He’s No Prince Charming by Elle Daniels (Ever After #1)
Released: October 28, 2014
Historical Romance
Forever
Reviewed by May
Danielle Strafford is in the business of helping young couples in love elope. Engagements and promises be damned – she’ll help young ladies not be trapped by a forced match and kept from their true loves. Unfortunately for her Marcus Bradley is there and watching from the shadows as she helps his bride-to-be elope.
The man seemed almost a wild animal. His size and face were terrifying, yet there was a hungry vulnerability in him as well. The contrast was something she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It was mesmerizing, and yet it made her extremely uneasy.
Marcus needs a wealthy bride and fast. He had the perfect woman lined up, and he doesn’t know what to do next as he is nearly out of time. He has his reasons for needing a bride, and he has decided that Danielle will be the one to secure his next fiancée. Before Danielle knows it the pair is embarking on a mad journey, kidnapping a young woman to be his bride, and of course falling in love themselves.
This is a beauty and the beast type story with several interesting twists and variations that could have made it stand out. Marcus is horribly scarred and emotionally damaged from traumatic events early in his life. He is incredibly sensitive, selfless, and entirely too good for her.
I wasn’t a fan of our selfish beauty. Oh, she claims she’s helping all these young couples but to what end? For what purpose? She never thought out all of the ramifications of her actions nor does she consider the fallout from her nocturnal activities. Danielle doesn’t care about the people hurt by her business; she’s naïve enough to think that helping true love along is a noble pursuit. I was never sold on her motives or that she wasn’t simply trying to embarrass and jilt important men and families of the ton. While she does eventually see that her actions have consequences for me it was too little too late.
His throat, thick with emotion, deepened his quiet voice. “I know I am not what a girl dreams of when they think of a husband and I know I ask much of you. I shall never do anything you do not wish and I will turn a blind eye to whatever you do. Just help me. Please.”
In my mind, a woman who isn’t thoughtful enough to consider these things, let alone one who would embark on kidnapping a young woman from her bed with a man she caused to be jilted (vs just marrying him herself) is not the kind of beauty I want to read about. Also, a marriage of inconvenience and watching the pair come together in that way might have been a much more interesting story than the couple searching for the intended bride who is kidnapped.
Yes, they kidnap this girl and then she is kidnapped while with them in a bizarre choice of a double-kidnapping plot. A simple love story might have been a much better choice, especially given the severity of the issues that Marcus faces. He is emotionally and physically very scarred and deeply troubled in ways that are glossed over far too much in the making of his happily ever after. I also didn’t feel like Danielle had time or space to develop into a heroine that I could truly enjoy and root for. Again I say, perhaps had the pair married right away this story could have developed in a way I would have enjoyed more.
“Some of us do not have the privilege of a happy life, Miss Green.”
Oh, Marcus.
Marcus captured my full attention from the very first line of this story, unfortunately the story and beauty given to him did not do him justice. Do not get me wrong – this was a fine tale and I did enjoy it mostly because of Marcus. The author really had some beautiful scenes and writing, and I would pick up another book by her at any time. But if taking on my favorite trope, one I’ve read dozens of books inspired by the classic tale, then an author has to bring a much better story and heroine than this one.
Grade: C
Goodreads l Author Website l Series
Leave a Reply