Customer Reviews

To Love A Princess (Zebra Historical Romance)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ms. Grasso's latest offering is wonderful and magical. This was a fast-paced read that brought back many old favorite friends, plus introduced us to not only a new couple, but a new set of friends that will live with the reader long after the final page is read.

Russian Princess Amber Kazanov is forced to leave her native homeland of Russia in search of what she was never able to find there. Love, family and most importantly exceptance. Her journey is forced by her nasty uncle and his rather horrid plans for her. She heads for her cousin Rudolf's knowing that he will help her. He does, he introduces Amber to Miles Montgomery a good friend but a man that has scars that are not just on the outside but on the inside as well. He hopes that these two lost souls can help each other find what they are looking for.

Miles has suffered a great loss that of his wife and unborn child in a fire that left his face scared and his heart scared as well. He lives in seclusion on on Stratford estate going no where and seeing few. He is shocked when his friend Rudolf brings Amber to him and asks him to marry her. He can't bring himself to care for another living soul and to loose that person. He will keep Amber safe but at arms distance. He can't and won't risk his heart again. Problem is...Amber wakes things he thought burn to ashes along with the rest of his life. She is everything that he needs and she grows more important to him then anything. Even his self-imposed isolation.

This was a very emotional read. Readers may be put off by Miles in the beginning, but he is a worthy hero and one that readers should have patience with. Amber is a great complement to Miles dark brooding self. Together they are a couple that will stay and charm the reader. I highly recommend this read and I look forward to the next of Ms. Grasso's wonderful reads.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

As the previous reviewers have gone over everything I was going to say...all I can say is ..run don't walk to read this book. This is an amazing love story between two lonely people. One willing to take a chance and marry without love the other scarred from a fire that took the love of his life, lonely thinking he could never love again. This book had me in tears again..Ms. Grasso knows just what heartstrings to pull. You get to read about Samantha, Rudolph again plus those crazy Kazanov brothers and Isabelle and James

This is the first book in her new series about the Kazanovs.

I love how Ms. Grasso has little cameo appearances by her characters from previous works. It's like catching up with a friend over a cup of tea. I found Princess Amber to be a clever character and one not willing to let her life be decided for her. She takes hold of her fate and wrestles it into a very happy outcome. Princess Amber is exactly what Miles the recluse needs. She bursts into his darkness and reminds him that physical scars are just boundries, and boundries she's willing to breach if he is. Together they travel the bumpy and intimate road of romance. In the end they triumph over their personal demons and challenge one another to be the best they can be.

I had promised myself that I would finish any book I started. However, I couldn't bring myself to continue reading this! I'm sorry but the writing was so amateur to me and quite repetitious with phrases such as "Miles inclined his head", "her sunshine smile" and the story itself - my goodness, could the princess be any more weak or pitiful? The man verbally abuses her and she "reacts as though struck" (another overused phrase), and hides in her room and he offers a simple apology and she simply accepts it and no more than two pages later, he pisses her off again only for her to readily forgive him. STOP THE MADNESS!!! I plodded through the first chapters, despite my better judgement, because I thought this was perhaps a first novel for this author. Not so! Suffice it to say, I will hesitate before picking up another book by Patricia Grasso if this is the norm in her writing. I do plan on finishing the book - at a later date, of course - and if I find at that time that my opinion of this book and its author has changed, I'll not hesitate to state as much.

On a positive note: The cover is absolutely gorgeous!

I found this to be an exceptional good book. Found I had trouble putting it down. The story is one that catches you from the first word and the characters are ones that you can connect with and feel their emotions. I would recommend it to anyone to read, it will not be a waste of time.

To Love A Princess by Patricia Grasso is the story of Princess Amber and The Earl of Stratford. The Earl's wife died in a terrible fire four years aga and left him with terrible scars and depression. Princess overhears that her uncle plans to sell her into slavery. She runs to her cousin in England and desires to find a husband who can protect her. As in most Grasso novels the men don't trust their wifes and make terrible mistakes. Check out the whole the Kazanov Series; To Charm A Prince (Book 1), To Love A Princess (Book 2), Seducing The Prince (Book 3), Pleasuring The Prince (Book 4) and Tempting the Prince (Book 5) coming out May 2007.

In 1820 Stratford on the Avon, Miles Montgomery is a recluse whose wife and unborn child died in a fire and his face became scarred while failing to rescue them. Prince Rudolf Kazanov and Duke John Saint-Germain visit on business. John informs Miles that his wife who is Miles' sister insists he remarry and sire an heir or Terrence the Weasel inherits the estate.

In Moscow, Count Sergei Pushkin tells Princess Amber Kazanov that he needs a proper wife instead of the czar's illegitimate daughter. Afterward, Amber overhears her guardian Uncle Fedor discuss selling her to slave trader Count Gromeko, who will use her as a breeder. She flees to England and the protection of her cousin Rudolf. Amber tells him she will not be safe until she has a husband and a baby. Rudolf introduces her to Miles, who agrees to let her stay for a few days, but insists he will never marry again. However, even though he feels guilty, Miles is attracted to Amber. He soon realizes he could love Amber, but fears losing her. When the Russians come for her, will Miles intercede to keep the woman he loves with him or will he assume she chose her handsome former beau?

This solid Regency romance stars a wonderful intrepid lead female protagonist and a fabulous support cast that provides depth to the story line and insight into the hero. Miles' constant lament that his scarred face makes him inadequate for love becomes irritable though needed for the climax. The action comes late, but readers will enjoy this fine character-driven tale and seek out the prequel, Rudolf's story TO CHARM A PRINCE.

Harriet Klausner

If you like Patricia Grasso you will love this story.
I don't like rude heroes so it was a little difficult to keep reading and finish the book. But, I am glad I finished it because the end was excellent, very romantic.

I am not a professional writer. I just love to read. I did like this book and it did make me cry several times but the ending was just abrupt. All of a sudden it was just over. Also the hero for an intelligent man was just a little too stupid but he was a man so I could let that pass. It was the ending that I was unhappy with. Still I did like the story overall.

This was my first book by this author and will be my last. It was horrible to say the least, the hero if you can call him that was rude, mean, insensitive, i could go on and on but I think you catch my drift.And every time he was cruel to the heroine he then offers a simple apology and is off on his way and the heroine just keeps taking it.I read other reviews to this book before i purchased it and one person wrote how the author really knows how to pull at your heartstrings - my response to that is read - Catherine Anderson, Anne Gracie just to name a few.