The Rogue's Princess by Eve Edwards

Release Date: 07/07/11

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 257

Target Audience: Teens/Young Adults

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance/Fiction

Synopsis: 1586 – London, England. Sixteen-year-old Mercy Hart is the daughter of one of London’s richest – and strictest – cloth merchants. Kit Turner is an actor and the illegitimate son of the late Earl of Dorset. A chance encounter finds Kit falling for the beautiful Mercy’s charms, but their love is forbidden. A merchant’s daughter and a vagabond – it simply cannot be. If Mercy chooses Kit she must renounce her family name and leave her home. Will she favour duty over true love, or will she give Kit his heart’s desire?

My Review: I'm dying to read another book in this series, especially after reading this one because the Lacey chronicles just keep getting better and better with each installment! The one major thought I had while reading this was: 'Why can't I find a guy who will write romantic verses that I can see from my window?'

It may be the truth that romance isn't alive in present day, or it may not. But the romance is definitely alive in this fantastic example of Historical Romance and I think I fancy Mr Turner (yet another character crush to add to my growing list)

It isn't just the romance that makes these books amazing, but also the attention grabbing description of the period in which the story is set; it is incredibly and masterfully detailed. Whether it's the dress designs, the way people acted, the prejudices or just the relationships, there is a lot to be learned about the 1580's in this book and I'm sure it'll stick in my brain a lot longer than if I'd learned it in my history class (not that we studied this time period much)

Mercy and Kit seem to be a typical example of forbidden love but with a lot more excitement and, by the end, with a lot more at stake. The last 100 pages or so had me reading so fast I lost track of time, which is always a good sign when reading a book. Some people will argue that these sorts of books are predictable, but I disagree, there is nothing you can predict in this story even if you're certain Mercy and Kit will get their happily ever after, and there are enough twists and turns to keep even the most cynical reader guessing.

If you like your historical romances with humour, fun, drama and some peril (and home made cooking) then this is definitely going to be an awesome read for you :)