My Ruthless Prince [Mass Market Paperback]

So, here's the thing - I've had the hardest time rating this book, so I'll just have to lay it out there. Galen Foley is a fantastic writer and I am a long time fan of her work, but I didn't like this book.

Drake (Westwood) is a broken man. He had been tortured, mentally and physically, traumatized to the point of memory loss and builds an obsessive attachment to protecting "the bad guys". Even after regaining his memory he can't let go of his loyalty to the monsters completely, even as he is bent towards revenge against them. So he was obviously torn - which makes sense. It's like post traumatic stress disorder - reality is hard to fathom.

Even though I understand that, I couldn't stop myself from feeling frustrated. Emily and Drake were going to get away and then Drake was pulled back in. Emily and Drake were going to get away, and then Drake was tempted and pulled back in. Emily was in danger and Drake needed to make a choice between her and "the bad guys", but Drake hesitates until granted "permission" to help her. Emily and Drake were going to have a happily ever after but then Drake decides he wants power instead. I just didn't like any of that regardless of how plausible it could be.

Despite all these setbacks, Emily just goes with it despite her misgivings. It gave me the feeling as though Emily was a doormat and could accept that she would never come first in Drake's life. Or that it didn't matter what Drake did, in the end she loved him too much to care what kind of person he chose to be. I saw Emily, again and again risk herself and let go of her pride for Drake. She made Drake the center of everything and I didn't see Drake do anywhere near enough in reciprocation to deserve that kind of devotion.

I think I'll forever be on the fence about this book. It was very well written, Galen Foley did an outstanding job of showing how it's not an easy road back from hell. But maybe I needed more Drake and Emily happiness instead of Drake tugging Emily along, maybe I needed an Emily and Drake epilogue instead of a preview for the next book, maybe I'm unrealistic on what a hero should be.

What a delicious tortured hero. Drake has spent his entire adult life, fighting on the side of good, as part of the Order. But the evil cult of Prometheus took him captive and tortured him senseless. He was released and nursed back to health by his childhood best-friend Emily. But once he was well, he ran... back into the clutches of Prometheus. Now, his brethren at the Order think he is a traitor. But Emily knows better. She follows Drake to the Prometheus stronghold, on a mission to bring him back home.

Of course Drake is no traitor. He is a man on a mission to destroy the organization that nearly destroyed him. He has loved Emily for as long as he can remember, but he doesn't want her innocence touched by the cruel organization. He tries to convince her to leave, but she refuses... forcing him to take her in as his servant in the castle, so he can keep an eye on her.

Emily is such a steadfast heroine. She loves Drake so much, she is willing to dive into the abyss with him. She'll do essentially anything for him. And as broken as he his, it's her love that slowly begins to rekindle his humanity. Their love story is tender and lovely. But what's cool about the book is that there are moments that are so dark for Drake, you really begin to question just how damaged he truly is. Can he really find redemption or has he fallen too far from his path? Usually a question like that is obviously rhetorical, but here, there are times that I just wasn't sure. Kudos to Gaelen Foley!

This is book four in the Inferno Club series and while there is obvious backstory, I never felt lost nor did I feel like I was missing something. I liked it a lot. 4 1/2 stars.

Galen Foley has written a book to rival her splendid novel Princess. My Ruthless Prince is powerfully passionate with an intriguing story of spies, traitors, friendships, unshakable loyalty and surprises.

Heroine Emily Harper has followed her true amour from London to the Bavarian Alps all in the hopes of saving him from his own destruction. Her love is Drake a nobleman she has adored for years. Her father was the woodsman on his family estate and the two rough and tumbled their way through childhood with strong bonds of friendship and affection. They have never kissed though; they both knew Drake's family was against any match. Because Emily has fancied the outdoors she is an accomplished tracker and her quarry is in a castle outside Munich.

Drake is no ordinary hero. He belongs to an international order dedicated to stopping the Prometheus thugs. This group is truly evil. They had captured Drake years earlier torturing him for months. He was "saved" by a Promethian member and now Drake is James's bodyguard, believed by his old Order to have turned to the dark side. Emily is on a mission to return him to England.

Drake is surprised to see Emily and he is instantly worried about her safety with good reason. The castle is daunting and Ms. Foley does a great job of taking the reader through the various rooms of this haunting place. Emily is seen by the castle inhabitants as Drake's lover (even though Emily is completely chaste).

Emily and Drake are powerfully drawn to each other. When these two share scenes they are full of beautiful prose and incredible longing. They have a history where their feelings and words were restrained but now they flow freely because of the danger and the worry that both feel towards the other's safety. This couple is completely devoted to one another, and it is felt in their powerful dialogue and especially in Emily's insistence to be at Drake's side.

There are so many twists in this story that genuinely surprised me. This has a tight plot with previous characters appearing from this series. This book easily stands on its own though (I had not read all the books previous to this one and totally followed the story).

Ms Foley also does a wonderful job of showing this couple's struggles. Emily is not perfect, she can be a tad manipulative and impetuous and Drake has so many demons from his tortuous past its hard for him to let go of vengeance. These flaws make these characters richer and fortunately this couple knows how to accept each other despite their differences.

Ms Foley has always written fabulous heroes. This time she has written a heroine who is just as amazing. Emily is so devoted and passionate that she is as strong as Drake; she doesn't have to become hardened, distant or constantly combative to prove her strength. No, her real power lies in her unwavering love for her battered hero. This rates five stars.

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