Alyssa Cole can basically do no wrong in my eyes. This is the first entry in a new series, set in the same world as her Reluctant Royals series. In this book, Shanti, a brilliant and badass feminist whose goal in life has been to become a queen so that she can make real change, is tapped to become the first wife of Sanyu, who is about to become king of fictional African nation Njaza, a country that has been extremely isolated since gaining its independence under Sanyu’s father. Shanti’s four month trial period as queen is almost over when her husband finally begins to show an interest in her and her political advice. The road is bumpy for them but this is another satisfying, substantive romance from Alyssa Cole,

I’m going to start this off by saying Shanti is The Boss! If you had asked me even two weeks ago, I would never have guessed that I would be rooting for a woman whose life goal was to become a queen. Yet, the way Ms. Cole has written her is so inspiring and empathetic. It makes me want to go out there and take over the world!

Sanyu is an interesting mix of big/scary/loud/gruff on the outside and self-doubting, anxious mess on the inside. As you learn about his childhood, how he was raised and the things he experienced, you quickly come to see why. The fact that Shanti always stands her ground with him, never lets him intimidate her, and seems to almost intuitively understand what he needs from her, made it easier for me to see and understand the inner him versus the outer version.

I think my one frustration was how easily Musoke (aka the villain) was subdued. All we ever see from him, and learn about him from Sanyu’s memories, are the moments of verbal & emotional abuse. Yet, Sanyu still loves Musoke and believes that Musoke loves him. A more nuanced view of Musoke, something to show the reader why he would be considered redeemable, would have helped make their reconciliation more believable.

Of course, as a spinoff of the Reluctant Royals series, this novel has cameo appearances by the main characters from all of the Reluctant Royals books. It’s always fun to catch up with familiar faces! And, after hearing both Sanyu and Shanti make references to a Prince Anzam who also likes to shirk his royal duties, I have a feeling the next installment might just feature him in a starring role…

Alyssa Cole is such a versatile writer, and I was so excited to read another royal romance from her! The heroine of this book, Shanti, was first introduced in the book "A Princess in Theory", but this definitely works on its own. Shanti is such a strong woman and when she enters into an arranged marriage with Sanyu he meets his match. Their relationship changes drastically throughout the book when they fall in love as two people already married. This novel touches on so many issues of family, patriarchy, colonizing, mental health, and so much more and the romance was so sweet, especially watching Sanyu's character growth. I will be recommending this to anyone who likes romance, especially of the royal variety.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own.

Alyssa Cole gives us another deep dive into the world of the reluctant royals with a new series. The new series entitled "the runaway royals" follows an unlikable character from the first book in the last series "Shanti" (who honestly I did feel sorry for when she was thrown up on in a Princess in Theory". But it doesn't take long for the readers to fall in love with Shanti and realize that her tenacity isn't a character flaw but instead makes her a passionate woman that cares deeply about changing the world. What follows is an amazing marriage of convenience that turns into a passionate affair with "orgasms and politics".

Cole doesn't lose her trademark humor even with an intense male lead and a tenacious heroine bent on changing the world. And past favorite characters make the most surprising cameos that will have you smiling and laughing. And as with all of Cole's work we also get some tremendous diversity and upending of the patriarchal system. This time we explore polyamorous relationships and I loved it! I was honestly a little upset that Shanti and Sanyu didn't find their own triad.

Cole sets up another amazing series that is a must read for fans of her work. I can't wait for the other books in the series. For those who have never read Alyssa Cole, please read first "A Princess in Theory" to understand the true magnificence of Cole's writing.

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

Loved this book! Great POC romance. It is exciting to see more and more diverse romances coming out! I recommend this title for anyone who loves romance. It is a great page turner. It took me away from the insanity of these tough times.

I read this in one sitting! I was excited when this spinoff series from the Reluctant Royals trilogy was announced, and the first book was everything I'd been hoping for. Alyssa Cole is a Queen among romance authors.

This book is amazing and hit such a sweet spot.

Shanti and Sanyu are initially introduced in A Prince on Paper as the new king of Najza and his bride, though their interactions are strained. It turns out their marriage is one of convenience, set up by the council of Najza advisors and will only last four months unless Shanti is the True Queen. How to Catch a Queen begins in the third month of Shanti and Sanyu’s marriage, and shows them learning to communicate and gradually falling in love.

I loved this book so much, and it was so hard to put down. I loved Shanti from the moment she was introduced - so fierce and confident, she knows who she is and who she wants to be. In contrast, Sanyu is anxious and worried that he’ll never be as good a king as his father, Sanyu I, who liberated Najza from colonizers and built the kingdom essentially from the ground up. It doesn’t help that Sanyu has never seen love emulated by his father, only a revolving door of temporary wives, so he is just waiting for Shanti to leave like everyone else he could’ve loved has left.

This book touches on several heavy topics - toxic family, colonization, tradition - but balances that with the relationship that grows between Shanti and Sanyu. There’s also an element of mystery because it quickly became obvious that the first queen of Najza is never mentioned and there seem to be secrets kept even from Sanyu about his father and Musoke’s history. The secrets and mystery frustrated me in the best way, and added to my inability to put the book down.

Unsurprising to anyone who’s read Alyssa Cole and especially her Reluctant Royals series, this was a fantastic romance, and I was especially fond of explicit consent, as well as an all-around amazing story!

Alyssa Cole, how I love your books. From my first encounter with her books (A Princess in Theory) to her foray into thrillers (When No One Is Watching), to this new series, she has never failed to disappoint. With this new books and series--set in the same world as the Reluctant Royals series and featuring satisfying cameos from those characters--Cole starts off strong with the story of Shanti and Sanyu and, equally as important, the kingdom they both want to rule and improve.

I loved Shanti's character. She's a non-traditional heroine whose ambition is never compromised or apologized for, in fact, her single-minded determination to achieve her goal (which could've easily come across as materialistic, shallow or silly in the hands of a lesser writer) is treated as a gift throughout the book. The way she and Sanyu circle each other is delightful, and he's a fully-fleshed out hero, realized just as well as Shanti.

In addition to the romantic plotline, the story is a compelling look at a fascinating (fictional) African kingdom. At the end of the book I wanted to read more about the kingdom, its politics, history and religion. There's really some great world-building here. Additionally, as someone who's been living in a (real) African kingdom for the past 5 years, I liked seeing some of the realities of the clash between the rest of the highly-connected modern world, and a more isolated and traditional monarchical society.

TL;DR - This. Book. Is. So. GOOD!

Everytime I read an Alyssa Cole book, I have one complaint. I WANT MORE! These are so good. I can't wait for the next Royals book. I really like how you see the hero and heroine learn and grow, and come to like each other. I love how the hero begins to listen to the heroine. There is a part where the hero messes up, and as you're reading it, you think OH NO! Don't do it! DON'T DO IT! And then he does it, and you completely understand her reaction. The grovel is pretty good. I definitely hope that there are some <spoiler> short stories about all of the Queens. I'd love to get their stories. I know it's not necessary, but I am SO CURIOUS about how they all ended up where they did. </spoiler>

Can't wait to read more romance from Alyssa Cole. :D

This is my favorite Alyssa Cole yet-- I loved that the stakes of the story were high, and the world building Cole did around Njaza as a nation. Every conflict between Shanti and Sanyu felt earned and so did the resolutions. Their love story was carefully plotted by thrilling. I was surprised and moved by the reveal of the former Queens. I'm recommending this book to all of my friends.

Deeelightful! I appreciate the well-rounded characters and just how grounded and realistic everything felt-- it would be five stars except I feel like the ending happened too quickly and tidily, even for a romance novel.

Alyssa Cole is fantastic at writing healthy relationship development and complex characters that shine-- even when you see their flaws, you can't help but root for them. Shanti has got to be one of my absolute favorite romance protagonists; like so many people in her life, I was ready to scoff at her life's dream of becoming a queen-- until we got to see inside her brain and realize it was rooted in altruism, authenticity, and a hunger for knowledge. She demonstrated that she was smart, clever, strong, capable, and compassionate, and watching her relationship with Sanyu evolve felt like a treat.

Escapism at its best, this novel felt like everything I want to see in the world: partners with open communication working together, enforcing healthy boundaries, and practicing consent in a multitude of ways; leaders determined to use their power to make the world a better place; disenfranchised folks reclaiming a seat at the table; critical examination of the past and our ongoing tendency to perpetuate harmful behaviors in the name of tradition; and a sly sense of humor weaving everything together, making this all seem attainable, easy, and natural.

Also the cameos make me want to revisit A Princess in Theory and read the rest of the Reluctant Royals series!

This book is really special. It shares DNA with the dreamiest Regency romance and with Black Panther's fictional African nation of Wakanda, but it's its own thing, too. I've been eagerly awaiting each new book Cole puts out since her early Off The Grid series, and she just gets better with each one.

Alyssa Cole has done it again! This spin off to her Reluctant Royals series was everything I wanted and more. The political intrigue, the handling of trauma and anxiety and the character developments were outstanding. I loved every min of it! Not to mention THAT COVER. so wonderful.

Alyssa Cole never disappoints! I rushed through this book, eager to find out what happens to the main characters, only to be left a few hours later desperately wanting more in this series. I loved the cameos from Cole's earlier royals series, and can't wait to meet all new characters in subsequent books.

First, “Oh my goddess“ is this book good (using one of the terms from the book)!

I love the universe the author has created from the Royals books that has carried over into this one. I enjoyed the growth of the characters. It wasn’t too unrealistic. Looking forward to more books from Ms Cole

Shanti is everything you could ever hope for in a heroine. Strong, resourceful, smart, and compassionate. She’s also vulnerable and completely in love with the man she married. Sanyu is rigid and scared, but so loving and sweet in his own way. These two have to fight for their HEA, but it’s a beautiful thing to experience with them!

This is a very well written book! Shanti is a smart & strong female lead. Sanyu is struggling with unexpectedly becoming the king of Njaza and Shanti is instrumental in helping to turn the kingdom around.

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole is an extraordinary example of what the romance genre can do. It's a modern fairy tale - but no fairy godmother is going to save the day. Shanti and Sanyu, our royal couple, have all the agency, emotional maturity, and chemistry that is required to cook up a deeply satisfying, emotional rollercoaster of a romance. Alyssa Cole continues to show her mastery in How to Catch a Queen - it's funny, heart-wrenching, sexy, and politically and psychologically resonant.

I adore Alyssa Cole’s books. Her romances are diverse, witty, and feminist af, but this one was a bit of a miss for me.

This one took me awhile to get into and was not my favorite compared to her other books. It starts super slow and a plot point shared in the synopsis doesn’t happen until like 30%, but once that happens it gets better. However, I just did not like the flow of this novel. I liked the last third, but it felt too jampacked while the beginning was so slow.

Shanti was great and I loved her ambitions and seeing her and Sanyu discuss politics. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sanyu and felt that his character was not explained well until the end and by then it was a little late. I also did not think the two of them had great chemistry. I like relationships with more banter and flirting and this went kind of 0 – 100 and then was angsty. I am not an angst person.

I did love the cameos from the characters in her reluctant royals’ series, especially the group chats.

I loved this book. It's quite different from the Reluctant Royal series, in this book Shanti has worked her whole life to become a queen and she won't let anything stop her from acting the way a queen must, even if her husband and his court ignore her and refuse to let her do any meaningful work. I loved the culture of Najza and how much of the book focused on the politics of a country that once overthrew its colonizers, but now is struggling to move forward from the past. As well as the way Sanyu and Shanti's relationship develops. It's a great book, and features cameos from the Reluctant Royals characters. I'm really excited to keep reading this series

I received a copy of this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.