Prince Charming
Gaelen Foley
ISBN# 0-449-00635-2
Ivy Books, 2000, 402 pages
Historical Romance, circa 1816
Ascencion, Italy
$6.99 (US) $9.99 (CDN)
Reviewed by Erin
April 2004
Prince Rafael Di Fiore is the irresponsible heir to the Ascencion kingdom with the face of a Greek god and a raw sexual magnetism that drives women mad with lust. He has always been looked upon as the country’s joke and everyone fears what will happen when he someday becomes king. He’s made some mistakes in his lifetime but he will never be able to live down the debacle that happened years ago that endangered the whole country. He’s older and wiser now and knows he can do the job well if only the people of Ascencion will give him another chance. He is given that chance when his father goes to Spain to visit Rafe’s sister and her family. He leaves Rafe in charge as the Prince Regent and so now Rafe finally has a chance to prove himself.
Daniela Chiaramonte is a spicy, independent young woman who has had a difficult life. Basically an orphan, her mother died having Daniela and her father drunk himself into an early grave, she struggles to take care of her senile grandfather and her home. It gets more and more difficult when her fat, mean neighbor, Count Bulbati raises her taxes because after repeated attempts, she always refuses to marry him. She becomes a Robin Hood of sorts to try to save her home and help others with the same fate. She is the Masked Rider. She is revered by the poor and despised by the nobles. She and her band of misfits hold up the rich friends of Prince Rafael and give their proceeds to the poor people of Ascencion, Italy. Everything is going well until one night she robs the wrong coach.
These two dynamic characters meet when Daniela, disguised as the Masked Rider attempts to rob Prince Rafael. She doesn’t count on his quick thinking and excellent marksmanship for she finds herself shot and fleeing for her life. She escapes to her home where she waits for her friends but Prince Rafael apprehends the raiders on her property. He has no idea the lovely young girl in front of him is the leader of the band of raiders he is seeking. He is struck by her innocence and beauty and decides he wants her for his mistress so he invites her to a ball at his palace for his birthday celebration. She declines, knowing she will spend the night breaking her friends out of prison and helping them escape to Naples.
Daniela finds out that the youngest brother had been separated from the other boys and taken to the prince’s home. She attends the ball only to free the young captive. Rafe doesn’t realize the Masked Rider is in his palace that night but he remembers her as the sweet girl he had seen the night before. He asks for someone to fetch her to his chambers so he may seduce her in private. She goes, fearfully thinking he has finally figured out that she is the elusive Masked Rider and that he means to toy with her before letting the axe fall. He tries to get her to become his mistress by arousing her but when he slips her gown off one shoulder he notices a gun shot wound that could only belong to one person.
Daniela is found out and captured as the outlaw and Rafe knows that in order to command his country, he must hang her but in his heart of hearts he knows he can’t damage such a rare woman. Therefore, when he announces that he intends to marry her, if only for her excellent way with the citizens of Ascencion, everyone is baffled and thinks he’s up to his old tricks again.
On top of everything else there is a traitor in their midst. One of the king’s trusted cabinet members is out to sabotage the hierarchy. There is foul play involved and it is up to Prince Rafael to find the traitor and bring him to justice before he causes too much damage.
PRINCE CHARMING was an enjoyable read. Once you get into the story the main characters are lovable and Foley conveys the spark between them very well. The same goes for the villain. She made him extremely despicable and wrote him as a sinister and depraved man. This is the first novel I have read of Gaelen Foley’s and it certainly won’t be my last. She has a flair for creating characters that capture the reader’s attention and keep you interested in the story. I have a feeling that she will get better with each book.