Review: The Princess Affair

The Princess Affair by Nell Stark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on August 2, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "You're not a teenage boy; you're a nerd...In the body of a Greek god."

I apparently really like gay romances with royalty. Not too surprising. I really loved Nell Stark’s The Princess Deception, so I figured I should give this book a chance too.
    
Kerry is a Rhodes Scholar leaving her family in New York for Oxford. She meets Sasha, Princess Alexandra, at an event and the two are attracted to each other. Sasha seemingly goes out of her way to be in tabloids and shock the public, but there appears to be more to her. When neither are able to get the other off their minds, they decide to meet and talk. A relationship grows between the two, but royalty is expected to be and act a certain way. Will Sasha’s duties to the throne prevent their relationship from happening?

Kerry and Sasha made for a nice couple. I liked each character on their own, but together they shined. Kerry seems to desire independence to be herself and going to Oxford for school helps give her that freedom and independence. Sasha wants the same but doesn’t think she can have it so she’s “Sassy Sasha” instead. The two complemented each other very well. Kerry was able to see who Sasha really was and supported her while Sasha helped pull Kerry out of her shell.

I, personally, think this book is missing one thing in particular: time. Kerry and Sasha deserved more time getting to know each other and getting to bond. I wish there had been more time spent in serious discussions about their families, but also in Kerry helping Sasha with her dyslexia. More build up before the relationship got started. More time at the end to solve the 75% plot problem. Everything felt a bit rushed at points or too slow at points. I’m disappointed that the author chose to describe Kerry’s running tour, but not Kerry reading to Sasha.

I really enjoyed Kerry and Sasha. I thought they made for a good couple with delightful, for the most part, friends. I really wish they had had more time to shine. This book is good, but I had hoped for more.