Series:
Crown's Spies (Book 4)
England, 1819. Orphaned and besieged Princess Alesandra
knew that only hasty marriage to an Englishman could protect her from the
turmoil in her own land. To the amusement of her makeshift guardian, Sir Colin
Hallbrook, younger brother of the Marquess of Caineswood, the bold raven-haired
beauty instantly captivated London society. But when Alesandra was nearly
abducted by her unscrupulous countrymen, the fighting instincts that won Colin
a knighthood for valor were rekindled.
Deceiving himself that he wanted only to protect her,
Colin swept her into a union meant to be a marriage in name alone... yet
Alesandra's tender first kiss and hesitant caress ignited a wildfire in his
soul. As the lovely princess dashed headlong into unforeseen dangers, Colin
would follow, knowing he must claim her as his own forever. Now he would risk
life itself before he would lose this sweet, tempestuous angel...
This is my first reread of this book in many years, and I
still love it. It had a few issues, such as using the word "sexy,"
which didn't come into use until the 1890s. All of that aside, it was a fun
book with likable characters and Garwood's trademark humor.
Alesandra was orphaned at the age of 12 and spent the
next several years being raised by the nuns at a convent. Her high spirits and
unique perspective made her life with the nuns very interesting. Alesandra's conversation
with the mother superior when told she would stay with her guardian was a good
preview of what would come. Matters become complicated when she arrives at the
Duke's house to find that his family and his oldest son's are ill. She is sent
to stay with the Duke's younger son, Colin.
Colin spends his days working to make his shipping
business a success. He has a five-year plan that doesn't include marriage. That
hasn't stopped his parents from pushing him to get married. When Alesandra
shows up at his house, Colin is sure it is another setup by his father. He's
unhappy that the need to protect her is real and that he is stuck with her. He's
not entirely out of the woods, though, because she needs to be married quickly,
and he is at the top of the list of recommended suitors.
The sparks between Colin and Alesandra are evident from
the start. Each tries to ignore the attraction. But when Colin becomes ill, Alesandra
nurses him back to health, and the attraction grows. When she is nearly
abducted, the need for marriage becomes urgent. The Duke calls a meeting at his
house, which includes the entire family, and they attempt to decide on an
appropriate husband for her. One of the book's best parts is this scene, as
Colin consistently finds something wrong with each suggestion while resisting
the suggestion for him to step up. Everyone around Colin can see the truth that
he refuses to admit - he cares for her. I laughed out loud at the outcome. I
loved watching Colin continue to fall under Alesandra's spell after they
married and got to know each other. They finally admitted their feelings for
each other in a sweet and humorous way.
The book is filled with how Alesandra gets around some of
Colin's stubbornness. She is frequently in cahoots with Colin's butler,
Flannaghan, who is starstruck around "their princess." From her financial
dealings through her "Uncle Albert" to colluding with Colin's doctor
about his leg injury to her deception about the shares in his company, Alesandra
finds a way to help without fighting him over it.
There is also a bit of intrigue as Alesandra worries
about a missing friend. Her refusal to accept the consensus keeps her pushing
for more information. I figured out the answer early in the book, but that
didn't diminish my enjoyment. The final confrontation was intense.
No comments:
Post a Comment