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Call of Duty #1
A Royal World Apart
When duty wars with desire, which one wins?
With her life mapped out since birth, Princess Evangelina Drakos—known for her dramatic flair—hopes the minor scandal she plans to create will deter potential suitors.
Hired for Eva's security, unemotional bodyguard Makhail Nabatov never makes a mistake, but the impulsive princess pushes his resolve to the limits. It's not long, however, before the beautiful and imprisoned Eva entices him to leave his bonds of duty and honor behind.
While their chemistry reaches fever pitch, Makhail knows he knows he must deny his desire—for Eva is promised to another man….
With her life mapped out since birth, Princess Evangelina Drakos—known for her dramatic flair—hopes the minor scandal she plans to create will deter potential suitors.
Hired for Eva's security, unemotional bodyguard Makhail Nabatov never makes a mistake, but the impulsive princess pushes his resolve to the limits. It's not long, however, before the beautiful and imprisoned Eva entices him to leave his bonds of duty and honor behind.
While their chemistry reaches fever pitch, Makhail knows he knows he must deny his desire—for Eva is promised to another man….
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
25 people are currently reading
486 people want to read
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,163 books3,001 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
December 26, 2012
A Royal World Apart stands out as a Harlequin Presents in good ways. We have a hero here who is very self-controlled, and physically dangerous, not just a guy with a lot of money and charisma who likes the ladies. In this case, Makhail is a man who took his responsibilities so seriously that he nursed a wife through a long illness (staying faithful to her while she was alive and even afterward). While Makhail isn't what I'd consider a passionate hero for most of the book, I loved that he was the 'still waters run deep' type man, very focused, intensely self-controlled. He had a maturity that was beyond his almost thirty years. I could see why Eva fell for him. He had traits that her brothers and father lacked, and even when he didn't have to care about her feelings and needs as her bodyguard, he took the extra step to do so.
Maisey Yates is a very good writer. While this book took me a while to read (because I am just very busy right now), I felt that it was a rich story, with well-developed, multi-layered characters. I was emotionally engaged in their story. Eva is a rich princess, but she's not spoiled as you might assume. Her life has been so controlled that she hasn't even had the opportunity to figure out who she is and what she wants, and she starts to act recklessly because of that fear that she will never have that opportunity. I loved that her and Makhail's developing relationship was so well-described in this book. I could see the progression from bodyguard and charge to man and woman deeply in love with each other and willing to give up everything to be together.
A Royal World Apart is a good romance for readers who enjoy royal romance and the bodyguard theme. Yates does a great job of combining both into an enjoyable story. Makhail is quite different from a typical Harlequin Presents hero, but in a thoroughly refreshing way. Some readers may not care for him because he seems so controlled and is not an arrogant man (very atypical for HP heroes), but I really liked him (and not just because he's Russian and I love Russian heroes). In fact, he might be one of my favorites. Another good book by this author.
Maisey Yates is a very good writer. While this book took me a while to read (because I am just very busy right now), I felt that it was a rich story, with well-developed, multi-layered characters. I was emotionally engaged in their story. Eva is a rich princess, but she's not spoiled as you might assume. Her life has been so controlled that she hasn't even had the opportunity to figure out who she is and what she wants, and she starts to act recklessly because of that fear that she will never have that opportunity. I loved that her and Makhail's developing relationship was so well-described in this book. I could see the progression from bodyguard and charge to man and woman deeply in love with each other and willing to give up everything to be together.
A Royal World Apart is a good romance for readers who enjoy royal romance and the bodyguard theme. Yates does a great job of combining both into an enjoyable story. Makhail is quite different from a typical Harlequin Presents hero, but in a thoroughly refreshing way. Some readers may not care for him because he seems so controlled and is not an arrogant man (very atypical for HP heroes), but I really liked him (and not just because he's Russian and I love Russian heroes). In fact, he might be one of my favorites. Another good book by this author.
pass-loveonce-or-havechild-or-ex
August 13, 2024
September 15, 2014
A princess and bodyguard love story, set on a lovely island and the Alps. And written by one of my favorite Mills & Boon authors. What could possibly go wrong here??????
I absolutely disliked Princess Evangelina from the first time we are introduced to her.
Oh no, how could a man ever think such bad things about her. She’s just a nice and average princess…He hurt her feelings………….
You see, Eva is soo sad and unhappy…
By know, it’s no secret that Princessinha Eva is not a favorite of mine!!
I nearly gave up halfway but by then I had grown to like Mak…who I initially thought a bit cold and unemotional, suddenly began to thaw my heart. He had a pretty hard life in Russia but he remained an honorable person all along. What he had experienced was quite sad and when I discovered his “secret”…it was like WOW…I never expected that.
If you are a fan of this author then you should read this one. I am onto book 2 which is Stavros story. I am looking forward to it.
I absolutely disliked Princess Evangelina from the first time we are introduced to her.
What a spoilt, boring and empty person. The hero, Makhail, who has been assigned as her bodyguard, got it so right………..
“You are spoiled. Selfish. Characteristics brought on by a life with every amenity you could possibly imagine—and some most people can not—at your fingertips. You feel persecuted while surrounded by luxury because you know nothing else. Because you don’t know what it is to go without food or shelter.”
Oh no, how could a man ever think such bad things about her. She’s just a nice and average princess…He hurt her feelings………….
Yeah, right….what feelings!!!!! Spoiltbrat!!! But wait a minute, he does not understand her.
You see, Eva is soo sad and unhappy…
I know…she’s a princess everything is done for her, even the choice of a husband…and all she wants to do is buy her own shoes,
order her own dinner……….walk on the beach….
By know, it’s no secret that Princessinha Eva is not a favorite of mine!!
I nearly gave up halfway but by then I had grown to like Mak…who I initially thought a bit cold and unemotional, suddenly began to thaw my heart. He had a pretty hard life in Russia but he remained an honorable person all along. What he had experienced was quite sad and when I discovered his “secret”…it was like WOW…I never expected that.
"I'll confess, I lack hands on experience. However, I can dismantle a bomb in under sixty seconds. That requires skill, dexterity, concentration. I'm sure I can apply it."
If you are a fan of this author then you should read this one. I am onto book 2 which is Stavros story. I am looking forward to it.
January 25, 2013
OMG!!! I m still reeling from this roller coaster ride...oh...read.
Mak is a WONDERFUL hero. He appears cold and unfeeling, a "robot" . But his past is heartbreaking. He has known love, loss, pain and guilt. He shuts himself off emotionally, finding some relief in the numbness of his feelings. The only thing that really matters to him is honor.
Being a rich princess doesn't guarantee happiness. But princess Eva is strong and she fights for her right to decide her own life. Princess Eva plan is simple. Cause enough scandal to derail the arranged marriage decided by her father. Little does she know that her simple plan will not only backfire causing serious tabloid fodder but will put her under the protection of bodyguard tycoon Mak Nabatov.
From the first encounter, the attraction is scorching hot and the more they resist the more it becomes incendiary. The battle inside Mak between honor and want is so powerful and for the first time ever, his iron control fails him. And the "secret" he reveals to Eva is soooo heartwarming.
MY does a fabulous job at describing how the relationship develop between Eva and Mak, how they get to know each other without the masks they hide behind. I liked how Eva grows up and becomes more mature, more confident in dealing with her father.
I really felt for Eva and Mak and yearned for their HEA. The book is emotional and so passionate. I highly recommend it.
Mak is a WONDERFUL hero. He appears cold and unfeeling, a "robot" . But his past is heartbreaking. He has known love, loss, pain and guilt. He shuts himself off emotionally, finding some relief in the numbness of his feelings. The only thing that really matters to him is honor.
Being a rich princess doesn't guarantee happiness. But princess Eva is strong and she fights for her right to decide her own life. Princess Eva plan is simple. Cause enough scandal to derail the arranged marriage decided by her father. Little does she know that her simple plan will not only backfire causing serious tabloid fodder but will put her under the protection of bodyguard tycoon Mak Nabatov.
From the first encounter, the attraction is scorching hot and the more they resist the more it becomes incendiary. The battle inside Mak between honor and want is so powerful and for the first time ever, his iron control fails him. And the "secret" he reveals to Eva is soooo heartwarming.
MY does a fabulous job at describing how the relationship develop between Eva and Mak, how they get to know each other without the masks they hide behind. I liked how Eva grows up and becomes more mature, more confident in dealing with her father.
I really felt for Eva and Mak and yearned for their HEA. The book is emotional and so passionate. I highly recommend it.
July 15, 2013
Amazing book! Eva is a princess who is being forced to wed a man she doesn't love and she tries to rebel by acting out. Mak is her Russian bodyguard who must protect her reputation and tame her wild ways. Mak is widowed and shockingly a virgin. He married very young and after a car accident his wife lived 10 years paralyzed while Mak took care of her every need. Now she is dead but he still can't move on with his life. Until he meets Eva that is...
I have to say I fell in love with the hero. He is such a good honorable man. He is lost and broken and very afraid to love. It's obvious he adores Eva but he just can't open his heart and let her in until it's almost too late. His grovelling scene is incredibly romantic and shows you what a true gentleman Mak is and how Eva brought down his walls. When you hear about his tragic past and how much guilt and pain he suffered you just want to hug and kiss all his pain away. *sighs dreamily*
Eva is spoiled but she really matures and changes and learns to stand up for herself. I like how she fought for Mak even when things got ugly and their love seemed doomed and impossible. Fantastic romance!
I have to say I fell in love with the hero. He is such a good honorable man. He is lost and broken and very afraid to love. It's obvious he adores Eva but he just can't open his heart and let her in until it's almost too late. His grovelling scene is incredibly romantic and shows you what a true gentleman Mak is and how Eva brought down his walls. When you hear about his tragic past and how much guilt and pain he suffered you just want to hug and kiss all his pain away. *sighs dreamily*
Eva is spoiled but she really matures and changes and learns to stand up for herself. I like how she fought for Mak even when things got ugly and their love seemed doomed and impossible. Fantastic romance!
September 19, 2012
Well, even though I found this story interesting, I also found some things ridiculous. Like the fact that the hero, Mak, was a 29 year old self- made billionaire who apparently had more money than the royal princess !
However, getting over the little things, I was able to focus on the story and by the middle of the book I couldn't put it down.
The Greek princess, Evangelina, is struggling for her freedom, to be viewed as her own person and to get out of a political marriage looming on the horizon. The hero, Mak, has had a life so difficult yet always holds onto his honour like life itself.
What really surprised and delighted me was the interesting twist in this story.
This was such a great novel and my emotions were more intense than I expected in the last few chapters. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
However, getting over the little things, I was able to focus on the story and by the middle of the book I couldn't put it down.
The Greek princess, Evangelina, is struggling for her freedom, to be viewed as her own person and to get out of a political marriage looming on the horizon. The hero, Mak, has had a life so difficult yet always holds onto his honour like life itself.
What really surprised and delighted me was the interesting twist in this story.
This was such a great novel and my emotions were more intense than I expected in the last few chapters. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
June 18, 2016
We cannot control our heart with whom we fall in love with.
April 14, 2023
A Royal World Apart features a romance between a princess and her bodyguard.
Princess Evangelina Drakos has had her life mapped out since birth but Eva wants more and hopes causing a minor scandal will be enough to deter potential suitors. But getting around her bodyguard long enough to do so may pose a problem. Makhail Nabatov never makes mistakes but Eva is slowly testing his resolve. The chemistry between them is undeniable but Mak doesn't know if he has the strength to walk away even though Eva is promised to another man.
The royalty/bodyguard romance trope is one I really enjoy so I was looking forward to picking this one up. Unfortunately this book didn't work for me in large part because of how everyone in Eva's life treats her. Her entire life has been controlled from the moment of her birth and she has never been able to do what she wants. Everyone just assumes they know better than her and she doesn't get to decide anything for herself. Even Mak does this to an extent and while I understand he was hired to protect her, I expected more from him due to his role as the love interest. Don't get me wrong, he did try to give Eva more freedom than she's had but to me that wasn't enough. My irritation with this definitely hindered my enjoyment as I spent the book yelling at the characters to let Eva live her life to the point I couldn't even enjoy the romance.
Overall A Royal World Apart wasn't for me which is a shame as I normally really enjoy this author's books.
Princess Evangelina Drakos has had her life mapped out since birth but Eva wants more and hopes causing a minor scandal will be enough to deter potential suitors. But getting around her bodyguard long enough to do so may pose a problem. Makhail Nabatov never makes mistakes but Eva is slowly testing his resolve. The chemistry between them is undeniable but Mak doesn't know if he has the strength to walk away even though Eva is promised to another man.
The royalty/bodyguard romance trope is one I really enjoy so I was looking forward to picking this one up. Unfortunately this book didn't work for me in large part because of how everyone in Eva's life treats her. Her entire life has been controlled from the moment of her birth and she has never been able to do what she wants. Everyone just assumes they know better than her and she doesn't get to decide anything for herself. Even Mak does this to an extent and while I understand he was hired to protect her, I expected more from him due to his role as the love interest. Don't get me wrong, he did try to give Eva more freedom than she's had but to me that wasn't enough. My irritation with this definitely hindered my enjoyment as I spent the book yelling at the characters to let Eva live her life to the point I couldn't even enjoy the romance.
Overall A Royal World Apart wasn't for me which is a shame as I normally really enjoy this author's books.
December 2, 2012
Reviewed at: HarlequinJunkie.com
A Royal World Apart is a rivetingly emotional and passionate read; probably Maisey Yates best work yet.
Princess Evangelina is destined for an arranged marriage, her rebellion is to cause a scandal hoping to derail the Marriage plan…. unfortunately her plan is a bit flawed and she lands her self in a bit of a soup…and under the protection of Makhail Nabatov (Mak)
All Eva wants is a man who loves her, just her and a marriage that has nothing to do with politics…
Mak is a widower who has loved deeply and lost; ridden with guilt he has shut himself off emotionally. Mak is guy bound with honor and vows and those very attributes has shaped him into the man he is today.
I LOVED this book; I think Maisey Yates has outdone herself here. The plot was deeply moving, portions of it were heart breaking and yet so heartfelt.
Summarizing A Royal World Apart by saying it is the story of a Greek Princess and her bodyguard…. with a virgin hero, just doesn’t do this one justice. This story is much more than that. It is about promises made and promises kept, it is about redemption and perseverance its about hope and ultimately LOVE. I would highly recommend this book.
My Fav Quote:
“I can’t make you a queen, not in the eyes of the world. But I will treat you like one. I will give you everything I have to give.”
A Royal World Apart is a rivetingly emotional and passionate read; probably Maisey Yates best work yet.
Princess Evangelina is destined for an arranged marriage, her rebellion is to cause a scandal hoping to derail the Marriage plan…. unfortunately her plan is a bit flawed and she lands her self in a bit of a soup…and under the protection of Makhail Nabatov (Mak)
All Eva wants is a man who loves her, just her and a marriage that has nothing to do with politics…
It was nothing more than a fantasy. Some little girls dreamed of being princesses. She’d just dreamed of being. Of living on her own terms…
Mak is a widower who has loved deeply and lost; ridden with guilt he has shut himself off emotionally. Mak is guy bound with honor and vows and those very attributes has shaped him into the man he is today.
“Are you happy?” She asked.
“Happiness, in my mind, is one of life’s biggest lies. People break so many things in the pursuit of happiness. Contracts, marriages, they destroy other people’s lives to find a taste of it, and, yet it never lasts.
I LOVED this book; I think Maisey Yates has outdone herself here. The plot was deeply moving, portions of it were heart breaking and yet so heartfelt.
Summarizing A Royal World Apart by saying it is the story of a Greek Princess and her bodyguard…. with a virgin hero, just doesn’t do this one justice. This story is much more than that. It is about promises made and promises kept, it is about redemption and perseverance its about hope and ultimately LOVE. I would highly recommend this book.
My Fav Quote:
“I can’t make you a queen, not in the eyes of the world. But I will treat you like one. I will give you everything I have to give.”
June 10, 2013
This was pretty good :)
Take one princess who is being forced to wed a man she doesn't love and add in a sexy Russian bodyguard who is widowed and STILL A VIRGIN and you get a love story that is pretty great. Mak stole my heart. He married young (at 17) and before he and his new wife could consummate their marriage, they got into a car accident and she survived, but bearly. She lived 10 years paralyzed and almost comatose while Mak took care of her. Eva feels like she's being used as a commodity,being married off to the higher bidder. She rebels a little and ends up with Mak being her bodyguard. They open up to one another and BAM! They fall in love. And yep, they get their HEA :)
Take one princess who is being forced to wed a man she doesn't love and add in a sexy Russian bodyguard who is widowed and STILL A VIRGIN and you get a love story that is pretty great. Mak stole my heart. He married young (at 17) and before he and his new wife could consummate their marriage, they got into a car accident and she survived, but bearly. She lived 10 years paralyzed and almost comatose while Mak took care of her. Eva feels like she's being used as a commodity,being married off to the higher bidder. She rebels a little and ends up with Mak being her bodyguard. They open up to one another and BAM! They fall in love. And yep, they get their HEA :)
December 17, 2014
Now now now, once in a while you find a good book from Harlequinn / Mills & Boons.
I actually have given up on most of these books, but this one, surprisingly, have strong H/H characters. Even the plot is somewhat questionable.
I love that Mak has a deep layered character, and we can understand more about him when reading along the story.
At the same time, even though the heroine is quite young (gasp, at 21!), I like that since she is a royal princess, she is matured enough to know that she upholds a serious responsibility for her country.
The characters development is 5 stars!
The story - an OK 3 stars
I actually have given up on most of these books, but this one, surprisingly, have strong H/H characters. Even the plot is somewhat questionable.
I love that Mak has a deep layered character, and we can understand more about him when reading along the story.
At the same time, even though the heroine is quite young (gasp, at 21!), I like that since she is a royal princess, she is matured enough to know that she upholds a serious responsibility for her country.
The characters development is 5 stars!
The story - an OK 3 stars
March 23, 2015
Short version: a story about a princess who is NOT carried around like a baby by her bodyguard at least once is missing a key success element.
Long version:
Eva is a princess. Her dad is King of a Greek island and she lives in a palace. She’s turning 21 in a few weeks, so it’s time for her to go marry another royal. Eva, however, is dissatisfied with the whole being a princess thing. She’s decided to stage a protest, in the form of ditching her bodyguards and hanging out at the casino with TWO MEN. Gasp.
Ditching her bodyguards to have crazy casino times attracts the attention of Makhail. He is the boss of the bodyguards and has a billion dollar security business. He sacks his employees and undertakes to personally guard Eva. For free.
Here is how I expect ‘The Princess and the Bodyguard’ plot to go. Once upon a time, there was a Princess and she was bored with princessing, so she rebelled. One day she ditched her security team and went out in disguise, but she was discovered. Then the king insisted that she have a new, more draconian bodyguard. The princess and the bodyguard snark and make eyes at each other. Then the princess is threatened by evil stalkers or kidnappers or revolutionaries. There is danger at a public event. Her bodyguard carries her away like a baby. They argue and kiss. The princess must become engaged to a royal guy, even though she is love with the bodyguard now! Then the stalker attacks, the bodyguard rescues her, and somehow she doesn’t have to marry the royal guy, who might have been evil anyway, and she and the bodyguard live happily ever after. Yates skips some of my favourite bits: the threats, the princess doing princess appearances where cute kids give her flowers and curtsey, and the evil royal fiancé.
Without those things, this book is almost entirely a conversation between Eva and Makhail. The conversation goes like this:
Eva: everyone treats me like a princess, but I’m a person too!
Makhail: you are spoiled and whiny.
Eva: that doesn’t mean I’m not right!
Makhail: well do something about it.
When they are not talking, they are thinking about how they want to be together and can’t be together, which is all very nice but dammit, I want a princess to be carried around like a baby at least once. There should be some explosions or gun shots or something dangerous, because why have bodyguards at all if nothing ever goes wrong? And going out for coffee and shopping just doesn’t cut it. Flying to Mak’s secret hideaway in the Alps also doesn’t cut it. These two are already strikingly isolated: they barely have a conversation that isn’t with each other.
Eva doesn’t do anything, and she doesn’t seem to want to do anything. She doesn’t appear to have any skills or interests. She doesn’t do charity work or make public appearances or have some obsessive hobby. Until she takes herself off to the casino that one time, it’s entirely possible that she’s spent most of her life sitting in her room in the palace staring at her hands. She has two non-friends she went out to coffee with once, and a somewhat unhealthy interest in her brother’s sex life. She’s very pretty and she’s young, but her goal in life is ‘not being treated like an object because I was born royal.’ I already have problems with characters who define themselves by what they don’t want to be without working out something they do want, so I found her a difficult proposition. I guess it’s arguable that, since this is a romance, she works out that she wants Makhail. Nice, but what does that actually mean? Based on her current level of doing-ness, she could marry Makhail and move to his house and stare at her hands there. I’d have found her more sympathetic if someone was trying to shoot her.
With Makhail, I found myself falling into the trap of criticising his set up. I am sceptical about his billionaire status. Makhail’s background is that he married his childhood sweetheart when they were seventeen, he loved her, and she died. It’s really nice that he’s already been in love with a woman and she didn’t turn into an evil harpy, so it would be reasonable to expect that while he’s sad, he’s got some emotional maturity. I liked his background and his secret – it’s sweet and makes emotional sense. It just wasn’t really enough for me. I’m fine with anyone becoming a billionaire before thirty in any quite flimsy business area, but a business model where you sack your employees and then take over yourself is not going to make you a billionaire, or keep you at the billionaire pay grade for very long. I thought he was kind of dumb.
There is far too much talking in this book, and while I think that I read most of the words that the characters said to each other, many of them didn’t really stick. This is a shame because I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Maisie Yates as a really good writer, but this book just wasn’t for me.
Long version:
Eva is a princess. Her dad is King of a Greek island and she lives in a palace. She’s turning 21 in a few weeks, so it’s time for her to go marry another royal. Eva, however, is dissatisfied with the whole being a princess thing. She’s decided to stage a protest, in the form of ditching her bodyguards and hanging out at the casino with TWO MEN. Gasp.
Ditching her bodyguards to have crazy casino times attracts the attention of Makhail. He is the boss of the bodyguards and has a billion dollar security business. He sacks his employees and undertakes to personally guard Eva. For free.
Here is how I expect ‘The Princess and the Bodyguard’ plot to go. Once upon a time, there was a Princess and she was bored with princessing, so she rebelled. One day she ditched her security team and went out in disguise, but she was discovered. Then the king insisted that she have a new, more draconian bodyguard. The princess and the bodyguard snark and make eyes at each other. Then the princess is threatened by evil stalkers or kidnappers or revolutionaries. There is danger at a public event. Her bodyguard carries her away like a baby. They argue and kiss. The princess must become engaged to a royal guy, even though she is love with the bodyguard now! Then the stalker attacks, the bodyguard rescues her, and somehow she doesn’t have to marry the royal guy, who might have been evil anyway, and she and the bodyguard live happily ever after. Yates skips some of my favourite bits: the threats, the princess doing princess appearances where cute kids give her flowers and curtsey, and the evil royal fiancé.
Without those things, this book is almost entirely a conversation between Eva and Makhail. The conversation goes like this:
Eva: everyone treats me like a princess, but I’m a person too!
Makhail: you are spoiled and whiny.
Eva: that doesn’t mean I’m not right!
Makhail: well do something about it.
When they are not talking, they are thinking about how they want to be together and can’t be together, which is all very nice but dammit, I want a princess to be carried around like a baby at least once. There should be some explosions or gun shots or something dangerous, because why have bodyguards at all if nothing ever goes wrong? And going out for coffee and shopping just doesn’t cut it. Flying to Mak’s secret hideaway in the Alps also doesn’t cut it. These two are already strikingly isolated: they barely have a conversation that isn’t with each other.
Eva doesn’t do anything, and she doesn’t seem to want to do anything. She doesn’t appear to have any skills or interests. She doesn’t do charity work or make public appearances or have some obsessive hobby. Until she takes herself off to the casino that one time, it’s entirely possible that she’s spent most of her life sitting in her room in the palace staring at her hands. She has two non-friends she went out to coffee with once, and a somewhat unhealthy interest in her brother’s sex life. She’s very pretty and she’s young, but her goal in life is ‘not being treated like an object because I was born royal.’ I already have problems with characters who define themselves by what they don’t want to be without working out something they do want, so I found her a difficult proposition. I guess it’s arguable that, since this is a romance, she works out that she wants Makhail. Nice, but what does that actually mean? Based on her current level of doing-ness, she could marry Makhail and move to his house and stare at her hands there. I’d have found her more sympathetic if someone was trying to shoot her.
With Makhail, I found myself falling into the trap of criticising his set up. I am sceptical about his billionaire status. Makhail’s background is that he married his childhood sweetheart when they were seventeen, he loved her, and she died. It’s really nice that he’s already been in love with a woman and she didn’t turn into an evil harpy, so it would be reasonable to expect that while he’s sad, he’s got some emotional maturity. I liked his background and his secret – it’s sweet and makes emotional sense. It just wasn’t really enough for me. I’m fine with anyone becoming a billionaire before thirty in any quite flimsy business area, but a business model where you sack your employees and then take over yourself is not going to make you a billionaire, or keep you at the billionaire pay grade for very long. I thought he was kind of dumb.
There is far too much talking in this book, and while I think that I read most of the words that the characters said to each other, many of them didn’t really stick. This is a shame because I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Maisie Yates as a really good writer, but this book just wasn’t for me.
April 20, 2018
Ahhh...I am STILL swooning over this book and I read is YESTERDAY! I read the entire thing in one day! Talk about not wanting to put a book down! *SIGH!* It was so intense and so passionate. There have only been a few books that have made me cry. This made the list. When he told Eva he loved her, yep I was crying. How broken a person can be inside, and all it takes is one person....their laugh, their smile...and the world rights itself again. I am usually not a fan of buying kindle books, but the description piqued my interest. I am so glad it did...because I will never get rid of it! I would sigh again, but I don't want to make anyone nauseous. LOL
6/15/14....This makes the fifth time I have re-read this book. And every time, at the same spot near the end, it makes me cry. EVERY TIME. I swear I will never get rid of it, even if I read it so many times I have memorized it!
5/20-14...re-read it again in less than 24 hours. Sigh....and yes, it made me cry AGAIN.
12/8/15···re-read again in 24 hours. Yes more sighing and tears. I just love it so much!!
10/17/16: 're-read again. can't believe I let almost a year go by to read this!!
4/20/18: Yep, re-read it again! Yes, still in less than 24 hours. Yes, it still makes me cry. I know it's only fiction, but I want someone to love me like this. With this much passion.
6/15/14....This makes the fifth time I have re-read this book. And every time, at the same spot near the end, it makes me cry. EVERY TIME. I swear I will never get rid of it, even if I read it so many times I have memorized it!
5/20-14...re-read it again in less than 24 hours. Sigh....and yes, it made me cry AGAIN.
12/8/15···re-read again in 24 hours. Yes more sighing and tears. I just love it so much!!
10/17/16: 're-read again. can't believe I let almost a year go by to read this!!
4/20/18: Yep, re-read it again! Yes, still in less than 24 hours. Yes, it still makes me cry. I know it's only fiction, but I want someone to love me like this. With this much passion.
March 4, 2017
Eva is a princess who has been thought of as a pawn, a thing to be controlled pretty much all of her life and now wedded at her father's convenience. So it's now wonder she's rebelled just a bit. But now security expert Makhail has been brought in to babysit her until her husband can take over. Mak has had his own share of problems, which have caused him to close up his heart, deny his own passion and have made him unsympathetic to the princess's plight. But she's full of fire and sunshine and he can't resist her spirit. But there's absolutely no future for a princess with no control over her own life and a bodyguard who would have to give up his honor to be with her.
Yay! Another virgin hero. This guy is the ultimate hero: he's gruff, he's emotionally closed off and uncaring, but he's a GOOD person, he's never cruel and as she opens him up to his emotions he loves completely. I loved Mak. While I initially thought Eva was a little spoiled and cowardly, this was her opportunity for growth before the end of the story, so it's totally necessary. This was a very cute story, a little angsty and really hot with the virgin hero (who was totally faithful to his wife who was in a vegetative state for 10 years ::sigh::)
Yay! Another virgin hero. This guy is the ultimate hero: he's gruff, he's emotionally closed off and uncaring, but he's a GOOD person, he's never cruel and as she opens him up to his emotions he loves completely. I loved Mak. While I initially thought Eva was a little spoiled and cowardly, this was her opportunity for growth before the end of the story, so it's totally necessary. This was a very cute story, a little angsty and really hot with the virgin hero (who was totally faithful to his wife who was in a vegetative state for 10 years ::sigh::)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2019
Love Maisey Yates and this is just a great example of her talent. Eva and Mak are fabulous characters and whilst it took me while to understand Eva’s hangups, I fell for Mak right away, what a fabulous hero he was! Eva came good through her journey and did the right thing finally - being open about what she wanted. I loved their story and the resolution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2013
Originally reviewed at www.devastatingreads.blogspot.com
I have to say, I adored Maisey Yates' style. Without using a lot of words, she drew a story of great depth and emotion. I loved how even her short sentences, some of them fragments, conveyed very telling emotions about both Eva and Mak and how they viewed themselves, each other and the situation they were in. Every scene was rich with poignant emotion, and I truly enjoyed every word I read.
From the beginning, I was drawn in by the characters and story. Eva's a princess who has no control over her own life. Everything from her underwear to her fiancee are chosen for her, and at barely twenty-one, she's being forced into a marriage for reasons other than love. Eva feels controlled and powerless, and she acts out in the only way she knows how--by acting out. She's a princess who slips past her security guards for a night of fun. Makhail calls her spoiled, and while I never really agreed with that assessment, it's not really an unfair one. She does have everything after all. Except for real, honest relationships. And for a woman who's all emotion, that's the worst thing for her not to have. I really connected with Eva because she was a wonderfully emotional character, also an intelligent and strong character.
Makhail is her security guard. I thought of him as an alpha male--controlled, cold, intelligent and downright sexy. Since her father has basically placed Eva on house arrest since her choices have been drawing scandalous media attention to the royal family, Mak considers himself honour bound to make sure she doesn't sneak off or get into trouble, to protect her even from herself since Eva is hell bent on stirring up scandal. But Mak proved to be a character of far greater depth than your typical alpha male. I loved how loyal and true his character was to his now deceased wife, Marina. I loved that for him, desire was both a physical and emotional need. I loved that Eva was able to crack him just enough at the beginning to make him want to give her a little bit of happiness--a day of shopping, a trip to the beach. Small, unimportant gestures really. But looking back, I think his control, his disconnectedness from love and happiness, began to slip there, when he offered her a day at the beach.
Both Mak and Eva have choices to make in this novel. Mak can chose to walk away, or be with Eva. His head says to go, his heart says to stay. He's used to listening to his head. It's made him into who is he, and he thinks Eva deserves than a man who can only take from her. Which is his head trying to talk his heart of what he really wants: Eva. And Eva can chose to marry a man she doesn't love for duty, for her country, to please her father. Or she can chose to grow up. To really stand up for herself. Choices, these are very important in life. And I love the choices Mak and Eva make. Those choices made this HEA just beautiful. Although I have to say, I was sad to see the novel end. I wanted more of this great couple!
5 glittering stars
I have to say, I adored Maisey Yates' style. Without using a lot of words, she drew a story of great depth and emotion. I loved how even her short sentences, some of them fragments, conveyed very telling emotions about both Eva and Mak and how they viewed themselves, each other and the situation they were in. Every scene was rich with poignant emotion, and I truly enjoyed every word I read.
From the beginning, I was drawn in by the characters and story. Eva's a princess who has no control over her own life. Everything from her underwear to her fiancee are chosen for her, and at barely twenty-one, she's being forced into a marriage for reasons other than love. Eva feels controlled and powerless, and she acts out in the only way she knows how--by acting out. She's a princess who slips past her security guards for a night of fun. Makhail calls her spoiled, and while I never really agreed with that assessment, it's not really an unfair one. She does have everything after all. Except for real, honest relationships. And for a woman who's all emotion, that's the worst thing for her not to have. I really connected with Eva because she was a wonderfully emotional character, also an intelligent and strong character.
Makhail is her security guard. I thought of him as an alpha male--controlled, cold, intelligent and downright sexy. Since her father has basically placed Eva on house arrest since her choices have been drawing scandalous media attention to the royal family, Mak considers himself honour bound to make sure she doesn't sneak off or get into trouble, to protect her even from herself since Eva is hell bent on stirring up scandal. But Mak proved to be a character of far greater depth than your typical alpha male. I loved how loyal and true his character was to his now deceased wife, Marina. I loved that for him, desire was both a physical and emotional need. I loved that Eva was able to crack him just enough at the beginning to make him want to give her a little bit of happiness--a day of shopping, a trip to the beach. Small, unimportant gestures really. But looking back, I think his control, his disconnectedness from love and happiness, began to slip there, when he offered her a day at the beach.
Both Mak and Eva have choices to make in this novel. Mak can chose to walk away, or be with Eva. His head says to go, his heart says to stay. He's used to listening to his head. It's made him into who is he, and he thinks Eva deserves than a man who can only take from her. Which is his head trying to talk his heart of what he really wants: Eva. And Eva can chose to marry a man she doesn't love for duty, for her country, to please her father. Or she can chose to grow up. To really stand up for herself. Choices, these are very important in life. And I love the choices Mak and Eva make. Those choices made this HEA just beautiful. Although I have to say, I was sad to see the novel end. I wanted more of this great couple!
5 glittering stars
March 23, 2016
This was a nice story, and I feel a little surprised because there have been so few Presents books that I could say that about. I've read some good Presents stories, but few that made me feel good things about both the hero and heroine. This one did. The heroine is a princess of some small Eastern European/Greek country, who has recently decided she's tired of having all her decisions made for her, especially who she will marry, and is trying to misbehave her way out of any possible engagement and marriage. The hero is the bodyguard hired to make her behave. Neither one is what the other expects or believes them to be. The hero is particularly unexpected, partly since he is widowed. I have never seen a Harlequin Presents take this direction with a hero, and Yates did it well. Some of the angsting around felt as if it dragged on a little long, but overall it's a good story and I liked it.
February 23, 2014
Maisey Yates + Sexy Russian VIRGIN hero + A princess heroine = One amazing read!
The hero was... A 29 years old virgin! And I didn't get it until I finished more than half the novel, cause who could believe that.
I've read another novel with a virgin hero a few years back, but I didn't loved it that much, mainly because I found it totally unbelievable. Unlike this novel, which was so sweet. The circumstances that led the hero to be a 29 virgin was heartbreaking, and I found him to be a totally romantic guy (though he thinks otherwise), but in the end he managed to follow his heart and claim the heroine (after I nearly climbed the walls with my frustration with both of them).
The hero was... A 29 years old virgin! And I didn't get it until I finished more than half the novel, cause who could believe that.
I've read another novel with a virgin hero a few years back, but I didn't loved it that much, mainly because I found it totally unbelievable. Unlike this novel, which was so sweet. The circumstances that led the hero to be a 29 virgin was heartbreaking, and I found him to be a totally romantic guy (though he thinks otherwise), but in the end he managed to follow his heart and claim the heroine (after I nearly climbed the walls with my frustration with both of them).
June 15, 2016
Nice, high-intensity, emotional story that I want out of the Presents line. I liked that the author had the characters grow over the course of the story and I felt their attraction to each other was believable. The emotional "black moments" at the end were really well-done and bumped my final grade up (from 3.5 stars to 4). Some over-the-top elements did come into play (the hero is a bodyguard but since this is a Presents OF COURSE he's fabulously wealthy and successful), but it just helped ramp up the "fairy tale" quality.
Read
December 1, 2018Miniseries: The Call of Duty
May 5, 2017
My younger self would have totally loved this story with our devoted H but grown up me finds him a little cold and boring.
She's a bit of a ditz who just really needs some life experience and to find her way bit her dads a control freak and emotional cold fish so she latches on to out hunky H and falls in lurve.
I guess I just didn't really warm to either character despite neither of them being offensive they were just boring (to me)
She's a bit of a ditz who just really needs some life experience and to find her way bit her dads a control freak and emotional cold fish so she latches on to out hunky H and falls in lurve.
I guess I just didn't really warm to either character despite neither of them being offensive they were just boring (to me)
December 10, 2020
I don't usually like books where the hero is widowed and loved his wife (I like when a hero only ever loves one woman which is the heroine), however I really liked this one because hero was a virgin. It was surprising he was a virgin but I absolutely love when heroes are not man whores and this hero is furthest thing from it. Aside from virginity I really liked the hero and heroine as characters. Np.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2020
Awesome read. Thanks to the reviews submitted by others. I went ahead and bought this book. Thought the hero was really cool and physically attractive. Loved the heroine as well, perfect Princess. Both characters are strong - loved that about this book. The sex scene did not disappoint.... good writing i must say. Kinda reminds me of the movie The Bodyguard.
May 7, 2019
Dull, repetitive, uninteresting.
January 5, 2020
Not the very best but not very worst. It was just nice good. I don’t expect so much from this book but the ending kinda nice. Anyway good for a quick read!
July 15, 2021
It's a good book. I liked reading it.
August 13, 2023
good book, healthy relationship ♡ there were some psrts i felt like it repeated a bit but overall a good ass ride. recommend
June 24, 2025
I love this book. It was heartwarming and hit all the right emotions. I will definitely be rereading this
July 13, 2025
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews