Review of A Prince on Paper

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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

After finishing A Duke By Default earlier this month I excitedly requested A Prince on Paper from NetGalley. I really enjoyed the fact that I had already been introduced to Portia in book two, and so I was excited to read book three where I would know both main characters.

A Prince On Paper follows Johan, the Playboy Prince of Liechtienbourg, who draws attention to himself in order to keep his brother out of the spotlight. It also follows Nya, the cousin of Ledi from A Princess in Theory, whose father that is currently in jail was emotionally abusive and kept her from living the life she always wanted. The two get drawn together and eventually enter into a fake engagement, and as you can imagine, the romance sparks from there.

I really liked both main characters in this one! Johan is a playboy with a heart of gold. I loved how the two of them first met, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest at how their relationship progressed from there. I also appreciated how complex Nya was. She has a lot to work through after years of her father’s gaslighting, and it’s wonderful watching her develop into her own person and finding out exactly who she is, after being told how to exist for years. I also felt that the two characters worked really well together, helping the other grow, but also giving the other enough space to be their own person.

While their relationship was hands down my favorite part of the book, I also really appreciated Johan’s family. I ADORED his relationship with his step-father, the king. I appreciated how it was actually a loving, caring relationship, even though the two were not bound by blood and no longer had Johan’s mother to connect them. I also liked Lukas, Johan’s brother, but not as much as I would have liked. I loved how much Johan cared for him, but I did feel like the lack of communication between the two brothers was dragged on for a bit longer than preferable.

I also really wasn’t a fan of Nya’s grandmother and how much she belittled Nya. I know it was sort of addressed, but I wasn’t satisfied with how it was handled. While I’m happy that she spurred on the fake engagement, her overprotectiveness over Nya had me groaning and rolling my eyes.

I also will admit that the plot of the referendum on whether or not the Liechtienbourg monarchy remained, lost my interest after a while. Especially as I began to figure some things out ahead of time.

Despite the issues with the side characters and the plots, I really did enjoy this book for the romance it promised and it may very well be my favorite of the Reluctant Royals series! It was definitely worth the read! If you haven’t already started the series, I’d honestly recommend starting from the beginning, but just know that they get better as they go!

Have you read this series? Which book is your favorite? Do you have any recommendations for books similar to this one?