How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole is a reinterpretation of Anastasia and the second book in the Runaway Royals series. It fully stands alone, so you don’t have to go back and read the first if you’re not inclined (which many readers at this site won’t be, since that one is an m/f romance).
The story opens with a very bad day in the life of Makeda Hicks. Despite being the most competent person at her workplace, she’s let go from her job. Then, Makeda comes home just in time to see her girlfriend moving out of their apartment. Licking her wounds, Makeda moves back in with her grandmother, helping her run a B&B while she tries to figure out the next phase of her life.
Beznaria Chetchevaliere is an investigator with the World Federation of Monarchies. Bez is part of the global search for the missing heir of Ibarania. And for Bez, it’s extra personal. Her grandmother was the queen’s guard decades ago and the queen went missing on her watch. So, Bez is determined to clear the Chetchevaliere family name and she believes there just might be something to Makeda’s grandmother’s story of summer love decades ago with a runaway prince from Ibarania.
Makeda has zero interest in going to Ibarania with Bez, but she can’t really say no when the B&B’s financial livelihood is threatened. Cue: a transatlantic ship ride where Bez and Makeda fake a marriage to get on board together and have to share one cabin. Both women are sexy and neither can take her eyes off the other. But will Bez’s quest get in the way of their blossoming feelings? And, can Makeda truly set aside the life she thought she wanted in the US?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
This book has a lot of layers. Most of them worked really well for me.
I love how different Bez and Makeda are from each other. I’m not sure I’d call this an opposites attract romance, because it’s not like one of them is uptight and the other is laid back. They’re just fundamentally different people.
Bez is neurodivergent, incredibly straightforward, and cares deeply about doing the right thing. Her main challenge is that not everyone around her agrees with what “the right thing” actually is and/or they’re not always okay with her approach to tackling problems.
Makeda, on the other hand, struggles with wanting to save others all the time, to the detriment of her relationships and of herself. As a recovering people pleaser, Makeda’s character arc is especially moving because she learns how to have boundaries, how to make choices that are good for herself, and that she can’t always swoop in and fix everything. It’s highly satisfying to see the shift from who she is at the beginning to the badass she is at the end.
I also appreciated that this book addresses colonialism and its ongoing harms in Africa. We see this especially in Bez’s interactions with her employer, the Federation, which is basically still all about colonizing even though its leadership would never admit it publicly. Although this is an aspect of the story, the tone stays as light as we’d expect from a fun romance because many of the moments that dive into it are balanced by farcical humour. For example, I cackled when I learned that Bez’s boss, Lord Higginshoggins, is named “Algernon Shropsbottmshireburrough, pronounced Smith.”
In many ways, f/f romance has always been politically aware, since our stories have been about fighting for love and place in a society that isn’t fully welcoming of queer women. So, I loved seeing a new dimension to political awareness in an f/f story, which left me thinking long after I finished reading the book.
Cons And Heads Up
To me, the story wraps up too quickly and I wish it had another chapter or an epilogue. It ends with a fabulous twist, but no time to let it settle or see what else happens from there. Hopefully we’ll see Makeda and Bez in a future installment of the Runaway Royals series so we can learn more about their happily ever after.
One other thing bothered me about this book quite a lot and it’s kind of spoilery, so skip to the next section if you don’t want to be spoiled.
No, I’m serious. Be warned.
Okay, you’re still here. It bothered me that Bez gets Makeda on a boat and is almost all the way to Ibarania before telling her that she didn’t actually get the official a-OK from her bosses to present Makeda as a possible heir to the throne. I kind of wanted to shake her. And, after the drumbeat in the story of Bez’s anxiety around this problem, I expected a much bigger reaction when Bez finally tells Makeda. Given who each of them are, the way that scene unfolds is fine. It just felt unsatisfying to me.
The Conclusion
The hardest part of writing this review was finding a book for the “If you enjoyed…” section, because I’ve truly never read anything quite like How to Find a Princess before (if you’re wondering: I chose Far From Home because of the vibe).
If strong character growth is important to you, then you will love this book. If you like a bit of political awareness in your romances, then this will also be for you. If you’re still not sure whether to read this book, I highly recommend checking out a sample, because the first two chapters will give a really solid sense of whether you’ll like it or not.
Personally, I’m glad I read it. It made me laugh and it made me think. I’ll be keeping an eye out for future installments in this series so I can see more of Makeda and Bez.
Excerpt from How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole
“Excellent reflexes,” the stranger said with an approving nod, speaking loudly to be heard over the vacuum that was sucking at the air between them. Makeda turned the power off, but the woman still shouted her next sentence. “You’ve no idea how many people sense someone creeping up on them and turn without grabbing for even a butter knife.”
“You creep up on people often enough to know that?” Makeda asked. Her arms started to ache, so she lowered the vacuum but kept a tight grip on it in case she needed to deliver a suction-free beatdown.
“Not often, no.”The woman clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze drifting off to the side, as if she were trying to remember something. “Wait. Perhaps often, but not regularly. It is a skill, not a habit or a hobby.”
There was a husky musicality to her voice, an accent that might have been Italian or Arabic.
“Usually people trying to sell things wait outside,” Makeda said in the least hospitable voice she could muster, which was still far too warm but only because her cheeks were burning. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“I believe there is,” the woman said. “I’m looking for a woman named Makeda Hicks. Are you Makeda Hicks?”
Makeda wasn’t an accent ho, but hearing that voice wrap itself around her name sent a shiver of delight through her. The woman made the four syllables sound exciting. Full of possibility.
“I—I am,”she said, gripping the handle of the vacuum even more tightly. “I’m Makeda Hicks.”
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Series
How to Catch a Queen (m/f romance)
How to Find a Princess
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9780062934000
Publisher: Avon
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