Pure Princess, Bartered Bride

Pure Princess, Bartered Bride is Caitlin Crew's first novel for Harelquin, and I hope she writes many more. I purchased five copies for all my friends. The characters are well-drawn and the action is non-stop. Imagine the fireworks when the perfect princess is married off to an egotistical lothario. It was pure pleasure to read, because of the story line, of course, but also because Caitlin's use of language is superb, drawing me in and spinning me along. Jill Spiller

this book was great. I finished it in one day. looks like she is a mew author with only 1 book out. another one coming soon. i wish she had more to read. i will read her next one when it becomes available.

For Luke Garnier it was all about a proper marriage, a marriage without scandal like his parents, a marriage where he was in control, a royal marriage with the perfect princess, one of breeding. In fact, to make sure his future wife would cause no scandals nor find herself in the tabloids he personally followed her to make sure she would be worthy of becoming his wife. Now as he watches her walk down the isle, she takes his breath away and he's absolutely positive he's made the right choice. She's regal, elegant and beautiful, the perfect bride. Gabrielle, the Princess of Miravakia lost her mother at an early age and always first and foremost tried to please her father. She spent years trying to earn his love, was the King's perfect hostess and still there was no acceptance from him. Now on behalf of his daughter he's signed a contract for an arranged marriage unbeknown to her. She marries Luc Garnier, because her father demands it. However, she panics immediately after the wedding reception and feels the urgent need to get away from this man who affects in physical ways she can't explain....he's so powerful, stern, handsome and the emotions he stirs in her confuse her and what he expects of her, she's frightened. In spite of Luc and her father, she flees. Luc was a handsome, hard, fierce and a ruthless business man. However, under all of that hardness one senses while reading this particular story he's protecting his heart because of what he suffered during his youth. It becomes evident when he chases his new wife to California because she ran out on him, causing them to be splashed all over the tabloids. His perfect princess has made a fool of him just like his mother did to his father and he's not going to stand for it. His wife will do as he says and she will be his wife in every sense of the word. What this handsome, successful billionaire didn't realize was the attractions he would feel towards her and how much he would want her. Luc was magic to Gabrielle and she was afraid that he would hurt her and in the end she would loose herself. For a debut romance, Caitlin Crews has written a brilliant royal romance, a roller coaster romance with extremely intense emotions oozing from both Luc and Gabrielle. I enjoyed reading Pure Princess, Bartered Bride, loved reading about them becoming comfortable with each other. Luc and Gabrielle were both intense characters because of their scared pasts but in the end, it was so moving when Gabrielle realizes she loves her husband and the lengths she goes to protect him. And for Luc, scandal and betrayal were always at the back of his mind. So when he feels betrayed he lashes out and let me tell Luc's rage was very hard to read. As with all love stories, Luc and Gabrielle's was one I shall long remember. In the ending scenes as Ms. Crews states, Gabrielle says "she spent her whole life loving someone who could not love her in return." She said, "I think love is feeling free. Not hidd