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What girl doesn’t want to wear a tiara? Me. The one who lives in yoga pants and knows she’s not special enough to be a princess.

One minute I’m starting my dream life in NYC, and the next, a man too hot for his own good is banging on my door, telling me that I’m a long lost princess of a country on the other side of the Atlantic.

Not exactly your typical Friday night in the Big Apple.
Suddenly, all of my plans for the future are yanked away. I’m trapped in a life filled with social obligations—and stilettos!—and an uptight royal family I didn’t know existed. They, and the whole rest of the freaking country, have lofty expectations I’m not sure I can meet.

At least the aforementioned sexalicious man, Elias, is my constant shadow, protecting me with his life. The whole situation is overwhelming. So I’ve secretly put him in charge of my happiness, too...and he’s taking my orders very, very seriously.
So seriously, I’m falling for him even harder than the new country I’m coming to...maybe...love.

And that’s a major problem, because he’s crazy about me, too. I may not know all the zillion rules about being royal, but I know one for sure: No way can a princess date her bodyguard…

360 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2019

135 people are currently reading
1912 people want to read

About the author

Christi Barth

59 books776 followers
USA TODAY bestselling author Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage. A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes award-winning contemporary romance, including the Naked Men and Aisle Bound series.

Christi can always be found either whipping up gourmet meals (for fun, honest!) or with her nose in a book. She lives in Maryland with the best husband in the world.

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5 stars
125 (22%)
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180 (32%)
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170 (30%)
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53 (9%)
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22 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
Profile Image for Kristy.
1,427 reviews181 followers
December 16, 2019
A romance book full of clichés and a Mary-Sue protagonist, this one fell short for me. I couldn’t for a second believe that Elias would risk his whole career (and honor) over a girl he just met. Especially when they started out as just being a fling. And I didn’t like how naively American Kelsey was as to somehow not know the slightest basics of how royalty works. Americans love a good royal story. Let’s not act like we don’t know the most basic of royal protocol.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Liralen.
3,340 reviews275 followers
December 11, 2019
Well. Let's dig in, shall we?*

Heroine: Wow, New York! I'm soooo excited to watch other people have adventures without having to have any of my own.

Hero: Never mind that. You're a princess, kidnapped as a baby and raised by IMPOSTERS. You're coming with me.

Heroine: Uh, can I think about this for a second?

Hero: No! Absolutely not! If you're allowed time to think about how sketchy this all is, you might not come with me. So no, you can't think or pack or make any phone calls or check in with the embassy of a country you've never heard of that's telling you you're a princess.

Heroine: He just broke down my door because I refused him? OMG how sexy. I can't even. Okay! I'll, like, totally go with.

Heroine's sister 1.0: Can you tell us a little more about this possibly nonexistent country?

Hero: Of course. It's next to a little country called Italy, which you've probably never heard of. We're thinking about joining the European Union, which you've also probably never heard of. We speak a language commonly referred to as 'my language', 'their native tongue', or 'the Moncriano language'. Despite being vaguely Mediterranean in location, we are also the only non-Commonwealth country where crumpets** are a common thing.

Heroine: I guess that's all I need to know. Hey, what about my loving adoptive parents? Not that I really care or am going to have more than half a paragraph of angst about the fact that I've suddenly learned that I was adopted, my parents have been lying to me my whole life, et cetera.

Hero: We had them arrested. Obviously.

Heroine: Oh, okay. No big deal.

Heroine's sister 2.0: A real princess wouldn't have let herself be kidnapped as an infant. She'd also not be caught dead in those plebeian rags.

Heroine's sister 1.0: Well, that's rude.

Heroine's sister 2.0: What are you doing here?

Heroine's sister 1.0: Oh, don't mind me. I'm just here to do the scutwork while the heroine is being treated like royalty (and I'm not) and to prove that nobody cares about our loving parents. I'm also here to accidentally get shot, and, most importantly, to provide groundwork for a later book in which I hook up with the heir to the throne and there's Drama because we're not sure if I can have kids.

Heroine: So, like, now that I'm royal...what am I supposed to do? Should I get to know my new family or something?

Royal family: No, no. We don't actually want to have conversations with you. We'll leave that to the bodyguard/hero/whatever. All we care about is that you have a wardrobe befitting a princess and don't embarrass us tooooooo terribly. Which will be hard for you, we're sure, because of your pathetic American upbringing.

Heroine: I knew it. I knew I wasn't special enough to be a pretty pretty princess.

Hero: Don't say that, my treasure. You're not like other women! Somehow you're not a total ditz, a bratty little kid, or totally wrapped up in money and status, like every other female person I've ever met.

Heroine: Oh, wow. He must really think I'm special.

Royal family: Now that you have the right clothes, we'll introduce you to the nation. Now remember, it's only in the last decade that we changed our name from 'Villain' to 'Villani', and we're still not sure that the softer-image thing is a good idea. So no PDA or romance or any of that.

Heroine: A full-on makeout sesh with my totally hot, brand-new boyfriend (who doesn't think I'm like other women!) on a balcony in front of the country's entire population is fine, though, right?

Royal family: Well, we don't care enough about you to actually reinvestigate your kidnapping now that we have more information, or to ask you a single thing about your upbringing or personality or hopes or dreams or anything like that, so—we don't really care about that, either. We're totally cool with assuming that your inappropriate two-week fling is definitely going to be Twu Wuv. We'll introduce him to the public as The One, so better not change your mind once you actually get to know him.

Heroine: Wow. I guess being royalty really is all it's cracked up to be.




*There's a valid point to be made that I should probably stop reading books that I know—or realise very quickly—are going to exasperate me to no end. But! What fun would that be?

**Do you know how hard it is to find crumpets, let alone decent crumpets, outside the UK? I bought two packets the last time I was in England, but the last ones went mouldy before I could eat them. (I cut off the mould and ate them anyway. Didn't die, so...)
Profile Image for Dali.
2,087 reviews591 followers
August 27, 2020
I'm so sorry I haven't reviewed this book properly. I read it in a rush to get up to date with the rest of the series. It's super sweet, charming and I absolutely loved the entire series!
Profile Image for ♥ WishfulMiss ♥ .
1,433 reviews115 followers
November 25, 2019
This piqued my interest and instantly reminded me of a grown up version of the Princess Diaries (which I loved back in the day!) and so had to ask for a copy.

I read it from start to finish and really enjoyed it overall. Mostly for Kelsey – I loved her optimism, big heart and her completely relatable jumble of conflicting emotions. It’s got to suck to find out you weren’t just adopted but kidnapped, that your real family is actually royalty and that having found you at last, you now have to leave the only life/family/country, you’ve ever known behind and try to fit into a role others have had a lifetime to prepare for.

To say Kelsey’s life was on shaky ground would be an understatement. It helped loads to have her very supportive (think personal cheerleader) older sister Mallory by her side. I loved their sister/best friend relationship and I am keeping my fingers crossed that Mallory will have her own story as leading lady soon! I felt a little tension between her and Christian but with how big these royals take social status into account that might be a huge no but still I’d love to see more of her.

Which brings me to the other huge selling point of this story. Elias. Big, sexy, honorable to a fault bodyguard and love interest. He provided so much of the angst in the story and it was done so well it really packed an emotional sucker punch for the reader. Knowing the how and the why behind Elias’ deep –think bottom of the ocean deep- reservations and feelings helps you really understand him and the type of person he is.

This is the first book by this author I’ve read but it won’t be the last. She created characters that were real and complex and likable – which isn’t always an easy thing to do. Although the story overall still left a lot of questions unanswered and the ending definitely felt a bit rushed, in the end I got the happy couple and the promise of more connected stories so I’m good. Genevieve is next, probably followed by Christian *fingers crossed* and Mallory (pretty please!)

Memorable Moments:
I loved Kelsey’s candidness and how Elias adored that about her. His almost old fashion character balanced her out perfectly. The best example I can give is when Elias plans a normal date for Kelsey and things quickly heat up. . .

“Crap. I swear I’ve got sexier moves than this,” she said, wriggling them down her legs.
“Stop.” Elias lifted her hands and kissed the backs of them. “You’re a present, my treasure. Let me unwrap you.”


Very much like our heroine, Kelsey, I was a pretty decent puddle of melty goo in the face of that sweetnes. Elias is a big old romantic softy when it comes to Kelsey and I loved it!

Would I recommend? It has a bit of a slow start but the end is worth it. I would recommend, especially if you like this type of trope.

* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


SAFETY INFO:
Profile Image for Jypsy .
1,524 reviews72 followers
November 30, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Princess Problem
By: Christi Barth

*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Like so many other girls, I loved The Princess Diaries when I was younger. Who wouldn't want to be a long lost princess? Kelsey is a charming character-just a girl suddenly deemed royalty-handling the situation as best she can. Thank goodness for hottie bodyguard, Elias, to help Kelsey through this royal maze. Together, these two are an adorable entertaining couple who you will root for all the way. I love the reminiscent vibe of this story and recommend for all the girls dreaming about just such a fairytale life.
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,863 reviews1,564 followers
November 19, 2019
Doesn’t every little girl dream of being a princess one day? Of being swept off her feet and whisked away to a castle and living her happily ever after with her dream prince? I know I did growing up. Seriously, who wouldn’t fall in love with Prince Charming?

But reality sure as heck isn’t anything like a dream. Just ask Kelsey. She’s identified as a long-lost European princess and whisked away to her potential new life—after finally living what was her dream life in New York City. Sure, it was only for a couple of days, but she knew she’d love NYC once she got used to it.

But now she’s in a foreign country. Meeting her family as an adult, independent woman—one raised to speak her mind. And it’s going to be a challenge trying to get to know her siblings, learn all the royal protocol and used to having no freedom of movement, bodyguards, and a wardrobe to die for.

Speaking of bodyguards. Elias is assigned to protect Kelsey—but who’s protecting Elias from falling in love with her? And she with him. It’s not allowed—and could become dangerous if he’s distracted from his duties. Did I say it’s also against the rules? But rules are made to be broken, right??

I really enjoyed the romance between Kelsey and Elias. Their attraction and connection felt real and deep. And their banter was fun and sexy. I totally connected with Elias and his worry over duty versus love—and the struggle he had.

The Princess Problem was a fun twist on royal romance and in the end, I was fully satisfied and happy with Elias and Kelsey’s HEA. ~ Missy, 4 stars
Profile Image for LaBibliodeCaro.
619 reviews3 followers
November 10, 2019
The Princess Problem is the first in a new royal series. If you enjoy this type of reading in general, you might be curious to have a look. After all, I’m a Princess Diaries fan myself! However, the comparison starts and ends with the common term in the book title. Beware!

I read in a not-so-enthusiastic review that the book could possibly be better suited for a younger audience. Well, considering the very explicit sex scenes, I would strongly advise against giving the book to tweens.

Now, if you can get past the initial convoluted trigger and you’re into a sexy romance between a princess and a bodyguard, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this novel. But things might go differently if like me, you find it hard to believe a New Yorker would accept (rather quickly) the idea of being an actual kidnapped European princess, and drop everything on a whim to move (even temporarily) to another country without even talking to her parents first.

Overall, I found a lot of things to be not credible (the rude behaviour of the royal family towards Kelsey). If I’m not mistaken, the author places the fictional country at the border between Italy and Austria. Yet, later on, the bodyguard explains to Kelsey the nation is located on the edge of the ocean which is why they have seafood and it is not exotic for the locals… Well, it is geographically impossible to be located near this particular European border and near the ocean at the same time!

All in all, this book was not for me.
Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
8,928 reviews172 followers
November 17, 2019
The Princess Problem (Unexpectedly Royal) by: Christi Barth  
 
From beginning to end Barth holds your emotions in her hands. Kelsey and Elias wrap themselves around your heart rather quickly and stubbornly refuse to let go. The Princess Problem shakes up the way we view royalty and delights while doing so. Kelsey is ready to live her best life. Her dreams are finally coming true until a sexy stranger throws a detour in the way of her happy ending. Whether you laugh yourself silly or to tears, Barth makes a lasting impressing with this heartwarming, laugh out loud charmer.
Profile Image for Amber.
1,193 reviews
September 2, 2023
When Kelsey Wishner finds out she is a princess of a country she has never heard of, she is taken out of her new life in New York City with her sister Mallory. Will Kelsey be able to survive her new life as a princess. Read on and find out for yourself?

This was a pretty good rag to riches modern fairytale story. If you like these types of stories, then be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books and eBooks are sold.
Profile Image for Urvashi.
623 reviews
November 6, 2019
Kelsey has just moved to NewYork with her sister and is excited to be living in the most exciting city in the world. But then her world is turned upside down, it seems she is a Princess of an European country who was kidnapped when she was just 3 months old, and she was only found because she was finger printed for one of her jobs.
Elias is part of the royal protection service, and is in charge of getting the princess back to Moncriano and to keep her safe.
Kelsey is overwhelmed with all the changes and has 2 weeks to decide if she wants to stay in Moncriano or go back to America. Through all the changes happening in her life, Elias has been her one safe place, but what kind of a future can a Princess and a bodyguard have ?
The princess problem is like a dream come true story. The author has spun a story that truly kept me hooked. I loved the humane side of the Royal family. They lost Kelsey when she was just 3 months old and now when they have found her at age 25, they are figuring out how to be a family. The chemistry between Kelsey and Elias is hot. This was a delightfully entertaining read and I can’t wait to read more in the series.
Profile Image for Kari Hansen.
12.2k reviews92 followers
November 18, 2019
Kelsey and her sister Mallory are ready to start their adventure of living in NY when a knock on their apartment door sends them to Moncriano as she is actually the long lost Princess who was stolen as a baby.

Elias is the Prince’s best friend and works security for the Royal family. He is on a quest to right the wrongs of the past and that means finding the Princess and returning her back to her rightful place in the family.

There is no denying the chemistry and connection but there’s no way for a Princess and her Protector to have a happy ever after is there?

Kelsey is fun and feisty while Elias is sweet yet sexy and the secondary characters were a great addition and I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Treena.
1,343 reviews83 followers
November 8, 2019
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request for an ARC of this book.

I really liked this story. It’s the first book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed how Ms Barth told Elias and Kelsey’s love story. It was fun, light, and entertaining.

I’m looking forward to reading Genny and Christian’s stories!

Profile Image for Sarah.
330 reviews
November 2, 2019
I recieved this as an e-ARC, so thank you to the publishers! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now, first of, I'm sure Barth's book will be the perfect fit for someone - unfortunately it wasn't a good fit for me..

We follow Kelsey who suddenly recieved the news that she is a princess that was kidnapped as a baby, and that she is to - immediately - go to this country to be reinstanted as a member of the royal family. Understandably, she is pretty stand offish but hey, hey, hey there's a hot guy involved which makes things sort of okay anyway. Right?

And the conflict.. holy moley what a non-conflict either than creating a mini-rift between the couple (a very uninteresting conflict at that)... I dont know how well you know your European royal families, but the majority of spouses to current kings and queens and grown-up heir apparents were not born royal, oh no, many are "the man/woman of the people", and no one really cares what so ever. It's not a problem - especially if you are number three in the line of succession, which we are told Kelsey is! That number would be pushed back as soon as her siblings had children. No one cares. The Mr. could probably even decline the title of 'prince' (like Princess Madeleine of Sweden's husband [yes, I know there's more to it than him saying no]).

Meh and boo to bad thought out conflicts!

Meg Cabot did the same sort of idea (minus the sex) in a much better way two decades ago. I'd recommend a reread of those books instead of this one, sadly.

I wish Barth all the best with the series, though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,650 reviews5 followers
November 4, 2019
I loved the book!

You know the dream where people wish their parents were royalty, for graphic artist Kelsey Wishner it is actually true!

Kelsey Wishner had to get fingerprinted for her new part-time job teaching in New York City to supplement her income after moving with her sister from Michigan. Her fingerprints matched the missing Princess Valentina of Moncriano who had been kidnapped since she was three month old. Elias Trebanti of the Moncriano Royal Protection Service had been sent to bring her to home and Kelsey was having nothing to do with it but Elias convinced her and her sister Mallory to travel to Moncriano to visit and not because she thought her bodyguard was gorgeous.

I had fun reading The Princess Problem because it took Kelsey who was the daughter of two doctors and had just moved to New York City and throwing her in the deep end as the newly found Princess Valentina and Kelsey stood up for herself and made them accept her as Kelsey and not a person they could made into a plastic princess. Now I want Princess Genevieve’s story!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
164 reviews25 followers
November 20, 2019
Who accepts anything without a DNA test these days? The convoluted way Kelsey was found was ridiculous. The kidnapping explanation needed a sensitivity reader to say the least

This was published by Entangled not self published so what were the editors doing? So much of this made no sense and the "natives" reference was icing on this cake.
Profile Image for Monica.
65 reviews5 followers
March 15, 2020
It was cute and fluffy but very cliché. The story was actually rather boring for me. And it was very instalove that made me not want to continue reading the book. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else from this book. But it was not for me I got annoyed at the characters and their decisions and didn't feel any connection with any of them. I don't think this book is a bad book it was just that I didn't vibe with it.

Profile Image for Kimberley C..
258 reviews10 followers
Read
November 15, 2019
I tried very hard, but gave up at 51 percent. I kept waiting for more of a plot to develop, but this one didn’t seem to want to go anywhere. It was very long winded, and I didn’t see any chemistry between the main characters. It had an interesting premise, but may need some editing and some action, at least something before the 50 percent mark.
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
November 20, 2019
4.5 stars

I loved The Princess Problem by Christi Barth! A woman who has just fulfilled her dream of living in New York City with her sister finds out after her fingerprints for a new job hit a database that she is a princess of a small European country and was kidnapped as an infant. Thrust into royal life, she must figure out how to adapt to her new duties and her new family all while trying to figure out how she feels about being a princess and how in the heck the parents who raised her ended up with her. Funny, sweet, and sexy but with many poignant moments as well, The Princess Problem was a joy to read.

Kelsey is so happy to be in NYC even if the apartment she and her sister share is tiny and their budget is strained, so when a very handsome man knocks on her door and tells her she is the long lost (well kidnapped) princess she thinks she’s being punked for a reality show, turns out it’s the truth and soon she and her sister are whisked away to Moncriano where she will meet her older brother, older sister, her father and other members of the royal family she was born into. Overwhelmed and stressed she leans on her body guard Elias who also happens to be her new brother’s best friend.

I know that will probably be people who try and tear this book apart for one reason or another because it doesn’t meet royal protocol or some such nonsense, but since I’m not a huge royal watcher and don’t really care about how things are done in royal families, I was able to sit back, read, and truly fall in love with these characters and their story. While a romance between Princess Kelsey (yes she insisted on keeping the name she grew up with instead of the one she was born with) and Elias was pretty front and center in this book Kelsey was also getting to know her new family and dealing with how awkward she felt around her brother even though he was happy for her return, her new sister who seemed less than thrilled she was found, forging a relationship with her father the king, steering clear of her grandmother who was a strong personality and not very nice, and a great aunt who was quite lovely.

While Elias tired to steer clear knowing that a relationship with Kelsey wasn’t possible with him being a commoner, the more time they spent in each other’s company the harder it was to deny the feelings they were both having. I enjoyed watching their feelings grow, how conflicted they were, and how they decided to deal with their attraction. There were ups and downs in their relationship and I felt it was very realistic at how things played out.

The Princess Problem was a fantastic start to this series and I’m already looking forward to reading the next book.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Profile Image for T.H. Hernandez.
Author 10 books214 followers
January 5, 2020
Kelsey and her big sister Mallory have just moved to the Big Apple, NYC, Manhattan, and are ready to live the dream they’ve been planning and saving up for for nearly a decade. After finally moving into their tiny apartment, they begin to unpack and dive into life in the big city at full steam when a knock on the door changes everything. Kelsey’s world is upended when she’s told she’s the long-lost daughter of the king of a small country nestled near the Italian coastline. A country she’s never heard of. They tell her she was kidnapped as an infant, something that makes no sense to Kelsey, who grew up in a very decidedly middle class family that was perfectly average in every way. She never had even a hint that she was a) adopted or b) kidnapped. None of it makes any sense to her or Mallory. And the fact that she can’t reach her parents, only makes matters worse when government officials from Moncriano want her to return to her home country. Elias, her self-described body guard is as hot as he is foreign, only muddying the waters further.

Kelsey not only needs to navigate royal life, bond with a family she’s never known, come to terms with her past, but also decide in two weeks if she’s ready to embrace her true identity and give up the only way of life she’s ever known. Yeah, no pressure there.

Plot
Kelsey must embrace her true roots or not. That’s the heart of the story. But the romance with Elias is a strong subplot. Her journey throws a lot of obstacles in her way, not the least of which is getting to know her royal family. With her birth mother having already died, her father, the king, is struggling with embracing the daughter he believed gone forever. She has a brother for the first time ever, but also an older sister who seems to hate her. The fact that Elias is her subject as well as her employee makes any relationship completely off limits. Which of course only makes the sparks fly hotter.

My biggest problem with this book is that Kelsey seems to take it all in stride. The fact that she’s willing to just go with the hot stranger without verifying anything for herself, that she’s not more distraught over her past and secrets withheld from her, ate away at me at a low level as she meets her “real” family. She mentions a few times in passing that her parents weren’t kidnappers, but this should have been driving some serious low-level angst in everything she does. Instead, less than 20% in, she’s snogging her security detail in the garden instead of having an identity crisis of epic proportions. But if you can overlook this for the sake of convenience, it’s a lighthearted take on what it’s like to be unexpectedly thrust into royal life, like a grown-up THE PRINCESS DIARIES. It’s definitely a fun, fast read.

Characters
The characters aren’t terribly deep, but they are fun, and not stereotypical. Kelsey is delightful as the reluctant royal and her sister, Mallory, is hysterical as her partner in crime. I love Kelsey’s loyalty to Mallory as well as her sense of duty to both her families. Elias is honor-bound and full of principle. Princess Genevieve is so relatable as the older sister whose entire life has been shaped by Kelsey’s kidnapping and is struggling with yet the latest upheaval in her relatively short life. Prince Christian is adorable as the loving older brother who has no idea how to interact with his youngest sister. I was totally pulling for a Christian/Mallory side romance. The rest of the characters are there to provide humor and conflict and do their jobs well. There really isn’t a whole lot for any of them to overcome on a deep level, leaving this more plot-based than character-based and that’s perfect for a romantic comedy.

What I Enjoyed About THE PRINCESS PROBLEM
1. Royalty. Sure, Americans don’t have our own royalty, in fact if anything we’re anti-royal since our whole country was founded on bucking the monarchy, but it’s still fun to get a behind-the-scenes reminder of why being a princess would suck on almost every level.

2. Elias. Not only is he yummy to look at, but his sense of duty and honor makes him nearly irresistible.

3. Christian. He walks a fine line between the duties of heir to the throne and that of an adoring older brother with class, humor, and intense hotness.

4. Mallory. Kelsey is her sister. She always has been and she always will be, regardless of Kelsey’s royal status. I love how nothing changes for her when it comes to her little sister.

5. Politics. I’ll admit, I didn’t really expect that in this story, but it plays into everything, although with a light touch by the author. It adds intrigue that would otherwise be missing.

Bottom Line
A super fun, lighthearted royal romance.

Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,683 reviews796 followers
November 1, 2019
I really liked how The Princess Problem takes every little girl’s fantasy and spins it on its head - would you REALLY like to discover that you’re actually a princess? It seems like a great idea, but the reality might not live up to expectations. For our heroine, it means that she’s been plucked from her life and dropped in a foreign country, where everyone assumes it’s an honor for her to become a princess and Kelsey just feels like her dreams were taken away from her. It’s a well written and interesting read that focuses on family, forbidden romance, and features a touch of suspense.

The story follows Kelsey, an American woman who has just achieved her dream of moving to New York City. She’s excited to have a job she loves, a tiny apartment with her sister, and a whole world of possibilities ahead of her. That all changes when a routine fingerprinting reveals that she’s actually a princess who was kidnapped as a baby. When a sexy, stoic bodyguard shows up at her door and tells her that all her dreams are about to come true, she’s not sure what to think... especially since being a princess isn’t HER dream. Elias is both confused by and attracted to the feisty American who doesn’t seem to be motivated by the promise of jewels and wealth. As Kelsey rejoins her family, the only person who seems to understand what she’s going through is Elias, and that draws them together - despite the fact that they are banned from dating.

I’ve read (and enjoyed) books by Christi Barth before, so I was excited to give this a try. The writing is great, and the premise kept me on my toes. Both Kelsey and Elias are easy to relate to - this is all a little overwhelming to Kelsey, and she responds perfectly. I liked Elias a lot because we got to see things from his perspective as well, but he is pretty formal and stiff at times, so it wasn’t always easy to feel the chemistry between them. I think if a little less focus was on the family dynamics and a little more was on Elias and Kelsey away from all things royal, this would’ve been a 5-star read for me. That being said, if you like royal romances then this is certainly an interesting take on the subject and a worthwhile read. My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this book.
Profile Image for Lilian.
497 reviews34 followers
August 11, 2021
I had never heard of this book before, but it came up in my audiobook library and I thought it sounded like a cute story. I love anything to do with royals, and especially if there's romance involved, so it wasn't hard to choose this book at all!

The book is very fast paced, and maybe a little too fast. I couldn't always keep up with the events and sometimes it's too fast to be believable. If you find out you're a princess that has been kidnapped when you were three months old, I'd have to get some time to get used to the situation and figure it out. Kelsey did have the same feeling, but she did go on to easily forget about her American parents and get used to her new (royal) family.

The love story also went a bit too quick for me, it was an insta-love kind of romance. I don't oppose to it, but it's also not my favorite. Also the male voice in the audiobook was really weird, so I couldn't picture Elias being very sexy anyway. Probably will continue with the series though, I liked it enough and it's a quick read!
Profile Image for Heather andrews.
9,520 reviews162 followers
November 14, 2019
Elias is quite a flirty man, “I didn’t say you’d be wearing anything else in this particular fantasy.” Elias tends to catch on quickly, “are you suggesting we make your royal family wait while we have a quickie?” I liked this book, I loved Elias.
Profile Image for Crystal.
Author 75 books427 followers
March 7, 2020
A new spin on an oft told story...a “normal” woman who finds out she’s a princess. This one was done really well, and I loved Kelsey’s loyalty to her sister, as well as her newly found siblings. Elias is just the absolute best. The struggles they faced while falling in love only made them stronger. A great start to a new series!
Profile Image for Patty.
1,555 reviews1 follower
November 21, 2019
The Princess Problem by Christi Barth is a fun, unique, and sexy romance story. Kelsey and her sister finally were able to move to New York City after all there planning. One day Elias shows up at their door stating that Kelsey is the long lost princess of Moncriano. The princess was kidnapped twenty-five years ago when she was a baby. After much debating Kelsey and her sister agree to go to Moncriano and find out what is going on. Elias is part of Kelsey protection service. I really enjoyed this book, and I will be reading more by this author. If you enjoy a happy romance, give this book a try.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Thank you.
1,920 reviews6 followers
November 1, 2019
A big thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I truly just enjoyed this book. It made me laugh. It was cute, funny, somewhat realistic and down to earth. I liked the importance of family and loyalty. Would have liked to see more interaction with the king. Kelsey as to being a princess was a blast. Not everyone can take the pressure and want the limelight. Absolutely no privacy. Funread, I recommend it. 4 stars
Profile Image for Sara Oxton.
3,791 reviews17 followers
November 24, 2019
The Princess Problem by Christi Barth a sweet five-star read. This wasn’t five-stars all the way through, but overall it was so sweet I couldn’t mark it down. I know I can’t wait for Ruling the Princess as I am desperate to hear more from Genny, even though I didn’t like her for most of this story, but in the end, I could see where she is coming from. Elias is everything you want from a big hunky bodyguard, and he comes through in all ways. Kelsey made me chuckle so may many times, I could identify with her in so many ways, and I was jealous of her relationship with Mallory to have someone that close and supportive in your life is something everyone needs and deserves. You do need to leave reality behind when you start this story but do it as its so fun that you would be sorry to miss it.
Profile Image for Linda Quick.
1,329 reviews30 followers
November 18, 2019
LOVED this book! This book is fun, funny, sweet, sexy, and poignant - all in the same book. I wouldn't have thought it was possible to get a book with all of that, but this book does. It takes the contemporary royal romance genre and turns it on its ear with a clever twist.

I loved reading about Kesley and her bodyguard Elias. As the new found princess, she is in over her head. The only thing she is sure of is Elias and just how sexy he is and how he makes her days, and nights, better. However, it is improper for a member of the royal guard, or a commoner , to consort with a princess.

This is a delightful book that should be at the top of every romance fan's TBR list. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Carola | adreamofpages.
433 reviews1 follower
November 30, 2019
*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*4.5 stars

I really liked this story, it was so cute!
Elias was such a sweet and amazing guy and treated her so good.
I really liked their dynamic and how things evolved during the book.

Kelsey herself felt like how a normal person whould react to hearing she was royalty. She not instantly went along and didn't care about the fame. She wanted to do what was right and I really liked that about her.

The only thing that bothered me was that the majority of the book happened in just a span of 2 weeks and (especially) the romance part seemed to go a bit too fast in my opinion.

And I can't wait to read the next book 'Ruling the Princess' when it will be released in March!
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