Review: Seducing the Princess by Mary Hart Perry

Genre:  Historical Romantic Thriller 

Published: 3/5/13 | Diversion Books

Format: ebook | free in exchange for an honest review
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Mary Hart Perry’s acclaimed series of romantic Victorian thrillers continues with Seducing the Princess, inspired by the life of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter Beatrice. Painfully shy and lonely, convinced she is unattractive and unloved, the dutiful Princess Beatrice finally accepts that she will never marry and vows to devote herself to the queen in Victoria's waning years. In fact, her mother has secretly discouraged suitors for Beatrice’s hand. Just when Beatrice has all but given up on love and happiness, she meets Henry Battenberg, a dashing nobleman from the Continent who matches wits with the aging Victoria and risks his life and liberty to woo Bea.

But Henry isn't the only man interested in being welcomed into Beatrice's bed. The timid princess has become the target of a cruel plot hatched by her nephew, the madman destined to become the last Emperor of Germany. Wilhelm II sends a ruthless agent, a charming Scot, to seduce the naive princess and spy on the queen. How can the sheltered princess hope to fend off a man capable of murder, and perhaps worse, to get what he wants? But Beatrice is not without her own allies--her older sister Louise and Louise's American soldier-of-fortune and lover, Stephen Byrne. Will Beatrice discover which of the two men pursuing her she can trust, before it's too late? Drama, romance and peril chase the royal family from Buckingham Palace to a storm besieged castle on the Isle of Wight.

Mary Hart Perry is a new to me author and Seducing the Princess is the first book that I read.  I was thoroughly blown away!  I loved reading about Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.  Of course, I did a quick google search on her to read more about her and her life with the Queen.  I am amazed at how the author seamlessly intertwined Princess Beatrice's story with the facts surounding her love match with Henry Battenberg.

The story was well written and I empathized with Princess Beatrice.  Queen Victoria really seemed like the villain of the story.  I can just imagine how hard it was for Beatrice growing up as her mother's shadow.  The way the Queen treated Beatrice struck a chord in me and I could not help but hate the Queen for doing this to her youngest daughter.  Beatrice comes off as an obedient and meek daughter, only following what the Queen commands her to do but deep inside, she cannot wait to leave and have a life of her own.  This happens when she meets and falls in love with Henry.

Henry and Beatrice's love story was really sweet, I thought.  I love the way that he went out of his way to get to know the Princess and helping her overcome her shyness and become a strong woman.  I have to point out that all the characters are well developed and I find that this help drive the whole plot of the story.  I felt that I knew them and that I was one of the Queen's daughters.

I also loved that there was another villain in the story in the form of Prince Gregory, another cousin.  I like to think that a good story has to have a good villain and Gregory really fit the bill to a T.  Although there is a minor villain in the form of Queen Victoria, I cannot see her as the ultimate villain even if she plays a part preventing a romance between Beatrice and Henry.

I recommend this book to readers who love Philippa Gregory.

My Rating

Heat Level

 

Kathryn Johnson lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband and two feline writing partners, Tempest and Miranda. The author of over 40 novels, she's written under her own name and a variety of pen names, including Mary Hart Perry, Kathryn Jensen, KM Kimball and Nicole Davidson. She also teaches fiction-writing workshops for the renowned Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland. And, in 2008, she founded Write by You (www.WriteByYou.com), to coach other writers interested in reaching publication. She has been nominated for the prestigious Agatha Christy Award, and won the Heart of Excellence and Bookseller's Best Awards (sponsored by the Romance Writers of America) in 2011.

 

Her works in progress include a series of Victorian thrillers inspired by the lives of Queen Victoria's five daughters. The first novel, The Wild Princess, focuses on Princess Louise, who desperately wanted an education as a professional artist, at a time when women were not admitted into art schools. Her personal life becomes complicated when she uncovers a secret about her husband and must help protect her mother from an assassination attempt. The second book of the series,Seducing the Princess, launches April 2, 2013, and features Victoria’s youngest daughter Beatrice. Painfully shy and lonely, the dutiful Princess has promised never to marry and to devote herself to the queen in Victoria's waning years. Just when she has all but given up on love and happiness, she meets Henry Battenberg, a dashing nobleman from the Continent who risks his life and liberty to woo Bea and save both his beloved and the queen from a cruel plot. A third novel, to be published later in 2013, will star Crown Princess Vicky.

 

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Facebook Event

Running March 31st to April 4th With an all day hoopla on April 2nd to celebrate the release of “Seducing the Princess”

 

Join Mary Hart Perry and Vickie Ann in celebrating the launch of Seducing the Princess. Mary Hart Perry will be doing random giveaways at this event, so keep an eye out for prizes and help spread the word!!!

Don't miss the fun! Invite your friends to join in! And ask Vickie how to get Seducing the Princess for free in exchange for an honest review on Amazon. Vickie@iobooktours.com

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2 $10.00 Gift Cards

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Review: When in Paris... by Beverley Kendall

Genre: Young-Adult
Series: Language of Love #1
Published: Jan 4, 2013 | Season Publishing
Format: ebook | Purchased
Buy: Amazon | B&N

College freshman Olivia Montgomery is thrilled at the chance to start over, escape the rumors that plagued her in high school. And she can finally put her juvenile crush, Zachary Pearson, where he belongs--in her past. Then her unrequited love strolls into her French class, shattering Olivia's newfound peace, and the feelings she'd thought buried for good come rushing back. Now she can't shake her unwanted attraction to the one guy who can twist her stomach into knots with just a smile...but has never given her the time of day.

Zach's good looks may have always gotten him his pick of girls, but it's the star quarterback's skill on the football field that gives him his pick of the Big Ten colleges. To escape the crushing demands of his win-at-all-costs father, Zach opts for a private university in upstate New York where...his present and past collide. And the one girl he's always wanted but can't have--and a class trip to Paris--turn out to be the ultimate game changer that has him breaking every one of his rules.

The book starts in French class when Olivia Montgomery locks eyes with Zachary Pearson her longtime high school crush.  Unbeknownst to Olivia, Zach also shares the same attraction but was giving her the cold/cool attitude because he couldn't act on his feelings.  Apparently, Olivia's mother had an affair with his uncle which resulted in divorce.  As a result, he was trying to deny his attraction to her and was pretty much indifferent.  Their friendship started when April, Olivia's best friend invited her to have dinner with another friend Troy, Zach's roommate.  April and Troy try to match them up together as it was pretty much obvious that they had something going on.  So starts the love/hate relationship between the two.  A field trip to Paris changes everything and they become intimate; with Olivia thinking that they are a couple and Zach thinking that it is only a friends-with-benefits thing.  Things blow up when they return to school when Olivia finds out that Zach is not serious with her coupled with the fact that Zach's crazy ex Ashley, keeps on calling him.  They do not talk for a while until Ashley appears in Olivia's dorm and collapses, resulting in a 911 call, which reveals all.   Zach still had been communicating with Ashley because she had suicidal tendencies and he could not, in his good conscience, not talk to her.  Olivia understands and Zach talks to Ashley's parents and says that he does not want to be involved with her anymore.  The parents agree and said that they will get help for her.  Olivia and Zach go home together and officially start their new relationship.

When in Paris... is a new genre for me - YA/Chic-Lit type.  I am actually surprised that I liked it.  Olivia and Zach really had an explosive relationship with a lot of sexual tension.  Another thing that I liked about the book was the  first-person telling of the story.  I especially like that Ms. Kendall wrote Zach's POV and I loved getting a feel of his thoughts and feelings.  His POV is also realistically male.

Olivia and Zach are a perfect match, I thought.  I love how both of them don't really know each other appart from what they assume what each other is until they got to know each other.  Their relationship progresses in a way that is slow but building up to love.  I have to admit, this sort of sounds like my love story (LOL).  

One thing that I did not like about it is that the ebook had flourishes in between Olivia's POV and Zach's POV that it cut of a few words.  I hate it when this happens, although I know it is not Ms. Kendall's fault.  This is a peeve of mine and I just have to say this.  Another thing that I thought could have been explored was Olivia finding out about her mom's relationship with his uncle.  It was not actually mentioned in the book but was implied that Olivia is mad with her mother and her is father living in an apartment.  I thought that there should have been more emphasis on this because I think this should have been the major problem and not about Ashley.  Although Ashley had a integral role in their relationship, I thought it was not a really big enough impact overall.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Heat Level: 2