The Leopard Prince

Elizabeth Hoyt is a new writer for me and it's such a treat to find a book that you can't put down, with characters that sizzle and zing AND that you care about. I was totally invested in Harry & Georgina's plight/relationship/love. Summary - Harry is Lady Georgina's land steward, the crux of the conflict is the class difference, one is the daughter of an earl and the other a "commoner," but Harry is NO common male. There is a villian running around, killing sheep and people (well, person) and blaming it on Harry. Everyone is suspicious and Harry is trying to find out who is behind the ruckus, all the while trying to fend off the mutual attraction between servant and Lady. The attraction is definitely there, sparks fly, love scenes are hot and borderline erotica (in my opinion) but no matter, the romance and feelings of Harry & Lady ring true, which is what MAKES a ROMANCE for me. One of the Hoyt's best assets as a writer is that she doesn't shy away from the "imperfect happily ever after" - Harry doesn't suddenly become aristocracy or come into a ton of money. And I wouldn't want him to be, he's ALL decent, heroic male and that is better than ANY title. This one is going on my keeper shelf and staying there forever. Needless to say, The Leopard Prince is my favorite book of the Princes Trilogy. Enjoy!

I was reluctant to read THE LEOPARD PRINCE. I tend to avoid romance novels about poor and low-ranked heroes who fall in love with wealthy and aristocratic heroines. I like my men alpha, and it's hard for a man to be alpha when the woman he loves has all the advantages. Even worse, I thought, when the hero is actually in the heroine's employ. Luckily, THE RAVEN PRINCE gave me some faith in Elizabeth Hoyt and I'm grateful because THE LEOPARD PRINCE is a wonderful book and its hero, Harry Pye, is delicious. He is absolutely an alpha male, and it takes a whole lot of inner alpha to close the gap that separates a talented land steward from his aristocratic employer. I was reminded more than once while reading of Lady Chatterley's Lover - Harry Pye's father was a gamekeeper, after all, and Harry's pure, unvarnished masculinity is what makes him so desirable to Georgina Maitland (George). He's manly in the best of ways - disciplined, intelligent, earthy and resolute. He's the kind of man who you'd say is like a rock - he is a hard man, but also reliable. If Harry is masculinity personified, George is femininity personified. That's why they're such a perfect match. She's soft but not weak, warm but not cloying, charming and good at putting others at ease. She's incredibly likable, and I rooted for her from the start. Once George decides to support Harry against nearly the entire local populace and believe that he is not responsible for a recent spate of sheep-poisonings, it's them against the world. Harry knows the region and it's people, while George is a city girl, and that gives him a measure of authority as they work together to find out who's really behind the killings. There are many barriers to a love match between George and Harry, and it's incredibly moving to see them tumble one by one as the two grow closer. It's a very sweet and heartwrenching romance, but meanwhile their physical relationship is raw and so sizzling hot that sparks practically fly off the page. It's this combination of tenderness and violence that Hoyt seems to excel at, and I enjoyed seeing it here in THE LEOPARD PRINCE.

This is Hoyt's second book but, aside from fresh story lines, you'd never know it. Her writing has a "maturity" to it that gives that feeling that she's been your favorite author for years. She is definitely becoming a favorite of mine. In this story, George is a rich aristocratic landowner. As such she has no need to marry. Harry is her land steward. He is serious and business minded. But, as the two work together they start to enjoy being together. An attraction starts and Hoyt does a nice job of building the tension between them. When they come together it seems natural, not unbelievable as one reviewer said. One surprised, though, was that the character actually talk to each other, even after sleeping together. They get to know one another and it is possible to see that they could actually fall in love. Further, one can see how the relationship could work outside the bedroom. Even with the difference in their social standings. The love scenes are steamy and erotic. But, I didn't feel that the love story was an excuse for a lot of sex scenes. Rather, it felt more like a love story where the sex furthered the relationship. I really adored THE LEOPARD PRINCE, as well as Hoyt's first story THE RAVEN PRINCE. Her third book, THE SERPENT PRINCE, is due out in a few weeks and I've already pre-ordered it. Her works are a delight.

This is the story of Georgina (called George) and Harry, George's steward. An unlikely attraction springs up between them just as it becomes clear that someone in the village is out to frame Harry for the poisoning of several sheep. George, a thoroughly modern heroine who is both intelligent and emotionally vulnerable in a believable way, believes in Harry's innocence and seeks to help him get to the bottom of the mystery. Although their class status makes Harry resistant to romance with George, he's very attracted to her and their love affair unfolds very naturally and leads to a) some hot scenes and then b) some Big Misunderstandings and then c) a very satisfying ending. I agree with other reviewers who said the plot is dark, and I do think those who don't care for suspense with their romance might be put off a bit. But I also think the suspense storyline was well done, and helped develop some great secondary, non-romantic connections between supporting characters. As with The Raven Prince, there's a lot of wit and humor in this book and the sex scenes, although perhaps not quite as vivid as those in Hoyt's first book, are still hot and more explicit than those in your average historical. What I think is very commendable about this novel is that it's very different from Hoyt's first book, but still well done and original. The lead characters are extremely likeable and well drawn; Hoyt really excels at creating unique heros and heroines. I also think those who liked Hoyt's book are likely to enjoy this one as well, even if it's different in tone. It's definitely one of the best historical romances I read this year.

I think Ms. Holt proved she is not a one hit wonder with her second book, The Leopard Prince. She wrote another exciting and thoughtful historical romance, it kept me turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. Once again Ms. Holt created characters that aren't exactly the norm for historical fiction. They aren't perfect Barbie and Ken type characters; they are flawed but extremely likeable and relatable. The heroine in this story, Lady Georgina Maitland (George), is a single woman and a major land owner. An aunt left her a considerable fortune and a lot of land. George isn't gorgeous, but she's pretty, it's her personality that makes her beautiful. She's a little unconventional, very personable, loving and caring. She has hired a land steward to run her estates, Harry Pye. He's a good looking man with stunning green eyes. He tries to remain professional and standoffish, but is caught trying not to smile and showing his amusement more often than not. Harry has had some trouble in his past and soon George's choice of land steward is challenged by the neighboring land owner, someone is poisoning sheep and all signs point to Harry. From the start George doesn't believe that Harry is guilty of these crimes, she surprises Harry with her loyalty, and in turn he starts to see her as more than his boss. Harry and Georgina have an attraction for each other that they are both trying to ignore, because of their social positions. Their relationship builds naturally and feels completely genuine. It is easy to fall for both of these characters as she has made them very human and real. Together they burn up the pages with some very hot, extremely sensual and erotic love scenes. While I believe this is being billed as a series, I think this book is more of a stand alone. You only briefly encounter De Raaf from The Raven Prince, and its way at the end of the book. For me, it would have been impossible for Ms. Hoyt to top the first book, The Raven Prince. This one definitely doesn't top it, but comes very close to matching it in its splendor. I am not in the least disappointed and eagerly await the next book, The Serpent Prince.