Penelope and Prince Charming [Mass Market Paperback]

I grew up with a little segment on Rocky and Bullwinkle called "Fractured Fairy Tales". "Penelope and Price Charming" is very much like one of those fun tales, but with a very sexy, adult theme. At one point in this book, the Prince actually tells a wonderfully skewed tale of Rapunzel that simply made my day.

Make no mistake, this is a pure romance novel, with just enough magic to keep it humming and give it added oomph. Ironically, the magic portion gives a good excuse for the main couple to have the mindless lust and love that usually seems so out of touch with reality in other romance novels. You know the parts I mean, where the heroine has an overwhelming and bizarre urge to lick the hero's chest, even though they've just met? I've always excused the man for losing his mind (testosterone poisoning is always a nifty excuse, poor dears), but I've yet to meet a woman who actually wanted to do that, and I'm always just a little stunned and embarrassed when she does. This one gives us a magical reason for that kind of behavior, and I was more comfortable with the story because of it.

There are a few sluggish spots, but never slow enough to make me want to put the book down or jump ahead. Because both Penelope and the Prince had such lustful (and very explicit) thoughts, there was a sensual buildup leading to the steamy love scenes and I wasn't screaming at the book, "get on with it!" Okay, maybe I was, but only because the buildup was really, really good.

Every character in the novel had a specific personality, and never did the author take an unnecessary shortcut or let them act contrary to their own beliefs. You understood why everyone did what they did, even the villain.

My only (very slight) dissatisfaction with this novel was that the ending seemed a little abrupt. You are not left cliffhanging, but we went through a great deal to get to the Prince's kingdom, it would have been nice to spend just a little longer meeting the people. The mystery of the Logosh who came to Penelope's rescue, Penelope's meetings with the Mages, other minor plot points seemed to be glossed over. A magical ritual that was mentioned earlier for the confinement, labor and Christening of their child was missing completely. None of these little details are necessary for the enjoyment of "Penelope and Price Charming", they would just have added a little cherry on top.

Every author has a trump card, a golden gift that is uniquely theirs. For Karen Ranney - sentence structure. For Mary Balogh - poignancy. For Catherine Anderson - first-class heros. And for Jennifer Ashley? SENSUAL scenes! This author can write awesome, magnetic, sensual scenes. Whew! Her carnal action literally sizzles!

Damien, the Imperial Prince of Nvengaria, finally found her! His bride. Penelope Trask. A modest spinster who lived in a small English village and filled her days by writing fairytales. Remarkably, the prudent, sweet Penelope Trask would soon become the Imperial Highness Princess of Nvengaria, his wife. The sinful Prince of Nvengaria knew his people would adore her. She was beautiful and very spirited. Miss Penelope Trask would complete the prophecy; she would carry out the magic! This delightful sorceress would soon reunite his beloved Nvengaria.

Whether he was a prince or a trickster, he was the most baffling man Penelope had ever met. Prince Damien of Nvengaria talked of fairy tales, eight-hundred-year-old rings, and Midsummer festivals! Imagine a plain, English girl marrying royalty! Prophecy? Prosperous!

Penelope's peaceful existence soon grew into a tumultuous love affair. Sweet simplicity gave way to profuse love. Penelope wanted Damien to be free - free from fear and tension; she wanted him to live, to love, to reign. She would become his princess; she would become the people's princess; she would become the elegant Imperial Highness Princess Penelope of Nvengaria.

I am giving PENELOPE & PRINCE CHARMING page-turner status, because I liked Jennifer Ashley's story. I will admit, I am normally not a big fan of the fantasy/paranormal genre and here, at times, I did struggle with the fantasy/fairy tale concept. However, I did like Ms. Ashley's style. PENELOPE & PRINCE CHARMING was a light, clever, and very, very sexy read.
Grade: B

MaryGrace Meloche.

I finished Penelope and Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley yesterday. I had started it months ago, and put it aside. Not that it wasn't good. I did the fatal reading habit thing: skimming ahead. The love scenes are definitely on the erotic side. As we have discussed, I am iffy about erotic elements in a "mainstream" romance. But on the second read the love scenes were tastefully done. I suppose that Jennifer felt that she needed to push the sensual envelope as the Nvengarians are very sensual, wild, and sexually explorative people. I think that she did compromise and kept things as tame as possible for a mainstream romance. And I use the word 'tame' in the sense that the love scenes are definitely hot, but the reasonably prudish romance reader who likes her love scenes could handle them.
Penelope... is a sweet love story about the power of love to redefine and to defy the odds. Penelope is a rather ordinary daughter of a baronet who resides in the country with her widowed mother. She is most definitely on the shelf after two broken engagements (neither of which are quite her fault, although it has earned her a reputation of a jilt). And in fact, she has almost given up on finding her Prince that her romantic heart quite longs for. In swoops a bonafide Imperial Prince, Damien. He was imprisoned by his rather insane, evil father, who feared him taking over his rule. And once freed, he fled his homeland, working hard to support himself until he became wealthy, and developed a reputation as a dilettante expatriate, equally good at seducing women as he is at charming diplomats. But when his wicked father dies, he realizes that his people need him, so he decides to take over the rule of the country from the ultra-powerful Council of Dukes, one in particular of which, Grand Duke Alexander, is determined to kill him to prevent him from subjecting Nvengaria to tyrannical wicked excesses as his father did.
In order for Damian to be accepted by his people, he has to fulfill the prophecy of bringing back the long lost Princess as his bride. His search brings him to the tiny town of Little Marching, in England, where he sees that the long lost ring that would mark the princess is in the hands of the frivolous baronet widow, Lady Simone. As he can obviously not marry a woman past childbearing age, he immediately asks for Penelope, her daughter's hand. But this is not a burden to him, as he is captivated by her. It is made clear that part of the attraction is due to the magic of the prophecy. However, I believe that there was a magic that came from the meeting of two soulmates, completely unrelated to the prophecy.
Quite frankly, after having been engaged the first time around to a complete scoundrel, Penelope doesn't want to be atttracted to the incredibly attractive, somewhat roguish prince, but her heart and her hormones are doing their own thing. Damien is a master at seduction and is drawn to Penelope in a way he cannot resist. Their engagement is inevitable, although Penelope has some misgivings, one of which is leaving her widowed, somewhat ineffectual mother alone, although she has a suitor in her lover, Mr. Michael Tavistock, who is the father of Penelope's good friend Megan (who will have her happy ending in the second book, The Mad, Bad Duke with guess who). Another would be her fears that an ordinary girl from the country could never be a good enough Princess to a man of the world like Damien.
Because of Damien's state official servant Sasha's adherence and belief in the old ways, there are tons of rituals that must be adhered to before the couple can consummate their relationship ( both are eager to do so), and this is fun to read about. Some of the rituals are downright sensual, and as Nvengarian believe a betrothal to be as binding as marriage, we get treated to some pretty hot moments. And for an adventure lover, you find that there are assassins that are determined to prevent the Prince from taking the throne, and will do everything possible to prevent it from happening.
This book has a little of everything: humor, sensuality, adventure, and magic. It also has funny, captivating secondary characters in the amusing, skirtchasing, but loyal unto death body servants and bodyguards that Prince Damien brings with him, his good friend Egan MacDonald, the Mad Highlander, and Duke Alexander, who although is the villain, he is a villain with very valid motivations and depths that keep you interested in him. As it is set in the Regency period, it has some of those conventions, including a cameo by Prince George.
I don't want to give too much away, but if you want to read a great book about fairy tales coming true, you will definitely love Penelope and Prince Charming. Jennifer did a great job of creating a country that is steeped in magic, wild tradition, and sensuality. It felt very real to me, and I definitely feel like Nvengaria could definitely still exist somewhere in Eastern Europe, magic included.
This time around, I found I couldn't put the book down. I finished reading a very intense book in Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson, and this book hit the spot. I don't like any books that are too fluffy, but this book is light enough with humorous moments that it was a welcome relief. But it also has an intensity in the fiery attraction between the characters, and their true, deep love for each other, and not to mention the danger that haunts the couple at every turn. In addition there are dark fires that simmer in the Prince, as he tries to suppress and defy the primitive and ruthless part of him that reminds him of his cruel father. He might be a sexy, rich, handsome prince that could have any woman he wants, but he has suffered through poverty, torture, and hunger, and this makes him a very three-dimensional character that never gives you the impression of just being a spoiled playboy. Jennifer is great at writing sexy and somewhat dark heroes, and Damien is perhaps the darkest of them. James Ardmore (yum) from The Pirate Hunter would probably be a close second. Penelope is equally likeable. She might be from the English countryside, but it has not made her insipid. Instead she is a practical, loving, kind, intelligent, and loyal heroine, who has a gift for healing, which is which proves to an important part of the fulfillment of the prophecy.
In the end, I can't say enough good things about this book. Although I am convinced that a Nvengarian male might be a little too much for me to handle, I am glad that Penelope is up to the challenge. It is a fun romance, with a deeper message about not giving up on what's right, what's important, and the possibility of finding love, despite the disappointments in your past.

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