friendships and romantic). She was tender, vulnerable, and sharp at the tongue, it was refreshing.

Only draw back everything wrapped up pretty quickly.

I completely freaked out when I got the notification that I’d been approved for an ARC of A Prince on Paper. I have been dying for Johan’s story because OF COURSE there had to be a tortured soul longing for love underneath all that playboy prince swagger…(Gimme!)

But Nya. Nya was my favorite part of this story. Sometimes a great heroine is a woman who from page one is lit up from the inside with her unwavering confidence. But sometimes a great heroine is a bent-but-not-broken woman who learns to stand in her own strength despite her fears and insecurities. That’s Nya. And, let’s be real, that’s the kind of heroine most of us relate to the most.

Johan and Nya are very heart-squeezy together. They’re both exactly what the other one needs to grow and they have maaarvelous bedroom chemistry too. Alyssa Cole writes fully human characters with emotional depth and still keeps everything light and fun. A Prince on Paper just might be my favorite in the Reluctant Royals series. Loved this book!

However, if you haven’t read the previous books in this series then I would suggest you do that before jumping into this one. It’s a stand-alone but I think you’ll enjoy it more having read the others first. They’re all great! This book is set to release on April 30, 2019. But you can preorder it now, and you SHOULD, because A Prince on Paper is wonderful.

I am totally in LOVE with the reluctant royals series! The other 2 were so adorable and this 3rd one is my favorite! Nya and Johan are such likable characters and have you begging for their futures by the end! I enjoyed the NYC locale and the Royal Wedding Stuff. This book is just the right amount of royalties, comedies and love. A must read!! Alyssa Cole knocks it out of the park again !

This book was fab! I liked Nya so much and appreciated learning how she worked through her past and navigated relationships in her life now.

It seems like with each subsequent book in this series, Alyssa Cole gets bolder with her characters and plot points. The world she has built in the Reluctant Royals series is incredibly rich and the characters leap off the page. Nia is a fully realized heroine, who becomes stronger and more confident throughout the book as she challenges her insecurities and copes with the abuse she faced from her father. And Johan isn't quite a prince, but royal enough, who is very considerate about Nia's needs. I also appreciate the way Cole wove in a story about one of the characters determining their gender identity, and I hope she does this more in the future because she wrote the character very thoughtfully and kindly. Alyssa Cole is an author that I keep returning to - her books are incredibly rewarding because of her thoughtful characters and interesting plots.

I really enjoyed this! I had read the second one in the series but not the first. I’ll have to pick that up at some point. I really enjoyed the modern “historical”. The writing is on point. Jo jo was swoon worthy. Overall I really enjoyed it. Thank you for the ARC!

A Prince on Paper is the third book in Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series (although there are also two novellas). I haven't read the novellas yet, but I'd recommend reading the two full length books in the series before this one. I've really enjoyed all three books; Cole has created a wonderful, engaging world. This book features Nya, cousin to the princess of Thesolo whose father is a notorious criminal, and Johan, step-brother to the prince of Liechtienbourg and notorious playboy. I loved both characters - Nya is dealing with a lifetime of psychological abuse from her father, and Johan has issues with both fame and his family. I love these books. Cole treats her characters' issues and pasts with sensitivity but she also imbues the books with humor and wonderful details. (The Liechtienbourgian sayings are delightful.) Highly recommended.

"A Prince on Paper" is the third novel in Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series. Johan and Nya are two characters from the first couple of books that were not fleshed out overly well. But by the end of the book, they are my favorite pairing from any of Alyssa Cole's novels. Fans will not be disappointed with this book.

She plays dating sims and he's obsessed with fairy tales - how am I not going to love this book?! A Prince on Paper is my absolute favorite in a series of amazing books. I feel like I've loved each subsequent book more than the last, and I loved this one so much it was physically painful (to my heart).

I was so excited to finally get Nya's book. She's been an intriguing character to me every since A Princess in Theory, and then I loved her emerging and finding herself in bits and pieces (as seen via group text chats) in A Duke by Default. I don't always slate people into Hogwarts houses while I read, but every so often a character comes along and beats you over the head with how VERY MUCH the epitome of a Hufflepuff they are, and that is Nya. She has been so hurt, but despite that she goes on being honest and open and loving, and I JUST WANT TO HUG HER ALL UP.

And then there's Johan, who's also been hurt and is fascinated by Nya because she is so open and honest, and free with her heart while he's locked himself away. He's so obsessed with fairy tales and doesn't seem to realize that he's made himself the princess locked away in a tower of his own making.

This is the kind of book I want to throw at people's heads when they say romance novels are trash or guilty pleasures or shallow. There are SO MANY complicated issues and deep themes at play in this book, I can't even begin to touch on them all in a review let alone do them justice. I want to carry copies of this book around and when people make disparaging comments about romance I want to thrust a copy of A Prince on Paper into their hands and say "Shut your mouth, open your mind, read this book, and then we can talk about whether or not romance novels are shallow trash." In this book Alyssa Cole not only focuses on the romantic relationship between two people (which is fantastic, and their chemistry is BAM BOOM POW!), but also on the relationship between Johan and his step-father and half-sibling and how Johan deals with the death of his mother, Nya dealing with the fallout of the emotional and physical abuse the suffered at the hands of her father and finding her own way forward, a non-binary character struggling with how to let their family know about their identity (also, WTG Nya being super the most awesome best), focus on toxic and abusive relationships... Also, the sex scenes are hot and the romance between Nya and Johan is amazing - alternatingly adorable and butterflies-in-the-stomach inducing and heartbreaking, because there is nothing wrong with that and it's also a great element of romance. ;)

This is the third book in the Reluctant Royals series, and while it can technically can be read as a stand alone, this series is really best if read in order. To get the full impact of Nya's story, you really do need to read the first book, A Princess in Theory, and there are MAJOR SPOILERS for book 1 in this book. I highly recommend you read this series in order - and don't miss the novella, book #2.5, Once Ghosted, Twice Shy! There's also a final novella coming out about Portia's sister Reggie, which looks like it will be the final book/novella in the series, Can't Escape Love, and if the series continues on trend it will somehow manage to be EVEN BETTER than all the books that have come before. ;)

This is the third full-length novel in the Reluctant Royals series, and although a reader who has not read the previous two books in the series can follow the story, I think it may not work as well for readers who have not read at least the first book in the series. There are frequent references to events from the first book and although those events are summarized in this book, I don't think that has the same impact as having read that story too.

Fortunately, I have read all the previous books in the series, and I found Nya and Johan's story fun, funny, and delightfully awkward at times. It was nice to check in on characters from the first two books, but also see Nya and Johan shine in their own story.

It’s hard to pick a favorite in Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series, but this might just be it for me. (Okay, it’s a three-way tie for first...not counting the novellas.) Johan has spent the last decade as a carefree playboy prince, a tabloid magnet who seems to love the spotlight. Only—he doesn’t. He’s been protecting his younger sibling by stealing focus from the press. Nya is trying to dream big in her own life, stepping out from the shadow of her manipulative father, but she’s having trouble getting anywhere. After an accidental arrangement pushes the two together into a fake romance, will they be able to resist the possibility of the real thing?

SO GOOD. I think this is my favorite-ist of her books yet. I haven't read the novellas in this series yet, but I definitely will, because I've been hoping for Reggie's story. I'm excited to see what Cole does next in contemporaries, because I think I like the escapism of royalty better than the starkness of her historical Civil War romances.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Sexy ~ Enjoyable ~
tl: dr: African beauty falls of a prince, and he's lucky she did.

This is part of a series, though each is a stand-alone. Cole is already one of my favorites. Her tone is always light, but not vapid, and her books move right along. In each, there is a wonderful Black woman who falls for a guy not originally destined for his position (royalty, aristocracy). Nya is a strong African woman, and her prince matches her well. The book is a fast read. Grab it (or the whole series) if you need a holiday read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.