How to School Your Scoundrel

May 15, 2014
A betrayed princess hides in plain sight, disguised as the male secretary to the most ruthless earl in England, biding her time until it's safe to return to her country while falling under the spell of her complex, compelling employer.Crown Princess Luisa has spent her life doing her duty to her father, her country and her people. But when a group of anarchists kills her father and her husband and overruns her tiny alpine principality, she and her sisters are sent into hiding in England. Luisa winds up as the acting secretary to the Earl of Somerton, whom she dubs "an overbearing, demanding, bleak-faced despot," though she soon becomes nearly indispensable to his business and remains practically the only person in his orbit who will stand up to him. Feeling oddly satisfied and liberated by the work she is doing, and increasingly drawn to the mercurial earl, she is still in a constant state of low-level worry for her sisters and her vanquished country. When she realizes that Somerton seeks vengeance against his unfaithful wife and her lover, Luisa attempts to turn him against a path that will harm him as much as it does them, though he considers her motives questionable when he discovers that she's connected to the lover. And she is a princess. And her uncle, the enigmatic Duke of Olympia, wants her back on the throne, with Somerton by her side. As they navigate forgiveness, redemption and their fledgling love, they must also dodge death threats and enemies far closer to home than anyone thinks. Prolific author Gray wraps up her second trilogy with the same lyrical writing, lush romance, complex plotting and emotional depth she's become known for, and we are charmed by and invested in the determined princess, her tiny monarchy and the ruthless man she tames.Another delightful, enchanting romantic adventure from the talented Gray.

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June 15, 2014

Posing as a male secretary to the Earl of Somerton in a clever plan to keep her safely hidden from the assassins who killed her father and husband, Luisa, crown princess of a tiny European principality, has her hands full with her difficult aristocratic boss, who tests her patience and loyalty at every turn. But her secret is discovered when she falls ill with typhoid, and while employer and employee agree to maintain the facade, ignoring their growing attraction is far more difficult. A ruthless, vengeance-driven hero and a brave, duty-bound heroine face betrayal, violence, and danger as they race from England to Italy and finally to Germany to battle the villains and reclaim Luisa's throne. VERDICT Witty banter, sharp humor, and delectable sexual chemistry spice up this exquisitely written, nonstop adventure that takes the cross-dressing theme to the max, adds a dollop of farce, and beautifully wraps up this offbeat late Victorian trilogy. Gray (How To Master Your Marquis) lives in the Northeast.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2014
Princess Luisa of Holstein-Schweinwald-Huhnof has no problem understanding why Philip, Earl of Somerton, can't keep a personal secretary for more than a month. Less than five minutes after meeting the nobleman, Luisa, disguised as Lewis Markham, can tell Philip is an arrogant, condescending, tightly wound tyrant. Unfortunately, Luisa has no choice but to apply for the job. After the brutal assassination of her father and her husband, Luisa and her two sisters fled to England, where their only hope of reclaiming the throne of Holstein-Schweinwald-Huhnof rests on the sisters remaining disguised as men. Once Luisa secures the position, however, she isn't sure which is worse, trying to escape from a cadre of blood-thirsty revolutionaries bent on eliminating every last branch of the Holstein-Schweinwald-Huhnof royal family or working for the always maddening and infuriatingly sexy Philip. Gray wraps up her A Princess in Hiding trilogy (How to Tame Your Duke, 2013; How to Master Your Marquis, 2014) on a high note with a perfectly plotted and completely enthralling romance that not only delivers the addictive mix of wit and sensuality her readers expect but also showcases this author's flair for exquisitely nuanced characterization.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)