Four of the five daughters of England's Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were regal, genteel, and everything a princess should be. But one was rebellious, scandalous, and untamed.Overall Thoughts:
This is her story. . . .
To the court and subjects of Queen Victoria, young Princess Louise—later the Duchess of Argyll—was the "Wild One." Proud and impetuous, she fought the constraints placed on her and her brothers and sisters, dreamed of becoming an artist, and broke with a three-hundred-year-old tradition by marrying outside of the privileged circle of European royals. Some said she wed for love. Others whispered of a scandal covered up by the Crown. It will take a handsome American, recruited by the queen's elite Secret Service, to discover the truth. But even as Stephen Byrne—code name the Raven—vows to risk his life to protect the royal family from violent Irish radicals, he tempts Louise with a forbidden love that could prove just as dangerous.
In the vein of Philippa Gregory, Mary Hart Perry tells the riveting story of an extraordinary woman—a princess who refused to give up on her dreams, including her right to true love.
Historical Romance is not a genre I normally tend to gravitate to, but this novel has definitely restored my faith in it!
The Wild Princess mainly centers around one 23-year-old woman named Princess Louise. She has four other sisters, but - out of them all - is considered to be the most daring and feisty. The novel begins with her being forced to marry the Marquess of Lorne, who is a very attractive and gentle man. Once the two are wedded, Louise discovers something about Lorne that is slightly unsettling, and now she's stuck with him for the rest of her life because divorce was such a rare and "frowned-upon" thing. Also, Louise has reason to believe that her mother, Queen Victoria, knew about Lorne's little indiscretion and still continued to force the marriage onto her.
When the palace and royal family are deadly threatened by Irish radicals, Stephen Byrne - an agent of the Queen herself - comes into the story. It becomes his duty to protect and serve in favor of the royal family, which he takes extremely serious. As time progresses, a blue-eyed and fiercely wild woman catches his eyes - the very married, Princess Louise.
What I liked about this book:
I was slightly worried when I started this book, but I know now that it was for no reason. Some of the hardest things about historical fiction is that it can sometimes be too detailed and have too many characters, which just ends up confusing me but I am glad to say that this book didn't. I was never confused, and it completely grabbed my attention right from the beginning!
Also, Princess Louise was a treat. I loved her! She was protective and intense, and I really liked reading about her.
What I disliked about this book:
I understand that this is a fiction novel so I should treat it as such... but I was still disappointed to find out that Stephen wasn't an actual person. I liked him.
Verdict:
I loved the story line. I loved the pacing. But most of all, I really loved the characters!
Author Online:
Thanks, Shae, for your insightful review. I'm so glad you fell in love with the characters. I laughed when you said you were disappointed that Stephen wasn't real--what a wonderful compliment to the author! Yes, wouldn't he be just the best as the guy in your life? Good luck with your blog site--it's a winner! Mary Hart Perry
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