Disguised as a Butler, the Former Princess Evades the Prince’s Love!

[MangaDex]

 

[RamenRider]

Hopefully I’ve managed to keep spoilers to a minimum here. My criticism is probably far more scathing than the book deserves to be on the receiving end of as overall it’s fairly standard and/or cliche. I can’t rightfully call it garbage despite what the following may say.

I‘m sure this is somebody’s cup of tea, but I kinda really just hate this male lead. The premise starts off pretty standard with our heroine basically being forced into an engagement against her will and the plot theoretically revolving around her attempts to get out of it that will inevitably turn into him managing to woo her Because we all have basic pattern recognition and the tag is romance.

So of course the prince has to immediately make himself look like a complete jackass by badmouthing every last picture of fiancé candidates sent to him because they have the audacity to be interested. But that’s not what was tone deaf about the scene. It’s the fact that it’s what we get this after the very premise of this book basically hammers it home that none of those girls probably have any choice in the matter to begin with and even if they are, they’re just probably shooting their shot. His unawareness of this and refusal to just say he has somebody else he wants to ask out when asking a girl out is his ONE JOB as prince doesn’t come off as endearing at all.
Early in Volume 2 seems to be where I hit my limit with this guy because it turns out that he’s

Spoiler

legitimately delusional about the heroine having any sort of affection for him after we got an entire volume of her negative thought bubbles about him

. Sure there are cliches everywhere and it’s not anything abnormal when it comes to plot but this guy just really rubs me the wrong way with the sheer cringe aura I’m feeling.
I’m not sure why I dislike this guy so much when there’s no real innovation to this story and there are objectively far worse male leads that exist. Maybe it’s just the fact that if your love interest is going to these sort of lengths to make sure you have nothing to do with them, you should just take the hint already?
And isn’t this international kidnapping since she wasn’t even living in the same country as this guy when she got ordered to become his wife? Is this some sort of international conspiracy or intrigue behind this I would rather be reading instead?

 

[N2O]

There is absolutely zero depth to this relationship and it is just so so poorly written in general. And yes, I did read all of it. I have so much to complain about I don't even know where to start. And yeah, as the above comment noted, the ML sucks. So does almost all the characters. The only interesting thing this has is the premise of a crossdressing butler, but it barely touches on that point at all and instead focuses on the most washed out, uninspired romance I've ever read. Author is definitely a virgin.

I don't even have the energy to waste reviewing this dumpsterfire. Don't read it. You're welcome.