Review: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Format: Mass market
Pub Date: March 2018
Publisher: Avon
POV: 3rd, past
Length: 360 pages
FTC: received a copy from the publisher at RT18

I've been hearing about this book all year. It was all the rage in my corner of Twitter. In short: it was a "buzzy" book, and I rarely do well with "buzzy" books.  While I didn't click in the deep, OMG fangirl kind of way I would have liked to, I did enjoy it. Especially for all of the ways it was so very different from other books out there.

I liked that we get to see a contemporary set in the city. No whiff of small town here. It revels in being an NYC book.  There's the nosy and noisy neighbors, the subway, the easy access to different kinds of art/restaurants, the bodegas, the de facto multiculturalism.

I also like that Naledi Smith (Ledi) is a scientist. Specifically a former foster kid training to be a black woman scientist in a very specific field. She thinks in scientific terms in an adorably nerdy way. She has to deal with sexism in her lab job in a way that is so real for many women scientists. She struggles with relationships as a result of her upbringing. She's emotionally cagey.

I struggled with Prince Thabiso/Jamal as a character. I really did. He's a self serving dick through most of the book, and I'm a bit over self serving dicks right now. I did, however, ADORE his assistant Likotsi. If she ever gets her own book, I'm here for it.

A Highlander Christmas by Janet Chapman

I am having trouble gauging my reaction to this book. I enjoyed reading it. It wasn't bad. It was, in fact, quite fun at times. And yet, the entire time I was reading it, I was aware of how silly it was. How seat-of-the-pants unscientific.

Part of my problem lies in the fact that the paranormal-ish aspects are often left as hints. Something observed in the background of the story until the last 1/3 of the novel. The other part of the problem for me seems to be that the main character whose name already escapes me (...oh yeah, Camry, like the car) doesn't seem to be all that capable.

Which, quite frankly, irritates the hell out of me.

I know quite a few scientists--men and women. In all kinds of different fields. Some are so cerebral that they can barely tie their shoes, but most are extremely well rounded individuals who are also extremely practical. They wouldn't have made it through their doctoral programs otherwise.

Maybe I'm expecting too much out of a book that is obviously geared towards being holiday fluff, but I just don't think Camry's character is all that believable. And if I don't buy Camry as a scientist, the rest of the book doesn't work so well.

Okay...giving the scientist issues a pass...

A Highlander Christmas is fun to read. I enjoyed the dialogue enormously. I enjoyed the secondary characters. But I had some serious suspension of disbelief issues that messed with my enjoyment of the plot, the hero, and the heroine.

Not the best paranormal/contemporary/holiday book I've ever read, but it's definitely a light hearted read.

My grade: C+