THAT PRINCE IS MINE

A Korean American cooking teacher in Los Angeles falls head over heels for a handsome professor who’s actually a European prince.

Emma Yoon treats love like a recipe: Follow the rules and you can never go wrong. Her parents’ divorce proved love isn’t foolproof, teaching Emma at a young age that it’s always best to follow head over heart. She’s been in no rush to find a partner, though, as she’s been perfectly content running her Korean cooking classes and dreaming of opening a culinary school. But now that Emma is 28, her godmother—a renowned matchmaker—considers her practically a spinster. She reluctantly agrees to avail herself of Auntie Soo’s services, attending matseons (marriage interviews), in hopes of finding a suitable Korean husband. Match after match proves fruitless, though, until, following a particularly disastrous date, the handsome stranger at a nearby table sends Emma an extra plate of madeleines. Michel Chevalier—tall, blond, with a devastatingly romantic accent—is a visiting professor of international relations at USC with a royal secret: He’s the crown prince of Rouleme. Given three months to travel to the U.S. for one last taste of normalcy, Michel is set to assume the throne once his father, the king, abdicates. But that’s not all: Michel has three months to find a woman he truly loves or risk betrothal to a friend he likes but feels no attraction to. Emma and Michel take a chance on one another, immediately finding a passion and connection neither have previously felt. Can their love withstand family expectations, or is their whirlwind romance just a recipe for disaster? Lee’s latest novel is a refreshingly modern take on an old story. Equally sweet and spicy, Emma and Michel’s relationship constantly races against the clock, leaving little room for unpronounced feelings or damning miscommunications. They’re open, understanding, and wholly devoted to one another, which may be a relief to readers expecting an achingly slow burn.

A crowning romantic achievement.