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Când inima dictează
Forţată să fugă de pe continent de înaintarea armatelor lui Napoleon, orfana Alana Farmer şi excentricul ei tutore îşi construiesc o nouă viaţă la Londra. Acolo, Alana se bucură de toate privilegiile la care poate spera o fiică de nobil, precum şi de o educaţie potrivită unei regine. Însă înaintea debutului în societatea londoneză, Alana află secretul şocant al originii sale. Poate fi adevarat că, de fapt, este prinţesa pierdută a regatului Lubinia?
Însă la întoarcerea în ţara natală, Alana descoperă obiceiuri care i se par medievale, intrigi şi conspiraţii, iar Christoph Becker, căpitanul gărzilor palatului, o arestează sub bănuiala că ar fi o impostoare (căci nu ar fi prima care vine să susţină că este fiica regelui) sau o unealtă aflată în slujba fortelor misterioase care complotează impotriva regelui. Fără să rămână indiferent la farmecele prizonierei, Christoph se foloseşte de orice mijloc pentru a afla adevărul, chiar dacă, în acelaşi timp, trebuie să-şi pună viaţa în primejdie pentru a o proteja de pericole. Acum, în timp ce o pasiune arzătoare se naşte între Alana şi bărbatul care a întemniţat-o pe nedrept, soarta unei naţiuni stă în mâinile şi în inimile lor?
Însă la întoarcerea în ţara natală, Alana descoperă obiceiuri care i se par medievale, intrigi şi conspiraţii, iar Christoph Becker, căpitanul gărzilor palatului, o arestează sub bănuiala că ar fi o impostoare (căci nu ar fi prima care vine să susţină că este fiica regelui) sau o unealtă aflată în slujba fortelor misterioase care complotează impotriva regelui. Fără să rămână indiferent la farmecele prizonierei, Christoph se foloseşte de orice mijloc pentru a afla adevărul, chiar dacă, în acelaşi timp, trebuie să-şi pună viaţa în primejdie pentru a o proteja de pericole. Acum, în timp ce o pasiune arzătoare se naşte între Alana şi bărbatul care a întemniţat-o pe nedrept, soarta unei naţiuni stă în mâinile şi în inimile lor?
303 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
291 people are currently reading
2513 people want to read
About the author
Johanna Lindsey
147 books7,238 followersJohanna Helen Howard was born on March 10, 1952 in Germany, where her father, Edwin Dennis Howard, a soldier in the U.S. Army was stationed. The family moved about a great deal when she was young. Her father always dreamed of retiring to Hawaii, and after he passed away in 1964 Johanna and her mother settled there to honor him.
In 1970, when she was still in school, she married Ralph Lindsey, becoming a young housewife. The marriage had three children; Alfred, Joseph and Garret, who already have made her a grandmother. After her husband's death, Johanna moved to Maine, New England, to stay near her family.
Johanna Lindsey wrote her first book, Captive Bride in 1977 "on a whim", and the book was a success. By 2006, with over 58 Million copies of her books have been sold worldwide, with translations appearing in 12 languages, Johanna Lindsey is one of the world's most popular authors of historical romance.
Johanna's books span the various eras of history, including books set in the Middle Ages, the American "Old West" and the popular Regency England-Scotland. She has even written a few sci-fi romances. By far the most popular among her books are the stories about the Malory-Anderson Family, a Regency England saga.
Johanna Lindsey died on Oct. 27, 2019 in Nashua, N.H. She was 67.
In 1970, when she was still in school, she married Ralph Lindsey, becoming a young housewife. The marriage had three children; Alfred, Joseph and Garret, who already have made her a grandmother. After her husband's death, Johanna moved to Maine, New England, to stay near her family.
Johanna Lindsey wrote her first book, Captive Bride in 1977 "on a whim", and the book was a success. By 2006, with over 58 Million copies of her books have been sold worldwide, with translations appearing in 12 languages, Johanna Lindsey is one of the world's most popular authors of historical romance.
Johanna's books span the various eras of history, including books set in the Middle Ages, the American "Old West" and the popular Regency England-Scotland. She has even written a few sci-fi romances. By far the most popular among her books are the stories about the Malory-Anderson Family, a Regency England saga.
Johanna Lindsey died on Oct. 27, 2019 in Nashua, N.H. She was 67.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
July 27, 2024
Read: 7/22/24
Time period: sometime after Napoleon abdicated
Plot: Alana is about to turn 18 and debut in London s⁰ociety when her devoted uncle Leonard "Poppie" shatters her world with a series of revelations. 1) He is not her uncle or even related to her. 2) he was a paid assassin who had been hired to kill her when she was an infant, but he couldn't after she smiled up at him. 3) It turns out Alana is not just Lubininian (fictional kingdom), but she is also a princess. Poppie has hidden her existence until the king had found the people who hired him. Unfortunately, with no heir, Lubininian is on the brink of civil war, and the kingdom needs Alana to stop it.
Meeting her father, the King, is not going to be as easy as Alana hoped. She has to get past the Captain of the royal guard, Christoph. It's not surprising he doesn't believe her since there have been other imposters over the years, and her only proof (infant bracelet) was stolen. TBH, who would believe such a farfetched story, especially the part that involves an assassin? Christoph won't believe her even after one of his guards tries to kill her.
While Christoph believes Alana is being deceitful, that doesn't change the fact that he wants her in his bed. They play an interesting game of cat and mouse before succumbing to their passions.
Meanwhile, I think Leonard "Poppie" was the most interesting character in the book. He changed his whole life around for Alana. He opened an orphanage and tried to make amends for his past crimes. Poppie always knew that one day he would have to give Alana back to her father. So he gives her an education usually reserved for men and taught her weapons so she could defend herself from attacks. That last talent comes in handy with so many spies trying to kill her. Once in Lubinininanthe, the two separate. Poppie will track down the man who hired him 18 years ago.
Conclusion: This was a more modern JL book. It was very well written. I finished the story in one sitting! There were so many twists, and turns in the plot. Who are the traitors? I was pleasantly surprised at the end. Though I wish there had been an epilogue 😞, I know I'm spoiled
Time period: sometime after Napoleon abdicated
Plot: Alana is about to turn 18 and debut in London s⁰ociety when her devoted uncle Leonard "Poppie" shatters her world with a series of revelations. 1) He is not her uncle or even related to her. 2) he was a paid assassin who had been hired to kill her when she was an infant, but he couldn't after she smiled up at him. 3) It turns out Alana is not just Lubininian (fictional kingdom), but she is also a princess. Poppie has hidden her existence until the king had found the people who hired him. Unfortunately, with no heir, Lubininian is on the brink of civil war, and the kingdom needs Alana to stop it.
Meeting her father, the King, is not going to be as easy as Alana hoped. She has to get past the Captain of the royal guard, Christoph. It's not surprising he doesn't believe her since there have been other imposters over the years, and her only proof (infant bracelet) was stolen. TBH, who would believe such a farfetched story, especially the part that involves an assassin? Christoph won't believe her even after one of his guards tries to kill her.
While Christoph believes Alana is being deceitful, that doesn't change the fact that he wants her in his bed. They play an interesting game of cat and mouse before succumbing to their passions.
Meanwhile, I think Leonard "Poppie" was the most interesting character in the book. He changed his whole life around for Alana. He opened an orphanage and tried to make amends for his past crimes. Poppie always knew that one day he would have to give Alana back to her father. So he gives her an education usually reserved for men and taught her weapons so she could defend herself from attacks. That last talent comes in handy with so many spies trying to kill her. Once in Lubinininanthe, the two separate. Poppie will track down the man who hired him 18 years ago.
Conclusion: This was a more modern JL book. It was very well written. I finished the story in one sitting! There were so many twists, and turns in the plot. Who are the traitors? I was pleasantly surprised at the end. Though I wish there had been an epilogue 😞, I know I'm spoiled
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December 9, 2017Precioso!
June 6, 2017
Δεν έτυχε να διαβάσω άλλο βιβλίο της Lindsey και είναι καιρός που έχω να διαβάσω κάτι από HR. Το συγκεκριμένο μου άρεσε πολύ. Η ιστορία κυλάει, δεν βαλτώνει, οι χαρακτήρες είναι απλοί κ καθημερινοί. Ένα ρομαντικό μυθιστόρημα, για ένα ελαφρύ και εύπεπτο ανάγνωσμα.
November 18, 2011
The plot of this book was good. The plot, although not unique, was good enough for me to not give this book a completely terrible review. The romance, on the other hand, can be summed up with one word- atrocious. I did not like the "hero" of this novel at all. He alternates between humiliating the main character -- whose name I have already forgotten -- and being irritating and controlling. Even if a man was really attractive, I don't know how those type of actions could cause anyone to fall in love with them. If the author rewrote the whole prison segment of the novel it would actually be a pretty darned good book. I think that the prison section was supposed to be titillating, but it was anything but. Instead it just made me want to beat the hero repeatedly with his own club. The main character repeatedly refers to the hero as a barbarian and I definitely concur with that summation.
Oh yeah, and the first sex scene? It was so vague with innuendo that I really wasn't clear about what exactly had happened until it was clarified later in the book. And for a lady from that time period, the heroine had a surprisingly laissez faire attitude about her virginity.
In summary, the book had a good plot, but its execution left something to be desired. The hero was a total Neanderthal and I thought that the heroine would be a lot more exciting and capable. It was semi entertaining but don't read it with high expectations.
Oh yeah, and the first sex scene? It was so vague with innuendo that I really wasn't clear about what exactly had happened until it was clarified later in the book. And for a lady from that time period, the heroine had a surprisingly laissez faire attitude about her virginity.
In summary, the book had a good plot, but its execution left something to be desired. The hero was a total Neanderthal and I thought that the heroine would be a lot more exciting and capable. It was semi entertaining but don't read it with high expectations.
February 27, 2017
3,5/5 αστεράκια.
Μια ωραία ιστορία,εύπεπτη,καλογραμμένη,χωρίς πολλές φιοριτούρες ή γεγονότα που θα εντυπωσιάσουν τον αναγνώστη ή θα του μείνουν στη μνήμη. Χαρακτήρες ευχάριστοι μεν,αλλά χωρίς αυτήν την περιβόητη σπίθα που συναντάμε στους Μάλορι,για παράδειγμα. Θυμίζει κλασικό Άρλεκιν - με την καλή έννοια. Βέβαια είναι πολύ ακριβότερο από εκείνα και ναι,έχω διαβάσει κλασικά Άρλεκιν με τρομερά ενδιαφέρουσες υποθέσεις,ενώ τούτο εδώ συγκριτικά είναι αρκετά light. Ακόμα και το μεγάλο μυστικό,την ταυτότητα της Αλάνα,την ξέρει ο αναγνώστης από την αρχή,οπότε απλά περιμένει το τελικό happy end χωρίς καμία σοκαριστική αποκάλυψη στο μεταξύ.
Το τέλειωσα σε μία μέρα,ευχαριστήθηκα καθώς το διάβαζα,δεν βαρέθηκα (διαφορετικά θα μου 'παιρνε στάνταρ παραπάνω :Ρ ) αλλά δεν πρόκειται για κάτι το εξωπραγματικά υπέροχο,που σου μένει στο μυαλό για πολύ καιρό αφότου το 'χεις διαβάσει.
Μια ωραία ιστορία,εύπεπτη,καλογραμμένη,χωρίς πολλές φιοριτούρες ή γεγονότα που θα εντυπωσιάσουν τον αναγνώστη ή θα του μείνουν στη μνήμη. Χαρακτήρες ευχάριστοι μεν,αλλά χωρίς αυτήν την περιβόητη σπίθα που συναντάμε στους Μάλορι,για παράδειγμα. Θυμίζει κλασικό Άρλεκιν - με την καλή έννοια. Βέβαια είναι πολύ ακριβότερο από εκείνα και ναι,έχω διαβάσει κλασικά Άρλεκιν με τρομερά ενδιαφέρουσες υποθέσεις,ενώ τούτο εδώ συγκριτικά είναι αρκετά light. Ακόμα και το μεγάλο μυστικό,την ταυτότητα της Αλάνα,την ξέρει ο αναγνώστης από την αρχή,οπότε απλά περιμένει το τελικό happy end χωρίς καμία σοκαριστική αποκάλυψη στο μεταξύ.
Το τέλειωσα σε μία μέρα,ευχαριστήθηκα καθώς το διάβαζα,δεν βαρέθηκα (διαφορετικά θα μου 'παιρνε στάνταρ παραπάνω :Ρ ) αλλά δεν πρόκειται για κάτι το εξωπραγματικά υπέροχο,που σου μένει στο μυαλό για πολύ καιρό αφότου το 'χεις διαβάσει.
January 7, 2020
3.5 stars
June 1, 2017
This could have been a fantastic book. The base plot was very good and had all the elements needed to keep tensions high.
Princess Alana is kidnapped as an infant and raised by the assassin who had been sent to kill her. Now she's 18 and needed back in her home country to prevent a war. But when she gets there, she finds she has to get through Christoph, the captain of the guard, before she can see her father, the king. Meanwhile the person who hired the assassin was never caught and there are continued attempts on Alana's life, even though no one seems to believe she is really the princess because there have been impostors in the past.
That was a great setup. It provides a reason for our hero and heroine to be at odds with each other in the beginning of the book without turning either one of them into a jerk. You can't fault Christoph for not believing her story, nor for keeping her locked up while he tries to get "the truth" out of her. And he never did anything despicable during the interrogation. He didn't beat or starve her or anything like that so it was all good. And obviously we can't fault Alana for getting frustrated with Christoph's refusal to believe her. So the tension between them was well set up. But unfortunately there were some major issues that kept this great setup from turning into a great book.
So all in all, this could have been a great book but the execution just wasn't there. We missed out on some really key scenes that would have juiced things up, Alana turned out to be pretty weak, and the king was sort of a lame jerk when you actually stop to think about it.
Princess Alana is kidnapped as an infant and raised by the assassin who had been sent to kill her. Now she's 18 and needed back in her home country to prevent a war. But when she gets there, she finds she has to get through Christoph, the captain of the guard, before she can see her father, the king. Meanwhile the person who hired the assassin was never caught and there are continued attempts on Alana's life, even though no one seems to believe she is really the princess because there have been impostors in the past.
That was a great setup. It provides a reason for our hero and heroine to be at odds with each other in the beginning of the book without turning either one of them into a jerk. You can't fault Christoph for not believing her story, nor for keeping her locked up while he tries to get "the truth" out of her. And he never did anything despicable during the interrogation. He didn't beat or starve her or anything like that so it was all good. And obviously we can't fault Alana for getting frustrated with Christoph's refusal to believe her. So the tension between them was well set up. But unfortunately there were some major issues that kept this great setup from turning into a great book.
So all in all, this could have been a great book but the execution just wasn't there. We missed out on some really key scenes that would have juiced things up, Alana turned out to be pretty weak, and the king was sort of a lame jerk when you actually stop to think about it.
July 9, 2016
αντίθετα, με όλα τα προηγούμενα βιβλία της ,που με διασκέδασαν,ετούτο ξεκίνησε χλιαρά και στην πορεία,έγινε εντελώς κρύο...
Εντάξει,το ξέρω ,οτι έτσι κι αλλιώς δεν μιλάμε για λογοτεχνία υψηλού επιπέδου,μα αυτό καθόλου δεν αναιρεί την απόλαυση μιας καλοστημένης ιστορίας,ακόμη κι αν δεν έχει βαθιές αναλύσεις,ενδοσκοπήσεις,συγκαλυμμένα νοήματα,πολλαπλές κ διαφορετικές αναγνώσεις-κάποτε,κάποιοι, χρειαζόμαστε και το παραμύθι!...
Όμως!...αυτό εδώ το βιβλίο μοιάζει να το έγραψε η συγγραφέας απλά γιατί έπρεπε να γράψει κάτι...διάλογοι άνευροι,πλοκή παιδαριώδης,χαρακτήρες βαρετοί,αλλοπρόσαλλοι...ουφ,με κούρασαν,τους βαρέθηκα!α στο καλό, επιτέλους το τελείωσα να γλυτώσω!
Εντάξει,το ξέρω ,οτι έτσι κι αλλιώς δεν μιλάμε για λογοτεχνία υψηλού επιπέδου,μα αυτό καθόλου δεν αναιρεί την απόλαυση μιας καλοστημένης ιστορίας,ακόμη κι αν δεν έχει βαθιές αναλύσεις,ενδοσκοπήσεις,συγκαλυμμένα νοήματα,πολλαπλές κ διαφορετικές αναγνώσεις-κάποτε,κάποιοι, χρειαζόμαστε και το παραμύθι!...
Όμως!...αυτό εδώ το βιβλίο μοιάζει να το έγραψε η συγγραφέας απλά γιατί έπρεπε να γράψει κάτι...διάλογοι άνευροι,πλοκή παιδαριώδης,χαρακτήρες βαρετοί,αλλοπρόσαλλοι...ουφ,με κούρασαν,τους βαρέθηκα!α στο καλό, επιτέλους το τελείωσα να γλυτώσω!
May 14, 2013
Okay. So I admit that this isn’t a book that would normally have been near the top of my TBR pile. I haven’t read it before, haven’t read any reviews and only had the synopsis to go on; and decided that while it sounded okay, I wasn’t going to bust a gut when I’ve got so many other things I want to read.
BUT. Then I discovered that Rosalyn Landor had narrated the audiobook, and as I’ve been glomming her stuff big time lately, I changed my mind.
This is one of those times when I think the performance elevated my enjoyment of what would probably –in print – have been a fairly ordinary book. The story starts out with an assassin deciding – rather like Snow White’s huntsman – that he can’t kill the princess, but unlike the huntsman, he takes her away with him to England and brings her up as a lady rather than leaving her to roam the woods and shack up with seven vertically-challenged forest-dwellers.
On Alana’s eighteenth birthday, her ‘guardian’ (known as Poppy) sits her down to tell her the truth. She’s not his niece and she’s the heir to the throne of Lubinia (a fictional country somewhere where there's lots of snow and hot guys in tight uniforms with sexy accents).
Alana is devastated by the news and doesn’t believe it. But there is unrest in Lubinia due to the king’s lack of an heir and the country is facing civil war - so there is only one thing to do. Alana must return to take up her rightful place, and Poppy is going to find out once and for all who paid him to kill the baby princess.
With Poppy’s warnings about the need for caution in her ears, Alana heads for the palace to present herself to her father. She goes alone – if Poppy (formerly Leonard Kastner, aka “Rastibon”) is discovered he will be imprisoned or shot on sight, so he leaves her to her own devices while he heads off to track his quarry. After all, as well as learning to sing and embroider tablecloths like any other English lady, Alana has been trained to fence, shoot and box, so she can take care of herself.
After a long wait at the palace, Alana encounters the captain of the guard, the mouth-wateringly gorgeous Count Christoph Becker. After mistakenly thinking she’s come to the palace looking to find herself a powerful ‘protector’ (nudge, nudge) he then informs her that she’s the latest in a line of imposters who have presented themselves as the princess and then proceeds to interrogate her and behave like a complete asshat.
But the thing is, because of Ms Landor’s exceptional acting abilities, I couldn’t dislike him for it! She gave him a sexy accent with just the right amount of arrogance to be attractive and brought out the humour in his frequent double-entendres and suggestive comments; so while I was listening knowing I should be rolling my eyes at his total lack of PC (or, as Alana would have said, his “barbaric tendencies”), I wasn’t.
Once the two of them met (which was a fair way into the story) things started to move at a cracking pace. Christoph doesn’t believe Alana’s story for almost the whole of the book, but hefancies the hell out of her does at least decide to give her the benefit of the doubt. There are a couple of plot twists and turns which make for an enjoyable romp (one of which I didn’t see coming) and some rather charming scenes featuring Christoph’s family – all of whom were superbly and distinctively voiced.
While I found Christoph rather attractive (I know *hangs head*. He’s an alpha-asshat, but so disarming with it!), Alana was rather annoying at times. She slept with Christoph and then kept him at a distance while desperate for more; insisted on thinking of him as a barbarian, which he plainly wasn’t and didn’t get to display her kick-ass fighting skillz, which I thought was rather a shame. On the positive side, she was brave and intelligent (mostly) and the banter between her and Christoph – while being a little too modern at times - was probably the best thing about the book.
The best bit? For me this came late on, once Christoph has brought Alana to the king and he’s acknowledged her as his daughter. The king asks Christoph if he’d done something he (the king) had suggested previously – namely to seduce Alana to get information out of her. Oops. You have to feel sorry for Christoph at that point – in the dog house for shagging the king’s daughter (even though he didn’t do it for information ;-))
The ending is rather rushed. Alana is restored to her father and he immediately wants to marry her off to the head of the opposing faction in order to secure peace. As she’s in love with her gorgeous captain, she is naturally not best pleased – but this is a romance, so it all works out in the end.
I’m sure that if I’d read the book, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it half so much as I did listening to it. Rosalyn Landor’s narration was as well-paced and beautiful as ever, and she invests even the minor characters with their own distinct voices.
When Passion Rules isn’t something I’d recommend if you want a book to take seriously, but it was a fun romp for when you want to put your brain into “park” and have a rest and a bit of unabashed fun. And failing that, you can just stare at the cover model. Because. Day-um! ;-)
3 stars for the story and 5 for the performance.
BUT. Then I discovered that Rosalyn Landor had narrated the audiobook, and as I’ve been glomming her stuff big time lately, I changed my mind.
This is one of those times when I think the performance elevated my enjoyment of what would probably –in print – have been a fairly ordinary book. The story starts out with an assassin deciding – rather like Snow White’s huntsman – that he can’t kill the princess, but unlike the huntsman, he takes her away with him to England and brings her up as a lady rather than leaving her to roam the woods and shack up with seven vertically-challenged forest-dwellers.
On Alana’s eighteenth birthday, her ‘guardian’ (known as Poppy) sits her down to tell her the truth. She’s not his niece and she’s the heir to the throne of Lubinia (a fictional country somewhere where there's lots of snow and hot guys in tight uniforms with sexy accents).
Alana is devastated by the news and doesn’t believe it. But there is unrest in Lubinia due to the king’s lack of an heir and the country is facing civil war - so there is only one thing to do. Alana must return to take up her rightful place, and Poppy is going to find out once and for all who paid him to kill the baby princess.
With Poppy’s warnings about the need for caution in her ears, Alana heads for the palace to present herself to her father. She goes alone – if Poppy (formerly Leonard Kastner, aka “Rastibon”) is discovered he will be imprisoned or shot on sight, so he leaves her to her own devices while he heads off to track his quarry. After all, as well as learning to sing and embroider tablecloths like any other English lady, Alana has been trained to fence, shoot and box, so she can take care of herself.
After a long wait at the palace, Alana encounters the captain of the guard, the mouth-wateringly gorgeous Count Christoph Becker. After mistakenly thinking she’s come to the palace looking to find herself a powerful ‘protector’ (nudge, nudge) he then informs her that she’s the latest in a line of imposters who have presented themselves as the princess and then proceeds to interrogate her and behave like a complete asshat.
But the thing is, because of Ms Landor’s exceptional acting abilities, I couldn’t dislike him for it! She gave him a sexy accent with just the right amount of arrogance to be attractive and brought out the humour in his frequent double-entendres and suggestive comments; so while I was listening knowing I should be rolling my eyes at his total lack of PC (or, as Alana would have said, his “barbaric tendencies”), I wasn’t.
Once the two of them met (which was a fair way into the story) things started to move at a cracking pace. Christoph doesn’t believe Alana’s story for almost the whole of the book, but he
While I found Christoph rather attractive (I know *hangs head*. He’s an alpha-asshat, but so disarming with it!), Alana was rather annoying at times. She slept with Christoph and then kept him at a distance while desperate for more; insisted on thinking of him as a barbarian, which he plainly wasn’t and didn’t get to display her kick-ass fighting skillz, which I thought was rather a shame. On the positive side, she was brave and intelligent (mostly) and the banter between her and Christoph – while being a little too modern at times - was probably the best thing about the book.
The best bit? For me this came late on, once Christoph has brought Alana to the king and he’s acknowledged her as his daughter. The king asks Christoph if he’d done something he (the king) had suggested previously – namely to seduce Alana to get information out of her. Oops. You have to feel sorry for Christoph at that point – in the dog house for shagging the king’s daughter (even though he didn’t do it for information ;-))
The ending is rather rushed. Alana is restored to her father and he immediately wants to marry her off to the head of the opposing faction in order to secure peace. As she’s in love with her gorgeous captain, she is naturally not best pleased – but this is a romance, so it all works out in the end.
I’m sure that if I’d read the book, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it half so much as I did listening to it. Rosalyn Landor’s narration was as well-paced and beautiful as ever, and she invests even the minor characters with their own distinct voices.
When Passion Rules isn’t something I’d recommend if you want a book to take seriously, but it was a fun romp for when you want to put your brain into “park” and have a rest and a bit of unabashed fun. And failing that, you can just stare at the cover model. Because. Day-um! ;-)
3 stars for the story and 5 for the performance.
August 28, 2016
this book is just meh. no sign of the usual spark found in other JL books and the characters weren't very exciting either. I found myself skimming over most pages due to sheer boredom, so it's definitely not something I can recommend to anyone. two stars!
February 23, 2023
3.5
This book had so much potential! The heroine was raised by an assassin who couldn’t kill her when she was a baby. He raised her as his own and taught her everything he knew about how she could defend herself, yet she never, not once, used any of the training he gave her throughout the whole book. The book introduces the heroine as beating Poppie in a fencing match so I obviously assumed that would come up again later in the book. Didn’t happen. She was too busy hiding beyond couches and ducking behind whatever was available to watch people fight FOR her when the need arose.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Alana, the Hero, the villains, and especially wasn’t a fan of the king as a father. The only character I loved was Poppie. I will forever be his fan girl. There needs to be a whole novella just for him.
Poppie was honestly the best character
An assassin who couldn’t kill the baby princess so decided to raise her as his own and teach her everything he knew about how to defend herself? Best character ever
This book had so much potential! The heroine was raised by an assassin who couldn’t kill her when she was a baby. He raised her as his own and taught her everything he knew about how she could defend herself, yet she never, not once, used any of the training he gave her throughout the whole book. The book introduces the heroine as beating Poppie in a fencing match so I obviously assumed that would come up again later in the book. Didn’t happen. She was too busy hiding beyond couches and ducking behind whatever was available to watch people fight FOR her when the need arose.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Alana, the Hero, the villains, and especially wasn’t a fan of the king as a father. The only character I loved was Poppie. I will forever be his fan girl. There needs to be a whole novella just for him.
Poppie was honestly the best character
An assassin who couldn’t kill the baby princess so decided to raise her as his own and teach her everything he knew about how to defend herself? Best character ever
March 20, 2022
El argumento del libro es interesante, pero no lo ha logrado atraparme. Es cierto que se han unido varias cosas y no tiene toda la culpa la novela. No obstante, el personaje masculino no me ha gustado nada, me ha parecido que Poppy y Henry tendrían que haber aparecido más y haber logrado una organización algo mejor de la historia.
No es un mal libro y en otro momento lo hubiera disfrutado más, pero aún así le faltan cosas.
No es un mal libro y en otro momento lo hubiera disfrutado más, pero aún así le faltan cosas.
April 23, 2012
Angeline's review posted on Guilty Pleasures
4.5 Stars and a Recommended Read
I read some of the other reviews for When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey before I knew I was reviewing it myself. They were all over the place. What I found interesting is that those that did not rate the book very high wrote very unkind reviews. It’s those kinds of reviews that are not helpful to readers. They are not helpful to authors either. Honest, constructive opinions win out over malicious, unhelpful negativity every time.
I am a longtime fan of Ms. Lindsey’s writing. She brings to life a historical romance in such a way that I feel as though I am right there in her stories. When Passion Rules is no exception. This is a sweet historical romance that I found refreshing.
Alana was raised by a man she thought was her uncle. Educated in the ways of male nobility, including weaponry, Alana was capable of protecting herself with her mind as well as her hand. I loved that she was intelligent and handy with a dagger. What I loved more was that Ms. Lindsey did not go over the top with Alana’s character having her physically fight a bunch of battles or be so far out of place during that time that she was unbelievable.
Our hero, Christoph, is smart and very good at being in charge. After past attempts of imposters claiming to be the King’s daughter, Christoph arrests Alana, keeping her close to him. Although he believes Alana is not who she says she is, he listens to her. They have great conversations. The attraction between the two is felt. There may not be as much passion as the title states, but it’s there. After many twists and turns, I didn’t see coming, the truth comes out.
The ending came quickly thereafter and all loose ends were answered. I enjoyed how Ms. Lindsey found a way for there to be many facets of the happily ever after. I would give away too much of the story if I explained this further. I guess to see what I’m talking about you need to go get this book and read it!
When Passion Rules, a sweet romance that made me think and try to figure out the truth. I really liked it and I think you will too…
4.5 Stars and a Recommended Read
I read some of the other reviews for When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey before I knew I was reviewing it myself. They were all over the place. What I found interesting is that those that did not rate the book very high wrote very unkind reviews. It’s those kinds of reviews that are not helpful to readers. They are not helpful to authors either. Honest, constructive opinions win out over malicious, unhelpful negativity every time.
I am a longtime fan of Ms. Lindsey’s writing. She brings to life a historical romance in such a way that I feel as though I am right there in her stories. When Passion Rules is no exception. This is a sweet historical romance that I found refreshing.
Alana was raised by a man she thought was her uncle. Educated in the ways of male nobility, including weaponry, Alana was capable of protecting herself with her mind as well as her hand. I loved that she was intelligent and handy with a dagger. What I loved more was that Ms. Lindsey did not go over the top with Alana’s character having her physically fight a bunch of battles or be so far out of place during that time that she was unbelievable.
Our hero, Christoph, is smart and very good at being in charge. After past attempts of imposters claiming to be the King’s daughter, Christoph arrests Alana, keeping her close to him. Although he believes Alana is not who she says she is, he listens to her. They have great conversations. The attraction between the two is felt. There may not be as much passion as the title states, but it’s there. After many twists and turns, I didn’t see coming, the truth comes out.
The ending came quickly thereafter and all loose ends were answered. I enjoyed how Ms. Lindsey found a way for there to be many facets of the happily ever after. I would give away too much of the story if I explained this further. I guess to see what I’m talking about you need to go get this book and read it!
When Passion Rules, a sweet romance that made me think and try to figure out the truth. I really liked it and I think you will too…
October 29, 2014
Πολύς ντόρος για μια απλά καλή ιστορία...Υπαρχουν καλυτερες στα κλασσικά αρλεκιν και βγαινουν στο 1/4 της τιμης.
July 1, 2020
От години не бях чела книги от Джоана Линдзи. Историята е интересна, но имаше някои недоизкусурени моменти, които ми попречиха да се насладя до край. :)
January 29, 2021
3,5 stars...I guess I am going through a phase where I cannot actually read so I am eating all the audiobooks narrated by Rosalyn Landor.Phewww...
Anyway it was a good one,again very Johanna Lindsey-Bodice ripper style-alpha barbarian male ugk but I fancy those myself so it's ok.Pleasant audio,nothing too special :)
Anyway it was a good one,again very Johanna Lindsey-Bodice ripper style-alpha barbarian male ugk but I fancy those myself so it's ok.Pleasant audio,nothing too special :)
October 4, 2011
I reviewed this novel for my blog www.bookworm2bookworm.wordpress.com
I used to await with abated breath for one of Johanna's books. It was always a pleasure to open them, be it hardcover or paperback. There was never a doubt in my mind that every story she puts out would be devoured, savored and long remembered. With years and the avalanche of crop of young authors of romance putting their stamp and feet forth, Johanna's stories kept coming, but to me they were now a bit `behind' the times. Does that make any sense? I'm not saying that they were bad or even mediocre. They were good. I'm still buying them. It's just that they're missing something and I can't put my finger on it. I want to say `passion' and `chemistry' however I'm not sure if that's IT or maybe something else. Whatever IT is, it's missing from her recent releases.
The word out there, throughout the `internets' is that she's not writing them and that she's employing a `ghost writer'. I'm not buying it. Or I should say, I don't want to buy it. If I let myself think that, I'm sure that I'd never buy another of her books. I've come to cherish her stories and I'll continue to do so.
As for this story, I loved it! And not just the cover! It was well-written with very interesting characters and an interesting and exciting plot line. The pace and humor are quick, and if you're looking for a a lighthearted read on a rainy day or on the beach, you can't go wrong with this story.
Melanie
I used to await with abated breath for one of Johanna's books. It was always a pleasure to open them, be it hardcover or paperback. There was never a doubt in my mind that every story she puts out would be devoured, savored and long remembered. With years and the avalanche of crop of young authors of romance putting their stamp and feet forth, Johanna's stories kept coming, but to me they were now a bit `behind' the times. Does that make any sense? I'm not saying that they were bad or even mediocre. They were good. I'm still buying them. It's just that they're missing something and I can't put my finger on it. I want to say `passion' and `chemistry' however I'm not sure if that's IT or maybe something else. Whatever IT is, it's missing from her recent releases.
The word out there, throughout the `internets' is that she's not writing them and that she's employing a `ghost writer'. I'm not buying it. Or I should say, I don't want to buy it. If I let myself think that, I'm sure that I'd never buy another of her books. I've come to cherish her stories and I'll continue to do so.
As for this story, I loved it! And not just the cover! It was well-written with very interesting characters and an interesting and exciting plot line. The pace and humor are quick, and if you're looking for a a lighthearted read on a rainy day or on the beach, you can't go wrong with this story.
Melanie
September 28, 2011
This was an interesting book because it is set in a completely fictional country of Lubinia -- some cross between Latvia and Lithuanian ... maybe with snow and mountains and lakes with thin ice cover.
Alana is a young woman raised in "civilized" London by Poppie, a man she calls uncle. When she is 18 years of age her uncle reveals that despite the fact that he has started orphanages and helped dishonored genteel ladies -- he hasn't always been such an impeccable gentleman. There in lies the start of an adventure.
Alana is told that she is really a princess of Lubinia and she is needed to return to help stop a civil war. So she gives up all she knows and loves to go save a society she knows very little about. Unfortunately not everyone believes her tale and she has a hard time convincing the Captain of the Guard whose main duty is to protect the king and his family. When the king orders him to do "whatever is necessary" to discover the secrets of the imposter. He follows the King's orders to the letter, only to be much chagrined when it is discovered that she is telling the truth ... oops!
Oh well -- it all ends up okay ... of course it IS a romance. A pleasant tale with fun characters. A nice light read.
Alana is a young woman raised in "civilized" London by Poppie, a man she calls uncle. When she is 18 years of age her uncle reveals that despite the fact that he has started orphanages and helped dishonored genteel ladies -- he hasn't always been such an impeccable gentleman. There in lies the start of an adventure.
Alana is told that she is really a princess of Lubinia and she is needed to return to help stop a civil war. So she gives up all she knows and loves to go save a society she knows very little about. Unfortunately not everyone believes her tale and she has a hard time convincing the Captain of the Guard whose main duty is to protect the king and his family. When the king orders him to do "whatever is necessary" to discover the secrets of the imposter. He follows the King's orders to the letter, only to be much chagrined when it is discovered that she is telling the truth ... oops!
Oh well -- it all ends up okay ... of course it IS a romance. A pleasant tale with fun characters. A nice light read.
November 16, 2015
Didn't finish it. Gave up at about 33%.
This was not my first book by Johanna Lindsey. I have already read some of her older and one of her newer books. As far as I didn't really enjoy her older ones, I was positively surprised by her new one - Let Love Find You. So I decided to give a chance to When Passion Rules.
I absolutely adore the cover of this book. I think it made me read it. Unfortunately, the cover is probably the best part of this book.
I didn't like the characters. I found Alana somehow boring, despite her being an immature snob. After her first meeting with Christoph, I also disliked him. He was just a rude bully. Their actions were driving me mad.
But what really made me to gave up was the plot. It was annoying and irrational. I have to admit that I started skipping the text from the very beginning. And it didn't make it any better so I started skipping whole pages but that still didn't help. Whole time I was thinking that I should give this book a chance but after reading about one third I decided that there is no point in forcing yourself to read something while reading for pleasure.
This was not my first book by Johanna Lindsey. I have already read some of her older and one of her newer books. As far as I didn't really enjoy her older ones, I was positively surprised by her new one - Let Love Find You. So I decided to give a chance to When Passion Rules.
I absolutely adore the cover of this book. I think it made me read it. Unfortunately, the cover is probably the best part of this book.
I didn't like the characters. I found Alana somehow boring, despite her being an immature snob. After her first meeting with Christoph, I also disliked him. He was just a rude bully. Their actions were driving me mad.
But what really made me to gave up was the plot. It was annoying and irrational. I have to admit that I started skipping the text from the very beginning. And it didn't make it any better so I started skipping whole pages but that still didn't help. Whole time I was thinking that I should give this book a chance but after reading about one third I decided that there is no point in forcing yourself to read something while reading for pleasure.
September 8, 2015
Not her best but not her worst either. I liked it but wasn't overly wowed over it. I liked the characters. Though for a few pages I had my doubts about the hero. There were some interesting twists that kept the story moving at a good pace.
June 25, 2011
Pretty good. I think I would have finished this read sooner, if I hadn't spent so much time at "ogling" the beaufiful man on the cover!
April 23, 2021
Vanilla_91 - per RFS
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Solo per passione è un libro che mi ha regalato un’altalenante quantità di sensazioni, positive e negative.
Nel corso della lettura, ho avuto la sensazione che il testo fosse diviso in blocchi un po’ discontinui, ma la narrazione fluida mi ha portato a dimenticare abbastanza in fretta questa percezione.
La prima parte del libro, puramente introduttiva, è un po’ noiosa e poco stimolante. Ci viene presentata la protagonista assoluta: Alana, una principessa rapita quando era ancora in fasce, e cresciuta come una nobildonna inglese dal suo stesso sequestratore. Scopre in maniera abbastanza rapida la sua identità e il passato violento dell’uomo che l’ha cresciuta, ma la sua reazione è davvero poco veritiera: accetta il tutto senza porsi troppe domande e con poche preoccupazioni. Viene descritta come una ragazza con molte doti e dalla spiccata intelligenza, perciò mi aspettavo, in questo importante passaggio del libro, una maggiore introspezione.
Il mio parere è stato stravolto quando la narrazione è entrata nel vivo. Il punto di svolta è stato sicuramente segnato dall’introduzione del personaggio maschile, Christoph, capitano della guardia reale. Di lui ho apprezzato davvero molto la componente caratteriale: è un personaggio dai forti principi, astuto e ironico, davvero ben descritto.
In questa parte centrale ho rivalutato anche Alana, che trova il massimo spessore nelle scene che divide con la sua controparte maschile. Ha una crescita caratteriale importante, ma non irreale. La principessa trova coraggio e fermezza nel sentimento che la lega al capitano, e questa è una cosa che ho adorato, poiché si evolve in maniera reale e con la giusta tempistica.
Piccolo difetto: la narrazione della loro “prima volta”. Tutto si è svolto in maniera troppo rapida e superficiale.
Poco reali mi sono sembrati anche i comportamenti di alcuni personaggi secondari. Ad esempio Frederick, re di Lubinia, ha in molti punti un atteggiamento che stona eccessivamente con la sua figura di regnante. Le sue decisioni hanno, spesso, un’impronta troppo buonista e tollerante, discordi dalla realtà. Sono punti della lettura che mi hanno un po’ sfiduciata, ma che vengono facilmente oscurati dai punti di forza della storia.
Completamente accattivante anche la trama, non scontata.
Ho trovato affascinante, anche, il fatto che le vicende si svolgono in due ambientazioni diverse: Lubinia e Inghilterra. Luoghi diametralmente opposti per caratteristiche, usanze e società. Volendo cercare il pelo nell’uovo, avrei voluto leggere qualcosa in più su Lubinia, magari una parte della sua storia o delle sue tradizioni, che avrebbe dato un maggior risalto alla terra natale della protagonista.
Il romanzo è, a mio parere, super consigliato. Ho personalmente ordinato anche la copia cartacea, cosa ce faccio solo con quei libri che mi hanno colpita in maniera particolare.
.
Solo per passione è un libro che mi ha regalato un’altalenante quantità di sensazioni, positive e negative.
Nel corso della lettura, ho avuto la sensazione che il testo fosse diviso in blocchi un po’ discontinui, ma la narrazione fluida mi ha portato a dimenticare abbastanza in fretta questa percezione.
La prima parte del libro, puramente introduttiva, è un po’ noiosa e poco stimolante. Ci viene presentata la protagonista assoluta: Alana, una principessa rapita quando era ancora in fasce, e cresciuta come una nobildonna inglese dal suo stesso sequestratore. Scopre in maniera abbastanza rapida la sua identità e il passato violento dell’uomo che l’ha cresciuta, ma la sua reazione è davvero poco veritiera: accetta il tutto senza porsi troppe domande e con poche preoccupazioni. Viene descritta come una ragazza con molte doti e dalla spiccata intelligenza, perciò mi aspettavo, in questo importante passaggio del libro, una maggiore introspezione.
Il mio parere è stato stravolto quando la narrazione è entrata nel vivo. Il punto di svolta è stato sicuramente segnato dall’introduzione del personaggio maschile, Christoph, capitano della guardia reale. Di lui ho apprezzato davvero molto la componente caratteriale: è un personaggio dai forti principi, astuto e ironico, davvero ben descritto.
In questa parte centrale ho rivalutato anche Alana, che trova il massimo spessore nelle scene che divide con la sua controparte maschile. Ha una crescita caratteriale importante, ma non irreale. La principessa trova coraggio e fermezza nel sentimento che la lega al capitano, e questa è una cosa che ho adorato, poiché si evolve in maniera reale e con la giusta tempistica.
Piccolo difetto: la narrazione della loro “prima volta”. Tutto si è svolto in maniera troppo rapida e superficiale.
Poco reali mi sono sembrati anche i comportamenti di alcuni personaggi secondari. Ad esempio Frederick, re di Lubinia, ha in molti punti un atteggiamento che stona eccessivamente con la sua figura di regnante. Le sue decisioni hanno, spesso, un’impronta troppo buonista e tollerante, discordi dalla realtà. Sono punti della lettura che mi hanno un po’ sfiduciata, ma che vengono facilmente oscurati dai punti di forza della storia.
Completamente accattivante anche la trama, non scontata.
Ho trovato affascinante, anche, il fatto che le vicende si svolgono in due ambientazioni diverse: Lubinia e Inghilterra. Luoghi diametralmente opposti per caratteristiche, usanze e società. Volendo cercare il pelo nell’uovo, avrei voluto leggere qualcosa in più su Lubinia, magari una parte della sua storia o delle sue tradizioni, che avrebbe dato un maggior risalto alla terra natale della protagonista.
Il romanzo è, a mio parere, super consigliato. Ho personalmente ordinato anche la copia cartacea, cosa ce faccio solo con quei libri che mi hanno colpita in maniera particolare.
April 16, 2025
3.5 rounded up
Another fun read by Johanna Lindsey, I’ve been really enjoying reading through some of these older works in the romance genre in general.
Her main couple have the familiar dynamic of a headstrong leading lady and a rather slutty grump hero who is still very noble at his core. Add in a rather Anastasia vibe trope of a lost princess as well as him being the captain of the Royal guard? Chefs kiss
The mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie level at all but it was Peppy and fun imo even though I guessed a lot. (Seeing as this is a genre romance not a mystery genre that didn’t bother me, I am here for the HEA not a masterpiece mystery)
I can see our captain of the guard rubbing the wrong way reading this thru modern eyes, there was parts I even didn’t care for a ton. Same goes for our leading lady when it comes to her naivety but she is so earnest a sunshine again that didn’t bother me horribly.
There isn’t a ton of smut and the main scene of smut does start off while she is having a nightmare but she is very much awake for the deed. It does feel highly coded as somnophilia without the verbiage that would bring it into a modern lens of more explicit consent so this smut def isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Same goes for a lot of bondage going on in the book even though that is mostly noooot in the bedroom it is implied this couple will be brining it into the bedroom later.
I was a bit disappointed at how easily things wrapped up at the end with a pretty bow. I really thought we were going to see more a emotional struggle with our captain of the guard having tupped the princess but that just wasn’t realized fully.
All in all the princess did fall for her own barbarian and it can be a fun read if you don’t question a lot.
Another fun read by Johanna Lindsey, I’ve been really enjoying reading through some of these older works in the romance genre in general.
Her main couple have the familiar dynamic of a headstrong leading lady and a rather slutty grump hero who is still very noble at his core. Add in a rather Anastasia vibe trope of a lost princess as well as him being the captain of the Royal guard? Chefs kiss
The mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie level at all but it was Peppy and fun imo even though I guessed a lot. (Seeing as this is a genre romance not a mystery genre that didn’t bother me, I am here for the HEA not a masterpiece mystery)
I can see our captain of the guard rubbing the wrong way reading this thru modern eyes, there was parts I even didn’t care for a ton. Same goes for our leading lady when it comes to her naivety but she is so earnest a sunshine again that didn’t bother me horribly.
There isn’t a ton of smut and the main scene of smut does start off while she is having a nightmare but she is very much awake for the deed. It does feel highly coded as somnophilia without the verbiage that would bring it into a modern lens of more explicit consent so this smut def isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Same goes for a lot of bondage going on in the book even though that is mostly noooot in the bedroom it is implied this couple will be brining it into the bedroom later.
I was a bit disappointed at how easily things wrapped up at the end with a pretty bow. I really thought we were going to see more a emotional struggle with our captain of the guard having tupped the princess but that just wasn’t realized fully.
All in all the princess did fall for her own barbarian and it can be a fun read if you don’t question a lot.
October 25, 2019
When Passion Rules by Johanna Lindsey is a sweet romantic story. Alana is a princess who is kidnapped and raised by a guardian who was supposed to assassinate her. She's taught every skills that fits a princess and after 18 yrs is returning to her homeland to prevent the cold war and political turmoil in her state. Alan thinks it would be easy to claim her place being unaware that there's been impostors plenty craving the "princess" status. As the captain of the army, Christoph is asked by the king to use whatever methods to uncover the truth, It made for some interesting reading as no amount of soul baring can make Christoph believe in Alana
There are enough twists and turns in the story that keeps the reader entertained. My only complaint is that there was no use of Alana's fighting skills used in the story. I would have loved her to stand along with Christoph and fight the baddies, since there's so much mention about how much skilled she is.
Loved the atmospheric feel n the story with most things happening during snow storms and such and the best part, having a cheeky Henry as a carrier of messages. Lovely!
There are enough twists and turns in the story that keeps the reader entertained. My only complaint is that there was no use of Alana's fighting skills used in the story. I would have loved her to stand along with Christoph and fight the baddies, since there's so much mention about how much skilled she is.
Loved the atmospheric feel n the story with most things happening during snow storms and such and the best part, having a cheeky Henry as a carrier of messages. Lovely!
March 18, 2017
Tentang siapa pemimpin pemberontak belumlah terungkap.
Tentang siapa yang Braune sebut sebagai "mereka" belumlah tersibak.
Karena Auberta hanya mengakui kejahatan delapan belas tahun silam, tidak dengan kejahatan yang dikemukakan Braune.
Tentang siapa yang Braune sebut sebagai "mereka" belumlah tersibak.
Karena Auberta hanya mengakui kejahatan delapan belas tahun silam, tidak dengan kejahatan yang dikemukakan Braune.
June 11, 2013
After reading Let Love Find You, I was pretty disappointed. Johanna Lindsey is one of the first authors I read from and loved when I first starting reading romance...especially historical romance. I have always enjoyed the majority of her books, especially her earlier ones and the Malory series. So I was a bit anxious when I got When Passion Rules from the library. Even though I just LOVED the cover I knew I might not love the story. It started out a bit slower than I expected, but once it picked up, it started to improve, and I was able to really get into this story, I did sigh in relief knowing that I would be able to enjoy her again.
Alana has grown up knowing that she would marry someday, but her education hasn't been of the normal kind that most young proper ladies receive. She has been tutored in all the art, but her father "Poppie" has trained her in the art of weapons, so she could defend herself if need be. Then it is revealed to her that she is a Princess from Lubinia, and she must return to her home country and reveal her true identity to the King. At first she doesn't believe what she is being told, but she knows that Poppie would never lie to her. So she heads to Lubinia, which is known to be a barbarian land. When she attempts to talk to the King, his head palace guard, detains her, puts her in a cell, and interrogates her. At first Alana is beyond frustrated, knowing her true identity, and has to somehow convince Christoph that she is telling the truth. Cristoph, as the captain of the palace guards is proud of his duty and is close to the King. When he discovers Alana, he knows that she is one of many imposter's and must ferret out her true intentions. He doesn't believe for one minute that she is the princess, but a sizzling passion erupts between them, and he can't deny his true feelings for her.
Christoph, appears to be the perfect barbarian type. Domineering, stubborn, pig headed and arrogant. But deep down, he is far from that...he does display some Alpha traits, but I found myself definitely liking him quite a bit. He was such a delicious hero, and won me over from beginning to end. Alana I enjoyed, but I didn't fall in love with her. I did like some of her attributes though, and how much she stands up to Christoph, but I thought she was a bit naive at times. But other than that, I enjoyed her strong willed personality. Their relationship is a tempest of emotions, most of the time they are fighting, which could be quite hilarious at times. The sparks are heated and as explosive as dynamite.
Overall I really liked this book, and I was surprised by how much I was able to get into it. It has been a while since I have loved Lindsey's stories. Even though it wouldn't top my favorite books of hers, it definitely has gone up the list of books I have really enjoyed. I found that the ever ending mystery, and the twists and turns that developed through the plot was quite stimulating and it was a fine jolly good story. I really enjoyed how it ends, and let me tell you when you think you know what is going to happen, it will turn you Topsy turvy....so be warned...you are in for a boat load of surprises, exciting plot, and a sensual love story.
Alana has grown up knowing that she would marry someday, but her education hasn't been of the normal kind that most young proper ladies receive. She has been tutored in all the art, but her father "Poppie" has trained her in the art of weapons, so she could defend herself if need be. Then it is revealed to her that she is a Princess from Lubinia, and she must return to her home country and reveal her true identity to the King. At first she doesn't believe what she is being told, but she knows that Poppie would never lie to her. So she heads to Lubinia, which is known to be a barbarian land. When she attempts to talk to the King, his head palace guard, detains her, puts her in a cell, and interrogates her. At first Alana is beyond frustrated, knowing her true identity, and has to somehow convince Christoph that she is telling the truth. Cristoph, as the captain of the palace guards is proud of his duty and is close to the King. When he discovers Alana, he knows that she is one of many imposter's and must ferret out her true intentions. He doesn't believe for one minute that she is the princess, but a sizzling passion erupts between them, and he can't deny his true feelings for her.
Christoph, appears to be the perfect barbarian type. Domineering, stubborn, pig headed and arrogant. But deep down, he is far from that...he does display some Alpha traits, but I found myself definitely liking him quite a bit. He was such a delicious hero, and won me over from beginning to end. Alana I enjoyed, but I didn't fall in love with her. I did like some of her attributes though, and how much she stands up to Christoph, but I thought she was a bit naive at times. But other than that, I enjoyed her strong willed personality. Their relationship is a tempest of emotions, most of the time they are fighting, which could be quite hilarious at times. The sparks are heated and as explosive as dynamite.
Overall I really liked this book, and I was surprised by how much I was able to get into it. It has been a while since I have loved Lindsey's stories. Even though it wouldn't top my favorite books of hers, it definitely has gone up the list of books I have really enjoyed. I found that the ever ending mystery, and the twists and turns that developed through the plot was quite stimulating and it was a fine jolly good story. I really enjoyed how it ends, and let me tell you when you think you know what is going to happen, it will turn you Topsy turvy....so be warned...you are in for a boat load of surprises, exciting plot, and a sensual love story.
August 22, 2011
I'm a little surprised at all the negative things I heard about this book. While not up to par with her Mallory books I still enjoyed it a lot. I loved Poppie, the man who raises Alana, and I wish we could have seen more of his character and there was also an orphan, Henry, that I also wish we could have seen more of because he was the cutest thing. Alana gave me mixed feelings because she had this awesome, unconventional education from Poppie that included weapons training which I loved but I wish we could have seen her utilizing her skills more so throughout the book. In the beginning it seems like she was going to be one of those kick butt heroines but in she ends up having to wait to be saved by others so that was a little disappointing. The other thing I wished had been focused on more was the mystery behind why Alana's father was never able to have another heir. There are hints as to why not but it was never fully brought to light. I thought that could have brought more drama to the end than there was. The last part that bugged me was that the end seemed so rushed. Everything was going great and I was actually surprised at a few points and then all of a sudden the book rushes towards the happy conclusion. I knew it was coming but it would have been nice to have it drawn out a little.
Other than that I thought it was a fun story with a few surprises thrown in. The supporting characters were my favorite part of the book. Like I mentioned above Poppie and Henry were wonderful and I also really liked what we saw of Christoph's mother and his main servant. I always enjoy these mysteries about the royal heirs who no one is ever really sure if they were murdered or managed to survive in hiding. It reminds me of the stories about Anastasia Romanov possibly having made it out of the massacre of her entire family. It's such a romantic idea that despite the odds they might have faced they managed to survive whatever catastrophe and one day reveal their true identity.
All in all a fun read that while not a favorite from Lindsey it was not as bad as others made it out to be.
Other than that I thought it was a fun story with a few surprises thrown in. The supporting characters were my favorite part of the book. Like I mentioned above Poppie and Henry were wonderful and I also really liked what we saw of Christoph's mother and his main servant. I always enjoy these mysteries about the royal heirs who no one is ever really sure if they were murdered or managed to survive in hiding. It reminds me of the stories about Anastasia Romanov possibly having made it out of the massacre of her entire family. It's such a romantic idea that despite the odds they might have faced they managed to survive whatever catastrophe and one day reveal their true identity.
All in all a fun read that while not a favorite from Lindsey it was not as bad as others made it out to be.
August 2, 2016
This was one kind of book that even through the characters it made me feel that it's so far-fetched a bit, but I loved every second of it, ok some moments it made me feel annoyed and frustrated.
The whole idea of a long lost princess raised by an assassin wasn't an original but I liked it her, cause Poppy was the character I liked the most, of course I liked Alana too. But mostly I felt sorry for her, suddenly being told that she's a princess and she must travel thousands of miles to claim her place as some country's princess was so unbelievable. Yet she believed Poppy and went with him, but what I hated most was the part when she met with Christoph and she tried countless times to make him believe her and him not doing that, I really hated him for it, and it was the only dim thing in this whole story that I didn't like.
As I said before I liked Poppy very much, that even when I finished the book I kept on thinking of wanting my very own Poppy, and one that I won't change a thing about, a foreign eccentric kind-hearted former assassin who would teach all kinds of things and love me with all his heart.
I loved Alana's meeting with Christoph's family, she fitted right away, and her meeting with her father almost brought tears to my eyes, but I admit that the almost was a very reluctant one, because some of the previous books I read with father and long-lost daughter meeting's were more potent than this, yet this had it's own charm.
Overall, *thumps up* my only regret is that this book didn't include an epilogue, for I wanted to know how both Alana and Christoph would settle in to married life, I want to know what will happen to Poppy and see more of father-daughter moments (with both fathers actually)
The whole idea of a long lost princess raised by an assassin wasn't an original but I liked it her, cause Poppy was the character I liked the most, of course I liked Alana too. But mostly I felt sorry for her, suddenly being told that she's a princess and she must travel thousands of miles to claim her place as some country's princess was so unbelievable. Yet she believed Poppy and went with him, but what I hated most was the part when she met with Christoph and she tried countless times to make him believe her and him not doing that, I really hated him for it, and it was the only dim thing in this whole story that I didn't like.
As I said before I liked Poppy very much, that even when I finished the book I kept on thinking of wanting my very own Poppy, and one that I won't change a thing about, a foreign eccentric kind-hearted former assassin who would teach all kinds of things and love me with all his heart.
I loved Alana's meeting with Christoph's family, she fitted right away, and her meeting with her father almost brought tears to my eyes, but I admit that the almost was a very reluctant one, because some of the previous books I read with father and long-lost daughter meeting's were more potent than this, yet this had it's own charm.
Overall, *thumps up* my only regret is that this book didn't include an epilogue, for I wanted to know how both Alana and Christoph would settle in to married life, I want to know what will happen to Poppy and see more of father-daughter moments (with both fathers actually)
May 2, 2012
This one gets three stars because it's a decent story. Lots of intrigue, adventure, a whodunit and a HEA that, while you expect it, doesn't really seem that easy to reach at times. But the story also loses a couple stars because there were things I tripped over. Start with the fact that while this is a "historical" romance, the country the heroine comes from is fictitious. I'm enough of a history wonk that I'm disappointed when the story isn't based on actual history. Then there's the fact that we're told about Alana's unique education, weapons training, development of a keen mind, but we never see her skills as a fighter. As for her mental acumen, we see hints on occasion, but there are times, too, where there is no intelligent life on planet Alana. And then there's my pet peeve, the alpha jerk hero. Oh, he's toned down a bit to suit modern sensibilities, and the guy has good reason to treat her like a suspect. But he goes OTT, deliberately doing things to shame and humiliate her in front of people that she will later have to face in a context where she is supposed to be respected. And the feisty weapons-trained heroine? Well, she must've defected to another story. I kept wanting her to smack the guy stupid, or at least not be such an easy lay after he degrades and humiliates her. So that's a point against, for me, tho I know some of you guys like these alpha jerk heroes paired with masochist heroines, so live it up!
August 27, 2012
Reallyy....??? Any protest if I gave this book 5 stars..?? hahahha...
Buku ini bikin gw melek sampe jm 4 pagii... seseru ituh??? iyaaaaak.... itulah... Gw tersepona sama sosok Si Captain Christopher inih... hoooaaaahhh....
Christopher..
Christo..
Christ...
whatever how he called... He is... Awesome!!! hahhahha....
*melele* ...
*ngebayangin Paul Marron di Cover... cucok bener jadi Christo...*
*meleleh lagi*
*Mimisan*
*Pingsan*
.................................. .............................
*yang bersangkutan sedang masa pemulihan*
--PecintaPriaNakalBersaksi.. Christopher nan Seksi memaku hati--
Buku ini bikin gw melek sampe jm 4 pagii... seseru ituh??? iyaaaaak.... itulah... Gw tersepona sama sosok Si Captain Christopher inih... hoooaaaahhh....
Christopher..
Christo..
Christ...
whatever how he called... He is... Awesome!!! hahhahha....
*melele* ...
*ngebayangin Paul Marron di Cover... cucok bener jadi Christo...*
*meleleh lagi*
*Mimisan*
*Pingsan*
.................................. .............................
*yang bersangkutan sedang masa pemulihan*
--PecintaPriaNakalBersaksi.. Christopher nan Seksi memaku hati--
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