The Rogue's Princess (Lacey Chronicles, #3) (The Other Countess)

by Eve Edwards

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?

• ISBN10: 0141337346
• ISBN13: 9780141337340
• Publish Date: 7 July 2011
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 2 December 2014
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[ladygrey]

I enjoy reading [author:Eve Edwards] because her characters are always fun, her romances are sweet; there's just enough conflict and a little bit of danger in a historically accurate story.

The only thing about this one is that some the archaic terms seem jarring because the rest if the text isn't written in Old English. But she incorporates a few historic touches there were amusing. Kit is adorable and charming. And the relationship between the brothers is fun. And I like Mercy as a heroine that develops very nicely through the narrative. This is a light, fun, historical romance.

[kimbacaffeinate]

I have not read the other books in the Lacey Chronicles and was pleased that each works well as a standalone. The Rogue’s Princess shares the tale of Mercy Hart and Kit Tuner. Set in 1586, this historical romance beautifully captures the tone of the times and the power of young love. While the tale was predictable the characters themselves were delightful.

Mercy Hart is the daughter of a deeply religious and wealthy cloth merchant. She strives to be pure in the eyes of the lord and to subdue her own true nature. While at a friend’s dinner party, she meets the charismatic young Kit Turner and they fall in love. She believes him to be a merchant dealing with music, but he is a player at the theater. He is shocked to learn she has never been to the theater and encourages her to form her own opinion. Before the evening is over, he asks to call upon her father so that he may court her. She agrees and the tale that unfolds is full of angst, romance, betrayal, danger and choices.

Poor Mercy, she grows up in a repressed, God fearing home and often thinks her wayward thoughts and feelings are a sin. She tries to be a good daughter and servant to the lord, but Kit awakens things in her and makes her question both her father and his religious views. Kit is the bastard son of an Earl and when his mother dies in childbirth he takes to acting at the age of fourteen. He is well respected in the theatrical community, but those in the upper class, and especially those that run in the Hart’s family circle, see the theater as the devils work. His youth and young love make him optimistic, and I really liked him. He is quite handsome, well spoken and quite determined. Other secondary characters added to the tale, and I found some of them refreshing.

Edwards weaves a delightfully accurate historical fiction. She captures the sentiments and political views of 1586 from the speech to religious views. While the romances itself was predictable, a few climatic twists placing main characters in peril had me completely enthralled as I searched for my happily-ever-after. I commend the author on how researched the period was. Her attention to details from the clothing to speech was impressive. Historical characters and events added to the tales authenticity. Even William Shakespeare was introduced. I enjoyed Edwards writing style and the flow of the tale.
I want to thank Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.The Sunday Post