Publication Date: 08/25/2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Pocket Books
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 400
ISBN-10: 147678597X
ISBN-13: 978-1476785974
(Received for an honest review from Pocket Books)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, itunes
Karen Hawkins on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Books in the series:
Princes of Oxenburg
1. The Prince Who Loved Me
1.5. The Princess Wore Plaid
2. The Prince and I
3. Mad For The Plaid
Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from The Prince and I, courtesy of the author's website
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins, the lively and sizzling second book in a new fairytale-based Scottish historical romance series, The Princes of Oxenburg.
Max Romanovin, Oxenburg’s warrior prince, is escorting his grandmother to a house party deep in the Highlands when he and his entourage are robbed at sword point by a group of ruffians led by a man the locals have dubbed “The Scottish Robin Hood.” The battle-savvy prince instantly realizes there’s something different about this thief, and it’s not just the Scottish accent—it’s the fact that “he” is really a “she.”
Lady Murian, a young widow out for revenge against the powerful earl who killed her husband and stole his birthright, is now living in the woods with her family’s banished retainers. To stay alive, she and her band of men rob rich nobles coming to visit the evil earl. But when she ambushes the Prince of Oxenburg’s golden coach, she gets far more than she expected. For when the prince uncovers her true identity, she’s afraid that he might be the real thief…of her heart.
Thoughts:
Karen Hawkins brings readers the second book in the Princes of Oxenburg series, The Prince and I. Hawkins is a big name when it comes to historical romance and she never disappoints. This book is an interesting take on the "Robin Hood" story that features a female bandit and a warlord prince. Hawkins uses everything from comic relief to intense and almost instant romance to bring this one together and readers will be thrilled with it. A great addition to this wonderful series!
What I Liked:
First off, let me say that Karen Hawkins is in my opinion a very good historical romance writer. Everything I have ever read from her was unique and well written. I knew what to expect going into reading the Prince and I. Great characters, humor in spades and a plot that would be both entertaining and fun. I got all of that and more with this book. The book starts out fast and furious and doesn't slow down much. There was a slight lull in the middle somewhere, but it didn't matter. When it caught back up it was on fire. Such a great romance and the author's take on Robin Hood was exceptional.
Lady Murian is one a mission. Her husband and her home have been taken from her and she's out to get a little revenge. I loved the fact that this book is set in the Highlands and that Murian takes to the ways of the highwayman to thwart her nemesis, the Earl of Loudan. What a unique take on Robin Hood. I loved it. A female bandit was such a great idea and it really worked here. Murian is strong and fiesty and full of vim and vigor. It would take kind of character to stand up to Prince Max. He is a warrior and Murian proves that she is as well when she bests him with her sword. One of my favorite female leads of the year.
Max isn't your average prince. He doesn't sit at home and bemoan his daily drudgery of being a prince. He leads his men into battle and he sometimes ends up being the bearer of bad news. When readers meet him, he is in somewhat of a dark place, a little broody and in need of something to fight for. Murian gives him that and so much more. The attraction between them is for lack of a better word, instant. Max knows the Scottish Robin Hood is a woman and he's out to find her again. I liked that he was such a strong character. He had a great sense of duty and intelligence that went well with his handsome features. I liked him a lot, though instant love isn't necessarily my thing.
Tata Natasha, Max's grandmother has gotten herself into a bit of a fix and needs her grandson's help to get her out of it. She was a saucy grandma as usual and provided a lot of comic relief for the book. Hawkins has such a great sense of humor and most importantly she is able to translate that into her books. It gives the reader a smile now and then and takes the pressure off of the lead characters long enough for readers to catch their breath. Great humor and comedy in this one.
What I didn't like:
Like I said, instant love isn't really my thing. Though Murian and Max fall for each other at first sight, there were still some obstacles in their way, so it didn't feel like they were automatically going to fall in love and marry. However, there was that cringey kind of feeling you get when love seems to be trite and predictable. I'm glad Hawkins was able to pull it out with these two and not fall to far into the instant love trap.
Bottom Line:
I loved this one. I want to read the first one now and the next one and the next one. Loved the humor and the strong characters. The pacing was for the most part, good and I loved Hawkins' take on Robin Hood. I want to throttle the Earl of Loudan and have tea with Tata Natasha. LOL... I was a great read! Lots of fun and lots of romance.
The Prince and I is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
1 comment:
I really like the cover, will have to add her to my list of historical writers to check out!
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