Once Ghosted, Twice Shy

A Reluctant Royals Novella

By: Alyssa Cole

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

Alyssa Cole returns with a fun, sexy romance novella in the Reluctant Royals series!

While her boss the prince was busy wooing his betrothed, Likotsi had her own love affair after swiping right on a dating app. But her romance had ended in heartbreak, and now, back in NYC again, she’s determined to rediscover her joy—so of course she runs into the woman who broke her heart.

When Likotsi and Fabiola meet again on a stalled subway train months later, Fab asks for just one cup of tea. Likotsi, hoping to know why she was unceremoniously dumped, agrees. Tea and food soon leads to them exploring the city together, and their past, with Fab slowly revealing why she let Likotsi go, and both of them wondering if they can turn this second chance into a happily ever after.

Loved it！

Another lovely dive into a secondary character from the Reluctant Royals series. Both characters are interesting, complex, stubborn yet willing to be vulnerable. A lovely vignette of two women in love finding their way back to each other while doing weird NYC things in the winter.

Great short story

I loved the story. Also, the narrator was amazing! I highly recommend this dope novel.

Slayed my whole life...

Touched on a lot of important political topics while also not forgetting it was a romance. If you read A Princess in Theory, Likotsi is Prince Thabiso's advisor, a masculine presenting queer woman. You saw hints of what happened but since she was a secondary character, it was unclear why things didn't work out. This book fills that gap.

Using flashbacks flawlessly, the story details meeting Fabiola, a Haitian-American queer woman and how she changed her world. Their cultural differences were so charming😍I don't think I've read a f/f book that featured two Black women with this dynamic and didn't realize how much I needed it! And they were both dark skinned! I don't even think I deserved this to be one of my first official reads of the year.

My only complaint is it's a novella so it's about a quarter size of the other books. For a cover this banging, it deserved a full length. I bought it via audio as soon as I saw it available. Don't say you want to see inclusion in queer romance and not read this book!

It Was Great Story...But

The story was very compelling and I truly enjoyed the writing and the pace. The narrator was wonderful and was able to bring the characters to life. I felt like I was in the story while it was being told. I could see what the characters saw, feel what they felt, and smelled the air of the atmosphere they occupied.

The only thing that would have made this book better to me, is if the story was longer. it kept me wanting more.

Loooooved it

what else it there to say. one: I'm a sucker for a good black romance. two: i really enjoyed how the writer didn't overplay the same sex aspect. (being a woman who loves women, its important that this didn't come off as porn for men but moreso as a real relationship) and finally: the writer used real life scenery that i recognized