Daring to Fall for the Prince by Heba Helmy
This was my first Heba Helmy book, although I’ve been meaning to get to her works for a while. It is a treat to read well-written Arab characters and settings within the heart-fluttering genre of historical romance. I will definitely be picking up her other series and waiting to see what comes next in the Princes of Egypt.
Prince Saleem is a dedicated leader of Egypt and believes that Lady Olive will be advantageous match and help him gain his father’s approval. After connecting with her over letters, he is eager to meet and woo the woman with whom he feels such a connection. Surprisingly the only woman who gets off the ship is her friend, Elise.
Elise has a secret. She has been the one writing to Saleem and she feels the same draw to him as she did when they were penpals. While they await for Lady Olive to be located, Elise and Saleem solve a family mystery about her father’s inheritance.
My Thoughts
I liked that there was a uniqueness about each character, but not in such a simple way that turned them into caricatures. Both Saleem and his brother, Adnan, are different in a way that balances each other. There was no good brother, bad brother. I could easily root for both of them to find their happiness. I thought Olive was a bit more of a shallow counterpoint to Elise, and her impulsivity irked me a bit. Elise was faithful to their past and friendship, so there must be more to Olive than we got to see in this book. It’s possible that she is being set up as a protagonist for a future book, since there are still some mysteries about her that remain.
The romance between Saleem and Elise seemed so complete, a true meeting of their souls. I thought it was absolutely adorable that Saleem had already fallen for her through their letters and loved their instant connection upon physically meeting. It gave us that insta-love plot structure while still seeming authentic. I was so relieved that even though there is a strong premise for an angsty love triangle, it didn’t quite come to that. Saleem knew what he wanted, thankfully!
Each setting in this book was crafted with so much detail from the smells, to the sights, to the overall vibes. The frequent descriptions of the Egyptian cuisine made me so hungry, and I could imagine Elise trying all the flavors for the first time. Beyond the plate, the settings of the catacombs, the Lodge, Raseltin Palace, or even near the falafel cart were carefully described in ways that made it easy to play the book in my mind like a movie. I will be able to remember and replay this beautiful love story for quite some time.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.
The links included in this blog are affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking the link, I, as an Amazon Associate, can earn a small commission at no extra cost from you. Thank you for supporting my blog.