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Princes #1
The Raven Prince
There comes a time in a lady's life...
Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits.
When she must do the unthinkable...
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.
And find employment.
When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his "manly" needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her "womanly" desires...with the earl as her unknowing lover.
Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant male on horseback nearly squashes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits.
When she must do the unthinkable...
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.
And find employment.
When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. Then she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London for his "manly" needs. Well! Anna sees red—and decides to assuage her "womanly" desires...with the earl as her unknowing lover.
392 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2006
603 people are currently reading
17702 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Hoyt
45 books7,139 followersElizabeth Hoyt is a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. She also writes deliciously fun contemporary romance under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with three untrained dogs and one long-suffering husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,834 reviews
January 22, 2011
The Raven Prince was a sweet, sensual, delectable book that I've had sitting on my tbr pile for years now! In a way, I don't regret that, because I read it at the right time. This lovely story took what could have been dark and melancholy subject matter, and made something upbeat and whimsical, yet no less moving.
Anna and Edward are characters that get shoved into closets and overlooked when it comes to romance novels. They are both over thirty. Neither is drop-dead-gorgeous. Neither are shining diamonds of the ton (who usually bore me to tears anyway). Neither is especially wonderful to the world--except for me. I prefer reading about the misfits, the 'ugly ducklings' and 'raven princes'. I liked the fact that although both Anna and Edward have had some very tragic, lonely times in their lives, neither of them are particularly whiny about it. They have moved on to live their lives, even though deep down, they hoped for better. Anna was married for years to a man who made her feel inadequate because she never conceived, even going so far as to cheat on her. When he dies, she settles into widowhood, supporting her mother-in-law on his dwindling investments. In fact, she reminded me of the story of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible in how she cared for her mother-in-law and loved her. The time comes for her to get a position, and there are few to come by in Little Battleford. However, the mysterious Earl of Swartingham needs a secretary, and his estate manager, Hopple, is desperate enough to hire a woman.
When the two meet, there is a connection. Not exactly love at first sight, but something that develops into much more than what an Earl should feel for his secretary. I liked that both Edward and Anna looked past the superficial to what mattered in life. Anna saw Edward's smallpox scars, but more importantly, she saw a strong, beautiful man, even if he was a bit surly. Edward saw a vivid, attractive women although she had a plain face to the rest of the world. He liked being around her, talking to her, being with her. He liked her for who she truly was, giving her an acceptance her deceased husband had denied her.
Ms. Hoyt managed to take some aspects that wouldn't have appealed to me and to build a lovely romance. In theory, I didn't like the idea of Anna meeting Edward in Aphrodite's Grotto, pretending to be a lady of pleasure. I hate the idea of prostitution, and I especially hate when the hero in a romance book that I am reading goes to a brothel. What Ms. Hoyt did here was pretty cool. If she was going to have Edward go to a brothel to deal with his unseemly, lustful urges for his secretary, why not have his secretary be the woman he slakes those urges on? Those love scene were very well-written and "fan-yourself-now" steamy.
Anna discovers passion for the first time, and has to pay the price of passion--the knowledge that it is gained without knowing she is loved by the man she is with. Edward enjoys his time with the mystery woman, but his mind always goes back to Anna. Why does she come to mind when he's with this other woman? How can he feel such passion for her when his mind is fixated on Anna?
I liked how Ms. Hoyt deals with the double standard that society holds to regarding prostitution. A woman is the one who is sullied, but men are just doing what comes naturally. It drives me crazy! Anna helps a sick prostitute and has to deal with a bit of social stigma because of it, because that woman is dirty and beneath her. I was glad she was brave enough to do what was right, showing what a 'good woman' truly is. I do have to say I didn't like some of the double standards that Edward showed. His anger at finding out Anna was his mystery woman, and the way he put her on the "pure, innocent" pedestal, but had no problem slaking his urge on the professional woman who he always called whores. It's just my personal issue with the subject. I hate prostitution, but I hate it because I don't think a woman should have to use her body that way. Even moreso, I hate the hypocrisy of society when it comes to prostitutes. They didn't get 'sullied' by themselves. So, I particularly liked when Anna tells Edward off when he lectures her for taking in the sick prostitute, Pearl. The way I look at it, the oldest profession would go out of business if people didn't pay for sex, so it goes both ways for me, with a higher burden put on people who pay for sex. Anyhoo, societal rant aside...back to review.
I liked the subtle humor here, a light touch that brightened this story and kept it from being too melancholy. As much as I like angst, sometimes it's nice to have a fun read that's also deep and manages to move me at the same time.
I don't think I have much more to say here. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Ms. Hoyt's ability to write clearly, beautifully, but never floridly. She captures the Georgian era, but isn't heavy-handed about it. I knew I was reading a historical romance, and I believed in the setting. I definitely want to read more of her books (good thing I have been accumulating almost all of them over these few years). The elegant simplicity of her prose made this a swift and enjoyable read. This was historical romance that was enjoyable from beginning to end--I never felt the plot drag or my attention start to wane with this book. Although some of their moments of blindly holding on to misconceptions and fruitless determinations frustrated me, I never lost respect or liking for Anna and Edward. I could see that they had built barriers to love out of fear of heartbreak, and to keep themselves safe from further loss. Because I felt like I knew and cared for them, I found their passion very hot, but it also was a sweet, deep love story, so it satisfied me on both levels. In fact, I loved the characters for all their imperfections; I felt that they were normal, relatable people who deserved a happy ending. I was glad I got to see them get their happy day in this book.
Thanks to my Secret Santa Julie for selecting this book as one of my Christmas presents to read for the Lisa Kleypas group!
Anna and Edward are characters that get shoved into closets and overlooked when it comes to romance novels. They are both over thirty. Neither is drop-dead-gorgeous. Neither are shining diamonds of the ton (who usually bore me to tears anyway). Neither is especially wonderful to the world--except for me. I prefer reading about the misfits, the 'ugly ducklings' and 'raven princes'. I liked the fact that although both Anna and Edward have had some very tragic, lonely times in their lives, neither of them are particularly whiny about it. They have moved on to live their lives, even though deep down, they hoped for better. Anna was married for years to a man who made her feel inadequate because she never conceived, even going so far as to cheat on her. When he dies, she settles into widowhood, supporting her mother-in-law on his dwindling investments. In fact, she reminded me of the story of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible in how she cared for her mother-in-law and loved her. The time comes for her to get a position, and there are few to come by in Little Battleford. However, the mysterious Earl of Swartingham needs a secretary, and his estate manager, Hopple, is desperate enough to hire a woman.
When the two meet, there is a connection. Not exactly love at first sight, but something that develops into much more than what an Earl should feel for his secretary. I liked that both Edward and Anna looked past the superficial to what mattered in life. Anna saw Edward's smallpox scars, but more importantly, she saw a strong, beautiful man, even if he was a bit surly. Edward saw a vivid, attractive women although she had a plain face to the rest of the world. He liked being around her, talking to her, being with her. He liked her for who she truly was, giving her an acceptance her deceased husband had denied her.
Ms. Hoyt managed to take some aspects that wouldn't have appealed to me and to build a lovely romance. In theory, I didn't like the idea of Anna meeting Edward in Aphrodite's Grotto, pretending to be a lady of pleasure. I hate the idea of prostitution, and I especially hate when the hero in a romance book that I am reading goes to a brothel. What Ms. Hoyt did here was pretty cool. If she was going to have Edward go to a brothel to deal with his unseemly, lustful urges for his secretary, why not have his secretary be the woman he slakes those urges on? Those love scene were very well-written and "fan-yourself-now" steamy.
Anna discovers passion for the first time, and has to pay the price of passion--the knowledge that it is gained without knowing she is loved by the man she is with. Edward enjoys his time with the mystery woman, but his mind always goes back to Anna. Why does she come to mind when he's with this other woman? How can he feel such passion for her when his mind is fixated on Anna?
I liked how Ms. Hoyt deals with the double standard that society holds to regarding prostitution. A woman is the one who is sullied, but men are just doing what comes naturally. It drives me crazy! Anna helps a sick prostitute and has to deal with a bit of social stigma because of it, because that woman is dirty and beneath her. I was glad she was brave enough to do what was right, showing what a 'good woman' truly is. I do have to say I didn't like some of the double standards that Edward showed. His anger at finding out Anna was his mystery woman, and the way he put her on the "pure, innocent" pedestal, but had no problem slaking his urge on the professional woman who he always called whores. It's just my personal issue with the subject. I hate prostitution, but I hate it because I don't think a woman should have to use her body that way. Even moreso, I hate the hypocrisy of society when it comes to prostitutes. They didn't get 'sullied' by themselves. So, I particularly liked when Anna tells Edward off when he lectures her for taking in the sick prostitute, Pearl. The way I look at it, the oldest profession would go out of business if people didn't pay for sex, so it goes both ways for me, with a higher burden put on people who pay for sex. Anyhoo, societal rant aside...back to review.
I liked the subtle humor here, a light touch that brightened this story and kept it from being too melancholy. As much as I like angst, sometimes it's nice to have a fun read that's also deep and manages to move me at the same time.
I don't think I have much more to say here. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Ms. Hoyt's ability to write clearly, beautifully, but never floridly. She captures the Georgian era, but isn't heavy-handed about it. I knew I was reading a historical romance, and I believed in the setting. I definitely want to read more of her books (good thing I have been accumulating almost all of them over these few years). The elegant simplicity of her prose made this a swift and enjoyable read. This was historical romance that was enjoyable from beginning to end--I never felt the plot drag or my attention start to wane with this book. Although some of their moments of blindly holding on to misconceptions and fruitless determinations frustrated me, I never lost respect or liking for Anna and Edward. I could see that they had built barriers to love out of fear of heartbreak, and to keep themselves safe from further loss. Because I felt like I knew and cared for them, I found their passion very hot, but it also was a sweet, deep love story, so it satisfied me on both levels. In fact, I loved the characters for all their imperfections; I felt that they were normal, relatable people who deserved a happy ending. I was glad I got to see them get their happy day in this book.
Thanks to my Secret Santa Julie for selecting this book as one of my Christmas presents to read for the Lisa Kleypas group!
February 15, 2021
Sigh. I'm not one for struggling with unbelievable plots in historical romance - I mean, I did read and liked some of Tessa Dare's novels *giggles* - but in The Raven Prince my disbelief was so tightly linked with my irritation at the hypocritical heroes that it certainly ruined any enjoyment I could have felt.
Perhaps I'd have been less disappointed if I hadn't pinned so many hopes on Anna, who was smart and sarcastic in the beginning, but sadly I've spent the remaining pages cursing, where did you go Anna where the fuck did you go would you give me back my heroine!
Unfortunately the plot was so long-winded and convoluted when really, Edward and Anna could have prevented my sanity if they, you know, actually did something about their attraction, got it over with and added some much-needed layers to their relationship. Stop right there with your "it was improper then!" excuses : Elizabeth Hoyt makes her heroine, a widow whose "purity" is thrown in our face on a page-basis (can you feel my annoyance now can you), go to a brothel and pose as a prostitute to seduce the earl she's so enthralled with, without him knowing who she is. I don't have any problem with that, of course, but miss me with the "that's unrealistic!" excuses. Everything in this book is unrealistic. She might as well have gone all the way.
I realize that I might not be really clear about what bothered me, and I don't want people thinking that I have a problem with an heroine recognizing and acting on her sexual needs. God, no. I am all for women to take pleasure in any way they want. But a romance novel needs tension, sexual and sentimental, in order to work. I loved Edward and Anna's banter in the beginning, and I genuinely thought that I would adore seeing them slowly falling for each other. I didn't, though. From the time Anna had sex with him in the brothel, everything was about sexual attraction and along the way, Elizabeth Hoyt forgot to make her characters develop a real connection and love each other for who they really were. The tension wrinkled and my boredom increased exponentially until the end. I just didn't care.
I did appreciate the reflection about double standards, but her take on this issue would have been stronger if it hadn't been accompanied by the regular sexism that keeps rotting most romance novels, in sentences like these :
"She was a woman, and where her body went, her emotions followed willy-nilly. The act had somehow bound her to him, whether he knew it or not."
Huh? Is there something I do not know about the woman body or...?
I also do have a problem with male leads who keeps yelling stuff like, YOU WILL MARRY ME! over and over again, no matter how pure they think their reasons are. I don't know, it just rubs me the wrong way every time, and by the time the heroine says yes - they always say yes, because of course - my exasperation is often unwavering. And as much as I loved the fact that Edward was scarred and not some perrrrfect man, my excitation towards him fell along with the endless descriptions of his magic dick.
Yes, he has one of those. Isn't Anna lucky.
Finally, there were several villains??? I think?? But they were so fucking ridiculous that I couldn't take them seriously for one second, and actually Anna never did either. Why bother then?
In one word : disappointing.
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March 4, 2023
I recommend reading this book. A lovely story of an irritable imperfect man and a strong a plain woman that is well written about the surprise that falling in love when least expected can be. Fantastic side characters that play an important part in the story but do not overtake it. Hot sexy scenes. Rate it 4.5* as I read it in one night!
November 22, 2015
The Raven Prince is the first book in the Prince’s Trilogy and my first read by author Elizabeth Hoyt, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed the uniqueness of this story in that neither of the characters could be considered even remotely conventional, and this in a time when being anything less was nigh unto blasphemous! Also, there was a Beauty and the Beast fairytalesque feel to it that was done so well one could easily believe in this story and its wonderful characters.
A widow of six years, Anna Wren knew that, as the cover blurb explains, there comes a time in a woman's life when she must do the unthinkable - and find employment and like it or not, her time had come. Her husband had left them a small sum to get by on, but it was quickly running out and she needed to do something about it. Plain of face and slightly plump, she was considered rather ordinary of person. However, she was quite smart for a woman, able to read, write and do sums, but the problem was, not only did she live in a smaller village where there little demand for her skills, and even worse, she was a woman, the poor dear!
Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham was most unfortunate when it came to finding and keeping secretaries. It might have been his horrid disposition, his demanding schedule or his pox scarred face, but whatever the reason, he’d just lost another one and at a most inopportune time. Edward is in dire need of a secretary and has given his estate manager, Felix Hopple, one day to find a replacement or find a new employer.
Well, as luck would have it, Mrs. Wren, whilst out pounding the
One small thing I want to mention, and explain why The Raven Prince did not get a 5 star rating from me, is that in places I felt the writing was… choppy. It didn’t flow well. What I noticed were sentences that seemed to end abruptly or times when a conversation would start out one way, for example; happy, playful, teasing – and then end up terse, angry or upset… and there was no way to tell from the actual dialog the direction the conversation was taking until it was over and someone just wasn’t happy. If the author had hinted at the emotions of the speakers, that would have helped the flow. I’m chalking this up to being a debut novel, and while I did have to go back and re-read parts to see what I had missed and found that the problem was the writing itself and not me, it didn’t detract from my overall joy of the story.
Now, that said, there were so many things to love about this book, but what stands out in my mind is Edward’s confidence. As a young man he lost his entire family to the pox. Although he lived, he was left severely scarred and this had such an impact on him. I mean, he functioned well, was smart, successful, and seemed well adjusted and all, but every time there was any question about his relationship with a woman, his pox scars were his first concern. While he understood others’ reaction to them, he also accepted that they were part of him and made allowances for those around him. I can only imagine how severe the scarring was for it to have played such a big part of the story, but despite that, he kept on keeping on. He lived, did the things that needed to be done, didn’t lock himself away in his home, and yet… my heart broke for him because of the fact that he had to be at all concerned that someone would find him repulsive. It gave him a vulnerability that I wouldn’t have expected, but one I couldn’t ignore.
Anna was such a joy to read about. I loved her for all the things she risked, all the things she did, to be with the man she had come to care about. And my heart broke for her as her husband’s infidelities while he was alive come back to haunt her even in his death.
Ok, one of my favorite characters was Mr. Davis, Edward’s valet/butler. What a hoot this man was! He suffered from a malady known as Selective Hearing Loss. It’s a wide spread, yet little understood illness, usually found in teen agers. In fact, all three of my own children became afflicted with this illness somewhere around the age of 13. I found it quite endearing in Mr. Davis. Not so much in my own children.
Another delightful part of this novel was the fairytale within the story, which was so beautiful in its telling, that I had thought it surely written hundreds of years ago by a master storyteller. But the truth is that it was also written by Elizabeth Hoyt. What a talent she has! I’m looking forward to continuing the Prince’s Trilogy and seeing what’s in store for Harry Pye in The Leopard Prince.
I think it best if I end my review here, because if I keep going I’ll give away far too much and I want to leave the treasures of this story for you to find on your own.
April 13, 2012
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED
Edward said to Anna:
"I am in you, and you are holding me. There is no going back from this moment."
4.5 stars.
LITTLE BATTLEFORD, ENGLAND, MARCH 1760
I don't want to give away too much and of course I don't want to spoil your reading experience. That's why my synopsis will be super short. Suffice to say that Edward de Raaf, the fifth Earl of Swartingham, meets Anna Wren while falling off his gelding--oh, please excuse me, Edward--you did not fall off, you were unseated. *cheeky smile* Shortly afterwards, Edward is in dire need of a new secretary and guess what? Plain Anna--small morsel dressed in brown, her hair hidden by a god-awful frilled cap--gets the job. If you want to know more about these two and why Edward was aroused by a frumpy woman with an outstanding mouth he didn't even know, then you have no other choice than to read The Raven Prince. I guarantee you it's totally worth your time and money. Enjoy!
The Raven Prince is another great story and deliciously penned by the amazing Ms. Hoyt! Loved it! Darn, what's not to love about Edward, Anna, and a wonderful cast of secondary characters? Edward and Anna are brilliant characters! Tons of amazing and super witty dialogues, steamy sex scenes, and a good plot deliver anything and everything I need and want in a superb HR! Here's a little teaser.
She glanced up in time to see him discard his coat.
"No, the room seems most temperate." Her tentative smile froze as Edward drew off his neckcloth.
"I'm overly warm," he said. He unbuttoned his waistcoat.
"What are you doing?" Anna squeaked.
"Dictating a letter?" He arched his eyebrows in a parody of innocence.
"You're disrobing!"
"No, I would be disrobing if I removed my shirt," Edward said, doing just that.
"Edward!"
"My dear?"
"He thinks me a wanton." Why, naturally you are such a wanton woman, Anna! That's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean it's way better being a wanton creature who is enjoying sex than being a frigid and uptight old maid, isn't it? Anna is a wonderful heroine. I liked her a lot. Boy, she gives dearest Edward a piece of her mind! These two made me laugh a lot--it was such an entertaining read!
Davis, the evil old reprobate. Even though he is terminally incompetent he was so devilishly diverting, too! God, this man gave Edward lip and made me laugh out loud!
"I was not ogling anyone. I slipped."
"Naw." Davis scratched his scalp. "Your eyes were about falling out of your head they were, gawking at her big bubbies."
Edward grit his teeth. "I slipped and fell."
"Almost a sign from the Lord above, that," Davis said, waxing philosophical. "Gawp at a girl's bubbies and land in pig shit."
"Oh, for God's sake. I was sitting on the railing of the pigsty and I slipped."
"Prissy Peward sure did have big dugs, that lass did." Davis sounded a little wistful.
"You weren't even there."
"But that pigsty stank had nothing on the horse shit on your face now."
"Dav-is."
I do not want to forget Mr. Felix Hopple, though. My oh my, he was a rather amusing secondary character as well.
Hell yes, it's the truth. Once you have had a taste of certain sweets, it is quite impossible not to think, not to want, not to crave until you have taken another bite. And Lord Swartingham is such a deliciously sinful man--like a tasteful dark chocolate mousse. Yum!! I'm gonna say this straight forward. Edward is by far NOT a handsome man (he has scars from the smallpox), yet there is something special about him. He is sexy as all get out and it is undeniable…he is a great lover! I didn't particularly like the first sex scene--it was a bit anticlimactic, however my disappointment didn't last, after all. Edward satisfied our Anna in every way possible and then some during the next love scenes. *bliss*
What I did not like
The last chapter. Frankly, that was rather disappointing in so far as it felt way too cheesy! And cheesy never works for me--it's kind of a pet peeve. This ending prevented The Raven Prince to claim a highly appraised place on my favorite-historicals shelf. Oh, Edward, please continue in the same way…scowl as much as you want but my devilishly gorgeous and fabulously sinful Mickey from Scandalous Desires is grinning down at you right now. He claimed his spot there, and he is not ready to leave it. Pirates don't give up easily, after all. *waggles eyebrows*
Overall The Raven Prince is a fabulous story. It was such a fun ride and right now I'm off reading The Leopard Prince!
Edward said to Anna:
"I am in you, and you are holding me. There is no going back from this moment."
4.5 stars.
LITTLE BATTLEFORD, ENGLAND, MARCH 1760
I don't want to give away too much and of course I don't want to spoil your reading experience. That's why my synopsis will be super short. Suffice to say that Edward de Raaf, the fifth Earl of Swartingham, meets Anna Wren while falling off his gelding--oh, please excuse me, Edward--you did not fall off, you were unseated. *cheeky smile* Shortly afterwards, Edward is in dire need of a new secretary and guess what? Plain Anna--small morsel dressed in brown, her hair hidden by a god-awful frilled cap--gets the job. If you want to know more about these two and why Edward was aroused by a frumpy woman with an outstanding mouth he didn't even know, then you have no other choice than to read The Raven Prince. I guarantee you it's totally worth your time and money. Enjoy!
The Raven Prince is another great story and deliciously penned by the amazing Ms. Hoyt! Loved it! Darn, what's not to love about Edward, Anna, and a wonderful cast of secondary characters? Edward and Anna are brilliant characters! Tons of amazing and super witty dialogues, steamy sex scenes, and a good plot deliver anything and everything I need and want in a superb HR! Here's a little teaser.
She glanced up in time to see him discard his coat.
"No, the room seems most temperate." Her tentative smile froze as Edward drew off his neckcloth.
"I'm overly warm," he said. He unbuttoned his waistcoat.
"What are you doing?" Anna squeaked.
"Dictating a letter?" He arched his eyebrows in a parody of innocence.
"You're disrobing!"
"No, I would be disrobing if I removed my shirt," Edward said, doing just that.
"Edward!"
"My dear?"
"He thinks me a wanton." Why, naturally you are such a wanton woman, Anna! That's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean it's way better being a wanton creature who is enjoying sex than being a frigid and uptight old maid, isn't it? Anna is a wonderful heroine. I liked her a lot. Boy, she gives dearest Edward a piece of her mind! These two made me laugh a lot--it was such an entertaining read!
Davis, the evil old reprobate. Even though he is terminally incompetent he was so devilishly diverting, too! God, this man gave Edward lip and made me laugh out loud!
"I was not ogling anyone. I slipped."
"Naw." Davis scratched his scalp. "Your eyes were about falling out of your head they were, gawking at her big bubbies."
Edward grit his teeth. "I slipped and fell."
"Almost a sign from the Lord above, that," Davis said, waxing philosophical. "Gawp at a girl's bubbies and land in pig shit."
"Oh, for God's sake. I was sitting on the railing of the pigsty and I slipped."
"Prissy Peward sure did have big dugs, that lass did." Davis sounded a little wistful.
"You weren't even there."
"But that pigsty stank had nothing on the horse shit on your face now."
"Dav-is."
I do not want to forget Mr. Felix Hopple, though. My oh my, he was a rather amusing secondary character as well.
Hell yes, it's the truth. Once you have had a taste of certain sweets, it is quite impossible not to think, not to want, not to crave until you have taken another bite. And Lord Swartingham is such a deliciously sinful man--like a tasteful dark chocolate mousse. Yum!! I'm gonna say this straight forward. Edward is by far NOT a handsome man (he has scars from the smallpox), yet there is something special about him. He is sexy as all get out and it is undeniable…he is a great lover! I didn't particularly like the first sex scene--it was a bit anticlimactic, however my disappointment didn't last, after all. Edward satisfied our Anna in every way possible and then some during the next love scenes. *bliss*
What I did not like
The last chapter. Frankly, that was rather disappointing in so far as it felt way too cheesy! And cheesy never works for me--it's kind of a pet peeve. This ending prevented The Raven Prince to claim a highly appraised place on my favorite-historicals shelf. Oh, Edward, please continue in the same way…scowl as much as you want but my devilishly gorgeous and fabulously sinful Mickey from Scandalous Desires is grinning down at you right now. He claimed his spot there, and he is not ready to leave it. Pirates don't give up easily, after all. *waggles eyebrows*
Overall The Raven Prince is a fabulous story. It was such a fun ride and right now I'm off reading The Leopard Prince!
May 15, 2018
Relisten - May 12 2018
I can’t even tell you how much it’s pleasurable to listen and see the characters come alive for one of your favorite books. 😌 I read this book years ago when I was still reading MF romance (I still read some MF historical romance from time to time but it’s quite rare). I vividly remember how I was blown away by the authenticity and genuineness of the protagonists at that time. Both MCs are neither astonishingly beautiful nor impeccably perfect. But those two imperfect characters tugged my heart many times when I read the story at the time. And now, let me say that Moira Quirk did one heck of a job narrating this story. 👏 Her voice was serene, clear and beautiful. The distinction of voices for different characters were just beautifully done. I totally fell in love again with Anna and Edward. And bonus points for Mr. Hoppel’a voice! It was just too funny. I listened to this audio just in two days and I listened 7 hours straight yesterday. So you can see how attractive and compelling this audio was! 😁 I’m sure I’ll relisten to this audio at least a few times. The following is the original review that I left years ago when I read the paperback! 😉
Wow .. again and .. wow!!! 😱
What a revelation!!! I read this book in one day so my face was practically glued to it. This was my very first Elizbeath Hoyt’s novel and I'm very glad that I chose this book as my first. I discovered this book under an article about the hottest, dirtiest romance novels and the title caught my attention as well as the blurb of this book. I've always been fascinated by the historical romance novels and it's a bit rare to see nicely-constructed romance novels with equal romance and smut in this era.
When I first read a few pages, I was a bit disappointed by how mundane and ordinary the characters seemed to be. But Alas! I was wrong. 😌 This book attracted me so much that I felt like even taking a shower was such a hindrance while reading it. 😂 I literally felt butterflies in my stomach when reading about every little encounter between Anna and Edward.
The story is so pure yet so dirty. It truly makes you hot and bothered but in a very fascinating and interesting way. And the way the author maneuvered the plots and twists are amazingly brilliant. 👏
Spoiler Alert - especially chapter 9 and 10 .. 😁😁😁
The smut was spectacular. Literally makes you hot and panting!
After reading this book, I have decided to read all of Hoyt’s books. She does have a gift of enticing and charming her readers while making them wanting and yearning more.
5 the raven prince and stubborn, sassy lover stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I can’t even tell you how much it’s pleasurable to listen and see the characters come alive for one of your favorite books. 😌 I read this book years ago when I was still reading MF romance (I still read some MF historical romance from time to time but it’s quite rare). I vividly remember how I was blown away by the authenticity and genuineness of the protagonists at that time. Both MCs are neither astonishingly beautiful nor impeccably perfect. But those two imperfect characters tugged my heart many times when I read the story at the time. And now, let me say that Moira Quirk did one heck of a job narrating this story. 👏 Her voice was serene, clear and beautiful. The distinction of voices for different characters were just beautifully done. I totally fell in love again with Anna and Edward. And bonus points for Mr. Hoppel’a voice! It was just too funny. I listened to this audio just in two days and I listened 7 hours straight yesterday. So you can see how attractive and compelling this audio was! 😁 I’m sure I’ll relisten to this audio at least a few times. The following is the original review that I left years ago when I read the paperback! 😉
Wow .. again and .. wow!!! 😱
What a revelation!!! I read this book in one day so my face was practically glued to it. This was my very first Elizbeath Hoyt’s novel and I'm very glad that I chose this book as my first. I discovered this book under an article about the hottest, dirtiest romance novels and the title caught my attention as well as the blurb of this book. I've always been fascinated by the historical romance novels and it's a bit rare to see nicely-constructed romance novels with equal romance and smut in this era.
When I first read a few pages, I was a bit disappointed by how mundane and ordinary the characters seemed to be. But Alas! I was wrong. 😌 This book attracted me so much that I felt like even taking a shower was such a hindrance while reading it. 😂 I literally felt butterflies in my stomach when reading about every little encounter between Anna and Edward.
The story is so pure yet so dirty. It truly makes you hot and bothered but in a very fascinating and interesting way. And the way the author maneuvered the plots and twists are amazingly brilliant. 👏
Spoiler Alert - especially chapter 9 and 10 .. 😁😁😁
The smut was spectacular. Literally makes you hot and panting!
After reading this book, I have decided to read all of Hoyt’s books. She does have a gift of enticing and charming her readers while making them wanting and yearning more.
5 the raven prince and stubborn, sassy lover stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 23, 2017
Huh. It was cute and had some funny moments.
The monkey is right. It was fine. Not life-changing or anything, but okay.
But, sheesh, talk about unrealistic, "out there", not-in-a-million-years would this happen stuff. There was a lot of crazy things going on in this story. Even so, I could give it points for never getting boring.
Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT crazy, but still.
The monkey is right. It was fine. Not life-changing or anything, but okay.
But, sheesh, talk about unrealistic, "out there", not-in-a-million-years would this happen stuff. There was a lot of crazy things going on in this story. Even so, I could give it points for never getting boring.
Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT crazy, but still.
November 21, 2018
This is another incredible historical romance book that I had the pleasure of reading. And I devoured it happily at one sitting.
Anna is a spirited young widow who lives with her mother in law and their orphan poor maid at their humble home. Their financial situation is getting worse. So, Anna decides to get a job. Since Anna is highly educated (for a girl), she manages to score a job as the fifth Earl of Swartingham’s secretary.
They will not start on the best terms. Because of her, the Earl, Edward fell off his horse. And he never actually wanted a woman as a secretary. But gradually, he will like Anna and he will start developing feelings for her.
Anna will not pay attention to his scarred face and body (smallpox scars) or his anger management issues and she will really really like him.
Unfortunately they can never be together.
Edward needs a wife that can produce a heir.
Anna cannot have children.
Anna was not happy in her marriage. Besides the fact that they did not have children, her husband was also a cheater. Anna never felt loved and wanted.
So, when she learns that Edward will visit soon a brothel that he visits frequently, she decides to be naughty for the first time in her life. She will wear a mask and wait for him in a dark room. And Edward will have her. For two nights. And then she will disappear and she will become his secretary again.
Edward was alone since he was a child. His siblings and parents died from the smallpox. Later on when he got married, his wife died during childbirth. He has just got engaged again but during his latest visit in the brothel that he frequents he will meet a working girl that will make him crazy. He will only have two nights with her and then he will be back to the other woman who cannot stop thinking i.e. his secretary.
When Edward realises that his secretary and the prostitute are the same person, he will not react reasonably.
Out of the characters, Anna was definitely the most interesting one. A lovable woman capable of unlimited passion and tenderness. She will not hesitate to stand again the judgemental village, when she looks after a dying prostitute or when she gets a job that only men usually have.
Awesome book!
Captivated!
Funny!
Romantic!
Anna is a spirited young widow who lives with her mother in law and their orphan poor maid at their humble home. Their financial situation is getting worse. So, Anna decides to get a job. Since Anna is highly educated (for a girl), she manages to score a job as the fifth Earl of Swartingham’s secretary.
They will not start on the best terms. Because of her, the Earl, Edward fell off his horse. And he never actually wanted a woman as a secretary. But gradually, he will like Anna and he will start developing feelings for her.
Anna will not pay attention to his scarred face and body (smallpox scars) or his anger management issues and she will really really like him.
Unfortunately they can never be together.
Edward needs a wife that can produce a heir.
Anna cannot have children.
Anna was not happy in her marriage. Besides the fact that they did not have children, her husband was also a cheater. Anna never felt loved and wanted.
So, when she learns that Edward will visit soon a brothel that he visits frequently, she decides to be naughty for the first time in her life. She will wear a mask and wait for him in a dark room. And Edward will have her. For two nights. And then she will disappear and she will become his secretary again.
Edward was alone since he was a child. His siblings and parents died from the smallpox. Later on when he got married, his wife died during childbirth. He has just got engaged again but during his latest visit in the brothel that he frequents he will meet a working girl that will make him crazy. He will only have two nights with her and then he will be back to the other woman who cannot stop thinking i.e. his secretary.
When Edward realises that his secretary and the prostitute are the same person, he will not react reasonably.
Out of the characters, Anna was definitely the most interesting one. A lovable woman capable of unlimited passion and tenderness. She will not hesitate to stand again the judgemental village, when she looks after a dying prostitute or when she gets a job that only men usually have.
Awesome book!
Captivated!
Funny!
Romantic!
March 16, 2018
Reseña completa: http://masromance.blogspot.com.es/201...
Ha sido empezarlo y leerlo en un par de días, teniendo en cuenta que es relectura, no puedo dejar de volver a darle las 5 estrellas
Siendo sincera, le sobran escenas hot, lo admito... y el tema del final se termina de forma muy abrupta. Pero me da igual. Creo que es de esas novelas que tienen todo lo que me gusta encontrar, chispa entre los protagonistas, luchas dialécticas con ironía, momentos tiernos, momentos de carcajada, y una historia detrás de dos personas que han superado un pasado.
Me lo he pasado genial otra vez con esta pareja y eso es lo que me gusta cuando leo. Diversión y conseguir que la lectura me haga olvidar el tiempo que llevo leyendo
Personajes tópicos y con un argumento cliché que la autora sazona con un detalle que la hace del todo original. Supongo que ahí radica que me guste tanto.
Todos los personajes tienen su qué y la frase final... y esa máscara de ojos verdes me ha encantado!!
Ha sido empezarlo y leerlo en un par de días, teniendo en cuenta que es relectura, no puedo dejar de volver a darle las 5 estrellas
Siendo sincera, le sobran escenas hot, lo admito... y el tema del final se termina de forma muy abrupta. Pero me da igual. Creo que es de esas novelas que tienen todo lo que me gusta encontrar, chispa entre los protagonistas, luchas dialécticas con ironía, momentos tiernos, momentos de carcajada, y una historia detrás de dos personas que han superado un pasado.
Me lo he pasado genial otra vez con esta pareja y eso es lo que me gusta cuando leo. Diversión y conseguir que la lectura me haga olvidar el tiempo que llevo leyendo
Personajes tópicos y con un argumento cliché que la autora sazona con un detalle que la hace del todo original. Supongo que ahí radica que me guste tanto.
Todos los personajes tienen su qué y la frase final... y esa máscara de ojos verdes me ha encantado!!
February 11, 2012
★★★★★ Man-oh-man-oh-man-man! Elizabeth Hoyt knows how to tell a story! I loved every enchanting word of this one. In a genre chocked with redundancy, Ms. Hoyt has written a RomanceLandia fairy tale and distinguished it with strong, compelling characters; the fascinating main protagonists, a devoted hound, an insightful mother-in-law, the average villagers, the lowest servants, the devoted friends, and last, but not least, the disgust-worthy villains – they all leap off the page. She has peppered her first in the Princes Trilogy with witty banter and a moving, well-paced storyline. The sensual scenes? They are a combination of sizzling, combustible heat and aching, heartfelt emotions. Don’t pick this one up unless you can afford to neglect your Real Life and fall under EH’s spell.
May 2, 2022
UPDATE: First read in May 2011; reread in January 2017 and was just as good and endearing as I remember. What refreshing leads!! Really love both Anna and Edward.
Absolutely fabulous - probably one of my all-time favorite romances (5 stars)
I cannot believe that I have spent so long avoiding Elizabeth Hoyt! I tested whether I had been right in thinking she wasn't the romance author for me when I read Wicked Intentions a week and a half ago ... and discovered that I had been so, so wrong! From reviews and summaries, I had always thought that her books were a little too wild while being short on actual story/substance, but I could not have been more wrong and cannot wait to read her backlist.
I thought I loved Wicked Intentions, but The Raven Prince was even better! I loved that both the hero and heroine didn't really think much of the other at first - Anna thought Edward was ugly, not very thoughtful of others, and grumpy (lol, he is that last), while he thought she was plain and a goody-two-shoes widow. The romance between Anna and Edward is so sweet and they have both been through so much and are so in need of love that you can't help but be completely overjoyed when they finally get their HEA. Anna has always done as she should and felt quite alone since the death of her husband, who did not treat her as she deserved; Edward lost his whole family to smallpox when he was young and is in many ways a very tragic figure (at the beginning!). The dialogue between them is fun and witty, their relationship development is strong, and the chemistry between the two of them is fabulous.
If anything I think Hoyt's summaries almost do her books a disservice. For this book, the summary makes their relationship out to be a little seedy and the plot twist of Anna going to London to stand-in for the prostitute Edward would sleep with is made to sound ... I don't know, just all lust-based, when by this point, the reason Anna is upset that he's going to a whorehouse is because she has feelings for him and thinks he may be attracted to her - but won't act on it - and the reason Edward is going to the whorehouse is to try and get his mind off of his lovely secretary whom he knows he can't do anything with.
The secondary characters were an absolute delight! I *LOVED* Mr. Hopple and his ridiculous clothes, "Jock" (the dog) was so cute and created some very funny moments in the book, Coral was super interesting and well-written, and I utterly adored Mother Wren - how wonderful that Anna had a mother-in-law who was not evil and actually ended up supporting her and siding with her over her (now-dead) son.
The only thing I realized later was that the subplot (which was very minor and really only takes place during the second half of the book) kind of sizzles off. One part is "resolved," if you can call it that, but I still don't know what happened to the letter that was in the locket ...? Obviously didn't bother me much because I didn't even remember that till later! Might have been better all around without this small attempt at a mystery/blackmail subplot.
Bottom Line
All in all, an utterly fabulous book - terrific cast of characters, great romance, and several scenes that had me literally laughing out loud, which I realized I hadn't done in some time with an HR. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series! Lord Iddesleigh was hysterical and I'm especially excited for his story.
Princes Trilogy
Book 1 - The Raven Prince - Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham (5 stars)
Book 2 - The Leopard Prince - Harry Pye (4.5 stars)
Book 3 - The Serpent Prince - Simon Matthew Raphael Iddesleigh, Viscount of Iddesleigh (3.5 stars)
Absolutely fabulous - probably one of my all-time favorite romances (5 stars)
I cannot believe that I have spent so long avoiding Elizabeth Hoyt! I tested whether I had been right in thinking she wasn't the romance author for me when I read Wicked Intentions a week and a half ago ... and discovered that I had been so, so wrong! From reviews and summaries, I had always thought that her books were a little too wild while being short on actual story/substance, but I could not have been more wrong and cannot wait to read her backlist.
I thought I loved Wicked Intentions, but The Raven Prince was even better! I loved that both the hero and heroine didn't really think much of the other at first - Anna thought Edward was ugly, not very thoughtful of others, and grumpy (lol, he is that last), while he thought she was plain and a goody-two-shoes widow. The romance between Anna and Edward is so sweet and they have both been through so much and are so in need of love that you can't help but be completely overjoyed when they finally get their HEA. Anna has always done as she should and felt quite alone since the death of her husband, who did not treat her as she deserved; Edward lost his whole family to smallpox when he was young and is in many ways a very tragic figure (at the beginning!). The dialogue between them is fun and witty, their relationship development is strong, and the chemistry between the two of them is fabulous.
If anything I think Hoyt's summaries almost do her books a disservice. For this book, the summary makes their relationship out to be a little seedy and the plot twist of Anna going to London to stand-in for the prostitute Edward would sleep with is made to sound ... I don't know, just all lust-based, when by this point, the reason Anna is upset that he's going to a whorehouse is because she has feelings for him and thinks he may be attracted to her - but won't act on it - and the reason Edward is going to the whorehouse is to try and get his mind off of his lovely secretary whom he knows he can't do anything with.
The secondary characters were an absolute delight! I *LOVED* Mr. Hopple and his ridiculous clothes, "Jock" (the dog) was so cute and created some very funny moments in the book, Coral was super interesting and well-written, and I utterly adored Mother Wren - how wonderful that Anna had a mother-in-law who was not evil and actually ended up supporting her and siding with her over her (now-dead) son.
The only thing I realized later was that the subplot (which was very minor and really only takes place during the second half of the book) kind of sizzles off. One part is "resolved," if you can call it that, but I still don't know what happened to the letter that was in the locket ...? Obviously didn't bother me much because I didn't even remember that till later! Might have been better all around without this small attempt at a mystery/blackmail subplot.
Bottom Line
All in all, an utterly fabulous book - terrific cast of characters, great romance, and several scenes that had me literally laughing out loud, which I realized I hadn't done in some time with an HR. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series! Lord Iddesleigh was hysterical and I'm especially excited for his story.
Princes Trilogy
Book 1 - The Raven Prince - Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham (5 stars)
Book 2 - The Leopard Prince - Harry Pye (4.5 stars)
Book 3 - The Serpent Prince - Simon Matthew Raphael Iddesleigh, Viscount of Iddesleigh (3.5 stars)
November 17, 2018
This might be my 3rd reread of the book since that first time I discovered the author over a decade ago.
Some of the plot is not very believable, a bit too contrived, but the story tugged on my emotions, and that's always a sign of a well-written story.
Anna is the perfect mix of ladylike forebearance and patience and wit while also a woman who goes after what she wants. Edward is a great "large, brooding, man's man" trope of a character, rather blunt and hard but with a soft heart and tender feelings. The best combo for his stereotype. I liked both of them right off the bat.
What prevents this from being 5 stars is the contrived plot bit, and also the fact that the Hero techinically doesn't stray from the heroine, but given that he doesn't know it's her at one point, he definitely does, bc both their emotions had already been engaged by that point and he's purposely trying to deal with it in this way. Since it IS her, it's not cheating, per se, but still. I know men (and women) get sexually frustrated and want an outlet, and men tend to do it with a lot more freedom in that time period and in any time period (well, maybe not today in developed cultures). BUT. This is a romance novel. I'm reading it to escape, not to face aspects of reality I don't particularly like, so in this sense, despite that there's no technical cheating, I didn't like it.
Otherwise, a very good read. And given that I've read pretty much everything EH has written since first discovering this book, it's obvious the issues above did not deter me from this author!
Some of the plot is not very believable, a bit too contrived, but the story tugged on my emotions, and that's always a sign of a well-written story.
Anna is the perfect mix of ladylike forebearance and patience and wit while also a woman who goes after what she wants. Edward is a great "large, brooding, man's man" trope of a character, rather blunt and hard but with a soft heart and tender feelings. The best combo for his stereotype. I liked both of them right off the bat.
What prevents this from being 5 stars is the contrived plot bit, and also the fact that the Hero techinically doesn't stray from the heroine, but given that he doesn't know it's her at one point, he definitely does, bc both their emotions had already been engaged by that point and he's purposely trying to deal with it in this way. Since it IS her, it's not cheating, per se, but still. I know men (and women) get sexually frustrated and want an outlet, and men tend to do it with a lot more freedom in that time period and in any time period (well, maybe not today in developed cultures). BUT. This is a romance novel. I'm reading it to escape, not to face aspects of reality I don't particularly like, so in this sense, despite that there's no technical cheating, I didn't like it.
Otherwise, a very good read. And given that I've read pretty much everything EH has written since first discovering this book, it's obvious the issues above did not deter me from this author!
March 31, 2021
3.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was better than expected! I liked the characters and the overall storyline. I just didn’t care for the Felicity drama . The h didn’t seem to care all that much, so why should I?! The fact that we focus on her POV a few times bugged me. I loved the dog and the valet was hilarious! I really would’ve loved more time with experiencing their HEA though since the story ends (before the epilogue) with them finally officially together.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Anna and Edward’s story. Widowed Anna is having troubles financially and decides to get a job and finds one being a secretary to the local mysterious (and grumpy) earl. Edward has lost his family being the sole survivor to a smallpox outbreak when he was younger as well as his wife and baby in childbirth, so he has a lot to be grumpy about. What Edward doesn’t expect is that his new secretary will turn his world upside down. When Anna discovers that Edward uses a brothel to meet his manly needs, she decides that she needs her womanly needs met too and concocts a plan. There is some side character drama, some hot sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Anna and Edward in 3rd person narrative (with a few sections focusing on a side character).
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Edward. I liked him. I liked his hard exterior and sweet insides.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Anna. I liked her. I appreciated how she pushed against the expected and did what made her happy and what was right.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Hotter than the usual HR!
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not IMO but close
Separation: I wouldn’t consider them together enough to call it a separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure in what I would call a HEA ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was better than expected! I liked the characters and the overall storyline. I just didn’t care for the Felicity drama . The h didn’t seem to care all that much, so why should I?! The fact that we focus on her POV a few times bugged me. I loved the dog and the valet was hilarious! I really would’ve loved more time with experiencing their HEA though since the story ends (before the epilogue) with them finally officially together.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Anna and Edward’s story. Widowed Anna is having troubles financially and decides to get a job and finds one being a secretary to the local mysterious (and grumpy) earl. Edward has lost his family being the sole survivor to a smallpox outbreak when he was younger as well as his wife and baby in childbirth, so he has a lot to be grumpy about. What Edward doesn’t expect is that his new secretary will turn his world upside down. When Anna discovers that Edward uses a brothel to meet his manly needs, she decides that she needs her womanly needs met too and concocts a plan. There is some side character drama, some hot sexy times, and some sweet moments...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Anna and Edward in 3rd person narrative (with a few sections focusing on a side character).
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.
H (Hero) rating: 4 stars. Edward. I liked him. I liked his hard exterior and sweet insides.
h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Anna. I liked her. I appreciated how she pushed against the expected and did what made her happy and what was right.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. Hotter than the usual HR!
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: No
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: Not IMO but close
Separation: I wouldn’t consider them together enough to call it a separation
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure in what I would call a HEA ending.
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
December 30, 2020
I blazed through The Raven Prince this morning. How in the world is this my first Elizabeth Hoyt novel?!
Although I didn't particularly like or dislike the main characters, it was very refreshing to read about two normal people, instead of an English rose and a Greek Adonis (insert eye roll here). Thank you Hoyt for saving me from the long winded descriptions about how devastatingly hot the characters are and how everyone is in love with the MCs... The brutish hero, Edward, is marred with smallpox scars and the widowed heroine, Anna, is a bit of a plain-Jane. All in all, the main characters were okay. They had good chemistry and it was fun seeing the push and pull between them. I didn't particularly like Edward's propensity for throwing things when he's angry though...
What really made the story shine for me were the secondary characters. I loved Mother Wren, Jock and Davis. It was nice to read about a mother in law that wasn't a she-devil and I found myself laughing at Jock and Davis's antics.
Overall, The Raven Prince was an enjoyable read but some parts of the story felt rather choppy and aside from the smut, I wasn't particularly fond of the main characters. There were some attempts at social commentary in regards to sex work but it was rather surface level.
Rating: 3/5
Although I didn't particularly like or dislike the main characters, it was very refreshing to read about two normal people, instead of an English rose and a Greek Adonis (insert eye roll here). Thank you Hoyt for saving me from the long winded descriptions about how devastatingly hot the characters are and how everyone is in love with the MCs... The brutish hero, Edward, is marred with smallpox scars and the widowed heroine, Anna, is a bit of a plain-Jane. All in all, the main characters were okay. They had good chemistry and it was fun seeing the push and pull between them. I didn't particularly like Edward's propensity for throwing things when he's angry though...
What really made the story shine for me were the secondary characters. I loved Mother Wren, Jock and Davis. It was nice to read about a mother in law that wasn't a she-devil and I found myself laughing at Jock and Davis's antics.
Overall, The Raven Prince was an enjoyable read but some parts of the story felt rather choppy and aside from the smut, I wasn't particularly fond of the main characters. There were some attempts at social commentary in regards to sex work but it was rather surface level.
Rating: 3/5
January 31, 2018
I just accidentally deleted the review that I had been writing for the past hour. And there I had already written so much.
I'm totally bummed!
I'm totally bummed!
October 6, 2009
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" The Raven Prince was an enjoyable read which I thought had some rather unusual elements. As I read the first chapter or so of the book, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite romances, Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. While The Raven Prince does bear some resemblance to Lord of Scoundrels, it is still very much it's own distinctive story. Much like their counterparts in Lord of Scoundrels, Edward can be rather temperamental and boorish, while Anna is very plucky and unconventional. They share a few moments of sharp, witty bantering, but I wouldn't have minded seeing them go toe-to-toe a few more times than they did. I can certainly appreciate attractive people, but the ratio of impossibly beautiful characters in romance novels to those found in the real world, is so disproportionately inflated, I can't help getting bored with them sometimes. I actually found it refreshing that Anna's very first impression of Edward was “ugly,” and Edward's first impression of Anna was “frumpy.” I think this allowed the author to send a subtle message that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and “love truly is blind,” because once these two started falling for one another, they were each thoroughly beautiful to the other, something to which I can really relate. I have only come across a couple of authors I can think of who have a tendency to write more mature characters, so having Edward and Anna be a little older was a very pleasant change as well. She was 31, and I initially had the impression that he was nearer 40 until it was revealed late in the story that he was 34, although I had to do the math to figure out his age.
Elizabeth Hoyt has a slightly different writing style in that she doesn't seem to reveal all of her character's insecurities, vulnerabilities and motivations right away. Most authors have a tendency to let the reader in on these things up front, and then the story centers around them making peace with those things and finding healing if the pain is deep. With Edward and Anna, Ms. Hoyt leaves the reader with the sense that there are mysterious things lurking beneath the surface that can't be seen, but she takes her time, revealing them one-by-one when the situation seems ripe for it. This does give the story a more languid feel which may not work well for readers who prefer a faster pace, but I thought that it was an interesting approach. The story also has a very angsty quality to it, I think, in large part, because of Edward's intensity. I found a certain beauty to it though, an emotional depth that was somehow different from other stories I've read. Edward and Anna have both suffered emotional pain in their lives, yet both seem to be fairly comfortable in their own skin and not harboring major neuroses. Once again, I thought this was a unique blend which made the characters very complex and multi-dimensional.
Edward had his moments of intensity, but I don't think that I would quite classify him as tortured. He had times of what I would characterize as personal reflection that would sometimes reach an emotional high, but he always came back down rather quickly. Edward was quite temperamental though, having scared away several male secretaries, before hiring Anna. He could occasionally be prone to throwing things in a fit of anger, but was probably equally likely to express himself with sarcasm. Some people don't want to be around him, not just because of his temper, but also because he is badly scarred from the smallpox, so he always respects anyone who doesn't mind his scars and can hold their own against his boorish behavior. It becomes readily apparent as the story progresses that Edward's bark is really worse that his bite. I really liked Edward's complexity of thinking, how he fell hard for Anna, but was conflicted both in his feelings for her, especially after he discovered her deception, and his sense of duty to his family line. Watching him try to figure things out and understanding what he was feeling and thinking made him a very interesting character to read. Another thing that made him quite appealing to me was his combination of erudition and earthiness. He was obviously a very intelligent man, but one who wasn't afraid to go out in his fields and come back covered in muck. Edward also made my geek list because he seemed more comfortable alone or out on the land with his tenants than in social settings, and he was extremely knowledgeable about agriculture, having written a number of scholarly papers on the topic, as well as lecturing at the Agrarian Society. In fact, he could sometimes get so wrapped up in his work that he would become oblivious to the time and what was happening around him. I've always loved smart men, but that, in addition to all of his other qualities made him positively irresistible.
Anna was a very spirited heroine that I liked very much too. I loved how she was never afraid of Edward's temper, and always handled him quite deftly. She was strong and fairly confident, but the few times she allowed her insecurities to get the best of her, she realized her mistake pretty quickly and came back fighting. She is also very kind and caring, doing what she must to make sure her elderly mother-in-law and their orphan maid are provided for, and she even takes in an injured prostitute when no one else would have, even though her actions set tongues to wagging. What I think I liked most about Anna and the whole story though, is how she discovers her attraction for Edward, and boldly decides to be naughty just once in her life to get what she think she wants. She seduces him in disguise at the brothel he frequents, because she simply can't bear the thought of him bedding anyone else. Yet even though she thoroughly enjoys the experience, she is terribly conflicted afterward. She feels a bit of guilt for having deceived Edward, but most of all she realizes that the physical pleasure wasn't all that she truly desired. I loved that the author brought out these feelings in Anna. It was exactly what I was thinking and feeling at that moment in the story, and I would have been quite disappointed if Anna hadn't felt that way too. Everything worked together to make her a very relatable character for me.
There were a number of great secondary characters in The Raven Prince as well. Edward's estate manager, Felix Hopple, was a hoot with his flamboyant clothes, but we find out later that he is also a rather shy, sweet man. Edward's valet, Davis, is another fun character. He's a feisty old man who rarely works and constantly goads Edward into threatening to fire him. Their interactions were quite amusing. I also enjoyed Edward's initially nameless dog, and the little rabbit trail of Anna trying to help him think of a suitable name. Anna's mother-in-law is a sweet old lady who is always very supportive of her. I also liked Pearl, the prostitute Anna rescued, and her sister Coral. They became the catalyst for and the confidantes of her naughty exploits. There are a couple of ne'er-do-well characters who try to stir up a bit of trouble for Edward and Anna after they discover what Anna did. Last but not least there were Edward's two friends, Harry and Simon, who become the heroes of the next two books in the series, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince respectively.
There were a couple of other elements of The Raven Prince that I particularly savored. Each chapter begins with a snippet of a fairy tale with the same title, which Anna had found in Edward's library. I'm sorry to say that I'm not up on my Greek mythology, but I discovered through other reviewers that this is apparently a re-telling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. I liked it every bit as much as the main novel and found myself eagerly waiting to get to the next chapter to discover what would happen next in that story too. Ms. Hoyt also has a talent for writing deeply sensuous love scenes that are like a sweet treat for the imagination. I thought that everything was very tastefully done, but sensitive readers should know that these scenes do get rather spicy and the use of a handful of explicit words that I've rarely seen outside the erotic sub-genre (and which some may find offensive) do push the traditional historical envelope a bit. Ultimately, my only complaint about the book which kept it from a perfect five stars was that the first ¼ or so of the book moved a little too slow and I felt that the initial attraction between Edward and Anna in those pages was a bit too subtle and not quite palpable enough to suit me. Once I got past that section though, it became a very engrossing read. Overall, The Raven Prince was an excellent debut novel from Elizabeth Hoyt, and one I very much enjoyed reading. It was my first book by Ms. Hoyt, but it has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and has left me quite eager to continue The Princes Trilogy.
"4.5 stars" The Raven Prince was an enjoyable read which I thought had some rather unusual elements. As I read the first chapter or so of the book, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite romances, Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. While The Raven Prince does bear some resemblance to Lord of Scoundrels, it is still very much it's own distinctive story. Much like their counterparts in Lord of Scoundrels, Edward can be rather temperamental and boorish, while Anna is very plucky and unconventional. They share a few moments of sharp, witty bantering, but I wouldn't have minded seeing them go toe-to-toe a few more times than they did. I can certainly appreciate attractive people, but the ratio of impossibly beautiful characters in romance novels to those found in the real world, is so disproportionately inflated, I can't help getting bored with them sometimes. I actually found it refreshing that Anna's very first impression of Edward was “ugly,” and Edward's first impression of Anna was “frumpy.” I think this allowed the author to send a subtle message that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and “love truly is blind,” because once these two started falling for one another, they were each thoroughly beautiful to the other, something to which I can really relate. I have only come across a couple of authors I can think of who have a tendency to write more mature characters, so having Edward and Anna be a little older was a very pleasant change as well. She was 31, and I initially had the impression that he was nearer 40 until it was revealed late in the story that he was 34, although I had to do the math to figure out his age.
Elizabeth Hoyt has a slightly different writing style in that she doesn't seem to reveal all of her character's insecurities, vulnerabilities and motivations right away. Most authors have a tendency to let the reader in on these things up front, and then the story centers around them making peace with those things and finding healing if the pain is deep. With Edward and Anna, Ms. Hoyt leaves the reader with the sense that there are mysterious things lurking beneath the surface that can't be seen, but she takes her time, revealing them one-by-one when the situation seems ripe for it. This does give the story a more languid feel which may not work well for readers who prefer a faster pace, but I thought that it was an interesting approach. The story also has a very angsty quality to it, I think, in large part, because of Edward's intensity. I found a certain beauty to it though, an emotional depth that was somehow different from other stories I've read. Edward and Anna have both suffered emotional pain in their lives, yet both seem to be fairly comfortable in their own skin and not harboring major neuroses. Once again, I thought this was a unique blend which made the characters very complex and multi-dimensional.
Edward had his moments of intensity, but I don't think that I would quite classify him as tortured. He had times of what I would characterize as personal reflection that would sometimes reach an emotional high, but he always came back down rather quickly. Edward was quite temperamental though, having scared away several male secretaries, before hiring Anna. He could occasionally be prone to throwing things in a fit of anger, but was probably equally likely to express himself with sarcasm. Some people don't want to be around him, not just because of his temper, but also because he is badly scarred from the smallpox, so he always respects anyone who doesn't mind his scars and can hold their own against his boorish behavior. It becomes readily apparent as the story progresses that Edward's bark is really worse that his bite. I really liked Edward's complexity of thinking, how he fell hard for Anna, but was conflicted both in his feelings for her, especially after he discovered her deception, and his sense of duty to his family line. Watching him try to figure things out and understanding what he was feeling and thinking made him a very interesting character to read. Another thing that made him quite appealing to me was his combination of erudition and earthiness. He was obviously a very intelligent man, but one who wasn't afraid to go out in his fields and come back covered in muck. Edward also made my geek list because he seemed more comfortable alone or out on the land with his tenants than in social settings, and he was extremely knowledgeable about agriculture, having written a number of scholarly papers on the topic, as well as lecturing at the Agrarian Society. In fact, he could sometimes get so wrapped up in his work that he would become oblivious to the time and what was happening around him. I've always loved smart men, but that, in addition to all of his other qualities made him positively irresistible.
Anna was a very spirited heroine that I liked very much too. I loved how she was never afraid of Edward's temper, and always handled him quite deftly. She was strong and fairly confident, but the few times she allowed her insecurities to get the best of her, she realized her mistake pretty quickly and came back fighting. She is also very kind and caring, doing what she must to make sure her elderly mother-in-law and their orphan maid are provided for, and she even takes in an injured prostitute when no one else would have, even though her actions set tongues to wagging. What I think I liked most about Anna and the whole story though, is how she discovers her attraction for Edward, and boldly decides to be naughty just once in her life to get what she think she wants. She seduces him in disguise at the brothel he frequents, because she simply can't bear the thought of him bedding anyone else. Yet even though she thoroughly enjoys the experience, she is terribly conflicted afterward. She feels a bit of guilt for having deceived Edward, but most of all she realizes that the physical pleasure wasn't all that she truly desired. I loved that the author brought out these feelings in Anna. It was exactly what I was thinking and feeling at that moment in the story, and I would have been quite disappointed if Anna hadn't felt that way too. Everything worked together to make her a very relatable character for me.
There were a number of great secondary characters in The Raven Prince as well. Edward's estate manager, Felix Hopple, was a hoot with his flamboyant clothes, but we find out later that he is also a rather shy, sweet man. Edward's valet, Davis, is another fun character. He's a feisty old man who rarely works and constantly goads Edward into threatening to fire him. Their interactions were quite amusing. I also enjoyed Edward's initially nameless dog, and the little rabbit trail of Anna trying to help him think of a suitable name. Anna's mother-in-law is a sweet old lady who is always very supportive of her. I also liked Pearl, the prostitute Anna rescued, and her sister Coral. They became the catalyst for and the confidantes of her naughty exploits. There are a couple of ne'er-do-well characters who try to stir up a bit of trouble for Edward and Anna after they discover what Anna did. Last but not least there were Edward's two friends, Harry and Simon, who become the heroes of the next two books in the series, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince respectively.
There were a couple of other elements of The Raven Prince that I particularly savored. Each chapter begins with a snippet of a fairy tale with the same title, which Anna had found in Edward's library. I'm sorry to say that I'm not up on my Greek mythology, but I discovered through other reviewers that this is apparently a re-telling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. I liked it every bit as much as the main novel and found myself eagerly waiting to get to the next chapter to discover what would happen next in that story too. Ms. Hoyt also has a talent for writing deeply sensuous love scenes that are like a sweet treat for the imagination. I thought that everything was very tastefully done, but sensitive readers should know that these scenes do get rather spicy and the use of a handful of explicit words that I've rarely seen outside the erotic sub-genre (and which some may find offensive) do push the traditional historical envelope a bit. Ultimately, my only complaint about the book which kept it from a perfect five stars was that the first ¼ or so of the book moved a little too slow and I felt that the initial attraction between Edward and Anna in those pages was a bit too subtle and not quite palpable enough to suit me. Once I got past that section though, it became a very engrossing read. Overall, The Raven Prince was an excellent debut novel from Elizabeth Hoyt, and one I very much enjoyed reading. It was my first book by Ms. Hoyt, but it has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and has left me quite eager to continue The Princes Trilogy.
April 30, 2011
4.5 stars
One of the problems with reading a very popular romance novel after everyone on the planet has already read it, is trying to find something to say about why you loved it that isn't the same as everyone else. Everyone has already talked about story, the depth, the meaning, the writing, the Beauty and the Beast angle, the main characters, the steamy scenes - what's left?
I loved this everything about this book. It's going on my favourites shelf - where I keep the books that I re-read and love most of all. There is something about it that enables me to lose myself in the story, feel the attraction, feel the tension between them, fall in love with Edward and wish I was Anna. One of my favourite scenes is one where Edward has bet Anna that she can't make his dog answer to a name she has just given it, and the forfeit is a kiss:
Part of the appeal for me is in the way that Edward and Anna are portrayed. Neither is "stop-traffic" gorgeous. It takes a second look before you appreciate the beauty of Edward's eyes, for example, or the shape of Anna's mouth. There is so much more depth to a person, imo, when their wit and their personality is part of what makes them attractive. This is what attracts me in real life and I suppose it follows me into my reading. Plastic, barbie-doll beauty has never held any appeal for me - either in men or women. (Unless it's Halle Barry. That woman is so beautiful she exists on a whole other plane.)
Anyway. That's what I liked the most about this book. Elizabeth Hoyt forces you to look past the scars and the grumpiness to see the serious hottie hiding behind them. Oh all right, and the lonely man convinced no one will want him because of those scars. (That's the touchy-feely part. I just thought Edward was seriously sexy.)
So no matter which romance trope is your favourite -- Ugly Duckling, widow/spinster, Beauty and the Beast, boss/secretary, this one has a bit of everything. Throw in some hilarious secondary characters (I'm thinking of Edward's valet, Davis), an intriguing fallen woman, and an excellent introduction to The Princes, Leopard and Serpent, and you end up with a book that was, for me, almost perfect.
One of the problems with reading a very popular romance novel after everyone on the planet has already read it, is trying to find something to say about why you loved it that isn't the same as everyone else. Everyone has already talked about story, the depth, the meaning, the writing, the Beauty and the Beast angle, the main characters, the steamy scenes - what's left?
I loved this everything about this book. It's going on my favourites shelf - where I keep the books that I re-read and love most of all. There is something about it that enables me to lose myself in the story, feel the attraction, feel the tension between them, fall in love with Edward and wish I was Anna. One of my favourite scenes is one where Edward has bet Anna that she can't make his dog answer to a name she has just given it, and the forfeit is a kiss:
Anna began to tremble. He bent his dark head toward hers, and his warm breath caressed her lips. She closed her eyes. And heard the dog clatter into the yard. Anna opened her eyes. Lord Swartingham was frozen. Slowly he turned his head, still only inches from hers, to stare at the canine. The dog grinned back, tongue hanging from his mouth, panting. "Shit," the earl breathed. Quite, Anna thought.
Part of the appeal for me is in the way that Edward and Anna are portrayed. Neither is "stop-traffic" gorgeous. It takes a second look before you appreciate the beauty of Edward's eyes, for example, or the shape of Anna's mouth. There is so much more depth to a person, imo, when their wit and their personality is part of what makes them attractive. This is what attracts me in real life and I suppose it follows me into my reading. Plastic, barbie-doll beauty has never held any appeal for me - either in men or women. (Unless it's Halle Barry. That woman is so beautiful she exists on a whole other plane.)
Anyway. That's what I liked the most about this book. Elizabeth Hoyt forces you to look past the scars and the grumpiness to see the serious hottie hiding behind them. Oh all right, and the lonely man convinced no one will want him because of those scars. (That's the touchy-feely part. I just thought Edward was seriously sexy.)
So no matter which romance trope is your favourite -- Ugly Duckling, widow/spinster, Beauty and the Beast, boss/secretary, this one has a bit of everything. Throw in some hilarious secondary characters (I'm thinking of Edward's valet, Davis), an intriguing fallen woman, and an excellent introduction to The Princes, Leopard and Serpent, and you end up with a book that was, for me, almost perfect.
Read
December 17, 2022I believe a story should capture my interest from the first couple of chapters. I know, it may go downhill later, but the beginning is the catch!
So, I started reading TRP but there was nothing to excite me. Not only I was bored, but there were some parts where I thought I was losing my brain cells.
The characters were absolutely flat and uninteresting and the plot was so drawn out.
The story was set in 1760.
Anna was a 30 y.o. widow and Edward a 34 y.o. Earl.
They had a very unpleasant first encounter and after Edward spoke to her abruptly, “She wondered if he sounded like that when he made love to a woman.” Really??? Did women think like that in the 18th century???
When Anna (who was a widow) was in her bedroom at her house, “Her eyes returned to the wreath. It was crumbling. No wonder, since she had been widowed six years.”
If she hadn’t been widowed, would the wreath have remained fresh???
Anna was hired as the Earl’s secretary and was working from 9 to 5.
I had no idea that there was such a work schedule almost 250+ years ago...
Were there any female secretaries during that period? I thought female secretaries arose a century later. 🤷🏻♀️
They also dined together often, he was even adamant to give her an elementary horse riding lesson!!
Was it proper etiquette for an Earl to interact like that with a common female secretary?
Anna found at the Earl’s desk drawer a bill for two nights’ stay at a bordello. “He, as a man, could go to houses of ill repute and romp all night with alluring, sophisticated creatures. While she, as a woman, was supposed to be chaste and not even think of dark eyes and hairy chests. It was simply not fair. Not fair at all.”
Once more, I had no knowledge about women’s such liberating perceptions of that century...
😳😳
I tried. I really did...
Dnf @ 17%
So, I started reading TRP but there was nothing to excite me. Not only I was bored, but there were some parts where I thought I was losing my brain cells.
The characters were absolutely flat and uninteresting and the plot was so drawn out.
The story was set in 1760.
Anna was a 30 y.o. widow and Edward a 34 y.o. Earl.
They had a very unpleasant first encounter and after Edward spoke to her abruptly, “She wondered if he sounded like that when he made love to a woman.” Really??? Did women think like that in the 18th century???
When Anna (who was a widow) was in her bedroom at her house, “Her eyes returned to the wreath. It was crumbling. No wonder, since she had been widowed six years.”
If she hadn’t been widowed, would the wreath have remained fresh???
Anna was hired as the Earl’s secretary and was working from 9 to 5.
I had no idea that there was such a work schedule almost 250+ years ago...
Were there any female secretaries during that period? I thought female secretaries arose a century later. 🤷🏻♀️
They also dined together often, he was even adamant to give her an elementary horse riding lesson!!
Was it proper etiquette for an Earl to interact like that with a common female secretary?
Anna found at the Earl’s desk drawer a bill for two nights’ stay at a bordello. “He, as a man, could go to houses of ill repute and romp all night with alluring, sophisticated creatures. While she, as a woman, was supposed to be chaste and not even think of dark eyes and hairy chests. It was simply not fair. Not fair at all.”
Once more, I had no knowledge about women’s such liberating perceptions of that century...
😳😳
I tried. I really did...
Dnf @ 17%
May 14, 2018
Wow .. again and .. wow!!!
What a revelation!!! I read this book in one day so my face was practically glued to it. This was my very first Elizbeath Hoyt’s novel and I'm very glad that I chose this book as my first. I discovered this book under an article about the hottest, dirty romance novels and the title caught my attention as well as the description of this book. I've always been fascinated by the historical romance novels and it's a bit difficult to see nicely constructed love stories with equal romance and smut in this era.
When I first read a few pages, I was a bit disappointed by how mundane and ordinary the characters seemed to be. But Alas! I was wrong. This book attracted me so much that I felt like even taking a shower was such a hindrance while reading it. I literally feel butterflies in my stomach when reading about every little encounter between Anna and Edward.
The story is so pure yet so dirty. It truly makes you hot and bothered but in a very fascinating and interesting way. And the way the author maneuvered the plots and twists are amazingly brilliant.
Spoiler Alert - especially chapter 9 and 10 .. 😁😁😁
The smut was spectacular. Literally makes you hot and panting!
After reading this book, I have decided to read all of Hoyt’s books. She does have a gift of enticing and charming her readers while making them wanting more and bothered.
Well deserved 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a revelation!!! I read this book in one day so my face was practically glued to it. This was my very first Elizbeath Hoyt’s novel and I'm very glad that I chose this book as my first. I discovered this book under an article about the hottest, dirty romance novels and the title caught my attention as well as the description of this book. I've always been fascinated by the historical romance novels and it's a bit difficult to see nicely constructed love stories with equal romance and smut in this era.
When I first read a few pages, I was a bit disappointed by how mundane and ordinary the characters seemed to be. But Alas! I was wrong. This book attracted me so much that I felt like even taking a shower was such a hindrance while reading it. I literally feel butterflies in my stomach when reading about every little encounter between Anna and Edward.
The story is so pure yet so dirty. It truly makes you hot and bothered but in a very fascinating and interesting way. And the way the author maneuvered the plots and twists are amazingly brilliant.
Spoiler Alert - especially chapter 9 and 10 .. 😁😁😁
The smut was spectacular. Literally makes you hot and panting!
After reading this book, I have decided to read all of Hoyt’s books. She does have a gift of enticing and charming her readers while making them wanting more and bothered.
Well deserved 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 9, 2017
I read this book because I found it on a list of feminist romance books and I wanted something smutty but something that wouldn't make me hate myself. If anything, i'm not mad about it. Sure, there's plot points and dialogue and pitting women against each other and microaggressions I could point out, but overall, I think this book does a lot to challenge women's roles in society. Also the love interest had a dog who was amazing. So. I'm biased.
August 2, 2025
A mother-in-law in a historical romance who’s not a She Devil?!? *Everybody cheered*
Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham *giggles* is in need of a new secretary. Preferably, one who's not afraid of him. Enter Anna Wren: a widow in need of employment to support herself and her mother-in-law. Not only is Anna unmoved by Edward's temper but she manages to charm his unnamed dog and is determined to name the beast. Edward is determined to keep a professional distance until he becomes obsessed with her mouth and the way she looks at him when he yaps about agriculture and to his utter horror, SHE MATCHES HIS FREAK.
Their road to a HEA is paved with masked seductions, intentional and unintentional blackmail, multiple marriage proposals (more like demands but ok) and one giant Mastiff who takes his job VERY SERIOUSLY.
I loved this book. The banter was exquisite. The love scenes nearly melted my kindle, and the MCs were perfect for each other. We even got a side romance between Edward's bumbling steward who loves tacky waistcoats and a sex worker with a heart of gold. I kind of wish they had gotten their own book 😭
A divine romance. No notes.
Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham *giggles* is in need of a new secretary. Preferably, one who's not afraid of him. Enter Anna Wren: a widow in need of employment to support herself and her mother-in-law. Not only is Anna unmoved by Edward's temper but she manages to charm his unnamed dog and is determined to name the beast. Edward is determined to keep a professional distance until he becomes obsessed with her mouth and the way she looks at him when he yaps about agriculture and to his utter horror, SHE MATCHES HIS FREAK.
Their road to a HEA is paved with masked seductions, intentional and unintentional blackmail, multiple marriage proposals (more like demands but ok) and one giant Mastiff who takes his job VERY SERIOUSLY.
I loved this book. The banter was exquisite. The love scenes nearly melted my kindle, and the MCs were perfect for each other. We even got a side romance between Edward's bumbling steward who loves tacky waistcoats and a sex worker with a heart of gold. I kind of wish they had gotten their own book 😭
A divine romance. No notes.
April 1, 2016
OK I am going to say something that is very unpopular here: I did not like this book.
I believe that this book was Elizabeth Hoyt's first book, and a very popular book, too. My first read from Hoyt was The Leopard Prince, which came after this book. I was blown away by the way she tells a story, I still believe that she writes on a different level than a lot of the writers out there and is very talented.
But I didn't think this book was all that special. I disliked the heroine Anna intensely. I don't understand why Edward felt compelled to marry her. The sex scenes are hot, yeah, but I skim-read them, in the beginning I was just disgusted then I was bored.
This book, being such a wildly popular book, I will skip the summary. There must be great reviews out there that detail the plots. I will use my review to explain why I ended up skim-reading this book.
I will start with what I liked. I liked that Edward was scarred by small pox and felt insecure about it. I liked that Coral saw through Anna's hypocrisy and called a spade a spade. I liked that Anna refused to marry Edward, even though it was a half-ass refusal (come on admit it, Anna, you WANTED TO marry him). I wanted to write one more what I liked, but I couldn't find anything else. So this is it.
What I did not like (and I try to remain calm):
Anna Wren, aka the chaste widow heroine: Anna Wren, from where I see it, is a HYPOCRITE. She was all hots for Edward, but could not bring herself to tell him. Then she lied to Edward, pretended to be a prostitute and had sex with Edward then she had the nerves to feel bad about it afterwards. Hoyt already touched on it herself in the book and put it rather poignantly: Anna was making love. Edward was just having sex. But Anna Wren, what did you think was going to happen? What were you expecting? Earth-shattering sex and love?? I have no word for this heroine. I simply despise her.
I totally thought it refreshing that Anna wanted to JUST HAVE SEX LIKE A MAN. No problem. I admire that. Do it. But why lie about it? And worse: why feel ashamed about it? If she was going to feel ashamed about what she did, she should have never done it. That is rule number one: if you feel ashamed about something, you probably shouldn't do it. If you have already done it, then live with it. Don't sit there and feel bad and start wondering oh why is something missing. She asked for sex, she got sex. There was nothing missing in that sexual act. What was missing was her brain.
I could go on and on about Anna, because I really did not like her. But I will just stop here before I say something really mean. I did not like her, personal opinion. If she was my friend I would have kicked her in the butt and told her to get a grip of herself. Do or not do, make a decision and live with it. Don't give me this crap about oh I wish he would let me kiss him when we had sex. What do you think is going on? He thought he was having sex with a prostitute and you made him believe that.
(deep breath)
But I did not like Anna, it became exceedingly difficult for me to like the story. I had an extremely unflattering picture for Anna, a rather plain-looking widow who was not honest with herself and the man she lusted after, but had the gulls to pretend to be a chaste widow. And of course she rather considered herself funny and brave. She was not afraid of Edward, that must spell courage.
Oh how this woman annoyed me. The last time I was this annoyed with a heroine was when I read Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. I don't want to give Hoyt a 1 star but that is hardly fair. Sarah Maclean got a 1 star from me for that pathetic heroine Callie.
I will leave a 2 star rating for now. I would have liked to give this book at least 3 stars because I truly like Elizabeth Hoyt as a writer. But I am not certain I can do that after I examined my feelings toward Anna. I honestly would not mind if Anna was a real slut, whatever that word means. Make her horny, for Edward or for many other men, since she seemed so determined to have some great sex. It is alright. No judgements, seriously. But a woman who could not face herself and her lusts, who had to lie to extort sex, and could not live with herself for doing that, I have no respect for that.
(deep breath)
Namaste.
I believe that this book was Elizabeth Hoyt's first book, and a very popular book, too. My first read from Hoyt was The Leopard Prince, which came after this book. I was blown away by the way she tells a story, I still believe that she writes on a different level than a lot of the writers out there and is very talented.
But I didn't think this book was all that special. I disliked the heroine Anna intensely. I don't understand why Edward felt compelled to marry her. The sex scenes are hot, yeah, but I skim-read them, in the beginning I was just disgusted then I was bored.
This book, being such a wildly popular book, I will skip the summary. There must be great reviews out there that detail the plots. I will use my review to explain why I ended up skim-reading this book.
I will start with what I liked. I liked that Edward was scarred by small pox and felt insecure about it. I liked that Coral saw through Anna's hypocrisy and called a spade a spade. I liked that Anna refused to marry Edward, even though it was a half-ass refusal (come on admit it, Anna, you WANTED TO marry him). I wanted to write one more what I liked, but I couldn't find anything else. So this is it.
What I did not like (and I try to remain calm):
Anna Wren, aka the chaste widow heroine: Anna Wren, from where I see it, is a HYPOCRITE. She was all hots for Edward, but could not bring herself to tell him. Then she lied to Edward, pretended to be a prostitute and had sex with Edward then she had the nerves to feel bad about it afterwards. Hoyt already touched on it herself in the book and put it rather poignantly: Anna was making love. Edward was just having sex. But Anna Wren, what did you think was going to happen? What were you expecting? Earth-shattering sex and love?? I have no word for this heroine. I simply despise her.
I totally thought it refreshing that Anna wanted to JUST HAVE SEX LIKE A MAN. No problem. I admire that. Do it. But why lie about it? And worse: why feel ashamed about it? If she was going to feel ashamed about what she did, she should have never done it. That is rule number one: if you feel ashamed about something, you probably shouldn't do it. If you have already done it, then live with it. Don't sit there and feel bad and start wondering oh why is something missing. She asked for sex, she got sex. There was nothing missing in that sexual act. What was missing was her brain.
I could go on and on about Anna, because I really did not like her. But I will just stop here before I say something really mean. I did not like her, personal opinion. If she was my friend I would have kicked her in the butt and told her to get a grip of herself. Do or not do, make a decision and live with it. Don't give me this crap about oh I wish he would let me kiss him when we had sex. What do you think is going on? He thought he was having sex with a prostitute and you made him believe that.
(deep breath)
But I did not like Anna, it became exceedingly difficult for me to like the story. I had an extremely unflattering picture for Anna, a rather plain-looking widow who was not honest with herself and the man she lusted after, but had the gulls to pretend to be a chaste widow. And of course she rather considered herself funny and brave. She was not afraid of Edward, that must spell courage.
Oh how this woman annoyed me. The last time I was this annoyed with a heroine was when I read Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. I don't want to give Hoyt a 1 star but that is hardly fair. Sarah Maclean got a 1 star from me for that pathetic heroine Callie.
I will leave a 2 star rating for now. I would have liked to give this book at least 3 stars because I truly like Elizabeth Hoyt as a writer. But I am not certain I can do that after I examined my feelings toward Anna. I honestly would not mind if Anna was a real slut, whatever that word means. Make her horny, for Edward or for many other men, since she seemed so determined to have some great sex. It is alright. No judgements, seriously. But a woman who could not face herself and her lusts, who had to lie to extort sex, and could not live with herself for doing that, I have no respect for that.
(deep breath)
Namaste.
January 19, 2022
I am re-reading all my 5 star rated romance novels. There are 60 on my shelf. This is book 29.
(Tropes: Widow, Work Relationship, Unstarched (hero), Forbidden Love, Mistaken Identity, Opposites Attract)
This is how my 29th re-read held up.
Downgraded to 3.5 stars
Good re-read, but I am not a fan of the heroine disusing herself as a high-class prostitute, and the hero not understanding why he is in love with one woman he thinks he can’t have but finds himself strangely drawn to and sleeps with a masked one (even though it's the heroine). It skirts too close to cheating and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
*****
She felt anger. Society might not expect celibacy from the earl, but they certainly expected it of her. He, as a man, could go to houses of ill repute and romp all night with alluring, sophisticated creatures. While she, as a woman, was supposed to be chase and not even think of dark eyes and hairy chests. It was simply not fair. Not fair at all.
*****
Quick plot: Long time widowed and forced to take employment to maintain her household, Anna Wren secures employment with The Earl of Swarthingham as his secretary. Known for his rough manners and arrogance, their clash is unavoidable, but what neither expected is their undeniable attraction, no matter how ill-suited they are for each other.
- “I’ve heard some people say my temper is rather…” He paused, apparently searching for a word.
Anna helped him. “Savage?”
He squinted at her.
“Ferocious?”
He frowned and opened his mouth.
She was quicker. “Barbaric?”
- He lunged in the chair, one leg bent at the knee, the other extended half under the table. Her eyes followed the long length of his mud-splattered jackboots, up muscled thighs to trim hips, over a flat stomach to a chest that widened out to quite broad shoulders for such a lean man. Her gaze skittered to his face. His black eyes gleamed back at her.
(Tropes: Widow, Work Relationship, Unstarched (hero), Forbidden Love, Mistaken Identity, Opposites Attract)
This is how my 29th re-read held up.
Downgraded to 3.5 stars
Good re-read, but I am not a fan of the heroine disusing herself as a high-class prostitute, and the hero not understanding why he is in love with one woman he thinks he can’t have but finds himself strangely drawn to and sleeps with a masked one (even though it's the heroine). It skirts too close to cheating and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
*****
She felt anger. Society might not expect celibacy from the earl, but they certainly expected it of her. He, as a man, could go to houses of ill repute and romp all night with alluring, sophisticated creatures. While she, as a woman, was supposed to be chase and not even think of dark eyes and hairy chests. It was simply not fair. Not fair at all.
*****
Quick plot: Long time widowed and forced to take employment to maintain her household, Anna Wren secures employment with The Earl of Swarthingham as his secretary. Known for his rough manners and arrogance, their clash is unavoidable, but what neither expected is their undeniable attraction, no matter how ill-suited they are for each other.
- “I’ve heard some people say my temper is rather…” He paused, apparently searching for a word.
Anna helped him. “Savage?”
He squinted at her.
“Ferocious?”
He frowned and opened his mouth.
She was quicker. “Barbaric?”
- He lunged in the chair, one leg bent at the knee, the other extended half under the table. Her eyes followed the long length of his mud-splattered jackboots, up muscled thighs to trim hips, over a flat stomach to a chest that widened out to quite broad shoulders for such a lean man. Her gaze skittered to his face. His black eyes gleamed back at her.
August 28, 2024
Re-read for the second time and bumping it up to 5 stars. So, so satisfying. For anyone interested, the kindle version is currently 0.99¢ at Amazon US. The whole series is actually on sale so it might be a good time to grab the series.
December 2, 2019
Simply perfect.
I loved this book--everything about it. If I could, I would give this one more than 5 stars!
I loved this book--everything about it. If I could, I would give this one more than 5 stars!
July 22, 2025
scarred grumpy mmc w a tragic past, widow fmc who doesn’t put up w his shit, both in their 30’s, an adorable dog, hot sex scenes, a fairy tale interspersed throughout, I ate this up.
plus moira quirk narrating?? i will be relistening
plus moira quirk narrating?? i will be relistening
January 27, 2018
Una relectura que he vuelto a disfrutar y a la que le he vuelto a encontrar los mismos inconvenientes, pero son pocos y de escasa importancia. Excepto uno: los fragmentos del cuento que introduce cada capítulo y que no tienen relación con el contenido del mismo. Aunque la moraleja que contiene el cuento, que es la misma que la de La Bella y la Bestia (la belleza está en el interior y las apariencias engañan), sea también el mensaje que nos transmite la novela de Hoyt, creo que son demasiado extensos para que, por sí solos, no sean realmente una introducción al capítulo, una pista de lo que nos vamos a encontrar. Me han despistado y, a veces, incluso cortado la tensión emocional que va generando la lectura de esta preciosa historia que la autora ha tejido inspirándose en el cuento. Eso no ocurre en "El príncipe Leopardo", la segunda entrega de esta serie de 4 títulos de los que solo se han publicado 3 en España y que, en mi opinión, es la mejor en su conjunto.
Dejando aparte el cuento, la historia engancha, está muy bien escrita y la relación de los protagonistas es deliciosa. Un amor que se cuece poco a poco en un "in crescendo" perfecto y creíble, del todo coherente con el carácter y la situación de los dos.
Una protagonista femenina fuerte y dulce a la vez, viuda, cuyo comportamiento encaja en los cánones de la época, y un protagonista masculino bastante arisco que se infravalora en el aspecto físico y se vuelca en la mejora de sus propiedades van descubriéndose el uno al otro y a sí mismos de un modo que te atrapa sin remedio. Desengañados del amor, ni se plantean encontrarlo. Tampoco hay una atracción física inmediata, sino que va surgiendo con ese descubrimiento mutuo. Sensualidad, erotismo y sexo en su justa medida y narrado con elegancia. Unos secundarios entrañables, sobre todo la suegra de ella y uno de los criados de él.
Me encanta el estilo de esta autora y lamento que sea otra de las que las editoriales españolas han dejado de traducir, privándonos a las lectoras de poder disfrutar de novelas románticas de calidad.
Una novela muy recomendable a las que os guste la romántica histórica.
Dejando aparte el cuento, la historia engancha, está muy bien escrita y la relación de los protagonistas es deliciosa. Un amor que se cuece poco a poco en un "in crescendo" perfecto y creíble, del todo coherente con el carácter y la situación de los dos.
Una protagonista femenina fuerte y dulce a la vez, viuda, cuyo comportamiento encaja en los cánones de la época, y un protagonista masculino bastante arisco que se infravalora en el aspecto físico y se vuelca en la mejora de sus propiedades van descubriéndose el uno al otro y a sí mismos de un modo que te atrapa sin remedio. Desengañados del amor, ni se plantean encontrarlo. Tampoco hay una atracción física inmediata, sino que va surgiendo con ese descubrimiento mutuo. Sensualidad, erotismo y sexo en su justa medida y narrado con elegancia. Unos secundarios entrañables, sobre todo la suegra de ella y uno de los criados de él.
Me encanta el estilo de esta autora y lamento que sea otra de las que las editoriales españolas han dejado de traducir, privándonos a las lectoras de poder disfrutar de novelas románticas de calidad.
Una novela muy recomendable a las que os guste la romántica histórica.
December 13, 2017
4.5 - one little plot point (and no, not the device at the end-is it wrong I was really hoping for that?) was too distracting for me. While the writing was purposeful and tight (in other words, REALLY good), as well at funny at times, I also have the beautiful/artistic factor, and here for me, I didn't notice that to be a strength (maybe on a reread!).
So why a 4.5, Sam? Um, the way the romance develops and who it develops between. It's the how, it's the why, it's the realistic and understandable barriers, and it's their choices in the end. It's the build between Anna and Edward, and of course his eventual undoing.
The heartbreaking moment in the stable I didn't think I'd recover from--honestly, it's a little funny to me how the characters paralleled Noah & Gavin Illegal Contact a bit, which I just read. The grouchy one with a temper who barely anyone can get along with, and the assertive and compassionate opposite who can handle the person and understands their own self-worth and then ultimately a reason that keeps them apart which makes sense in their worlds, so much it hurts.
I'd love to do a longer, more detailed review but I was up too late finishing this! What a great read.
So why a 4.5, Sam? Um, the way the romance develops and who it develops between. It's the how, it's the why, it's the realistic and understandable barriers, and it's their choices in the end. It's the build between Anna and Edward, and of course his eventual undoing.
The heartbreaking moment in the stable I didn't think I'd recover from--honestly, it's a little funny to me how the characters paralleled Noah & Gavin Illegal Contact a bit, which I just read. The grouchy one with a temper who barely anyone can get along with, and the assertive and compassionate opposite who can handle the person and understands their own self-worth and then ultimately a reason that keeps them apart which makes sense in their worlds, so much it hurts.
I'd love to do a longer, more detailed review but I was up too late finishing this! What a great read.
June 11, 2018
I was kind of into this, even though everything about it is ridiculous. I liked Anna. And Edward was saveable. Probably. I'm not a fan of him seeking out a brothel for his frustration in wanting his secretary and feeling constrained by class difference from acting on it. And her seeking him out at this weird upscale sex grotto very nearly worked (which was enough to be going on with). But I couldn't stand the clown Felicity. I hated every PoV switch to show her scheming and I hated that she's such a horrible person who is nevertheless successful in everything. And when she so effortlessly penetrated the privacy of Anna and Edward I found my desire to continue die a horrible death. There was plenty of story in Anna and Edward all on their own. Intrusions by an awful person with unfounded enmity granted successes by authorial fiat gave me such a distaste of everything else that I just quit.
February 2, 2018
I enjoyed this one. I love a strong heroine.
Of course, he doesn't have fair hair in the book ... Raven ... hint there Mo? What the heck. It is Friday night. I am tired after a long week of work!
"A good garden can always be restored ..."
“Oh, how she wanted this man! She wanted to hold him like this tomorrow and fifty years hence. She wanted to be by his side every morning when he woke, she wanted his to be the last voice she heard before she fell asleep at night.”
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