Customer Reviews

The Barefoot Princess

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the second book in the "Lost Princesses" series about three royal sisters who must flee their homeland in the Pyrenees during wartime, and now - ten years later - are still in hiding for fear of assassination by their country's enemies. This is the story of the youngest princess, 19-year-old Amy, who is currently living with the elderly spinster Miss Victorine on a small English island off the coast of Devon. The islanders are near starvation because of profound neglect by their wealthy liege lord, Jermyn, Marquess of Northcliff. Jermyn has been living a life of leisure in London since inheriting the title from his late father thirteen years earlier. He has left the running of his properties to his uncle. Unknown to Jermyn, his uncle has been stealing from him and ignoring his tenants' needs. Princess Amy decides to take drastic measures and, with the help of several islanders, she drugs and kidnaps Jermyn and imprisons him in Miss Victorine's cellar with his ankle shackled (but otherwise treated and fed very nicely, thank you). A ransom demand is sent to Jermyn's uncle, but he refuses to pay it because he wants the kidnappers to kill his nephew so that he can inherit. Meanwhile, captor and captive are spending a lot of time in each other's company and, although often sniping and snarling, are starting to look rather longingly at one another. Amy seems to be the only person who has ever spoken honestly with Jermyn, which both infuriates and fascinates him. Because of Amy, Jermyn begins to wonder whether he has neglected his duties. And Amy begins to wonder whether Jermyn is the devil she first thought, or rather is he her destiny?

I found this book to be a fast and fun read. I really liked the chemistry between Amy and Jermyn, and his shackled leg definitely added to the humor and sexual tension. There was also an interesting cast of secondary characters, including Ms. Victorine and Jermyn's valet. And the heroine did not make herself needlessly difficult, but was refreshingly obliging. Towards the end, however, the plot became a little weak with respect to the problem of Jermyn's uncle, whose resolution was pat and uninspired. Although this deflated the story a little at the end, I felt the majority of the story was good, particularly the couple's spirited relationship.

I always love a sassy heroine and a slightly bedgragled yet utterly handsome hero, Jermyn, who is only slightly a rake with a lesson to learn. Great scenary( and I am not talking about the landscapes here), great dialogue. The whole story made me smile, the fabulous intrigue, lust, and the love. I loved this one. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Clarice's tale, but I devoured Amy's. She's more my kind of a princess, the one who speaks her mind and wants to do good and right wrongs, a little Ever After- ish. I mean really. She's strong, great minded, takes what she wants, stands up for what she believes in. Ties an utterly handsome marguess up in the basement with a manacle. You know all in a days work. Witty is an understatement. Amy is Charming, intelligent, and very much the kind of a women we all admire. Of course you have to have a little devilry too. I mean really, who hasn't wanted to kidnap a hndsome man and have him totally helpless to your will, in the basement? hm....

I Can't wait to read Sorcha's adventure. so far they are only getting better. I mean really, who wouldn't want to be kidnapped by a handsome, strong, slightly dark prince that's a little rough around the edges from being imprisoned who has eyes only for you? Especially if you've been in an abbey on an island for over ten years, separated from your family and your home, oh, and you're a raving beauty with normal famale inclinations. uh huh, I can't wait. I could barely keep myself from calling off of work to read, "barefoot Princess," who knows, I may when the final one is released they are that good! Candy for a woman's soul.

THE BAREFOOT PRINCESS is about a kidnapping gone awry. Amy (princess #2 in the series) captures Lord Jermyn, chains him in her cellar and sends off a ransom note to his uncle. She wants the money to help Jermyn's downtrodden villagers, but his uncle wants him dead, so he doesn't pay. Pretty soon she's discounting Jermyn (who is not used to being treated like this) and it gets very funny and very sexy. The sex while he's chained is very very hot and when he gets free and gets revenge it's even better.

THE PRINCE KIDNAPS A BRIDE is book three in the series and according to Amazon, it comes out in December. The sooner the better. I want to see the prince get his.

I read Someday My Prince, which was my first and last by this author - or so I'd thought. Actually, I didn't read that book, because I really really really struggled to get through about 3 chapters before chucking it.

So when I was given this one, I was't too eager to give it a go. But wow, I was impressed. A fiesty heroine who didn't have to do stupid things to appear fiesty or capture the attention of the hero, a bored aristocrat who was domineering [but not painfully so] and commanding - to the point where he tied her up to get his way, and she pulls a pistol on him.

I actually enjoyed it.

After reading "Some Enchanted Evening", I couldn't wait to read Amy's story. She seemed vivacious and independent. The main character in "Some Enchanted Evening" was her older sister, Clarice. Clarice seemed weak in comparison to Amy. While Clarice based her life on returning to "her duty" as princess, Amy wanted more out of life. She struck out on her own. I was ready for an adventure when I began "Barefoot Princess." What I read was anything but.

Amy is spending her life living with an old lady. They sit and bead lace to earn money. The village they live in has been neglected by it's lord, Jeremy. The people are living poorly. Amy decides to kidnap Lord Jeremy and ransom him. She will take the money and move herself and the old lady to a new village.

While she has him imprisoned in their basement, Jeremy starts to have feelings for Amy. She battles against his pompous attitude while waiting for the ransom to arrive. However, it turns out that his uncle, who controls his estate, wants Jeremy killed. So the ransom is never paid. He breaks loose from his chains, but doesn't tell Amy. He stays in the basement in hopes that she will decide to sleep with him. She does. He then takes her as his wife in a pagan ritual that gives her no choice in the matter. She gives up and agrees to "be married" for a year, which is the length of the ritual. (Is this the same Amy from the last book? What happened to strong and independent?) Now they must work together to expose his uncle's villainous intent.

Basically, most of the story takes place in a basement. No adventure, no traveling, no dreams for the future. It was a real bummer. It took me over two weeks to read. It is not a long book. I just wasn't interested in picking it up.

Okay so who doesn't want to chain a guy up in your basement, especially one who has neglected the kind hearted villagers? Christina Dodd's sense of humor is fantastic, I must admit I was laughing so much my husband got annoyed when we were reading side by side in bed. Amy has a lot of wit, spirit, and yes a little disdain. Jermyn is a kind hearted lust magnet that is finding his way into his Earldom. The best part about the book is that the characters change and those unexpected twist turns make it a very entertaining read.

The Barefoot Princess is the second book in the Lost Princesses Series and is a perfect follow up to the first book. They both leave you wanting more. I could not wait untill this one came out, and I am now waiting for the third book in the series to come out. They engage your imagination from the first word till the last. The characters are rememberable and well formed. Even the supporting characters are fun. Both books have the perfect combinations of romance, humor, and danger. I loved both books and hope you will too.

She always dreamed of slaying dragons, but at nine she and her regal siblings Clarice and Sorcha fled their war-ravaged kingdom to live in separate exile in England. Princess Amy Rosabel vowed to fight real dragons not fairy tales creatures as she ardently feels she must intercede when injustice occurs.

In 1810 living on the isle of Summerwind, Amy is irate that the gentry stole elderly islander Miss Victorine's beading machine invention that is now the rage of London high society. Amy holds culpable the Marquess of Northcliff for causing this affront. She vows to teach this arrogant aristocrat a lesson on neglect of duties and injustice, and get Miss Victorine the money she earned..

Her plan works perfectly when she and Miss Victorine kidnap the Marquess, Jermyn Edmondson. Amy chains him in her basement and sends her demands to his uncle Harrison to pay a ransom for his nephew's safe return. She thought wrong as his uncle wants Jermyn dead so he can inherit everything. As his anger cools, Jermyn and Amy begin to fall in love, but she wonders how her heart could betray her with the enemy.

The second Lost Princess Regency is a terrific historical romance that starts off with SOME ENCHANTED EVENING that includes an abduction, chains and manacles. Stockholm syndrome aside, the lead couple are a delightful amusing match-up who fusses and fights, but falls in love with one another. Fans will enjoy their rousing battles even as his uncle betrays him by ignoring the ransom demands with the fondest wish they kill his nephew (think Ruthless People). Book two is a winner with the Crown Princess Sorcha's tale still to come.

Harriet Klausner

It seems that this must be one of those books you either really like or really hate. I'm with the former. I have just finished book one, Some Enchanted Evening (Lost Princesses), which I thought it was a surprisingly entertaining story. I started book 2 immediately and finished it in less than a day. I thought the storyline was fun, touching, romantic, and VERY steamy.

The only issue I had was the hero's name Jermym, which is really stupid, and reminds me of either "German", or "germ"-neither of which are appetizing for a hero's name-LOL. But I can overlook that. From the girls names-Amy, Clarice (ugh), and Sorcha (ugh-even though I loved Willow (Special Edition)), I think Ms. Dodd's one foible could be that she picks awfully stupid names-again, no biggie though.

So, my vote for this book is a big thumbs up-but use your discretion as from the other reviews there are as many who hated it.

But from me-4.5 stars.

The basic plot is: Princess Amy kidnaps the Marquess because he has neglected his people and she asks for a big ransom to help the people that have been neglected, but the uncle decides not to pay.

If you like your heroines very bitter and outspoken, then this book is for you. There is no way you could care for her (Princess Amy), because in the first half of the book she was a shrew, and I could not warm up to this couple when for half a book they were fighting with each other. I could not understand why he liked somebody that treated him so bad. The second half was much better, at least she was not as bitter. Still It was very difficult after such a beginning to care about them. Hopefully in the third book in the trilogy the heroine will be sweeter and more endearing.