The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
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Book Reviews of The Leopard Prince
Book Review: Elizabeth Hoyt doesn't disappoint
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved the Raven Prince and I was not disappointed by the Leopard Prince. Can't wait for the next book.Book Review: My expectations were too high.
Summary: 4 Stars
I allowed myself to get too excited about this book after I read The Raven Prince. That book was so very good and met all my criteria for a truly 5 star rating that I forgot to be cautious. This book is good, not very good which would rate a 4.5 from me, and not great, which would rate a 5 from me - just good. That in and of itself is not bad but I had allowed myself to expect more. The writing is still first rate and a true delight to read but the actual plot (and how the characters moved around within the plot) was not quite so satisfactory.
The hero, Harry Pye, is the saving element in this novel from my standpoint. I liked the fact that he was not of noble birth but had made something of himself by hard work and determination. Those qualities made his personality believable and turned him into a sympathetic character for me. He took his job very seriously and tried to show his employer the proper amount of deference without becoming a toad. He was patient with her when she didn't understand the significance of certain occurances. Very patient and forebearing.
Georgina on the other hand just seemed like a spoiled, rich, self-absorbed 28 year old spinster. Wonder why we were not allowed to be in at the initial meeting of these two characters when Harry applied for the job and was hired? Why did we not get to observe the interaction of these two people on that long carriage ride from London to Yorkshire? I have made that trip by car on modern roads and I can tell you it is not a short trip. I cannot even imagine how tedious and long it must have been in a horse-drawn carriage, in the rain. I could never, even at the end of the book, make a connection with Georgina. I actually did not like her very much. We don't have any insight into her personality traits previous to the beginning of the story so was her behaviour in going to visit Harry's cottage at night something unusual for her? I realize she was still a virgin so had not visited men in this way before but what made her so bold? She made me feel that she was forcing herself on him and that made me uncomfortable because his position on her staff did not give him much opportunity to turn her down - not that he wanted to in this case. Sorry, I just can't figure her character out.
I agree with other reviewers, the sheep killing and murder mystery went on too long. I'm afraid that I think the whole book went on too long. I truly admire the way Elizabeth Hoyt writes. She has a way with words which I find extremely pleasing. I thought this time she had to force the fairy tale into the story. In this book, instead of being told at the beginning of each chapter (as in The Raven Prince) we had Georgina telling the story to Harry. It just began, out of the blue, without any rhyme or reason. It became fully woven into the story in the later stages of the book but at first it was just sitting there, like a bump on a log, and it didn't seem relevant to me because Georgina didn't seem to be comparing Harry to a leopard or his/her life to the fairy tale. Maybe I just missed the significance. I also did not like her character being called George. Her name was Georgina, why not call her that? I very definitely did not like the intimacy which took place in the church. A VERY inappropriate time and place!
I will read The Serpent Prince when it comes out but I will definitely be glad for some time to pass before it is released. I will also try very hard to make no comparisons, just enjoy it for what it is. Hopefully another great 5 star read. (By the way, does anyone think we might see Bennet later on? He was wearing the falcon carving!)
Book Review: A very enjoyable, sensual historical romance.
Summary: 4 Stars
E Hoyt once again shows us her fine writing skills with this fresh take on an old plot - a gentry falling for a commoner. However, in this twist the gentry is our heroine, the wealthy twenty-eight old Lady Georgina (aka George), who falls hard for her new land steward, commoner Harry Pye. A forbidden passion erupts between them, and as you can imagine circumstances try to pull them apart. Laced throughout the book is of course the wonderful fairytale of The Leopard Prince. Instead of being at the top of each chapter (as was in The Raven Prince), Hoyt has incorporated the tale into the story itself. I loved how this fairytale played into the romance, and was yet another example of Hoyt's great writing skills.
A background subplot included the mystery of dieing sheep, a crime that Harry is wrongly accused of committing. This subplot was a bit far-fetched in my opinion, but then again I have never been a fan of mystery romances so I may not be the best person to critique this genre. However, it did keep our hero and heroine in close proximity, which gave way to the fiery passion that I very much enjoyed. When we finally find out who really did kill the sheep, I was just glad that subplot was done and over with. It is why I give the book 4 stars instead of 5.
The hero and heroine were both great, likable characters. Harry Pye made a great hero. He is quiet and reserved, but he has a dark passionate side that any romance fan will fall in love with. He was also strong willed, and not one to cower to the upper gentry or the magistrate who wrongly accused him. He made a great match for George. George was raised in a world of wealth a privilege, and as a result is understandably disconnected from the plight and day-to-day life of the common folk. She has a great heart and is intelligent, and by no means a meek minded person. Watching these two find common ground and understanding was wonderful. There were unexpected twists to the story, and their happily-ever-after ending doesn't come as easily as one would hope. It was a great book, I only wish the sheep subplot didn't take up so much of the story or was at least more interesting. Regardless, I still loved this book and I can't wait for the Serpent Prince!!
Book Review: interesting Georgian romance
Summary: 4 Stars
In 1760 twenty-eight years old Georgina Maitland is wealthy so she can enjoy being single; she has no plans for a spouse as that means giving up her independence. When her sister pleads with her to return to the family estate in Yorkshire, she flees London with her land manager Harry Pye.
At her home she learns that their neighbor Magistrate Silas Granville blames Harry for poisoning his sheep and demands she fire him before he arrests him. George refuses and directs Silas to leave her home. As tension mounts because Silas and Harry have a history involving his father, George and her estate manager fall in love. However, he will do nothing to jeopardize her position while she fears losing her autonomy if she boldly goes after the man she loves.
This is an interesting Georgian romance between an aristocrat and her commoner employee that showcases what happens when a person in authority abuses their public trust. The story line is at its best when it concentrates on the lead pair including incidents fostered on them by their odious neighbor. Silas is so nasty he is more a caricature of an abusive person though his actions serve as a warning not to allow one person so much authority even in a localized setting. He affirms Lord Acton's admonition on power and another of his cautionary commentaries that "Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity". Elizbath Hoyt provides an exhilarating historical romance that will have waiting for the next prince to appear.
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: Enchanting Reviews: The Leopard Prince
Summary: 4 Stars
THE LEOPARD PRINCE
ELIZABETH HOYT
Rating: 3.5 Enchantments
Lady Georgina Maitland, Mistress and Owner of Woldsly Manor, has often been considered flighty and quite irksome. It is simply not proper for a woman to not only own such a large estate but to run it by herself.
Harry Pye, her Steward, has been fighting and clawing his way back to Yorkshire for many years, and though he would like to get revenge on Lord Grayville, he cannot afford to throw away everything he has.
England, 1760. Someone is poisoning the local farmers' sheep and causing trouble for Lord Grayville, and everyone is blaming Harry of the crimes. Lord Grayville had treated Harry and his father wrongly in the past, while Harry's return to the countryside marked the beginning of the assault and is causing everyone to believe he is responsible.
Is Harry responsible? How does the leopard prince play into the tale? And will Georgina finally know what it means to be a woman? To find out the answers, you have read THE LEOPARD PRINCE.
Ms. Hoyt, also writing under Julia Harper, is a treasure when it comes to recreating the past and she does not fail in THE LEOPARD PRINCE. Though it is a well-told story, the beginning has a slow pace. The end is all you will expect it to be, and in the end, that is all that matters.
Dee
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
October 2007