Sparks fly in Talia Hibbert’s steamy The Princess Trap, in which an overworked and underappreciated HR staffer finds herself fake engaged to a hot prince with a bad reputation.
Too smart for both her HR job and the men she dates, Cherry has decided she’s only looking for a good time. So when she “bumps” (dares to interrupt a meeting with higher-ups to scope out the smokeshow touring their school) into Ruben, she thinks he might just be the perfect one-night stand. He’s hot and unapologetically, clearly flirting with her. What she doesn’t know is that he’s also the prince of Helgmøre, which suits Ruben perfectly fine. Fresh off a scandal, he loves that Cherry has no clue who he is. But while Cherry might be clueless, the paparazzi aren’t, and soon the two are caught hooking up in an alleyway. The only way to protect Cherry, avoid scandal and quiet the palace uproar is for Ruben to claim her as his fiancée. And while Ruben might be pleased with his quick thinking, Cherry and the king are not. Forced into a romantic charade, Cherry and Ruben find themselves in over their heads, each asking if they might be royally screwed.
Talia Hibbert is a fan favorite among romance readers, and after the success of her beloved Brown Sisters trilogy, it’s exciting to see publishing pay attention to her backlist. Originally self-published in 2018, The Princess Trap pays homage to many a romantic’s greatest fantasy—that a hot prince shows up at their work and whisks them away to their Happily Ever After. With all of Hibbert’s signature brushstrokes—a bold, full-figured heroine; a broody, moody hero; delicious banter; extremely hot love scenes—The Princess Trap is fun and frothy, but like most of her other books, it also doesn’t shy away from tackling heavy themes like domestic violence, sexual assault and childhood trauma. Perhaps the only critique of this jewel of a book is that it sometimes feels lopsided. The first part of the novel is a steamy romp, with the angst coming in only at the very end, which means the back half is weighed down by those more serious issues. But Hibbert is such a talent that this is easily forgiven, and readers will adore Cherry and Ruben, whose chemistry practically jumps off the page.
Compulsively readable and consistently a delight, The Princess Trap is for everyone who watched Harry fall for Meghan and thought, “What if?” Like many a Hibbert romance, once you finish it, you’ll immediately reach for another title by this talented author.