That Prince Is Mine

In this insubstantial contemporary rom-com, Lee (the Hana Trio series) introduces Korean royal court cuisine instructor Emma Yoon, who dreams of opening a culinary school to honor the food that has brought her culture together for centuries. She’s also looking for marriage—but not for romance. She believes the best marriages are practical arrangements, and she uses her matchmaker godmother’s fail-proofed Madame Ddu Method to find a partner. However, when Emma meets her best match in person, she’s distracted throughout their date by her attraction to a kind and handsome stranger. The man introduces himself as Michel Chevalier, a visiting foreign professor, but he’s actually the prince of the fictional European nation Rouleme. He’s in disguise and looking to find his future queen on his terms. Emma decides to give in to her attraction to the visiting professor before settling down. As the pair embark on an affair, Michel falls for Emma, and with his return to royal duties looming, he must find a way to tell her the truth. Lee attempts to liven up well-worn romance tropes with a detailed account of Korean royal court culture, but the predictable plot and flat characters keep things disappointingly surface-level. It’s light and fluffy, but there’s not much else here. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (July)