That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee follows Emma Yoon, a culinary instructor who specializes in Korean royal court cuisine. She runs her small business with the help of her matchmaker godmother, aiming to open her own culinary school.  Rumors begin that Emma is unmatchable. Determined to protect her godmother's reputation, Emma agrees to move up her love timeline. Michel Aubert is a visiting professor with a hidden background.  A prince engaged with an arranged marriage, his family grants him 3 months to travel.  Torn between his royal duties and his desire for true love, he finds himself drawn to Emma.

A little will they/won't they love story that was predictable but cute with a splash of culture.  Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. Very lovely story and cute characters.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for my copy

This book was super cuteee, I couldn't help but smile the whole time! Emma is a culinary instructor who wants to open up a school of her own and is looking for a perfect husband that ticks all the boxes on her list, I really enjoyed her except the perfect on paper outlook got a little annoying by the end. Michel is a Prince and hopeless romantic, he's looking for his soulmate and is trying to see a bit of the world before he becomes King, he's in disguise as a college professor! They were adorable together and I loved how sincere Michele was about his feelings for Emma!

Loved the premise of The Prince is Mine. It took some time to become invested in this story, did not finish. Will check out other titles from Jayci Lee in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity. All thoughts are my own!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, humorous, and emotional romance stories who will be swept away by the charming tale of a strong-willed Korean royal court cuisine instructor and a dashing prince who must navigate the complexities of love, identity, and happily ever after.

This was cute! It didn't really stand out or resonate with me, but I would recommend it to a friend if they love these tropes.

That Prince is Mine is such a cute book, I really enjoyed reading it and was sad when it was over. I really liked Emma and her family, and the way she describes food. I liked Michel also although I wish we had even more backstory about his life before he was a visiting professor/secret prince. The ending was magical and satisfying. I do wish there was a whole book about Sophie and Gabriel.

In this fun modern romance novel, readers meet Emma Yoon, who hopes to open a culinary school in LA to share Korean royal court cuisine with other Korean American hopeful brides. When her godmother’s rival matchmakers plot against her -- citing Emma’s single status -- Emma agrees to start looking for a husband, but visiting professor at USC, Michel Chevalier, is definitely not on her godmother’s list. Emma isn’t looking for love, and Michel isn’t looking to marry someone picked for him by his government, especially since his arranged engagement goes into effect in three months. Emma and Michel might be exactly who they are looking for as long as they don’t refuse to see it. Emma and Michel have great chemistry, and their relationships with other characters are really funny and heartwarming. Emma is a strong, capable protagonist, and she really has a mind of her own; her relationships with her father and godmother are really charming and meaningful. Michel is also interesting and complex, and his relationship to his royal status is interesting in its evolution over the course of the novel. A fun, steamy, and charming romance novel, readers are sure to love seeing Emma and Michel’s relationship evolve in this fantastic book.

Emma is an Asian-American with a love for cooking. Michel is a prince who is set for an arranged marriage by his family. With only three months left Michel wants no part of it. Michel is off and finds himself in LA where he meets and falls hard for Emma. There is an instant love and attraction for them both.

Is there an HEA in store for Michel and Emma and will Michel return home with Emma as his bride, if so how will his family feel about Emma?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St Martin Press - St. Martin's Griffin and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I just enjoy anything Jaci Lee puts out. Give me royalty and romance any day. Sweet and charming, funny, and hopeful. Really loved this hidden gem.

Dnf 47%

Thank you NetGalley and smp for the free arc. My opinions are my own.

At 47% I kind of expect to feel more invested in the story, but I’m just not feeling it.
It kinda feels like a story that meanders.

Like the grandma needing her to be married doesn’t feel pressing enough and neither does her dreams to open the commercial kitchen.

The romance feels…stilted. Too insta love for me.

A cute romance between a Korean-American food instructor and a Prince working as a visiting professor in the US.

I enjoyed this book, in particular all of the delicious food descriptions, and Emma. I liked Emma and her family a lot. It was hard for me to not compare this novel to the Sweet Mess trilogy, which I adored but I found I wasn’t as invested in the whirlwind romance with Michel as I was with Emma and her family.

Overall, I would recommend! It was fun!

A Cinderella retelling of sorts. Commoner meets a prince in disguise. I'm a sucker for a Royal tale! Cute + spicy! 4 stars.

The Prince is Mine is a delightful blend of romance, culture, and the challenge of balancing personal dreams with the demands of love. Jayci Lee creates an engaging love story between Emma and Michel that feels both fun and heartfelt.

Emma is a refreshing protagonist—focused, independent, and determined to build her culinary school while avoiding the complications of love. Michel, on the other hand, is a prince with a heart, longing for a partner who loves him for who he truly is. Their chemistry is undeniable, and watching their relationship evolve despite their practical reservations about love is both satisfying and swoon-worthy.

Lee does an excellent job of weaving in cultural elements, particularly through Emma’s culinary expertise, which adds a unique and vivid flavor to the story. The Prince is Mine is a charming read that will leave you with a smile.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you’re a fan of The Prince and Me or the Christmas Prince movies, this read is for you! I lived for Emma and all her cooking made my mouth water 😋 I’m going to have to add some of these dishes to my ‘desperate to eat after reading about it’ list.

And Michel… ohh Michel.

This was a heartwarming read thats perfect for a cozy day of reading.

That Prince is Mine is a light hearted, adorable rom com where the food is the highlight and the love interests have intense chemistry. All the delicious sounding Korean dishes mentioned had me starving! I would love to be a taste tester for Emma and I’m totally jealous Michel gets to eat her food. I haven’t read very many romances where the royalty x commoner is a main trope, but I think the author did a great job with it. I was worried either Emma or Michel would have to make major sacrifices or compromises to be together, but the ending worked out great for both parties. I hate when women in romances give up so much in order to have love, so seeing Michel be more than willing to lose so much for Emma was refreshing. I enjoyed the side characters and their featured stories. I found Emma and Michel to be a little cheesy at times, but it’s a rom com, so I wasn’t really bothered by it. Overall, the chemistry between Michel and Emma was fantastic, the story was wholesome, and the Korean representation was my favorite part.

Thank you to Griffin, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

I ended up DNF’ing this early on. I just wasn’t a huge fan of the writing or the plot. Some of the writing made me literally roll my eyes.

Thank you for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book partially due to the spice, but also due to the cultural references. I thought it was so interesting and I loved how the author wove in Korean traditions and food. I love learning about other cultures and find it exciting when it happens in a fictional romance book!

The characters in this book were so cute and so real. Michel was exactly how you would want a man to act for you. He's devoted, kind, genuine, and he really takes care of Emma and her family. I enjoyed reading about a man whose actually looking for love and finds it.

The plotline does get a little hairy in here because Emma is looking for a practical marriage and uses her Auntie Soo, a matchmaker, to help her find her love. We quickly move on from this though so I was a little confused why it was so heavily featured in the first 30% of the book and then it just dropped off. It felt a tiny bit unnecessary to me, but we can ignore it.

Other than that, I thought the story was cute and I loved the hea.