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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Suspenseful Regency Romance, January 27, 2003
This review is from: Almost a Princess (Mass Market Paperback)
Historical romance author Elizabeth Thornton never fails to shine as she fills her novels with passionate romance amidst a compelling mystery. This latest regency romance reacquaints readers with the Devere family, specifically the Earl of Castleton, Case Devere. Having served England in the Spanish campaign, Case is presently aiding the Special Branch in investigating a murder similar to those committed by Gideon Piers, a renegade army officer who supposedly died years ago. The search for links to Piers leads Case to the Ladies Library in London where he questions Miss Jane Mayberry about her friendship with Letty Gray, Piers' sister. Unwittingly, the earl is drawn to the bookish Miss Mayberry, whose independent nature both confuses and attracts him. Pulling the reader into the storyline, this author follows the unorthodox courtship of Case and Jane, as suspense mounts and secrets are revealed. When crimes are committed against those close to the earl, it becomes clear to him that Jane could become the next victim. Will his skill, honed on the battlegrounds of Spain, save Jane and himself before it is too late? An admirable heroine and suspense around every corner make this novel one of the best from an author whose books should be purchased based on her name alone.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
the second half could have been better, July 12, 2004
This review is from: Almost a Princess (Mass Market Paperback)
I really do appreciate her work, but Thornton has a habit of having her protagonists declare their love mid-way through the novel, leaving the reader with the ultimate romance question answered but still having to wade through a quagmire of roadblocks thrown into the lovers' path. This makes the last half of her novels difficult for me to read. I find myself skipping large chunks of copy dealing with the hero and heroine to get back to the unresolved portion of the story - the mystery (or, in this case, the hunt for the villain).
I would prefer for all of these issues to be resolved in close proximity to keep both plot lines equally interesting. However Thornton does weave an interesting tale for her villain as well as the hero and heroine (although the hero's past is left largely untouched). She also manages to inject the story with a good deal of social commentary on the issues surrounding the era (and domestic violence, which sadly continues to this day).
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Disappointment, January 9, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Almost a Princess (Mass Market Paperback)
I guess I had gotten spoiled as the first two novels of Thornton's Princess series were so very good- in plot, in character and character development, in resolution and in humor (especially Princess Charming). I devoured both just a few days (a few days because I forced myself to slow down like one would do with a good dessert). This one I struggled with as it has taken me over 2 weeks for I kept tossing it to the side. There were a number of gaps and holes, and she's fallen to that old cliched plot of the aristocratic (the eldest son of a Duke), arrogant ("but he's so wonderful!" all the debutantes and mistresses squeal), rich (20,000 pounds? No problem), war hero (in Spain they did the dirty jobs average people don't like to think about) and all around perfect male (who is also connected with British intelligence) who rescues the scandalous, fairly impoverished, daughter of a rector (no title or important bloodlines) damsel in distress. (But it's okay that he's marrying down. His father did...as that's noted several times in novel.) Now it's true, her female protagonist Jane is strong and smart (still a rarity in romance novels), and she has a lot of realistic baggage (but our hero will fix that), but the way everything is resolved is very improbable and entirely too easy. I won't go into that as I don't want to give away the entire ending. And yes, compared to the huge number of aristocratic, arrogant, wealthy, perfect heroes who find a strong woman who doesn't "really" want him (well, she secretly does, and he knows this, so he teaches her the error of her misguided ways) that are floating around in romance today, Casper Devere is low key (especially compared to that horrific re-release Tender the Storm that should have never been republished), but, again, I was expecting the quality found the first two of the series. From the preview from the next novel concerning Waldo, it looks to be the same old thing. Maybe, as it's not scheduled until next year, Thornton will revisit the first 2 Princess novels and try to recapture the spark found in those that is missing in Almost a Princess.
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