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Princes of Egypt #1
Daring to Fall for the Prince
Enter a world of Egyptian royalty and forbidden attraction in this high-stakes romance.
To Prince Saleem,
With Love
When Elise agrees to pose as her friend Lady Olive in a few letters with a faraway prince, she never dreams she’ll actually meet the man. Yet when they travel from England to Egypt, and Olive runs away, Elise finds herself alone with Prince Saleem and fighting a forbidden attraction!
It might be a tactical match, but Saleem’s all but betrothed to her best friend, and fiercely independent Elise is wary of his royal world. As they team up to solve a dangerous mystery, dare Elise reveal she’s the one who wrote the letters and surrender to this impossible desire?
From Harlequin Your romantic escape to the past.
Princes of Egypt
Book 1: Daring to Fall for the Prince
To Prince Saleem,
With Love
When Elise agrees to pose as her friend Lady Olive in a few letters with a faraway prince, she never dreams she’ll actually meet the man. Yet when they travel from England to Egypt, and Olive runs away, Elise finds herself alone with Prince Saleem and fighting a forbidden attraction!
It might be a tactical match, but Saleem’s all but betrothed to her best friend, and fiercely independent Elise is wary of his royal world. As they team up to solve a dangerous mystery, dare Elise reveal she’s the one who wrote the letters and surrender to this impossible desire?
From Harlequin Your romantic escape to the past.
Princes of Egypt
Book 1: Daring to Fall for the Prince
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2025
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 17, 2025
“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive” Sir Walter Scott said so well in his Marmion poem. Daring to Fall for the Prince is stuffed with so much of what I love- a romance based on a correspondence, a secret treasure, a mystery, exotic locale and diversity of characters. I was glad to pick up this first in series from new to me author, Heba Helmy.
Dare to Fall for the Prince is set in Victorian era Egypt when the heir, Prince Saleem waits for his intended on the dock in Alexandria and, instead, her best friend, Elise arrives in her stead. Elise is holding secrets- she wrote the letters to Saleem that were purportedly from Olive and she is not just in Alexandria to support her friend and try not to fall in love with Saleem. She might not get much Arabic yet, but she caught clearly that the affable Saleem only has one hard line- he hates lies. Uh oh….
Saleem is an open, generous young man who feels less adequate to be his father’s heir than his able, serious brother, Adnan, but he is willing for the arranged marriage his father set up with his British ally, Lord Whitmore’s daughter, Olive. He’s intrigued by Elise and confused that the author of the letters is more like Elise than Olive. He’s also caught between love and duty to family and country when all’s said and done.
Dare to Fall for the Prince was a great blend of light historical romance and light suspense. I loved that the setting is Egypt and the main characters are an Egyptian hero and half-British half-Greek heroine. This qualifies as a royal romance, but because of the exchange of letters and the mystery feels like so much more. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and her description of setting and culture - which occasionally had modern tones, but I went with it -while developing her characters and romance.
Saleem is rather uncomplicated and this is good because Elise is very complicated because of her situation. She’s been burned by a past love and feels hunted by her uncle’s greed so she gets prickly and tries to deny her feelings. I liked seeming them when they are working together though I was worried how Elise’s lie and how their situation of Saleem being promised to the absent Olive would all turn out.
All in all, this was a quick, engaging read and I will happily read more light Egyptian historical romances from Heba Helma. Recommended for when a light romantic distraction set in the past with cultural tones is wanted.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 5.12.25.
Dare to Fall for the Prince is set in Victorian era Egypt when the heir, Prince Saleem waits for his intended on the dock in Alexandria and, instead, her best friend, Elise arrives in her stead. Elise is holding secrets- she wrote the letters to Saleem that were purportedly from Olive and she is not just in Alexandria to support her friend and try not to fall in love with Saleem. She might not get much Arabic yet, but she caught clearly that the affable Saleem only has one hard line- he hates lies. Uh oh….
Saleem is an open, generous young man who feels less adequate to be his father’s heir than his able, serious brother, Adnan, but he is willing for the arranged marriage his father set up with his British ally, Lord Whitmore’s daughter, Olive. He’s intrigued by Elise and confused that the author of the letters is more like Elise than Olive. He’s also caught between love and duty to family and country when all’s said and done.
Dare to Fall for the Prince was a great blend of light historical romance and light suspense. I loved that the setting is Egypt and the main characters are an Egyptian hero and half-British half-Greek heroine. This qualifies as a royal romance, but because of the exchange of letters and the mystery feels like so much more. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and her description of setting and culture - which occasionally had modern tones, but I went with it -while developing her characters and romance.
Saleem is rather uncomplicated and this is good because Elise is very complicated because of her situation. She’s been burned by a past love and feels hunted by her uncle’s greed so she gets prickly and tries to deny her feelings. I liked seeming them when they are working together though I was worried how Elise’s lie and how their situation of Saleem being promised to the absent Olive would all turn out.
All in all, this was a quick, engaging read and I will happily read more light Egyptian historical romances from Heba Helma. Recommended for when a light romantic distraction set in the past with cultural tones is wanted.
I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.
My full review will post at The Reading Frenzy 5.12.25.
February 3, 2025
I wrote it so :)
April 7, 2025
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
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
May 29, 2025
Elise and Saleem are so good together. He’s written as kind of a ditzy golden retriever with a heart of gold that seems dismissed by some around him. He makes friends easy that are loyal to him. Elise, I kind of felt bad for not just the family stuff but Olive. Olive seems to be very selfish and egocentric. I don’t understood how Elise forgives her really. I have enjoyed watching this author grow over the years. This book has a softeness to it that her previous books do not have and I really liked it. This book reminded me of my family in some ways, I think my father is like Saleem in someways not as golden retriever but definitely an out going friendly Egyptian man with curly hair. I can’t wait to read the next book, is it Olive and Adnan? Oh and my name is in the book. Mabrouk
July 14, 2025
Enjoyable story in the unusual setting of late Victorian Egypt. Elise is a Greek-English woman who is best friends with Lady Olive. Olive has been promised in marriage to Prince Saleem of Egypt, something she is not excited about. Uninterested in even exchanging letters with her intended, she palms the chore off on her friend, Elise. Over the next few months, a deep connection forms between them, though Saleem believes the letters are from Olive.
I liked Saleem. He is the heir to the throne, even though he has an older half-brother, Adnan, who is illegitimate. Saleem is a good man, well-liked by everyone he meets. He has a vision for Egypt's future. However, he has trouble overcoming his irresponsible reputation from his younger years, putting him at odds with his father. Meanwhile, Adnan is more serious and has a closer relationship with their father. I liked that there is no tension between the two brothers, just an understanding of who each is. I enjoyed Adnan's efforts to help Saleem.
Matters become complicated when Olive runs off before they reach their destination, leaving Elise to attempt to explain her absence. I thought Saleem took the news very well, and Adnan stepped up to track down Olive. In the meantime, Saleem and Elise spend a lot of time together. Saleem is confused by the connection he feels for Elise, not knowing that she is the letter-writer. There are some great scenes of them together as Saleem shows her around his city. It doesn't take long for Saleem to realize that there's no way he can marry Olive when his heart belongs to Elise. Saleem also must overcome Elise's belief that there is no future for them. She is wary of involvement because of a bad experience and plans to live an independent life. But Olive's reappearance puts Saleem at odds with his father again, and it doesn't look good for the future he wants. The ending is confusing, with no explanation of how Saleem pulls off his triumph of love.
There is also a secondary storyline involving Elise's inheritance. The background of the gold bars was intriguing. I enjoyed how Saleem and Elise worked together to discover the truth. There was some danger involved that kept the tension up, and an unexpected revelation that changed Elise's life.
I look forward to the next book, which is probably Olive and Adnan's story. Hopefully, we will get an explanation of Olive's actions, because in this book, she came across as spoiled and thoughtless.
I enjoyed the Egyptian setting of this book. The author's descriptions of the food and scenery added depth to the story. I loved seeing Elise's wholehearted enjoyment of the new experiences.
I liked Saleem. He is the heir to the throne, even though he has an older half-brother, Adnan, who is illegitimate. Saleem is a good man, well-liked by everyone he meets. He has a vision for Egypt's future. However, he has trouble overcoming his irresponsible reputation from his younger years, putting him at odds with his father. Meanwhile, Adnan is more serious and has a closer relationship with their father. I liked that there is no tension between the two brothers, just an understanding of who each is. I enjoyed Adnan's efforts to help Saleem.
Matters become complicated when Olive runs off before they reach their destination, leaving Elise to attempt to explain her absence. I thought Saleem took the news very well, and Adnan stepped up to track down Olive. In the meantime, Saleem and Elise spend a lot of time together. Saleem is confused by the connection he feels for Elise, not knowing that she is the letter-writer. There are some great scenes of them together as Saleem shows her around his city. It doesn't take long for Saleem to realize that there's no way he can marry Olive when his heart belongs to Elise. Saleem also must overcome Elise's belief that there is no future for them. She is wary of involvement because of a bad experience and plans to live an independent life. But Olive's reappearance puts Saleem at odds with his father again, and it doesn't look good for the future he wants. The ending is confusing, with no explanation of how Saleem pulls off his triumph of love.
There is also a secondary storyline involving Elise's inheritance. The background of the gold bars was intriguing. I enjoyed how Saleem and Elise worked together to discover the truth. There was some danger involved that kept the tension up, and an unexpected revelation that changed Elise's life.
I look forward to the next book, which is probably Olive and Adnan's story. Hopefully, we will get an explanation of Olive's actions, because in this book, she came across as spoiled and thoughtless.
I enjoyed the Egyptian setting of this book. The author's descriptions of the food and scenery added depth to the story. I loved seeing Elise's wholehearted enjoyment of the new experiences.
March 24, 2025
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.
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.
June 5, 2025
Elsie is helping her friend Olive, by writing letters to a prince in Egypt that her British father wants her to marry. Elsie enjoys reading and writing the correspondence, while Olive doesn’t give a rats pattoie about the prince. When the two women take a steamer to Egypt to meet Olive’s intended, she jumps ship early, and leaves Elsie to meet the prince and explain things.
And, of course, since Elsie was the one writing the letters, she knows all sorts of things about the prince, and relates to him when she finally meets him int he flesh. But he is forbidden fruit, since he is supposed to be Olive’s fiance. Too bad Elsie’s heart isn’t listening.
A lovely story of visiting Egypt at the turn of the last century. Lots of lovely detail, which makes one feel as though they were there.
When I used to work in the library, the little old ladies would check out stacks of romance books, and I could never understand what the appeal was.
I have since learned that there are some really good romances out there, and Heba Helmy is one of those writing them. Her stories take place in Egypt in the Victorian era. Each story is well researched, as is this one, where she apologizes for some moving events around in history to make things work the way she wanted to.
I miss the world of Elsie and Oliver. Good thing the author missed them as well, and there will be a second book in the “Princes of Egypt” series of romances.
And, of course, since Elsie was the one writing the letters, she knows all sorts of things about the prince, and relates to him when she finally meets him int he flesh. But he is forbidden fruit, since he is supposed to be Olive’s fiance. Too bad Elsie’s heart isn’t listening.
A lovely story of visiting Egypt at the turn of the last century. Lots of lovely detail, which makes one feel as though they were there.
When I used to work in the library, the little old ladies would check out stacks of romance books, and I could never understand what the appeal was.
I have since learned that there are some really good romances out there, and Heba Helmy is one of those writing them. Her stories take place in Egypt in the Victorian era. Each story is well researched, as is this one, where she apologizes for some moving events around in history to make things work the way she wanted to.
I miss the world of Elsie and Oliver. Good thing the author missed them as well, and there will be a second book in the “Princes of Egypt” series of romances.
May 25, 2025
Heba Helmy's development as a writer is clearly evident in this book, as it is the best of the three which I have read.
It is refreshing to read a historical romance from the POV of Egyptian characters navigating colonialism and change, while maintaining traditions. It is great that the characters embrace their cultures. We need more writers like Helmy who offer a glimpse into the history that traditional histroms haven't explored.
The love story is compelling and you can see why the two characters want to be together. I also enjoyed all the side characters and was invested in the mystery aspect.
Also, this book is open door! I was pleasantly surprised because previous books were low spice, which tbh made sense because of the characters.
It is refreshing to read a historical romance from the POV of Egyptian characters navigating colonialism and change, while maintaining traditions. It is great that the characters embrace their cultures. We need more writers like Helmy who offer a glimpse into the history that traditional histroms haven't explored.
The love story is compelling and you can see why the two characters want to be together. I also enjoyed all the side characters and was invested in the mystery aspect.
Also, this book is open door! I was pleasantly surprised because previous books were low spice, which tbh made sense because of the characters.
May 20, 2025
Elise impersonates her friend in letters to a prince, leading to an unexpected meeting and a forbidden attraction in Egypt. As they solve a mystery together, Elise must choose between her independence and her growing feelings for the already-betrothed prince.
It’s a pleasure to read this light-hearted and emotional romance with a mystery subplot. I appreciate the Egyptian setting, which makes for a nice change from England.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
It’s a pleasure to read this light-hearted and emotional romance with a mystery subplot. I appreciate the Egyptian setting, which makes for a nice change from England.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
May 22, 2025
It's always refreshing to have a historical romance setting be something other than Regency England. This one takes place in 1883, Egypt. The rich descriptions of Egypt and the food made me hungry. The FMC, Elise, was always hungry too and I could understand why, being in this location.
The romance between Saleem and Elise was smoldering. I was rooting for them to realize that they love each other and not Olive. Very well done!
Thank you to Harlequin for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
The romance between Saleem and Elise was smoldering. I was rooting for them to realize that they love each other and not Olive. Very well done!
Thank you to Harlequin for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
June 20, 2025
CWs:
I don't think 15 year old me would've ever imagined I'd be reading a Harlequin featuring Egyptian main characters. I loved all the descriptions of the food and of Alexandria, all of which made it really feel like an Egyptian book.
Saleem is very much a sunshine character, while Elise has been hurt in the past and is more reserved. I really liked their dynamic, and the mystery that was woven through the romance. I had a good time with this, and I'm actually really interested in Olive and Adnan's story now.
I don't think 15 year old me would've ever imagined I'd be reading a Harlequin featuring Egyptian main characters. I loved all the descriptions of the food and of Alexandria, all of which made it really feel like an Egyptian book.
Saleem is very much a sunshine character, while Elise has been hurt in the past and is more reserved. I really liked their dynamic, and the mystery that was woven through the romance. I had a good time with this, and I'm actually really interested in Olive and Adnan's story now.
July 18, 2025
The story was super cute. I would have loved to read about Olive's story with the brother.
To the author, I was wondering if this novel be edited and rereleased???? Having a dash between multiple words throughout the book inconsistently was driving me crazy and took me out of the story multiple times. (Sa-leem, En-glish, Col-our)
To the author, I was wondering if this novel be edited and rereleased???? Having a dash between multiple words throughout the book inconsistently was driving me crazy and took me out of the story multiple times. (Sa-leem, En-glish, Col-our)
February 3, 2025
I wrote it so :)
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May 2, 2025Multicultural & Interracial Romance, Sagas, Historical Fiction, Victorian Historical Fiction
Miniseries
Princes of Egypt (Book #1)
Miniseries
Princes of Egypt (Book #1)
May 23, 2025
Great romance! I loved that it was set in beautiful Egypt. This is Elise and Saleem's story. Perfect to put in your beach bag this summer.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews