Blurb:
When New Yorker Casey Phillips visits the tiny
country of Moritania, she simply wants to see where her ancestors came from.
Instead, she's mistaken for a princess.
The
real princess has been kidnapped, and Crown Prince Eric von Lieberhaven insists
Casey—a dead ringer for the missing royal—step into the princess's shoes until
she can be freed.
As
Casey upends royal tradition, Eric finds himself hoping the cheeky American
never returns home. But can a secretary from Brooklyn really find happiness
with a prince?
Excerpt:
The
Royal Palace of Moritania, the Alps, 1987
Eric
handed her up the steps before him as a silent groom appeared from somewhere
and took the Bronco away. Casey half expected him to sweep the cobblestones
behind them. When they reached the door, it magically opened, another liveried
servant bowing and smiling as he passed them on.
"Rolph,"
Eric said, easing Casey along when she slowed, "is Her Majesty the queen
available for visitors?"
"I
shall check for you, Your Highness. Refreshments?"
He
stole a look at Casey, who was rubbernecking the paintings on the walls with
undisguised astonishment. After a moment he nodded. "Yes, I believe they
will be needed. In the Great Hall, if you please."
Rolph
dispatched a discreetly questioning look, but bowed and moved away. Casey was
still trying to take in the extent of the entryway.
Train
stations were smaller. The walls extended up some thirty feet, decorated with
what looked suspiciously like old masters and terminating in a high, vaulted
ceiling that some brave painter had gotten his hands on. It was all light and
froth, cherubs and swirling gold banners swimming around a vault of milky
white. The floors were of gleaming dark wood covered in what had to be
priceless Oriental rugs. The effect was one of immense space, the inside of the
building mirroring the image given by the outside. Quiet, understated grace and
wealth.
"Like
your decorator," she finally managed, casting a sidelong glance over to
where Eric was enjoying her reaction.
"Moritania
might not be big—" he bowed a little in acknowledgment, "—but it is a
country rife with good taste. I'd like to show you something, if you don't
mind."
"The
only thing you could show me to beat this would be the Sistine chapel."
Walking
to the right side of the hall, Eric opened a great oak door. Casey walked past
him into an even more impressive room. It was long, with six matched sets of
crystal chandeliers and floor-to ceiling windows that reflected in the mirrors
along the opposite wall.
"Been
to Versailles, had they?" she breathed, coming to a stop.
Eric
wouldn't let her. Instead, he took her by the elbow and gently propelled her
down the parquet flooring. "I'm sure you don't know," he was saying,
"but my brother just died recently."
Casey
immediately turned to him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't."
He
nodded with a sad little smile. "He was much older than I, and his heart
was bad. The upshot of it is that next week his daughter, my niece, will become
the new queen of Moritania. She is his only child, and his wife is also
dead."
Casey
had no idea where the conversation was leading. He seemed so reluctant to tell
her that she knew it was something important to him. She couldn't think of
anything more to do than nod.
Then
he stopped walking. Turning to her, he took hold of both of her arms, his eyes
trying to communicate something of import. They had softened. Casey felt even
more confused.
"What?"
"The
portrait here at the end of the Great Hall has just gone up. It is a painting
of the next queen of Moritania, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess
Cassandra."
He
turned Casey to face the painting. Casey's jaw dropped. Looking back at her
from the canvas was a young woman with delicate features, a gently molded face
with deep, wide-set hazel eyes and a small, straight nose. A small mouth curved
just at the ends as if she was amusing herself immensely with a private joke.
Diamonds and rubies glittered at her throat, and a mane of tawny hair swept
back, thick and styled sleekly away from tiny ears where teardrop diamonds
hung.
Casey
turned to Eric and then back to the picture and then back to Eric again, unable
to speak. Then she turned once again to the portrait and finally admitted what
he'd been trying to prepare her for. She was staring at a portrait of herself.
"And
here I thought losing the car was going to be the high point of my day."
Copyright
Eileen Dreyer
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2: Long and Short Reviews
3: Romorror Fan Girl REVIEW
4: Abookwithbea REVIEW
5: Buried Under Romance
6: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
7: Book-o-Craze
8: The Voluptuous Book Diva
9: Queen of the Night Reviews
10: The Avid Reader
11: Teatime and Books
12: Rusticating in the Tropics
13: Room With Books
14: desiremeonly
15: Wendi Zwaduk
16: Full Moon Dreaming
17: The Buttontapper
18: Hope. Dreams. Live... Love
19: Sharing Links and Wisdom
20: Illumination Author Events and Services
21: S.L Book Reviews
22: Romance Novel Giveaways
23: T's Stuff
24: Reviews by Crystal
25: Deanna's World REVIEW
26: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
27: underneath the covers
28: 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!
29: Two Ends of the Pen
30: CBY Book Club
31: Swanangel15's Book Review
32: Jen's Reading Obsession
33: StarAngels Reviews
34: deal sharing aunt
35: Happily Ever After
36: Harlie's Books REVIEW
37: MAD Hoydenish
38: Dawn's Reading Nook
39: Wickedly Wanton Tales
40: Nana Prah's blog
41: Linda Nightingale...Wordsmith
42: Harps Romance book Review
43: From Me to You ... Video, Photography, & Book Reviews REVIEW
44: Readeropolis
45: Musings of a Writer
Author Bio and Links:
New
York Times bestselling, RWA Hall of Fame author Eileen Dreyer has published 31
romance novels in most genres, 8 medicalforensic suspenses, and 10 short
stories.
2015
sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her foray into historical romance,
the Drake’s Rakes series, which Eileen labels as Regency Romantic Adventure
that follows a group of Regency aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice
everything to keep their country safe. She is also working on her first
nonfiction book, TRAVELS WITH DAVE, about a journey she's been taking with a
friend's ashes.
A
retired trauma nurse, Eileen lives in her native St. Louis with her husband,
children, and large
and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. She has
animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.
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