THE SHADOW PRINCESS by Mary Hart Perry

Publisher:   Diversion Books

Published:   February 11, 2014

ISBN:  978-1626812536

Genre:   Historical Fiction

Format:   Ebook

Obtained via:  Netgalley

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

THREE HEARTS

Queen Victoria’s daughter, Vicky, sits in Potsdam grieving the loss of her beloved Frederick III, Emperor of Germany.  Her husband taken from her all too soon her days are empty and frustrated because her son, Wilhelm continues to sacrifice the good of the country to add to his own coffers.  When her niece Princess Maud comes for a visit Vicky is delighted to see her until she hears Maud’s news—not only is a man on the loose on London’s streets killing women—the police believe it could be her nephew, the Crown Prince, Eddy.  Determined to help her family Vicky heads back to England with Maud.  There she begins her own search for the killer who comes to be called Jack the Ripper. 

Detective Inspector Thomas Edmondson is determined to find the Ripper and while suspects appear, he cannot shake the believe that the Crown Prince is the culprit behind the killings.  Worse, he believes there is a royal cover-up behind the killings. Determined to find out the truth he approaches the royal family.  But when he meets Vicky his world is turned upside down.  While his head screams he is a mere commoner, his heart pines for the princess.  He is not alone in his feelings—Vicky finds herself drawn more and more to Thomas. 

To protect her family, determined to track down the Ripper, Vicky puts herself in harm’s way.  Torn between duty and his heart Thomas seeks a way to bring both parts of his world together.  Can they find and keep each other before the Ripper tears them apart?

I very much enjoyed Mary Hart Perry’s first book on Queen Victoria’s daughters, the THE WILD PRINCESS.  THE WILD PRINCESS combined history, a fictional account of Queen Victoria’s children and romance into a well written, thoroughly enjoyable story.  I looked forward to reading THE SHADOW PRINCESS as soon as I heard about it.  It was a bit of a disappointment to me. 

It isn’t a bad story.  In fact the subject matter is pretty interesting in terms of who Vicky was and the whole Ripper story.  Just who was Jack the Ripper?  They never found out, but rumours abounded including that it was Crown Prince Edward.  Having a female member of Queen Victoria’s family investigate the murders, at first because of she tried to clear her nephew’s name and then because she cared to deeply for the women of London.  The whole mystique of Jack the Ripper has fascinated me for years.  It isn’t an easy subject to successfully carry off and Perry does it pretty well.

What disappointed me was that there were times I felt like the author couldn’t decide if she was writing a thriller, a romance or a young adult.  Not that you can’t have all three wrapped up in one good story—it was the jarring shifts from one genre to another without blending them that had me rolling my eyes a few times—mainly at the times the story slid into a young adult.  Vicky is a forty-something adult woman, the Empress of Germany and she will suddenly come across like a sixteen year old with a high school crush.  The elements just didn’t blend together all that well.

You do need to suspect belief in terms of Vicky and Thomas meeting in the first place—but their relationship does move along so you do want them to find a way to be together. 

As this is not a series there is no definitive order to the books.  I would, however, recommend reading THE WILD PRINCESS first because it is a much better told story and showcases Ms. Perry’s writing far better than THE SHADOW PRINCESS.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THE WILD PRINCESS by Mary Hart Perry

Publisher:  William Morrow

Published:   July 31, 2012

ISBN:  978-0062123466

Genre:   Historical Fiction

Format:  Paperback

Obtained via:  Publisher  

Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

THREE-1/2 HEARTS

 

While she ruled with an iron fist for sixty three years and is known seemingly mainly for spending most of it grieving her beloved consort, Albert, Queen Victoria gave birth to, and raised several children.  Known as the Wild Princess, on this day, the day of her wedding Louise, tries to be the daughter her mother has always wanted.  Standing beside her so very handsome groom, Lorne, the future Duke of Argyle, she is ready to take her place as a loving and dutiful wife.  On their wedding night, however, she learns that Lorne has a secret—one that could cause scandal to the royal family and death to the handsome young man.  They make a bargain, however, that could ultimately give them both the happiness they want.  But all is not well. 

A disgruntled faction of Irishmen, wanting to rule their own country, the Fenians, will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.  From a kidnapping attempt on the queen to wholesale murder they have but one goal in mind.  So intent on their purpose they hire a man with a particular talent, one that will do more than knock a few stones of a building or too.

But the queen is not without her supporters and Louise soon finds she is not so alone in her marriage when dashing Stephen Byrne arrives in England.  A hero of the American war between the states he presents a dashing figure in his long leather coat and dark Stetson.  Determined to hate him on sight, Louise soon finds herself drawn more and more deeply to the handsome American.  But duty calls and the royals must rise above any scandal, no matter what the cost.  Is happiness truly something Louise will never know?

I enjoy historical fiction and each time I pick one up I wonder how I’ve managed not to read more of them.  Given that I read three to four books on an average week one would think there was ample time to feed my reading passion with one.  Somehow other books find their way into my hands.  So picking THE WILD PRINCESS by Mary Hart Perry off my to be read pile was a wonderful treat.  Perry does a wonderful job of weaving fact—events of the Victorian era, with a marvellous fictional romance.  She ably shows not only the public side we know of Queen Victoria, but tells a very human side of each character we meet. There is no gratuitous drama in the story because the author takes the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters so you come away feeling like you have been there with them through their joys and sorrows. 

When Perry delved into Donovan’s backstory I did find myself a tad bored—it went on a little bit too long and I quickly figured out what the secret outcome was.  As I read it that section I found myself hoping that the rest of the book would not contain so more of this sort of history—and was delighted when the author told it and then moved on. 

Once I started reading THE WILD PRINCESS I had a hard time putting it down.  It isn’t necessarily a quick read because of how rich the writing it; but it is a read that you just want to sit back, have a cup of tea and enjoy from beginning to end.  I’ve already picked up the next two books in this series and can’t wait to dig in.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.