Book 5: The Raven Prince

TITLE: The Raven Prince
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Hoyt
STARTED: January 24, 2008
FINISHED: January 30, 2008
PAGES: 378
GENRE: Romance

FIRST SENTENCE: The combination of a horse galloping far too fast, a muddy lane with a curve, and a lady pedestrian is never a good one.

SUMMARY: [From amazon.com] After reviewing her somewhat precarious financial situation, Anna Wren comes to the conclusion that she needs a job. When she discovers that Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, requires a new secretary, it seems like the perfect solution to her employment problem. Having already lost two secretaries because of his temper, Edward reluctantly agrees to give Anna a chance. Much to Anna's surprise, she finds she likes working for the often stubborn but unexpectedly kind Edward, and Edward soon realizes that Anna is not only an excellent secretary but also an extraordinarily intriguing woman.

THOUGHTS: A romance novel that didn't make me wanna kill it? Wha? Thank goodness I was finally able to read a romance that resurrected my love of the genre. The Raven Prince is not a keeper by any means, but it was the most enjoyable romance novel that I have read in a good long while. Let's hear it for inventive plots and believable characters! Hoyt has a nicely flowing and witty writing style that allows her characters to just "be." They are not forced into a plot structure. The book seemed organic, natural, but, most importantly, it was fun to read.

Anna and Edward strike a nice balance with one another. Both are stubborn in their own ways, but neither character made me want to hit them upside the back of their respective heads. They fight, but in ways that are entirely believable. And, unlike other romance novels, when the characters feel anger toward each other the reason is not stupid and contrived. Woot!

Also, props to Hoyt for making even the cookie cutter secondary characters have their own quarks. I like it when authors push the envelope past the usual stereotypes without trying to be radical. Besides, if I had an old butler who pretended to be senile, I'd act the same way the Earl did.

RATING: 6/10 [Good]

Comments

Marg said…
See, I liked The Leopard Prince best!


Are you going to read the other two books in the trilogy?
Meghan said…
I have the other two and plan on reading them before the year is out. I'm excited - I've heard nothing but good things about this series.