A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess

by Heba Helmy

Escape to 1870s Egypt and explore the royal court with this spellbinding romance…

An unforgettable meeting in Paris
An unexpected reunion in Egypt

Viscount Louis Wesley is captivated by the beautiful woman he meets at the Louvre. He never expects to see her again, but then he arrives in Egypt for his royal best friend’s wedding and discovers she’s the bride, Princess Mervat! Learning it’s a convenient match that both intend to avoid, Louis vows to help. The stakes may be high, but Louis’s biggest challenge will be resisting falling for the princess himself!

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Egypt, Historical, Category Romance

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 23, 2024

Reviews

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There has been a long history of romances filled with sheiks or Middle Eastern princesses by white authors that are weirdly exoticizing and culturally appropriative. So this is a breath of fresh air. A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess is a historical romance by an author who is herself Egyptian and Muslim. It weaves in Egyptian culture, food, and history, Arabic language, and touches on the issue of colonial powers taking historical artifacts.

But it's also a romance, where a chance encounter at a museum in Paris leaves an impression and when the hero Louis travels to Cairo to visit a royal friend from University, he discovers that his intended bride is the mystery woman from Paris. Except that Princess Mirvat doesn't want to marry her distant cousin and is only at court to try and develop a relationship with her social-climbing mother. This is a slow-burn romance that I was really loving by the end. It's slow to start and I think the pacing in the early part of the book could have been better, but I ended up loving the relationship between Louis and Mervat and how she finally really stands up for herself. It builds romantic and sexual tension between them, but Mervat is also a devout Muslim and her religion is a part of the story. And as someone who spent the better part of a year in Egypt in my college days, I really enjoyed all of the details of food, clothing, and iconic places in Cairo. I would read more from this author! I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet romance (with lots of Egyptian and Turkish sweets mentioned too). It’s always refreshing to take a break from England when reading an HR, and the author does a great job with the Egypt setting, with most of the book taking place in Cairo.

The romance is tender and tentative because of circumstances — she is set to marry his best friend in an arranged marriage. They have to navigate that, court politics, etc. But the thing that stood out most for me in their relationship is how much respect they have for each other. The MMC’s respect for the FMC boosts her confidence and helps her stand up against those who try to keep her down.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨️✨️✨️

[آية · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the author's first book, I really enjoyed the care and attention given to specific parts of Egyptian history and culture. As an Egyptian herself, the author does a MUCH better job than most other fiction writers about Egypt. I see many fiction books set in 19th century Egypt care for nothing about actual 19th century Egypt and focus instead on Ancient Egypt and the Egyptomania that Europeans had for mummies and pharaohs. But this book nicely focused on actual 19th-century Egypt, with important details such as the new palaces and modernization programs that the khediwe was implementing. She also nicely integrated Egyptian-Turkish/Ottoman relations, as well as Egyptian-British relations and the racist imperialists that existed. The settings and the people in them were also really well-researched and depicted: high-end parts of Cairo, the busy Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the Alexandria-Cairo railway, the Alexandrian beach, al-Azhar's library, the harem in the palace--they were all so nicely described and I love the emphasis and agency given to Egyptians. I think there were only 2 British characters which is surprisingly low for a book set in Egypt in this time, and it was refreshing.

I liked this book better than the author's first book. Here, Mervat made a point of being conscious of the way she sinfully acted on her desire. There were some scenes that were too explicit for this to be considered clean/halal--but it's a Harlequin book so I don't know if I can judge it too harshly there. Also, a spoiler but a super important reason why this book was better than the author's first one: Louis actually had to convert to Islam before marrying Mervat.

I do think that the book could've used more depth. Some characters were left undeveloped. Some arcs left unresolved or the resolution came too fast to be satisfying (Mervat's relationship with her mom, Nadine and Hussam, etc.) There were also times when I felt the characters' decisions were just SO unrealistically stupid, and it felt that they were making this decisions not genuinely but rather for the sake of the plot. But still, it was an okay read, and I'm excited to see Heba Helmy's future work inshaAllah :)

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful second book by Heba! I loved that I really felt the attraction Mervat has for Louis, I felt that was lacking in the first book. Because the book took place almost entirely in Egypt we got to see and experience so much more of the historical culture of that time and I loved it. The struggles that she had finding her place and how strong she was to when it was necessary demand what she wanted/ deserved. Louis was enjoyable as well but Mervat stole the show for me. Hussam, sir you tsk tsk. I did immediately call my father and ask why he was not Egyptian royalty so ghat I could also be a princess. Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC In exchange for my honest opinion.

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Middle Eastern woman, I cannot begin to describe how much I loved seeing the representation of Arab/Middle Eastern cultures in a historical romance. We are so used to seeing us played as villains that seeing us get a happy ending made me emotional. I say that honestly. The heroine was a strong minded and independent woman with such a intelligent mind. Strong female characters are always a win! However, there was a lot going on in the book with the very many tropes and competing plots. It came off a bit far too extra. It had so much potential, but it got lost along the outlandish scenes.

I will say that I intend to look into the author's other books though. I enjoyed her writing style.
*Honest and voluntary review via NetGalley and Harlequinn.

[Uyen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This lacked something.
I was truly intrigued in the beginning when they were first meeting one another, but I felt like the plot started dragging.

There was too much being juggled and without the support.
- we have the khedive and the princess’ “marriage”
- we have the fake arrangement
- them looking into the crown
- her family history

This story just didn’t grab me.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I enjoyed the unusual setting of 1870s Egypt and the blending of cultures in the story. The richness of the details, from food and clothing to traditions and folklore, gave depth to the story and added to my enjoyment.

I liked the first meeting between Louis and Mervat. She is an Egyptian princess visiting Paris with her mother. Mom is most interested in shopping, but Mervat has deeper interests. She is fascinated by the genealogy of artifacts and sneaks away to the Louvre for an afternoon of research. There, she meets Louis, an English viscount, who is there to attend a lecture about a Turkish artifact. He is drawn to Mervat, introduces himself, and proceeds to get her talking about the sculpture she is standing in front of. He is fascinated by her and her story, while she is unused to someone genuinely interested in what she has to say. He invites her to the lecture, not knowing of her connection to the artifact, and never expects to see her again.

Imagine his shock when he arrives in Egypt to attend his friend Hussam's wedding and discovers the mysterious lady is Hussam's fiancée! He's not sure why he's dismayed, but when he learns that neither wants the arranged marriage, he offers to help. Here's where the story gets very complicated. Hussam claims to be in love with someone else and develops an elaborate plan to prove to his father that he and Mervat are not suited. It involves Hussam and Nadine, and Louis and Mervat being seen together, with the ultimate goal of Hussam being able to marry Nadine.

Louis believes he is safe to help because he has no intention of falling in love before marrying, thanks to a family history of poor choices. As soon as he made that statement, I knew he would fall hard. He and Mervat connect over their interest in the Cerulean Crown and work together to investigate its history. They connect over their interest in the stories behind things and spend as much time together as possible. Neither expects the feelings that grow between them.

I liked the scenes of Louis and Mervat together. I liked Louis's belief in and respect for Mervat's intelligence and abilities and his support for her dreams. Mervat does a great job of boosting Louis's self-confidence in his writing and what he can do with it. But Louis has little confidence that he is worthy of Mervat, and Mervat doesn't believe she can hold his attention. Both have insecurities that hold them back from sharing their feelings, and it takes effort to overcome those obstacles. I liked the ending and Louis's big moment.

I didn't like Hussam very much. He came across as shallow and spoiled, more interested in pulling one over on his father than actually achieving the purpose of the deception. Trouble comes when his plan fails, putting all their plans in jeopardy. I was happy to see that he learned from what happened and came through for his friends in the end.

#netgalley

[Brittany]

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This was a lovely historical romance (set in 1870s Egypt) between Englishman, Viscount Louis, and Egyptian Princess Mervat. They originally meet as they are perusing at the Lourve, an art and archaeology museum in Paris, France (for those who are unfamiliar). Then, when Louis arrives in Egypt to see his friend Hussam, he realizes that Mervat is Hassam's fiancee! However, Hussam and Mervat have zero intentions of letting their engagement get far, as they both recognize that Hussam is actually in love with Nadine, and Mervat is only at court to deepen her relationship with her mother, her Anne. Hussam has this plan that will hopefully convince his father that Mervat and himself are not a good marital match, and with this new close proximity, Mervat and Louis explore their new friendship and eventually, a slower burn romance.

I loved how Louis and Mervat bonded over their shared love for archaeology and history - these adorable lil nerds!!!! I squealed when Mervat finally admitted her feelings for Louis, and loved how Louis' inner thoughts were in turmoil over his feelings for her!

Overall, I find "virgin" narratives to be exhausting, but I will attribute this one to the attitudes of most historical romances, so I recognize that is something for myself to be cognizant of, like this is not unique to *this* book; it's something that comes up in the genre as a whole. However, I liked that Mervat was like, 'Yeah, well fuck that. I'm gonna do what I want and my body wants this Englishman' hahahaha

I appreciated how the author highlighted Egyptian culture, with their food, language (with not too much explanation, because we all have Google), and more. I am so glad to have found an ownvoices Muslim author writing historical romance eeeeeek. I will absolutely be seeking out more of Heba Helmy's work!

steam rating: 1 out of 5 - it is just the tiniest bit of steam and had a lot of tension built up to it!

Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Sexual content, Sexism, and Misogyny

[Ra! ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ This was as messy as forbidden love should be | tropes: fake dating, forbidden love, angst, miscommunication | low steam | digital

"‘Kiss me.’ Did she whisper or yell it? Was it a plea or a demand?"

characters
🩶Princess Mervat is an intelligent woman more interested in history and art than marriage until her estranged mother calls her to court to marry her cousin, the price of Egypt. I loved seeing her discover what really she wants. I also liked how much she stuck to who she was and even though she wanted to be loved by her mother, she wouldn't live for her.
🩶 Viscount Louis is titled but lacks the funds to support his family and his siblings and hopes his friend's wedding will open opportunities for him for a future job in Egypt. He has the classic "I can't fall in love"-idous many historical mmc's are afflicted with. I loved seeing him fall head over heals and finally allow himself to fight for what he wanted.

"Louis might think she could not stand up to her mother, but here she was making him weak. She quite liked the feeling, forbidden as it was."

favorite bits
🖤 I immediately loved how Louis was enthralled with Mervat's mind, not just her beauty. I liked their mutual deep understanding of each other and how vulnerable they were.
🖤 I loved that we got more of Anne / Mervat's mom's backstory to why she's so determined to marry Mervat and Hussam despite her daughter's refusals.
🖤 I liked how complicated and messy this book got towards the end! There were a lot of hurdles to overcome and I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how everything was going to be resolved. The complexity made the love between Mervat and Louis at the end worth it and I adored that!

"‘Stop teasing me.’ ‘I’m charming you.’ ‘You are. You have. You always will charm me. My viscount. I love you, Louis.’"

issues
❌ I wish I cared about the history of that jewel as they did. I didn't realize how central to the plot it was going to be. I did find it interesting when its history was revealed but the journey itself did not move me.
❌ I also feel like the pacing was not great. The middle section had great moments but overall it it dragged. I wanted the big conflict to come already and it almost made me dnf.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mysterious crown. A beautiful princess. A penniless viscount. What better combination could you want?
Good historical fiction is based on as much real facts as you can stuff in, and in this one we get the full feeling that we are there, experiencing Egypt in the 1870s. The smells, the tastes, the sunlight and of course the politics. Not only between countries, but between members of the royal court.
The basic story line reminds one of a Shakespear play where everyone is chasing after the one they love, but who loves another. Only in this case, Viscount Wesley falls in love with Princess Mervat from the moment he sees her, and she him. And the whole rest of the book they try to let the other know this fact, but never quite to so.
Oh, and of course there is fake dating.
And place manipulations.
And although I didn’t cry, I did enjoy all the emotional roller coasters that happened as two star crossed lovers couldn’t quite get it together.
This is a clean romance. The most we get is kissing, and the very real hint of perhaps there could have been more, but isn’t.
Truly delightful. The writing is fun. The characters are so very human though set in Victorian times. Love and politics are universal.


This is the second Heba Helmy historical romance I have read, and I loved it just as much as the first.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out April 23rd 2024.

If you like good historical romance, you can’t go wrong pre-ordering this. All the stars.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a trip to 1870s Egypt and savor the art, fashion, food, local bazaar, The Royal Opera House, a Midsummer Ball, and so much more in this heartwarming romance.

A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess breathes freshness to the historical romance genre with diverse characters and locations. While the young and ambitious Louis Wesley, Viscount of Allenborough, is bound by duty to his family and estate in England, the shy and conscientious Princess Mervat Abbas of Egypt dreams of opening a museum, so people from all walks of life can enjoy the cultural artifacts and legacies of their nation. I adored Mervat and Louis. They are sweet, sincere, and relatable characters. They exude goodness and kindness. These two soulmates were fated to meet at the Louvre, and their love blossomed and bloomed in the opulent setting of Cairo. Despite the vast differences in their background, they are kindred spirits. However, their journey to a HEA is paved with misunderstandings, outlandish schemes, and challenges of royal proportions. Heba Helmy weaves an endearing tale of love, family, and destiny. I really enjoyed it!

Also, Mishmish! 😻

A Viscount for the Egyptian Princess releases around Eid, in April 2024.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This HR was unlike anything I’ve read before and for that alone, I applaud. As for the story, there were elements of this book I adored and several parts that I did not care for.

The positives:
- The setting! Most of the book takes place in Egypt. Loved that so much. The author did a fantastic job of setting the scenes. Lush and beautiful.
- The history. So much history. I learned a bunch.
- How Louis was immediately charmed by Mervat’s extensive artifact genealogy knowledge and was like “tell me more.” Mervat got to nerd out AND have a hot viscount invested in her mini lectures? Yes please.
- A blonde hero. Y’all know I’m a sucker for it.

The negatives:
- The miscommunication was frustrating. It’s a trope I generally don’t enjoy.
- The internal dialogue was a lot. I personally want more actual dialogue between the MCs.


CWs: I think it’s important to mention that people who grew up in purity culture may find some moments triggering. There is a part that references sexual shame and religion that broke my heart a bit. Read with care.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just finished this Mills and Boon historical romance set in Egypt. It was a great read, I felt I learnt more about the history of Egypt and also what it was like to be living there at that time.
The story follows Louis, a viscount from England and Princess Mervat, of Egypt, a chance meeting at the Louvre in Paris and then a further meeting in Egypt, where the viscount has come to stay with his best friend from his days at Eton, the Prince Hussam. And who should also be there, Princess Mervat who to the viscount was the nameless beautiful woman he met at the Louvre.
I enjoyed this book, the background of the story, Egypt in the late 1800's and it's interesting characters. I would recommend to romance affiliates and anyone wanting to read more about Egypt in that time period.

[Andrea (Hammock and Read) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Heba’s previous book so I couldn’t wait for this one and it did not disappoint - we start out in the Louvre and then spend most of the rest of the book in Egypt. Marvat is an artifact - an art expert that studies them to understand their background- so of course I loved this Princess! Louis is traveling to visit his friend and find the beautiful smart women he falls for back in Paris. These two have so much chemistry but must overcome background, religion, customs, and a King’s wishes. I really enjoy this historical and can’t wait to read more of Heba’s work. Low spice - All the stars!

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Viscount Louis Wesley first encounters the captivating Princess Mervat at the Louvre, he has no idea that destiny has brought them together. Arriving in Egypt for his best friend’s royal betrothal, Louis is stunned to find that Mervat is the reluctant bride-to-be. Determined to help her evade the unwanted union, Louis becomes entangled in a whirlwind of intrigue and forbidden love.

This is a high-emotion story of forbidden love. I enjoyed the slow burn and the Egyptian setting.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Nicole Reads Romance]

I was drawn to this book because it is not only set in Egypt, but has an Egyptian FMC, AND is written by an Egyptian-born author. More please! This fade to black Romance was thick with miscommunication, royal court maneuvering, and religion (purity culture was significantly on page), all wrapped up neatly with an HEA.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped on page 108. I just couldn’t get engaged in this story. It was too slow, too talky. It didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

[Kaye Salter · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in the mood for a clean historical romance with an Egyptian lead, this book is for you! I liked Helmy's world-building.

[Chloe]

I cannot wait for this!!! I loved Helmy's previous book. Please gimme gimme aaaaa

04/23 - TODAY IS THE DAAAAAAY CANNOT WAIT TO GO PUT MY HANDS ON THIS