Title: Her Royal Bodyguard
Author: Joyce Sullivan
Published in June 2004 by Harlequin Intrigue
Genre: Contemporary
ISBN:
There is a fine line between life and death, and no one was more aware of it at this moment than Rory Kenilworth. Celebrating her twenty third birthday just wasn’t the same this year. There was no trip, no cheery off key birthday song, but all that paled in her mother’s absence. Rory felt the loss keenly, and was not resigned to it even now. Her mother was too young to have died, the manner of her death one of nature’s most cruel jokes. Who could have guessed that sandstone ledge could have given away like that, throwing the garden swing and her mother over the cliff. As much as Rory loved the ocean view from the garden, the missing swing and her mother’s death had cast a pall on her enjoyment. This day was not starting out very well, melancholy aside, and for Rory the loneliness was acute. It was a cause for her to look back on past excursions, to wonder how things might have been, and in the end, realize she had no choice but to pick up her sad little self, and head to work. With the weekend stretching out before her, and her lonely birthday being just the start, she was not prepared for the appearance of her mother’s lawyer, or the generally unwelcome news she brought.
A princess for crying out loud! Who would believe it, and surely not in this lifetime, but apparently it was true. From the time she opened the door to her mother’s lawyer, her life hasn’t been the same, or sane. Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlotte Aurora Kenilworth Valcourt was officially lost in the royal maelstrom. Her twenty third birthday held more than the usual bonding trip she usually took with her mother. This year it yielded a five million dollar trust find, a chauffeured limousine, a long lost brother, and of all the antiquated and medieval ideas, an arranged marriage with a total stranger. Sleeping Beauty she was not, but it took an enormous amount of gall to force her to marry this pre-approved stranger, prince or not, and Rory is not thrilled. What happened to her life? Did no one care about her hard won independence, her feelings, her very life? If this is what her mother had faced when she left the father she had once longed to know, Rory could very well understand it all. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would be faced with “Obligations of State” over which she had no control but is expected to fulfill.
He is duty personified, honour-bound to marry the Princess Royal of Estaire, and he is definitely not totally thrilled over the idea. In a small way he is grateful that he no longer cares about his future, or his upcoming marriage. A contract is a contract, and although he will marry this princess, he will never love her. Marielle, the one woman he truly loved, was dead. Her suicide was still puzzling him, he did not believe that Marielle would ever have done that of her own free will. Yes, they had argued, he had pleaded for her to understand the position in which he had found himself. Suicide, however, was not in her nature, but the reports were said to be conclusive about the self-administered drug overdose, and in spite of his disbelief he was forced to let the issue drop. So he is here, playing at the charade of diplomacy, posing as his own deputy secretary to put this American Princess at ease. Its true, he finds the young woman breathtaking, with her wild mane of red-gold curls, and her outrageous ideas and beliefs, but he figures he can handle that by ignoring her as much as possible after they are wed.
Prince Laurent Falkenberg of Ducharme has no illusions about his feelings, or lack thereof. They died with Marielle. And yet there is something about this young woman, sister of his friend, that stirs in him an urge to protect. The treaty that was made between his father and Charlotte Aurora’s father was to bind the two tiny municipalities together, and hopefully they would both prosper from the diplomatic and economic jointure. Laurent was here to see the treaty fulfilled, to marry the princess, beget an heir, then forget the whole cursed thing took place. The one thing that he is truly saddened about is the fact that this marriage is necessary at all. He and Oliver didn’t much care for the hostilities that were present between the two countries, and have been working together to overcome them. One problem is that there is no heir for Estaire, and with Oliver almost declared infertile due to his love and participation in mountain biking, the treaty came into play once more. If the heir to the throne of Ducharme married the daughter of the Prince of Estaire, then their heirs would rule over both principalities, and the two kingdoms would be come one. What a nice tidy end to the feud, and what a waste of a lovely girl in a loveless marriage of convenience were the foremost thoughts in Laurent’s mind...at least until someone tries to kill Rory.
Welcome one and all to Harlequin Intrigue’s June release, by Joyce Sullivan. Her Royal Bodyguard is a story of contracts, lost loves, autocratic families, and the willful and independent miss who just might win the heart and mind of a jaded prince. Rory has her work cut out for her, but the simple truth is she is not interested. She is thrilled to have an older brother, but not thrilled at the circumstances under which she is meeting him. To say that she is shocked to find herself betrothed to a perfect stranger has her hackles up, and no manner of sweet talk or threats will make things better in her eyes. The fact that she is attracted to her betrothed’s deputy secretary complicates things even more, but slowly she realizes that things may not be what they seem.
In Her Royal Bodyguard, Joyce has woven a tale of suspense and true intrigue. The situations are not only realistic, but keep us on our seats edge, and that is a wonderful and titillating place to be. The question still remains, will these two be able to truly iron out their differences, or will this really be only a marriage of convenience, a marriage in name only, with no love and no true forever. Her Royal Bodyguard is an interesting and intriguing story, and will grab you from the first. When the lives are really on the line, will Her Royal Bodyguard truly be able to save the day, and her life? The only way for you to find out is for you to get to your favourite bookstore and pick up a copy or buy it at Amazon.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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