"Lady thief steals the heart of a wayward Crown Prince only to find that he rules hers!"
Ascencion (a fictional kingdom) 1816 -- Crown Prince Rafael
di Fiore has grown bored with his lifestyle, the endless
days and nights of pointless pleasure. On the eve of his
30th birthday, his life still has no direction. His only
training is to become his father's successor, and said
father, thankfully, is in apparent good health. Rafael
longs for a useful occupation with which to fill his time.
He yearns to prove himself. A youthful mistake that had
destroyed his faith in women and had nearly had dire
consequences for Ascencion, had made the court advisors
loathe to trust his judgment even now.
The evening's festivities are interrupted by a summons from
the King. Though he is sure of yet another reprimand,
Rafael heeds the summons. However in a petty act of
defiance he refuses the royal carriage sent for him,
choosing to borrow a conveyance instead. This is yet
another lapse in judgment, for he is beset by highwaymen, a
group led by the infamous, Masked Rider. The evening's festivities are interrupted by a summons from
the King. Though he is sure of yet another reprimand,
Rafael heeds the summons. However in a petty act of
defiance he refuses the royal carriage sent for him,
choosing to borrow a conveyance instead. This is yet
another lapse in judgment, for he is beset by highwaymen, a
group led by the infamous, Masked Rider. The Masked Rider too has made an error in judgment this
evening. The Prince has no intention of being made a
laughingstock. She is Lady Daniela Chiaramonte, a
impoverished noble woman, a female version of Robin Hood
who robs the rich to feed the poor. She is wounded by the
prince who stalls the band of thieves until his guard can
reach him. The bandits flee but are readily apprehended,
with the exception of Dani, mere yards from her home. Dani confronts the royal guard as the lady of the house.
She is demanding an explanation when the Prince arrives.
The Prince is quite taken with her. The tart tongued beauty
was a refreshing change from the usual women who fawned all
over him. He invites her to attend his birthday gala, not
knowing that he's intended her to be his gift to himself.
No matter, she intends to spend that time liberating her
friends. Naturally, after all this, the Prince arrives late to the
King's meeting. There he learns that his father plans to
take an extended leave of absence. Rafael is elated by the
opportunity to act in his stead, but his pleasure is short-
lived. There is a condition -- marriage. In fact, his
father
has given him five suitable princesses from which to choose
his bride. Angered by the manipulation, Rafe refuses,
forcing the King to reveal that he is gravely ill.
Disheartened by this news, Rafe agrees to his terms. He
suspects, however, that foul play is involved in the King's
ill health. He isn't far from the truth. Dani's rescue plans are thwarted, as the clever Prince had
separated his prisoners, forcing her to attend the Prince's
birthday celebration after all. In Rafe's attempt to seduce
her, he not only discovers the wound he inflicted on her,
but surmises her identity as the Masked Rider as well. This
time when she is caught while fleeing, but Rafe cannot bear
the idea of her hanging. He proposes marriage, the perfect
solution for them both. It would spare her life, and him
the choice of princesses. Within the walls of the palace is a man who envies Rafe his
birthright, and will stop at nothing to claim his own. The
clever villain begins to divide and conquer by preying on
Dani and Rafe's fears and insecurities. Somehow though,
love always seems to prevail. The story is fast paced and difficult to put down. The
reader should note that this is not a watered down
historical romance. There are realistic scenes of violence
that are not for the faint of heart. Casualties occur on
both the side of good and of evil. The story kept this
reader on the edge of her seat. Highly recommended. Copyright 2000
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted April 25, 2002
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"There is star quality in this writer!" raves the Romantic Times about gifted author Gaelen Foley. Her love stories are filled with glorious settings, stunning characters, and unforgettable passion. Destiny casts its hand one perfect moonlit night when Ascencion's most elusive highwayman, the Masked Rider, chooses the wrong coach to rob. For inside is Rafael, the prince of the kingdom, renowned for his hot-blooded pursuits of women and other decadent pleasures. The failed raid leaves the equally notorious Masked Rider wounded and facing a hangman's noose. Then Rafe realizes his captive criminal is Lady Daniela Chiaramonte, a defiant beauty who torments him, awakening his senses and his heart as no woman has before. Dani can only wonder if she's been delivered to heaven or hell once she agrees to marry the most desirable man in the Mediterranean-until forces of treachery threaten to destroy their tenuous alliance and bring down the throne itself. . . .
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