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England, 1816 – With the war over Lord Gabriel Renfrew, the youngest son of an earl, was adrift with no real purpose. Not caring a whit if he lived or died, Gabriel raced his horse along a narrow moonlit path where he came upon a young woman and her son struggling up from the beach below. The woman, unbeknownst to him was the runaway princess, Caroline (Callie) of Zindaria, and her son, the seven year old Crown Prince Nicolas (Nicky). Disguised as commoners, Callie was running for her and her son’s life, from people who had attempted to kill her son. Left short of her destination in a remote area, Callie had no alternative but to trust the handsome rake who offered her his protection and opened his home. When soldiers from Zindaria eventually caught up with them Gabriel offered her the only viable option that would keep she and Nicky safe, a marriage of convenience. Only Gabriel was hoping to make it a marriage in truth, but Callie, afraid of love, was not sure she could ever risk her heart to be broken ever again. *** Ms. Gracie has a remarkable flair for fleshing out her characters, showing them to be three dimensional and giving them necessary motivations for their actions. With Callie, it was clearly understood that Nicky was her life especially after having been bitterly humiliated by her husband who as a young bride of fifteen she’d fallen head over heels in love with! After her husbands untimely death, and several ‘accidents’ started to occur around her son, she knew she had to protect him at all costs. When Callie was rescued by Gabriel, it was natural for her to be wary – first because he was a stranger and though charming and evidently a gentleman, her motherly instinct to protect made her raise shields around Nicky and herself. Later knowing the bitterness and heartbreak of rejection, Callie was afraid to let her heart be swayed, convincing herself she was only agreeing to marry Gabriel for the protection it could afford her son. After the war, Gabriel had had no real direction. Drawn by Callie’s beauty and strength, he found ‘purpose’ to fight for what was right and that along with his newfound passion lifted his disposition Gabriel was a much more complex character Ms. Gracie fashioned. He was the victim of a dysfunctional family, used and mentally abused by a mother who used him as a weapon against his father with no regard for his feelings. Because of his mother’s actions he was deprived of the opportunity to know his father (not really so much of a loss as it turned out), but also suffered a long standing estrangement at the hands of his two older brothers. On the plus side there were benefits for he got to know and became best friends with one of his fathers by-blows, his illegitimate step-brother Harry. The passion and sensualness of the romance was very well-done and you could feel the love blossom and grow between Gabriel and Callie. Nicky was just plain adorable and watching as Gabriel helped him to overcome his disability and raise his self-esteem was quite heartwarming. With the requisite harsh and vile villain, Ms. Gracie also introduced a plethora of very likeable secondary characters, including of course, the very adorable young Crown Prince Nicky, Callie’s one time governess and best friend Tibby, and the bossy but lovable housekeeper Mrs. Barrow to name a few. She also introduces Gabriel’s friends and other war heroes whom I will be looking forward to seeing in future books. Bottom line -- This was an absolute jewel of a story guaranteed to lift you up and make you smile. Sensual and passionate it hit all the right notes. Add to that the fact that it is the beginning of a new series from the talented pen of Anne Gracie, and fans, old and new, are certain to be delighted and anxious for more. Marilyn Rondeau – Reviewers International Organization (RIO) |
The Stolen Princess
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