I am so saddened that this didn't work for me. I was hoping for a high stakes, action packed, adventure through Alexandria, Egypt...but sadly the mystery plot line moved too slowly and the emotional investment between these MCs never solidified. The pacing was too slow for my liking. The last 20% of the book had me frustrated with both MCs fighting against their desires and Elise's best friend Lady Olive, who had left her friend high and dry in a foreign country and then was so completely self-absorbed that they tried to jump into marriage with the MMC Saleem. The happily ever after felt very tenuous at best.

Readers who are familiar with Helmy's other books, may come into this one expecting a fairly modest closed door or fade to black scenes of physical intimacy. Daring to Fall for the Prince has a scene of open door, on-page physical intimacy.

Daring to Fall for the Prince features:
Royalty romance
Historical setting
Not England! (Alexandria, Egypt)
Slow burn
Murder mystery-ish

I've been eagerly following Heba Helmy's career since she started writing for Harlequin Historical, and I think Daring to Fall for the Prince is her best book yet! It's got everything you need -- lovable protagonists, a well-evoked setting, adventure and intrigue, and plenty of swoony chemistry. I'm extremely ready for the marriage-of-convenience tale that I presume will be the next book in the series. I'm hoping to add a Heba Helmy book to A Bookish Affair's 2026 lineup, and Daring to Fall for the Prince would be a fabulous pick.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

This was my first Heba Helmy book, although I’ve been meaning to get to her works for a while. It is a treat to read well-written Arab characters and settings within the heart-fluttering genre of historical romance. I will definitely be picking up her other series and waiting to see what comes next in the Princes of Egypt.

I liked that there was a uniqueness about each character, but not in such a simple way that turned them into caricatures. Both Saleem and his brother, Adnan, are different in a way that balances each other. There was no good brother, bad brother. I could easily root for both of them to find their happiness. I thought Olive was a bit more of a shallow counterpoint to Elise, and her impulsivity irked me a bit. Elise was faithful to their past and friendship, so there must be more to Olive than we got to see in this book. It’s possible that she is being set up as a protagonist for a future book, since there are still some mysteries about her that remain.

The romance between Saleem and Elise seemed so complete, a true meeting of their souls. I thought it was absolutely adorable that Saleem had already fallen for her through their letters and loved their instant connection upon physically meeting. It gave us that insta-love plot structure while still seeming authentic. I was so relieved that even though there is a strong premise for an angsty love triangle, it didn’t quite come to that. Saleem knew what he wanted, thankfully!

Each setting in this book was crafted with so much detail from the smells, to the sights, to the overall vibes. The frequent descriptions of the Egyptian cuisine made me so hungry, and I could imagine Elise trying all the flavors for the first time. Beyond the plate, the settings of the catacombs, the Lodge, Raseltin Palace, or even near the falafel cart were carefully described in ways that made it easy to play the book in my mind like a movie. I will be able to remember and replay this beautiful love story for quite some time.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

This was a really fun romance book. The setting was very nicely written and the romance was so cute! I would recommend this book!

This story is light and fluffy and predictable, but in all the best ways. There is a mystery element that keeps the story moving along at a nice pace.