The Raven Prince (Prince Trilogy)

I really really liked Edward and Anna, and liked the fact that they were average looking people. I was enjoying the story immensely even though it had flaws like Anna caring for and going to London with Courtesans and her reputation not being ruined. But how else would she disguise herself and seduce Edward? So i pushed it aside since the sex that came out of that meeting was hot!! But after he discovers that it was Anna who had secretly seduced him, it all went downhill from there for me. It was just one unbelievable scene after the next. (Possible spoilers ahead) Was the character of Felicity and going back to the brothel near the end of the novel really necessary? I think not! And that while they were at the Brothel, it was basically a huge commotion and Anna's rep was unaffected by it? Yea, right!
And Anna got annoying at times too like when Edward discovered it was Anna the masked lady he had sex with and she just lets him assume she did it to make fun of him or something... she let, what, a whole week go by before she finally explained herself? She should have explained herself at the moment because i could not think why Edward still wanted her to work for him after he thought she did it out of spite or whatnot. Then she is being blackmail and doesn't tell Edward but leaves him instead, i wanted to strangle her. I was so happy that Edward did not go after her when he realized she had left him.... Overall, it was just an OK (and frustrating) read for me which is too bad because it had the potential to be better but instead came out more like a soap-opera than a romance novel.

This was a fabulous experience! It was almost impossible to put down. I wanted to read straight through. I loved the story and the characters and their interactions. I believe this was her first book. I plan to buy her next two coming out in 2007.

This is a very well written romance. The characters are "real" in every sense of the word. I especially liked the "background" characters. Each one has a surprise for you. Every chapter begins with another part about The Raven Prince - a story within a story. I am SO looking forward to Ms. Hoyt's next book.

This romance is different in that the Earl of Swartingham is impatient, short tempered and not handsome. He nearly runs Anna over with his horse and blames her for not getting out of the way. However she is in dire straights and applies for the job as his secretary. She will not bow down before his temper and sparks fly. The story of their romance is quite interesting and an enjoyable read.

I love this book! The characters' attraction builds slowly and you can't wait to read what happens between them next. The author writes some really delicious sexual scenes that are worth rereading. Always enjoy this author's books.

This book was okay, the two main characters were fine and I liked their easy companionship. It started going downhill when the author used the tired device of a the heroine wearing a mask to have sex with the hero, and him not noticing it's her, even though he cant think of anyone else. Still, it's done more believably than say the silly Dreaming of You's mask sequence. The sex scenes were kind of meh. Very repetitive. I also became very bored with how many times it was mentioned how his breath tasted like coffee. The plot line was really not memorable at all, but I'll give it 3 stars, though it's really more like 2 1/2. (It is better than her next two books, they get worse as they go along.)

The setup of a country widow secreting herself in a bordello in disguise, in order to bed her boss, is not made very believable in this book. Also some distracting errors - for instance, the use of "fair" when "fare" is what's meant. Graphic sex scenes, also, for those that want that warning beforehand.

I was impressed by some of the rave reviews....much to my consternation! The story moved very slowly and never really caught my attention. I usually pick up a book and read it straight through in one or two evenings. This book kept getting put down and reluctantly picked up again (I can be quite stubborn about finishing a book). I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting for it to get any better. It never did.

Save your money.

Quick, easy read through England at the turn of the century. The mystery element of the story keeps you going and I enjoyed the characters. Definitely for those of us that enjoy romantic novels. If you are looking for a true mystery, look elsewhere, but I love this type of book for a relaxing, non-stessful break.

There were some very good things about this book, and some pretty big let downs. If I could give two sets of stars to this book for the first half and the second half separately, I would give the first half a high 4 stars and the second half 2 stars at best.

First, the characters, Edward & Anna, are unfortunately under developed. Anna is easy to read and a nice break from the typical historical heroine. She's not too headstrong, nor too innocent. But that's about as much as you can say about her. Edward, on the other hand, seems to be desperately trying to be just like all the typical historical heroes (an angry, virile, rake that hates social trivialities and has a massive temper that only seems to be quelled by the books heroine), and failing miserably. He is none of the things that he is described as. And that's mostly a good thing. I just wish Elizabeth Hoyt had described him appropriately, because his actions and thoughts don't match.

Edward is more hurt than angry. He's also not much of a rake. While he does frequent a brothel, he does not have kept women on the side or an ever rotating set of conquests coming through his doors. In fact, he's very clearly a one woman type of man. While he does have a bit of a temper, it's not the quiet, brooding, heart pounding type of temper. It's more like he throws temper tantrums. Which is, by far, the thing I dislike the most about him. He throws things... not at people, he just throws them, like a whiney baby. I can't think of anything less masculine. It really takes away from whatever sex appeal has been built up since the last time he threw something.

And Edward is sexy, despite the fact that he's covered in scars from small pox and starts out the book being described like a hideous troll, Elizabeth Hoyt does a marvelous job of transforming him into one of the sexiest heroes I've read. And that's in large part because he's actually quite a gentle and understanding soul. He's good. He's not mean or scary. And is temper is not only quelled by Anna. It's generally, not there, except in a few parts of the story where it feels forced because Hoyt felt the need to drive home this manufactured part of his character. In short, his character is incongruous, which is unfortunate.

The main plot of this book is their relationship. For the most part, the story is propelled forward by it's development, which is done nicely. The sub-plot, however, is weak, undeveloped and uninteresting. It was largely in place to string together additional conflict between Anna & Edward, which could have been done more effectively with a little creative thinking on the authors part.

In the first half of the book, Hoyt does a great job building the characters relationship. It has a "slow burn" quality about it and she successfully builds Anna & Edwards desire for each other. It is rife with sexual tension and anticipation. There is a feeling of yearning for each other that is built up and kindled excellently until you almost can't stand it anymore. And when they finally do come together, its near perfection.

But only *near* perfection, because this is where things start to go wrong. The first two sex scenes are hot. Very hot...for Anna. You can feel her breathlessness, her desire reach its peak, her heart pound with lust and ache from this feeling of unrequited love that she's experiencing without even being fully aware of it. But during both of these scenes, there is nothing from Edwards perspective. They are notably devoid of any insights to his emotional or physical state during the actual act. Everything you learn about how he felt comes later and the scenes are rushed.

Then, all the build up, the tension, the strife, the desire, that is created during the first half of the book is magnificently absent during the second half of the book. I'm not sure what happened, but at this point the writing begins to feel rushed and lack development. While I appreciate when a plot is not drawn out for the sake of adding extra pages, this was the opposite. Typically at the end of a romance there is a big conflict that ultimately results in them coming together. Here the "big" conflict, lasted a few pages at most. The sub-plot poorly comes to a head and is resolved in the matter of one conversation for each of the characters. Edward is heartbroken for about half a page before someone conveniently explains that its not Anna's fault (typical romance stuff right there). Edward gets angry with the perpetrator, there is a fight, and he and Anna are back together for about half a page before the book ends. Rushed. After the first half of the book, it was so disappointing.

My final disappointment with the book was the actual dialogue. It was stilted and uninspired. There was nothing remotely interesting about it. What kept me reading was the descriptive emotions at the beginning of the book and then the sexy love scenes at the end of the book. I would have liked the end to have the same emotional heaviness of the first half, but sadly it didn't.

I might give another of Elizabeth Hoyts books a chance. But only if I run out of other stuff to read first.

NB: Mar 2015 're-read' via audio so focus mainly on narrator/audio experience

I hadn’t had much luck w/ audiobooks in recent years so was thrilled to discover Moira Quirk, narrator for the Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan. Then a kind soul in a certain HR group mentioned that Ms. Quirk also narrated Elizabeth Hoyt’s Prince Trilogy. It had been a while since I read that series so figured to kill 2 birds w/ 1 stone by doing a re-read via audio.

I remember liking ‘The Raven Prince’ well enough (after all, I continued to read the subsequent books) so the story itself would probably fall around 4-4.5. IMO, it's still one of the better Beauty & Beast storylines, with sympathetic main characters & a varied cast of likeable secondary characters. Altho certain things didn't ring true for the Georgian period, I tried to overlook most by repeating the mantra 'country life is more informal'. And last but certainly not least, the sexual content of this book was much franker/more explicit than I remembered. *grins*

However, I ended up *loving* ‘The Raven Prince’ due to Ms. Quirk’s narration. Granted, I don’t have as many ABs ‘under my belt’ as some of my friends but IMHO, the term ‘voice actor’ truly does apply to Ms. Quirk. She is simply fantastic at breathing life into both general narrative and dialogue, as well as maintaining sufficient tonal differences to make dialogue easily discernible, especially amongst several characters. IDK why but her diction & cadence/inflection suit my ears perfectly.

To the ever-lasting bafflement/frustration of TPB in publishing, I suppose that opinions & preferences re: AB narrators are probably just as personal & quirky as those for books in general. Having made serious efforts in recent months to incorporate ABs into my reads, I’ve come to realise that I prefer narrators w/ natural inflection and somewhat normal talking speed. (Frex, Davina Porter is another fabulous narrator but Good Lord, it would’ve taken me months to re-read the Outlander series via audio. The books are long enough but tack on audio format + her narration speed? Alas, ’twas the unfortunate kiss of death for me.) And yes, I may have a minor bias towards UK-accented English. :)

Have never read Hoyt’s Prince Trilogy or it’s been a while since you read it? If you haven't listened to any of Ms. Quirk's voice works, I strongly recommend that you give ‘The Raven Prince’ a go via audio.

Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

This was a fantastic book, it is superbly written and really stands out from the crowd of other historical romances with its unique characters and lovely romance. ~ Under the Covers

Impoverished widow Mrs Anna Wren needs to find a job if she doesn't wish to starve to death, luckily Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham needs a new secretary as he has managed to scare of the latest one with his quick and extremely loud temper. Anna isn't so easily frightened away and as their friendship grows, so does their desire.

For my first read of 2013 I decided to start with a series that I know I love, so I chose the Princes Trilogy, its mixture of romance, passion and humour always has me completed absorbed in its' pages.

What first caught my eye about this book was the hero, Edward, he isn't your typical historical hero, he is ugly and pock marked with a foul temper and doesn't hesitate to bellow at people and throw any nearby ornaments. Yet somehow I found myself as drawn to him as Anna was, you forget his ugliness as the book goes on as you see the warm and caring man beneath who only wants to rebuild his home and start building a family to fill it. Anna was his perfect match, unafraid of his fearsome temper and appearance she was feisty and brave enough to come out of the role that society had cast for her and do what she needed to, be it find a job, help someone in need or go after the man she was falling in love with.

The romance between the pair grew steadily through the book as their friendship develops. I really enjoyed this deepening of their affections rather the insta-love, it made the connection between the two characters seem much abiding and deeply rooted as their love grows organically through the book. I also like how the romance in the book correlated with the telling of the fairy tale at the beginning of each chapter. The fairy tale was a brilliant touch, penned by Edwards sister, it added an extra dimension to the book and I found myself looking forward to the new chapters so I could see what would happen next in the tale.

This was a fantastic book, it is superbly written and really stands out from the crowd of other historical romances with its unique characters and lovely romance.

Even though Historical Romance is not a favorite of mine to read, author Elizabeth Hoyt never fails to amaze me. This author is one of my favorites in this genre and I have no idea why I have put off reading this series.

Edward is suppose to be some mean Earl that hardly anyone can tolerate. I on the other hand, enjoyed his characters. I don't think he was unruly and temperamental as he was suppose to be. I actually found him shy and at times a sweet man. This is not to say he didn't have his moments, but I liked him from the first time he entered the scene.

Anna I felt was the perfect counterpart for Edward. She didn't take his crap and she could dish out just as much as she was given. I like how she didn't care what others really thought about her and just went with what she felt was right for herself.

I think the only problem I had with this story was the over abundance of characters. I felt like the reader was introduced to too many even though this is the first in series. At times it felt like I would need a flow sheet to remember who everyone was.

A great romance to sweep you away and one that I enjoyed enough to recommend to fans of Historical Romance.

Somehow, I never read Elizabeth Hoyt's the Raven Prince when it was first released. There is something very special about this story and it is due almost solely to the characters. The concept isn't a new one, two lonely people finding love and companionship; it's so good because Ms. Hoyt has written a wonderful, kind, heroine and a gruff but supremely honorable hero who defy the expected.

Widowed Anne Wren takes a job as the secretary to the mysterious Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swathringham. She is surprised to discover it is the man who almost ran her down in with his horse a week earlier.

Edward immediately likes the fiesty widow and Anne has an amiable relationship with her employer. She sees beyond his small pox scars to the considerate man that he is. Quickly though Anne falls in love with Edward but cannot see how it could ever be acted upon. She is so enamored she decides to seduce him but realizes she must go about it in a very unconventional way.

The romantic scenes between these two are absolutely scorching. Ms. Hoyt definitely turns up the heat and they have a wonderful physical relationship. But even more, they have a great emotional relationship too. Anne has a past full of hurt and her ability to trust is shaken. Edward has a tragic past, he lost his whole family to small pox. Together these leads create magical moments of romance and tenderness.

I adored this book. It has everything one looks for in a romance. A true story with developed imperfect characters to root for? Check! Passion? Check! A sense of humor? Check. Honor? Check! Roadblocks? Check! Best of all this story is different from the rest of what is out there. One of the pitfalls of being a romance reader is that the same story is told over and over again. Not here. Edward and Anna are not beautiful and are not caught up in the social whirl of the ton. No one is kidnapped. No one agrees to sell themselves to a randy lord to save the family farm. Anna is respectable. She is poor, and she is widowed but she has a home and food and is in no danger of being on the streets. Edward is lonely and can be insecure but he is neither a tortured misfit nor a rake. Both Anna and Edward work hard at jobs they care about. Our couple falls in love, but they do so while talking, being together, working together, paying attention and doing small kind things for on another. They don't fall in love because the sex is good (like that is actually love <eyeroll>) though they do fall in love and also the sex is good. Any dedicated romance reader will love this one.

As with any Elizabeth Hoyt novel I have read, this one is also well written. Ms Hoyt can breathe life into her characters and we can see them carrying out the story in our mind's eye.

The earl is insecure about his looks because he has a pock marked face. This causes him to doubt that anyone can love him. Anna is capable of looking beyond his disfigurement to see the honorable man but Anna thinks that she is too far below his station to even think of a romance. The brothel masquerade is her solution to her desires.

This is a very good read but I have to confess I did have trouble wrapping my mind around a regency era gentlewoman wantonly comporting herself in a brothel. So if you can suspend disbelief in this instance then this book will probably rate even higher with you than it does with me. All in all a good story.

This is an intensely emotional and wonderfully erotic dark series that will be sure to please fans of Elizabeth Hoyt like me. The romances were a little lacking compared to her later works (more physical than emotional, which is fine, but the emotions evoked in the Maiden Lane series makes it superior IMO) but great reads overall with stories i completely lost myself in

Having just finished this book, I feel totally satisfied. Although it is not among my "WOW WOW WOW" 5 star picks, it was super enjoyable and kept me enthralled all day. I would recomend it and here's why.

Anna was perfect; I don't usually like the widows, but her character was likable, understandable, and honest about her feelings (and she did something about them). Edward was great in that he wasn't completley obsessive about his scars and he recognized his attraction to Anna and also did something about it instead of hemming and hawing for the whole book.

I liked how Edward didn't find out what Anna had done until relatively late in the novel because that prevented some stupid reason from keeping them apart for the rest of the novel (something that would have been annoying and clearly a plot device to add more pages). Their problem was legitamate, he was engaged to someone else and Anna didn't want him to marry her out of duty.

Overall this romance moved quickly, kept me interested and was enjoyable. The only thing it lacked was a really strong feeling of love between Anna and Edward. I believed they loved each other, but I didn't feel it until the very end. I am still excited, though, to read the other novels by Hoyt

I cannot believe that I have spent so long avoiding Elizabeth Hoyt! I tested whether I had been right in thinking she wasn't the romance author for me when I read Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lane Series, Book 1) a week and a half ago ... and discovered that I had been so, so wrong! From reviews and summaries, I had always thought that her books were a little too wild while being short on actual story/substance, but I could not have been more wrong and cannot wait to read her backlist.

I thought I loved WICKED INTENTIONS, but THE RAVEN PRINCE was even better! I loved that both the hero and heroine didn't really think much of the other at first - Anna thought Edward was ugly, not very thoughtful of others, and grumpy (lol, he is that last), while he thought she was plain and a goody-two-shoes widow. The romance between Anna and Edward is so sweet and they have both been through so much and are so in need of love that you can't help but be completely overjoyed when they finally get their HEA. Anna has always done as she should and felt quite alone since the death of her husband, who did not treat her as she deserved; Edward lost his whole family to smallpox when he was young and is in many ways a very tragic figure (at the beginning!). The dialogue between them is fun and witty, their relationship development is strong, and the chemistry between the two of them is fabulous.

If anything I think Hoyt's summaries almost do her books a disservice. For this book, the summary makes their relationship out to be a little seedy and the plot twist of Anna going to London to stand-in for the prostitute Edward would sleep with is made to sound ... I don't know, just all lust-based, when by this point, the reason Anna is upset that he's going to a whorehouse is because she has feelings for him and thinks he may be attracted to her - but won't act on it - and the reason Edward is going to the whorehouse is to try and get his mind off of his lovely secretary whom he knows he can't do anything with.

The secondary characters were an absolute delight! I *LOVED* Mr. Hopple and his ridiculous clothes, "Jock" (the dog) was so cute and created some very funny moments in the book, Coral was super interesting and well-written, and I utterly adored Mother Wren - how wonderful that Anna had a mother-in-law who was not evil and actually ended up supporting her and siding with her over her (now-dead) son.

The only thing I realized later was that the subplot (which was very minor and really only takes place during the second half of the book) kind of sizzles off. One part is "resolved," if you can call it that, but I still don't know what happened to the letter that was in the locket ...? Obviously didn't bother me much because I didn't even remember that till later! Might have been better all around without this small attempt at a mystery/blackmail subplot.

BOTTOM LINE:
All in all, an utterly fabulous book - terrific cast of characters, great romance, and several scenes that had me literally laughing out loud, which I realized I hadn't done in some time with an HR. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series! Lord Iddesleigh was hysterical and I'm especially excited for his story.

PRINCES TRILOGY:
Book 1 - THE RAVEN PRINCE - Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham (5 stars)
Book 2 - The Leopard Prince - Harry Pye (4.5 stars)
Book 3 - The Serpent Prince - Simon Matthew Raphael Iddesleigh, Viscount of Iddesleigh (3.5 stars)

Anna Wren is nearly destitute, and the only solution she can think of is to find a job. Not an easy proposition in Regency England.

She lucks out when Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, urgently needs a new secretary, his temper having rid him of his previous ones. The earl's steward is desperate, and hires Anna despite his misgivings.

It's a sweet story--the tortured hero (he's scarred from smallpox, his entire family including wife and child have died) and the valiant heroine first fighting their attraction, then liking each other, then falling in love, culminating in a disguised Anna meeting Edward in a brothel where he'd gone to... er... work off his attraction to her.

I don't have any real complaints, other than a vague feeling that the tone of the writing seemed rather more modern than I'm used to with a historical romance--there weren't any anachronisms or anything I can put my finger on, so maybe it's just my imagination or a taste issue. Mostly, the four stars is because it's a pleasant story that I enjoyed and am glad I read, but nothing extraordinary.

Anna Wren has been widowed for 6 years. Funds have steadily been getting lower and lower. Circumstances have gotten to the point where Anna must take a position or run the risk of not being able to provide for her small home. Anna cares for her mother-in-law and a young girl they took in when she had no where to go. Anna and Mother Wren are training Fanny for a house servant position but the young girl isn’t ready to make it in the working world yet. Anna goes to town to find a position.

Edward de Raff has, after nearly two decades, decided to return to his family home. The manor holds fond memories of his childhood, that is until his last memories of the manor. Edward de Raff, Earl of Swartingham, is the sole survivor of the small pox that swept his house during childhood. He has decided to return to his home, marry and fill the halls with the laughter of children once again. This may prove more difficult than it sounds. Finding someone to marry an earl should be quite simple. Edward has a scarred face from his childhood illness and a temper to go with it. His second secretary has been mysteriously called away in the night and won’t be returning for the position. Edward tells his steward to find him a replacement by end of day to start the next day.

Happily Edward’s steward and Anna collide on a street corner. Before the steward quite knows what happened, Anna has the position as the Earl of Swartingham’s secretary. The story that follows is the stuff fairy tales are made of.

*Sigh* The Raven Prince swept me up and took me to a place far far away. It has all the properties of a great historical: a hero who most think arrogant but he needs reassurance, a heroine who is afraid she isn’t lovable because of her “flaws”, a wonderful setting and fantastic secondary characters. The best part about this book is watching two people fight a losing battle. Their love of each other is going to surmount any obstacles they put up and it is heart-warming to watch those obstacles fall. This was my first Elizabeth Hoyt novel and it certainly won’t be my last. If you have yet to read Elizabeth Hoyt, I can’t suggest enough that you do!

The blurb reads like some idiotic erotic romance book that publishers seem to think are so popular. Virginal heroine turns skanky prostitute in order to sate her newly discovered passions. What it turns out to be is a believable love story between two lonely people who experience some smoking hot, but totally integrated, sex.

One thing I have always found a bit clever is when an author gives a name to a character that has meaning for the story. Maybe it's a silly thing to find clever, but alas, what can I say? In this book, Anna Wren is very wrenlike in the beginning. She has tart thoughts but isn't one to give them voice. Being at the end of her rope, gives her the courage to start speaking out. After all, what does she have to lose? Circumstances make it difficult for Anna to be just a widow gentry woman. Once she starts giving voice to "her" opinions, she finds it very exhilarating. It was a pleasure to read her character and watch her unfurl her wings.

The Earl, Edward, suffered a terrible loss when small pox swept through the village. His entire family succumbed and he fell ill. Everyone else died. He's marked by this incidence with small pox scars and the emptiness that his life has become. He wants to have a family more than anything and contracts a marriage with the daughter of a respectable Baron whose wife has a record of being a good breeder. Given time spent with Anna as his secretary who listens to him, who talks back to him, who isn't afraid of him, he begins to have untoward thoughts of her. He spends virtually no time thinking about the Baron's daughter because she is merely a means to an end for him. This sounds callous but you tend to believe that family means everything to Edward and that he would be honorable to his wife, whomever she was.

There is a deception involved involving Anna and her seduction of Edward. These scenes are quite torrid but are in keeping with the story and actually move the plot forward. Of course, as all deceptions are wont to do, this turns out badly. The ending is a bit of a farce but I still enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one, The Leopard Prince.

WOW, what a marvelous book!!! Hoyt's talented debut of "The Raven Prince" will have you panting after you're done reading and will make you yearn for her next one - which is hitting the shelves April 1st 2007 - "The Leopard Prince". You will not be able to put this book down - as it was so captivating and so beautifully written.

It has everything that a great romance should - incredibly great story, captivating characters, unsurpassed page turning sexual tension and steamy sexual scenes that will have you fanning yourself! All beautifully executed and penned by Ms. Hoyt, a new author, which I am sure, after you read "The Raven Prince", you'll have to make room for in your keeper shelf.

Hoyt masterfully interweaves the main storyline with a delightful fairy tale, depicted at the beginning of every other chapter. You will get just as engrossed with the magic, weaved in the tale of "The Raven Prince" as with the main storyline.

The main characters, developed in a fabulously fresh manner - are intriguing and fabulous. The heroine here is not the simpering, innocent miss or spirited heroine with gorgeous flowing locks of hair, fair skin and sumptuous curves nor is the hero the dashing, charming and heart-stoppingly handsome rake depicted in most historical novels. Anna, is a plain widow that has fallen on hard times and Edward a brooding earl, with a big nose, scars and with a foul temper to boot. The storyline is simple, yet the character development is magnificent. Edward offers Anna the position of his secretary - as his temper has driven all previous candidates away. As Anna stands up to him and meticulous executes her duties, he soon realizes that he craves the simple, plump widow - as he cant stop thinking of her mouth.... as well as other "unmentionable" areas.

What ensues is a delicious, page turning romance that will leave you extremely satisfied and very glad you selected this talented new author. I am sure, like me, you will be waiting with baited breath for her next book, "The Leopard Prince". Thank you Ms. Hoyt for a really great book!

The book starts off with Anna Wren walking home when all of a sudden she is about to be trampled by a fast running horse. Well the rider who was riding the horse is now sitting in a mud puddle and that is when Anna meets Edward de Raaf. Later on the Earl of Swarthingham(Edward de Raaf) makes Anna his secretary, and that is where the romance begins! Edward de Raaf is not your typical hero he is pox scarred and is said to be ugly by many but to Anna he is her sexy and brooding Earl. Love scenes are very hot especially the brothel scenes...yeah brothel scenes! Could not put it down. Terrific read hence the five stars.

I just got finished reading this book. I actually got it as a suggested reading from on of the romance blogs here on the store so I thought I would try it out. This book is now my all time favorite book. I loved both the H/H. I loved the secondary characters. It flowed nicely and had been guessing as to what would happen next. I liked that the Heroine was attracted to the Hero and didn't put up a great deal of pretense. Ms. Hoyt didn't drag it out like some writers would have. It really was a well balanced story. If the rest of her books are as good as this...she has a fan!

I picked this book up locally because it was autographed by the author so I figured she was local to me, and I was correct. I like to see what local people are doing creatively and thought this would be a fun read for a business trip I was about to take.

This book really exceeded my expectations. I did not want the story to end. These characters are some of my favorite... I like them almost as much as Jaime and Claire in Outlander. The book moved at a good pace, but really made you interested in all the characters, not just the leads. I would like to see another book in this series. I definately will purchase the authors other books.

My only problem was with the ultimately too many descriptions of the Earls "ugliness" amd Anna's plainess.. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder for sure.

Very good read, fun and I give it an A !

In 1760 the Earl de Raaf, Edward, returns home for the first time in two decades; he has avoided this place he loved as a child because the deaths of his beloved family members made Ravenhill haunted. Still he knows it is time to move on.

Widow Anna Wren needs employment to support her mother-in-law, their "servant" and herself. She learns from Edward's estate manager Felix Hopple that he needs a new secretary as none stay very long out of fear of his bark. She applies and accepts the job though a female is normally considered unsuited. As she performs her duties exemplary, Anna falls in love with her employer, but he seems not to notice her except as his drudge. Instead he turns to Aphrodite's Grotto for his pleasure; Anna vows to make him take notice that she is a woman in love even if it means meeting him at the brothel he seems to frequent.

THE RAVEN PRINCE is a terrific Georgian romance starring a fascinating heroine who defies the era to bring bread on the table for her and the two females who depend on her. Edward is interesting also as his childhood tragedy still traumatizes his thinking until he falls in love with his secretary. Readers will enjoy their brothel courting.

Harriet Klausner

Very enjoyable story about a beastly man, the Earl of Swartingham. He growls, he grumbles, he yells, a lot, and he keeps scarring off his secretaries! The Earl has painful ghosts that haunt him, as well as the scars he wears. The young widow, Anna Wren is in dire financial straits, and needs a job. Oh, and did I forget to mention the dog? He's a Mastiff mix, a brute of an animal that scares everyone away, that the Earl doesn't!
Not wanting to 'spoil' the story for anyone, let's just say these two people have some hidden issues that are working to keep them from getting close.
Elizabeth Hoyt has a keeper here! The story is haunting, exciting, and fun. I really enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters. Looking forward to reading the next two books in the Princes Trilogy.

The widowed Anna Wren is in desperate need of money, so she takes an unusual step and applies for the secretary job in the household of Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham. She has three major problems with the job. First no one has ever heard of a female secretary, secondly her employer has a fierce temper, but the biggest problem of all is that she is falling in love with him. Unfortunately Edward has problems due to a past betrayal, a huge problem with the concept of love and relationships. Will they find a way to be together?

The Raven Prince is a fantastic and unusual book. The story captivated this reviewer from the beginning and she was really sad when she reached the end.

Ms. Hoyt created a terrific cast of characters for this novel. Each of the characters plays an important part in making this book so unique.

Anna Wren is a very strong and independent heroine, who doesn't care much about public opinion. She stands up for her own opinion, something that is especially important in the employment of the Earl. When she makes up her mind, there is nothing that will stop her; she will even go disguised into a brothel to be with the man she loves.

Edward de Raaf is a tortured/wounded hero par excellence. He doesn't believe that any women will ever really love him, because of his pox scars, but that was before he met Anna. She just has to make him believe that he is worthy to be with her.

Altogether she will turn his whole life upside down.

This reviewer especially liked that The Raven Prince is set in the Georgian times, because there are too few books set in this time period and it makes the book even more special.

The Raven Prince is a very good debut novel and you will definitely want to keep an eye open for more books by Ms. Hoyt. Her next book, The Leopard Prince will be released in April 2007.

Courtesy of Loveromancesandmore.com

Great to find another author I enjoy. The pace is fast, the characters have depth, lots of humor, twists in the plot, and inventive steamy scenes. Altogether a great recipe for a gripping, fun romance novel. The heroine Mrs Wren is a great character, and even though then hero is not 'handsome', the author manages to make him hot. All of the side characters were given good lines and was part of the plot, and a couple were great comic reliefs.
I don't give that many 5 stars anymore, but this one had all the elements I like.

What a sweet, endearing novel, and such a contrast to the norms of only beautiful people finding love and romance. The first pages literally describes how ugly our hero is and how plain and dowy the herione. Then as the story goes on, the characters no longer see the flaws of each other but beauty that is brought out from within. Her lips become seductive, her hair like a field of flowers. His strong limbs practically make her own legs week. How utterly lovely. I think I fell in love with the characters as much as they fell in love with each other.

In reality I loved reading this novel. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five was the fact that, after all, it is a romance novel and not an extraordinary fine piece of literary work. Regardless, either way, I would recommend this one to anyone who enjoys reading.

The market for great romantic fiction has been so small and tight recently that I've gone back and reread several favorites as many as 4-5 times. SO a rumored great book by a new author put me on the hunt and I felt very lucky to find the last copy. Go out of your way and hunt this raven down because it's a goodie! It's set in the Regency time period and uses a lot of the "conceits" like lime green waistcoats stiched with bumblebees, masks, coaches, etc. to great romantic and comedic effect. The use of historical accuracy of the time period is carefully noted and used to great effect. The male lead is ugly, ill-tempered and the lone survivor of a small pox epidemic who falls passionately in love with a clever, beautiful widow who agrees to be his secretary. The couple is surrounded by a loving, hilarious group of relatives, friends and servants that enrich this deeply emotional and loving tale. Although passionate, this story did not seem overly sensual.

I loved this book ... and I devour romance novels ... the characters were great, perhaps the male protagonist was a tad too insecure about his marked face and body; however, I would be too, so perhaps that is justifiable. Hoyt is one of my favorite romance authors ... although not all her works are as captivating as this one ... but I still buy everything she comes out with ... It is a great read ... I highly recommend it.

Not a big fan usually of the hidden identity situations, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Edward turned out to be a great hero, and Anna and he made a splendid match. The author handled the hidden identity trope well, and the resolution of Edward's discovery of Anna's deception, along with his wooing/convincing her that they need to marry, was romantic without being saccharine. As with "The Leopard Prince" before, I really enjoyed Elizabeth Hoyt's writing, and I look forward to reading more of her work. 4.5/5 rating. It was THAT good.

Edit: Wanted to add a "laugh out loud" line: "Why did men think that saying something louder made it true?" Love it! :)