The Raven Prince [Mass Market Paperback]

Elizabeth Hoyt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2006

There comes a time in a womanrsquo;s life when she must do the unthinkable - and find employment. For the widowed Anna Wren, that means taking a job as female secretary for the Earl of Swartingham. Secretaries are always male - never female - as Anna well knows but the real downfall of her career is the realisation that she is falling in love with Edward de Raaf - the Earl. But when she realises that he is going to visit a brothel in London to take care of his 'manly' desires, Anna sees red - and decides to take advantage of the opportunity to also take care of her 'womanly' desires - with the Earl as her unknowing lover. But the Earl has another reason for going to London. He is formalising his betrothal and trying (with little success) to forget about a secretary that has no right being female. Unhandsome, he knows that no woman wants him. Except for the mysterious lady with whom he spent two unforgettable nights at Aphroditersquo;s Grotto, the most scandalous brothel in London. But when Annarsquo;s plan is revealed, a bit of blackmail is thrown into the mix, a proposal is rejected and even the Earl himself will be unprepared for the intrigues that ensnare them.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After reviewing her somewhat precarious financial situation, Anna Wren comes to the conclusion that she needs a job. When she discovers that Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, requires a new secretary, it seems like the perfect solution to her employment problem. Having already lost two secretaries because of his temper, Edward reluctantly agrees to give Anna a chance. Much to Anna's surprise, she finds she likes working for the often stubborn but unexpectedly kind Edward, and Edward soon realizes that Anna is not only an excellent secretary but also an extraordinarily intriguing woman. Hoyt's superb debut historical romance will dazzle readers with its brilliant blend of exquisitely nuanced characters, splendidly sensual love story, and elegant writing expertly laced with a dash of tart wit. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical romance, including reader favorite, The Raven Prince. Elizabeth's books have finaled four times in Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award contest, have won two Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and were nominated for a third. All of her books have received Top Pick reviews from Romantic Times BookReviews magazine. Both Wicked Intentions and Notorious Pleasures received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. Four of her books were voted into All About Romance's (AAR's) Top 100 Romances of All Time list and six were Desert Isle Keepers at AAR. Elizabeth's books have been translated into twelve languages.

Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with a bevy of untrained canines and a garden in constant need of weeding. You can write to her at [e-mail] or PO Box 17134, Urbana, IL 61803. Please visit her website, ElizabethHoyt.com, for contests, book excerpts, news, and Sidetracked Research Articles. You can also follow her on Twitter @ElizabethHoyt and find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethHoytBooks

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reissue edition (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446618470
• ISBN-13: 978-0446618472
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical romance, including reader favorite, The Raven Prince.

Elizabeth was born in New Orleans but grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Elizabeth married relatively young and produced two children who kept her busy until her mid-thirties. At about this time, when her youngest was entering Kindergarten, Elizabeth's mother hinted that perhaps Elizabeth should get a Real Job.

Sadly, Elizabeth was so delusional she thought writing a romance novel might qualify as a Real Job.

But! Five years later, to everyone's surprise, she actually sold that romance novel (The Raven Prince) and began a rather successful career as a Romance Novelist. This was most fortunate since Elizabeth is singularly unqualified to do anything else but Make Up Stories.

Since then Elizabeth has written eleven books to critical acclaim: The Prince Trilogy (The Raven Prince, The Leopard Prince, and The Serpent Prince); the Legend of the Four Soldiers series (To Taste Temptation, To Seduce a Sinner, To Beguile a Beast, and To Desire a Devil); and the Maiden Lane series (Wicked Intentions, Notorious Pleasures, and the upcoming Scandalous Desires.) All of Elizabeth's books are set in eighteenth century England and all feature a fairy tale story that serves as a foil to the main story.

Elizabeth's books have finaled four times in Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award contest, have won two Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and were nominated for a third. All of her books have received Top Pick reviews from Romantic Times BookReviews magazine. Wicked Intentions, Notorious Pleasures and Scandalous Desires received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly. Four of her books were voted into All About Romance's (AAR's) Top 100 Romances of All Time list and six were Desert Isle Keepers at AAR. Elizabeth's books have been translated into thirteen languages.

Elizabeth lives in central Illinois with a bevy of untrained canines and a garden in constant need of weeding. Please visit her website, ElizabethHoyt.com, for contests, book excerpts, news, and Sidetracked Research Articles.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

157 of 169 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it! Loved It!, October 28, 2006

By 

Viv (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven Prince (Mass Market Paperback)

Wow! I am blown away by this debut novel. I simply could not put it down until I had read every steamy page.
Edward is a broody discontented earl that at heart is just lonely. He's not your typical hero. He is scarred, has a big nose, thin lips and is described as unattractive. He does have a gorgeous body, though. His scars run beneath the skin as well and he carries some real emotional baggage. He reacts by lashing out and throwing fits of temper thus scaring off his previous secretaries.

Anna has fallen on hard times and shows up for the position of secretary while Edward is away. Upon his return, Anna has firmly settled into her role and Edward is enchanted by her tantalizing mouth. She is plain, but he cannot stop thinking of her mouth. He has no one else to replace her so what's an earl to do when faced with temptation? He keeps her in his employ, much to his future...ahem...discomfort.

What follows is page after page of sexual tension that Ms. Hoyt cleverly builds to a climax that is so hot even I, who am pretty jaded, was left breathless. The love scenes are exquisitely and graphically written, however, not in a clinical way. For those who love hero-jealousy and emotional angst, there's a bit of that as well. As they fall in love I felt they were meant for each other.

The story moves quickly-too quickly as I didn't want it to end-and I never felt it bogged down at any point. I highly recommend this book. I wouldn't have changed a single thing.

52 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED IT!!, November 9, 2006

By 

Cherise Everhard (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raven Prince (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to say that I read this in one day. I couldn't/wouldn't put it down. It is a historical romance with a ton of humor, sex, wit and two of the best main characters, ever.
Edward is an earl. He is the only living survivor of a family that was struck down by small pox. He has returned to his family home after many years, ready to marry and start a family.
He is known for his pox scarred face and bad temper.
Anna has been widowed for 6 years. She is living with her mother in law and a young woman they have taken in, in a small cottage. There finances are dwindling. Anna fast talks her way into a position as the newly returned Earls secretary. Unknowingly he is the same man that she "ran" into on the street.
They are so not the typical herione and hero of romances. She is tough and smart. He is ugly and ill tempered. But as the story goes on you will fall for him just as Anna does.
Each chapter begins with an excerpt from a story Anna finds that was written by Edwards now dead sister Elizabeth. I was as interested in that story as I was the main one.
There are crazy circumstances that bring them together, intamately, the first time. I can't say more without spoiling it.
All in all this was a delightful tale and I look forward to Ms. Hoyt's second tale, eagerly! Enjoy!

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So much potential, yet fails to really satisfy, April 18, 2008

By 

J. Bergin (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raven Prince (Mass Market Paperback)

THE RAVEN PRINCE is my first introduction to Elizabeth Hoyt, and this book represents what frustrates me so greatly about today's historical "wallpaper" romances. If the author had not told the reader on page 1 that the story was set in the late 1700s, and if she had not provided the basic period trappings of long gowns, phaetons, swords, and "macaronis" dressed in foppish clothes, I would have thought I was reading a contemporary. The characters have a 21st-century feel to them in their behavior, their relationship with one another, and their general mindset. There's not a lot of historical authenticity, and certainly no rich historical backdrop to the story. My other major complaint was that the sex really overshadowed the story and the relationship. I liked the characters and I did think they had good chemistry, but I kind of felt that the only thing they really had going for them was that they were great in bed (and chairs!) together. The sex scenes were well-written and steamy without being particularly vulgar, but when I read a romance, I want to know more about the characters -- who they are as individuals, why they're drawn to one other, what obstacles they overcome to keep their love alive. In the case of Anna and Edward and their relationship, I was perfectly willing to believe that they loved one another, but their relationship just lacked depth and emotional impact, and this story ultimately left me feeling a little disappointed. There's a lot of potential here, but it just didn't deliver what I was wanting.