The Leopard Prince

Courtesy of Happy Endings Reviews

"It stood up all by itself, larger than she'd ever imagined, poking through his small cloths. The statues lied. There was no way this could fit beneath those puny fig leaves." (page 151)

This quote made me love this book. It won me over. Lady Georgina "George" Maitland was a fantastic heroine and her train of though is just magnificent. She is not your typically historical heroine and that made me so must more intrigued with this book.

Harry Pye is the perfect hero, he does not bow down to George even though he works for her. You sympathize with what he feels - about her, their different class backgrounds, and also with their relationship.

Harry is accused of killing the farmers sheep on the land next to Georges, the Gainville land. Even when you thought the worst about Harry and it is pointed out for George to see, she does not believe the lies and stories, especially without any proof. And when she has the chance to save him, even though it means ruining her reputation - you know that deep down, she really loves him. Not that it was in question, but it is just one more point to prove to Harry that what everyone else thinks - it does not matter to her.

The story she tells of the leopard prince really does fit the description of their relationship, at least to me. Its as though he is always having to prove himself - for others - just to make sure he looks good in George's eyes. But not once does she doubt him or the love he hides from her. Even when she thinks her heart might break. She knows that Harry is her man.

The romance is perfect, the conflict is not overly done, and the little mystery that is lined within the plot is also well written. I had no problems with the writing style. The end of the book was concluded perfectly, no ties where really left open ended. You get all the answers to each question answered. Cannot complain about a well written story that has love, humor, danger, and even mystery.

This is book two of four
The Raven Prince
The Leopard Prince
The Serpent Prince
The Ice Princess

Lady Georgina Maitland, daughter of the Earl of Maitland, neither wants, nor needs, a husband. She was bequeathed land and wealth by her aunt and runs her own estates without the assistance of a man. However, at 28, George is beginning to discover that while she might not want or need a husband, there are some things for which one might come in handy. For instance, whenever George is around her land steward, Mr. Harry Pye, she finds herself feeling the strangest things. Never having had any serious encounters with men, despite one failed engagement, George doesn't really know what these feelings mean, but she does know that she wants Harry to be the one to teach her.

Mr. Harry Pye has returned to his former home a prouder and more important version of the gamekeeper's son who left so many years ago. In his position as George's land steward, he hopes to show the people who shunned him and his family when he was a boy that he has grown into a mature and responsible adult. However, not everyone in his old neighborhood is happy to see him. When the sheep on the neighboring farms start turning up dead, the first person the locals suspect is Harry. When he left their countryside so many years ago, he did so with anger in his face and a grudge in his heart. Many believe that he has returned to settle the score. What they can't know is that revenge is the furthest thing form Harry's mind. He's too busy being consumed with the lust he feels for his employer, which he knows is silly as the woman is the daughter of an earl. But when George and Harry join forces to find the real culprit who is killing the sheep, the heat between them reaches fever pitch, and the last thing on either of their minds is who has a higher rank in society...

The Leopard Prince is Elizabeth Hoyt's second novel, and while I liked it, it wasn't nearly as explosively passionate as I found her first book (The Raven Prince). It took awhile for things to heat up between Harry and George, and the mystery that they are trying to solve detracted from the romance for me. This book was kind of a cross between the heat and romance of The Raven Prince and the mystery and intrigue of an Amanda Quick novel. The problem is that Hoyt doesn't have the chops just yet to pull off both without one suffering. At times the mystery was at the forefront and it was what I focused on, but at those same times the romance was suffering. At the times when the heat was blazing between Harry and George, the reason that they got together (to find the real killer) was somehow lost in their passion. This book was good, but not great. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Amanda Quick romantic mysteries, but if you are in the mood for a passionate romance where the relationship is at the forefront, I'd suggest you look to Hoyt's previous novel, The Raven Prince.

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

Tale part was a little unbelievable but I still loved the tale. Harry and George were great together. In the beginning it was hard to tell they were attracted to each other. I'm looking forward to the next part of this series.

Hoyt came up with some wonderful characters with really interesting inter-personal relationships and thought "I'll write a book!" and belatedly realized she needed a plot. "Dead sheep. I'll start with dead sheep and see if it pans out."

Really good book. Funny and original and thoughtful... and the plot stopped it from being great.

Too predictable. Still, totally worth giving a shot.

This second release by Hoyt is not as well written as her first,(mainly the plot drags) but her two main characters are very original and the author may have gotten the idea for the story by reading DH Lawrence's "Lady Chatterly's Lover"
Georgina or "My Lady" as Harry Pye her land stewart calls her is a very assured, rich spinster of the mid 18th century. One day she realizes Harry is so much more than one of her servants. They begin a passionate love affair as someone is killing sheep (insert laugh) and murdering women all over the countryside... and Harry is the one being accused.
Harry has alot of baggage from a mother who cheated on her father with a rich landowner(who is much like the sterotypical uber villian you find in historical romances) and what his true place is in life. Butone positive thing is Harry is not all that brooding and angsty. His love her his lady is sweet and a little heartbreaking because he is just a simple man and Georgina is rich and an aristocrat.
Other than the whole murder mystery plot, this story is really about Harry and George and how can they overcome their positions in life in order to be together.
The love scenes do sizzle and Harry is the type you would want to cuddle up to, much like Georgina does.
An okay sophomore effort!

Katiebabs

The Raven Prince
The Serpent Prince

I actually liked this book better than Hoyt's first. That one was just okay for me. I really didn't like the female lead in The Raven Prince. In fact, I think I sold that book and now I wish I had it so I could go back and check out Harry and Simon again. Oh, well on to The Leopard Prince. I did like it. It did have its dark side and I also, as some others have said, thought that some of the language was too crude. But, overall, I liked the book. I loved the relationship between Harry, Bennet, and Will. I would like to see a book with Bennet and it looks like Violet could be his match. Harry was a very compelling character and while I wasn't wild about Georgina, I could put up with her.

There are a lot of books I read and then put down and wonder why I wasted my time. The Leopard Prince isn't one of those books. The time I spent reading it was time well-spent. Elizabeth Hoyt is a very intelligent writer. Her weaving of the fairy tales puts her writing in another class altogether. I am looking forward to her next offering. Simon sounds like he could be a delicious hero!!

BTW, for those of you looking for intelligent writing, check out Rona Sharon's work. It was a novel I thoroughly enjoyed.

When the Raven Prince came out I thought Elizabeth Hoyt was very gifted. I enjoyed the way she took a genre I already loved and put a fresh "tweak" on it. She writes fresh interesting vibrant characters and a lush plot. I was looking forward to the Leopard Prince.

I did not get what I expected in the Leopard Prince... I got far more. This book is absolutely fantastic. I loved the heat between George and Harry. I loved the fact that he was "undercover" to others, but irresistable to George. I felt the twists in the plot all worked seamlessly together to explain why each person was who they were, felt what they felt, and did what they did. It made the emotional payoff even greater when they had to stretch out of their comfort zones.

I could go on and on about this book. I have never written a review before, but I felt this book was so good it was worth stretching out of my comfort zone to write one!

I LOVED this book! I never write reviews on the store (at least up 'til now - maybe I'm just getting started?), but I'm delighted to write this one.

IMO, a REALLY GOOD BOOK is - plain and simple - one that holds my interest all the way to the end (and I consider this a gigantic achievement!).

The Leopard Prince held my interest and kept me entertained ALL THE WAY TO THE END! I read it in one day! The writing is excellent, the story is engaging, and the romance is sexy, sexy, sexy. In a romance, what I care about the most is the sexiness, and this one's got it! Sexy and fun! What's a crack-up is that the oh-so-sexy hero is named Harry Pye!

I first discovered Elizabeth Hoyt with the Raven Prince, and I have to write that The Leopard Prince didn't disappoint me either. The characters have such depth, the dialogue witty, the passion HOT, and plot twists and a story that I just couldn't put down. My only complaint is that I discovered Hoyt's work early in her career I can't go and buy a bunch of her books and enjoy weeks of reading!

This book was awesome. I think most of the reviews are in agreement so I won't go into too deeply. BUT, take a moment to ask your sons, or friends between the age of 14 and 24 if the name Harry Pye is funny and I think you'll get a reaction. Tee Hee....I love dirty jokes!!!

After reading Ms Hoyt's first book I was prepared for a great read. The Leopard Prince exceeded even my elevated expectations.I literally couldn't put it down. I even set my alarm clock an hour early ( 5am for goodness sake) so I could finish it before leaving for work. I will no go into detailed analysis of character or plot.I will just say that this one is a gem and I am very glad I discovered Ms Hoyt's books

Wonderful book! Similar in theme to Lady Chatterley's Lover, only I like Harry Pye, the hero in The Leopard Prince, so much better that Oliver in LCL!

Great read!

Kathrynn Dennis, author, DARK RIDER-Kensington, Sept 2007.

Harry was a pretty good character, kind of unassuming but brave and puts up with a lot. Georgie, the heroine, was annoying! She never shut up! She acts very independent and then runs away at the drop of a hat. The villain was easily dispersed in a lets wrap this book up kind of way. The story wasn't really very memorable.