Princess Amira Saene has always done the right thing when it came to her beloved Kingdom of Bagumi. Yet her unorthodox online relationship with a man across the sea has derailed her from cultural norms. After a year of communicating, the man she’s developed feelings for comes to visit. Jake Pettersen never thought he’d meet the woman of his dreams, much less online. Flying thousands of miles to … miles to West Africa to meet her verifies that the feelings he’s developed are real. Too bad her family doesn’t think he’s worthy of her.
When Jake learns that Amira has been betrothed, he must decide whether to fight for her or accept the loss for the sake of her homeland. Is their happiness worth the devastation of her country?
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After traveling five-thousand miles from Vermont to West Africa to meet the woman he’s spent the last year getting to know online, Jake Pettersen is more than a little shocked to find out she’s a royal princess.
Enjoying being a regular person with Jake, Amira Saene hid her true identity, never being able to confess her lie of omission even as Jake’s arrival to the kingdom of Bagumi grows closer.
Not getting the meeting or greeting he’d hope for from the woman who’d stolen his heart, the young dentist soon learns his lack of wealth or status… or royal blood makes him unworthy of Amira in every way.
End of story, right?
Not even close.
Accompanied by his best friend and business partner, Calvin (whom I absolutely adored!), Jake stays and continues his vacation and chaperoned time with Amira.
It’s obvious the feelings Jake and Amira have for each other are real, and just when it looks like they’ll figure it all out, drama and conflict arrive together, and we’ll call them Duak—a prince and future king of a neighboring country.
Every story has that character you want to punch in the face, and in this story it’s Duak.
But even with the dark shadow Duak casts over the story… and Jake and Amira’s chance at happiness, help shows up from the unlikeliest of places and takes this read in another direction.
Will these two walk away from each other or is what they have worth fighting for? Amira will learn a lot about herself and the people she loves the most, but it may be too little too late.
His Defiant Princess has just the right amount of sweetness and spice, but it’s the romance that makes this read shine. This couple spent their online time really getting to know each other, sharing things they shared with no one else. Their hearts connected long before they met.
Amira and Jake are strong, well-developed characters. Jake isn’t diminished by the reversal of power, instead, he rises to the occasion. They have a great supporting cast, with Amira’s brother, Zareb, and mother, Queen Zulekha, as standouts. And, of course, Jake’s BFF, Calvin. (Did I mention I adore him?)
Pay a visit to the kingdom of Bagumi where the women are fierce, the men are protective, and the last thing you want to do is cross a member of the Royal House of Saene.
Enjoy!
Dr Jake Petterson travels to Bagumi, West Africa, to meet Amira, a woman he’s been chatting with for a year. He believes himself to be in love with her, but when he arrives, he discovers that Amira has been keeping a huge secret from him. She is a princess! Not only that, some members of her family are not happy with her choice of a commoner – especially a foreign one.
Although Jake is white and Amira is black, the most significant aspect of this racial difference is perhaps to highlight just how much of a fish out of water the hero is and how he makes up for it with his personality and his fierce sense of loyalty, which easily wins over Amira’s tough big brothers (and me). This relationship is not about race at all, which is exactly how I like my interracial romance!
I thoroughly enjoyed the picture Ms Prah painted of Bagumi and its citizens. I’ve read a number of her books, and strong female characters is one of her strong suits. She definitely delivers on that with her depiction of the women of Bagumi (and not just the royals) who are strong-willing and as dominant as their men.
Even though Bagumi is a fictional country, I liked the cultural aspects woven into the story and made me connect even more with the setting and the people. I had a few laughs at the expense of the villain whom I found more funny than annoying.
His Defiant Princess did a great job of introducing readers to the series, the Saene family and the kingdom of Bagumi. This is a story that should whet readers’ appetite for more of what Bagumi has to offer. Ayekoo!