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The Improper Princesses #1
My Fair Princess
Despite being the illegitimate daughter of a prince, Gillian Dryden is happily ignorant of all social graces. After growing up wild in Italy, Gillian has been ordered home to England to find a suitable husband. And Charles Valentine Penley, the excessively proper, distractingly handsome Duke of Leverton, has agreed to help transform her from a willful tomboy to a blushing debutante.
Powerful and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairy tale ending?
Powerful and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairy tale ending?
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2016
134 people are currently reading
2698 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Kelly
36 books1,720 followersVanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. Vanessa also wrote USA Today bestselling contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.
After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several years in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband.
After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several years in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
August 25, 2016
Charles let out a disbelieving snort. At some point, he would be very angry with her, but right now all he felt was relief - and a degree of awe. Gillian Dryden was the most extraordinary person he had ever met.
What is it about a relationship that starts off with two people hating each and then falling madly in love with one another? I mean its not as if it's a new tropie, its been done and recycled many times but you can't help but treat it as if its something completely new and foreign when it's done perfectly. I absolutely loved My Fair Princess, with its stubborn and feisty heroine and stern and aloof hero. They were a bang up match and the writing was literally a dream.
Due to her unfortunate circumstances of birth ie. being born out of wedlock, and being the by blow of a man who is basically royalty, Gillian hasn't had the easiest of lives. But she's never let other people's opinions of her drag her down. Being an outcast has allowed her to live freely, so she isn't your regular kind of heroine. After hunting and killing the bandits responsible for the murder of her step papa and the subsequent danger as a result, Gillian's grand mother enlists the help of the Duke of Leverton to reform and mould Gillian into the perfect English young lady. What no one ever could have fortold, is these two characters who start of detesting each other falling in love with each other.
He glanced down down at her with some amusement. "I understood that you were quite fond of history."
"I am. It's just that anything less than four hundred years old doesn't seem worth the trouble. After all, I grew up with Roman ruins in the bottom of our garden." She waved an airy hand. "If you wish to impress me, Your Grace, you'll have to do better than a paltry two or three hundred years."
I got the feeling that this was a spin off on a previous series. Especially with Griffin who is Gillian's half brother and the talk of him and his wifes courtship but it definitely didn't leave me confused just intrigued. Like I said Gillian isn't your typical kind of heroine. She wears breeches, she can shoot, she carries a pistol and a blade. For all intents and purposes the girl can take of herself. She's innocent but definitely not naive, and her innocence isn't defined by whether or not she's virginal.
Charles is most certainly going in my book boyfriend vault. He may be stern and aloof but he was also loyal and a really great brother. I really loved his relationship with his sister. But what I obviously loved the most was how devoted he was to Gillian. I love angst but I do appreciate it when the hero has such obvious respect and confidence in the woman he loves. So yes I'd highly recommend you read this funny and entertaining historical romance!
"Leverton, what are you doing?"
"I'm taking advantage of you, as should be obvious by now." He swooped hown to slip his tongue into her mouth for a brief, delicious taste. "And I don't give a damn whether you mind or not."
She blinked up at him, looking rather surprised. "Oh. Well then, carry on."
ARC kindly provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
August 30, 2016
What an absolutely engaging story with a wonderful set of characters, albeit the heroine, Gillian, is definitely the jeweled centerpiece. Having been a long-time fan of Vanessa Kelly's books, I am so pleased that she has penned another hit, made all the more wonderful by consistent and good plot pacing. It is always such a joy when your favorite authors improve upon their crafts.
I enjoyed this story so much and read it overnight, as it was too interesting to put down. Gillian is a character I absolutely adore, a young woman who is strong for the sake of loved ones, who is courageous and endearing to the point that you can't really fault her for not being a perfect society lady, because she has greater priorities in mind. She has a grand heart, since she never blamed anyone for her being an illegitimate child of royalty - with all the gossip and crude insinuations that come with such circumstances - but rather embraces closer the people whose opinions do matter.
Put her in the way of a "perfect," proper, and stuffy duke, and you see great changes to how he views the world. After all, one's reputation means one thing, but getting rid of bandits, smugglers, and thieves for the greater good of the county...well, that's a much nobler goal to have. Bravo for Gillian for keeping to her ideals and thinking even in the face of adversity - that she would rather bring thieves to justice than eschew her principles and be with the man she loves in a glittering facade - and it's fantastic when Charles finally recognizes that, too.
Heroines of Gillian's caliber are rare in Regency romance, quite honestly, as they lean either towards being impetuousness and recklessness, or lose their spine for the sake of the hero's love. Here is a rare heroine who is neither reckless but rather filled with a strong sense of purpose - and the intelligence to carry it out and strategize - and who won't compromise on the important things in life over comfort. She does make every attempt to compromise on the little things to make Charles happy, which makes her very real and appealing.
I've droned on about Gillian as this is very much her book. However, Charles is quite a fun hero when we see his journey from "Perfect Penley" to "guy smelling like a bird bath fighting bandits." Initially, Gillian was scandalizing Charles with her behavior, but by the end the tables have turned and the duke is behaving scandalously.
This is a book I highly recommend.
I enjoyed this story so much and read it overnight, as it was too interesting to put down. Gillian is a character I absolutely adore, a young woman who is strong for the sake of loved ones, who is courageous and endearing to the point that you can't really fault her for not being a perfect society lady, because she has greater priorities in mind. She has a grand heart, since she never blamed anyone for her being an illegitimate child of royalty - with all the gossip and crude insinuations that come with such circumstances - but rather embraces closer the people whose opinions do matter.
Put her in the way of a "perfect," proper, and stuffy duke, and you see great changes to how he views the world. After all, one's reputation means one thing, but getting rid of bandits, smugglers, and thieves for the greater good of the county...well, that's a much nobler goal to have. Bravo for Gillian for keeping to her ideals and thinking even in the face of adversity - that she would rather bring thieves to justice than eschew her principles and be with the man she loves in a glittering facade - and it's fantastic when Charles finally recognizes that, too.
Heroines of Gillian's caliber are rare in Regency romance, quite honestly, as they lean either towards being impetuousness and recklessness, or lose their spine for the sake of the hero's love. Here is a rare heroine who is neither reckless but rather filled with a strong sense of purpose - and the intelligence to carry it out and strategize - and who won't compromise on the important things in life over comfort. She does make every attempt to compromise on the little things to make Charles happy, which makes her very real and appealing.
I've droned on about Gillian as this is very much her book. However, Charles is quite a fun hero when we see his journey from "Perfect Penley" to "guy smelling like a bird bath fighting bandits." Initially, Gillian was scandalizing Charles with her behavior, but by the end the tables have turned and the duke is behaving scandalously.
This is a book I highly recommend.
August 27, 2017
3.3 stars
June 19, 2019
I really enjoyed the start of this book, and when I found myself watching things unfold in London, I was slightly wary that things would go downhill, but luckily, they didn’t. Gillian is independent, strong-willed and no simpering Miss. After being shot getting vengeance/justice for the murder of her beloved step-father in Italy, her grandmother and mother knew it was best that they travel to England, before Gillian was killed by the bandits, who would sooner or later come for her as revenge for the men/bandits she had killed. In London, Gillian’s grandmother turns to Charles Valentine Penley, for help to turn Gillian from a hoyden who lacks social graces to someone the Ton would partly accept and who would gain a nobleman as a husband. As an illegitimate child, Gillian finds herself unjustly judged by the aristocracy/Ton, but she refuses to bend and toe the line (something I really liked about her).
Gillian and Charles as a couple complement one another, their differences mean they work well together. That being said the sexual tension between Charles and Gillian was not rippling of the page as I would have liked, far more was needed here. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both main characters. I do wish we had seen the villains in the tale get their comeuppance, I would have liked to see it happen rather than simply be told they had gotten what they deserved.
Gillian’s half-brother Griffin was a gem of a secondary character, I really liked him and I hope there is a book where he stars as the main character waiting to be found by me.
Overall, an enjoyable light HR book, which I can see myself re-reading at some point, and I will be looking at more books by the author.
90p on Amazon 30th May 2019
Gillian and Charles as a couple complement one another, their differences mean they work well together. That being said the sexual tension between Charles and Gillian was not rippling of the page as I would have liked, far more was needed here. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both main characters. I do wish we had seen the villains in the tale get their comeuppance, I would have liked to see it happen rather than simply be told they had gotten what they deserved.
Gillian’s half-brother Griffin was a gem of a secondary character, I really liked him and I hope there is a book where he stars as the main character waiting to be found by me.
Overall, an enjoyable light HR book, which I can see myself re-reading at some point, and I will be looking at more books by the author.
90p on Amazon 30th May 2019
July 4, 2016
I was lucky to be given a ARC copy to give a cover quote for Ms Kelly. I LOVED this book because of the scintillating characters, snappy dialogue, and a hero and heroine so perfect for each other sparks flew...
I think Gillian and Leverton are my two favorite characters of 2016! Thank you for allowing me to read the book.
I think Gillian and Leverton are my two favorite characters of 2016! Thank you for allowing me to read the book.
August 8, 2016
ARC by Netgalley for an honest review.
3.5 Rating.
Illegitimate daughter to a Royal Duke, Gillian Dryden has been mocked and shunned by the ton. Gillian has lived most of her life in Sicily and has recently returned to England.
In Sicily Gillian lived with her Mother and Stepfather who spoiled Gillian and she pretty much ran wild. But Gillian's stepfather was killed and Gillian was devastated and wanted revenge. She went on a killing spree and exacting revenge. She was sent to England for her safety.
Gillian and her Mother are ridiculed by the ton and Gillian's cousin is determined she be accepted and make a good match in marriage. And this is where the hero comes in, Charles is a highly respected Duke of Leverton and is asked to refine Gillian, turn her into a Lady and find her a match.
This started out strong (but the first chapter was a little over the top with Gillian and her pursuit of the killers) with good characters and development of the story. But midway I found that the story and it's premises took a turn that I found contradictory (not going to give away any spoilers). Also Gillian actions became irritating, her responses immature and juvenile. Charles I found to be likeable, honorable and a gentleman.
I've read a few of this authors books and really liked them. The last few books have been a disappointment and was hopeful for this one but sadly the book started off strong and then fizzled.
3.5 Rating.
Illegitimate daughter to a Royal Duke, Gillian Dryden has been mocked and shunned by the ton. Gillian has lived most of her life in Sicily and has recently returned to England.
In Sicily Gillian lived with her Mother and Stepfather who spoiled Gillian and she pretty much ran wild. But Gillian's stepfather was killed and Gillian was devastated and wanted revenge. She went on a killing spree and exacting revenge. She was sent to England for her safety.
Gillian and her Mother are ridiculed by the ton and Gillian's cousin is determined she be accepted and make a good match in marriage. And this is where the hero comes in, Charles is a highly respected Duke of Leverton and is asked to refine Gillian, turn her into a Lady and find her a match.
This started out strong (but the first chapter was a little over the top with Gillian and her pursuit of the killers) with good characters and development of the story. But midway I found that the story and it's premises took a turn that I found contradictory (not going to give away any spoilers). Also Gillian actions became irritating, her responses immature and juvenile. Charles I found to be likeable, honorable and a gentleman.
I've read a few of this authors books and really liked them. The last few books have been a disappointment and was hopeful for this one but sadly the book started off strong and then fizzled.
July 11, 2024
Review from 2016
A- for narration; B- for content .
My Fair Princess is the first book in Vanessa Kelly’s new Improper Princesses series, which is a spin-off of her previous one, Renegade Royals . Just as the heroes of those books were all illegitimate sons of various Royal Dukes (they were a promiscuous lot!), the heroines of these are the illegitimate daughters of various Royal Dukes. It should be noted that George III and Queen Charlotte had seven adult sons, most of whom liked to put it about more than a bit, so this handful of wrong-side-of-the-blanket offspring is most certainly within the bounds of possibility ;)
The illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Cumberland, Gillian Dryden has lived for most of her life in Sicily with her mother and step-father, to whom she became very close. Gillian was heartbroken when he was murdered by bandits, and swore to hunt them down and kill them. She is making good on her vow, but when her latest escapade doesn’t go according to plan, there is no alternative but for Gillian and her mother to leave Sicily immediately, which they do with the help of her half-brother (another royal by-blow) Griffin Steele.
In London, they settle with Gillian’s grandmother Lady Marbury, and make plans for Gillian’s introduction to the ton. But bringing a woman like Gillian into society is going to be a difficult task. Not only is there the matter of her illegitimacy to be dealt with (because of course the sins of the father were always visited upon the children at this point in time) there is the fact that her natural vivacity and her unwillingness to adopt the simpering appearance of demure rectitude that is required of an unmarried young lady are likely to make her a target for the gossips and for those unscrupulous men who believe her to be an easy mark; like mother, like daughter, after all. Gillian, however, has no intention of entering the marriage mart. She hopes that it won’t take too long before she is discovered to be completely unsuited to London life and will be able to return to Sicily and finish avenging her step-father’s death.
Lady Marbury has recruited her distant cousin, Charles Penley, Duke of Leverton, to help smooth Gillian’s entry into society. Leverton is handsome, wealthy, responsible and widely regarded throughout the ton as a model of respectability and correct behaviour, so he is extremely well placed to manage Gillian’s début. His standing will lend her sufficient social cachet to at least stop the worst of the gossip about the circumstances of her birth, provided, of course, that she does nothing to provoke it. But within moments of meeting her, Leverton realises he has his work cut out for him.
The book’s title would naturally lead one to assume it’s a Pygmalion-like story with Leverton molding Gillian into a proper lady – or at the very least attempting to – but that’s not quite it. In fact, I was reminded more of Georgette Heyer’s The Grand Sophy, in which an independent, spirited young woman raised on the continent comes to London and becomes a thorn in the side of her very proper cousin (also, incidentally, named Charles). Sophy doesn’t carry the stigma of illegitimacy, but Gillian’s determination and no-nonsense attitude are certainly reminiscent of her, and those are the aspects of her character I most liked. She’s that rare breed – an independently minded heroine who can ride, shoot and fight but who isn’t irritatingly “feisty” or TSTL. That’s not so say that she doesn’t have her annoying moments; her insistence on tracking down a group of smugglers who operate near Leverton’s estate arises from a rather flimsy motive and while she’s smart, her stubborness sometimes overrides her intellect and causes her to go off half-cocked and without thinking things through. But that side of her is nicely offset by the vulnerabilities she tries very hard to hide.
Leverton is a bit stereotypical, but is an attractive hero, nonetheless. His character is obviously meant to provide the counterpoint to Gillian’s impulsiveness, but he never comes across as starchy or priggish. He is an expert in matters of etiquette and does his best to instil that knowledge into Gillian, but as he comes to know and understand her, he realises that he enjoys her quick mind, her forthright manner and her unconventional outlook, and can’t help wondering if perhaps her spirit is one that shouldn’t be squashed.
The romance between Gillian and Leverton develops at a sensible pace and their attraction simmers below the surface right from their first meeting. They are a well-matched pair, and their quickfire verbal sparring is entertaining and often funny, making My Fair Princess a good example of the starchy-hero-loosened-up-by-spirited-heroine trope. But while the content is generally enjoyable, the book falls down in the execution on numerous occasions because of the way it is constructed. For some reason, the author often opts to end some chapters with an important piece of information – a mini-bombshell or cliffhanger – but doesn’t follow through on it in the next one. I noticed several instances of this, but as an example, one chapter ends with Charles telling Gillian that the lady they had just met in the park walking with her husband had almost become his – Charles’ – wife. The next chapter opens on a completely different time and place, with Charles escorting his sister to meet Gillian on the night of her first ball. That chapter ends with Gillian joining the family party, obviously dolled up to the nines and Charles taking one look at her and forgetting how to breathe – and the next opens with the ball in progress and Gillian dancing with someone else. I assume this was done in order to create tension but instead it was incredibly anti-climactic and extremely frustrating.
Beverley A. Crick’s narration is – fortunately – not at all frustrating. In fact, it was seeing her listed as the narrator of this title that caused me to ask to listen to it; I had a fairly large TBL pile when it was released (end of August) and might have passed it by had she not been associated with it. Once again, she delivers an enjoyable, polished performance that is well-paced, strongly characterised and emotionally nuanced in all the right places. It’s mentioned in the text that Gillian’s speech is accented, and the Italian accent Ms. Crick adopts is just right; not over the top or too thick to be intelligible and is maintained consistently throughout. Her interpretation of Leverton is nicely judged, too; with a slight drop in pitch and a slightly harder edge to her tone, she brings him to life as an attractive, confident man with a wry sense of humour. Her ability to convey a wide range of emotion is something that never disappoints and I like the way she adds little touches here and there - a giggle, or a breathy sigh – where required. Most importantly, I appreciate the way she always sounds completely engaged with whatever she is reading, enabling her connection to the characters to communicate easily to the listener. My one criticism of her performance here is that she doesn’t quite manage to differentiate effectively between some of the male characters - principally between Leverton and Griffin Steele. They only appear in a few scenes together, but I did sometimes need to rely on the text to work out which of them was speaking. Other than that, however, this is another strong performance to add to Ms. Crick’s growing catalogue of historical romance narrations.
All in all, My Fair Princess is a fun listen and an engaging start to a new series.
A- for narration; B- for content .
My Fair Princess is the first book in Vanessa Kelly’s new Improper Princesses series, which is a spin-off of her previous one, Renegade Royals . Just as the heroes of those books were all illegitimate sons of various Royal Dukes (they were a promiscuous lot!), the heroines of these are the illegitimate daughters of various Royal Dukes. It should be noted that George III and Queen Charlotte had seven adult sons, most of whom liked to put it about more than a bit, so this handful of wrong-side-of-the-blanket offspring is most certainly within the bounds of possibility ;)
The illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Cumberland, Gillian Dryden has lived for most of her life in Sicily with her mother and step-father, to whom she became very close. Gillian was heartbroken when he was murdered by bandits, and swore to hunt them down and kill them. She is making good on her vow, but when her latest escapade doesn’t go according to plan, there is no alternative but for Gillian and her mother to leave Sicily immediately, which they do with the help of her half-brother (another royal by-blow) Griffin Steele.
In London, they settle with Gillian’s grandmother Lady Marbury, and make plans for Gillian’s introduction to the ton. But bringing a woman like Gillian into society is going to be a difficult task. Not only is there the matter of her illegitimacy to be dealt with (because of course the sins of the father were always visited upon the children at this point in time) there is the fact that her natural vivacity and her unwillingness to adopt the simpering appearance of demure rectitude that is required of an unmarried young lady are likely to make her a target for the gossips and for those unscrupulous men who believe her to be an easy mark; like mother, like daughter, after all. Gillian, however, has no intention of entering the marriage mart. She hopes that it won’t take too long before she is discovered to be completely unsuited to London life and will be able to return to Sicily and finish avenging her step-father’s death.
Lady Marbury has recruited her distant cousin, Charles Penley, Duke of Leverton, to help smooth Gillian’s entry into society. Leverton is handsome, wealthy, responsible and widely regarded throughout the ton as a model of respectability and correct behaviour, so he is extremely well placed to manage Gillian’s début. His standing will lend her sufficient social cachet to at least stop the worst of the gossip about the circumstances of her birth, provided, of course, that she does nothing to provoke it. But within moments of meeting her, Leverton realises he has his work cut out for him.
The book’s title would naturally lead one to assume it’s a Pygmalion-like story with Leverton molding Gillian into a proper lady – or at the very least attempting to – but that’s not quite it. In fact, I was reminded more of Georgette Heyer’s The Grand Sophy, in which an independent, spirited young woman raised on the continent comes to London and becomes a thorn in the side of her very proper cousin (also, incidentally, named Charles). Sophy doesn’t carry the stigma of illegitimacy, but Gillian’s determination and no-nonsense attitude are certainly reminiscent of her, and those are the aspects of her character I most liked. She’s that rare breed – an independently minded heroine who can ride, shoot and fight but who isn’t irritatingly “feisty” or TSTL. That’s not so say that she doesn’t have her annoying moments; her insistence on tracking down a group of smugglers who operate near Leverton’s estate arises from a rather flimsy motive and while she’s smart, her stubborness sometimes overrides her intellect and causes her to go off half-cocked and without thinking things through. But that side of her is nicely offset by the vulnerabilities she tries very hard to hide.
Leverton is a bit stereotypical, but is an attractive hero, nonetheless. His character is obviously meant to provide the counterpoint to Gillian’s impulsiveness, but he never comes across as starchy or priggish. He is an expert in matters of etiquette and does his best to instil that knowledge into Gillian, but as he comes to know and understand her, he realises that he enjoys her quick mind, her forthright manner and her unconventional outlook, and can’t help wondering if perhaps her spirit is one that shouldn’t be squashed.
The romance between Gillian and Leverton develops at a sensible pace and their attraction simmers below the surface right from their first meeting. They are a well-matched pair, and their quickfire verbal sparring is entertaining and often funny, making My Fair Princess a good example of the starchy-hero-loosened-up-by-spirited-heroine trope. But while the content is generally enjoyable, the book falls down in the execution on numerous occasions because of the way it is constructed. For some reason, the author often opts to end some chapters with an important piece of information – a mini-bombshell or cliffhanger – but doesn’t follow through on it in the next one. I noticed several instances of this, but as an example, one chapter ends with Charles telling Gillian that the lady they had just met in the park walking with her husband had almost become his – Charles’ – wife. The next chapter opens on a completely different time and place, with Charles escorting his sister to meet Gillian on the night of her first ball. That chapter ends with Gillian joining the family party, obviously dolled up to the nines and Charles taking one look at her and forgetting how to breathe – and the next opens with the ball in progress and Gillian dancing with someone else. I assume this was done in order to create tension but instead it was incredibly anti-climactic and extremely frustrating.
Beverley A. Crick’s narration is – fortunately – not at all frustrating. In fact, it was seeing her listed as the narrator of this title that caused me to ask to listen to it; I had a fairly large TBL pile when it was released (end of August) and might have passed it by had she not been associated with it. Once again, she delivers an enjoyable, polished performance that is well-paced, strongly characterised and emotionally nuanced in all the right places. It’s mentioned in the text that Gillian’s speech is accented, and the Italian accent Ms. Crick adopts is just right; not over the top or too thick to be intelligible and is maintained consistently throughout. Her interpretation of Leverton is nicely judged, too; with a slight drop in pitch and a slightly harder edge to her tone, she brings him to life as an attractive, confident man with a wry sense of humour. Her ability to convey a wide range of emotion is something that never disappoints and I like the way she adds little touches here and there - a giggle, or a breathy sigh – where required. Most importantly, I appreciate the way she always sounds completely engaged with whatever she is reading, enabling her connection to the characters to communicate easily to the listener. My one criticism of her performance here is that she doesn’t quite manage to differentiate effectively between some of the male characters - principally between Leverton and Griffin Steele. They only appear in a few scenes together, but I did sometimes need to rely on the text to work out which of them was speaking. Other than that, however, this is another strong performance to add to Ms. Crick’s growing catalogue of historical romance narrations.
All in all, My Fair Princess is a fun listen and an engaging start to a new series.
July 24, 2016
'My Fair Princess' by Vanessa Kelly is book one in "The Improper Princesses" series. This is the story of Gillian Dryden and Charles Valentine Penley the Duke of Leverton. Just a note about Gillian she is the half-sister of Griffin Steele who was the main character (along with Justine Brightmore ) in the "Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom (The Renegade Royals #2)". You don't have to have read that book at all to enjoy this one. I just wanted to make note in case you have read that book and would like to catch up with Griffin and Justine....so just a FYI.
I must say I really enjoyed this book...it might be Ms. Kelly's best one yet for me. I could not put it down and I was quickly drawn into the characters and seeing what happened next. Yes my emotions got to me so I might make this another lengthy review that I hate to do but here we go.
Gillian is a illegitimate child and was raised by her mother and grandparents in Italy. Her grandfather always held it against her that she was illegitimate and didn't treat her as he should have. Her mother did remarry and Gillian loved her step-father like a daughter. When he was killed by bandits she swore to hunt them down..which she did until she was hurt. That is when her Mother, Grandmother and even her step-brother thought it was time she came to London and face the town and find her a husband. Gillian Grandmother was friends with Charles and even once called her Aunt. So Charles is called in to help to calm down Gillian and teach her to be more lady like and to give his support through the town. But Gillian and Charles are so different that they have a hard start to what they are trying to achieve. Charles has been a stickler for not having any scandal and always does what it proper...so much so he has a nickname of such. But Charles wasn't always that way as we learn more about him.
Looking back it seemed they both did some changing to do what needed to be done for their love to grow.
I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
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I must say I really enjoyed this book...it might be Ms. Kelly's best one yet for me. I could not put it down and I was quickly drawn into the characters and seeing what happened next. Yes my emotions got to me so I might make this another lengthy review that I hate to do but here we go.
Gillian is a illegitimate child and was raised by her mother and grandparents in Italy. Her grandfather always held it against her that she was illegitimate and didn't treat her as he should have. Her mother did remarry and Gillian loved her step-father like a daughter. When he was killed by bandits she swore to hunt them down..which she did until she was hurt. That is when her Mother, Grandmother and even her step-brother thought it was time she came to London and face the town and find her a husband. Gillian Grandmother was friends with Charles and even once called her Aunt. So Charles is called in to help to calm down Gillian and teach her to be more lady like and to give his support through the town. But Gillian and Charles are so different that they have a hard start to what they are trying to achieve. Charles has been a stickler for not having any scandal and always does what it proper...so much so he has a nickname of such. But Charles wasn't always that way as we learn more about him.
Looking back it seemed they both did some changing to do what needed to be done for their love to grow.
I received an eARC, from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Please follow my reviews here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H...
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nevermind
October 21, 2017DNF at 41%
I can't remember why I decided to read this, as it doesn't sound like the sort of book that would usually attract me. I tend not to like brash heroines who do things like kill bandits and obstinately do not fit in with the ton. But when I started this, I found Gillian pretty likable—she was a believable mix of trying to fit in and still managing to shock people. I'm a sucker for those uptight, oh-so-proper heroes, so I was all set to like Charles too. (Griffin was a bonus—I really liked him.)
The problem I had was that almost all of the action happened off-page. Aside from the prologue, which features a bandit-killing scene, each chapter would end at a pivotal moment, and the next chapter would pick up sometime later, filling us in with scant detail about what had happened.
I like dialogue, but at times this seemed like too much dialogue. I want to see the characters doing things. I don't want them to tell me about doing things.
Also, there was no sexual tension. Charles keeps saying he's attracted to Gillian, but why? All they do is talk like normal people. If there were any instances of them sharing a sexually charged moment, those also happened off-page. How am I supposed to believe this attraction when their interactions are the same as with every other character?
So I was pretty bored. Moving on.
I can't remember why I decided to read this, as it doesn't sound like the sort of book that would usually attract me. I tend not to like brash heroines who do things like kill bandits and obstinately do not fit in with the ton. But when I started this, I found Gillian pretty likable—she was a believable mix of trying to fit in and still managing to shock people. I'm a sucker for those uptight, oh-so-proper heroes, so I was all set to like Charles too. (Griffin was a bonus—I really liked him.)
The problem I had was that almost all of the action happened off-page. Aside from the prologue, which features a bandit-killing scene, each chapter would end at a pivotal moment, and the next chapter would pick up sometime later, filling us in with scant detail about what had happened.
I like dialogue, but at times this seemed like too much dialogue. I want to see the characters doing things. I don't want them to tell me about doing things.
Also, there was no sexual tension. Charles keeps saying he's attracted to Gillian, but why? All they do is talk like normal people. If there were any instances of them sharing a sexually charged moment, those also happened off-page. How am I supposed to believe this attraction when their interactions are the same as with every other character?
So I was pretty bored. Moving on.
November 11, 2018
I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. It was humorous, well written and well paced. It was refreshingly different from the other HRs I’ve read in a while.
Gillian Dreyden was the illegitimate daughter of a prince. She grew up in Sicily but her grandma brought her back to London to make a match from the ton. To aid her with the husband hunt, her grandmother enlisted the help of Duke of Leverton, Charles Valentine Penley, to polish Gillian’s rough edges. And Gillian was my most definitely rough.
This book basically follows the prim and proper Charles school tomboy Gillian who was determined to shock the London ton.
This book made me chuckle often. The story was flowed well and both characters were likeable. They were developed well and held my attention. Perfect Penley and Gillian were a great match, they verbally spared like equals and respected each other. Gillian was strong willed and Independent. She gave The Duke all he could handle en route to becoming his duchess.
I will definitely try book 2
Gillian Dreyden was the illegitimate daughter of a prince. She grew up in Sicily but her grandma brought her back to London to make a match from the ton. To aid her with the husband hunt, her grandmother enlisted the help of Duke of Leverton, Charles Valentine Penley, to polish Gillian’s rough edges. And Gillian was my most definitely rough.
This book basically follows the prim and proper Charles school tomboy Gillian who was determined to shock the London ton.
This book made me chuckle often. The story was flowed well and both characters were likeable. They were developed well and held my attention. Perfect Penley and Gillian were a great match, they verbally spared like equals and respected each other. Gillian was strong willed and Independent. She gave The Duke all he could handle en route to becoming his duchess.
I will definitely try book 2
July 10, 2017
“Listen, my darling, because I mean every word. I know that I’m a terribly boring, overly correct person who isn’t nearly dashing enough for a magnificent creature like you. Nonetheless, I cannot give you up. I thought my life before you was nearly perfect. I controlled everything and everyone around me, and I had everything I wanted. At least I thought I did, until you blasted into my life and turned the world upside down.”
“That doesn’t sound very pleasant. Are you quite sure you love me?”
“You have disconcerted me on more than one occasion, I will admit. But it’s good for me to be knocked off my pedestal.”
“And you’re sure you love me?” Gillian asked again. It seemed impossible---glorious, but still impossible---and she needed to hear it again.
He cupped her chin. “I love you, Gillian Dryden, and I promise to love you for the rest of my life.”
Give me a second, I got a little choked up while writing out that quote. Wasn’t it just lovely? Gillian, Charles, this whole book in fact was so very lovely and feels inducing and hilarious and romantic. It was basically all the things that had been missing in the pile of books I’ve been trying and failing to read for the past few weeks. It’s still too early to tell as I have to read more of her backlist, but I think I’ve found a new favorite author in Vanessa Kelly.
As the title so obviously alludes to, My Fair Princess was loosely inspired by My Fair Lady/She’s All That/Pygmalion, whatever version floats your boat really. And I say ‘loosely’ because there wasn’t a whole lot of lessons in etiquette or ‘lady training’ presented on the page, which was one of my few major qualms I had with the story. But in keeping with the tradition of this well used setup, we did have a hoydenish (illegitimate) royal in our heroine Gillian, and an uptight duke who takes her under his uptight wing in Charles. Sparks flew immediately between these two VERY different characters. In fact, they drove each other absolutely mad 99% of the time and I confess to loving every one of their sparring matches immensely. Especially when those battle lines began to shrink over time and their undeniable chemistry took over.
This was a slow burner romance, my absolute favorite kind. There was attraction between Gillian and Charles throughout sure, but the root of their connection was almost solely of the emotional kind. In fact there are only two major love scenes, and they were AMAZING I might add, which is far more preferable to a book with a shitton of love scenes with little to no emotion behind them but I digress. Though opposite in every single way, Gillian and Charles broke down each other’s defenses. Whether it was Gillian’s unabashed directness throwing Charles and his ducal sensibilities off balance, or the loving attention and begrudgingly got respect Charles paid to Gillian; these two saw each other, challenged each other and were made better having known and loving each other. It’s couples like this that remind me why I read romance.
Now I’m not saying either one of them was perfect. They weren’t. Far from it in fact. Gillian, for example, was at times headstrong to the point of recklessness that put herself and others in danger. Charles on the other hand was so caught up in his ‘Perfect Penley’ mindset that he nearly lost Gillian in the process. Fortunately, these dumbs in love realized that they didn’t have to change everything about who they were in order to be together. Gillian learned that it was okay for others to take care of her now and again, that it wasn’t just her against the world, or the ton in this case. And Charles stopped trying to live up to the unrealistic expectations set forth by his late father and society and instead put his and Gillian’s own happiness first. Together, Gillian and Charles didn’t have to be anything other than themselves and isn’t that what we all want? Crap, I’m gonna get all weepy again, apologies.
I did find that the book dragged unnecessarily in a few places, namely the scenes set in London. Everything seemed to flow more easily, in my opinion, when they moved to Leverton’s country estate. Perhaps it was the forced proximity aspect? Probably. The beach and library sex didn't hurt either, rawr! What little external conflict there was involved meaningless drama involving a past ~love of Charles’ and a side plot about smugglers, both of which I could’ve taken or left, but this was a mostly an all about the romance story so in the end, these were really just nitpicks on my end and didn’t deter from my overall enjoyment of the book. Also, the side characters were a true delight, especially Gillian’s grandmother Lady Marbury and her half-brother Griffin Steele who I discovered already has a book in Kelly’s previous series, The Renegade Royals. I’ll be starting that one soon after I post this (sadly rambly) review. Ahh, it feels good to be excited about reading again!
June 13, 2017
4.5 very happy stars
My slump is over! I repeat, my slump is over!
This goat gets it.
I just loved this book. I don't know if I loved it a little extra because in comparison to what I've been reading it was bloody brilliant or perhaps it was just bloody brilliant. I'd like to think it's a little of both.
This book somehow managed to combine a lot of things I don't like in historical romances but everything was just done so well that it just worked. Like magic.
Gillian Dryden is the illegitimate daughter of a prince and therefore has a permanent stain on her reputation. Growing up in Italy, Gillian's mother remarried a wonderful man that loved Gillian like his own. While she obviously has (very) noble blood, she grew up wild and really without any kind of restrictions on her behavior. Not only can she shoot a gun, she's skilled with a gun. Not only does she wear breeches, she has them specially made for her. Her unconventional skills are not used as a quirk of her character, but an important basis of who she is. Unfortunately, her beloved stepfather is killed by bandits and Gillian is devastated. Both with and without the help of Gillian's half-brother Griffin (he is amazing but has his own story and it really isn't that relevant in this book) she hunts down the bandits that killed her stepfather and gets her revenge. She murders them. This isn't a “she can shoot a target fifty feet away” kind of thing. This is a “she points her gun at her enemy and she shoots to kill” kind of thing. What happens when someone is successful at killing people? They are wanted for murder, naturally. Whether by the authorities or by the allies of the murdered. So it is off to England for Gillian and her mother, to the other side of her family. Enter Charles Penley aka Perfect Penley. He is a very distant relative of Gillian's family. I'm not sure if it is ever exactly explained but it isn't really that important. What is important is that Gillian's family is aware that Gillian is a walking scandal and even worse, she doesn't care. She doesn't want to live in England. She doesn't want an English husband. And she most certainly doesn't care if she's accepted by the ton. I usually find this annoying in a character but for her, it worked. She just wants to go back to Italy. She was forced to leave Italy and had she not, she would have happily lived there for the rest of her days. She would never have needed to fit in in England. I understood her rebellion. Charles is asked to kindly find a way to instruct Gillian on etiquette and use his influence to introduce her into society. This is a fairly common trope but it was handled well enough that it didn't come off as stale and recycled. As you can probably guess, their personalities clash from the beginning and obviously somewhere along the way, they fall for one another. The joy in the book, as it should be, was in the process.
I'm not usually a fan of the whole “I'm special because I like to shoot things, wear breeches, swear, and refuse to acknowledge societal etiquette because I have an alluring disregard for rules and I don't care what people think.” It isn't an easy story line to do well. Far too often it comes off as phony or a lazy way of making the heroine "special". In My Fair Princess, Gillian is a delightfully believable product of her environment who refuses to break her own moral code for something as silly as acceptance.
So, what did I like? Everything.
Gillian was wonderful. Was she perfect? Nope. She was a bit brash, sometimes disrespectful, quick to anger, and often rash in her decisions. She didn't always think things through and it didn't always work out well. She was also kind, protective, caring, generous, and willing to do just about anything for those she loved. She was the kind of person that would punch an aristocrat right in his noble face for being an asshole to her new friend. Yep, that's right. I might have done one of these:
Charles spent much of the book acting like an enormous prig but it was nicely offset by his unfailing desire to do the right thing. His rigidity gently eased in Gillian's presence and it was wonderful to watch the way they molded (not changed) each other into better versions of themselves. That's the way it's supposed to work, right?
Unfortunately, my absolutely favorite part of this book is spoilerish. I wish it wasn't so that I could wax poetic about its brilliance. Needless to say, when Gillian finally reveals a secret about herself to Charles that she is sure would scare him off, he responds in the very best way possible. It was sigh-worthy and beautiful and it made me want a Charles of my very own.
From the way I've gone on, it would seem like there wasn't any conflict in the book. There was plenty, it was just in the right places. There was villainy. There was drama. Charles and Gillian fought, said the wrong things, misunderstood things they said to one another. In that respect, it was just like any other HR. I just loved the hell out of it. A bunch of people are probably going to read this book and think it was mediocre. For me, it just scratched all the right places.
One last thing...I loved this book enough to look up more from the author and guess what? Gillian's half-brother Griffin has his own book! I've already bought it. I am beyond excited. He stole every scene he was in.
My slump is over! I repeat, my slump is over!
This goat gets it.
I just loved this book. I don't know if I loved it a little extra because in comparison to what I've been reading it was bloody brilliant or perhaps it was just bloody brilliant. I'd like to think it's a little of both.
This book somehow managed to combine a lot of things I don't like in historical romances but everything was just done so well that it just worked. Like magic.
Gillian Dryden is the illegitimate daughter of a prince and therefore has a permanent stain on her reputation. Growing up in Italy, Gillian's mother remarried a wonderful man that loved Gillian like his own. While she obviously has (very) noble blood, she grew up wild and really without any kind of restrictions on her behavior. Not only can she shoot a gun, she's skilled with a gun. Not only does she wear breeches, she has them specially made for her. Her unconventional skills are not used as a quirk of her character, but an important basis of who she is. Unfortunately, her beloved stepfather is killed by bandits and Gillian is devastated. Both with and without the help of Gillian's half-brother Griffin (he is amazing but has his own story and it really isn't that relevant in this book) she hunts down the bandits that killed her stepfather and gets her revenge. She murders them. This isn't a “she can shoot a target fifty feet away” kind of thing. This is a “she points her gun at her enemy and she shoots to kill” kind of thing. What happens when someone is successful at killing people? They are wanted for murder, naturally. Whether by the authorities or by the allies of the murdered. So it is off to England for Gillian and her mother, to the other side of her family. Enter Charles Penley aka Perfect Penley. He is a very distant relative of Gillian's family. I'm not sure if it is ever exactly explained but it isn't really that important. What is important is that Gillian's family is aware that Gillian is a walking scandal and even worse, she doesn't care. She doesn't want to live in England. She doesn't want an English husband. And she most certainly doesn't care if she's accepted by the ton. I usually find this annoying in a character but for her, it worked. She just wants to go back to Italy. She was forced to leave Italy and had she not, she would have happily lived there for the rest of her days. She would never have needed to fit in in England. I understood her rebellion. Charles is asked to kindly find a way to instruct Gillian on etiquette and use his influence to introduce her into society. This is a fairly common trope but it was handled well enough that it didn't come off as stale and recycled. As you can probably guess, their personalities clash from the beginning and obviously somewhere along the way, they fall for one another. The joy in the book, as it should be, was in the process.
I'm not usually a fan of the whole “I'm special because I like to shoot things, wear breeches, swear, and refuse to acknowledge societal etiquette because I have an alluring disregard for rules and I don't care what people think.” It isn't an easy story line to do well. Far too often it comes off as phony or a lazy way of making the heroine "special". In My Fair Princess, Gillian is a delightfully believable product of her environment who refuses to break her own moral code for something as silly as acceptance.
So, what did I like? Everything.
Gillian was wonderful. Was she perfect? Nope. She was a bit brash, sometimes disrespectful, quick to anger, and often rash in her decisions. She didn't always think things through and it didn't always work out well. She was also kind, protective, caring, generous, and willing to do just about anything for those she loved. She was the kind of person that would punch an aristocrat right in his noble face for being an asshole to her new friend. Yep, that's right. I might have done one of these:
Charles spent much of the book acting like an enormous prig but it was nicely offset by his unfailing desire to do the right thing. His rigidity gently eased in Gillian's presence and it was wonderful to watch the way they molded (not changed) each other into better versions of themselves. That's the way it's supposed to work, right?
Unfortunately, my absolutely favorite part of this book is spoilerish. I wish it wasn't so that I could wax poetic about its brilliance. Needless to say, when Gillian finally reveals a secret about herself to Charles that she is sure would scare him off, he responds in the very best way possible. It was sigh-worthy and beautiful and it made me want a Charles of my very own.
From the way I've gone on, it would seem like there wasn't any conflict in the book. There was plenty, it was just in the right places. There was villainy. There was drama. Charles and Gillian fought, said the wrong things, misunderstood things they said to one another. In that respect, it was just like any other HR. I just loved the hell out of it. A bunch of people are probably going to read this book and think it was mediocre. For me, it just scratched all the right places.
One last thing...I loved this book enough to look up more from the author and guess what? Gillian's half-brother Griffin has his own book! I've already bought it. I am beyond excited. He stole every scene he was in.
September 25, 2017
I feel kinda bad for not liking this book more, since so many people obviously enjoyed it and the writing's fine and it's clearly just meant to be a fun and frothy sort of read. But the heroine, Gillian, got on my last nerve. By the end of the book I simply couldn't stand her. While I enjoy an unconventional, spirited heroine, she was reckless, thoughtless and, quite frankly, too stupid to live. I suppose I should have known how she would turn out since she was hunting Sicilian bandits in the first chapter, This was one case where, when the hero tried to put his foot down and say, "Enough of this idiocy!" I was totally on his side.
September 17, 2017
I enjoyed this book so much! I wouldn't do it justice with a review.. SO go read Amanda's review. I agree wholeheartedly with everything she said and felt! xD
August 2, 2016
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I would say 3.5 stars for this one, but I will round up since I did find it more enjoyable than not. There's nothing earth-shattering or groundbreaking here, but this was a pretty cute story. Gillian is the illegitimate daughter of a royal duke that has recently come to England after living most of her life in Sicily. She and her mother have been outcasts from society due to her being illegitimate and her mother's affair with the royal duke. Charles, Duke of Leverton, is a distant cousin who has been enlisted to help Gillian gain the social capital and skills she needs to reintegrate into the ton since he is "Perfect Penley" a paragon of all that is proper. She's been running wild in Italy for some time and is hardly ready for London's high society. As one would suspect in Romancelandia, Gillian and Charles end up getting closer and closer as a result of this arrangement. Because, duh.
Other than the first chapter and a few near the end, this is mostly a story made up of conversations between the MC's. Some of the bickering is cute and works, and sometimes it gets a bit tedious. A lot of events are described in the past tense in the following chapter from when they actually occurred. The love scenes here are actually quite well-written.
The MC's were mostly likeable, but there were some inconsistencies. Earlier in the book I felt bad for Gillian because she was treated so badly by London society for no fault of her own, but later there were times she drove me nuts with her stubbornness and needing so much reassurance from Charles and his sister. She bordered on TSTL at times with her insistence on going after bandits by herself, but then she also proved herself intelligent and capable at other times. I liked that she was spunky and knew who she wanted to be. Charles was mostly extremely patient with Gillian and treated her almost too well to be believed, but especially at the beginning he acted like she was a child and was a bit patronizing. Overall, they did seem to suit pretty well. I could have used a bit less back and forth over whether they would marry or not- it got a bit old after a while.
There's not much else to say. This was cute, and I didn't hate it. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it better than many others I've read. I felt like it was trying to be a bit different yet stay true to the period's parameters, and I think it was successful overall. And....mad props to a cover that actually had the right period clothing and people who look like the characters!
I would say 3.5 stars for this one, but I will round up since I did find it more enjoyable than not. There's nothing earth-shattering or groundbreaking here, but this was a pretty cute story. Gillian is the illegitimate daughter of a royal duke that has recently come to England after living most of her life in Sicily. She and her mother have been outcasts from society due to her being illegitimate and her mother's affair with the royal duke. Charles, Duke of Leverton, is a distant cousin who has been enlisted to help Gillian gain the social capital and skills she needs to reintegrate into the ton since he is "Perfect Penley" a paragon of all that is proper. She's been running wild in Italy for some time and is hardly ready for London's high society. As one would suspect in Romancelandia, Gillian and Charles end up getting closer and closer as a result of this arrangement. Because, duh.
Other than the first chapter and a few near the end, this is mostly a story made up of conversations between the MC's. Some of the bickering is cute and works, and sometimes it gets a bit tedious. A lot of events are described in the past tense in the following chapter from when they actually occurred. The love scenes here are actually quite well-written.
The MC's were mostly likeable, but there were some inconsistencies. Earlier in the book I felt bad for Gillian because she was treated so badly by London society for no fault of her own, but later there were times she drove me nuts with her stubbornness and needing so much reassurance from Charles and his sister. She bordered on TSTL at times with her insistence on going after bandits by herself, but then she also proved herself intelligent and capable at other times. I liked that she was spunky and knew who she wanted to be. Charles was mostly extremely patient with Gillian and treated her almost too well to be believed, but especially at the beginning he acted like she was a child and was a bit patronizing. Overall, they did seem to suit pretty well. I could have used a bit less back and forth over whether they would marry or not- it got a bit old after a while.
There's not much else to say. This was cute, and I didn't hate it. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it better than many others I've read. I felt like it was trying to be a bit different yet stay true to the period's parameters, and I think it was successful overall. And....mad props to a cover that actually had the right period clothing and people who look like the characters!
August 17, 2016
**I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Instead of playing the pianoforte or doing needlework, Gillian prefers hunting bandits as a pastime. And she's pretty good at it.
Gillian is also a bastard, which makes things very difficult for her. She's a walking scandal, just for existing, so she's had to learn not to care about what people think, and she's not afraid of being herself.
I have to say that I really liked Gillian. At first I wasn't so sure about her, since I thought she behaved like a spoiled brat, but after we learn more of her story and see how the people of the ton treat her, you start to understand her behavior.
Penley, on the other hand, is excessively proper, which is why Gillian's family asks for his help to teach her how to behave like a lady, so that she can find a husband and escape all the awful men who wouldn't mind to bring her down and ruin her.
The relationship between Gillian and Penley is very sweet and funny. They argue a lot and get very frustrated (especially Penley, I do love it), but that was really bound to happen, since they're so very different and can't stand some of the things the other does. She's also been mistreated by men, so Gillian is very careful when dealing with Penley, and can't completely trust the man. Although I have to say I was a little disappointed in him for a moment there, when we find out about the feelings he had for a certain lady from his past, I thought he'd be better than that and that he wouldn't be interested in a woman like her. Like... really, Penley? Shallow much?
Gillian also constantly points out that, had she been born a man, people wouldn't mind her being a bastard that much, just like it happens with her brother (who's also a bastard), but oh well. Oh and her brother is actually really nice to her, I liked him very much!
I loved reading about Gillian and Penley, especially while she was hunting bandits. She's very different from most heroines in historical novels in many ways, that's for sure :)
More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha
Instead of playing the pianoforte or doing needlework, Gillian prefers hunting bandits as a pastime. And she's pretty good at it.
Gillian is also a bastard, which makes things very difficult for her. She's a walking scandal, just for existing, so she's had to learn not to care about what people think, and she's not afraid of being herself.
I have to say that I really liked Gillian. At first I wasn't so sure about her, since I thought she behaved like a spoiled brat, but after we learn more of her story and see how the people of the ton treat her, you start to understand her behavior.
Penley, on the other hand, is excessively proper, which is why Gillian's family asks for his help to teach her how to behave like a lady, so that she can find a husband and escape all the awful men who wouldn't mind to bring her down and ruin her.
The relationship between Gillian and Penley is very sweet and funny. They argue a lot and get very frustrated (especially Penley, I do love it), but that was really bound to happen, since they're so very different and can't stand some of the things the other does. She's also been mistreated by men, so Gillian is very careful when dealing with Penley, and can't completely trust the man. Although I have to say I was a little disappointed in him for a moment there, when we find out about the feelings he had for a certain lady from his past, I thought he'd be better than that and that he wouldn't be interested in a woman like her. Like... really, Penley? Shallow much?
Gillian also constantly points out that, had she been born a man, people wouldn't mind her being a bastard that much, just like it happens with her brother (who's also a bastard), but oh well. Oh and her brother is actually really nice to her, I liked him very much!
I loved reading about Gillian and Penley, especially while she was hunting bandits. She's very different from most heroines in historical novels in many ways, that's for sure :)
More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha
February 24, 2020
The beginning was good. As the story went on it became more and more frustrating. Gillian assassinates the men who killed her step-father, which puts her in danger so she is forced by her family to move to England. Her family convinces a distant relation through marriage who is a duke to help improve Gillian's behavior.
Gillian irritated me to no end. She had no sense of self preservation. She did many incredibly reckless things. There were several times she endangered a 6 year old boy's life, so she could get information and track down thieves. It's one thing if she puts herself in danger but to do that to a young boy is unforgivable. On top of that, she was blunt to the point of being extremely rude almost all of the time. Yet she almost never had to apologize for her actions.
Everyone close to Gillian insisted that she was good person. However there was absolutely no evidence of that. I would have been able to forgive her bad behavior if she had managed to grow and mature throughout the novel. If anything her behavior became worse toward the end.
I couldn't figure out exactly why Charles loved her, although I did like them as a couple. Charles was sensible, so it wasn't likely that he would have been interested in someone so immature. It annoyed me that Gillian made many slights against Charles and rarely apologized but he apologized to her often. there was an element of the story that I really liked, but too many parts of it were very frustrating.
Gillian irritated me to no end. She had no sense of self preservation. She did many incredibly reckless things. There were several times she endangered a 6 year old boy's life, so she could get information and track down thieves. It's one thing if she puts herself in danger but to do that to a young boy is unforgivable. On top of that, she was blunt to the point of being extremely rude almost all of the time. Yet she almost never had to apologize for her actions.
Everyone close to Gillian insisted that she was good person. However there was absolutely no evidence of that. I would have been able to forgive her bad behavior if she had managed to grow and mature throughout the novel. If anything her behavior became worse toward the end.
I couldn't figure out exactly why Charles loved her, although I did like them as a couple. Charles was sensible, so it wasn't likely that he would have been interested in someone so immature. It annoyed me that Gillian made many slights against Charles and rarely apologized but he apologized to her often. there was an element of the story that I really liked, but too many parts of it were very frustrating.
August 31, 2016
Gillian is a strong-willed and non-traditional heroine in this historical romance - she's a bastard and has hunted and killed bandits, and is brought to London for her on safety, and presumably to find a husband. The hero and the heroine had good chemistry, and I liked that they were honest with each other.
August 31, 2016
This is my first read from Vanessa Kelly, and I am looking forward to trying more of her books. I am particularly interested in the Royal Renegades series, which I think may feature Griffin Steele, who fascinated me in this book. The Improper Princesses series promises to be entertaining, with unconventional heroines who must overcome of the stain of illegitimacy during a time when the circumstances of one's birth were blamed as much on the child as the parent.
Charles Valentine Penley, Sixth Duke of Leverton, is a paragon of society. He is so proper and correct that he has been deemed Peerless Penley, Perfect Penley, and Impeccable Penley. When a relation asks him to bring a troubled young lady into society and teach her how to behave, he doesn't quite know what he is getting into. Leverton's perfect world goes cattywampus and he soon finds himself the subject of scandal and gossip, which is anathema to him.
Gillian Dryden is one of the royal by-blows of the Duke of Cumberland, brother of the Prince Regent. The circumstances of Gillian's birth and her hoydenish behavior have earned her several monikers - Pugilistic Princess, Savage Sicilian, Doxy Duchess. Gillian is smart as a whip but stubborn as a mule, and the ton definitely has not experienced her ilk before. She has the tendency to go off half-cocked into dangerous situations and won't listen to loved ones who try to reason with her. I enjoyed Gillian's blunt and forthright manner, and I loved seeing her act the spitfire among the catty and snide beau monde. I also liked that Gillian was not afraid to point out the hypocrisy of the ton, how men and women are not painted with the same brush when it comes to reputations, and she was reviled for the circumstances of her birth which she had no control over. I think Gillian was too reckless at times when it came to running off after bandits, and I was a bit surprised that she encouraged Leverton to chase after the outlaws given the fate of her father. This immature behavior made Gillian seem rash and self-absorbed, as she often took others into the fray with her with naive thoughts that she could keep them safe.
The romance between Leverton and Gillian was a slow burn. While Charles attempts to teach society manners to the uninterested Gillian, his attraction to her slowly bubbles to the surface. Despite Charles' tutoring, Gillian finds herself in a pickle quite often. Charles finally seems to give up on the teaching and accept his feelings toward his charge. I liked seeing Charles loosen up and lose his perfect demeanor from time to to time. I wish there would have been a little more chemistry between the couple with a grand passion, rather than the continuous sniping and disagreements. The intimacy between our couple was not abundant, but when it arose, it was well-written and realistic. For all of Gillian's brazen ways, I expected her to be a more active participant, but it seems that she was more reserved and innocent when it came to adult situations.
The secondary characters in this installment were quite good. Lady Marbury was indomitable while her daughter, the Contessa, was meek and grief-stricken. Leverton's sister, Lady Filby, added a bit of light humor to the story, and her poking at Leverton was entertaining. However the character who fascinated me the most was Gillian's half-brother, Griffin Steele, another by-blow of the royal duke. He seems to the dangerous and captivating hero that I usually go for - so I need to do some research to see if he has a book in that Royal Renegades series.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 2 flames. Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled.
Charles Valentine Penley, Sixth Duke of Leverton, is a paragon of society. He is so proper and correct that he has been deemed Peerless Penley, Perfect Penley, and Impeccable Penley. When a relation asks him to bring a troubled young lady into society and teach her how to behave, he doesn't quite know what he is getting into. Leverton's perfect world goes cattywampus and he soon finds himself the subject of scandal and gossip, which is anathema to him.
Gillian Dryden is one of the royal by-blows of the Duke of Cumberland, brother of the Prince Regent. The circumstances of Gillian's birth and her hoydenish behavior have earned her several monikers - Pugilistic Princess, Savage Sicilian, Doxy Duchess. Gillian is smart as a whip but stubborn as a mule, and the ton definitely has not experienced her ilk before. She has the tendency to go off half-cocked into dangerous situations and won't listen to loved ones who try to reason with her. I enjoyed Gillian's blunt and forthright manner, and I loved seeing her act the spitfire among the catty and snide beau monde. I also liked that Gillian was not afraid to point out the hypocrisy of the ton, how men and women are not painted with the same brush when it comes to reputations, and she was reviled for the circumstances of her birth which she had no control over. I think Gillian was too reckless at times when it came to running off after bandits, and I was a bit surprised that she encouraged Leverton to chase after the outlaws given the fate of her father. This immature behavior made Gillian seem rash and self-absorbed, as she often took others into the fray with her with naive thoughts that she could keep them safe.
The romance between Leverton and Gillian was a slow burn. While Charles attempts to teach society manners to the uninterested Gillian, his attraction to her slowly bubbles to the surface. Despite Charles' tutoring, Gillian finds herself in a pickle quite often. Charles finally seems to give up on the teaching and accept his feelings toward his charge. I liked seeing Charles loosen up and lose his perfect demeanor from time to to time. I wish there would have been a little more chemistry between the couple with a grand passion, rather than the continuous sniping and disagreements. The intimacy between our couple was not abundant, but when it arose, it was well-written and realistic. For all of Gillian's brazen ways, I expected her to be a more active participant, but it seems that she was more reserved and innocent when it came to adult situations.
The secondary characters in this installment were quite good. Lady Marbury was indomitable while her daughter, the Contessa, was meek and grief-stricken. Leverton's sister, Lady Filby, added a bit of light humor to the story, and her poking at Leverton was entertaining. However the character who fascinated me the most was Gillian's half-brother, Griffin Steele, another by-blow of the royal duke. He seems to the dangerous and captivating hero that I usually go for - so I need to do some research to see if he has a book in that Royal Renegades series.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars / 2 flames. Full review posted at Bambi Unbridled.
August 29, 2016
Why, Charles? In all honestly, I cannot see why he falls in love with Gillian. I tried so hard to be patient with her while reading about her foolish stunts, but I just couldn’t be. She’s so irritating! She’s supposed to be twenty-one (or is it two?), has spent her entire life being belittled for a parentage, is tough enough to track down and deal with the bandits who murdered her stepfather… and yet she does incredibly stupid things, because that’s just the way she is.
No. No, it isn’t. She could behave better, she just chooses not to. She could control her temper, she just chooses not to. She could make things easier for her mother and grandmother (both of whom she claims to care so deeply for), but again, she chooses not to. In fact, she often goes out of her way to make things worse, because she’s just quirky that way. Or something. Also, she’s smart enough to know why she can never return to Sicily, but somehow manages to ignore the reality of her situation and pout about it, because it’s all so unfair! She’s reckless and selfish and foolish, while at the same time showing that she could do better, if only she wasn’t too childish most of the time to act her age.
The thing is, I don’t mind spirited heroines. Especially intelligent ones. But Gillian isn’t spirited, she’s willfully, obnoxiously stubborn and determined to act like an idiot, while claiming otherwise.
I also really hated the fact that Charles was never allowed to mock or insult her, yet she spends the whole time doing just that to him. She knows he hates being called Perfect Penley, she even learns why it is actually quite hurtful, but she carries on anyway. Because she is selfish and obnoxious and downright irritating.
Charles isn’t actually perfect, either. He has his arrogant moments and occasionally says really foolish things, but at least he listens to Gillian and tries to help her. Although I did think he needed to loosen up at times, I didn’t particularly like the way Gillian’s influence undermines the good things in his character and usually ended with him being as mean and insulting as she could be. But this was good, because hanging around perfect people is so boring and fatiguing, don’t you know?
The thing that really irritated me, above and beyond everything else, is that there are no consequences. Gillian is a murderess, but this doesn’t have any impact on her at all (I know they’re bandits and it’s justice! and all, but still, it’s also still murder), nor on those around her. She frequently places others in danger or discomfort, but she’s always right, so who cares? I’m usually the first to cheer when a heroine is capable enough of rescuing herself, but in this case I really wanted Gillian’s careless behaviour to land her in the hot water she so richly deserved. Because in truth, she learns nothing in this book, except that she can do whatever the hell she likes and she will get away with it.
She’s not the only one who gets away with bad behaviour either. I would have dearly loved to have seen other characters get their well-deserved comeuppance too, but sadly, nothing.
Which is all kind of a shame, because this is written in an engaging style that made it easy to read. It would have been enjoyable too, if only Gillian hadn’t irritated me so much. Alas, she did, so in the end this book just wasn’t for me.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
No. No, it isn’t. She could behave better, she just chooses not to. She could control her temper, she just chooses not to. She could make things easier for her mother and grandmother (both of whom she claims to care so deeply for), but again, she chooses not to. In fact, she often goes out of her way to make things worse, because she’s just quirky that way. Or something. Also, she’s smart enough to know why she can never return to Sicily, but somehow manages to ignore the reality of her situation and pout about it, because it’s all so unfair! She’s reckless and selfish and foolish, while at the same time showing that she could do better, if only she wasn’t too childish most of the time to act her age.
The thing is, I don’t mind spirited heroines. Especially intelligent ones. But Gillian isn’t spirited, she’s willfully, obnoxiously stubborn and determined to act like an idiot, while claiming otherwise.
I also really hated the fact that Charles was never allowed to mock or insult her, yet she spends the whole time doing just that to him. She knows he hates being called Perfect Penley, she even learns why it is actually quite hurtful, but she carries on anyway. Because she is selfish and obnoxious and downright irritating.
Charles isn’t actually perfect, either. He has his arrogant moments and occasionally says really foolish things, but at least he listens to Gillian and tries to help her. Although I did think he needed to loosen up at times, I didn’t particularly like the way Gillian’s influence undermines the good things in his character and usually ended with him being as mean and insulting as she could be. But this was good, because hanging around perfect people is so boring and fatiguing, don’t you know?
The thing that really irritated me, above and beyond everything else, is that there are no consequences. Gillian is a murderess, but this doesn’t have any impact on her at all (I know they’re bandits and it’s justice! and all, but still, it’s also still murder), nor on those around her. She frequently places others in danger or discomfort, but she’s always right, so who cares? I’m usually the first to cheer when a heroine is capable enough of rescuing herself, but in this case I really wanted Gillian’s careless behaviour to land her in the hot water she so richly deserved. Because in truth, she learns nothing in this book, except that she can do whatever the hell she likes and she will get away with it.
She’s not the only one who gets away with bad behaviour either. I would have dearly loved to have seen other characters get their well-deserved comeuppance too, but sadly, nothing.
Which is all kind of a shame, because this is written in an engaging style that made it easy to read. It would have been enjoyable too, if only Gillian hadn’t irritated me so much. Alas, she did, so in the end this book just wasn’t for me.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
August 25, 2016
ARC REVIEW
My Fair Princess is the first of Vanessa Kelly’s Improper Princess series which is a spinoff of sorts of her Renegade Royals. Even if you haven’t read that series this is a great place to start. If you have then the notorious Griffin Steele has a sister, well half-sister. I love Gillian, she is a force to be reckoned with. Now if you are expecting a prim and proper princess then the series title “Improper” Princesses should be a good hint that this is not the series you are looking for. But if you are looking for a headstrong, outspoken, nobody talks bad about my mother, I’m going to do what I think is right, hoyden of a princess then yes, this is the story you are looking for. That's what I loved about Gillian she is fiercely loyal and a strong sense of justice. I mean she went after the bandits that murdered her step-father and one by one killed them because no one else seemed interested in enforcing justice. Charles was a hard pill to swallow in the beginning he was very much his nickname Perfect Penley and even though he has Gillian's best interest at heart he just seems so very priggish. But I had a change of heart by the time they made it into the country, without all the eyes of society on them he seemed more relaxed, he still managed to stick his foot in his mouth a couple of times and still very high handed, I sympathized with Gillian a lot, if I were in her shoes I'd so the same damn thing.
I loved the interplay between Gillian and Charles. It really was inevitable that they fell in love, opposites attract. Charles needed someone to challenge him and knock the Perfect off of Perfect Penley. Gillian needed someone to love her even though she never thought she was good enough, or worthy of love. She never cared what people thought of her because that’s what she thought of herself, she needed someone to prove her wrong. I loved seeing Griffin and Justine again they had a nice little part. I really hope the other princess are as improper as this one. I really adored Gillian and even Charles after he stopped being so priggish. Overall, great story and a great build up to the climatic ending and just the right amount of angst to play at the heartstrings a bit.
My Fair Princess is the first of Vanessa Kelly’s Improper Princess series which is a spinoff of sorts of her Renegade Royals. Even if you haven’t read that series this is a great place to start. If you have then the notorious Griffin Steele has a sister, well half-sister. I love Gillian, she is a force to be reckoned with. Now if you are expecting a prim and proper princess then the series title “Improper” Princesses should be a good hint that this is not the series you are looking for. But if you are looking for a headstrong, outspoken, nobody talks bad about my mother, I’m going to do what I think is right, hoyden of a princess then yes, this is the story you are looking for. That's what I loved about Gillian she is fiercely loyal and a strong sense of justice. I mean she went after the bandits that murdered her step-father and one by one killed them because no one else seemed interested in enforcing justice. Charles was a hard pill to swallow in the beginning he was very much his nickname Perfect Penley and even though he has Gillian's best interest at heart he just seems so very priggish. But I had a change of heart by the time they made it into the country, without all the eyes of society on them he seemed more relaxed, he still managed to stick his foot in his mouth a couple of times and still very high handed, I sympathized with Gillian a lot, if I were in her shoes I'd so the same damn thing.
I loved the interplay between Gillian and Charles. It really was inevitable that they fell in love, opposites attract. Charles needed someone to challenge him and knock the Perfect off of Perfect Penley. Gillian needed someone to love her even though she never thought she was good enough, or worthy of love. She never cared what people thought of her because that’s what she thought of herself, she needed someone to prove her wrong. I loved seeing Griffin and Justine again they had a nice little part. I really hope the other princess are as improper as this one. I really adored Gillian and even Charles after he stopped being so priggish. Overall, great story and a great build up to the climatic ending and just the right amount of angst to play at the heartstrings a bit.
September 1, 2016
I found this book to be captivating, engaging, bewitching, charming, and enchanting. Did I give you all enough adjectives to describe this book? I guess I could have simply said, I love this novel! But, I didn't...wink, wink:)
Anyway, I've never read Vanessa Kelly's book before but I'm definitely interested now. I loved her writing and the characters that she brought to life. Charles and Gillian were perfect. I enjoyed their camaraderie, their banter....whatever you want to call it, it was perfect. There was romance, adventure, witty dialogue, great characters--I especially liked that Gillian wasn't your typical ton lady!
If you like romance, I definitely recommend checking this one out.
**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anyway, I've never read Vanessa Kelly's book before but I'm definitely interested now. I loved her writing and the characters that she brought to life. Charles and Gillian were perfect. I enjoyed their camaraderie, their banter....whatever you want to call it, it was perfect. There was romance, adventure, witty dialogue, great characters--I especially liked that Gillian wasn't your typical ton lady!
If you like romance, I definitely recommend checking this one out.
**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2016
Charles and Gillian have quite the interesting relationship going on:
“I’m taking advantage of you, as should be obvious by now.” He swooped down to slip his tongue into her mouth for a brief, delicious taste. “And I don’t give a damn whether you mind or not.”
She blinked up at him, looking rather suprised. “Oh. Well then, carry on.”
I really enjoyed this book, Charles needed to lighten up and not be a stiffer, and lucky for him Gillian was that woman who drove him to the edge, they were perfect for each other.
“I’m taking advantage of you, as should be obvious by now.” He swooped down to slip his tongue into her mouth for a brief, delicious taste. “And I don’t give a damn whether you mind or not.”
She blinked up at him, looking rather suprised. “Oh. Well then, carry on.”
I really enjoyed this book, Charles needed to lighten up and not be a stiffer, and lucky for him Gillian was that woman who drove him to the edge, they were perfect for each other.
October 1, 2017
DNF chapter 4 (~10%). Buddy read URR October 2017.
I was going to write that the book just did not keep my interest and not rate it. The writing is ok but it is the same old story of a spirited young lady her family wants to see married off.
Except she is not just spirited, she is reckless. For example, in the first chapter she goes around avenging her stepfather and killing brigands. To take a shot at the leader, she has to stand up out of cover and actually does it. That is pure stupidity.
I was going to write that the book just did not keep my interest and not rate it. The writing is ok but it is the same old story of a spirited young lady her family wants to see married off.
Except she is not just spirited, she is reckless. For example, in the first chapter she goes around avenging her stepfather and killing brigands. To take a shot at the leader, she has to stand up out of cover and actually does it. That is pure stupidity.
September 15, 2016
3.5 stars - Historical Romance
September 25, 2017
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
This was one of the monthly book selections for the Unapologetic Romance Readers group on Goodreads. We tend to read a lot of historicals, and this is no exception, which makes me happy because historicals are my favorites!
The plot follows Gillian, the bastard daughter of a royal duke (AKA the Prince Regent's brother) who grew up in Sicily and, when we encounter her, is busy hunting down the bandits who killed her beloved stepfather. Skip ahead a bit, and Gillian and her surviving family have returned to England, where they have enlisted Charles, Duke of Leverton, to help with civilizing Gillian so she can make a good match. Why Charles? Because he's apparently some sort of distant cousin; at least distant enough that I couldn't keep any of the connections straight. Gillian doesn't want civilizing or a husband, she just wants to go back to Sicily, and so our conflict is born.
As far as plots go, this one revolves around a trope that I quite like: the hero trying to find the heroine a love interest, and then falling for her himself. Charles as a character actually grew on me quite a bit. Despite being rather bland and proper at the beginning of the book, he slowly starts to come out of his shell, pulled from his comfort zone by Gillian's behavior and the scandal that she stirs up. Gillian, on the other hand, made me want to slap her upside the head. She has her own desires, of course, but she acted like such a child, refusing to even see that maybe the way she was going about things wasn't the way to get what she wanted, or that what she wanted might not even be possible. She dragged other innocent parties into downright dangerous situations, including a child who wanted to impress her. When Charles tells her that she can't continue acting like that, she basically blows up and says that well, then they can't be together, to which I say, well then, maybe he would have been better off without her.
As for their relationship, there's a rather abrupt shift in it at one point. In the beginning of the book, they kind of separately admit to themselves to being mildly attracted to each other, but neither is pursuing the other in any sort of active way. And then, all of a sudden, they're all over each other. It's not insta-love or insta-lust, but it's also not a slow development, and the switch felt like it came out of nowhere and made the pacing of the relationship just feel a bit off. The supporting characters help to bolster the weirdness of the relationship, particularly Charles' sister Elizabeth, who was a wonderful supporting character and just the kind of sweet and steady presence both main characters needed. Gillian's half-brother, Griffin, is also featured, and appears to be a main character in a book in one of Kelly's other series, the Renegade Royals--one of the books of which I have also read!
Overall, I liked this, but it was nothing extraordinary. Gillian was an infuriating heroine and her revenge subplots kind of dragged down what could have been something absolutely delightful. However, I would still be interested in reading more from Kelly in the future.
3 stars out of 5.
This was one of the monthly book selections for the Unapologetic Romance Readers group on Goodreads. We tend to read a lot of historicals, and this is no exception, which makes me happy because historicals are my favorites!
The plot follows Gillian, the bastard daughter of a royal duke (AKA the Prince Regent's brother) who grew up in Sicily and, when we encounter her, is busy hunting down the bandits who killed her beloved stepfather. Skip ahead a bit, and Gillian and her surviving family have returned to England, where they have enlisted Charles, Duke of Leverton, to help with civilizing Gillian so she can make a good match. Why Charles? Because he's apparently some sort of distant cousin; at least distant enough that I couldn't keep any of the connections straight. Gillian doesn't want civilizing or a husband, she just wants to go back to Sicily, and so our conflict is born.
As far as plots go, this one revolves around a trope that I quite like: the hero trying to find the heroine a love interest, and then falling for her himself. Charles as a character actually grew on me quite a bit. Despite being rather bland and proper at the beginning of the book, he slowly starts to come out of his shell, pulled from his comfort zone by Gillian's behavior and the scandal that she stirs up. Gillian, on the other hand, made me want to slap her upside the head. She has her own desires, of course, but she acted like such a child, refusing to even see that maybe the way she was going about things wasn't the way to get what she wanted, or that what she wanted might not even be possible. She dragged other innocent parties into downright dangerous situations, including a child who wanted to impress her. When Charles tells her that she can't continue acting like that, she basically blows up and says that well, then they can't be together, to which I say, well then, maybe he would have been better off without her.
As for their relationship, there's a rather abrupt shift in it at one point. In the beginning of the book, they kind of separately admit to themselves to being mildly attracted to each other, but neither is pursuing the other in any sort of active way. And then, all of a sudden, they're all over each other. It's not insta-love or insta-lust, but it's also not a slow development, and the switch felt like it came out of nowhere and made the pacing of the relationship just feel a bit off. The supporting characters help to bolster the weirdness of the relationship, particularly Charles' sister Elizabeth, who was a wonderful supporting character and just the kind of sweet and steady presence both main characters needed. Gillian's half-brother, Griffin, is also featured, and appears to be a main character in a book in one of Kelly's other series, the Renegade Royals--one of the books of which I have also read!
Overall, I liked this, but it was nothing extraordinary. Gillian was an infuriating heroine and her revenge subplots kind of dragged down what could have been something absolutely delightful. However, I would still be interested in reading more from Kelly in the future.
3 stars out of 5.
May 19, 2019
3.25 stars.
I quite enjoyed reading this book. It was safe, the MCs were understandable and not OTT. The plot, while a little silly, was still within the realm of believable. The heroine’s backstory was well developed, but the hero’s could’ve used some work. As a result, I didn’t relate to him as much. He was a decent man, however, and didn’t come across as a rake, which I appreciated a lot. There was also no mention of his past, and many romance authors these days could learn from this.
The historical setting was also a bit weak. It felt like a missed opportunity, to be sure, and the story read like a boat adrift in the waters of a historical romance-esque sea. The book would’ve benefited from a more thoroughly expounded upon time period.
The wannabe OW drama was mild and quite tame. I’m glad there weren’t too many misunderstandings. However, I felt like the book chemistry fizzled out toward the end, so I’m docking a quarter star.
I’m looking forward to seeing what this author has in store. You’ll see me combing through and shelving her backlist soon. :)
I quite enjoyed reading this book. It was safe, the MCs were understandable and not OTT. The plot, while a little silly, was still within the realm of believable. The heroine’s backstory was well developed, but the hero’s could’ve used some work. As a result, I didn’t relate to him as much. He was a decent man, however, and didn’t come across as a rake, which I appreciated a lot. There was also no mention of his past, and many romance authors these days could learn from this.
The historical setting was also a bit weak. It felt like a missed opportunity, to be sure, and the story read like a boat adrift in the waters of a historical romance-esque sea. The book would’ve benefited from a more thoroughly expounded upon time period.
The wannabe OW drama was mild and quite tame. I’m glad there weren’t too many misunderstandings. However, I felt like the book chemistry fizzled out toward the end, so I’m docking a quarter star.
I’m looking forward to seeing what this author has in store. You’ll see me combing through and shelving her backlist soon. :)
January 30, 2019
This was a slow-burn romance. The first half of the book was about the hero teaching the heroine to behave more like a proper lady of the ton. There was very little lusting after the heroine/hero on either the main characters' part, which was refreshing after reading so many books this year with insta lust. In another situation, I might have been impatient with the lack of romance in the first half of the book.
The heroine is a bastard child of the royal Duke of Cumberland. She's used to and doesn't care what other people says about her birth. However, if you say one bad thing about her mother, she will beat you with a horsewhip or punch you in the face. And that's what I love about her.
The heroine is a bastard child of the royal Duke of Cumberland. She's used to and doesn't care what other people says about her birth. However, if you say one bad thing about her mother, she will beat you with a horsewhip or punch you in the face. And that's what I love about her.
July 14, 2016
After her family was exiled to Sicily, Gillian Dryden, illegitimate daughter of a prince, grew up wild and free of the social graces a lady should possess. Now Gillian has been brought home to England by her grandmother who is determined that Gillian enter society and find a suitable husband. The grandmother enlists the aid of family relation Charles Valentine Penley, Duke of Leverton, to transform her hoyden granddaughter into a lady worthy of the upper class.
Charles, known as Perfect Penley, is a paragon of courtesy and good taste. A true leader of the ton. But his new charge is “a catalogue of social disasters”. The aristocracy is appalled and Charles, though he should be shocked, finds himself fascinated. Despite the chaos Gillian brings, he can’t resist making her his.
Vanessa Kelly introduces two of the most charming characters I’ve read in a long time. Gillian and Charles were delightful. I found myself chuckling, oohing and aahing all through the book.
Gillian Dryden had spent her life socially isolated. She had little command of dance, the arts, basic manners- all the things the ton would find imperative skills for a lady. Though to her credit, she could cuss like a sailor and fell a man with one shot. Her family had loved and protected her but done little to prepare her for life among the aristocracy. Her mother who seemed to merely drift through life after her husband’s death, tended to wilt under stress and had no influence on Gillian’s behavior. Due to the scandal surrounding her birth, Gillian had never been accepted by society and spent a lifetime dealing with rejection and scorn. Knowing the ton would still be tempted to punish her for her mother’s transgressions, Lady Marbury, Gillian’s grandmother, guilts Charles Penley into aiding her by teaching her granddaughter “ how to be a proper English lady instead of a wild, impetuous baggage who offends every person she meets”. Charles, being a Penley, couldn’t turn her down. Gillian was family after all, and a Penley always does the right thing. But Charles, who was accustomed to making people cower with merely a look, was confounded with Gillian. How could one girl be so difficult to handle? He couldn’t stand the notion that there was someone he couldn’t bend to his will. She had a knack for making him lose his temper. His famous composure was anything but perfect around her. Gillian could be charming when she wanted to and she was surprisingly courageous. She could be extremely brash but she also had a sweet nature when dealing with her mother or anyone weak or vulnerable.
Gillian wasn’t unmoved by Charles either. Upon their first introduction, she had a feeling she had met her match. When Charles smiled, she got butterflies in her stomach. The more time she spent with Charles, the more nervous she felt in his presence. Gillian found him very attractive and felt like a country bumpkin next to him. Many times he exasperated her and she often bantered with and insulted him but Charles’ opinion of her mattered to her. She’d spent her life ignoring jabs and insults from society, but the pain they’d caused would be nothing compared to thinking Charles might feel the same.
Despite the occasional animosity and butting of heads (or maybe because of it), Charles and Gillian are drawn to one another, yet each questions their feelings along the way. Gillian may be trouble personified, but Charles can’t resist her. He knows he and Gillian don’t belong together, not by any rational argument, yet it just felt right. Yes, she had her faults, but she had more character and honor than most of the ton. Life with Gillian would be exciting but also dangerous. Gillian had her concerns too. She thought all she wanted was to go back to Sicily but now she was left full of doubt. She didn’t want to go anywhere without Charles. But did he love her? Was she good enough for a respectable man like him?
My Fair Princess is a Pygmalion story of sorts. Like Henry Higgins, Charles is given the task of transforming an untamed miss into a debutante. And like Henry Higgins, Charles Penley meets his match in his beautiful protégé. But that’s where the similarities end. Not only does Charles fail to rid Gillian of her shocking behavior, he discovers those things the ton found appalling are the very things he loves about her. This is the first in Ms. Kelly’s Improper Princesses series and I am hooked. I can’t wait to see what delightful stories she has in store for us next. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
Charles, known as Perfect Penley, is a paragon of courtesy and good taste. A true leader of the ton. But his new charge is “a catalogue of social disasters”. The aristocracy is appalled and Charles, though he should be shocked, finds himself fascinated. Despite the chaos Gillian brings, he can’t resist making her his.
Vanessa Kelly introduces two of the most charming characters I’ve read in a long time. Gillian and Charles were delightful. I found myself chuckling, oohing and aahing all through the book.
Gillian Dryden had spent her life socially isolated. She had little command of dance, the arts, basic manners- all the things the ton would find imperative skills for a lady. Though to her credit, she could cuss like a sailor and fell a man with one shot. Her family had loved and protected her but done little to prepare her for life among the aristocracy. Her mother who seemed to merely drift through life after her husband’s death, tended to wilt under stress and had no influence on Gillian’s behavior. Due to the scandal surrounding her birth, Gillian had never been accepted by society and spent a lifetime dealing with rejection and scorn. Knowing the ton would still be tempted to punish her for her mother’s transgressions, Lady Marbury, Gillian’s grandmother, guilts Charles Penley into aiding her by teaching her granddaughter “ how to be a proper English lady instead of a wild, impetuous baggage who offends every person she meets”. Charles, being a Penley, couldn’t turn her down. Gillian was family after all, and a Penley always does the right thing. But Charles, who was accustomed to making people cower with merely a look, was confounded with Gillian. How could one girl be so difficult to handle? He couldn’t stand the notion that there was someone he couldn’t bend to his will. She had a knack for making him lose his temper. His famous composure was anything but perfect around her. Gillian could be charming when she wanted to and she was surprisingly courageous. She could be extremely brash but she also had a sweet nature when dealing with her mother or anyone weak or vulnerable.
Gillian wasn’t unmoved by Charles either. Upon their first introduction, she had a feeling she had met her match. When Charles smiled, she got butterflies in her stomach. The more time she spent with Charles, the more nervous she felt in his presence. Gillian found him very attractive and felt like a country bumpkin next to him. Many times he exasperated her and she often bantered with and insulted him but Charles’ opinion of her mattered to her. She’d spent her life ignoring jabs and insults from society, but the pain they’d caused would be nothing compared to thinking Charles might feel the same.
Despite the occasional animosity and butting of heads (or maybe because of it), Charles and Gillian are drawn to one another, yet each questions their feelings along the way. Gillian may be trouble personified, but Charles can’t resist her. He knows he and Gillian don’t belong together, not by any rational argument, yet it just felt right. Yes, she had her faults, but she had more character and honor than most of the ton. Life with Gillian would be exciting but also dangerous. Gillian had her concerns too. She thought all she wanted was to go back to Sicily but now she was left full of doubt. She didn’t want to go anywhere without Charles. But did he love her? Was she good enough for a respectable man like him?
My Fair Princess is a Pygmalion story of sorts. Like Henry Higgins, Charles is given the task of transforming an untamed miss into a debutante. And like Henry Higgins, Charles Penley meets his match in his beautiful protégé. But that’s where the similarities end. Not only does Charles fail to rid Gillian of her shocking behavior, he discovers those things the ton found appalling are the very things he loves about her. This is the first in Ms. Kelly’s Improper Princesses series and I am hooked. I can’t wait to see what delightful stories she has in store for us next. A Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team Selection
August 23, 2016
While I was at first put off by the heroine, I realized quickly that it was only because I was expecting something different. I love to be taken down a notch when reading something, and this book definitely called me out on my "ladies don't hurt others" Regency mentality.
Gillian is a naive, impetuous, immature heroine - but somehow, you end up liking her anyway. She's no wilting flower, that's for sure, and she has a notion that she has to right the world's wrongs. She does so in her own way, which she is absolutely sure is the right way, but it takes the Duke of Leverton (Charles) to make the reader see that her way is the worst way to go about gaining what she calls justice - but is really just revenge.
Charles is a proper Englishman, very much adhering to the rules of English society. However, Kelly created him so well that he didn't come across as stodgy; in fact, he came across as warm, kind, and a fun guy to hang around with. Sure, he was a bit high-handed in many scenes, but it was, in my opinion, very much needed due to Gillian's immaturity. (Seriously, the girl might've needed a father more than a husband, but I digress.)
The chemistry between the two was likely to explode in only one of two directions - and it didn't go the "I can't stand this person" route. Watching Charles reassess what was truly important, and watching Gillian grow up a bit (but not much; I was, however, left with a sense that she would grow up quickly once married and thrust into society as a duchess) was satisfying.
The steamy sexy scenes were well done, and I absolutely adored the way Gillian was with Charles. She wasn't shy, but she wasn't acting like she'd been raised in a brothel, either - a delicate balance, to which I give the author much props for keeping.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read. Charles and Gillian were interesting, dynamic characters, and it was fun to see the secondary characters crop up. This is my first Vanessa Kelly book, but the way in which she wrote about Gillian's bother (and his wife) and Charles's sister (and her husband) made me think there are stories about them (there are!!).
This was a solid 3.5 star book for me. The only thing that would've made it higher is if I saw more growth from Gillian - but, again, I was left with a feeling of hope that she would mature quickly.
*I was given a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.*
Gillian is a naive, impetuous, immature heroine - but somehow, you end up liking her anyway. She's no wilting flower, that's for sure, and she has a notion that she has to right the world's wrongs. She does so in her own way, which she is absolutely sure is the right way, but it takes the Duke of Leverton (Charles) to make the reader see that her way is the worst way to go about gaining what she calls justice - but is really just revenge.
Charles is a proper Englishman, very much adhering to the rules of English society. However, Kelly created him so well that he didn't come across as stodgy; in fact, he came across as warm, kind, and a fun guy to hang around with. Sure, he was a bit high-handed in many scenes, but it was, in my opinion, very much needed due to Gillian's immaturity. (Seriously, the girl might've needed a father more than a husband, but I digress.)
The chemistry between the two was likely to explode in only one of two directions - and it didn't go the "I can't stand this person" route. Watching Charles reassess what was truly important, and watching Gillian grow up a bit (but not much; I was, however, left with a sense that she would grow up quickly once married and thrust into society as a duchess) was satisfying.
The steamy sexy scenes were well done, and I absolutely adored the way Gillian was with Charles. She wasn't shy, but she wasn't acting like she'd been raised in a brothel, either - a delicate balance, to which I give the author much props for keeping.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read. Charles and Gillian were interesting, dynamic characters, and it was fun to see the secondary characters crop up. This is my first Vanessa Kelly book, but the way in which she wrote about Gillian's bother (and his wife) and Charles's sister (and her husband) made me think there are stories about them (there are!!).
This was a solid 3.5 star book for me. The only thing that would've made it higher is if I saw more growth from Gillian - but, again, I was left with a feeling of hope that she would mature quickly.
*I was given a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.*
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