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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great vacation reading., March 20, 2008
This review is from: How to Propose to a Prince (Avon Romantic Treasure) (Mass Market Paperback)
Elizabeth is the youngest of the notorious Royle sisters. It is whispered that they are the daughters of the Prince of Wales, secreted away and raised by the personal physician. Whether true or not, the sisters are close to each other, as well as to the man who raised them. Elizabeth is the sister who has "the sight". Her dreams always come true. The only real problem is that they are only HALF true. No one is ever sure which part is correct and which part is not.
As the story opens, Elizabeth is telling her sister that she dreamed about her future husband. Elizabeth is positive he will be a prince and clearly recalls his features. Very shortly thereafter, they see the man while out shopping. They follow him into a store and hear the clerk call him "Your Highness". The man sternly informs them all that he is Sumner Lansdowne, Marquess of Whitevale, and NOT the prince. After he is gone, the clerk tells them that he saw the prince as he entered town. No one knows why the man will not admit that he is the prince.
Prince Leopold has secretly come to London to seek the hand of the Prince Regent's daughter, Charlotte. Word is that she is most amenable to his suit. Sumner Lansdowne is the cousin to Prince Leopold. From a distance, they look identical. Closely though, one may tell the difference, especially in their heights. To protect Leopold, Sumner poises as the prince at the Ton balls. There, he is reacquainted with Elizabeth. But someone in the area wants Prince Leopold dead. Sumner and Elizabeth soon find themselves with targets on their backs.
**** Mystery, intrigue, romance, or adventure, no matter what your tastes are you will find them satisfied in this story set within the Regency era of London. Since Elizabeth's dreams are only half right, there are plenty of humorous situations due to interpretation mistakes. This is one to pack in your traveling bag. Whether you go to the beach, the mountain, or simply to your back yard, this romance is the perfect accessory. ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Simple historical romance, June 5, 2008
This review is from: How to Propose to a Prince (Avon Romantic Treasure) (Mass Market Paperback)
"How To Propose To A Prince" is the third in a series about triplet sisters from Cornwall who are reputed to be the illegitimate daughters of the Prince of Wales and his Catholic wife Maria Fitzherbert. The third story follows the fortunes of Elizabeth, the one remaining unmarried triplet, who has dreams that often become true. When she dreams that she will be marrying a handsome prince before Michaelmas she believes it although her sister Mary thinks she must be wrong. When they almost immediately bump into the man in her dream at a jewellers, introduced as the Marquess of Whitehaven but referred to by the jeweller as "Your Royal Highness", Elizabeth is convinced that her marriage will approach soon. But Sumner, as he becomes known to her, is apparently planning to marry Princess Caroline and as Elizabeth spends time with him and also with Princess Caroline it seems that her dream may be slipping out of her reach.
The central plot of this story is of someone pretending to be someone else in order to protect him. Sumner isn't actually Prince Leopold as everyone thinks but his cousin; the real Prince Leopold is quietly wooing Princess Caroline in the background. The reader is given these details very early on which rather removes some of the sense of suspense and confusion. We know who Sumner is, Elizabeth doesn't, but she seems to blunder on anyway, assuming that Sumner wants her.
The characterisation in this book was pretty sparse with none of the people feeling very real. The writing style was very simple with most descriptive passages being about Elizabeth's clothing, of which she seemed inordinately interested. There was little tension and a minor plot about someone trying to kill Leopold/Sumner was pretty transparent. The names of all three suitors for the triplets - Rogan, Laird and Sumner - all felt very inappropriate for this historical period and the behaviour of Elizabeth was also rather scandalous, for example calling to visit a gentleman on her own. The historical research with regard to the true historical figures such as Princess Caroline and Prince Leopold seemed reasonable but the behaviour of the hero and heroine in this book didn't feel authentic and the case of mistaken identity plot device was carried on rather longer than it should have been. This was a passable read but nothing special.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystery set in the regency era, April 13, 2008
This review is from: How to Propose to a Prince (Avon Romantic Treasure) (Mass Market Paperback)
How To Propose To A Prince is Kathryn Caskie's third book in a series. The Royle triplets must each find their match. Mary and Anne have found their loves. As the youngest of the triplets, Elizabeth's turn arrives. She dreams of the man she is to marry, but if he isn't a peer of the realm, will her guardians approve? She is no less than the secret daughter of the Prince of Wales. Or is she?
And who is who? Are the Royle triplets really the secret daughters of the Prince of Wales? Is the man Elizabeth fell in love with really Leopold, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield or his cousin Sumner Lansdowne, Marquess of Whitevale? And what is the relationship between Leopold and Sumner? You think you know, but wait, don't jump ahead of the story and its final resolution-not only for the book, but for the series as well. Truths are revealed, but some may still remain a secret.
The time frame is the regency era and Elizabeth steps out of the rain into a London jewelry store and humor abounds as she immediately meets her hero-the man she has seen in her dreams. Although her dreams come true, sometimes only parts of her dreams become reality. Which part will be reality for Elizabeth? From there, Caskie's story moves quickly through a wide range of emotions. The combination of historical data with a fictional romance is very well done.
Armchair Interviews says: Political intrigue abounds along with mystery, danger, humor, and above all else, romance.
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