Celebrity Chef Hadrian Drake is known by viewers of the food channel as the hot "Past Prince." What few know is that he is a member of the royal family of Koros, and third in line to be king. For his part, Hadrian is happy to play a prince on television and leave the running of Koros to his uncle and cousins. Finding himself on a break from shooting his TV show, Hadrian escapes his responsibilities and his overzealous assistant for a few nights in Vegas. Looking for a little fun, he stumbles across Sydney about to make a wish at the Luxor fountain.

Sydney Martinson is relishing her freedom after escaping a controlling and abusive ex-husband. She dyed her hair blue, added several piercings, and plans to have some fun in Vegas. The instant attraction she feels for Hadrian suggests he might just be what she was wishing for. Just as they are getting to know each other, things become intense when Hadrian hears about the attempts on the lives of his cousins and Sydney's ex-husband makes his threatening presence known. Can this new relationship survive the dangers surrounding them?

THE RELUCTANT PRINCE is a lovely poor girl meets rich boy, Pretty Woman, Cinderella type story. Ms. Gilmer has created two wonderful characters in Hadrian and Sydney; they each have their own quirks and the chemistry between them jumps off the page. Their courtship, though fast and sometimes long distance, was sweet and passionate. I was less intrigued by the suspense aspect of the story, which lacked any real tension or threat. I was never convinced that Sydney would have ever been the type of person to marry a man as awful as her ex-husband.

If you're in the mood for a little romance and some time with a prince, give THE RELUCTANT PRINCE a try.

Book Summary

Sydney Martinson’s budget is so tight, it squeaks—and she couldn’t be happier. Her divorce from her controlling husband is final, and a Vegas hair stylist convention is the perfect place to cut loose. Yet she can’t quite shake the feeling she’s being watched.

It took some doing, but Hadrian’s managed to slip away from his watchdog personal assistant for a weekend of well-deserved relaxation. Life as TV’s “Pasta Prince” comes with pressure, and so does his closely guarded secret. He doesn’t just rule the kitchen, he’s royalty with a capital R—third in line to the throne of Koros. And he’d like to keep it that way.

When he spots free-spirited, blue-haired Sydney tossing a coin into a Luxor fountain, he feels the punch in the gut that family lore says all Drake men feel when they meet their match. One weekend with her has him thinking about forever.

Until his assistant tracks him down with dreadful news. One cousin is dead, another is missing. Hadrian is the Crown Prince of Koros—the last job in the world he ever wanted. Worse, he and Sydney are next in line on a killer’s list.

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