A Princess in Theory (Reluctant Royals, #1)

by Alyssa Cole

She’d learned early on that challenging the people who held power over you made you undesirable, and undesirability meant gathering all of your things into a black plastic trash bag and being sent back to the group home.

This is so deeply sad.

but now she looked at him like he was a fool.

Yeah, BECAUSE HE IS. “This looks sort of like it might work” is never the right answer when the items in question are flaming.

“You really shouldn’t talk about cleaning up after others as if it’s something to be proud of.”

I am so not appreciating how defensive this guy is. Lashing out is not cute, Thabiso.

There was something at least a little untoward

Oh, you think?

you could be seen as a threat.”

THANK YOU, LIKOTSI

being a lesbian is not the only possible reason a woman wouldn’t respond to your attentions.”

Again, THANK YOU, LIKOTSI. She just spends all day dropping truth on this guy. No wonder he needs her so much.

No. He’s an asshole. Focus on the free food.

She’d told him what an ass he’d been, and he hadn’t even tried to turn it around and explain to her how she had made him behave like an ass.

This is a very good point. People do lose their cool sometimes and say shitty things, but the real assholes are the people who get defensive about it or try to brush it off instead of acknowledging and apologizing.

Clarence had told her to stop complaining and work harder when she’d brought up Brian; he’d thought his own success meant that anyone who failed just wasn’t trying hard enough.

😒 Why didn’t you break up with him sooner, Ledi?

Not that I’m saying you’re attracted to me.”

That got real awkward real quick 🤣

I’m going to pee now so I don’t get a urinary tract infection.

Realism + public health PSA!

Apparently, oh-sure-I’ll-do-that Ledi had been incinerated by the flames of her frustration and I-wish-a-motherfucker-would Ledi had risen from the ashes.

🙌🙌🙌

Gate R is fancy, but it’s still in Queens.”

You tell her, Natalie. Live it up!

“Thank you for clearing that up for me.”

LEDI IS NOT 👏TAKING 👏 YOUR 👏 SHIT 👏

She took one of the pills Nya had given her,

Those pills must have some significance. To do with the mystery illness?

She popped some kind of vitamin supplement into her mouth

Yup, there are those pills again.

These men are intelligent, but they ignore economic history, colonization, and globalization. They can only think in the moment, when we need to be thinking a hundred years ahead, and beyond for that matter.”

Environmental governing issues in a nutshell.

“I’m sorry, it’s just . . . you actually know stuff.”

🤣🤣🤣 It’s funny to realize how much more of Thabiso we the readers have seen than Naledi has.

“You think I lied to you to get you into bed?”

It did not occur to me that she might see it that way. That puts a lot more weight behind her anger to this point.

“Accepted what?” she asked. “Thabiso’s request for your hand. You are now officially engaged in the eyes of Ingoka.”

So much about this scene is sweet and beautiful, but seriously, nobody thought it important to a) prepare her for her role in the ceremony (teach her the dance, maybe 🙄) or b) explain the purpose/outcome?

“Oh, there’s a ton of pressure,” he said, and realized how ridiculous the line sounded without the part he’d left unspoken. In my pants. He wasn’t entirely a gentleman. Ledi huffed a breath. “In your pants?” she asked.

“What can I say? I’m sorry for being a fuckboy, Naledi.” Ledi shrugged, swiped surreptitiously at her eyes again. “Fuckboyism is a fairly common disease in men aged eighteen to thirty-five.” “What’s the cure?” he asked. “You’ll have to ask your doctor about that. But I can tell you right now that it’s not me.”

She remembered that day in Fort Tryon Park, and that night, and how many times he’d tried to tell her before the gala.

I like that she’s acknowledging that at this point. It feels realistic that she would see what he was trying to do in retrospect once she’s had time for the initial shock and anger to cool.

Thabiso leaned over to reach into his bag and pulled out a sleeve of condoms. “I’m dating a public health student,” he said by way of explanation, and she laughed,

OK, his explanation is a cute return to what she said the first time they had sex, but it is SUPER weird that he’s carrying condoms—because Naledi has been consistently and rightfully upset with him/showing only minor signs of forgiveness and interest, but also, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DAY TRIP. When did he think sex was going to happen? At the hospital while she was interning?

“No, there is one person at fault here. This thoughtless woman who has distracted Thabiso and who threatens the prosperity of our kingdom.”

Are we about to get some real talk about WTAF the queen’s problem is? Because I need some context for this bullshit real bad.

He kissed her then, more sweetly than he ever had. Ledi held him tight and wondered if their new home would have a washer and dryer. After all, she was kissing living proof that even her wildest dreams could come true.

YES. Girl’s got proper priorities 🤣