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.

I really enjoyed this book! A regular person x prince (in secret) is such a fun trope, and this was really well done.


The characters were really lovable, and it was easy to see they were a good match and root for them. The cast of side characters were also really interesting, and it was fun to follow them a long (and cheer a long a side romance!)

This book was soo cute and had all the hallmark vibes. A prince in disguise and culinary instructor… come on! So cute!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Emma Yoon's business is to teach the art of Korean royal court cuisine to young ladies hoping to marry into the upper crust of Korean families. With her godmother's help in passing matchmaking clients her way, she's doing quite well, though she is unlucky in love herself. Because of her unmarried status, her godmother's reputation is in question, so Emma decides to allow her to make her a match, though she's got her eye on the man who is always in the restaurant when she's meeting her potential matches. Michel Aubert may be a professor at USC this semester, but he's also the crown prince of a small European nation, who will soon have to find the perfect bride to be his princess. He's prepared to spend the rest of his life giving his all to his country, but he wants something for himself first, and that doesn't include an arranged marriage. Will he be able to convince Emma he's worth it all, and has he found his perfect princess?

I really enjoyed this book, especially the dual POV. Emma and Michel were very different characters, with different backgrounds and life experiences. However, they were still perfect together, and really complimented each other. I did hate how long Michel kept his identity a secret, and the fact that he was due for an arranged marriage on his return home, but they talked it through, and Emma proved she was a princess in every way.

I rated That Prince of Mine by Jayci Lee 3.25 stars (3 on this grid)..

Was hard to get into in the beginning and while I liked most of the middle, I didn’t enjoy the last 15%. Not my favorite Jayci book. Was interested in the side characters more so than the leads. Not the book for me.

I loved this! I have dabbled in Korean culture/ cuisine so that was so cute how much of that was in this.
The Prince and Me is a favorite movie of mine and this kinda gave me the same vibes.
The chemistry between Emma nnd Michel were immaculate! Nothing could tear the tension and they were so cute! Michel, prince and all, HOT!
The writing style was definitely great and I cannot wait to read more from this author after this read!

That Prince is Mine is a fun take on the Royal Romance trope with a main heroine who loves to teach Korean Royal Court cooking classes and coincidentally meets a prince. Though Emma and Michel come from two very different worlds they soon find out they have more in common than they think. What begins as a whirlwind romance soon turns into something more. But will their love manage to overcome their obstacles and lead to a happily ever after?

What stood out to me the most about this novel was the main protagonist, Emma, and the theme of food in the plot. I loved how her passion for cooking connected the reader to her character on a deeper level. I learned a lot about Korean Royal Court cuisine and its ties to the Joseon Dynasty as well as the cultural significance of each dish. Some of the recipes sounded so mouthwatering and I loved seeing how these dishes brought the characters closer together! As for the romance between Emma and Michel, it felt rushed due to their situation, but I enjoyed reading their story as a couple. I felt like the resolutions to their issues were a bit glossed over and I would have cut out some other scenes to have their miscommunications worked out in a better way. There are some steamy bits in this novel but for the most part

I always enjoy Lee’s romance so hearing about her newest release inspired me to see this out for a review. The novel unfortunately, for me, feels a little more formulaic than I would like compared to her other romances that I’ve read previously. There was a spark that was missing, although I can’t put my finger on what it is specifically. It’s cheesy in the best of ways and the side characters feel well-written but Prince Michel especially could use more fleshing out in my opinion.

Still even with those complaints That Prince is Mine is lighthearted, funny, and a fun romance novel to read overall. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy a royal romance or light reading.

Emma has always planned to have an arranged match. She believes love fades and leaves you with nothing after her parent's divorce when she was a child. When her godmother, a high-profile matchmaker, shares that Emma being single may affect her business, Emma tells her to start arranging matches despite initially planning on expanding her Korean Royal Court cuisine school. As a culinary instructor, she is passionate about Jeongseong and is the sentiment she lives by as well as the strict plans she makes for her future.

As Emma meets potential husband candidates, she meets Michel. Michel is the crown prince of Rouleme (a small European country) who is in LA teaching at USC incognito so he may meet a woman organically and fall in love. If he doesn't, he plans to marry his arranged match, a friend who doesn't want to marry him either but will for duty too.

When Emma and Michel meet, there are immediate sparks. Emma decides to pause the matches temporarily since Michel is only there for two more months and stubbornly believes she can prove they have nothing in common and once proven, won't be distracted by him anymore.

Michel is whipped. Immediately.

Emma is stubborn. A little annoyingly though you understand how her background was traumatizing and affected her.

In many ways, Michel and Emma are opposites with little background in common or similar personalities. But they find their differences make them stronger, which they need to overcome the obstacles they face.

The realizations Michel and Emma both have at the end were satisfying and I thought Emma's reactions to the bombshells Michel kept dropping were appropriate and satisfying as well.

I enjoyed the side story of Gabriel and Sophie as well, and that it's complete though wouldn't have minded their own book.

Overall, it felt like a very full book with a lot of development of the romantic relationship, side stories, and individuals which I greatly enjoyed. Lee creates a rich world I would return to again.

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Feat: interracial relationship, class difference (prince/commoner), opposites attract, simp MMC

3.75 stars
2 spice

Give me anything with a prince in disguise and I am SOLD. I loved these characters and really enjoyed their love story.

So disappointed to write this review. I have LOVED all of Jayci Lee's previous titles, so I was looking forward to this. Sadly, this is not one I enjoyed, or would recommend.

I love the premise of this - a modern fairytale, briming with hope and Korean culture. What's not to love? Unfortunately, the characters were one-dimensional and left much to be desired. Emma, a culinary instructor and master of Korean cuisine, had one thing on her mind - to prove that Michel, the rakish crown prince from Rouleme, was her un-perfect match. It was a weird premise to center a book around, especially since Michel's only purpose was to prove Emma was his perfect match.

I had hopes that Emma's career would help her become more interesting, and there was a hint of that at the beginning of the book, but it faded away. The remainder was her internal perseveration at possibly falling in love.

Bummer.

Thanks to Netgalley and Edelweiss for an early copy to review.

A perfect blend of sweet and spicy, this is a romance you don't want to miss. Love the diverse rep and the fact that it was a royalty romance, which I have a soft spot for.

Jayci Lee's "That Prince Is Mine" offers a delightful blend of romance, cultural heritage, and the timeless battle between duty and love. The story follows Emma Yoon, a determined culinary instructor specializing in Korean royal court cuisine, who is focused on finding a practical, no-nonsense husband to secure her dreams. Emma's journey is thrown into disarray when she meets Michel Aubert, a charming professor with a secret identity as a prince. Emma and Michel's story is a heartwarming reminder that love can be both a choice and a destiny, offering a sweet escape into a world where happily ever afters are not just for fairy tales.

Arc received from the publisher; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. I wasn't a big fan of this book. It tells the story of a middle class Asian-American who falls in love with a, wait for, prince. Only she doesn't KNOW he is a prince! Oh my! Insert eye roll here please.

That Prince is Mine follows a classic romantic plot, blending elements of modern fairy tales and heartwarming moments. The book's premise, involving a prince and a hardworking protagonist, had me intrigued right from the start.
What I enjoyed most was Jayci Lee's writing style—it's engaging and easy to follow, making it a quick and enjoyable read. The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and their interactions were often adorable and sweet. I also appreciated the diverse representation within the story, which added a refreshing layer to the narrative.
However, there were a few aspects that left me wanting more. The plot felt somewhat predictable, and there were moments when the story seemed to drag. Some of the secondary characters could have been developed further to add more depth and complexity to the plot. Additionally, certain conflicts resolved a bit too conveniently for my taste, making the story feel less realistic.
Overall, "That Prince is Mine" is a delightful read for those who enjoy light-hearted romance with a fairy-tale twist. While it didn't completely wow me, it still provided a pleasant escape and left me with a smile. If you're in the mood for a sweet, feel-good romance, this book is worth a try.

I loved this book. I loved this premise or trope although I normally don't like royal tropes, but this one was toned down and Michel was a sweetheart and down to earth. Emma had some major baggage leading her down a very boring life path, thankfully Michel changed that. I loved learning about Korean culture too. Another great book from Jayci Lee.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sweet and fun. This was a great one to read at the beach for just something easy. I live Lee's writing style