I could easily have seen this being much shorter, cutting out a lot of the drama and cutting to the chase, which is probably why I liked the novellas more. And the ultimate plot twist of who the princess was is great, if a bit weirdly executed.Īnd that brings me to my issues, and I think it’s one I have with many of Cole’s full-length works: she’s trying to do too much, so she loses focus of what really matters. I liked the initial concept, and Makeda and Bez are both intriguing characters from completely opposing lives, presenting a great case for drama. I mean, a queer Anastasia retelling! And Alyssa Cole’s previous queer books have been my favorites of hers.īut in spite of this I struggled.

In spite of being previously burned with Alyssa Cole’s contemporaries, I had a lot of hope for How to Find a Princess. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. When they finally make it to Ibarania, they realize there’s more at stake than just cash and crown, and Makeda must learn what it means to fight for what she desires and not what she feels bound to by duty. When a threat to her grandmother’s livelihood pushes Makeda to agree to return to Ibarania, Bez takes her on a transatlantic adventure with a crew of lovable weirdos, a fake marriage, and one-bed hijinks on the high seas. Yet when Beznaria Chetchevaliere crashes into her life, the sleek and sexy investigator exudes exactly the kind of chaos that organized and efficient Makeda finds irresistible, even if Bez is determined to drag her into a world of royal duty Makeda wants nothing to do with. The last thing she’s in the mood for is to rehash the story of her grandmother’s infamous summer fling with a runaway prince from Ibarania, or the investigator from the World Federation of Monarchies tasked with searching for Ibarania’s missing heir.

Makeda Hicks has lost her job and her girlfriend in one fell swoop. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alyssa Cole’s second Runaway Royals novel is a queer Anastasia retelling, featuring a long-lost princess who finds love with the female investigator tasked with tracking her down.

Let It Shine by Alyssa Cole