The Leopard Prince
Elizabeth Hoyt
ISBN# 0446618489
Warner Books, April 2007, 384 pp
Historical Romance, circa 1760
$6.99 (US) $9.99 (CDN)
Reviewed by Laurel
January 2007
Lady Georgina Maitland is wealthy at the age of twenty-eight and owns Woldsly Manor, in Yorkshire. She has no desire to ever marry and is quite content with her life, that is…. until she meets her land steward Harry Pye, a man she knows is anything but a humble servant. The townsfolk being led by Harry’s sworn enemy Lord Granville accuse him of poisoning all the sheep it’s become quite clear to Lady Georgina that not only is he innocent, she is falling madly and hopelessly in love with this virile and attractive man.
Harry Pye is a quiet man who makes his way through life working hard. As items from his childhood link him to the murdered sheep, Harry is almost sure someone in Lord Granville’s house is setting him up if not Lord Granville himself. Lord Granville banished Harry from his lands when he was a young child. While trying to clear his name, he is also becoming quite attracted to Georgina and as they give into their desire for each other, they both know they could be nothing more than secret lovers.
Elizabeth Hoyt is a fresh new voice in Historical Romance with THE LEOPARD PRINCE being her second novel. She also displays a keen wit that leaves the reader chuckling right along with the characters providing many humorous moments, blending perfectly with the more serious plotline in this story. She writes with a dramatic flair that is very appealing and suited her characters from maids to enemies. Georgina and Harry were a breath of fresh air as was this story and in some ways I was sad to see it end. THE LEOPARD PRINCE proved to be a spellbinding and sensually charged novel that grabs you from the first page. I anxiously look forward to the next instalment THE SERPENT PRINCE in Fall 2007.