Devon’s review of The Illegitimate Prince’s Baby by Michelle Celmer
Contemporary romance released by Silhouette Desire 1 Jun 08

I must admit, it was The Illegitimate Prince that first caught my eye. I love a royal bastard. Seriously. The whole being part of something, but not really, and being looked down upon for something that had nothing to do with you…much potential for angst and drama. I had read a SSE by Michelle Celmer a year or so ago, and enjoyed it. But she seems to primarily write Desires, so I decided to give this one a go, despite the fact that I don’t have much luck with that particular line. The Illegitimate Prince’s Baby was an entertaining, if predictable, read.

Misleading blurb alert! Harlequin knows its readers like pregnancy stories. But this book did not revolve around an accidental pregnancy. The illegitimate prince, Ethan, and the palace employee, Lizzy are already involved in a relationship when the pregnancy happens. They are in a sham engagement, actually, to protect Lizzy’s job. It works in this story too, rather than seeming totally contrived. Others readers might be disappointed, but I preferred the actual storyline to the standard “Oops, the condom broke” story.

The characters were what kept this story entertaining and fresh. The heroine, Lizzy, was pretty standard: hard-working, unlucky in love, protective of her independence. But she had backbone and personality. When she meets Ethan, she really doesn’t want to like him, despite the attraction. She is affected by their encounter at a party, but rather than taking it too seriously, Lizzy takes it as a sign that her love life might turn around. While Ethan pursues her ardently, she is determined to resist, wanting to protect the life she has built for herself. So often, we are told how strong and independent a heroine is, when she really seems to be a mealy mouthed wimp. Lizzy was able to stand up to Ethan’s personality and determination.

Ethan was quite charming. He was determined to keep Lizzy in the relationship without being overbearing or manipulative. He always agreed to her terms. The couple of times he acted like a douchebag, he realized it almost immediately. I was a bit irritated that he suffered from my number one Harlequin hero complaint-he protests too much. “I’m not in love, oh no.” Ethan only does no strings attatched. So what if he spends four nights a week at Lizzy’s house, ordering take out because she doesn’t want their relationship public? So what if he tells his brother (the King) that he and Lizzy are engaged, in order to protect her job? It ain’t no thing, he just wants to get laid. Please. Get a clue.

Overall, this was a fun read, with a good couple with great chemistry. Just the thing to fill a summer evening. There is another book in the series, The King’s Convenient Bride, which was released concurrently with this one. I didn’t realize, so now I’ll be reading out of order. Sigh. But I’ll be reading it tonight. Michelle Celmer shows a deft hand with bringing characters to life and making standard storylines believable and fresh.

Grade: B-

The Summary:
Prince Ethan would never have slept with a palace employee…normally. Then plain-Jane Elizabeth Pryce appeared at the royal ball, unrecognizably gorgeous— and too desirable to ignore. When he finally discovered her true identity, he also learned she was carrying his child. A royal courtship would defuse the scandal. But would a marriage inflame the passion that still burned between them?

Read an excerpt here