The Raven Prince
by Elizabeth Hoyt
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Book Reviews of The Raven Prince
Book Review: Agree with everyone else - this is a debut author not to be missed
Summary: 4 Stars
The blurb reads like some idiotic erotic romance book that publishers seem to think are so popular. Virginal heroine turns skanky prostitute in order to sate her newly discovered passions. What it turns out to be is a believable love story between two lonely people who experience some smoking hot, but totally integrated, sex.
One thing I have always found a bit clever is when an author gives a name to a character that has meaning for the story. Maybe it's a silly thing to find clever, but alas, what can I say? In this book, Anna Wren is very wrenlike in the beginning. She has tart thoughts but isn't one to give them voice. Being at the end of her rope, gives her the courage to start speaking out. After all, what does she have to lose? Circumstances make it difficult for Anna to be just a widow gentry woman. Once she starts giving voice to "her" opinions, she finds it very exhilarating. It was a pleasure to read her character and watch her unfurl her wings.
The Earl, Edward, suffered a terrible loss when small pox swept through the village. His entire family succumbed and he fell ill. Everyone else died. He's marked by this incidence with small pox scars and the emptiness that his life has become. He wants to have a family more than anything and contracts a marriage with the daughter of a respectable Baron whose wife has a record of being a good breeder. Given time spent with Anna as his secretary who listens to him, who talks back to him, who isn't afraid of him, he begins to have untoward thoughts of her. He spends virtually no time thinking about the Baron's daughter because she is merely a means to an end for him. This sounds callous but you tend to believe that family means everything to Edward and that he would be honorable to his wife, whomever she was.
There is a deception involved involving Anna and her seduction of Edward. These scenes are quite torrid but are in keeping with the story and actually move the plot forward. Of course, as all deceptions are wont to do, this turns out badly. The ending is a bit of a farce but I still enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one, The Leopard Prince.
Book Review: ***6 STARS*** CANT SAY ENOUGH - GO GET THIS BOOK!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
WOW, what a marvelous book!!! Hoyt's talented debut of "The Raven Prince" will have you panting after you're done reading and will make you yearn for her next one - which is hitting the shelves April 1st 2007 - "The Leopard Prince". You will not be able to put this book down - as it was so captivating and so beautifully written.
It has everything that a great romance should - incredibly great story, captivating characters, unsurpassed page turning sexual tension and steamy sexual scenes that will have you fanning yourself! All beautifully executed and penned by Ms. Hoyt, a new author, which I am sure, after you read "The Raven Prince", you'll have to make room for in your keeper shelf.
Hoyt masterfully interweaves the main storyline with a delightful fairy tale, depicted at the beginning of every other chapter. You will get just as engrossed with the magic, weaved in the tale of "The Raven Prince" as with the main storyline.
The main characters, developed in a fabulously fresh manner - are intriguing and fabulous. The heroine here is not the simpering, innocent miss or spirited heroine with gorgeous flowing locks of hair, fair skin and sumptuous curves nor is the hero the dashing, charming and heart-stoppingly handsome rake depicted in most historical novels. Anna, is a plain widow that has fallen on hard times and Edward a brooding earl, with a big nose, scars and with a foul temper to boot. The storyline is simple, yet the character development is magnificent. Edward offers Anna the position of his secretary - as his temper has driven all previous candidates away. As Anna stands up to him and meticulous executes her duties, he soon realizes that he craves the simple, plump widow - as he cant stop thinking of her mouth.... as well as other "unmentionable" areas.
What ensues is a delicious, page turning romance that will leave you extremely satisfied and very glad you selected this talented new author. I am sure, like me, you will be waiting with baited breath for her next book, "The Leopard Prince". Thank you Ms. Hoyt for a really great book!
Book Review: Did I read the same book?
Summary: 3 Stars
I don't know why my review for this book, got deleted. So I'm posting it again.
First off, this wasn't a bad read, it was in fact a somewhat enjoyable read. I really liked how Anna and Edward met, with him falling off his horse. I also liked the scenes between Anna and Edward, her being his secretary.
However the characters weren't really developed. Much more depth could have been added, especially to the earl's character. The man lost his entire family to the small pox and he himself is scarred (refreshing in a romance hero). Add to that, the death of his first wife in childbirth. She cursed him before she died, she hated him because of his scars. And Anna has suffered in a previous marriage as well, to her husband's infidelities and the fact that she thinks she is barren. And yet any emotional scars those two may carry, was handled in an offhanded and superficial way. I didn't feel for those characters, nor did I care for them.
And if this is supposed to be just a comic love story with funny characters, that don't really have any depth, then they shouldn't have been given such painful pasts.
Then Anna leaving with the two prostitutes, I thought that was too much. Why would she delibrately put her entire family in danger of ruin so she can pretend to be a prostitute. Especially after her past experience with an unfaithful husband. Why would she risk it all for the sake of another man, who doesn't even tell her that he cares for her, but instead is going to a prostitute to satiate his lust. Then she was disappointed because to him it was just sex. He was distant and impersonal.
Also, I really didn't like the fact that Edward went to a brothel in the first place, and that Anna played the prostitute for him, although he didn't know. Major turn off.
And the sexual scenes were over the top, I mean really over the top. When I read a romance novel, I imagine the intimate scenes between the hero/heroine to be beautiful and tender, not smutty and in a brothel.
This was an okay debute. Not that good and not a keeper for me.
Book Review: A huge twist on the "Beauty & the Beast" plot....
Summary: 5 Stars
I was given an Amazon book card a couple of Christmases ago and I selected this book in a bundle of historical romances based on the high reviews. VERY sadly, it sat on my shelf unread for over two years.
This summer, when I had some time off (I'm a teacher), I returned again to this book based on the ratings. I had never read any Elizabeth Hoyt and came with very little expectations.
This book blew me away!! While I'm not sure it's quite as strong as Laura Kinsale's "Flowers from the Storm" -- "The Raven Prince" had several of the same unconventional plot twists and the romance angle was not one I had read before. The Georgian setting was even a little different than usual -- though certainly not unique.
Technically this is a Beauty and the Beast plot set up, but both beauty and beast have been created in clever and original new ways.
Hoyt did an EXCELLENT job with the wounded and dark hero archetype. I don't always enjoy full blown alpha males in a romance, but Hoyt somehow created a very strong, dark and wounded male whom I could love.
Anna, the heroine, was also a breath of fresh air. She was not in her teens or naive and virginal. (She is a widow, in fact.) She's also not breathtakingly beautiful, but it is wonderful to watch how she changes in Edward's eyes. Anna is also more than an even match in the brain department for the hero.
The storyline and characters were superb. The way to the HEA was completely original and wonderful to follow.
I literally both laughed and cried while reading this story, and that does not happen often for me.
This book fully deserves the nearly five star rating. I promptly bought the rest of Hoyt's catalog upon finishing this story. It was just that good. I am hopeful she has another one to steal my heart, but Raven Prince will be very hard to top, even for Hoyt.
I feel this book should go on every historical romance lover's keeper shelf.
I can't believe I let such a gem languish on my book pile for so long!!!
Book Review: A wonderful surprise! BAD back cover description.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so glad that I finally read this book. It's been on my TBR shelf for a while because of it's lousy back cover. Whoever wrote the book synopsis in the backcover, did it a great disjustice!!! The book's description says that Anne is working as Edward's secretary, but when he goes to London to satisfy his "manly" needs, Anne "sees red" and decides to satisfy her own needs with the earl as her lover without his knowing. That made me feel that this book was just an erotica, that Anne cold heartedly and enraged (isn't that what "sees red" means after all?) decides that she has needs too and to use him as her lover. No mention of feelings either his or hers are mentioned. So I guessed this was a classical erotica, lust turns to love plot, with nothing more than hot sex scenes.
How wrong was I! And I am glad that I took the chance to read it after all, thanks to all the wonderful reviews here in Amazon. Reading the book makes obvious that Anne has developed deep feelings for the earl after working with him daily and so has he. So Anne, does not see "red" but the black of desperation when she imagines him sleeping with another woman and that drives her to take extreme measures. The earl, also has feelings for Anne, but he is the last of his line and must marry a woman that will provide him with an heir. Unfortunately Anne, though married for four years, didn't get with child which means she can't be the one. The desperation between both of them is palpable and realistic, as is the development of their feelings which takes place gradually (and refreshingly) before the physical attraction does. The sex scenes are very very explicit so some people can be offended, but they are essential to the plot and don't just exist as stand alone scenes.
If you are not of delicate sensibilities and can stand or even enjoy scenes of hot sex, this book is a must read, not as an erotica but as one of the best heart warming, deep, emotional romances published lately.