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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780843956061
ISBN number: 0843956062
Label: Leisure Books
Manufacturer: Leisure Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 373
Printing Date: April 04, 2006
Publishing house: Leisure Books
Sale Popularity Level: 314199
Studio: Leisure Books
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Rated by buyers 
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I finished Penelope and Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley yesterday. I had started it months ago, and put it aside. Not that it wasn't good. I did the fatal reading habit thing: skimming ahead. The love scenes are definitely on the erotic side. As we have discussed, I am iffy about erotic elements in a "mainstream" romance. But on the second read the love scenes were tastefully done. I suppose that Jennifer felt that she needed to push the sensual envelope as the Nvengarians are very sensual, wild, and sexually explorative people. I think that she did compromise and kept things as tame as possible for a mainstream romance. And I use the word 'tame' in the sense that the love scenes are definitely hot, but the reasonably prudish romance reader who likes her love scenes could handle them.
Penelope... is a sweet love story about the power of love to redefine and to defy the odds. Penelope is a rather ordinary daughter of a baronet who resides in the country with her widowed mother. She is most definitely on the shelf after two broken engagements (neither of which are quite her fault, although it has earned her a reputation of a jilt). And in fact, she has almost given up on finding her Prince that her romantic heart quite longs for. In swoops a bonafide Imperial Prince, Damien. He was imprisoned by his rather insane, evil father, who feared him taking over his rule. And once freed, he fled his homeland, working hard to support himself until he became wealthy, and developed a reputation as a dilettante expatriate, equally good at seducing women as he is at charming diplomats. But when his wicked father dies, he realizes that his people need him, so he decides to take over the rule of the country from the ultra-powerful Council of Dukes, one in particular of which, Grand Duke Alexander, is determined to kill him to prevent him from subjecting Nvengaria to tyrannical wicked excesses as his father did.
In order for Damian to be accepted by his people, he has to fulfill the prophecy of bringing back the long lost Princess as his bride. His search brings him to the tiny town of Little Marching, in England, where he sees that the long lost ring that would mark the princess is in the hands of the frivolous baronet widow, Lady Simone. As he can obviously not marry a woman past childbearing age, he immediately asks for Penelope, her daughter's hand. But this is not a burden to him, as he is captivated by her. It is made clear that part of the attraction is due to the magic of the prophecy. However, I believe that there was a magic that came from the meeting of two soulmates, completely unrelated to the prophecy.
Quite frankly, after having been engaged the very first time around to a complete scoundrel, Penelope doesn't want to be atttracted to the incredibly attractive, somewhat roguish prince, but her heart and her hormones are doing their own thing. Damien is a master at seduction and is drawn to Penelope in a way he cannot resist. Their engagement is inevitable, although Penelope has some misgivings, one of which is leaving her widowed, somewhat ineffectual mother alone, although she has a suitor in her lover, Mr. Michael Tavistock, who is the father of Penelope's good friend Megan (who will have her happy ending in the second book, The Mad, Bad Duke with guess who). Another would be her fears that an ordinary girl from the country could never be a good enough Princess to a man of the world like Damien.
Because of Damien's state official servant Sasha's adherence and belief in the old ways, there are tons of rituals that must be adhered to before the couple can consummate their relationship ( both are eager to do so), and this is fun to read about. Some of the rituals are downright sensual, and as Nvengarian believe a betrothal to be as binding as marriage, we get treated to some pretty hot moments. And for an adventure lover, you find that there are assassins that are determined to prevent the Prince from taking the throne, and will do everything possible to prevent it from happening.
This book has a little of everything: humor, sensuality, adventure, and magic. It also has funny, captivating secondary characters in the amusing, skirtchasing, but loyal unto death body servants and bodyguards that Prince Damien brings with him, his good friend Egan MacDonald, the Mad Highlander, and Duke Alexander, who although is the villain, he is a villain with very valid motivations and depths that keep you interested in him. As it is set in the Regency period, it has some of those conventions, including a cameo by Prince George.
I don't want to give too much away, but if you want to read a great book about fairy tales coming true, you will definitely love Penelope and Prince Charming. Jennifer did a great job of creating a country that is steeped in magic, wild tradition, and sensuality. It felt very real to me, and I definitely feel like Nvengaria could definitely still exist somewhere in Eastern ... Read More
Rated by buyers -
I have to start this by saying, OOH, I loved this book! What a great fairy tale, with all the fairy tale elements. Handsome prince, wicked king, power crazed duke, lovely maiden, spells and magic. Add to that, sensual scenes that make you blush and some cute humor, and you have this wonderful book.
Sometimes it is the hardest thing; you just can't see why a hero loves a heroine. That wasn't the case here. You can see the characters draw strength from each other, even when they think it is just magic. The romance stays front and center throughout the book, weaving in the fantasy and intrigue parts to strengthen the romance.
I highly reccomend this book. Ashley may be my new favorite author subsequent to Kleypas and Robards.
Rated by buyers 
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The very first Jennifer Ashley book I read was THE MAD, BAD DUKE - the sequel to this story featuring Grand Duke Alexander and Meagen Tavistock - and I knew from the start that this book would start with a strong sexual attraction, and magic-induced love at very first sight.
But there could have been so much more.
When Imperial Prince Damien of Nvengaria goes to Little Marching, England to find the princess to fulfill the prophecy that will restore him to his throne, he is immediately entralled with and strongly attracted to Penelope Trask, who he does not know is the woman he's been looking for. After almost seducing her in a meadow, Damien is in alt to discover that sensuous Penelope is the woman fate has tied him to.
Penelope, at first, is not so excited. She loves her calm peaceful life, and does not believe that after the spell wears off she will be the answer to Prince Damien's dreams. Damien, however, quickly conquers her fears and they are betrothed, bedded, and then married by English law very soon after. (In Nvengaria, betrothed couples are expected to mate before the wedding because they have already binded their lives together.)
The story was cute, but I didn't feel much emotion - besides desire - between the two characters. There was never any doubt in Damien's mind that he would have Penelope, and it would have been good to see such an arrogant man shaken up a little.
And, I can honestly say this is one of the kinkiest romance novels I've ever read - of those that were sold as strictly romance and not erotic romance. Reader beware, some of the scenes are not for those expecting a sweet confirmation of love or even a sensual, earthy act of possession. No, indeed, I was shocked to see some of this mentioned, because I had never run across it in romance before, and especially not in a historical. Though I believe firmly in pushing the envelopes, some of these should have stayed closed until it found the story it needed. It seemed grossly out of place and almost lewd, and I do not consider myself a prude in any sense of the word.
Not a keeper, but a quick read that will make you smile (and probably sweat).
Rated by buyers 
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I had a difficult time enjoying this book because the two protagonists were torn between personas. It's clear the author wants us to enjoy more than a bit of fantasy (the story contains shape-shifting creatures, sleep spells and travel-thwarting summer snowstorms, among other things) in P&PC; however, Prince Damien "shape shifts" himself from careless womanizer in the prologue to a sensitive, love sick puppy the second he meets Penelope. And speaking of which, Penolope is introduced as a young woman who is a fun friend but sensible and intelligent enough to buck convention and turn down what would have been two disastrous marriages, as well as translate stories from another language. As soon as she meets the prince, though, she turns into a silly, lust-driven maid.
(I know, I know: the magic of the prophecy changed them!)
As muddled as the reader may get working their way through the fantasy factor of this book there is no mistaking the reality of the sexual encounters. No details were spared (after he has a tryst in the prologue, Ms. Ashley writes of Damien "He absently brushed dried patches of cream from his skin...") and Penelope morphs from a proper young virgin to a sex-crazed lover in just a few short pages. There is also a scene between P&PC at the Prince Regent's dwelling that puts this book (for me) in the XXX category -- the sexuality is quite frank.
I think I would have enjoyed this book more if the sexual encounters had been woven into an equally real story for the protagonists. Or if the story of the prophecy and all of the accompanying magic and been written with a love story that was not so overt and raw.
Rated by buyers -
Damian is the Prince of Nvengaria and years ago his father banished him from his country when he was still a little boy. Years later, Damian has dragged himself out of the pits of poverty and has made a name for himself in royal courts across the continent and has earned his own money. Now his father, The Imperial Prince, has died and Damian returns to his beloved country to begin the slow process of healing after years under the cruel dictatorship of The Imperial Prince. The only problem is that the Grand Duke, Alexander, has the country firmly in hand and refuses to let the spawn of The Imperial Prince drive what is left of Nvengaria under his boot.
Squeezed between the Austrian Empire, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, Nvengaria believes in the deeep magic and prophecy that the country is founded on. All signs of the prophecy indicate that it is time for Damian to find the lost princess from Prince Augustus the First. Finding and marrying her will reforge the bond of the original two princes of Nvengaria and the country will prosper again. Penelope is believed to be the female descendant from the Augustus lineage and once Damian tracks her down in the small, remote village of Little Marching, all he has to do is convince her to marry him and get her back across the country and in Nvengaria by Midsummer's Day.
I liked it but boy did I get a surprise! Okay, sure, it said on the back that the book included wild magic, but I didn't think that mean it was a paranormal!
**Warning to historical readers--as much as this book is a historical, it contains prophesies, mages, seeing into the future, magic and demons that take human form**
I like the characters Penelope and Damien. They were well created/developed and their dialogue was realistic. I felt Penelope put up the perfect amount of resistance against Damien and his arguments were always sound and believable. The sex and almost sex scenes were hot.
The only thing I would have liked to see was more of Nvengaria. I didn't think they were ever going to get there! By page 200 the betrothal rituals and obstacles started to feel really drawn out.
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