Princess Charming
Grade : B+

I've been wanting to try Elizabeth Thornton's books for some time, and now that I've read Princess Charming I'm trying to figure out what I was waiting for. This is a compelling, engrossing read, with one of the best mystery/suspense plots I've seen in an historical romance.

Princess Charming begins with a nameless woman who is trying to escape an abusive, tyrannical husband. Her plans are unsuccessful, but her maid and a groom get away. The abused wife, however, is caught and sedated by her husband.

At first I thought that this woman was the heroine, but when Gwyn Barrie arrives on the scene it's clear that she is a different woman. Gwyn is a widow who suddenly receives a bequest of ten thousand pounds from an anonymous source. Since she has been struggling financially, the money comes as a godsend, but there is a catch - the trustee is her distant cousin Jason Radley. The two share a past but grew apart when Jason's older brother died and Gwyn eloped with Nigel Barrie, an army officer. Gwyn is not sure she's ready to face Jason or answer questions about their past or her life with Nigel, but she soon finds that she's got a much bigger problem: someone is trying to kill her.

Jason sees immediately that the killer is a dangerous professional, and he takes steps to protect Gwyn and her son while he searches for the killer. They head for his estate in the country, which is where both of them spent much of their childhood. But while he is glad to have Gwyn close by, the killer always seems to be one step ahead of them. Jason and Gwyn eventually do some serious talking about the past, and it's clear that they are in love - and probably have been for years. But before they can concentrate on themselves, they need to figure out who is trying to kill Gwyn - and why.

This is one of those books that's very hard to put down, largely because of the well crafted suspense plot. So often suspense plots in historicals feel like they are tacked on to give the hero and heroine something to do after they profess their undying love. That's definitely not the case here, where there are actually layers of villainy. Early on the reader is shown the connection between Gwyn and the abused wife of the prologue, but what seems to be a fairly straightforward suspense plot takes twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The effect is spine tingling, and it really adds to the mood of the book. And the most evil of the villains was a total surprise to me, which is a pretty rare occurrence.

Jason and Gwyn are both likable characters. Jason is a somewhat rakish sort who was called upon to save the family estate, and succeeded admirably. Gwyn has had a hard life, and has long been estranged from those who love her most because she's afraid to tell them about the problems of her first marriage. Jason and Gwyn were originally separated by a misunderstanding of sorts, but it's a very believable one, and the way they work out their differences seems natural rather than contrived. There is no silly love-hate plot going on; rather, the reader gets the sense that these are two good people who will settle their problems like adults. It's all very dramatic, but it's never melodramatic.

My only small quibble is that I would like to have seen the romance emphasized a bit more, particularly at the end of the book. But overall I found Princess Charming to be a compelling page turner. The epilogue seems to suggest that Thornton's next book will be about Richard Maitland, one of Jason's friends who helps him solve the mystery of Elizabeth's would-be assassin. I'll definitely check it out, and hunt for her backlist as well.

Reviewed by Blythe Smith
Grade : B+

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : January 10, 2001

Publication Date: 2001

Review Tags: 

Recent Comments …

Blythe Smith

I've been at AAR since dinosaurs roamed the Internet. I've been a Reviewer, Reviews Editor, Managing Editor, Publisher, and Blogger. Oh, and Advertising Corodinator. Right now I'm taking a step back to concentrate on kids, new husband, and new job in law...but I'll still keep my toe in the romance waters.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
What's your opinion?x
()
x