Wednesday, March 31, 2010

[NOR and ARC Review]: "The Rogue Prince"

The Rogue Prince
Title: The Rogue Prince
Author: Margo Maguire
Publisher/Publication Date: Avon (April 27, 2010)
Summary (Amazon):
The prince of pleasure . . .

To the ton, he is a wealthy and powerful royal, the dashing and enigmatic Prince Thomas of Sabedoria. And to Lady Margaret Blackmore, he is irresistible. Innocent in the ways of true passion, Maggie has lived a life chaste and proper—until now. Mad with a desire unlike anything she's felt before, she would do anything to tempt Thomas to her bed. But he hides a damning secret . . .

In truth, Thomas is no prince. He is Thomas Thorne, sent away for a crime he did not commit. Hell-bent on revenge, he would do anything to destroy his worst enemy, even seduce the man's innocent sister. But he did not count on the one thing that could spoil his perfect plan—falling in love with the beautiful lady in question. Now he must choose between his fervent wish for justice and his devotion to his tempting conquest . . .



Places to pre-order The Rogue Prince at:



My Review:

The Rogue Prince started out as an interesting tale about vengeance, love, and secret identities. Sadly, it went a bit down hill very quickly.


I can't say that I disliked the book--- no, I simply didn't fall head over heals in love with it, nor any of the characters found within its pages. In the end, I found myself unsatisfied, wanting more from the story, more from the romance, and more from the character development. I didn't hate it, I didn't love it-- it's stuck somewhere in between, which could be worse. After all, it's a good thing when a story leaves an impression on you, be it positive or negative; but when said story drifts out of your thoughts as quickly as you set the book down, isn't that even worse?

I liked the concept behind the story of The Rogue Prince--- Tom wishes to get revenge on two men who made his childhood a living hell, and does so by coming back under a false name, as a prince of a “foreign” land, no less. Of course, who should he find upon arriving back in London, but the widow of one of the very men he came to punish? Needless to say, their brief meetings soon turn into something more... something tempting and scandalous.

However, the whole story seemed a bit rushed and awkward. Their love didn't seem very realistic to me (more lust then anything) and I had a hard time identifying with either one of them. And while the buildup was there, it too seemed a bit strained, as far as timing and development. Almost as quickly as the “climax” of the story was about to happen, it was suddenly gone, and they lived “happily ever after.” The HEA, I'm more than fine with-- but it was just too sudden, and everything was tied off and finished a bit too quickly for my tastes.

I don't enjoy pointing out the “negatives”, because I think fellow readers only see those and assume that the book must be horrible, and therefore they shouldn't read it. That's not true, by any means. Just because I didn't love this book, doesn't mean that others might not. For me, The Rogue Prince was simply a good book, nothing more, nothing less. I don't regret reading it, but neither am I anxious to tell others how great it was. Mediocre comes to mind, but that sounds too harsh-- there were some very good parts in the book, but not enough to garner a higher rating from me.

I will still read Margo's other books-- in fact, I've read one before and very much enjoyed it. I'm sure that I'll find future books of hers to be just as enjoyable, but this one simply wasn't one of them.


3 Stars! If you enjoy historical romances, and the secret vendetta theme, then I suggest you try The Rogue Prince. Just because I wasn't enthused by it doesn't mean that you won't be! Sensuous love scenes, a few witty moments, and a mild sense of drama towards the end make this novel a pleasant enough read, especially if, like me, you find yourself in a bit of a reading rut!


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Thanks to Night Owl Reviews, where I received this e-book for free in exchange for reviewing the book. (Free book does not equal biased review, however!) This review is the property of NOR.
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Sorry I'm a bit late on posting this-- life is still hectic! I promise to be back more next month, with more reviews and the like! Thanks for sticking with me everyone! :D




Enjoy!
 




Until Next Time,
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All links used on this post go directly to that book's page on Amazon. If you use these links to buy said book, I will receive a very small percent of your order. I've yet to actually receive any money from this, but if/when I do, the money will go towards paying for shipping/books on future contests I hold on my blog. If you already planned on buying the book, would it be too much to ask to consider using my links? :) Thanks in advance!

1 comment :

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the review!!! I think this book sounds intriguing and I think I will want to read it, because I usually have loved most of the books from this author.