Some books are just fun, and I had a smile on my face all throughout Nobody’s Princess.

Graham is the de-facto head of the sprawling Wynchester clan, a family of good-doers who are following in the footsteps of their recently deceased adoptive father, Baron Vanderbean. Graham’s siblings love to tease him for his obsession with royalty, so no one is surprised when he uses his network of London informants to figure out that an escaped foreign Princess is in London, and she clearly needs Graham to rescue her. He’d been training his whole life to rescue a damsel in distress, but unfortunately for him Kunigunde is a lady in waiting, not a princess. And she has no interest in being rescued.

Independent Kuni is the only girl from a family where all the men have served in the royal guard of the small abolitionist European country of Balcovia. But their progressive attitude doesn’t extend to women. Kuni dreams of joining her brothers in the guard instead of marrying a minor royal. She seizes a chance to be taken seriously and stows away on a reconnaissance trip to England, staying one step ahead of her brothers along the way.

An almost-princess would be tempting enough to Graham, but one who needs help…that’s the best catnip. Kuni is pragmatic enough to accept Graham’s offer to help her stay under her brother’s radar by moving into his family home. But she didn’t expect to fall in love with his siblings. And she definitely didn’t expect to find him so tempting.

I’m a sucker for a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to luv, and Kuni and Graham have a doozy. She’s spent her life training to be a guard in Balcovia, and dreams of showing little girls that careers are possible for them too. But Graham has devoted his life to fighting injustice in England. They’re both fiercely committed to their life’s work…but in different countries. I was very invested in seeing how the book would solve this problem! I couldn’t figure out how this was going to work.

My main annoyance with the story was that as Graham’s feelings grew, he wanted Kuni to give up her dream and join his family’s enterprises, but barely considered moving to be with her. For a book with so many fun feminist characters, this was a visible weakness.

Now that we have that minor frustration out of the way, let’s talk about all the things I loved.

Nobody’s Princess has a whimsical tone that made me abandon my usual cynicism and sink into this story of outlandish adventures with a loving multiracial family. Once Graham and Kuni meet and she moves in with the Wynchesters, the book quickly shifts to focus on their efforts to save the exploited workers of a terrible cotton mill boss. Their plan involves a Princess Caraboo-inspired scheme where one of the Wynchesters pretends to be a Balcovian princess and they infiltrate the factory. Many hijinks ensue, and I was caught up in the silliness of it all.

It was refreshing to have a Regency-set novel filled with commoners who use their wealth to help others, and I adored the whole family. They’re described as not being beholden to London’s high society:

“There were no vouchers to Almack’s for the Wynchesters, but they could do and live as they pleased. There were no rigid roles to undertake, no pomp and circumstance to adhere to, no forced marriages for strategic political alliances, regardless of one’s personal interest.”

And their interests are entertaining! One is a master of disguise, another an obsessive artist. Kuni quickly befriends my favorite Wynchester, bloodthirsty Elizabeth, whose chronic fatigue and pain don’t stop her from brandishing her sword at every opportunity.

“Elizabeth will pretend to be violent, which will distract the inn’s proprietor. You’ll slip in and out undetected whilst I detain my sister after a prolonged and dramatic tussle.”

“I don’t have to pretend,” said Elizabeth. “I could poke a few of them, just for flair. They’re the villains who stole…”

I also adored Jacob, an animal lover who prefers other species to humans. In one memorable scene, he convinces Graham and Kuni to break into the zoo and rescue an antbear.

Ensembles are fun, but what about the main protagonist pair? Graham and Kuni are fantastic communicators, and their relationship starts when he suggests a casual relationship.

“A temporary flirtation,” he said, his voice as smooth and intoxicating as a glass of sweet advocaat. “Only while you’re here. No expectations, no demands, no betrothal…just two people enjoying each other’s company. Wherever our togetherness might lead.”

Graham falls for Kuni quickly, but she’s initially more focused on building a dossier about English security to convince the Balcovian King to hire her. That means most of their love story is an extended courtship, courtesy of Graham’s ingenuity. He sneaks kisses during their capers, and is unfailingly encouraging. It’s Graham’s belief that Kuni would be an excellent guard which shocks her after a lifetime of being doubted and mocked by her brothers. I love a supportive hero! And I imagine that there are advantages to having a former acrobat as a lover.

Nobody’s Princess doesn’t take itself very seriously, so I was able to relax, and enjoy the fun. The love story competes with the Wynchesters’ delightful adventures, but I was having too good a time to mind. This is a whimsical delight that might work for readers who love lighthearted historicals about fighting injustice and found family.