To Pleasure a Prince (Royal Brotherhood, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sabrina Jeffries (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

Bestselling author Sabrina Jeffries pens the sizzling story of one of three half-noble half brothers, who makes a most unwelcome entrance into society...

and a most unexpected match.

Beautiful Lady Regina Tremaine has turned down so many suitors that she's called La Belle Dame Sans Merci. The truth: she won't marry because she carries a dark secret. She sees no good reason, however, why her brother shouldn't court the lovely Louisa North -- even if the girl's brother, the notorious "Dragon Viscount," objects.

Marcus North, Viscount Draker -- bastard son of the Prince of Wales -- is rumored to be a monster who holds women captive in his dark castle to have his way with them. He has been exiled from polite society for years. But when Lady Regina makes a plea on her brother's behalf, Marcus proposes an outrageous deal: her brother can court Louisa so long as Marcus can court Regina. Can the beauty and the beast survive a proper courtship when the devastatingly improper passion between them threatens to cause the scandal of the century?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This sprightly Regency romance, the second in bestseller Jeffries's Royal Brotherhood series (after In the Prince's Bed), focuses on the outcast brother, Lord Marcus North, Viscount Draker, whose illegitimacy--he's the bastard son of the Prince of Wales--and reputation as a gothic villain have kept him out of society for years. When the Dragon Viscount decides his half-sister, Louisa, is in need of a season, he turns to his newfound brothers for assistance. Louisa is a success in London's highest circles, but has attracted the attention of the rakish duke, Simon Tremaine. Marcus is determined to nip the relationship in the bud and keep Prinny, who has recently attempted to insinuate himself into Louisa's life, away from her. Marcus can handle the prince--but he's at a loss when dealing with the Lady Regina, Simon's beautiful sister, whom society has christened "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" because of her quick wit and unwillingness to accept any of the marriage proposals she's received. Marcus soon discovers the passionate heart beating beneath Regina's cool exterior--and that she guards an awkward personal secret. If the resolution of Regina's problem strains credulity at the end, the parallel courtships of the Tremaine and North siblings engages throughout. Readers will eagerly await the third brother's story.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Readers will eagerly await the third brother's story."
-- Publishers Weekly (Publisher's Weekly ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Star (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743477715
• ISBN-13: 978-0743477710
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

By the time Sabrina Jeffries was 18, she'd eaten chicken heads and jellyfish, been chased by a baby elephant, seen countless cobras and pythons, had the entire series of rabies shots, and visited rain forests and rubber plantations.
But that wasn't enough excitement for her; to escape her mundane life as a missionary's daughter, she read romance novels.

Now she writes romance novels, and her bestselling, award-winning tales of strong women and sexy, dangerous men have been translated all over the world. Although she now lives in North Carolina with her husband and son, her colorful life has taken her from Thailand to New Orleans and given her plenty of inspiration for more books.

Visit her website at www.SabrinaJeffries.com for excerpts, free reads and contests!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars novel possesses everything for a good, satisfying read, February 27, 2005

By 

tregatt (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Pleasure a Prince (Royal Brotherhood, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

The second installment in The Royal Brotherhood series, "To Pleasure the Prince" proved to be a very absorbing and engaging read. The series revolves around the lives of three half-brothers, all illegitimate children of England's Prince of Wales, George. The brothers are, Alexander Black, the Earl of Iversley; Marcus North, the sixth Viscount Draker; and Gavin Byrne, a powerful man in his own right even if he's not an aristocrat -- and they are united in their desire to help each other, and in their deep dislike for their natural father, the Prince of Wales. The first book, "In the Prince's Bed" was Alexander's story; this one focuses of the Viscount Draker, known to one and all as the Dragon Viscount.

Having decided at a very young age that he has no time for the shallow company of his peers, Viscount Draker has spent much of his time at his ancestral estate, Castlemaine, taking care of his younger sister, Louisa, and of his estates. All this changes, however, when Louisa comes of age and is ready to make her debut into society. Fortunately, Draker can count on the support of his married half-brother Alexander to sponsor Louisa's debut and to keep and eye on her. For Draker's greatest fear is that his royal father will try and reestablish his relationship with Louisa in order to get to him (Draker, that is). And his fears are realised when he discovers that Louisa is being courted by the Duke of Foxmoor, an intimate of the Prince's. Determined to drag Louisa back to Castlemaine (and to shoot Foxmoor if he must), Draker is startled beyond anything when Foxmoor's beautiful sister, Lady Regina Tremaine, turns up at his doorstep, determined to plead her brother's and Louisa's case. Intrigued and beguiled by Lady Regina's beauty and courage, Draker agrees to allow Foxmoor to court Louisa if he can court Lady Regina. Picking up the gauntlet that Draker has thrown down, Lady Regina agrees. A young woman who has been "out" in society foe quite a few years now, Lady Regina is quite used to handling men, and is sure that she handle the blunt, ill humoured and angry Dragon Viscount, who is rumoured to be an uncultured lout. But in Draker's case, Lady Regina is beginning to fear that she has bitten off more than she can chew. However, as the two begin to spend more time with each other, each begins to discover facets in the other's character that indicates that they are more suitably matched that either had ever thought possible. But Draker suffers from an instinctual distrust of beautiful women, and Lady Regina hides a shameful secret that she can never share with anyone. With these two seemingly insurmountable obstacles it looks as if this courtship will go no where in spite of the powerful attraction each has for the other. And then there is the awful suspicion that Lady Regina is beginning to have, that Draker may have been correct about the motive behind Foxmoor's courtship of Louisa. With her loyalties severely tested, and with her dark secret to hide, Lady Regina isn't sure about what she should to do or to whom she should turn for help...

I enjoyed "To Pleasure the Prince" from beginning to end. It's one of those novels that snares your interest from the very first page -- a hero with a tortured past, a heroine with a secret, and the passionate and sensual romance that develops between them -- if you're looking for a Regency-era romance novel that is character driven and that has everything necessary for a good, engrossing read, you can't go very wrong with "To Pleasure the Prince." The pacing was even and well sustained; and the manner in which the author allowed the story to be told was well done as well. I liked the manner in which Sabrina Jeffries developed the romance between Draker and Regina -- she gave us a romance about two people who were not only passionately drawn to each other, but who also needed each other emotionally as well. Darker's and Regina's romance was not one of smooth sailings; it was full of ups and downs and mistakes that each makes before the cathartic ending when a happily-ever after ending is achieved. And it was emotionally fulfilling as a result. A well written novel (in spite of the many, many modern phrases), "To Pleasure the Prince" was a satisfying read from start to finish, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment in the Royal Brotherhood.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just wonderful..., March 1, 2005

By 

Book Mom (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Pleasure a Prince (Royal Brotherhood, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I probably can't say it any better than the other reviewers that have given this book 5 stars, but I had to at least second them. If you like the beauty-and-the-beast plotline, this is one of the best I have ever read. Marcus is terrifically gruff and stubborn and prideful, and Regina is equally well-written as a determined, spunky and compassionate woman who trusts her instincts when she sees beneath his armor to the caring man he truly is. Witty dialogue, intriguing secondary characters and scorching love scenes all mesh perfectly to make this one of Jefferies' most compelling novels. A definite keeper!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, but save us from the undying metaphor!, August 3, 2005

By 

Lighthouse Ann (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Pleasure a Prince (Royal Brotherhood, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Altogether this was a fun read. Both main characters are likable. The wise and socially adept Lady Regina confronts the Dragon Viscount, Marcus, over his overprotective handling of younger sister Louisa. There is an immediate attraction, of course, this IS a romance novel followed by stolen kisses and stolen, well, other things. With the help of the supporting characters, you will enjoy following Marcus and Regina to settle their differences. Although, I have a minor complaint that such a psychologically minded paragon would see right through the gruff Marcus and fall for him, bad behavior entirely ignored. Minor problem, forget I complained.

The major problem is the metaphor. Ack! Not again! Every five pages the characters made some reference to Regina being called La Belle Dame Sans Merci and Marcus being called the Dragon Viscount. It ruined the love scenes when Regina every time makes some dragon comment. Oh, my big, strong dragon. I have tamed the dragon. Will you lock me in your dungeon, dragon? Burn me with your fiery breath? Then, Marcus, oh, lady, you really are without mercy to make me service you again. You siren. Over and over again. Just drop the metaphor. Please. Ms. Jeffries, have you no mercy?