Reluctant Royals Books in Order

The Reluctant Royals series by Alyssa Cole is a contemporary romance series following members of the fictional African royal family of Thesolo and the Americans who fall for them — a premise that allows Cole to combine the classic fish-out-of-water romance dynamic with genuine engagement with African identity, diaspora experience, and what royalty means outside of the European contexts that dominate the genre.

Cole writes with the intelligence and wit that have made her one of contemporary romance's most celebrated authors — her heroines are specific and competent, her heroes are genuinely worthy of them, and the romantic development is built on character rather than manufactured conflict. The series has been praised for its diverse cast, its warm humor, and its willingness to engage with political and cultural themes that most contemporary romance avoids.

A Princess in Theory (2018) is the ideal entry point — the story of a public health PhD student who receives emails from an African prince she assumes are a scam, and what happens when she discovers they are not. Begin with A Princess in Theory and read in order.