THE ROGUE PRINCE

Author: Margo Maguire ISBN: 9780061667893 5/2010 HISTORICAL Publisher: AVON
Time Period: 1817 England

The prince of pleasure . . . To the ton, he is a wealthy and powerful royal, the dashing and enigmatic Prince Thomas of Sabedoria. And to Lady Margaret Blackmore, he is irresistible. Innocent in the ways of true passion, Maggie has lived a life chaste and proper—until now. Mad with a desire unlike anything she's felt before, she would do anything to tempt Thomas to her bed. But he hides a damning secret . . . In truth, Thomas is no prince. He is Thomas Thorne, sent away for a crime he did not commit. Hell-bent on revenge, he would do anything to destroy his worst enemy, even seduce the man's innocent sister. But he did not count on the one thing that could spoil his perfect plan—falling in love with the beautiful lady in question. Now he must choose between his fervent wish for justice and his devotion to his tempting conquest . . .

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE ROGUE PRINCE offers a rogue style storyline where a hero's revenge is the main focus. With a unscrupulous villain, a mistreated heroine, and a host of supporting characters that make my family seem like angels, THE ROGUE PRINCE is a decent, but far-fetched read.

So why do I find it just a tad unbelievable? Well, the hero prince is really a fraud (won't tell you why or how it came to pass), claiming to be from an undiscovered island with a silly made-up name near other islands England is very much aware of. The fact that the "prince" is spinning such a tale to the ton and meeting with England's own royalty, and no one even blinks an eye at it, is too much for me. Especially when the hero encounters a man that used to whip him at the prison camp where he was once detained. I know money talks, but someone should have been suspicious and tried to cause trouble.

So, while I like the characters, I am not overly fond of the some of the story. I guess for me, it would have been better had the hero just made his fortune and come back for revenge instead of pretending to be a prince with little to support his claim.

Shannon Johnson