Customer Reviews

Once a Princess

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Once upon a time there was a baby princess born in the small European country of Cardinia. Her name was Tatiana Janacek and her father was the king. Her life should have been an endless parade of balls, cotillions and fairy-tale dreams, but before her first birthday her world shattered. Her entire family was killed in a blood-feud that destroyed the royal house of Cardinia and her own life was threatened before it even had a chance to begin. So, the new king, Sandor, held a ceremony to betroth Tatiana to his son, Stefan, and then the only remaining Janacek was spirited away to the wilds of America. Unfortunately, the bad luck she'd faced in Cardinia followed Tatiana to the new world and the woman who accompanied her on the harrowing journey died the moment they reached America. Tatiana never had the chance to learn of her noble ancestry or even to know her own birthday. Left in the care of a tavern-owner and his wife, Tatiana grew up as Tanya Dobbs. In her formative years she suffered greatly at the hands of the man she believed to be her father. Beatings and emotional abuse were Tanya's constant companions. Now in her 20s, the man who abused her so grievously must depend on her for his care. With his incapacitation, Tanya is finally able to take control of her life and the tavern where she was barely better than a slave will soon be hers. Thus, the woman who should have been the queen of a country finally becomes ruler of her own destiny.

In the land of Cardinia, king Sandor's health is failing. The rigors and responsibilities of ruling are taking their toll on him and he feels it would be in his country's best interest if he turns the reins over to his son, Stefan. His last wish as king, and possibly the last wish of his life, is for his son Stefan to journey to America, find the now-grown Princess Tatiana, bring her back to her homeland and marry her. Stefan is completely against the idea. Not only does he have no desire to marry a woman he's never met, he's sure the pampered princess will turn out to be extremely beautiful. Unlike most men who would be thrilled at the prospect of a beautiful bride, Stefan suffered an horrific accident when he was younger. While trying to save his younger brother from a pack of rampaging wolves, his face was disfigured. Left scarred physically and emotionally, Stefan has resigned himself to a life of scorn from beautiful women. Though reluctant, Stefan decides to honor his father's last wish and journeys to America with three of his friends.

What follows is one of Johanna Lindsey's best stories as Tanya becomes accustomed to the idea that she's actually a lost foreign princess and Stefan learns that not all beautiful women are shallow and self-serving. I've always found everything about this book engaging. The plot, the dialogue, the characters, the setting all come together for an amazing read. Tanya is probably one of Ms. Lindsey's most likeable heroines. Tough, sassy, brave and completely capable of taking care of herself, Tanya's had to work for a living her entire life. Stefan is a unique hero, with deep emotional scars and he's the perfect compliment for Tanya, who has also suffered greatly in her young life. Together their love story is tender and touching. You'll cheer when they finally get together!

Not only are the main characters some of the best in Ms. Lindsey's outstanding career, the secondary characters in the form of Stefan's personal guard are all intriguing, highly likeable men. You'll be thrilled to know that his cousin Vasili gets a story of his own (the sequel to this book, _You Belong To Me_) and you'll wish, as I do, that Ms. Lindsey would continue the story of Cardinia with the stories of Serge and Lazar.

I've been a fan of Ms. Lindsey's work for over a decade. I've read each of her books numerous times and still savor each book like it's brand new. In fact, most of Ms. Lindsey's work is some of my all-time favorites in this genre. Such is the case with _Once A Princess_, the classic fairy-tale story of Tanya Dobbs, a European princess turned Mississippi barmaid and Stefan Barany, the arrogant king who wins her heart.

I am always interested to read other reviews and I am often amazed at how books I think are fantastic are rated poorly and books I thought were merely okay are eulogized. This is one of those books I truly adored, finished and then picked up immediately again to re-read and savor. I think it is one of her best. The story is a fairy tale that even the heroine does not believe--long exiled princess, growing up unaware of her identity, is kidnapped by 4 absolutely charming men and told she is being brought to a distant country, her homeland, to marry the King. There is much humor and amusing dialogue, gripping love scenes, adventure and action. The King himself is a wonderfully drawn character, as are his 3 men. The pacing of the love story is well done, and never boring. Read it and judge for yourself!

I have read alot of Johanna's books and enjoy most of them but this was not one of them. There was too much anger,hostility,and misunderstanding between the main characters throughout the the whole book. The WHOLE book!
All the way to the very end. Now I dont mind at all books that have anger and misunderstanding when characters first meet and here and there throughout the book,but this was ridiculous. It's expected that there will be strife and misunderstanding between the main characters,it's what keeps a book from being boring(with a few exceptions). But these characters NEVER got along and it wasn't till the very end that their misunderstandings were resolved. So I cannot reccomend this book.

This book is definitely a four star romance...I loved the plot & the characters, and had a marvelous time reading the book. The heroine, Tanya (Tatiana), was found and brought up in a saloon in frontier America that she hopes to one day inherit. Fate, though, has other plans.

Stephen, the hero, comes to America looking for the fostered off princess he is supposed to marry. What he finds instead is a skeptical barmaid loathe to leave her station.

Typical Lindsey plot insues...heroine dislikes hero and gives good chase. Unfortunately (or fortunately), all ten escape attempts fail. You can't help but wonder why they run at all!

No matter, all Linsey fans will get their money's worth as this book has an excellent shelf-life!

Last night, at 12:30, I couldn't sleep and decided to organize my books. This being one of my favs of all time, I realized i hadn't read it in a while. I just looked at the beginning and started to read. at 8:10 this morning I put the book down with the largest grin imaginable on my face. I then had to proceed with it being my first day at my new job and nearly falling over with sleep every two seconds! But it was completely worth it. All that needs to be said about this book, is that you will fall in love. Not just with Stephan and Tanya, but with the 3 most charming companions. And for all of his arrogance, Vasili absolutly captured my heart. I first read this book years ago, and now, just today, by reading the reviews i have found he has a book of his own!! I nearly went beserk with excitement...I take that back, I DID go beserk. Now I know whats on my list of stuff to do tomorrow. I only hope someday Serge and Lazar are bestowed the same honor. But Johanna Lindsey, THANK YOU, you have made one woman very, VERY, happy. Imagine that feeling in your chest, where you just have to smile, and in that second everything seems perfect. This book will make you feel that, time and time again, no matter how many times you read it. Once again....all I can do is sigh.

An unenjoyable book. The main characters were constantly fighting, arguing, misunderstanding and misinterpreting each other's words and actions. The heroine was particularly annoying, and by the end of the book (if you can make it that far) you feel no empathy or affection towards her. Definitely not a keeper.

King Sandor of Cardinia is dying. He turns the throne over to his son Stefan and orders him to go to America to find his betrothed princess. Twenty years before, the previous royal family was nearly wiped out except for Tatiana, the infant princess, who was smuggled out to safety. Before leaving with her protectress, she was betrothed to Stefan. But tragedy befell the royal escapees. The princess' guardian died of a fever, leaving her in the hands of a cruel tavern keeper and his kind-hearted wife. Raised in this atmosphere, Tanya grew to be a skeptical and sarcastic woman often hiding her beauty so as not to attract men. Upon finding her, Stefan is stunned that this tavern whore could be his princess. He is aware that she is disguised, but unaware of the true beauty that lies beneath. Tanya disbelieves the story Stefan and his men are telling her and they must take her by force. Stefan believes that his disfigurement is the reason she pulls away from him, never realizing that Tanya has already seen past his scars and is undeniably attracted to this man who would disrupt her life.

Tanya is not the whore the man believe her to be. Instead, she is a realist, a survivor, a woman striving to gain independence for herself and her future. Stefan is a man determined, a future king with an arrogant temper that he must control. Together they are made for each other. This story is a bit longer than most of her other books, but keeps your attention up until the end. I kept hoping that they would get things straightened out sooner. When Tanya does make her confessions to Stefan at the end, it is heartwarming and touching. A great story!!

This story is simply amazing. Johanna Lindsey outdid herself with "Once a Princess," a novel about a girl raised in a Mississippi tavern who is really a long lost Eastern European princess.

Tanya is a splendid heroine. She is feisty, spirited, and witty, AND she knows how to stand up for herself. Stefan is her perfect match: dark and brooding with "devil's eyes," the future king of Cardinia fights fire with fire, with some passionate results. The two are an excellent pair together and fun to watch.

The fact that Tanya absolutely refuses to believe she's a real princess leads her into quite a few adventures as Stefan and his dashing companions escort (er, kidnap) Tanya back to Europe. Stefan's three companions are great characters, but the best is Vasili, the nasty conceited peacock who is so gorgeous women fall all over him. Of course, he gets his own book in the sequel "You Belong to Me."

What else can I say about "Once a Princess" but read it, read it, read it. It is my second favorite JL, the first being "Savage Thunder."

Two decades ago in a small country in Eastern Europe, a beautiful princess was born and christened Tatiana Janacek. But she was born amidst chaos for there was a blood feud between her royal family, the Janaceks, and another powerful clan, the Stamboloffs. After several of her family members have been murdered, and with her father, the then King of Cardinia, fearing for his own life, Tatiana was immediately betrothed to the son of Sandor Barany, who became king after the rest of Tatiana's family were murdered. As the only remaining Janacek, King Sandor sent Tatiana to America with a baroness as her only companion. But tragedy seems to follow Tatiana wherever she goes for shortly after reaching America, the baroness died from illness leaving Tatiana at the hands of an elderly couple, with whom she grow up in near poverty and completely unaware of her regal birthright.

Fast forward to 1835 and King Sandor decides to abdicate the throne so his son Stefan could succeed. Now Stefan isn't too happy especially with the news that along with the throne comes his imminent wedding to the exiled princess. But worried for his father's fading health, he sails to America, albeit reluctantly, to bring his queen back home. But were he and his three companions in for a shock! For not only are they sent on a wild goose chase trying to find the princess, but when they finally do, it is to discover that she is not the pampered beauty they expected her to be but a feisty tavern wench who is completely ignorant of the circumstances of her birth. What astounds Stefan more is his instant attraction to Tatiana, who goes by the name of Tanya Dobbs. And for a moment, he is actually pleased that Tanya isn't the great beauty everyone claimed she would be, for he had long ago given up on beautiful women after being left scarred, both physically and emotionally, while trying to save his younger brother from being attacked by wolves. But that is another shock for him because Tanya's real appearance is soon unveiled. And this adds to the complication for he knows that he can't afford to lose his heart to the beautiful woman who he believes is repulsed by his appearance.

ONCE A PRINCESS is a tale about a girl deprived of a regal upbringing through tragedy, and a reluctant king who must give her back what is rightfully hers. Tanya/Tatiana is a heroine who has suffered all her life from the terrible beatings of a man she grew up thinking was her father, yet it is also this tragedy that has moulded her into the courageous and feisty woman that she has become. A woman whose only ambition is to one day have full ownership of the tavern she grew up in and live an independent life without the ties of marriage. Stefan, on the other hand, is a man who must overcome his insecurities and believe that there is a woman who will love him "scars and all".

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Tanya's attempts to escape Stefan had me laughing and cheering. I was held in suspense waiting to see how far she could make it just so she could drive Stefan and his friends demented. Stefan's friends, Vasili, Serge and Lazar also add to the fun, and then include a jealous mistress and a would-be assassin and you know you're in for an adventure.

A delightful story with a nice ending, you will love how both characters find true love despite their initial qualms and mistrust in each other's intentions.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. There's something about Stefan, he's mysterious, handsome, and takes in a lot without having to say anything. I like the fact that he wants to know if Tanya can want him without knowing who he is. I also like the way in which Stefan came to terms with his feelings for Tanya. He believes her past is sordid, but it truly no longer matters to him because he loves her and is looking forward to their lives together. This is a story I could read again and again. It's really that good!

But... in the very beginning of the story, the author described Stefan as "disfigured," which wasn't exactly true. As the story progressed Stefan was described as very handsome, and, like Tanya, I felt the scars on his cheek totally insignificant to the man he was. I didn't give them another thought - it was the author who kept on and on about them - for Tanya's benefit, I suppose, but it was annoying. I don't know why JL felt the need to make such a big deal about it. She might well have turned some readers off, thereby causing many to lose out on a very interesting story.
Vasili was great! I actually reread ONCE A PRINCESS after reading his story YOU BELONG TO ME, and I liked and understood him much better.
Also, another great book, better even than most of JL's books was THE ROSE OF ENCHANTMENT, Kathryn N Bender. It's one of those kinds of love stories you'll never forget.