Ever a Princess

Setting ? Scotland and England ? 1874 --- In this second novel in the Marquess of Templeston?s Heir trilogy, we are introduced to Princess Georgiana ?Giana? May heir to the throne of Karolya. After her cousin, Prince Victor, murders her parents in a coup attempt, Princess Giana, is spirited away by her loyal servants to a hunting lodge in Scotland. Unknown to them, their peaceful coexistence is about to be shattered when American millionaire, Adam McKendrick arrives after winning the lodge in a card game with the intentions of turning it into a ?for gentlemen only? golf resort. When Adam arrives he is somewhat surprised to discover a ?staff? already in residence in what he had assumed was an abandoned and little used hunting lodge. What truly disturbed him was to find a tall, beautiful blonde along with her pony-sized dog (Wagner) in what was designated as the master?s bedroom. Now that, in itself was bad enough, but to then realize he felt an attraction to her, when she wasn?t his ?type? seemed to bother him even more! The better part of the story then becomes quite humorous as Princess Giana, fondly called ?George? by Adam, attempts, very ineptly, to assume the duties of a ?maid?. Adam, in the meantime, recognizes her ?innocence? yet can?t seem to control his baser sexual attraction and taunts her with improper and provocative innuendo dialogs that somehow get lost in some of ?her? translations - cute! Alas, it does seem to dawn on Adam that all is not what it seems when it comes to George; his ?staff? - who seem to be adhering to an agenda that isn?t his; and of course, his eventual discovery of who George really is. I found this to be a really cute and sweet romance. Adam, having four older sisters, is quite the champion for female rights and this is very apparent at the end of the book, after he?s worked out some testosterone issues once he is convinced that what he always thought was his type, turned out to be George! His seduction of ?George?, although initiated by him, got flipped around once ?George? discovered that she liked the feelings his kisses inspired in her. I loved the dog Wagner, and the other secondary characters including Victor, the heinous villain in the piece, were sufficient to add substance but did not detract from the main romance theme. Although, a bit unusual in trilogies to have a huge time gap from the first novel set in 1818 to the second set in 1874 I would advise reading the third published entry (ALWAYS A LADY), set in 1838, in order to keep more of a continuity line before reading this second published novel. What should be noted here is that none of these novels need to be read in any specific order, as each can and does stand-alone. Bottom line -- I found this a light read, amusing, and witty with a sweetly enjoyable sensuality. ---Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

In 1874, Prince Victor hires assassins to kill his uncle and aunt, the ruler and his wife of the Principality of Saxe-Wallerstein-Karolya. Victor's men also murder loyal supporters of His Highness and seek out his cousin Princess Georgiana to complete his coup. However, due to the efforts of trusted individuals, Princess Giana escapes. Though officially the new ruler of the small Baltic principality, Giana flees to Scotland where she hides in an isolated hunting lodge. Victor rules the nation with an iron fist while his hired killers seek to eradicate the last symbol of the opposition, Giana. In a card game, American business mogul and hero of dime novels Adam McKendrick wins the hunting lodge that conceals Giana. He arrives at his new property, but is shocked to see residents' residing in what he believed was an unoccupied lodge. The squatters including Giana pretend to be servants, but her royal bearing reveals her masquerade as a maid false. As Adam and Giana fall in love, he learns more about her past. He becomes determined to help her gain what is rightfully hers. The relationship between Adam and Giana turn Rebecca Hagan Lee's historical romance into a fun reading experience. Though the audience will crave Adam, he seems too perfect that is until Giana, EVER THE PRINCESS, rips his skin apart revealing his flaws. The story line is action packed, but clearly belongs to the intrepid heroine who makes a fairy tale come true for sub-genre fans.Harriet Klausner