Book Review: “That Prince Is Mine” by Jayci Lee

“That Prince Is Mine” by Jayci Lee (2024)

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Page Length: 405 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

A love-averse Korean royal court cuisine instructor in search of a perfect-on-paper husband is waylaid from her practical, heartbreak-proof plan when she meets a gorgeous professor—and prince in disguise—who will do anything to prove to her that love and happily ever after can be theirs.

Emma Yoon runs a small business as a culinary instructor in Los Angeles teaching Korean royal court cuisine to young ladies striving to marry into the exclusive upper crust Korean families. She has built her business alongside her renowned Korean matchmaker godmother, which brings her one step closer to her dream of opening up a culinary school on her own. But when her godmother’s fellow matchmakers decide to meddle in Emma’s love life in a bid to sabotage her godmother, and indirectly push Emma’s dream out of her reach, she must go on a series of arranged first dates and find herself the perfect-on-paper husband to help save both, her godmother’s reputation and her dream–even if she’s not ready for love. But when she meets Michel Aubert, a professor at USC, after a series of disastrous first dates, she wonders if she might reevaluate her position on love.

Prince Michel Aubert is bound by duty and responsibility to his country, but an arranged marriage is the last thing he wants. If he is going to spend the rest of his life in service of his people, then he at least wants someone he loves and trusts by his side while doing it. He needs to find a woman who loves him for who he is before his engagement to his handpicked bride is announced. Emma Yoon might be just the woman he is looking for.

Review:

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.

Final Verdict: