The Prince Who Loved Me

May 25, 2015
In this light and humorous Scottish Regency, which opens the Oxenburg Princes series, Hawkins (How to Entice an Enchantress) introduces Prince Alexsey Romanovin of Oxenburg: kind, intelligent, devastatingly handsome, and utterly resistant to his grandmother's wish that he wed. Miss Bronwyn Murdoch, on the shelf at 24, has given up on marriage and instead seeks solace in the romance of books and the upcoming debut seasons of her beautiful stepsisters. When the prince visits Bronwyn's town and they unexpectedly encounter each other in private, sparks fly, and the prince leaves determined to see more of the curvaceous and witty woman who never gave him her name. Bronwyn, however, is plagued by her newly-awakened passion when her stepmother announces that the prince is perfect for her stepsister. As the two struggle with their feelings and with society's strict rules and expectations, they must decide just how deep their emotions run. Readers will have to suspend belief at times, but red-hot passion, comical interludes, and an entertaining cast of secondary characters will certainly satisfy.

September 15, 2014
In the opener to Hawkins' new Oxenburg Princes series, Hawkins pens an enjoyable blend of fairy tale (a loose interpretation of Cinderella) and Regency romance. Stubborn, independent, and bookish, Bronwyn gets her first taste of flirtation and romance when she meets Alexsey Romanovin, prince of Oxenburg. Bursting into her hidden reading glen while chasing after his grandmother's dog, he never reveals his royal status. Alexsey's visit to Sir Henry's neighboring castle is long and boring enough to make him decide that a harmless dalliance with the intriguing Bronwyn is in order. He enlists Sir Henry's nephew, Viscount Strathmoor, to help him. Unbeknownst to the prince, Bronwyn overhears their exchange and hatches her own plan to make him fall for her, even though her only experience with romance is in the pages of her books. Skilled Alexsey is happy to school Bronwyn in the art of romance while they both teach his matchmaking Gypsy grandmother and Bronwyn's well-meaning but scheming stepmother, Lady Malvina, and her charming but flighty stepsisters a thing or two about true love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)