by Mary Hart Perry
Release date: July 31st, 2012
Published by: William Morrow & Company (HarperCollins)
Genre: Adult Historical Fiction, Romance
Format read: ARC eBook
SUMMARY
(from Barnes and Noble)
"Four of the five daughters of England's Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were regal, genteel, and everything a princess should be. But one was rebellious, scandalous, and untamed.
This is her story. . . .
To the court and subjects of Queen Victoria, young Princess Louise—later the Duchess of Argyll—was the "Wild One." Proud and impetuous, she fought the constraints placed on her and her brothers and sisters, dreamed of becoming an artist, and broke with a three-hundred-year-old tradition by marrying outside of the privileged circle of European royals. Some said she wed for love. Others whispered of a scandal covered up by the Crown. It will take a handsome American, recruited by the queen's elite Secret Service, to discover the truth. But even as Stephen Byrne—code name the Raven—vows to risk his life to protect the royal family from violent Irish radicals, he tempts Louise with a forbidden love that could prove just as dangerous.
In the vein of Philippa Gregory, Mary Hart Perry tells the riveting story of an extraordinary woman—a princess who refused to give up on her dreams, including her right to true love."
MY REVIEW
I really loved the premise of this story that Mary Hart Perry weaved together about the Royal British family, primarily focused on Princess Louise Caroline Alberta of England, know as the 'Wild Princess, taking place in the mid to late 1800's... and although the characters are all based on true British historical figures, the story is purely fictional and speculative.
The plot was carefully planned and descriptive, leaving no detail out, if flowed quickly and beautifully creating picturesque scenes and dramatic page turning moments.
Princess Louise is fierce, stubborn and determined to not be undermined and thought of as just a 'weak woman'. She was persistent in not only being treated as an equal and forcing the Queen to allow her to attend art school on her own, but was also determined to be treated as an equal among the throngs of men that surrounded her. Princess Louise took daring attempts to fraternize with the commoners, worked for woman's causes and reached out to those less fortunate.
Queen Victoria tries to tame her 'wild' daughter and finally brings her home to marry her off to someone who is not royal, which is something that had not happened in over 300 years, which made everyone believe that the marriage was truly made out of love and not an arranged one.
Many family secrets are discovered and revealed in the midst of Queen Victoria's reign. The coalition with the Irish has forced the Queen to trust in an American bodyguard, Stephen Byrne, who used to guard President Lincoln... and who is now falling in love with the married Princess.
History has always questioned why the Princess, said to have married for love, was only seen with her husband when necessary and never had children.
The Wild Princess really painted a picture as to how the royal family lived in those days, what was expected of them and what could have happened behind those closed castle doors.
A must read for all those who love the Victorian era and historical fiction love stories!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Mary Hart Perry
Mary Hart Perry lives in the Washington, DC area, with her husband and two cats, in a perfectly ordinary house that is nowhere close to being a castle. She has neither a coach, nor footman or driver. You won’t find even one lady-in-waiting in her bedroom, and there’s no cook in her kitchen to whip up a luscious 6-course meal to fortify her when she’s too busy obsessing over her current novel to cook. However, she feels positively regal when she travels to speak at conferences. There they feed her very well, thank you! Her favorite things in life are writing, history, animals and the people who own them—including most of her family and all of her fans.
Mary Hart Perry lives in the Washington, DC area, with her husband and two cats, in a perfectly ordinary house that is nowhere close to being a castle. She has neither a coach, nor footman or driver. You won’t find even one lady-in-waiting in her bedroom, and there’s no cook in her kitchen to whip up a luscious 6-course meal to fortify her when she’s too busy obsessing over her current novel to cook. However, she feels positively regal when she travels to speak at conferences. There they feed her very well, thank you! Her favorite things in life are writing, history, animals and the people who own them—including most of her family and all of her fans.
Marked at TBR. I love historical fiction!
ReplyDeleteMargie, thanks for your gracious and thorough review. Love your site! And, Nikki, I hope you enjoy The Wild Princess. Let me know what you think of it; it's helpful to hear from readers, either through Goodreads or just as an email. Best, Mary Hart Perry
ReplyDeleteI've not read much historical fiction lately but this sounds like a good read...
ReplyDelete