I picked up “princess in love” at the local library because
it was in the romance section and it had a princess on the cover. I’ve been
reading Game of Thrones for a whole year and I just needed a quickie to get it
out of my system.
I don’t think I need to defend romance novels here. Romance
novels are the workhorse of the publishing industry. Romance novels are, from a
pure numbers standpoint, porn for women. Every trade-in bookstore eventually
devolves into a used romance novel store, and I think those business owners are
fine with that.
There are good romance novels out there. This is not one of
them. Sure there is a busty princess on the cover, but that is as steamy as
this gets.
I normally describe the plot somewhere in the first three
paragraphs. I can’t really say there is a plot. I mean, stuff happens, but I
think it takes more than that to make a plot. Rose and Leopold have some kind
of previous romance. Maybe that was described in the previous book? Well,
anyway, Leopold can’t let it go and decides to keep on messing with Rose’s head
even though she has a chance at a happy healthy relationship with the future
king of Austria. When Rose realizes how manipulative Leopold is, she goes ahead
and marries the Austrian. When the Austrian dies, Rose runs back to Leopold
because she wasn’t doing anything else I guess.
There is only one instance of sex in the whole book.
Everyone had all of their clothes on.
I am going to have a hard time giving this book a fair shake
because I did not enjoy it. Sure it was easy to read and I finished the book,
but that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like I wasted my time.
The characterizations are poor. Leopold goes from a spoiled
heir indifferent about his father’s political beliefs into a raging emotional
maniac. He ignores everyone around him until the crucial moment when he gets in
everyone’s business. I don’t know what to expect from him. He is not one person
with a rational train of thought and motivations. That is more than I can say
about Rose, though. Rose doesn’t have a personality at all, not even an
inconsistent one. Stuff just happens to her.
The best character was Leopold’s Mother. She had about two
lines and Leopold thought of her three times. Each of these vignettes mentioned
that she liked flowers. That’s one thing I can hang my hat on for crying out
loud.
Don’t expect any descriptions of scenery, clothing, pomp, or
circumstance. I mean, its not like it’s a historical fiction about a royalty or
anything.
The last thing that bothered me about this novel was the
pacing. It runs uncomfortably hot and stiff for 2/3rds of the book. When
something mildly interesting happens to the Austrian prince, the book wraps up
like a cafeteria burrito. Its like the
author hit her page limit or something.
Seriously. The Austrian prince
drama occurs, then, fast forward 10 years to when Rose as a child and a dead
husband and she is ready to see Leopold again. That’s the last chapter of the
book.
Don’t read this book. It won’t deliver.
