My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly
Release: August 30th, 2016
Romance Subgenre: Historical Romance
Series: The Improper Princesses #1
Romance Subgenre: Historical Romance
Series: The Improper Princesses #1
First, Vanessa Kelly brought readers The Renegade Royals. Now, in a delightfully witty new series, she introduces The Improper Princesses—three young women descended from royalty, each bound for her own thrilling adventure . . .
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 fairytale ending?
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 fairytale ending?
Theme Song
Hello music loving romance readers! Welcome to September/Pumpkin Spice Season/Fall! Now that the craziness that is late August is over at my day job (higher ed professionals what what) I’m looking forward to reading more and more books between now and the end of the year.
The one book I did manage to squeeze into my late August reading calendar was My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly. I gotta be honest, there isn’t much to dislike about this book. My Fair Princess is truly lovely. Cranky hero, check. Witty/sassy heroine, check. Sexual tension, check. Opposites attract, HUGE CHECK. For a good chunk of the beginning of this book I kept thinking that Charles and Gillian couldn’t possibly be our hero and heroine. They just seemed so far apart in what they wanted, and in their motivations that my brain couldn’t wrap around them together. Of course that just made their HEA even better and more satisfying. I highly recommend this book for historical romance readers. It’s so good y’all!
When thinking about a playlist for these two I just kept coming back to the waltz. Charles and Gillian dance the waltz together in a few scenes and the image of them dancing together really help me captive while I was trying to put this book to music. The waltz was quite new in Regency ballrooms and was almost scandalous since the two dancers needed to “embrace” each other to complete the movements. Although the waltz arrived in England around 1810 it wasn’t commonplace or socially acceptable for quite a few years. In 1816 (when My Fair Princess takes place) the waltz was certainly beginning to be allowable but a debate about its morality did continue still. Charles and Gillian waltzing together would have certainly created gossip and rumors. Since I just love the scandalous side of Charles I chose a Mozart waltz for My Fair Princess’ theme song.
“Michael Turner's Waltz” by Mozart from the Far from the Madding Crown Soundtrack
The one book I did manage to squeeze into my late August reading calendar was My Fair Princess by Vanessa Kelly. I gotta be honest, there isn’t much to dislike about this book. My Fair Princess is truly lovely. Cranky hero, check. Witty/sassy heroine, check. Sexual tension, check. Opposites attract, HUGE CHECK. For a good chunk of the beginning of this book I kept thinking that Charles and Gillian couldn’t possibly be our hero and heroine. They just seemed so far apart in what they wanted, and in their motivations that my brain couldn’t wrap around them together. Of course that just made their HEA even better and more satisfying. I highly recommend this book for historical romance readers. It’s so good y’all!
When thinking about a playlist for these two I just kept coming back to the waltz. Charles and Gillian dance the waltz together in a few scenes and the image of them dancing together really help me captive while I was trying to put this book to music. The waltz was quite new in Regency ballrooms and was almost scandalous since the two dancers needed to “embrace” each other to complete the movements. Although the waltz arrived in England around 1810 it wasn’t commonplace or socially acceptable for quite a few years. In 1816 (when My Fair Princess takes place) the waltz was certainly beginning to be allowable but a debate about its morality did continue still. Charles and Gillian waltzing together would have certainly created gossip and rumors. Since I just love the scandalous side of Charles I chose a Mozart waltz for My Fair Princess’ theme song.
“Michael Turner's Waltz” by Mozart from the Far from the Madding Crown Soundtrack
What did you think of My Fair Princess?
Are there any songs that remind you of Charles, Gillian and their HEA?
Are there any songs that remind you of Charles, Gillian and their HEA?
About Vanessa Kelly
This is so lovely and perfect for Perfect Penley. Thank you!
ReplyDelete