To Pleasure a Prince (2) (The Royal Brotherhood)

I read this so long ago I didn't remember anything about the book when I picked it up again.I must say, I loved it as much as I had the first time. I liked that the heroine was a little too naive for her own good, even though she tried to act all smart and worldly. I liked that the hero constantly struggled with pangs of conscience, even while he was falling in love with her. Having read this right after another regency in which the hero was in constant state of painful arousal every time the heroine entered the room, this one felt a lot milder, but it wasn't really. The love scenes were very steamy, but they were offset by a very sweet romance.I would maybe have liked if the secondary characters had gotten a little more conflict (referring to Katherine's childhood friend) as that part seemed a little too... neat for my liking. But overall, there was a good balance for the main characters, so it's a comfortable 5-stars for me.

Rating: C+Heat: WarmThis was a case of not really liking the hero at all. He was written purposely crass, as this is an interpretation of Beauty and the Beast, but he is often simply beastly for no reason. I couldn't connect with him. Marcus simply had bad manners and was downright rude. Sure, he'd have his sweet and tender moments... but they were overshadowed by his other behavior. Regina seriously had to put up with a lot from him. And I could have overlooked it, possibly, if there had been a reason for it - but there isn't. He was raised as a Viscount's son, taught manners and attended Eton. Sure, his mother was despicable and his relationship with Prinny could make a man bitter. But that still didn't justify his treatment of Regina or his sister Louisa.Which brings me to the mess that was Marcus and Louisa and Regina's brother and Prinny. Marcus, as the bastard son of the Prince Regent, has only bad blood between himself and Prinny. Louisa may or may not also be Prinny's child. Prinny wants Louisa at court. Marcus wants Prinny to stay away from Louisa. Regina's brother is supposed to, through whatever means, get Louisa to meet with Prinny. And Louisa is completely clueless to it all. And Regina is caught in the middle.Make sense? No? I didn't think so either. And the resolution... It felt hurried and forced and... Unsatisfying.So, though the writing was quite good and the characters were engrossing, it never had me captivated. It was easy to put down. This was my first book by Sabrina Jeffries and has been said to be her best book which, truthfully, doesn't have me yearning for another.

The hero and heroine in the book are great; Marcus North, Viscount Draker, is somewhat of a recluse. His personality is rough, he speaks his mind, is quick to take offense and act upon it, is there any wonder he is called the Dragon? There are various rumors surrounding him; but one redeeming fact is that he loves his younger sister, Louisa, and is highly protective of her. When the Duke of Foxmoor takes a special interest in Louisa at her coming out, Draker is determined to break it up. Foxmoor's sister, Lady Regina Tremaine, travels to Draker's home to try and convince him to let the two young people see each other. While aghast at his unkempt, shaggy appearance, she is determined to convince him of her cause.They argue, insult each other and the result is that Draker agrees to let Louisa continue seeing Foxmoor, but only if Draker may court Regina. He plans to go along with the young couple to keep an eye on them. The "courtship" of Regina and Draker is certainly rocky; each has a temper although Regina has a lot more tact in handling negative situations and even though she acts tough, she is hurt easily by Draker's rude comments. The relationship is filled with humor as Regina attempts to tame Draker and make him into a gentleman. They are physically attracted to each other, even though there are suspicions on both sides; the love scenes between the two are pretty steamy.

I haven't read the first installment but after this I most certainly will. Second and third servings please. A brotherly premise with a besotted,possessive hero at the center is my weakness and its uniquely and cleverly done. Are there to many references about dragons for my liking and virginal ladies. Yes. But do I skip a single page like i normally do in the face of redundant and repetitive language? No. No I did not. That in my book makes this jaunt a guilty and lusty pleasure. There's good angst and great characters with great familial suspense, nothing hammy like a crime or a theft that has no real Steam but rather good ole regency and ballroom dynamics. Politics. Prejudice . Gossip. And gowns. If that's your thing than you'll love this. I certainly did.

I absolutely loved the Royal Brotherhood series, Jefferies is at her best with these men in need of love, but each hero must conquer his own hang-up about his parentage before he can find his HEA. Witty, sparkling with sensuality, Jefferies entices her readers from the very first page! If I had to choose between the three novels in the series, Draker, in To Pleasure a Prince, was my favorite hero.

I generally liked the book b/c I am not extremely selective in the romance genre. I am looking for decent writing skills, and a good story. I also look for the way an author builds sexual tension, and whether the love between the characters is believable. I liked this book for a quick and easy read, but I was not as engrossed in the story line as I usually am. I agreed with another reviewer related to the "dragon" theme was redundant, and it felt like there would have been other ways to have the characters relate to each other. I liked the Swanlea Spinister series, specifically Notorious Lord, better.

I liked reading it, because I had already read one of the series of three Royal Brotherhood books. Unfortunately I started the reading with the third book, so a lot of my enjoyment of the other two was ruined by already knowing the end to the whole thing. Still it was enjoyable reading. Nothing spectacular, but good writing. I will gladly read again something by Sabrina Jeffries.

Loved it.

loved it

Loved it

This has to be one of the worst books Sabrina Jeffries has ever written. The plot is very thin, going from one 'ton' event to another with no real mystery to it. There isn't a true antagonist in the story, making it a little less than exciting when the 'dark secret' is revealed to readers very early, her husband midway and the protagonist is 'suddenly cured' at the end. I only read the entire book because Jeffries' trilogies tend to require knowledge of the previous book and I feared I would miss something in case the others were worth reading. However, I felt it difficult to follow, mainly because it was just so boring, and at the end, I felt I wanted that time and money back. Oh well. On the other hand, I have fallen asleep much sooner each night due to this choice of reading, so not a total loss.