I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons: Volume 1

by Izumi Sawano, Miru Yumesaki (Illustrator), Camilla L. (Translator)

Duchess Leticia Dorman has been betrothed to Crown Prince Clarke since age seven. She was once a rambunctious and free-spirited child, but the strict education she’s receiving to make her a fit future princess has really put a cramp in her lifestyle. Her only hope is that the prince might someday take an interest in someone else—so when Clarke shows up to a royal ball with an unknown woman at his side, Lettie is overcome with delight, presuming her dream has come true and her engagement has been broken off! She wastes no time retreating to an easygoing countryside life, but her newfound peace is cut short when the prince shows up and claims she’s still his fiancée! Clarke is determined to win Lettie over and marry her, while Lettie is determined to resist his charms and escape! Who will emerge victorious in this heart-pounding battle of wills?

Genres: Light Novel

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 20, 2023

Reviews

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro]

When the joke is "rape :DDDDDD"

[Clinton Walsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Physically forcing someone (kidnapping) by a prince doesn’t make it right

Spoilers.

I was sickened by the how this entire premise was set up. Girl is essentially tortured for ten years per her own words, forced into a marriage by a conceited prince who never once thinks that maybe I should ask the girl I insist on marrying whether she’s happy. Maybe take the time to get to know her. No, instead I’m going to trick her into thinking she’s free (the one things she has dreamed of for those ten years) and then tear that dream apart not 24 hours after starting her free life. Literally, carrying her kicking and screaming into a locked carriage. Where she suddenly calms down, doesn’t resent him, and upon actually looking at him falls in love with him? Oh, and brother is sadist who actively conspired against sister in order to ingratiate himself to the next king. Actually smiling at her despair.

The protagonist is unrealistic at all of the key junctures in this story. There were tons of better tools that the author could have used to bring the protagonist back to the palace, to acquaint the prince and protagonist, etc. Unbelievable amounts of hand-waving, railroading, and “it happens this way because I as author-god says it happens this way”. Prince claims to love her and proceeds to trample over her happiness without a thought. That’s not love. He is more possessive than loving. Gah, rant over. Btw I couldn’t finish the book. The story structure was so unrealistic that I wouldn’t be surprised to find that this author is a teen. My gripes are not with the translation (which was fine up to the point I ceased reading).

[Stas · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

Am filled with SEETHING RAGE.
WTF?!?

HARD PASS.

[ReadToBreathe · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the surface level, this book is hilarious and fun, but on the deeper level, it's problematic in every way you can imagine. Not a single character was likeable. The brother is a total trash, the FL doesn't know how to stand for herself, her father is useless, and the prince is a narcissist who doesn't understand the word no.

[Stardust92 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost every character is annoying but Lettie takes it to a whole new level

[Mariána K · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and creepy...

Putting aside the flat and unlikeable characters, what will constantly rub you wrong is the constant and blatant lack of consent. The way the main character is treated by every other character is with a complete disregard to her wishes. This lack of regard is so extreme that it comes off as very rapey. Additionally, the complete lack of proper courtship makes her softening resolve feel more like Stockholm syndrome.

This book is very short and consists of endless boring situational shenanigans that do not have any consequences.

It isn't until you finish reading the book and are delving into the bonus chapters that you actually get a glimmer of non-creepy behavior or perspective. There's a single chapter at the end that is from the prince's perspective. It is in this chapter that you find out that the prince is actually sincere in his love for the girl but he is manipulated through bad advice given to him by the girl's brother to conduct all the shenanigans that you have just witnessed from the other perspective. At this point you come to realize that the real creeper is her brother and that the prince is just stupid. The only way he is redeemed is through his stupidity and taking advice leading to terrible actions and behavior.

If that weren't enough let's talk about selfishness. The prince is so selfish that he doesn't care that he's making his love interest completely miserable and unhappy. He doesn't care, as long as he gets to be with her. As for the girl, her only objection is that she doesn't want to go to school. The irony is she's already done going to school. At the very beginning of the book it is very clearly stated that she's done with her princess lessons. So her throwing an entire fit about not wanting to take princess lessons is completely pointless because she's already done with it.

The whole thing is exasperating. It's a mixmash of really bad communication combined with a whole bunch of laziness and stupidity. The shenanigans that are supposed to make you laugh out loud are boring and tripe. There wasn't a single thing redeeming about this story, I really want those hours of my life back... And the money too please.

Save yourself the travel and do not read this one. Apparently there's an anime you can watch instead...
(￢_￢;)

[Mariela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could write something positive especially after I read the author's note saying it was their first book. *Sigh* It started out promising. I thought this was gonna be the book where the girl ditches the obsessed narcissist and lives a happy life but no. It doubles down on it. Everything that the prince did would have put him in jail if he wasn't a Prince! Kidnapping, assault...she writes a scene that is supposed to be played as cute but she did not give consent and even fainted from the emotional overload of his unwanted touching!!! For crying out loud! Not to mention the 10 years of abuse his parents inflicted on her prior to the start of the book! The prince's apology for the ten years of abuse aka Princess lessons is half assed at best. His parents, the chief abusers never apologize. All they do is laugh at her real concerns and make the bars on her window tougher to break. This book was nightmare fuel! And she plays it for laughs! This is insanity! This is not cute or funny. The explanation that she was the one who wanted to marry him comes way too late in the story and it doesn't even help because she was like 7 years old when she said she wanted to marry him! And her brother should go to jail! He's a creep and a narcissist! He basically sold his sister! Wtf with this book!
I read the whole thing cuz I was hoping she could swing an escape at the end that was permanent but no dice. She is well and truly trapped. That poor girl.
I gave it one star so I could post the review. Translator is good at their job and the author is good at putting a story together. If the aim was to terrify and make the readers cry for this poor girl then mission accomplished!

[Katharine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chapter 1 - 10

I just can't continue this series. It's clearly meant to be a romantic comedy, but it's just horrific. The female lead tries everything she can to escape from the Prince but is constantly caught and is literally dragged back at times. It's shown multiple times that during her "princess lessons" she was abused by her instructors. She has been forced into the role of becoming queen since she was seven years old, and suffered ten years worth of abuse and confinement. This is all brushed off because "The Prince wuvs her soooo much". Yikes. I'm dropping it and adding it to my DNF since the plot is going nowhere and the characters are both empty and annoying. The only reason it gets two stars is because the art is pretty. The best thing about this series is the art quality.

[Ghadeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun and cute

[Mya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why the hell did they animate this? The pictures in my head were bad enough.

[Uka · Rating 2 out of 5]

The princess lessons are like 5% of the book and it’s more “I want to escape from captivity arranged by everyone trying to gaslight me” ??