The Princess in her Bed Lila DiPasqua
Erotic Historical Romance
November 2, 2010
Trade Paperback, 336 Pages
Berkley Trade

Reviewed by Mandi

The Marquis’ New Clothes: To save her cousin, Aimee must retrieve a jeweled ring from the most sinfully seductive man at court, the Marquis de Nattes. But to search his considerable wardrobe she’ll have to get very close to the notorious rake…and soon she finds herself very close to him indeed, with his clothes—and hers—utterly forgotten…

I liked this story because both Aimee and Adam both are attracted to each other from the start. Adam has lusted after her from afar for many years and Aimee is now in a place in her life after her husband’s death where she is able to explore a new relationship. Adam is very wicked in the bedroom, and Aimee soon learns his wicked ways, and can’t get enough. I think conflict and villain play out well, not too dramatic, fitting this story well. Although the premise is kind of silly, the outcome is nice.`

Rating: B

The Lovely Duckling: Reputed for his carnal skills, Joseph d’Alumbert prefers amorous encounters without emotional entanglement—until a quick-witted lady stirs tender feelings as well as hot desire. Emilie suffered burns to her body as an infant, and keeps her scars—and her heart—well hidden. But Joseph is determined to peel away her inhibitions, one slow steamy kiss at a time, to reveal the beautiful swan inside…

This emotional story features Emilie who has extensive scars from being burned when younger. After being humiliated at her coming out ball, where Joseph took place in laughing at her, she despises him. However, he feels bad and starts writing to her, pretending to be his identical twin Vincent. At a party, where Emilie wants to partake in anonymous sex, having given up the idea of marriage, Joseph and Vincent also attend. Again, Joseph pretends he is Vincent, and they start to fall in love.

For a short story, Lila DiPasqua really pulls on your heartstrings. I adored the heroine, and her struggle with self confidence. Joseph has sex with Emilie under the pretense of Vincent, and that kind of made me feel squirmy at first but it plays out well later. He has good intentions and really does come to love Emilie no matter her physical appearance. I do think the end where he is discovered as Joseph is wrapped up a little too quickly. But this is my favorite of the series.

Rating: B+

The Princess and the Diamonds: Princess Gabrielle can’t sleep at night. There is something hard in her bed. No, not just the stolen diamonds tucked under her mattress, but the handsome marquis on it….whose carnal talents she can’t resist. But he threatens her secret mission, and worse, she stands to lose far more than the diamonds—her heart is at stake….

The Princess and the Diamonds has the sexiest hero in Mathias although the chemistry with the heroine lacked for me a little bit. He is a bit of a different hero than in the previous stories. He loses someone in his life, and his determination to help others is very endearing. Sometimes I think the endings of her stories can be abrupt or a little rushed and I would LOVE to read a full length novel from her one day. But even with a rushed end, I still really enjoyed this one.

Rating: B

I really enjoy Lila DiPasqua’s books (Awakened by a Kiss is her first) because although there are three short stories in each one, she writes them all and they are consistent. Each one is new, and different with a fun take on a fairy tale, but her voice stays the same. And while there is a lot of sex involved in each story, there is still a solid story to each one.  I do feel the endings can be overly dramatic or rushed, but I very much enjoyed the time spent reading this.

Overall Rating: B

Recent Reviews
Babbling About Books and More – B+
Lovin Me Some Romance – B+
All About Romance – B+
Goodreads

Author’s Website.