The Enchanted Prince

Rating:
Summary: Classic "Misunderstanding" Story
Review: Disguised as a slovenly pauper, Connor MacEowan goes off to Derbyshire to woo the "lovely" Gemma on a dare from his rich and careless friends and discovers that, in Gemma's case in particular, loveliness is only skin deep. Gemma is only seventeen, and Difficult, to say the least. However, a bet is a bet, and Gemma's uncle is only too happy to get rid of his orphaned ward; so Gemma is forced into marrying him, and off they trot to Scotland to live as crofters in some miserable little backwater of the Highlands.

The rest of the book is devoted to Gemma and Connor battling it out a la Celebrity Deathmatch as Gemma considers, in turns, murdering Connor and killing herself. All of this carousing would end, of course, if one of them simply admitted to the other that they loved them, but then the book would be two hundred pages shorter.

THE ENCHANTED PRINCE isn't completely bad, but it goes on for way too long, covering the same ground over and over again, and thus grows tiresome. There are some laugh-out-loud moments scattered throughout the book, though, and the only thing that carries the book through to the end are Gemma's antics, which are very entertaining, but which were too few and far between for my liking. Fans of Scotland will enjoy this book for the wonderful picture painted of it, and for at look a life from the crofters' point of view, which was very refreshing. Fans of Marsh also will undoubtedly enjoy the book. However, it's length and tediousness are what cause me to give it three stars.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: This is the first book I've read from this author and I'd like to read more. I liked the humor and the passion found in the characters. Also the secondary characters are interesting enough to lead to possible other books.
This book starts out with a bet. Connor MacEowan is a dashing, handsome, wealthy laird of Glenarris who has three very interesting friends. His has always won every wager but they think they have come upon the one that he can't win. To make one Gemma Baird fall in love with him as a poor, ugly man. His friends are so sure he will lose and he so sure that he will win he bets his home, Glenarris. So off he goes to win the lady. He encounters her quite by accident during a snow storm.
They take shelter in a small cottage for two nights. When he escorts her home the next day he offers for her to save her reputation. Gemma is horrified. She can't marry this arrogant, smelly man. But she soon finds she has no choice. Soon they are man and wife and he wisks her off to his home. Actually his "home" is a small crofters cottage far to the north. There they begin to start a life. They soon find that they are attracted to each other and passions are soon flamed. But things are not as they seem. Connor is still reluctant to tell his wife that he has feelings for her and the reason he married her in the first place. Also there is trouble brewing from a unknown source. Their peaceful existance is upset and Gemma soon finds herself married to a man she never knew. Gemma who is a strong woman must become even stronger to keep herself and thier marriage together. These two must struggle with not only outside influences that are trying to drive them apart but thier own demons.

I found this book to be an easy read and a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

Rating:
Summary: Rollicking good fun
Review: While one reviewer liked the book a lot but found it somewhat tedious and repetitive, I couldn't get enough of it. Even though Gemma and Connor do fight and make up a lot, it's part of the fun. Watching spoilt, unhappy Gemma learn to cook and clean in their run-down croft, never realizing the pauper Connor is really a prince in disguise was fast-paced fun for me. The love scenes were sweet and sexy by turn and you couldn't help rooting for both of them to finally stop making each other miserable and admit they're madly in love. To each her own, I guess!