I was immediately drawn to “That Prince is Mine” because I love a royal story. It is great to see cultures and lives intersect in an Opposites-Attract romance like this one. I wanted to be more excited about this book but I personally could not stay engaged with the story. I may try to pick it up another time for a reread.

For those who enjoy:
👑 Opposites Attract
👑 Chef + Prince
👑 Royalty
👑 Korean Culture
👑 Contemporary Romance
👑 Open Door

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee is a delightful contemporary romance that combines the allure of royalty with the warmth of cultural tradition. The story follows Emma Yoon, a talented Korean royal court cuisine instructor, who is deeply committed to her culinary art and her family’s expectations. Enter Michel Chevalier, a charming professor with a hidden identity – he is actually the crown prince of the fictional European nation of Rouleme.

Emma's dedication to her career and her belief in arranged marriages set the stage for an interesting dynamic when she meets Michel. Their initial interactions are marked by mutual respect and a growing attraction, even as Emma remains unaware of Michel's true identity. The chemistry between them is electric, and Lee does a fantastic job of building their relationship with authenticity and depth.

As the plot unfolds, Emma’s world is turned upside down when she discovers Michel’s royal status. The revelation brings its own set of challenges and misunderstandings. The novel explores themes of duty versus desire, and the struggle to balance personal dreams with familial obligations. Emma’s journey is particularly compelling as she navigates her feelings for Michel while staying true to her cultural roots and personal ambitions.

The inclusion of Korean royal court cuisine adds a unique and rich cultural layer to the story. Emma’s passion for her craft is vividly portrayed, making the reader almost taste the intricate dishes she prepares. This cultural backdrop not only enriches the narrative but also provides a beautiful contrast to Michel's royal background.

Michel is a well-crafted love interest – respectful, kind, and just different enough from Emma to make their relationship dynamic and believable. His struggles with his royal duties and his genuine affection for Emma make him a multifaceted and engaging character.

The book is paced well, with a good balance of romantic development, personal growth, and the inevitable conflicts that arise from Michel’s hidden identity. The climax and resolution are satisfying, tying up the loose ends and providing a heartwarming conclusion to Emma and Michel’s story.

In summary, That Prince is Mine is a charming and heartwarming romance that stands out for its rich cultural elements and well-developed characters. Jayci Lee has crafted a story that is both sweet and swoon-worthy, making it a perfect read for fans of contemporary romance with a royal twist.

Jayci Lee brings ALL the spice in That Prince is Mine and don’t let that cover fool you! It has all the Hallmark vibes of a royal romance, but it’s definitely fitted for HBO. The main character, Emma Yoon, lives her life to the fullest in the kitchen where she is passionate about teaching others the art of Korean cooking. Yet, her love life is dull and is thrown together by her matchmaking godmother set on finding Emma the perfect mate. If only true love existed like a quick recipe she could whip out in her kitchen… cue the handsome prince charming named Michel Chevalier. He’s a dashing visiting professor who is also a prince in disguise!!! Will he find his true love before he is forced to marry the one who he is betrothed back at home?
I loved the dual POV between Emma and Michel. It’s definitely insta-love and I was drawn to their magic fairytale-like connection at the coffee shop. The part that had me frustrated was Emma. I wanted to go all Edna mode and hit her with a newspaper! “My God pull yourself together!”
Overall this was a fun and satisfying read that left me craving some Korean food and noodles. Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘔𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢. 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳.

This is a fun "someone is secretly royal" trope. I enjoyed reading about the different cuisines (kind of made me hungry). Also enjoyed all of the different relationships, like the ones between Emma and her family. There's a lot of heart to this and it would make a good beach read.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

That Prince is Mine didn't work for me in digital form. I read and enjoyed Booked on a Feeling in 2022 and was hoping to enjoy this release just as much if not more. I went in with high expectations and it just didn't grab me the way I needed it to in order to stay in the story. Maybe, I'll give it another try in audio format once it's released.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Michel is a visiting professor escaping his royal duties when he sees Emma, a cooking instructor specializing in Korean royal meals, manage through frustrating date.

She's career driven and trying to stay focused - what's the worst that can happen?

With plenty of food, LA scene setting, this was a whirlwind romance! Emma and Michel have to determine what it most important for them, what they're ok with giving up, and what it means for their lives.

Is there potential for a Part 2?

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Emma meets Michel when he is in America for 3 months. He is keeping a secret, wanting her to get to know him without the title. I liked how it was told from both points of view.

That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee was like a spicy Hallmark movie, and I'm not mad about it. Emma Yoon teaches others how to cook Korean royal court cuisine--and is currently being set up on dates by her godmother, an esteemed matchmaker, because she values compatibility over love. Michel Chevalier is a visiting professor--and prince in disguise--seeking his one true love before he's forced into an arranged marriage.

Drawn together like magnets, they decide to spend the time he has left in California with each other--but he has bigger goals. He knows this is true love, so he has to convince her to give him--and his country--a real chance.

I did want to shake Emma because I was like, "OPEN YOUR EYES WOMAN!" She was so committed to not repeating her parents' mistakes, but I was like "arghhhghghgh."

Olivia Song delivers a wonderful narration, bringing Michel's slightly British/slightly French accent to life. I love me a made up country--gives me Princess Diaries warm fuzzies.

Emma Yoon teaches Korean cuisine out of her home as a small business and wants to make it bigger. She wants to open her own culinary school and has been saving for a commercial kitchen. She meets Michel Aubert at a hotel coffee shop. She thinks he is a visiting professor and has no idea he is the crown prince of a small European country. Prince Michel has come to California to be a guest lecturer at USC. He has given himself a few months to hopefully find love. If he doesn’t his parents have selected a wealthy bride who is a family friend.

From the cute cover I wasn’t expecting such a fun and steamy romp. I enjoyed learning about Korean cuisine. I liked the friendship with body guard Sophia. It was nice that they weren’t hounded by paparazzi. These are two people that have attraction and take time to get to know each other. I found this an enjoyable, escapism, romance. I don’t know if it is memorable but I was entertained while I read it.

Very cute concept, just needed to be executed better. I did like the individual elements. The foodie angle was great, all the food sounded delicious, I also loved the idea of a royal romance between a culinary instructor and a secret prince. However, there was no build up or development, characters were instantly in love and somehow had psychic intuition about each other’s personalities; the romance throughout the book is mainly based on physical attraction. This made the rest of the story feel forced. There was also too much repetition with character’s thinking over the same things in detail again and again, taking up a lot of the near 400 pages. Despite the length the ending is rushed; prior issues and motivations characters had just disappeared. Closed door modifications: around 4.5-5.5 open door scenes. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC and thank you to GoodReads for the physical ARC (giveaway).

Round up to 3.5 stars

𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓘𝓼 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓫𝔂 𝓙𝓪𝔂𝓬𝓲 𝓛𝓮𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓪 𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭!

Emma Yoon, a Korean royal court cuisine instructor, is on a mission to grow her business and find a compatible husband with the help of her matchmaker godmother. Enter Michel, a visiting professor from a fictitious country, who sparks some unexpected chemistry with Emma. Their whirlwind romance unfolds amidst the backdrop of Korean cuisine and family dynamics.

While the storyline may seem like a simple fairytale, it was a fun and satisfying read that left me craving some Korean noodles. The relationships portrayed in the book, especially Emma's with her family, were heartwarming and added depth to the story.

If you're a foodie looking for a light and enjoyable read, this book is definitely worth checking out. I can't wait to read more from this series!

Thank you St Martin's Press & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

okkkk this book was a lot spicer than i thought it was going to be. it was a cute royal romance, love at first sight, with a good amount of spice. i thoroughly enjoyed reading about Michel and Emma. i also liked the added bits of Korean culture and cuisine.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a cute royal romance!

I really enjoyed the "im secretly royal" part of this book. Would anyone be able to recommend books similar to this!?

Pub date: July 30 - preorder now!!

That Prince is Mine: ★★★☆☆ (3)

4.5 stars. I absolutely love royal romances and Jayci Lee created such a beautiful story in That Prince is Mine. Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this via gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own and honest. Swipe for synopsis.

I absolutely loved both Emma and Michel. Their chemistry was outstanding right from the start and I always know I’m going to enjoy a romance where he falls first (and he fell HARD). I laughed when Emma thought she’d be able to work him out of her system, since we know how that always goes. Her journey especially has been one of my favorites to read this year.

Food is at the heart of this story and I especially loved learning about Korean cuisine and how important it is in Korean culture. I had no idea that Korean royal court cuisine was a thing and I loved reading Emma’s approach to teaching it. I could picture myself cooking right along with her.

Overall, this was a lot of fun to read and I look forward to exploring more of this author’s work. That Prince is Mine release July 30.

I’m rating this book 4 stars. I was completely Immersed In the book and couldn’t put it down. The prince was such a soft cutie and definitely carried the book. There was only one spicy scene so I definitely recommend this book to those who don’t like too much spice in their book, thank you NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this ARC!!

I have completed this book but as it is published by an imprint of St. Martin's Press I will be withholding my thoughts until they respond to the boycott.

While I enjoyed the overall story and concept, I definitely struggled to stick with it until the end. There wasn't anything in particular that stands out, but I wasn't invented in the story until Emma and Michel were on the page together. It was a cute story, but the final 4 chapters were the best part for me, and that's saying a lot since I love audiobooks!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a very sweet typical romance. Emma teaches Korean cuisine and dreams of opening a culinary school. Prince-in-disguise Michel wants to find true love instead of arranged marriage. Emma is actively participating in Korean upper middle class matchmaking. When they meet, sparks fly and they both need to rediscover what it means to fall in love and share their story.

For fans of Hallmark movies, this one is a pure romance. I loved the Emma/Michel couple. Fair warning; there is a bit of S M U T I had to skip through. I also got to learn more about Korean American culture and cuisine. I googled Korean restaurants and sadly I have none in Des Moines. It’s on my list for my next trip to LA. Easy dialogue and very readable. I did get a bit weepy at the end, it’s quite sweet.
The book gives a little lesson in pronunciation at the beginning.

Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advance copy. Book to be published July 30, 2024.

I love the threads of Korean culture and food that are all through this book. You really can't go wrong with a royal romance and this read just like a Hallmark movie, but with steam! It was fun and easy but engaging and just right for doing chores. Like a Hallmark movie, it was good. But I found myself wanting a little more of something from the story...depth, connection, relationship, something.

I read this book in a single day. I could not help but devour it (and crave an entire table of Korean food). Michel and Emma are love at first sight/meet cute and have palpable chemistry despite the fact that he is a European Prince and she is a Korean-American cooking instructor.

I loved their chemistry, and the 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️ along with amazing side characters (shout out to Sophie, Gabriel, Jeremy and Marion).

Just a perfect cozy read

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC