Prince Charming

Rating:
Summary: Prince Charming
Review: A rogue + a tomboy = a brilliant romance! And a brilliant book! This was a great book and a great sequel to the other two Ascencion novels. I liked the idea that the hero had become fed-up with music halls, alcohol and sex. He was looking for something more challenging - something that was worth the effort of getting up every morning! What he needed was his brave, headstrong little hellion! And what she needed was someone to love her and a family of her own and her Prince Charming gave her that! Although this book was absolutely fabulous, I must say that I prefered the past two Ascencion stories - probably because I prefer dark heroes than golden-haired ones! But I suppose Rafes splendid character made up for that!

I'll comment on a few things:
Firstly I was sooooooooo sad when Nic and Adriano died even though they were horrible to Dani - I felt soooooooo sorry for Adriano and I feel Miss Foley really worked wonders into his character (his instabilities etc). It really is a shame he had to die although I suppose if he had lived he would have been miserable for the rest of his days! I won't give any more away but let me just say that if circumstances were different I would of married him myself (probably cos I felt sooooo sorry for him). I mean Orlando is just horrible.
Secondly: It was really disturbing the way Dani got beaten like that - that was the only part of the book that I probably didn't like. I mean it was scary the way she bled and quite frankly I hate anything to do with harm coming to babies!
Thirdly: I wish Miss Foley reintroduced more of her past characters into the story - Darius (more all time favourite guy!), Serafina and Allegra. They only spoke a bit and I wish they had been in the book more even though I realise that the plot wouldn't allow them to be in it a lot.
Finishing off: I'm soooooooooooo sad that the series has ended now! I was miserable when I ended the book cos I knew there were no more after it! I wish Miss Foley would write a book about Leo even though she said that she won't! HONESTLY I CRIED when I finished reading the series! Who ever hasn't read the Ascencion series had better do so now! I just hoped I haven't spoiled it too much for you with this review!!!

SPOILER!!!!!!:::
P.S. Mateo + Carmen = I never would have guessed!!

Rating:
Summary: Interesting...
Review: All in all, _Prince Charming_ wasn't my favorite romance, but the main character, Prince Rafael is what saved the book. Okay, that sounds a little harsh. The story really wasn't that bad and Gaelen Foley has an amazing talent. But, in _Prince Charming_ she devotes her writing skills to developing the main character, Rafe. Rafe is amazingly developed before the readers' eyes. He has so many complex layers and feelings it seems as if you've been watching him his whole life and you know everything about him. I think that he is the male character that everybody gets in their mind when they finish reading a book with zero character development and want more. I've never encountered a better developed character. But, all of this character development really took a back seat to the romance. Oh, it's there all right, with some steamy love, but because Rafe is such a larger then life hero, we aren't as interested in it. Aside from Rafe, there were some other things about _Prince Charming_ that I enjoyed. Dani, the heroine was also fun to read about, and I wish that Gaelen Foley would have spent a little more time on her. At the begining of the book, she is the Robin Hood figure of the magical isle of Ascencion. That was such a nice change. Romantic heroines are often brave, but they seldom ever actually make a living from it. Dani and Rafe were lovely to read about side by side as they both go through an amazing change through out the book and at the end they have grown and become better people. I also liked reading about Ascencion, Gaelen Foley's magical Itallian isle. So, if you want to read about a character who is the epitom of character development with a little romance tossed in, this book is for you. It's strongly recomended to a devoted reader.

Rating:
Summary: I read this in one day - could not put it down
Review: Although I must admit that I liked Pirate Prince and Princess better. This still is a 5 star book. I have read a few of the other reviews that complain again about Allegra and King Lazar. I believe Foley had to make them a little distant as parents so the real characters in this story could stand out. Rafe and Dani were both such great characters and Orlando was a great villain. You could almost feel sorry for him and then bam he did something so incredibly evil. The homo-erotic spin was quite interesting and I thought it showed how Orlando was obsessed with having power over anyone and everything and was willing to do anything to gain that power. I also loved that she gave Serifina and Darius 6 children in this book. If you loved Pirate Prince and Princess then this is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Simply amazing!
Review: As usual, Foley has written another amazing love story. I loved the whole trilogy and can't say that I have a favorite among the three. However, I do agree with the other reviewers that said Allegra and Lazar were disappointing parents, but it was still a wonderful read. You can't help but fall in love with Rafael for the hero positively oozes masculinity, as does Lazar in Pirate Prince and Darius in Princess. The story begins quickly and never slows down. I absolutely loved how they met and the scenes following that altercation on the road. As with all Foley's work, I'm sure I'll read this one many times to come in the future. She's a spectacular writer and for anyone that hasn't read her work, or even hasn't read ALL of her work, get her other books. They're as entertaining and touching as Prince Charming.

Rating:
Summary: Another 5 star plus book!
Review: As with each in this series - Foley has another winner. It was interesting how each in the series was so uniquely different. I just love Foley's character development - you really feel at the end of the book so wrapped up in their lives. I did not expect to care so much about the hero Prince Raphael. In the book the Princess you knew he was young and immature and not surprised at all how he was duped by Julia. Just how intently this effected Raphial became apparent as this story unfolds. He started off so irritating, cocky, brash arrogant--feeling oh so sorry for himself. But then as the tragic plot starts to unfold - and how he suffers but more importantly grows into quite a decent man. He shows a true capacity to love and to trust. All of course because of Daniella. She is the one that can make Rahpael all that he can be. She is brave, loving and beautiful. This book was one I could not put down. It was great again to see the might Darius with his flock of little daughters -still happy with his beloved Serafina. And the scenes with Lazar at the beginnning and the end were just so touching - total tear jerkers. How anyone can say Lazar and Allegra were remote bad parents I do not understand. This was an absolute must read!!

Rating:
Summary: TOO TAME and I FELT NOTHING...
Review: Compared to the otherbooks in the Ascention triology, this book was bad. It had a nice writing style but that was about it!! I found myself skipping pages and you know that's not a good thing. I was first so exceited for this new book, but I was left bitterly dissapointed when I finished. Ugghhh.. Okay read, but if your expecting it to be in the same arena as Princess then you will get a BIG disappointment. The hero was too weak for my taste and there was nothing DARK about him. His supposed torment -- a women who cheated on him 10 years ago -- is all that is "dark" about him. I found it rather pathetic. The guy was constantly whining and I just didn't feel that he was "MANLY", but rather an annoying school boy.

The heroine was okay although she sure did fall fast for the annoying guy. In short, the prince was too well...adolescent for my taste and the heroine was too...mature for him. Instead of a lover relationship, it felt too tame and too much like a mother-son thing. Weird!!! Also, the sex scenes were too tame compared with the other two novels and their dialogue was just plain borin cause they didn't talk about each other but rather about the prince's insensitivity to his role as a prince. Give me a break.

READ PRINCESS if you like FOley. The hero in that book is tormented as hell and he is DARK!!!

Rating:
Summary: Everything You Can Ask For in a Romance
Review: Everytime I read a book by a Romance author, I find myself inadvertantly comparing the author to Julie Garwood. I'm not sure why, as Ms. Garwood's novels were certainly not the first Romances I read, but I seem to place her and her books upon the pedestal which all other novels and authors need to reach in order to be deemed acceptable by my standards.

Gaelen Foley surpasses that.

To date, I've read six out of her eight novels and I find each new one surpassing the expectations set by the last. "Prince Charming" is certainly no exception. I think the love story is touching and passionate, and one did not have to wait an unbearable amount of time for the Romance to begin. I found Rafe deliciously rakish, but Foley displayed his inner warmth and turmoil beautifully as well. Dani was modest without being insipid, headstrong without being annoying, and had an appearance that was simply pretty, not ravishingly, impossibly beautiful.

While Julie Garwood's heroes and heroines often induce eye-rolling in their perfection, Foley's characters are flawed and charmingly so. Garwood displays a clear distinction between good and bad, usually evidenced by either ugly or beautiful looks. In Foley's novels, the good and bad are intermingled in looks, from the villain's cool beauty to a good friend's buzzard-ish appearance. As well, the hero's comrades don't automatically fall in love with the heroine and put down their lives to protect her. In fact, all of Rafe's equally rakish friends initially despise Dani for the humiliation she caused them as the "Masked Rider", and rightfully so. Their eventual acceptance of her is gradual, and sometimes even non-existant in the cases of hot-headed Nic or tortured Adriano.

Just as a general comment--unlike others, I don't feel as though Lazar and Allegra are negligient or unfair parents at all, although I have not yet read "The Pirate Prince" and don't really know them that well as characters. However, I did read "Princess" and this one, obviously, and found them to simply be acting out their stations in life as best they can. Again, it goes back to the fact that they are not Julie Garwood's "perfection"--they are simply Foley's flawed humans. And really, what is so horrific about them? The King only wants what's best for his reckless son; he acts out of love and is willing to compromise. The Queen is never unfair or unkind to Daniella, and even in "Princess" both act simply out of duty and familial love to their daughter and family. I see nothing out of the ordinary in this--do people not find it tedious when everything is so black and white, good and bad, perfect and evil?

As well, if people hadn't commented on the scene in which Dani sits in Rafe's lap in the council meeting, I really wouldn't have noticed it at all. I can understand people's feelings on it, but it really didn't seem like that big of a deal to me. Although slightly "off" for the time period, it doesn't seem out of Rafe's character to do something so "shocking"--after all, this is the man who has had everything in life that he's ever wanted handed to him on a silver platter. Why not this as well? And, regarding Dani speaking out... why, she was only defending her man. I certainly would have done the same.

All in all, Foley's writing style, her plot, characters meant to be loved (flaws and all) and a villain that is created to be loathed make "Prince Charming" one of the best Romances I've read, hands down. If you haven't yet read a book by Foley, do so IMMEDIATELY. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: CHARMED BY THIS BOOK
Review: Gaelan Foley has always been a consummate writer from the first stunning instalment THE PIRATE PRINCE to the dazzling PRINCESS and now PRINCE CHARMING in the Ascension Trilogy.

With this book she has catapulted her status to a mere writer; it is the passion and fervor in her characterization blessed with a tight pacing that makes this novel so emotionally-enriching and simply glorious.

She has molded Lady Daniela Chiaramonte as a feisty and fiercely-independent female version of the Robin Hood who robs the rich for the poor. Prince Rafael is by far the most decadent rake of his time, but being betrayed by love once, he is at once vulnerable. He fears he will always be undermined as a ruler by his father - who thinks he is too immature to take over the helm.

As the Masked Rider, Daniela suffers the impending fate of being gullotined with her identity exposed, and Rafael saves her despite the castigation of his friends beside him and learns to grasp his destiny and make his choices. He sees Daniela as a fragile woman so worthy of his protection and his love, and a testament to the unbridled trust he has never seen from anyone.

But treachery in the court and his decadent ways threaten to split the union apart. Their tenuous love makes it so vulnerable to attack by the preposition of the sinister Orlando, Rafael's former lover. They are put to a gruelling test; through the obstacles, the richness of their bond is intensified. Daniela has not once give up on the wastrel Rafael, and fights courageously beside her husband to reclaim the throne that was nearly lost to Rafael. Rafael also acknowledged the fact his transformation to a man was the result of an abiding love for this endearing woman.

There is a keen sense of observation with alluring poetry - Ms. Foley has managed to structure the exotic, surreal realm of the Ascension and contrasted with the sprawling poverty side where Daniela was raised. Ms. Foley knits many tender human elements - friendship between Mateo and Daniela, Daniela's spirited soul brimming with astute wit and courage, Rafael's redemption at love, and how Rafael learns about trust and acceptance. The most poignant and touching of all, the declaration of Lazar's love for his son.

Beside Ms. Foley's sweeping sensuality, in PRINCE CHARMING she has matured and honed her skills of description and pacing to incredible finesse. The chemistry between Daniela and Rafe is heart-tugging and their love no less majestic on the shores of Ascension. From the climax of the foil of Daniela's robbery plan to the beleaguered treachery in the Courts, Ms. Foley narrates with zest and vivid descriptions. Her fruits of labour can finally be recognized after years of balancing her stint as a waitress and devotion into her writing, and it is in PRINCE CHARMING, the emotional and focused writing that her commitment shines.

Ms. Foley has bestowed upon readers one engaging read that is never formulaic and is instantly appealing. She stretches her creativity in constructing different settings (a female Robin Hood) which are luminous to the banal ones in the flood of historical romances nowadays; her heroes and heroines are always true-to-life and flawed.

With such enchantment and overwhelming passion, you can say I am practically charmed - off my feet by PRINCE CHARMING.

Rating:
Summary: Enchanting!
Review: Gaelen Foley is an incredible writer! I bought this book out of pure summer boredom, never before reading a book by this author. Instantly I fell in love with Prince Charming. Foley did an excellent job in developing each character. The plot was intricate as well as exciting. I cannot wait to read more of Gaelen Foley's books. She is truly a gifted writer and I would recommend her books to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Ms Foley is Wonderful
Review: Gaelen Foley writes lush romances that make you sigh and wish you were there. This is the last book in this series. I hated to leave this family and wish that we would hear more about them. Rafe is afraid to love because of a past scandal. Daniela see Rafe a useless noble who could do so much more for his people. She teaches him to love again and to learn to trust. He shows her that He does care about his people and is a compassionate man. They are a wonderful couple.