Very nice historical novel about Victoria and Albert's youngest daughter. She was truly the bird in a gilded cage, hostage to her mother, although she eventually was allowed to marry and enjoy a few years of wedded happiness. ( )

Posted on my blog I Heart Romance

Mary Hart Perry is a new to me author and Seducing the Princess is the first book that I read. I was thoroughly blown away! I loved reading about Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice. Of course, I did a quick google search on her to read more about her and her life with the Queen. I am amazed at how the author seamlessly intertwined Princess Beatrice's story with the facts surounding her love match with Henry Battenberg.

The story was well written and I empathized with Princess Beatrice. Queen Victoria really seemed like the villain of the story. I can just imagine how hard it was for Beatrice growing up as her mother's shadow. The way the Queen treated Beatrice struck a chord in me and I could not help but hate the Queen for doing this to her youngest daughter. Beatrice comes off as an obedient and meek daughter, only following what the Queen commands her to do but deep inside, she cannot wait to leave and have a life of her own. This happens when she meets and falls in love with Henry.

Henry and Beatrice's love story was really sweet, I thought. I love the way that he went out of his way to get to know the Princess and helping her overcome her shyness and become a strong woman. I have to point out that all the characters are well developed and I find that this help drive the whole plot of the story. I felt that I knew them and that I was one of the Queen's daughters.

I also loved that there was another villain in the story in the form of Prince Gregory, another cousin. I like to think that a good story has to have a good villain and Gregory really fit the bill to a T. Although there is a minor villain in the form of Queen Victoria, I cannot see her as the ultimate villain even if she plays a part preventing a romance between Beatrice and Henry.
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Victoria…tyrant or self centered mother?

The early descriptions of Princess Beatrice, the youngest unmarried daughter at the mercy of her mother, paint Queen Victoria in a whole different light. Gone is the suffering, stoic queen disarmed and rendered emotionally bereft with the death of her one true love, Prince Albert. That vision is replaced by one of a selfish, self-centered despot when dealing with her family and those who fall short of her standards. I really needed a chart to keep straight Victoria's children, whom they married, her grandchildren etc. It is fascinating to realize how many of Victoria's descendants are threaded throughout the thrones of Europe. We are introduced to other members of the royal family and are given hints of dark days to come especially with the part played in this story by Prince Wilhelm II of Germany as the later Kaiser. Victoria's pronouncement to `Willy', `your arrogance and willfulness will be your ruin!' gives us a hint of Wilhelm's character, and is interesting in light of the world history to come.Princess Louisa (from The Wild Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Defiant Daughter, which I read immediately after this because I enjoyed Seducing the Princess) and her companion Stephen Byrne (code name the Raven) join the action as the story progresses.
In this historical thriller/romance, dastardly plots and romance stride side by side.
Beatrice is the focus of a larger plot to undermine the British throne by placing a spy and a would be lover in Victoria's entourage.
This fictional interpretation of Beatrice and Henry of Battenberg's love for each other in the face of Victoria's disapproval, amidst the swirl of political intrigue, is fascinating.
I thoroughly enjoyed this work.

A NetGalley ARC ( )

Although I would definitely classify this novel as an adult fiction with romance, I will point out immediately that it is very well reserved. You will not find many racy moments in this title, but there are still many sexual references, some adult language, and sensual scenes throughout the book. I only mention all of this now, so as to 'clear the air' so to speak. I review a variety of genres, including YA and adult romances, so I just want to make sure it is clear to everyone that this title is somewhat in between the two; it is most definitely not a YA book, but also not necessarily an adult romance either.

Okay, now that that is clear, on to the review. To start I found this title absolutely charming and captivating. It was a combination of so many things that I couldn't stop reading. Seducing the Princess is a very well written novel that I constantly found witty, thrilling, and a tad bit adventurous. Perry did a superb job of connecting the readers to the main characters emotions; there are moments where I swear you can feel poor Bea's frustrations rolling out of the pages. There are also moments throughout the book where you, as the reader, know facts that the characters have yet to discover, and you find yourself wanting to yell at the characters for their choices, much like watching a scary movie when the victim walks into a trap. As irritating as this can be, this is what makes this title such a great read; the frustration pushes you forward in reading, hoping the characters will wise up and see the world and other characters for what they really are.

The characters themselves are well developed. Seducing the Princess had a wide variety of characters, and all served their own purpose to the story line. I found the Queen to be frustrating and at times irritating, but at other times quite enduring. You can tell she has personal motives for keeping her daughter to herself, and yet at the same time she truly fears the worst for Bea and feels she is saving her from a lifetime of pain and heartbreak. It was truly a pleasure to read and watch Bea break away from the expectations held above her, and to become a strong independent woman. Henry and Gregory were both the perfect male counterparts to encourage the growth in Bea, both serving their own purposes to different aspects of the princess's personality changes. I won't spoil the story and give further details about the men in the story.

Overall, I was thoroughly enchanted by Perry's Seducing the Princess, and would definitely recommend it as a choice to read. If you love historical fiction with a heap of romance and a dash of thrills and adventure, then this is definitely a title for your shelf. ( )