Penelope and Prince Charming

I just finished Penelope and Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley.

"His blue eyes beguiled. His muscular form could have satisfied any fantasy. He had a delicious foreign accent -- and to top it off, he was royalty! What woman would dare refuse the most sought-after lover in Europe?

Miss Twice-a-Jilt Penelope Trask, that's who. And, unfortunately for Damien, marrying Penelope is the only way to inherit his kingdom. Good thing this enchantingly infuriating woman doesn't seem completely immune to his many charms. The passionate way she returns his kisses tells Damien he isn't the only one head over heels. But wooing is difficult amid assassination attempts, wild magic, and desire so strong it threatens to overwhelm him every time they touch. Why had no one mentioned the road to happily-ever-after could be so difficult?"

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.

Grade: B+
Grammatical Mistakes: 4
Reading next: The Care and Feeding of Pirates by Jennifer Ashley

...Fiona...