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The Royal House of Niroli #6
The Prince's Forbidden Virgin
Revealed: a scandalous royal affair Maximillian--the last heir to the throne. Will a beautiful girl prevent him from becoming king? Max Fierezza: a prince of the people and the land. But now Niroli's subjects are unsettled and Max's world-famous vines are blighted
Rosa Fierezza: she helps Max save the grapes. Although he's forbidden fruit to her, Rosa has long been under Max's spell. Both struggle with their desire. How can they ever give in to their love?
But the House of Niroli is built on secrets and the truth about a scandal from the past may set Rosa and Max free....
Rosa Fierezza: she helps Max save the grapes. Although he's forbidden fruit to her, Rosa has long been under Max's spell. Both struggle with their desire. How can they ever give in to their love?
But the House of Niroli is built on secrets and the truth about a scandal from the past may set Rosa and Max free....
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published November 20, 2007
9 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Robyn Donald
448 books149 followersRobyn Elaine Donald was born on 14 August 1940 in Northland, New Zealand. She was the oldest child in her family, and as a child, she thrilled her four sisters and one brother with bloodcurdling adventure tales, usually very like the latest book she'd borrowed from the library.
Robyn owes her writing career to two illnesses. The first was a younger sister's flu. She was living with her husband and Robyn and spent most of that winter acquiring, suffering, and recovering from various infections. One day she croaked that she had read everything on Robyn's bookshelves, so would Robyn please buy her something cheerful and sustaining. Robyn found three paperbacks- one Mills and Boon Modern Romance novel and a couple of other romances. Robyn read them, too, of course, and so enjoyed them she spent the next couple of years hunting down more Mills and Boon books. This was much more difficult then than it is today, so she decided to write her own, and for the following busy 10 years she wrote and hoped that one day she would finish a manuscript good enough that was good enough to send to a publisher.
The second illness was her husband's, and it was bad a heart attack. He was so young it terrified them all. While he was recovering, he suggested that Robyn finish the manuscript she was writing and send it off. It wasn't a perfect manuscript, but the doctor had said to humour her husband, so she finished the manuscript, edited it as best she could, and sent it off. Three months later, she was astounded to read a letter from the editor saying that if She made a few revisions they would buy her novel Bride at Whangatapu.
Published since 1977, Robyn sees her readers as intelligent women who insist on accurate backgrounds, so she spends time researching as well as writing.Robyn Donald sometimes thinks that writing is much like gardening. It's a similar process creating landscapes for the mind and emotions from the seeds of ideas and dreams and images. Both activities can also lead to moments of extreme delight, moments of total despair, and backache.Now Robyn lives in the Bay Islands. She continues writing, and also finds time for a very supportive husband, two adult children and their partners, a granddaughter and her mother, not to mention the member of the family that keeps her fit - a loud, cheerful, and ruthlessly determined "almost" Labradordog.
Robyn owes her writing career to two illnesses. The first was a younger sister's flu. She was living with her husband and Robyn and spent most of that winter acquiring, suffering, and recovering from various infections. One day she croaked that she had read everything on Robyn's bookshelves, so would Robyn please buy her something cheerful and sustaining. Robyn found three paperbacks- one Mills and Boon Modern Romance novel and a couple of other romances. Robyn read them, too, of course, and so enjoyed them she spent the next couple of years hunting down more Mills and Boon books. This was much more difficult then than it is today, so she decided to write her own, and for the following busy 10 years she wrote and hoped that one day she would finish a manuscript good enough that was good enough to send to a publisher.
The second illness was her husband's, and it was bad a heart attack. He was so young it terrified them all. While he was recovering, he suggested that Robyn finish the manuscript she was writing and send it off. It wasn't a perfect manuscript, but the doctor had said to humour her husband, so she finished the manuscript, edited it as best she could, and sent it off. Three months later, she was astounded to read a letter from the editor saying that if She made a few revisions they would buy her novel Bride at Whangatapu.
Published since 1977, Robyn sees her readers as intelligent women who insist on accurate backgrounds, so she spends time researching as well as writing.Robyn Donald sometimes thinks that writing is much like gardening. It's a similar process creating landscapes for the mind and emotions from the seeds of ideas and dreams and images. Both activities can also lead to moments of extreme delight, moments of total despair, and backache.Now Robyn lives in the Bay Islands. She continues writing, and also finds time for a very supportive husband, two adult children and their partners, a granddaughter and her mother, not to mention the member of the family that keeps her fit - a loud, cheerful, and ruthlessly determined "almost" Labradordog.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 14, 2019
Rosa Fierrezza is living life as a scientist away from the royal family and never dreaming she could be considered for queen of Niroli. At present, Max Fierrezza, her first cousin, is in next in line (and she after him). He calls her up out of the blue because the vineyards that he's in charge of have shot blight, and he needs her scientific help in solving the problem. She's nervous, remembering how obviously she lusted after Max with her shameful crush when she was a teenager, but decides that she's a full-grown adult now and can handle it. It's not as easy as she thinks because Max is older and more mature and as sexy as ever. And this time, he seems to return the attraction though he rejects her at every turn, forcing her to show how mature she is by acting like it doesn't affect her at all. Despite all those rejections, Max really does want Rosa just as badly as she wants him. But they're at an impasse: Niroli rules forbid first cousins to marry and if Max is to become king they cannot be together. If Max abdicates, then Rosa is next and line and they still couldn't be together. But then, Max learns a secret that forces his decision, but may mean that he'll never see Rosa again.
So I think I allowed myself to like this as much as I did by blocking out the knowledge that these two were first cousins. Never mind that the point is these two grew up with the knowledge that they were blood relatives and they still lusted after each other. That's just a bit too squicky for me to accept. And okay, so their parents were half-siblings, so that makes them a bit further apart genetically, but still. There is no way in this world that I look at one of my cousins and think, hmmm, sexy. My cousin-in-law, sure (he's hot). But never my cousin. That knowledge in the back of my brain that says cousin = family and family is not for sex, prohibits this from happening. Maybe that's not how this works in other parts of the world (New Zealand or Italy?) and marrying a first cousin is totally non-squicky, but in my world it is. So I had to distance myself from that knowledge in order to even read this...I had to pretend that they were just childhood friends growing up near each other.
Once I did this, the story became okay for the most part. Rosa comes across as a bit whiny/clingy as she sort of whines to herself, "Why can't we?" but then she reminds herself that she's mature now and has an image to protect. Max was a bit too angry to really like and a lot of that anger was directed towards himself, but ended up lashing out at the heroine. I will admit that this got nicely angsty around the point where they're separating and neither thinks they'll ever see each other again. That was good angst. I kinda expected a bit more emotional punch towards the end though. Still, if you can get past the cousin stuff or if that doesn't bother you at all, this is an enjoyable enough read.
So I think I allowed myself to like this as much as I did by blocking out the knowledge that these two were first cousins. Never mind that the point is these two grew up with the knowledge that they were blood relatives and they still lusted after each other. That's just a bit too squicky for me to accept. And okay, so their parents were half-siblings, so that makes them a bit further apart genetically, but still. There is no way in this world that I look at one of my cousins and think, hmmm, sexy. My cousin-in-law, sure (he's hot). But never my cousin. That knowledge in the back of my brain that says cousin = family and family is not for sex, prohibits this from happening. Maybe that's not how this works in other parts of the world (New Zealand or Italy?) and marrying a first cousin is totally non-squicky, but in my world it is. So I had to distance myself from that knowledge in order to even read this...I had to pretend that they were just childhood friends growing up near each other.
Once I did this, the story became okay for the most part. Rosa comes across as a bit whiny/clingy as she sort of whines to herself, "Why can't we?" but then she reminds herself that she's mature now and has an image to protect. Max was a bit too angry to really like and a lot of that anger was directed towards himself, but ended up lashing out at the heroine. I will admit that this got nicely angsty around the point where they're separating and neither thinks they'll ever see each other again. That was good angst. I kinda expected a bit more emotional punch towards the end though. Still, if you can get past the cousin stuff or if that doesn't bother you at all, this is an enjoyable enough read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2024
Ew. Dull, a lot of vineyards, incestuous, royalty but boring, sexism. It’s a lot of bad going on here. Skip.
April 17, 2012
What did I think????
Hmmm well I think that the story arc for the books gets weaker and weaker with each one, and I gotta tell ya, reading all those rules we should call the ruler Saint King.......
The story in this one, the guy was actually kinda stand up and honorable in his dealings with the heroine. However, I have read about four in a row where the hero was a donkey's foot and was so sure this guy would turn out to be one too, but he didn't.
Kinda SSLLLLOOOOWWWWWWWW to start and it took a looonnngggggg time to read, but it ended up very okay in the romance part of this story. I also like the author having a heroine who actually had more brains than the hero - only she was younger.
A kinda okay, Kissing Cuzins story.
Hmmm well I think that the story arc for the books gets weaker and weaker with each one, and I gotta tell ya, reading all those rules we should call the ruler Saint King.......
The story in this one, the guy was actually kinda stand up and honorable in his dealings with the heroine. However, I have read about four in a row where the hero was a donkey's foot and was so sure this guy would turn out to be one too, but he didn't.
Kinda SSLLLLOOOOWWWWWWWW to start and it took a looonnngggggg time to read, but it ended up very okay in the romance part of this story. I also like the author having a heroine who actually had more brains than the hero - only she was younger.
A kinda okay, Kissing Cuzins story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2014
The only reason I can come up with for why I read the entire book was I was so tired for half of the book that I didn't realize how bad it was. The book starts out with a big creep factor when two FIRST cousins have feelings for each other. Rosa says early on that she is upset that there is law in her country that prevents Royal Cousins from marrying each other. Thank god because its incest. And even though early on it becomes apparent that they are not actually related, the characters don't know that, so watching their incestuous relationship unfold is very creepy and gross to watch. And not at all romantic. Do yourself a favor and don't read this one.
April 25, 2011
Not a bad read. Pregnant secretary. Father - a royal prince. How they get together. This is 5th book in an 8 book series: The Royal House of Niroli.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews