The Princess: The Bride Quest #1 (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "LUC FITZGAVIN CAME TO TULLYMULLAGH UNDER protest, his displeasure with that fact rising with every mile of the road that passed beneath him..." (more)
Key Phrases: Brother Thomas, Father Padraig, Luc Fitzgavin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Princess is set in Ireland in 1171. The keep of Tullymullagh has just been taken over by Gavin Fitzgerald for King Henry II of England. The King decided that Connor of Tullymullagh must give his daughter to Gavin's son in marriage to seal the new loyalties. Brianna has dreams of having a marriage such as her parents and wants to marry for love, so this plan does not suit her. When she finds out that Gavin has three sons, she comes up with a plan to save herself. Brianna decides that the three sons must complete a quest with the winner being the man who has found something to make her laugh. Two of the three sons agree to the quest and head out to do Brianna's bidding. The middle brother declines which angers her, as she feels she has no recourse for rejecting marriage to him. She confronts Luc and finds a deep, gentle, appealing man who she finds herself attracted to. Brianna's loyalty to her father and his people makes her distance herself from Luc. As a string of murders take place at the keep, Luc puts his own life at risk to keep Brianna safe and to find the murderer. Claire Delacroix has created a wonderful fairy tale with The Princess. I loved the fact that Luc is not a traditional hero on the outside (he is not the best looking of the brothers) but he has an inner strength, and the personality needed to be desirable. The plot centers around a who-done-it which kept me guessing. Claire Delacroix (and when she writes as Claire Cross) is becoming one of my favorite authors. I like that her characters always seem real and her stories are involving.Claire Delacroix creates a believable and enjoyable world that draws the reader in. Luc and Brianna's story is romantic amongst a mystery and suspense -a combination that makes for a great read. Michelle Sawyer -- Copyright © 080198 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved -- From Literary Times

Review

Three brothers set out to claim a bride, but only one will win the hand of . . .The Princess.

"Claire Delacroix creates the most entertaining stories!"
--The Literary Times

"Claire Delacroix enfolds her readers in a cloak of tension, lines it with conflict, and colors it with deep, dark magic. Her characters dance off the pages, and her plots swirl in clouds of enchantment."
--Rendezvous

"Claire Delacroix makes the Middle Ages glow with adventure, love and beauty!"
--Bell, Book & Candle

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Dell (August 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440226031
• ISBN-13: 978-0440226031
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #639,491 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Bride Quest begins, November 29, 2001

By	Kelley Hartsell "Kelley" (Irving, TX) - See all my reviews

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Princess Brianna is stunned when her father's castle, Tullymullagh, is overtaken in a siege. She is horrified when King Henry declares she must wed one of the three sons of the mercenary, Gavin Fitzgerald, who conquered them. Brianna swears she "will wed only my one true love." So she sends the brothers on a quest. Whoever of the three that brings her a gift to make her laugh the longest is the one she will wed.

Luc Fitzgavin, the eldest, refuses to go on her foolish quest, infuriating Brianna to no end. He has but one desire, to receive the seal on his beloved Welsh estate, from his brutish father. Luc was once a great knight, who swore to give up his sword forever, after living through a great tragedy brought about by another's dishonorable intentions. He scorns the selfish Brianna's whim, believing her full of nonsense. But as he gets to know her, he starts to realize there is more to her than he previously thought. And he begins to realize much more is at stake here...his very heart.

Brianna and Luc are drawn to each other for reasons they can't understand. For Brianna is on a quest of her own: To return Tullymullagh to its rightful owner, her father. So he can live out his days in the home he built. Luc desires only to return to his beloved home in peace. Until suspicious events start to make them realize danger abounds. The two of them unite to try to solve the mysteries. Soon, it is evident someone wishes to harm them both. Rumors start to surface of a great treasure kept hidden, The Rose of Tullymullagh, and someone is determined to have the legendary piece for their very own.

Ms. Delacroix tries to write a great adventure and mystery here, but falls short in this reviewer's opinion. Brianna comes across as a spoiled little girl who can't stand to not always get her way. She does somewhat redeem herself in the end, but not quite enough. She also comes across as not being the brightest crayon in the box. There are a few instances where the reader is in total disbelief that she cannot see the obvious. The mystery was not much of one as it was figured out almost immediately upon being presented.

When the body count starts stacking up, the plot becomes contrived. It is almost as if Ms. Delacroix was running out of story and had to kill a few people to make her word count. But there are a few bright spots to the story. Luc comes across as a noble and honorable man, determined to do what is right and good, and to protect his lady at any cost. There are also some very funny scenes scattered throughout.

This tale drags at many points and is not one of Ms. Delacroix's best. It was almost a chore to even finish the book. Having read several other of her books, one can only hope this book is just a fluke and the rest of the Bride Quest series is better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not my type of story, May 16, 2002

By	"murrayj51" (Baton Rouge, LA United States) - See all my reviews

I was really looking forward to this book, and the entire 'bride quest'series, but I didn't like most of the characters in 'The Princess'. I found Brianna a lukewarm heroine at best, throughout the book her childish efforts to deliberately misunderstand everything happening around her were exhausting. I did like the hero, Luc, and Ms. Delacroix wasted a fine character by inserting him into this slow-moving story. By the time the murders began, I was scanning each paragraph for the main idea and wishing the action would speed up, or the whole thing would just come to an end. Although I didn't like this story, I am going to try again with 'The Damsel' and 'The Heiress' and see if the 'bride quest' gets any better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To win a princess...deny her quest, October 10, 1999

By A Customer

Brianna, an innocent princess fighting to save what her father worked all his life to build, sends three brothers out on a quest, but Luc, one of the brothers, was not going to have any of it. Brianna's trust in Luc was almost immediate, though. Maybe it was because he answered all her questions, truthfully, for the price of a "kiss". (so, of course, she asked a lot of questions). As for Connor, he taught his daughter a great lesson in love. A romance story within a romance story, how quaint. I enjoyed the book. Great writing Ms. Delacroix. My favorite of the 3.