How Not to Marry a Prince

by Megan Derr

At the ancient, doddering age of thirty, it's long past time Prince Amador married, at least according to his domineering family. Determined to see the matter attended at last, they have issued an ultimatum: find a betrothed before the year is out, or he'll be sent off to marry Prince Ottokar, Crown Prince of their oldest enemy, a man Amador has hated and feared for nearly all his life.

Desperate to avoid that fate, he has one last chance: to win the affections of Prince Nazaire, who has notoriously turned away every single suitor barely before they make their introduction. When he arrives, though, Amador finds not a snooty prince impossible to please, but a castle so brimming with secrets and romantic pining that the whole mess would be worthy of a bard's tale.

If there's one thing Amador loves more than mischief, it's romance. He won't ever be happy in his own marriage, but here's a chance to see that others will be happy in theirs-and if he's lucky, they'll all be so pleased with the results that the quiet, handsome King Sohan will insist that he remain to help with other matters.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, M M Romance, Historical, Royalty, Novella, LGBT

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 20, 2022

About the author

Megan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.

meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was lovely! I’m always incredibly impressed with novellas that are able to create a vast fantasy world and a touching love story in so few pages. It’s nice because I could really tell that a lot of thought and care went into the lore of this world, but more importantly, it also never overtook what this story was really about; “A charming little prince spreading good fortune wherever he goes.” Here we follow Amador, an underappreciated prince with a penchant for mischief (he’s a bit like a kinder and more heroic Tyrion Lannister), as he travels to a neighboring kingdom in a desperate attempt to find a love-match who isn’t his childhood bully. I thought Amador was a great character, but he would sometimes come across as a little too modest, to the point where the story would sometimes screech to a halt, and turn into a compliment-fest. You know, the whole, “Oh, I didn’t do anything, it was nothing! Teehee!” Though, I will say that there is some inherent humor in how all of his “acts of mischief” added up to him simply doing random acts of kindness to people. A real bad boy, this guy.

None of this is to say I didn’t like him as a character, as it was incredibly satisfying to see Amador come into his own, and his diminutive personality and “nice-to-the-waiter” mentality made him instantly easy to root for. And when he finally gets his happily ever after, all of my criticisms melted away! Anyway, while I did love the romance in this book, I was a bit surprised at how much of a satellite love-interest King Sohan was. He would show up, act bashful, and then be gone for a long ass time! And that’s saying something because this is a novella! It actually read more like a legal drama, with the romance playing second fiddle. I didn’t hate this though, because personally, I think that this actually helped establish Amador as a stronger character, as this story could have easily turned into a rescue romance, where the love-interest swoops in and solves all of the main character’s problems. Otherwise, despite the densely packed fantasy world here, I think the story really is as simple as a shy bookworm who allows himself to be loved and learns how to fight back against his bully. I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise as to why I liked this so much! It’s a nice story where nice things finally happen to a nice person. I just think that’s nice!

"Come along, it’s long past time for something fruity and alcoholic.”
"I do rather like the sound of that.”

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nah, I’m being so fucking fr right now… I need a seven book series, 900+ pages EACH, all with bonus epilogues, bonus content, fan art, anything and everything about the adventures of these two IMMEDIATELY. 👏👏👏
I want adventures.
And kissing.
And marriage.
And paying taxes.
And more match making!!!
And more “I do it for love!”
And solving court issues.
And more kissing.
More stolen times alone.
More mischief with our best favourite side kicks.
Marriage and HEA.
MORE.
MORE.
MORE?! 🥹🥹🥹🥹
I WANT IT ALL.
I WANT THE WHOLE KIT N CABOODLE PLEZ N TANK U OR I WILL EXPIRE PREMATURELY

Chop chop Megan derr, what the fuck are you doing if not fleshing out these baby fucking angels??? BECOZ R U KIDDING ME????
A novella?!
THATS ALL I GET?!
I’m having a full hissy fit (it’s coming from a place of love though)

He really did fuck up marrying the prince on a ROYAL SCALE 😜😜😜

This was the perfect silly read for long bus rides through the Japanese alps, but like… I NEED MOREEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡💖😡

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I desperately needed a sweet little story to melt my heart.
This one was perfect. So cute and so romantic and so magical.
Lovely.

He stepped closer and offered his hand the same way he had in the library.
Heart pounding harder than ever, Amador once more placed his in it, scarcely daring to breathe as Sohan covered it with his other hand. The gesture was a simple one, not even remarkable, and yet Amador would give everything he owned to make that touch last forever. 🥰🫠🥰

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another one of Megan Derr's perfectly lovely novellas, that still manages to leave me hungry for more.

Prince Amador has been touring kingdoms looking for a Prince or Princess to marry in a desperate attempt to avoid his betrothal to the vile and violent Prince Ottokar, and, as a last option, lands on the doorstop of the eternal bachelor, Prince Nazaire. Unfortunately almost immediately upon his arrival Amador discovers that Prince Nazaires reluctance to marry is because his heart belongs to someone else already. Reconciled to his ever dwindling options, Amador uses, what is potentially his last moments of freedom, to try and secure the happiness of the people around him. Only to potentially come to the attentions and affections of Nazaires older brother, King Sohan.

I just wanted more of everything this book gave me; more court intrigue, more mischievous matchmaking, more behind the scenes world building, more of Sohans infatuation and encounters with Ottokar. Even more about Amador himself too, as one throw away line would give the indication of his potential transness and that was a dimension that would have been interesting to explore further.

Derr has managed to create a rich world, story and cast of characters in 150 pages that could easily furnish a full length novel. I suspect this is likely a common complaint about her work however, and I suppose is a good problem to have as it will always keep me coming back for more of her stories.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was damn lovely!

This has been my first Megan Derr and I loved her writing style. Very entertaining and humorous without trying too hard.

In the end I only wished there had been a little more page time for the romance. Very subtle all in all. Not what I usually prefer but very very lovely indeed.

He saw that Sohan was staring at them. "Did we do something wrong?" "Wrong?" Marcellette stared blankly, then followed his gaze and laughed. "I don't think that's the look of a man who sees something wrong.”

[Ben Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella. How Not to Marry a Prince is short and sweet, and manages to craft an interesting world full of unique characters and adorable romances.

I would have loved if we got an epilogue set in the future to see their relationship more, or even a sequel novella!

__
Thank you for the gift Cocksmack, The Booty-Shackin Wiener Whacker ! ❄️

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short, very cute, and as pure as freshly fallen snow.

Collectively, Amador and pals have the personality of Puck. They even raise a toast to "love and mischief."

The villain is cartoonishly one-dimensional. The king has a heart of gold. Amador sprinkles goodness and kindness wherever he goes, and everyone lives happily ever after.

This story reads like a children's fairytale. Nice palate cleanser but not remarkable in any way.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Derr's straight up M/M kingdom romance that involves clueless characters is always a delight!! This one is no exception. Prince Amador is so sweet, with his interest towards details and tax laws, and helping others without realizing how MUCH his help meant to those people. Amador deserves his happy ending, for sure.

[Jackbees · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Make Tax Law Romantic
Ohhhh dears, this was sooo CUTE!!
Like heart squeezing cute.
A novella that should have been a novel.
Fluffy and sweet and fairy froo froo land but I love it here. The hand holding had me dissolved.
The word “redolent” which I have never seen before was used at least 3 times.
The quote “I manage to make a complete and utter cake of myself” will now be in my vocabulary in a variety of ways.

[Shelba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very much classic Derr, only with better editing.

I did find the chapter titles exceedingly distracting and illegible. Might as well not title them if you can’t even make out half of them.

I did think Ottokar was a little over the top with his villainy, or rather, I don’t think his presence was actually required on page. Why give time to him when it could be focused on the actual romantic pairing of the book?

There were a few, what I took to be, hints that Amador (and possibly Marcelette) are trans. I do love how Derr approaches gender diversity in her books, without any ado. I was slightly annoyed that it wasn’t mentioned in the book’s description anywhere, as I wasn’t sure if this was going to be a Derr book that had explicit sex scenes, something I’m not comfortable reading with AFAB characters but that ended up not being an issue at all, seeing as all we get is a single kiss.

[Achim · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can I say it better than Manfred? Although different to him I was lucky this time and got the book for a reasonable price, so there was no need to take one star off. That way I was able to enjoy Megan Derr using her success formula for short, sweet fantasy tales - something I always will come back to in time of need when I don't know what to read next and nothing I start is going to do.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that you wish were longer. I appreciate that it’s a novella, but I was still so captivated by the story that I wish I could read about Prince Amador for a bit longer.

I also would have liked to see more of the dashing king on the page.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

This was such a fun, engaging g, wonderful read. It was the best kind of fairytale romance with a prince who saves the day through kindness, hard work, and tax law. Utterly charming.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the author’s somewhat formulaic, predictable fantasy novellas. This one was pleasant enough but not particularly memorable and the world building felt slightly subpar compared to other Megan Derr works. It did work very well for relaxing during a study break.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Standard Megan Derr fluffy fairytale fare with minimal angst and a happy end :)

[mal. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

omg... ok megan derr? not really sure why i was lowkey avoiding all the books by you on my tbr bc this novella was exactly what i didn't know i needed rn.



for whatever reason, i tend to be skeptical of stories with titles like these—probably unfairly—but this was utterly enjoyable and filled to the brim with lovely and charming characters (minus that bitch ottokar obv). not only did this pack a punch in such a short amount of pages, but it managed to be incredibly heartwarming and wholesome without being overly sappy, something i can always appreciate.

and amador, he was genuinely so endearing. the way i would actually die for him, like that is my sweet baby??? his considerate and curious nature... and thinking to himself that no one could ever want him, meanwhile he is unknowingly charming everyone he meets ☹️☹️☹️☹️

MY SHAYLA 💔💔💔💔💔💔



sohan and amador were simply adorable together. i would've liked to have seen a bit more moments between them, as well as more of sohan himself. i was lapping it up every time it was hinted that sohan had feelings for him.

nothing more to say really, i honestly just enjoyed every second reading this. only wish it was longer!

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was sweet. I liked how Amador makes everyone happy, its a shame he didn't realize his own worth. I did like that he unintentionally made the king work for it. The prince and gardener were sweet, the mischief makers were fun.

[Manfred · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Megan Derr's stories. Her fairytales are fun to read, the world building is usually perfect and the main characters very likeable and sweet.
How not to marry a prince was no different.
I really loved Amador the foreign prince on a mission to find another prince to marry, to avoid being wed to Ottokar - who turned out to be a real pain in the a...
Problem is, that prince Nazaire so far has turned down every suitor and Amador soon finds out that the reason may be a certain gardener, although both are completely unaware that the attraction is mutual.
Overall Amador is a real catch, good looking, friendly and quite rich and definitely knows how to match make...
So the reason why he never found a spouse for himself is really a mystery.
Fortunately even with prince Nazaire being unavailable there still is his older brother the king, whose wife died a few years back.
As you probably realize, there is no big mystery of how the story will play out, but it was nice nevertheless.
If I have one complaint it's the pricing of Megan Derr's books.
None of them are available on KU (here in Germany) and for a really short novella you pay a hefty price. Either the stories should be longer or the books should be priced more reasonable. It's the reason why I only read them once in a while and why I took off one star from the rating.
Story alone would be a 4 star read for me.

[Deeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same complaint as with a lot of Megan Derr stories, TOOO Short lol.

Another enchanting little tale. I wish it was longer and we got to see a little more of King Sohan
as he was left rather blank.

Side characters while amusing left me feeling frustrated that we saw more of them than the King.

But that said I still enjoy dipping into Ms Derrs worlds and look forward to being able to return in the future, be it this world or one of her others.

ETA Still as above, would love a sequel

[Antara]

dnf at 38%

I liked the writing style and it started off interesting, but I got bored around a third of the way through and it wasn't picking up.

[Marzipop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and adorable. Though I think my copy may have had a formatting error as the beginning chapter was at the very end lol

[Rozarka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cute fairytale from Megan Derr.

And the last straw for me, never buying from amazon/kindle again if I have another choice. They messed up the order of chapters, the first one was placed at the end of the ebook. I didn't notice at first and it impacted my reading experience (duh). Fuck them.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why? Why did the prince have surgery scars on his chest? Why did the prince have so much money? Etc. So many questions that kept me reading, and ultimately zero answers, so rather dissatisfying. Read again, and nope I still cannot puzzle out the whys; but I do enjoy the book, and the puzzles.

[eesha]

the worst part about this book was that it was less than 100 pages and i need to read one million more pages about them. megan derr do NAWT put that pen down i need a continuation idc!!!!!!!!!!! i need moreee god pleaseeeeeeee i want more of them i didnt even get to see their courting pleasee!!!!!

prince amador is trans (its okay megan derr im picking up what ur putting down. i only needed to read twin surgical chest scars and i Got it dont even worry) and brown (my medium skinned KINGGGGGGGGGGGGG) and mischeviously sweet and i loved reading abt him...i would have died for sohan's pov but it's okay bc i just crave more of them in general.....megan derr PLEASEEEE i can beg on my hands on my knees this should be a full length novel series i should get enough books of them that i tire of reading abt their little family.

last thing ill say is i need a bitch like amador who loves romance, is viciously kind, uses all his money for other people's benefit, and thinks he's the most boring thing alive (the king is HOPELESSLY in love with him)

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very Megan Derr book, which is why I keep coming back to the author. I would have liked slightly fewer taxes and more of the main couple interacting, but otherwise the perfect read to recover from a couple of disappointing books.

[Diana Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I say I’m in the mood for a sweet M/M fantasy novella with a bit of outside-relationship angst that stars the world’s most cinnamon-roll prince, THIS is what I’m after. This book was everything I wanted it to be – it was cute, it was in-relationship drama-free, it allowed me to read it in a couple of short, single sittings (I just don’t have the time these days to dedicate to longer reads), and it had a bit of hurt/comfort on the side, which is always deeply appreciated. This is exactly why Megan Derr is a one-click author for me, and probably always will be.

[Pjm12 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute and very feel-goody.

I cheered the lonely Prince Amador all the way to his deservingly happy ending.

Yay for handsome, broody kings.

[dee~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute novella, maybe a bit repetitive here and there.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I may have liked this better if the first chapter didn’t come at the end of the book. So yeah, I was a little lost throughout this one!

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wiping water from his face, shoving his ruined hair from his eyes, Amador finally got a proper look at this man who’d seen him being hopelessly stupid twice now.
A crown. The man was wearing a crown. How had he missed that before?
Amador’s heart dropped into his stomach. He was making a perfect fool of himself in front of King Sohan.
[…]
Amador couldn’t decide if he wanted to burst into tears or throw himself back into the pond.
(Megan Derr, How Not to Marry a Prince, p.32-33)

According to his domineering family, it’s long past time for Prince Amador to settle down and wed. The ultimatum: find a suitable spouse at the next kingdom he visits, or be sent off to marry Prince Ottokar, the bully who’s haunted both Amador’s childhood and his current travels. But when his plans to woo Prince Nazaire fizzle out, he resigns himself to his fate and uses his visit to help others find happiness in their own unions, unaware that his Happily Ever After is keeping a close eye on him.

Sometimes, you don’t want to get into a deep story. Sometimes you just want a romance to be nothing but romance. That’s How Not to Marry a Prince . The title is suggestive of a plot but there really isn’t one. It’s just a dear boy being a sweetheart and helping his new friends find loves of their own.

There is a ‘villain’, but his villainy is all in Prince Amador’s backstory so we get the results and very little of the actions themselves. Not to say that he isn’t a threat – he’s enough of one that Amador flees in panic when he hears him coming – just that we’re only seeing the climax of the villain’s campaign of terror.

Where you might expect Prince Amador to work at wooing the prince in light of the sword hanging over him if he fails to wed, he’s clever enough to accept that nothing he does is going to work and respects the prince’s boundaries from the start. The plot is more about how he spends his time at the castle meddling in other people’s lives and giving them their own happily ever afters while accepting that he’s not going to find his own. He’s kind, thoughtful, clever, and a delight to follow around.


CHARACTERS:
No one’s particularly deep, but the author gave them enough character to keep them from being cardboard and that made a perfect cast for this little book.

ROMANCE:
Romance for everybody! But seriously, all the couple have good chemistry, and I was especially smitten with Prince Amador and his beau.

PLOT/SOLUTION:
Lighthearted and surface-level, and just what I needed. It was all very charming.

THE VERDICT?
Putting the ‘sweet’ in ‘sweet romance’.