The Winter Prince: Cheryl Sawyer

From the cover:

Mary Villiers, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, is a ravishing beauty raised as the adopted daughter of Charles I of England. In 1642 she is shocked to find herself opposed to her king when he decides to declare war on Parliament-and therefore on his own people. Mary embarks on a dangerous quest to help save the throne of England for its rightful monarch, but first she must deal with the king's charismatic nephew, Prince Rupert of Bohemia...

Possessed of the same fiery intellect as Mary, Rupert is handsome, fearless and a natural leader. At first it seems they can never form an alliance, but a hidden, illicit passion draws them together in the midst of war. Then catastrophe threatens when Parliament brands them as lovers-if all Mary's secrets come out, she and Rupert may face execution for treason. From an author who writes "gloriously textured and crafted tales"(Bertrice Small) comes an epic love story that takes us into great halls, intimate chambers, and crucial battlefields among King Charles's beleaguered courtiers, the real people who once held the fate of England in their hands.

While I love having the opportunity to read and review new titles, as with all other privileges, there are serious drawbacks. In this case, it is having to read the good, as well as the horrendously boring.

After agreeing to review this book, I was expecting a romance with historical truth blended together with fantasy. However after delving into the book, I found that I was sorely mistaken. The Winter Prince quickly became little more than page after page of rambling about the events of the period and military maneuvering. Shortly after page 30, or so, I became so desperate from reading about this political issue or the military moving in that direction, I found myself skimming through the pages to only read the character dialogue.

To the author's credit, she had obviously done her research and spent much time compiling the events of the era, but this all drowned out the heart of the story. The "love" that supposedly developed between Rupert and Mary was off the mark. There was very little, stiff dialogue between the two during a few brief, public meetings before both were supposedly sucked in to this passionate love. The whole development of this relationship was completely missing and there was no real feeling to the writing, in regards to the relationships and the characters themselves.

After submitting myself to almost 400 pages of torture, I was left with the feeling of that I had just finished reading a school text book with no heart and soul attributed to the information contained on the pages between the covers.

------------------------------------------

Publisher: NAL Trade (April 3, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0451220447
Buy the Book