Veena’s review of The Prince and I (The Oxenburg Princes, Book 2) by Karen Hawkins
Historical Fiction published by Pocket Books 25 Aug 15
This is a delightful though a bit slow paced read. Prince Max is escorting his grandmother Natasha to a house party in the wilds of Scotland when his cavalcade is ambushed by bandits posing as an offshoot of the legendary Robin Hood and his merry band of thieves. A delightful duel of words ends up a real fight with swords where neither party is the winner and Max’s appetite to get to the bottom of the story is whetted.
Especially when he finds out that Robin is really Murian a gorgeous redheaded woman who appeals to him on so many levels. His next meeting with Murian is at a party in the castle where he’s a guest and she’s stealing pasties and other delicacies. Soon it turns out that the two have more in common than against each other and they team up to get what each needs from Max’s host and their common enemy.
Max and his men pledge to help Murian and her loyal retainers who are hidden away with her in the forest. The story moves slowly with plots and counterplots and a lot of construction. I happened to be waiting for someone in a coffee shop while reading and I couldn’t help but chortle over the scene where Max’s grandmother is trying to keep the villains out of the Earl’s bedroom where her party is searching for clues.
I am intrigued with Max’s brothers and can’t wait to read more about this fictitious country in the Balkans and its handsome princes.
Grade: B
Summary:
Max Romanovin, Oxenburg’s warrior prince, is escorting his grandmother to a house party deep in the Highlands when he and his entourage are robbed at sword point by a group of ruffians led by a man the locals have dubbed “The Scottish Robin Hood.” The battle-savvy prince instantly realizes there’s something different about this thief, and it’s not just the Scottish accent—it’s the fact that “he” is really a “she.”
Lady Murian, a young widow out for revenge against the powerful earl who killed her husband and stole his birthright, is now living in the woods with her family’s banished retainers. To stay alive, she and her band of men rob rich nobles coming to visit the evil earl. But when she ambushes the Prince of Oxenburg’s golden coach, she gets far more than she expected. For when the prince uncovers her true identity, she’s afraid that he might be the real thief…of her heart.
Other books in the series.
