The Marcelli Princess (The Marcelli Sisters of Pleasure Road, Book 5) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Susan Mallery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2007

A smart, independent woman with a gorgeous four-year-old son, Mia Marcelli lost her one true love. Four years ago, while working undercover for the CIA, she watched Diego, the father of her unborn child, perish before her very eyes -- crumbling the world around her. But one morning she awakens to find Diego lying next to her, alive and well with an unbelievable confession: he is really Rafael, Prince of Calandria, and he had been working covertly on the same mission when they met -- his death had been staged. Utterly stunned, Mia is wary and delighted -- she may have suffered a broken heart, but her breathtakingly handsome lover is back to reignite the passion that existed between them. Little does she know that Rafael has returned to give his newfound son a proper upbringing back in Calandria -- even if it means seducing Mia into marriage. But when Rafael finds himself truly falling for this luscious beauty, he must decide between his royal duties and the woman who has claimed his heart.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The finale of Mallery's Marcelli family series (after The Marcelli Bride) is a charming but exasperating misfire. Mia Marcelli is shocked to wake up in her California home next to the father of her four-year-old son, a man she believed had been killed. It turns out that he's not the thief she thought he was, but rather Crown Prince Rafael of Calandria. She doesn't yet know it, but he's come to claim his love child and heir—and once his son is on Calandrian soil, Mia will have no legal rights to him. Rather then deal honestly with Mia, Rafael schemes to get his son before the truth is revealed, giving him all the more work to do when the time comes to redeem himself. Most of the previously introduced Marcelli clan return in this book, but Mia and her family are its best part. The sexist, duty-bound Rafael is a one-note brooder who doesn't do much to win over the reader, despite some humor and strong chemistry between the leads. Mia's unlikely history as a secret agent and the "disguised prince's secret baby" premise may require more suspension of disbelief than readers can spare, though series fans will find much to enjoy in the family dynamics. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author

Susan Mallery is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 romance novels, including her acclaimed Marcelli series, her Buchanan family series, and most recently, her first foray into women's fiction, Sunset Bay. The winner of the National Readers Choice Award, she has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction. Susan makes her home in Washington with her husband and an assortment of pets. Visit her website at www.SusanMallery.com. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 427 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786295848
• ISBN-13: 978-0786295845
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,522,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Join the Members Only area at www.SusanMallery.com for free excerpts, exclusive short stories, games, and more. And be sure to look for her on Facebook and Twitter. ***

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has entertained millions of readers with her witty and emotional stories about women and the relationships that move them. Publisher's Weekly calls Susan's prose "luscious and provocative," and Booklist says, "Novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling." While Susan appreciates the critical praise, she is most honored by the enthusiastic readers who write to tell her that her books made them laugh, made them cry, and made the world a happier place to live.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband and her tiny but intrepid toy poodle. She's there for the coffee, not the weather.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not her best, March 21, 2007

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S. Cochran (Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Marcelli Princess (The Marcelli Sisters of Pleasure Road, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

I usually love Susan Mallery's books, and have loved the others in this series about the Marcellis. The best part of this one is the updates on all the characters from the previous books. I still liked Mia in this book, but Rafael was unlikeable, and his sudden change in behavior at the end did not ring true to his personality in the rest of the book.

Also, I know this is nitpicking, but where was the Secret Service?? Joe is married to the President's daughter, and they live on the same property, yet this Prince broke into the house, and his bodyguards roamed freely with guns. For some reason I could not get past that, and it hindered my enjoyment of the story somewhat. Wouldn't the President's daughter have Secret Service protection?

It was not a bad book, just not one of her best.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hugely disappointing end to a once great series, April 19, 2007

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Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Marcelli Princess (The Marcelli Sisters of Pleasure Road, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

When former CIA agent Mia Marcelli wakes up to find a stranger in her bed, she's shocked to learn that he's the lover she mourned for the last five years. Instead of being an international thief named Diego, he's actually crown prince of the tiny principality of Calandria (think Monaco), who assumed Diego's identity to trap his band of merry thieves. Mia has a surprise for Prince Rafael - in the form of their four year old son Danny. But Rafael already knows about Danny; in fact, he was sent by the King to retrieve Danny so that he can take his place in Calandrian society as heir to the throne. He is not above bribery or seduction to get his way. When Mia finds out about his true intentions, will her love for him (or is it Diego?) be strong enough to forgive his treachery?

Mallery's final installment in the Marcelli family series is a major let down. Never mind the suspension of time (less than a year since the last book in the series was published, and she wasn't even an agent yet), the children that age faster than in a soap opera, and the lack of chemistry between the two main characters. The plot starts out interesting, but the execution is rather boring, the dialogue stilted, and the "hero" so unsympathetic (and his sudden change of heart unconvincing), that I'm sure more than one reader wished she got back with her teen fiance, David instead of investing further tears on her Euro-trash prince. Let's just hope there's no story for Kelly in the works to further tarnish the Marcelli name.

I had pretty high expectations going in, particularly since the previous novel was so good. Rather than going out with a bang telling the most colorful of the Marcelli children's stories, Mallery instead ends the series on a sour note. I was also disappointed in another Mallery release ("Sizzling" from the Buchanan series) this year; perhaps Mallery needs to worry more about quality and less about churning out quantity.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointing, March 6, 2007

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Seriously (United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Marcelli Princess (The Marcelli Sisters of Pleasure Road, Book 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

Susan Mallery is becoming one of those hit or miss writers for me. Either she does it really well (i.e. The Sassy One, The Seductive One) or she completely throws you for a loop (Sizzling, The Marcelli Princess). I was really disappointed in The Marcelli Princess because I love this series, but the hero and heroine in this last installment are both annoying. I literally forced myself to keep reading. For an independent woman Mia relies too much on her family, lovely as they are, and Rafael's archaic sensibility makes him almost irredeemable. In my opinion, the best thing about this book is the chemistry that happens when the two are alone and the fact that we get to see how the beloved Marcellis from previous installments have fared. My recommendation: Get it from the library if you must, but don't buy it.