Heart of the Raven Prince: A Cinderella Retelling (Entangled with Fae)

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This seems to amuse Imogen even more. “Just because your namesake places you amongst ash and cinders, doesn’t mean you should seek cosmetics from a chimney.” Hell yes, it's the truth. Once you have had a taste of certain sweets, it is quite impossible not to think, not to want, not to crave until you have taken another bite. And Lord Swartingham is such a deliciously sinful man--like a tasteful dark chocolate mousse. Yum!! I'm gonna say this straight forward. Edward is by far NOT a handsome man (he has scars from the smallpox), yet there is something special about him. He is sexy as all get out and it is undeniable…he is a great lover! I didn't particularly like the first sex scene--it was a bit anticlimactic, however my disappointment didn't last, after all. Edward satisfied our Anna in every way possible and then some during the next love scenes. *bliss* Here's the thing about Elizabeth Hoyt - she's really hit and miss. When she's on her game, she hits balls out of the court left and right. She's written one of my favorite historical romances of all time ( DUKE OF SIN). But man, when she's not on her game, the results are - in keeping with the sports metaphors - foul. Yes, that’s how it should be.” Again, my bitterness is clear. And she’s right. Each court in Faerwyvae has both a seelie and unseelie ruler who rule from two separate palaces and serve on the Alpha Council. The seelie ruler oversees the more civilized aspects of the court, such as maintaining peace and integration with the humans, day-to-day petitions, matters of economy and finance. The unseelie ruler, on the other hand, keeps the traditions of the Old Ways and oversees matters of nature and advocates for the wild fae creatures. The unseelie rulers, like my sister, aren’t expected to open their palaces to humans or hear their petitions. At least, that’s how it was before the rebellions. Ever since a few short-lived skirmishes broke out in Lunar, Wind, and Spring eleven years ago, our three courts have taken measures to ensure more cooperation with the human population. Since I butchered our first attempt at demonstrating our goodwill, we’ve now resorted to opening Selene Palace one month a year to host the social season. The Raven Prince is another great story and deliciously penned by the amazing Ms. Hoyt! Loved it! Darn, what's not to love about Edward, Anna, and a wonderful cast of secondary characters? Edward and Anna are brilliant characters! Tons of amazing and super witty dialogues, steamy sex scenes, and a good plot deliver anything and everything I need and want in a superb HR! Here's a little teaser.

That’s my least favorite part about bargains. They hurt when broken. If I were full fae, my disobedience could kill me. Since I’m only half fae, the mysterious magic that rules fae bargains isn’t as detrimental. Heart of the Raven Prince has an even slower, slow burn but with all the deception and intrigue the slow burn is valid and makes sense for the story and characters. Did that mean I was not yelling at them in my head? No, but it does mean the story felt real and the romance and love story, natural. Half fae Ember craves freedom from her conniving stepfamily. As if they weren’t enough to deal with, a chance encounter with the arrogant Prince Franco leaves her humiliated and in a fiery rage. Nothing could convince her the prince is anything but a rake. But when the opportunity to evade her scheming stepmother falls into her lap, she’ll pay the price—even if it means impersonating the prince’s newest flame… As if she can sense my burning resentment, Mrs. Coleman whirls around in time to catch my frown before I steel it behind a neutral mask. He thinks me a wanton." Why, naturally you are such a wanton woman, Anna! That's nothing to be ashamed of. I mean it's way better being a wanton creature who is enjoying sex than being a frigid and uptight old maid, isn't it? Anna is a wonderful heroine. I liked her a lot. Boy, she gives dearest Edward a piece of her mind! These two made me laugh a lot--it was such an entertaining read!Surely, you can handle one month of fine dinners and balls.” Her tone tells me she finds my plight rather shallow. Maybe she’s right, but still… The question sends an iron weight to my stomach. “She’s…doing well. Aside from the fact that she’s abandoning me and all.” I try to say the last part in jest, but wince when I hear the bitter note that mingles with my words. I find it’s more comforting for them,” she says. “There’s nothing like comfort mixed with a dash of mystery to loosen one’s purse strings.”

There are, apparently, significant societal changes at the end of the Fair Isle Trilogy, so this book (and maybe Wolf King, which I’ve not yet read) has major spoilers in it for those that have not yet read those other books - which I highly recommend. At first, I’m confused by what she means. Then I realize she’s talking about my father’s house, where we all lived together before he died. After his death, Mrs. Coleman didn’t hesitate to sell it in exchange for funding a lavish lifestyle chasing social seasons. Since each court hosts their month-long social season during a different month, there was always somewhere new to go all year long. A new house to rent. New dresses to buy. New schemes to get closer to the aristocracy. Marie leads an impure and unchaste life,” Mrs. Coleman says, her tone sharp. “I won’t have you associating with her ilk.”I clench my jaw, my body still trembling in the wake of my momentary agony. It’s a struggle to keep my voice even as I say, “I’ll be down as soon as I’m cleaned up and dressed.”

Part of the appeal for me is in the way that Edward and Anna are portrayed. Neither is "stop-traffic" gorgeous. It takes a second look before you appreciate the beauty of Edward's eyes, for example, or the shape of Anna's mouth. There is so much more depth to a person, imo, when their wit and their personality is part of what makes them attractive. This is what attracts me in real life and I suppose it follows me into my reading. Plastic, barbie-doll beauty has never held any appeal for me - either in men or women. (Unless it's Halle Barry. That woman is so beautiful she exists on a whole other plane.) My fingers flinch at my sides, begging for piano keys. It’s been too long since I’ve played. Too long since I’ve been able to release my bottled angst through song. Closing my eyes, I lower my head, resisting the temptation to tear off my bonnet. Then I let my fingers tap against the sides of my thighs, following sheet music in my mind— I snort a laugh. Everyone knows wisps are not to be trusted, especially when it comes to journeys or directions. They also dined together often, he was even adamant to give her an elementary horse riding lesson!!

Customer reviews

I thought this was where you serve your most important shop patrons.” My tone is teasing, but the thought of exiting the shop to a cluster of husband-hungry socialites has the blood leaving my face. I wonder who at the palace I have to thank for flapping their loose lips regarding my whereabouts. I’ll have to interrogate later. First, I need a way out. Perhaps if I shift into my raven form… I don't think I have much more to say here. I really enjoyed this book. I liked Ms. Hoyt's ability to write clearly, beautifully, but never floridly. She captures the Georgian era, but isn't heavy-handed about it. I knew I was reading a historical romance, and I believed in the setting. I definitely want to read more of her books (good thing I have been accumulating almost all of them over these few years). The elegant simplicity of her prose made this a swift and enjoyable read. This was historical romance that was enjoyable from beginning to end--I never felt the plot drag or my attention start to wane with this book. Although some of their moments of blindly holding on to misconceptions and fruitless determinations frustrated me, I never lost respect or liking for Anna and Edward. I could see that they had built barriers to love out of fear of heartbreak, and to keep themselves safe from further loss. Because I felt like I knew and cared for them, I found their passion very hot, but it also was a sweet, deep love story, so it satisfied me on both levels. In fact, I loved the characters for all their imperfections; I felt that they were normal, relatable people who deserved a happy ending. I was glad I got to see them get their happy day in this book. I’d hate to find out. Come on. Your glamours make life so much more interesting.” My words are more than just flattery. While most fae are capable of conjuring glamours, myself included, we are limited by our own particular strengths and imaginations. Flora’s creations are artistic marvels unparalleled by the capabilities of the average fae. She has the distinct talent of connecting a glamour to an object. I don’t know any other glamourist who can do that. And where most fae glamours are nothing more than illusions, hers take physical form, forging with its wearer. There’s a certain music about being alone. One I rarely get to hear outside of a single hour each morning. It’s my peaceful respite before the sun rises, before anyone seeks to fill my day with a cacophony of demands. After dawn, I’ll have to climb down from my rooftop hiding place and return to my chores and obligations. But for now, at least, I hear it. The subtle song of a sleeping city.

Elizabeth Hoyt has a slightly different writing style in that she doesn't seem to reveal all of her character's insecurities, vulnerabilities and motivations right away. Most authors have a tendency to let the reader in on these things up front, and then the story centers around them making peace with those things and finding healing if the pain is deep. With Edward and Anna, Ms. Hoyt leaves the reader with the sense that there are mysterious things lurking beneath the surface that can't be seen, but she takes her time, revealing them one-by-one when the situation seems ripe for it. This does give the story a more languid feel which may not work well for readers who prefer a faster pace, but I thought that it was an interesting approach. The story also has a very angsty quality to it, I think, in large part, because of Edward's intensity. I found a certain beauty to it though, an emotional depth that was somehow different from other stories I've read. Edward and Anna have both suffered emotional pain in their lives, yet both seem to be fairly comfortable in their own skin and not harboring major neuroses. Once again, I thought this was a unique blend which made the characters very complex and multi-dimensional. Her footsteps approach the dressing screen but—thankfully—stop on the other side. If she sees the state I’m in, she’ll know I’ve been outdoors. “What excuse do you have today?”There's a bit of a Beauty and the Beast element to this book, because the Earl is terribly scarred all over because of small pox. I was wondering why this sounded so familiar, and then it occurred to me that I had read a book with the same trope earlier this month: Tessa Dare's THE DUCHESS DEAL, except in the case of the duke in that story, the result of the scarring was fire from explosives. Anna is attracted to the Earl but her late husband cheated on her, so she doesn't want to jump into anything with another man because she is so damaged emotionally. #notallmen Can Ember and Franco find love when the masks come off? Or will illusions and lies prove stronger than their hearts? Anna Wren, aka the chaste widow heroine: Anna Wren, from where I see it, is a HYPOCRITE. She was all hots for Edward, but could not bring herself to tell him. Then she lied to Edwar Cheating: Not IMO but close though the H slept with what he thought was an OW when he had feelings for the h and he was engaged to someone else (more of a business arrangement) What a revelation!!! I read this book in one day so my face was practically glued to it. This was my very first Elizbeath Hoyt’s novel and I'm very glad that I chose this book as my first. I discovered this book under an article about the hottest, dirtiest romance novels and the title caught my attention as well as the blurb of this book. I've always been fascinated by the historical romance novels and it's a bit rare to see nicely-constructed romance novels with equal romance and smut in this era.