Elizabeth Hoyt

Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant man on horseback nearly crushes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits. THERE COMES A TIME IN A LADY'S LIFE The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior. WHEN SHE MUST DO THE UNTHINKABLE . . . When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. But when she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London, she sees red-and decides to assuage her desires . . .

The Raven Prince

Lover of Romance 

Anna Wren, a widow, is in search for a job that could help with their financial needs, and miraculously finds a job as a secretary to the Earl of Swartingham. At first Anna is overjoyed but knows that it won't be a easy task to be a secretary to a man who hold a temper. Edward, is shocked when he comes home to see that a woman is his secretary, a woman that stands up to him and isn't afraid of his temper. Edward is physically drawn to Anna but knows that she is a lady and knows that he can never make an advance toward her, but the more time they spend with each other, he starts to realize she is the first woman he is comfortable with, someone to talk with, to walk with and one that see him beneath the scars on his face. But then the unexpected happens, and they will both realize that they will be able to find their ever after if they would fight for it...

The Raven Prince is the first in the Princes Trilogy, and as the first book I have read from this author, I just fell in love....I found myself not wanting this one to ever end. I loved Anna and Edward and even the mutt 'jock' was a hoot throughout the book. I immensely enjoyed the interaction between the characters, especially Anna and Edward. Anna is not afraid of Edward, despite the fact that pretty much everyone else is....and she stands up to him like a spitfire not afraid of a thing, which only increases the heat and passion that builds between them. At first it took me a little bit to get into the books, but once I did I couldn't put it down, I was totally immersed into a unforgettable romance, that had my full attention!!! A Keeper for sure! Looking forward to reading more from Elizabeth Hoyt.
My Favorite Quote 
"All this time I've been restraining myself because I thought you were a respectable lady. All this time when you only this," He swooped in then and devoured her mouth, ravishing her softness, making no allowance for her smaller size, her femininity. " This is what you crave. What you traveled all the way to London for," he whispered against her mouth.

WHEN THE DEVIL MEETS AN ANGEL Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man - a naked unconscious man - and loses her innocence forever. HE CAN TAKE HER TO HEAVEN Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he's hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities - even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both. OR TO HELL Charmed by Simon's sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has - her love.

The Serpent Prince

Lucy, while taking a peaceful walk stumbles across a man she assumes is dead, but upon futher investigation finds that he is injured, and takes him back to her home to help heal him back to health. Simon, is bent on revenge, however Lucy startles his sensibilities to the point where he craves her very touch, and aches to hear the sound of her voice. He knows that his life is not what he would have for her, since everything in him vows to take revenge for his brothers death on those that killed him, but Lucy's love will be the one to save him as nothing else could...
The Serpent Prince is the third installment in the series. After reading the first book in the series, I loved it so much that I desperately couldn't wait to read the rest of the books in the series, and I just loved reading The Serpent Prince. From the very first page, I found myself captivated until the very last page, and even though I wasn't totally into the story, there was still a sense of mystery and romance that pulled me in. The characters were engaging, and their interaction with each other scrumptious. I also enjoyed how their was a sense of purpose in the characters and their interaction with each other was fascinating...although there were parts that I couldn't bring myself to like....the other much captivating parts made up for it. The sensuality between Lucy and Simon were intense and can at times leave a reader breathless in anticipation for more to come....Overall a Succulent and juice read that will warm you from head to toe....

Michelle Xu

It has been a while since my last historical-romance novel, that I've completely forgotten what is was like to read one. I'm incredibly happy I chose this to read as my first historical romance novel to get me back in the game.

I'd actually give it something closer to 4.5 stars.

While not perfect, I found this novel to have very endearing characters who kept me reading page after page.

Anna Wren is possibly my favorite historical-romance female lead so far due to her strong-headed, quick-wittedness. She's such a strong female lead who is funny and isn't afraid to voice her opinions. Her sharp tongue against Edward's temper makes their exchanges oh so funny and entertaining to read.

The only factor that bothered me a bit was the fact that she cried so easily. I found it hard to reconcile such a strong character with the fact she would tear up at the smallest things.

Edward de Raaf was also a great character. He was moody and temperamental, but really just needed someone who could see past that and love him. This reminded me a bit of Beauty and the Beast.

The side characters were likable as well. The older Mrs. Wren was a great motherly figure; Fanny was endearing; I loved that Pearl and Felix were able to meet and become lovers as well. Coral was one of the most intriguing side characters, that I wish we would get to know her better as well.

Jock almost deserves a line all for himself. I loved that they had Jock in there as a canine companion. It's great to see him grow together with the two characters. He began as a nameless mutt who followed the Earl about, and turned into a great watch dog who protected and followed the Earl and Anna about.

I loved the story of The Raven Prince at the beginning of each chapter. Obviously, in total, the story is only a few paragraphs long, but each chapter ended at such a cliffhanger, that I found if a certain chapter wasn't engaging enough, I would keep reading to find out what happened to Aurea and the Prince.

The only small factor in story-telling that irked me was how Hoyt just threw in blatant hints and obvious foreshadowing throughout the story. Most were completely unnecessary. The fact she had tons of SAT words within every chapter meant this novel was targeted towards an educated audience. But that educated audience would definitely catch onto her foreshadowing. It was done so obviously that there were no twists or surprises left in the story. There were lines like "Surely there could be no repercussions" and repeated lines of Anna putting her hair behind her ear with JUST her pinky finger. The former could have completely been skipped, as readers well know that something is bound to happen to carry forward the plot another 200 pages. The latter was necessary to repeat but perhaps to the extent in which Hoyt did. 

Over all, this was a great read. I found myself cheering for Anna over and over again. Definitely worth a read.

THE ONE THING A LADY MUST NEVER DO... Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man. IS FALL IN LOVE... Harry has known many aristocrats - including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms. WITH HER SERVANT. Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar. The locals blame Harry for everything. Soon it's all Georgina can do to keep her head above water and Harry's out of the noose...without missing another night of love.

The Leopard Prince

I was debating between a 3.5 and a 4. But in the end, I'd give the first half a 3.5 and the latter half a 4.

The Leopard Prince did not grab me as much as The Raven Prince, which I found surprising as this novel had much more action and suspense than the previous novel (which I normally like and prefer). I think the reason why this novel didn't have me hooked from the beginning was because of the disconnect between the characters. I didn't understand Lady Georgina's infatuation with Harry. In The Raven Prince, Anna and Edward had a reason to be together. Hoyt explained her need for a job, and the fact they were, in a way, forced to be together almost every day. In The Leopard Prince, however, George forced Harry to take her everywhere, and in only a few days they kissed and lust took over. While she had the excuse that she had to find the sheep killer, she had no reason to trust Harry, and her lack of knowledge rendered her useless the entire trip. Then suddenly, she decided she wanted an affair, and they fell in love...

Ignoring the pace of their love story, if you accept the love after a week story, the second half was really great. It was incredibly suspenseful, George and Harry had some amazingly sweet moments together, as well as some dramatic ups and downs... leading to a dramatic but nice ending.

Onto specific characters: Lady Georgina, as I mentioned, was fairly useless throughout the novel. While I do believe she is a nice and honest person at heart, I didn't find her to be as smart as she said she was (or as she called it "not a ninny"). I thought she as a bit ditzy even when she said it was for show. Even so, I loved that she cared about her people, her family, and Harry. She was extremely kind-hearted and that definitely made for a likable heroine. One small thing that bothered me, was the fact most people called her George. Whenever the author referred to her as George, I had to stop and think for a moment to remember that George was referring to a lady. I honestly wonder what Harry would call her after they wed. I doubt that he would forever call her "my lady".

All in all, I like Harry. There were parts throughout the story that made me frown and think "Well if he just..." or "Why the hell did he say/do that?" But other than a few of those parts, I liked him. He really saved this story from becoming boring because he was so badass. I don't really have any more complaints or even comments about him, because he was an all around solid hero. We learned of his background, his family, his fears, etc. Again, while he sometimes came off as too harsh or crude, he was easily a man to fall for and admire.

Now to my FAVORITE part: The Side Characters. Yep. I probably liked the side characters the most. I know the next and last novel is about Simon, but there are so many characters that I want to know more about. I desperately want Hoyt to continue within this historical universe and add to the stories of Violet, Tiggle, Bennet, Will, and Georgina's three brothers. I was definitely half in love with Bennet. In parts of this novel, I almost wished he were the hero. Tiggle was also such a great supporting character for Georgina. She definitely deserves her own story. I loved the way Tony, Oscar, and Ralph played off of each other--particularly Oscar and Ralph's relationship. The supporting characters definitely made this story worthwhile.

One detail that occurs in many romance series over and over that bothers me to no end is the timeline. In Hoyt's series, she goes through the three friends: Edward, Harry, and Simon. Like many romance series, the timeline occurs one after the other or even simultaneously. That's just so unbelievable to me. In JR Ward's Black Brotherhood series, for example, after hundreds of years alone, the brothers all suddenly, one after the other find mates. I rather liked Madeline Hunter's Medieval series, where in each novel, a younger side character in a previous book was chosen as the main character 5-20 years later. Then in that second novel we see how the first couple grew. I hated that Edward, Harry, and Simon are all around the same age, and they each found their loves in the same year: Edward and Anna in March of 1760, Harry and Georgina in September 1760, and in the next book, Simon and Lucy in November of 1760.

The timeline just totally throws me off. Does that mean by September, Edward and Anna are already married? The two months between Harry's and Simon's story... does that mean that their two stories overlap? Or did Harry and Georgina just fall in love that quickly? 

Ending this long review on a mixed note, I love Hoyt's theme of the three animal prince fairytales. I love how the story within the story ties into the main story. I like that it keeps me reading in order to find out the ending to the fairy tale. The only critique I have for the Leopard Prince is the way in which it was told. I loved that the Raven Prince was told as an old tale at the beginning of each chapter, leaving each chapter with a cliffhanger. I disliked Georgina telling the story of the Leopard Prince because, to be blunt, she sucks at story telling. She skips detail, and takes the beauty out of the tale. The only possible reason I see Hoyt for choosing this medium for the Leopard Prince's fairytale is the connection to Harry's carving and the last symbolic act of Georgina setting him free. But I'm CONVINCED that the fairytale still could have been presented in a better way.

I'm extremely conflicted on what I should rate this book. My excitement, while reading the book, was definitely more pronounced in this reading than the last two books. However, there were so many nuances and decisions made by the author that irked me. I finished the book unsure of how I felt, how it ended, and what else I wanted from the story that was left out.

While an exciting read, I'd give this a 3.5-4 stars.

Overall, this novel was the darkest in the series. As the reader, I was constantly struggling with my alliances. Did I even like Simon as a character? Is he good? Is he crazy? How would I act if the love of my life was a murderer, even for revenge? How much can I (or the Lord) forgive? I struggled with the same questions Lucy did, but I didn't have the same undying love for Simon as she had (nor her religious-ness). This will be discussed later. But for now...

Things I liked:
The first half, pre-proposal. I loved loved loved the bickering between all the characters. It really was like a witty fight with words between the characters. I just found that Lucy and Simon had so much chemistry, and they were merely talking to each other, slightly teasing each other, etc.

Lucy's character: she was one of the stronger female characters in this series. I found her to be very intelligent and perceptive. She didn't have an act unlike Lady Georgina in the previous novel. She was also just incredibly genuine, so open and innocent--bravely tackling all the emotional baggage that is Simon.

Simon hiding behind words and his wit. It made him a multidimensional character. You knew he had his demons, but he came off so cool, that you can't help but root for a murderer.

Side characters--again. I really think Hoyt has a knack for building a historical universe with very likable people. I loved Rosalind and Pocket--more so Pocket. I really wanted the story to continue so that we could interact with Pocket more and see how she grows up.

REALLY, all Hoyt has left me with, is feeling terribly empty, because SO many side characters throughout all three novels deserve a story: Coral (not just her novella), Bennet, Tony, Oscar, Ralph, Pocket, and Christian.

Things that could have been better or done differently:
1. Timeline. Why so so so fast? Not just Lucy and Simon's story but between all 3 novels, they take place one after the other. Seriously, I'm not sure if less than 2 months is enough time for Lucy and Simon to fall in love, kill 2 people, marry, break up, and make up...

2. The whole wedding and wedding proposal. I loved loved loved the story up until the proposal. Then there was a lull where I was completely unsure of how I felt about the whole thing. Once they were married, the story picked back up again. Back to the proposal, again, I could not comprehend their reason for marriage. It didn't feel like love at all. I felt that Simon proposed so that he could use Lucy merely to feel some sort of humanity left in himself. To justify that he wasn't a lost soul. She, on the other hand, was bored with her life. She wanted to find herself more than she did love. She wanted adventure and action. Though they both obviously had an attraction to each other, the reasons for marriage was all wrong. ALL WRONG. 

3. Simon's thought that he should buy her things to win her love. I absolutely cannot stand that. Maybe because of an experience I had that turned me off from people like that. But I honestly hated it each time he told her how he HAD all these things, how he should and would buy her all these things. I know she didn't care, which was great, but HIM. I hated that thought process. I hated how desperate he became.

4. The fact that their injuries seemed to disappear as soon as they had sex. Her stab wound, his chest, shoulder, arm wound from duels. They literally all go away while and after they're having sex. I swear no one can be horny enough as they're bleeding out.

5. The whole murder thing. While I completely understand his need for vengeance--Ethan and Rosalind's story is completely heartbreaking, I felt that at some point he was beyond the normal stages or grief and revenge. I hated that his friendship with Christian was pushed aside. What closure did Simon get? He said he avenged his brother but Rosalind had a different theory. I really don't know if the novel ended with Simon becoming a better person, understanding his nature/what he wanted out of the duels.

Last note about the fairy tale: The Serpent Prince
While this time the story was told by Simon, he was a much much better fairy tale-teller than Georgina. It still didn't have the umph that The Raven Prince had, but it was a decent telling of the tale. I was just as angry as Lucy with Simon's stupid ending. I was SO happy that in her present to him, she had changed the ending. What I disliked about her ending was that there was no explanation. The goat girl simply ended up with the Serpent Prince. No story besides 'true love will solve everything, including getting your head cut off'. But the fact is, the goat girl was the one who cut off his head in the first place. All for a gown. If anything, Lucy should have completely rewritten it. In its current manner, the fairytale is much like the novel itself: merely mended by the stereotypical saying that love conquers all, whether that be a beheaded snake, or loving a murderer.

Ah the review didn't put the novel in a positive light. But don't get me wrong... I was so engrossed in the novel. So much so, that it deserves a good rating. I enjoyed it so much while reading it. It's only upon second glance (or a night to sleep on it) when I discovered little holes here and there that bothered me. As this is the last book in the series, THERE SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY been an epilogue. Something needed to be there to tie up loose strings.

But please, HOYT if you ever, for some reason read this. WRITE MORE BOOKS FOR THE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS!

Amanda J 

Good story-kinda. The pleasure house was a weird premise. Writing seemed very separate more narrative than it should

b.andherbooks

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I love historical widow romances so much. Anna is 31 years old, and lives with her MIL and a woman they've hired as a maid, but who is really their ward. Anna runs afoul of the new Earl in town (he knocks her down on accident with his horse), and detests him on sight. He's big, burly, and scarred by the pox that killed the rest of his family as a boy. 

Needing funds, Anna manages to get a job as the Earl's secretary from his lively dressed steward while the Earl is out on business. The Earl is one grumpy bugger, but Anna really needs the work. 

Sparks fly. Anna wants the Earl, and is grumpy when she discovers one of the Earl's bills (a monthly fee for a bordello called Aphrodite's Grove). Anna and her MIL also rescue a sex worker who is badly hurt after men accost her (at the risk of being shunned by their fellow townspeople). Anna is rewarded by the woman's sister, a high class mistress who has access to London and Aphrodite's Grotto.

Anna is snuck in when the Earl has planned a visit there, and they share two nights of extreme passion (she's masked, and he doesn't know - they don't even talk).

The Earl feels bad though, because he also has feelings for Anna (he even bought her roses for her small garden - too many to fit).

Eventually the Earl discovers he has slept with her, they have some conflict involving, and he ends up coming back to her on his knees begging for her hand.

I was disappointed in the ending, because he promises he doesn't care that "she cannot have children" (she thinks she is barren because she never conceived with her dead husband), but of course there is a baby epilogue (they have many children).

Helena Cristina Nogueira Pereira

I liked lady Georgina a lot, loved the fact that she wasn't at all the typical girl who wants to live acording to the society rules from that time! Harry was really a likeble character! And the mistery in the story was interesting too!

Saayan

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Not sure how I feel about this one. I liked George - she came across as quirky and sometimes silly but in reality she was quite sure of herself in many ways and smarter than people assumed. Harry was a mixed bag for me. Initially I liked him for his quiet integrity but then as things heated up between the two of them, it was like the author went out of her way to reinforce the crudeness of his character. I also didn't like how he (view spoiler)[repeatedly blabbed to everyone in ear shot that George was pregnant with his baby. In an era where a woman's reputation was all she had, he set out to ruin it, never bothering to find out if this was something George wanted the whole world to know. (hide spoiler)] The villain was a bit of a mustache-twirling cardboard cutout.

Lately, I seem to be on roll with historicals full of people acting with decidedly modern sensibilities and this book is no different. (view spoiler)[Here we have an Earl and his entire family who not only aren't aghast at George taking a lover - and one of a much lower class at that, they are OK with her marrying him if that's what she wants. I think most aristocratic families of this era would have put a firm halt to this affair and packed off the pregnant George into a marriage of convenience or on an "extended tour of the continent" so her family's reaction just didn't ring true to me.  (hide spoiler)] 

Still despite my nitpicks, I was entertained and for that, I rated it 3 stars (though perhaps that's one too many)....

The Raven Prince

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