Whisper Always [Paperback]

Cristina Fairfax makes her debut to Queen Victoria and she does it with élan despite the horrid dress her capricious and thoughtless mother has dressed her in. A handsome gentleman helps her divest herself of the added trapping of the dress and they share a nice moment together. Cristina has no idea who the man and returns to the ball only to find herself the object of desire of Crown Prince of Hapsburg-Lorraine. She is over her head and knows it and her rescuer Lord Blake Ashford informs her who she has just insulted she wonders what she is going to do. Well, her mother has plans for her daughter and when she sells her daughter to the highest bidder, Blake steps up to protect her again.

Blake does not believe in fairy tales and he is surprised to find he is not all that reluctant to keep Cristina Fairfax safe. What starts of an act of chivalry ends up leading to more then Blake ever thought possible. Will these two people be able to find their happy ending or will lust and avarice and danger keep them apart?

This was not a simple read by any stretch of the imagination. Ms. Hagan Lee has crafted a very detailed romance populated by a wonderful cast of primary and secondary characters. I was thrilled by the historical details that were included in this read and the fact that it is correct and a wonderful addition to this story. Ms. Hagan Lee is a very talented author and one that I highly recommend.

Her mother, after having Christina daughter beaten and drugged, had her delivered to the residence to be complete the deal, only Christina was not about to succumb so easily. Left in the bedroom of the prince, she tore his sheets into strips and attempted to escape through the window when rescue came in the guise of Lord Blake. After hearing of the transaction, Lord Blake was planning to rescue Christina once again and had been making plans to switch Cristina for a similar looking [prostitute]. What follows is a series of adventures, misconceptions, and miscommunications as the two keep crossing paths until the they both give in to the undeniable attraction that had sparks flying the moment they met.

For those who think that this was a simple love story, let me put your mind at rest...the road to pure happy bliss for these two was paved with, danger, madness, lust, and unbelievable betrayals! This is a story that will have you laughing, crying, and sitting on the edge of your seat in this FULL BODIED romantic adventure. Twists and turns were adeptly played in a wonderfully crafted novel. The secondary characters were portrayed wonderfully for both humor and malicious aspects. I have been reading a series of Ms. Hagan Lees earlier novels and so far have been more than pleased with her accurate and painstaking attention to the historical detail of her settings and can only say that I've yet to be disappointed. This author has become an automatic buy for me for delivering what I love best, beautifully romantic love stories that touch my heart. --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---

Christina's upwardly mobile, thoughtlessly manipulative mother sells her daughter to the highest bidder - Crown Prince Rudolph - at auction, leaving her in need of rescuing once again. With the knowledge that Christina has been purchased by Prince Rudolph for a necklace, Lord Ashford devises a plan to rescue her once again. He rescues Christina and takes her to his house where she will be safe from her mother and the Crown Prince - but Christina and Lord Ashford are not safe from the feelings they begin to feel for one another.

Lord Ashford wars between conflicting emotions as Christina fights the attraction they both feel. But, as the passion grows between Christina and Lord Ashton, a secret from his past could destroy their hopes of future happiness. As Christina flees to Austria with Crown Prince Rudolph, Lord Blake Ashton must find a way to get through to Christina and prove his love for her is true before it is too late.

This marvelously written tale is full of well crafted characters and plot twists. A wonderful read.