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Ascension Trilogy #2
Princess
Gaelen Foley is a captivating writer who will sweep you away with this unforgettable story of forbidden love and wondrous destiny.
Darius Santiago is the King's most trusted spy. He is charming, ruthless, and he has one weakness--the stunning Princess Serafina. She is all he has ever wanted and everything he cannot have. Serafina has always worshiped Darius, knowing that deep in the reaches of her soul, where she is not royalty but a flesh-and-blood woman, she belongs to this dangerous man. Unable to suppress their desire, they are swept into a daring dance of passion until a deadly enemy threatens to destroy their new love.
Princess is a marvelous adventure, full of intrigue and pageantry.
Darius Santiago is the King's most trusted spy. He is charming, ruthless, and he has one weakness--the stunning Princess Serafina. She is all he has ever wanted and everything he cannot have. Serafina has always worshiped Darius, knowing that deep in the reaches of her soul, where she is not royalty but a flesh-and-blood woman, she belongs to this dangerous man. Unable to suppress their desire, they are swept into a daring dance of passion until a deadly enemy threatens to destroy their new love.
Princess is a marvelous adventure, full of intrigue and pageantry.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 28, 1999
67 people are currently reading
1495 people want to read
About the author
Gaelen Foley
44 books1,894 followersGaelen Foley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty historical romances set in the glittering world of Regency England. Her books are available in sixteen languages and have won numerous genre awards, such as the Bookseller's Best, the NJRW Golden Leaf (three times), the CRW Award of Excellence, the National Reader's Choice Award, the Beacon, and the Holt Medallion.
A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in Philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set. Gaelen lives in western Pennsylvania with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, a schoolteacher, with whom she co-writes middle grade fantasy adventure novels under the pen-name, E.G. Foley. (See www.EGFoley.com.) She is hard at work on her next book.
A Pennsylvania native, Gaelen holds a B.A. in English literature with a minor in Philosophy from the State University of New York, College at Fredonia, a quaint lakeside village where Mark Twain once owned a home. It was here, while studying the Romantic poets, such as Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats that she first fell in love with the Regency period in which her novels are set. Gaelen lives in western Pennsylvania with her college-sweetheart husband, Eric, a schoolteacher, with whom she co-writes middle grade fantasy adventure novels under the pen-name, E.G. Foley. (See www.EGFoley.com.) She is hard at work on her next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
November 28, 2016
4,5
me ha encantado, es precioso
me ha encantado, es precioso
May 19, 2010
If I could give this book 4 1/2 stars I would. I rated the Pirate Prince a 5 star and this is not quite up to the first installation of this trilogy, however, it is excellent and worth your time.
We met Darius in the Pirate Prince and now 20 years have past. He is now the King's most trusted spy and almost "son". He has many "issues" from his past, but unfortunately they are only describe in about 1 page towards the end. It would've been great if Foley would've given more of Darius's history so the reader could've understood him a little better.
Seraphina is princess of Ascention, daughter of Allegra and Lazar, and loved by Darius..even though he fights that feeling. She has pledged herself to Darius and will stop at nothing to "win" him.
I thought that Seraphina was wonderful for Darius. She made him laugh, allows him to relax and have fun with life...something that he doesn't know how to do on his own. I loved the fact that Darius was her bodyguard and protector. There's just something about the idea of being cherished and protected that just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Darius has this characteristic down pat.
I was really cheering for this pair throughout the book. It was a quick read (I read it in 1 day) and impossible to put down. A good and rare treat in a book. I highly recommend this series which for me has been better than her Knight Miscellany seris.
We met Darius in the Pirate Prince and now 20 years have past. He is now the King's most trusted spy and almost "son". He has many "issues" from his past, but unfortunately they are only describe in about 1 page towards the end. It would've been great if Foley would've given more of Darius's history so the reader could've understood him a little better.
Seraphina is princess of Ascention, daughter of Allegra and Lazar, and loved by Darius..even though he fights that feeling. She has pledged herself to Darius and will stop at nothing to "win" him.
I thought that Seraphina was wonderful for Darius. She made him laugh, allows him to relax and have fun with life...something that he doesn't know how to do on his own. I loved the fact that Darius was her bodyguard and protector. There's just something about the idea of being cherished and protected that just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Darius has this characteristic down pat.
I was really cheering for this pair throughout the book. It was a quick read (I read it in 1 day) and impossible to put down. A good and rare treat in a book. I highly recommend this series which for me has been better than her Knight Miscellany seris.
September 7, 2016
I've given this a B for narration and a C- at AAR, which equated to a C+ overall, so I'm leaving it at 3 stars.
There may possibly be some snark within :P
Originally published in 1999, Gaelen Foley’s Princess is the second book in her Ascension trilogy and contains enough cheese to keep several branches of McDonald’s going for the next decade.
It’s very much a romance in the Old-Skool vein, set in an exotic location (an island off the Italian coast), with a youthful, impossibly beautiful yet scholarly heroine (we know she’s scholarly because of the presence of a microscope and books in her room!), a man-whore hero who does not know how to love (and whose man-pain knows no bounds), and his scheming ex-mistress who knows all his secrets and is determined to win him back at any cost.
The thing is, if you know what you’re getting before embarking upon this fourteen hour extravaganza, it’s not a bad listen, principally due to the Herculean efforts of narrator Elizabeth Wiley who plays it completely straight down the line and delivers an honest and very enjoyable performance.
Princess is set some twenty years after The Pirate Prince, which first introduced the character of Darius Santiago as a scruffy street-urchin. Now in his thirties, he has become King Lazar’s right-hand-man – cunning spy, ruthless assassin, and the man trusted with the security and safety of the royal family. He’s also incredibly handsome and charming, so of course, women are falling over themselves in the scramble to his bed, and he’s (with apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein) jist a guy who cain’t say “no”.
But in all honesty, the poor guy has had enough of being used for his studly skills: he daren’t even leave his door unlocked for fear some randy female will turn up without warning and demand a good seeing-to, and no woman will ever touch his heart – mostly because he believes he doesn’t have one and wouldn’t know what to do with one if he had.
The only woman towards whom he has any finer feelings is the Princess Serafina, who he has worshipped from afar for years. But he is a mere guttersnipe and not at all good enough for her – so the best he can hope for is to keep her safe and see her happy. Serafina has been contracted to marry a member of the Russian nobility in order to cement a pact to ensure Ascension’s safety against Napoleon, and although Darius has uncovered some rather unsavoury information about the potential bridegroom, the betrothal has already been finalised. In order to save her from having to marry someone she doesn’t love and who will likely mistreat her, Darius comes up with a completely hare-brained scheme, a mission from which he doesn’t expect to return alive.
Not much happens in the first section of the book, other than Darius and Serafina mooning over each other, sighing over how unutterably gorgeous he/she is, and Darius agonising over the fact that he’s unworthy and can’t have her. Of course, Serafina has eyes for no-one other than her handsome protector, and wants them to be together for whatever time they can manage, but Darius is having none of it – until he suddenly changes his mind and thinks they might as well get it on for a while because he’s going to die soon anyway.
And they say chivalry is dead.
Or maybe on its last legs, because Darius draws the line at actual defloration, so they do a lot of “everything but” instead.
I haven’t read or listened to a large number of historical romances dating from the 1990s, but when I do, I’ve noticed that while the language is perhaps less forthright, the sex scenes themselves are often longer and raunchier than we’re used to now. I don’t know exactly why that should be – maybe as time has progressed authors have refined their styles and techniques, or perhaps back then the sexy stuff was more of a novelty, but the sex scenes in this book seemed to go on for days. Once again, I pay tribute to Ms Wiley, because she gets right into the swing of things, and after the first love scene, I wanted to give her a round of applause. And then offer her a cigarette.
The lovers’ idyll ends after a few days when Darius has to return to court and then he must eschew further distraction and carry out his master plan for protecting Serafina. No Napoleon means no threat to Ascension, which in turn means there’s no need for her to marry a shady Russian. Ergo – Darius is going to assassinate Napoleon.
Now, I’m all for introducing a little actual history into historicals. But I’m expected to take that seriously? That noise you can hear is my credulity shattering into tiny pieces. And to cap it all, the rakishly handsome babe-magnet and ruthless assassin proves himself almost hopelessly inept. What a guy. I suppose you have to feel sorry for him at some point. He had a shitty childhood, has learned not to trust, insists he doesn’t know what love is, and is carrying around more emotional baggage than Jacob Marley has chains. And in the last part of the book, his personal pity party reaches such a pitch that I was tempted to break out the Leonard Cohen LPs.
Serafina is pretty much what one would expect of a twenty-year old pampered Princess. She’s beautiful and wilful, but with a playful side that serves to temper Darius’ dourness. She’s also prone to hair-tossing tantrums, and I wanted to slap her on more than one occasion. Like Darius, she makes some stupid decisions in their relationship, but she’s got cojones of steel when it counts.
I’ve already said that Elizabeth Wiley has done a sterling job in the narration of this audiobook. She employs a wide repertoire of suitably Mediterranean-sounding accents, although I wasn’t all that convinced by the Italian ones which actually sounded more Eastern European to my ears. She differentiates well between all the characters, sounding suitably unpleasant as the sleazy Russian prince, and gruff and gravelly for King Lazar. She growls her way through Darius’ dialogue most convincingly and has my undying admiration for managing to utter the purplest of prose while keeping a straight face (although I’d love to know how many takes some of it required!). While my personal preference is for a British accented narration for European stories, Ms Wiley’s American accent is unobtrusive and her voice is very pleasing to the ear. Her narrative is well-paced, her vocal acting skills are impressive, and while the content of the book falls just short of being as ripe as a six-month old Camembert, her vibrant performance is what pushes it from being “so bad as to be unlistenable”, to being “so bad, it’s good”.
There may possibly be some snark within :P
Originally published in 1999, Gaelen Foley’s Princess is the second book in her Ascension trilogy and contains enough cheese to keep several branches of McDonald’s going for the next decade.
It’s very much a romance in the Old-Skool vein, set in an exotic location (an island off the Italian coast), with a youthful, impossibly beautiful yet scholarly heroine (we know she’s scholarly because of the presence of a microscope and books in her room!), a man-whore hero who does not know how to love (and whose man-pain knows no bounds), and his scheming ex-mistress who knows all his secrets and is determined to win him back at any cost.
The thing is, if you know what you’re getting before embarking upon this fourteen hour extravaganza, it’s not a bad listen, principally due to the Herculean efforts of narrator Elizabeth Wiley who plays it completely straight down the line and delivers an honest and very enjoyable performance.
Princess is set some twenty years after The Pirate Prince, which first introduced the character of Darius Santiago as a scruffy street-urchin. Now in his thirties, he has become King Lazar’s right-hand-man – cunning spy, ruthless assassin, and the man trusted with the security and safety of the royal family. He’s also incredibly handsome and charming, so of course, women are falling over themselves in the scramble to his bed, and he’s (with apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein) jist a guy who cain’t say “no”.
But in all honesty, the poor guy has had enough of being used for his studly skills: he daren’t even leave his door unlocked for fear some randy female will turn up without warning and demand a good seeing-to, and no woman will ever touch his heart – mostly because he believes he doesn’t have one and wouldn’t know what to do with one if he had.
The only woman towards whom he has any finer feelings is the Princess Serafina, who he has worshipped from afar for years. But he is a mere guttersnipe and not at all good enough for her – so the best he can hope for is to keep her safe and see her happy. Serafina has been contracted to marry a member of the Russian nobility in order to cement a pact to ensure Ascension’s safety against Napoleon, and although Darius has uncovered some rather unsavoury information about the potential bridegroom, the betrothal has already been finalised. In order to save her from having to marry someone she doesn’t love and who will likely mistreat her, Darius comes up with a completely hare-brained scheme, a mission from which he doesn’t expect to return alive.
Not much happens in the first section of the book, other than Darius and Serafina mooning over each other, sighing over how unutterably gorgeous he/she is, and Darius agonising over the fact that he’s unworthy and can’t have her. Of course, Serafina has eyes for no-one other than her handsome protector, and wants them to be together for whatever time they can manage, but Darius is having none of it – until he suddenly changes his mind and thinks they might as well get it on for a while because he’s going to die soon anyway.
And they say chivalry is dead.
Or maybe on its last legs, because Darius draws the line at actual defloration, so they do a lot of “everything but” instead.
I haven’t read or listened to a large number of historical romances dating from the 1990s, but when I do, I’ve noticed that while the language is perhaps less forthright, the sex scenes themselves are often longer and raunchier than we’re used to now. I don’t know exactly why that should be – maybe as time has progressed authors have refined their styles and techniques, or perhaps back then the sexy stuff was more of a novelty, but the sex scenes in this book seemed to go on for days. Once again, I pay tribute to Ms Wiley, because she gets right into the swing of things, and after the first love scene, I wanted to give her a round of applause. And then offer her a cigarette.
The lovers’ idyll ends after a few days when Darius has to return to court and then he must eschew further distraction and carry out his master plan for protecting Serafina. No Napoleon means no threat to Ascension, which in turn means there’s no need for her to marry a shady Russian. Ergo – Darius is going to assassinate Napoleon.
Now, I’m all for introducing a little actual history into historicals. But I’m expected to take that seriously? That noise you can hear is my credulity shattering into tiny pieces. And to cap it all, the rakishly handsome babe-magnet and ruthless assassin proves himself almost hopelessly inept. What a guy. I suppose you have to feel sorry for him at some point. He had a shitty childhood, has learned not to trust, insists he doesn’t know what love is, and is carrying around more emotional baggage than Jacob Marley has chains. And in the last part of the book, his personal pity party reaches such a pitch that I was tempted to break out the Leonard Cohen LPs.
Serafina is pretty much what one would expect of a twenty-year old pampered Princess. She’s beautiful and wilful, but with a playful side that serves to temper Darius’ dourness. She’s also prone to hair-tossing tantrums, and I wanted to slap her on more than one occasion. Like Darius, she makes some stupid decisions in their relationship, but she’s got cojones of steel when it counts.
I’ve already said that Elizabeth Wiley has done a sterling job in the narration of this audiobook. She employs a wide repertoire of suitably Mediterranean-sounding accents, although I wasn’t all that convinced by the Italian ones which actually sounded more Eastern European to my ears. She differentiates well between all the characters, sounding suitably unpleasant as the sleazy Russian prince, and gruff and gravelly for King Lazar. She growls her way through Darius’ dialogue most convincingly and has my undying admiration for managing to utter the purplest of prose while keeping a straight face (although I’d love to know how many takes some of it required!). While my personal preference is for a British accented narration for European stories, Ms Wiley’s American accent is unobtrusive and her voice is very pleasing to the ear. Her narrative is well-paced, her vocal acting skills are impressive, and while the content of the book falls just short of being as ripe as a six-month old Camembert, her vibrant performance is what pushes it from being “so bad as to be unlistenable”, to being “so bad, it’s good”.
December 11, 2019
Terminado, una buena novela de aventuras de las de antes
Le dí las 5 en su momento, ahora quizás le daría 4
Cierto que no la he disfrutado igual que la primera vez, como lectoras también evolucionamos
Me ha gustado mucho Darius, pasión contenida pura, típico antiheroe , dramático y dañado, aunque la autora no termina de ahondar en él. Pero me ha gustado mucho como personaje
ella es la típica niña malcriada, evoluciona bien y tiene tres o cuatro escenas que la siguen manteniendo como la princesa mimada que es, eso me ha gustado mucho, aunque algunas pataletas me han hecho rodar los ojos
Darius tiene algunos toques algo gallitos y machistas, pero para la época en la que está escrita la novela creo que entra dentro de lo normal
Agil y con algunas escenas trepidantes, lo mejor es que ella termina llevando su protagonismo y no se queda en princesa, guapa y tonta
Quizás el porqué de esa negación por parte de él, es lo que peor me ha parecido
Las escenas de sexo muy coherentes
He vuelto a disfrutar de la lectura, aunque en aquellos tiempos la disfruté más
Le dí las 5 en su momento, ahora quizás le daría 4
Cierto que no la he disfrutado igual que la primera vez, como lectoras también evolucionamos
Me ha gustado mucho Darius, pasión contenida pura, típico antiheroe , dramático y dañado, aunque la autora no termina de ahondar en él. Pero me ha gustado mucho como personaje
ella es la típica niña malcriada, evoluciona bien y tiene tres o cuatro escenas que la siguen manteniendo como la princesa mimada que es, eso me ha gustado mucho, aunque algunas pataletas me han hecho rodar los ojos
Darius tiene algunos toques algo gallitos y machistas, pero para la época en la que está escrita la novela creo que entra dentro de lo normal
Agil y con algunas escenas trepidantes, lo mejor es que ella termina llevando su protagonismo y no se queda en princesa, guapa y tonta
Quizás el porqué de esa negación por parte de él, es lo que peor me ha parecido
Las escenas de sexo muy coherentes
He vuelto a disfrutar de la lectura, aunque en aquellos tiempos la disfruté más
November 23, 2024
Oh this could have been a great book if only the H got his sh*t together. For as long as he said he loved the h, he sure was ready to leave her at any moment.
September 10, 2013
There were so many things I loved about this book. I suppose it was one of those books that just worked for me. It's not one of those books I would heartily recommend to everyone, but one I enjoyed immensely because it seemed to contain all the elements that I look for in a historical romance. One thing worth pointing out is that the sex scenes were the most SENSUAL non-erotica ones I have ever read. Wow. Wow. Wow. I certainly wasn't expecting it since the rest of it was so tame, so fairy-tale like.
September 22, 2011
This is the 2nd book in Galen Foley's Ascension Trilogy and it was wonderful,so romantic.Parts of this book was so heartbreaking that you felt the torment of the characters.Ms Foley's heros are of the tormented and tortured variety and I like that,makes for a good read.All I can say is WOW!,will be reading more from this author .The ending was so beautiful and can truly say that this couple really deserved their HEA.
June 13, 2012
3.5 stars
The angst! There is so much angst!
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GIFSoup
Quick! Pound your head against the nearest wall so you're up with the latest trend.
My second endeavor into Gaelen Foley's delightful world of romance, intrigue, murder and mayhem was a crazy good time. Princess is full to the hilt with sometimes insane plot devices that keep the story rolling on and on (and on and on and on and on) like the freaking Energizer Bunny. It opens with the heroine, Princess Serafina of the fictional island country Ascension, being chased through a pleasure garden and maze by murderous Frenchmen. No one is safe in this book, especially if you're a main character. Fortunately, Serafina's hero and savior Darius Santiago (what a name!), her childhood protector and the king's go-to assassin and security guy, saves her life and butchers some Frenchmen in the process. Naturally, Darius has had a love boner for Serafina ever since she turned sixteen, but since he's the bastard son of a gypsy and an abusive Spanish asshole, Darius convinces himself that he isn't worthy of the stunning princessa.
Angst ensues.
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GIFSoup
This is Darius, like, 90% of the time.
Sweet bananas, could that man angst with the best of them! He hates his love boner for Serafina but can't keep his hands off of her. He decides he can never marry her but still plots to break up her engagement with a narcissistic Russian prince. (This is justified, though, because the Russian prince is a certified douche-nozzle.) He plots to assassinate Napolean (lol), but pisses and moans because he'll probably die in the process and never have the chance to build a life with Serafina. He's the bravest man in the kingdom with the most tortured childhood. He fucks just about every woman in Ascension in depraved ways but yearns for the sweet love-making he can share with Serafina. Darius angsts about all of these things up to the very last moments of the book, minus the HAPPY-HAPPY-JOY-JOY epilogue. I'm not exaggerating. The man has enough baggage to keep a 747 from taking off from the ground.
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GIFSoup
"I just want people to understand that I have a lot of goddamn FEELINGS!"
While I can appreciate that Darius and his bad attitude stem from a dark past of feeling unloved and like he's never good enough, it got a little heavy for me at times. His character would swing from lovesick puppy to cold twagic hero so often that I started to wonder what was wrong with him. In fact, Serafina even asks what the hell is wrong with his head a few times. Darius's characterization got so heavy-handed at times that it distracted from the campy and fun assassination plots and murderous Frenchmen and crazy Russian princes. That's what brought my rating down from 4 stars to 3.5.
Of course, Serafina isn't blameless in all of this either. She plays the spoiled, haughty princess role to perfection in this book. Although her vanity and temper tantrums made me want to poke her in the eye through the pages a few times, it was hard not to like her. Sadly, like so many romance heroines before and after her, Serafina's cool factor went down exponentially in direct correlation with her increasing love for Darius. (Quick! Someone make a chart!) If I had to read one more passage in which she complained to Darius that he didn't really love her, I was going to start slamming my beautiful head against a brick wall. You're a freaking princess, Serafina! Pull your shit together and grow a spine!
[image error]
GIFSoup
That is not a spine-growing exercise, Princess!
For all of their flaws, the main characters at least succeeded at keeping me intrigued in the text. Foley writes some very colorful secondary characters, too. I loved the hot-headed King Lazar, who . There's also an intriguing court-slut (my term) named Julia who manages to remain sympathetic even though she ends up committing an unforgivable act near the end of the story. The fictional setting of Ascension, which is supposed to be a tiny Italian island on the Mediterranean, is lush and captivating. Despite all the angst and political intrigue, Ascension manages to read like it's straight out of a storybook.
Overall, Princess is an entertaining read. You might want to bring along some Pampers for Darius and Serafina, though.
One Thing That Confused Me
The angst! There is so much angst!
[image error]
GIFSoup
Quick! Pound your head against the nearest wall so you're up with the latest trend.
My second endeavor into Gaelen Foley's delightful world of romance, intrigue, murder and mayhem was a crazy good time. Princess is full to the hilt with sometimes insane plot devices that keep the story rolling on and on (and on and on and on and on) like the freaking Energizer Bunny. It opens with the heroine, Princess Serafina of the fictional island country Ascension, being chased through a pleasure garden and maze by murderous Frenchmen. No one is safe in this book, especially if you're a main character. Fortunately, Serafina's hero and savior Darius Santiago (what a name!), her childhood protector and the king's go-to assassin and security guy, saves her life and butchers some Frenchmen in the process. Naturally, Darius has had a love boner for Serafina ever since she turned sixteen, but since he's the bastard son of a gypsy and an abusive Spanish asshole, Darius convinces himself that he isn't worthy of the stunning princessa.
Angst ensues.
[image error]
GIFSoup
This is Darius, like, 90% of the time.
Sweet bananas, could that man angst with the best of them! He hates his love boner for Serafina but can't keep his hands off of her. He decides he can never marry her but still plots to break up her engagement with a narcissistic Russian prince. (This is justified, though, because the Russian prince is a certified douche-nozzle.) He plots to assassinate Napolean (lol), but pisses and moans because he'll probably die in the process and never have the chance to build a life with Serafina. He's the bravest man in the kingdom with the most tortured childhood. He fucks just about every woman in Ascension in depraved ways but yearns for the sweet love-making he can share with Serafina. Darius angsts about all of these things up to the very last moments of the book, minus the HAPPY-HAPPY-JOY-JOY epilogue. I'm not exaggerating. The man has enough baggage to keep a 747 from taking off from the ground.
[image error]
GIFSoup
"I just want people to understand that I have a lot of goddamn FEELINGS!"
While I can appreciate that Darius and his bad attitude stem from a dark past of feeling unloved and like he's never good enough, it got a little heavy for me at times. His character would swing from lovesick puppy to cold twagic hero so often that I started to wonder what was wrong with him. In fact, Serafina even asks what the hell is wrong with his head a few times. Darius's characterization got so heavy-handed at times that it distracted from the campy and fun assassination plots and murderous Frenchmen and crazy Russian princes. That's what brought my rating down from 4 stars to 3.5.
Of course, Serafina isn't blameless in all of this either. She plays the spoiled, haughty princess role to perfection in this book. Although her vanity and temper tantrums made me want to poke her in the eye through the pages a few times, it was hard not to like her. Sadly, like so many romance heroines before and after her, Serafina's cool factor went down exponentially in direct correlation with her increasing love for Darius. (Quick! Someone make a chart!) If I had to read one more passage in which she complained to Darius that he didn't really love her, I was going to start slamming my beautiful head against a brick wall. You're a freaking princess, Serafina! Pull your shit together and grow a spine!
[image error]
GIFSoup
That is not a spine-growing exercise, Princess!
For all of their flaws, the main characters at least succeeded at keeping me intrigued in the text. Foley writes some very colorful secondary characters, too. I loved the hot-headed King Lazar, who . There's also an intriguing court-slut (my term) named Julia who manages to remain sympathetic even though she ends up committing an unforgivable act near the end of the story. The fictional setting of Ascension, which is supposed to be a tiny Italian island on the Mediterranean, is lush and captivating. Despite all the angst and political intrigue, Ascension manages to read like it's straight out of a storybook.
Overall, Princess is an entertaining read. You might want to bring along some Pampers for Darius and Serafina, though.
One Thing That Confused Me
April 25, 2019
A description rich read. 2nd in the Ascension series. Although the characters in book 1 and 2 are very similar they were great books and worth the read.
December 9, 2022
Re-read- audiobook
Darius, the moppet rescued in the first book The Pirate Prince, is now a grown fine ass man who's part bodyguard and part enforcer for King Lazar and his family. Princess Serafina has been in love with the grumpy bodyguard her whole life but her duty lies in making an advantageous marriage with a Russian noble to ensure the safety of her island kingdom from Napoleon's grubby hands. Darius love for Seraphina is a quiet and he thinks unrequited longing but also so obsessive he's planning on killing Napoleon, therefore ensuring his own death, to free her from the unwanted marriage to the Russian. He doesn't tell anyone this but while Seraphina is being kept in a safe house to evade French assassins, he finally lets his obsession for her loose before his planned death, and they give in to the fire in their loins.
This is delightfully bonkers. It's over the top chock full of dramatic shenanigans. Both Darius and Seraphina are ridiculous. She's a spoiled brat and he's so intractable, I wanted to slap him upside his dum dum head a time or two. But it's hot, and the longing and angst is *chef's kiss* It's also very well written and expertly paced, and I love when historical figures are used and Napoleon and his sister Pauline play a small but impactful part. This book was well known at one point for being a virgin lactating book 😅 Yes, the virginal Seraphina somehow lactates while being pleasured by her bodyguard. I said it was bonkers!
What didn't work for me this time around: Darius's background and the reason for his emotional repression isn't revealed until the very end. Also, and this is exclusive to the audio, the narrator decided to use atrocious accents for both the MC's. Darius sounded like a pervy old man which made the whole age gap a little bit gross 🤢 Overall it still holds up for me. Lactating virgin book is still a keeper.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Bodyguard
Forced Proximity
Age gap
Royals
TW: attempted assault, violence
Darius, the moppet rescued in the first book The Pirate Prince, is now a grown fine ass man who's part bodyguard and part enforcer for King Lazar and his family. Princess Serafina has been in love with the grumpy bodyguard her whole life but her duty lies in making an advantageous marriage with a Russian noble to ensure the safety of her island kingdom from Napoleon's grubby hands. Darius love for Seraphina is a quiet and he thinks unrequited longing but also so obsessive he's planning on killing Napoleon, therefore ensuring his own death, to free her from the unwanted marriage to the Russian. He doesn't tell anyone this but while Seraphina is being kept in a safe house to evade French assassins, he finally lets his obsession for her loose before his planned death, and they give in to the fire in their loins.
This is delightfully bonkers. It's over the top chock full of dramatic shenanigans. Both Darius and Seraphina are ridiculous. She's a spoiled brat and he's so intractable, I wanted to slap him upside his dum dum head a time or two. But it's hot, and the longing and angst is *chef's kiss* It's also very well written and expertly paced, and I love when historical figures are used and Napoleon and his sister Pauline play a small but impactful part. This book was well known at one point for being a virgin lactating book 😅 Yes, the virginal Seraphina somehow lactates while being pleasured by her bodyguard. I said it was bonkers!
What didn't work for me this time around: Darius's background and the reason for his emotional repression isn't revealed until the very end. Also, and this is exclusive to the audio, the narrator decided to use atrocious accents for both the MC's. Darius sounded like a pervy old man which made the whole age gap a little bit gross 🤢 Overall it still holds up for me. Lactating virgin book is still a keeper.
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Bodyguard
Forced Proximity
Age gap
Royals
TW: attempted assault, violence
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2008
This book is such a guilty pleasure. It's got some pretty hot scenes, but the characters are horribly one-dimensional: spoiled princess, devoted bodyguard, lusty seductress of said bodyguard, etc. I feel like I really can't say this book is great, but that doesn't seem to stop me from re-reading it occasionally. Props to the author for giving the two leads a nice "oh crap" revelatory discussion scene after the heroine arranges for the hero to be caught in her bed. But boo for the inclusion of a Napoleon plot. I realize that there are many books on Napoleon and you want to show your research, Gaelen, but seriously? Just make up some tyrant. Call him whatever you want - the bad guy on Twin Peaks was named "Bob" and that didn't detract from his creepiness - just don't call him Napoleon. It's annoying when historical figures pop up in romance novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2020
I'm not a fan of May-December romances, especially when the heroine grows up in love with the hero, and the hero has watched the heroine grow up from a baby into a woman. Ugh. Well. At least Darius is 34 and Serafina is 20.
It's clear this taboo doesn't do anything for me but I was so obsessed with Princess. I think at some points I was even more obsessed with Princess than The Pirate Prince. I thought The Pirate Prince was sexy? Princess is a very strong contender. From the very first scene, it's pedal to the metal. It is the Lady and Knight fan fiction fantasy we ALL want to happen. Who doesn't love the star-crossed lovers, that of the Lady and the Knight sworn to protect her? All those repressed urges are finally being expressed and it's GOOD.
Side note: I've also just come back to the romance world after reading Phedre's Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey so I was particularly delighted with the lady and knight combo.
Darius can get it and Serafina is a sassy dreamer. I am SO glad we got a passionate Darius. I thought that Darius would be hands-off, after reading the GoodReads description of the book, but thank gosh Galen Foley wrote Darius like this! Like, I really thought I'd be reading about Darius suffering stoically for three-quarters of a book before he breaks down but this. was. spicy.
Serafina, meanwhile, is a bit of a dreamer with not much - any - ambition other than being with Darius. Serafina is a little bit twee but she is a charmer, overall. Unlike Allegra, Serafina does not have much character development in this perspective. She has always just loved Darius and is just waiting for him to open up to her. Allegra was incredibly passionate about Ascension but Serafina is a princess who simply wants to be with her man. It rests on Darius to give us some character work, and he does that in spades.
Similar to The Pirate Prince, the opening pages set us in motion and off we damn go! Woohoo to nonstop action. It's not as epic as The Pirate Prince, and from Princess to Prince Charming, things start to feel less like we are dealing with legendary conflict, stuff of Greek tragedy, and rather more domestic, everyday squabbles. Lazar and Allegra had an epic story of fulfilling destinies, the Prodigal son returns from the dead, and all that jazz, but their children seem to struggle with the day-to-day. Yes, there is an assassination plot here, and there is also political intrigue in the next book, but Serafina and Rafe aren't dealing with what Lazar and Allegra had to deal with!
Also I have to say some words about Julia because I literally groaned when Julia did the thing she did. I knew she wasn't going to be allowed to redeem herself but I really hoped she would find some redemption :'(
It's clear this taboo doesn't do anything for me but I was so obsessed with Princess. I think at some points I was even more obsessed with Princess than The Pirate Prince. I thought The Pirate Prince was sexy? Princess is a very strong contender. From the very first scene, it's pedal to the metal. It is the Lady and Knight fan fiction fantasy we ALL want to happen. Who doesn't love the star-crossed lovers, that of the Lady and the Knight sworn to protect her? All those repressed urges are finally being expressed and it's GOOD.
Side note: I've also just come back to the romance world after reading Phedre's Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey so I was particularly delighted with the lady and knight combo.
Darius can get it and Serafina is a sassy dreamer. I am SO glad we got a passionate Darius. I thought that Darius would be hands-off, after reading the GoodReads description of the book, but thank gosh Galen Foley wrote Darius like this! Like, I really thought I'd be reading about Darius suffering stoically for three-quarters of a book before he breaks down but this. was. spicy.
Serafina, meanwhile, is a bit of a dreamer with not much - any - ambition other than being with Darius. Serafina is a little bit twee but she is a charmer, overall. Unlike Allegra, Serafina does not have much character development in this perspective. She has always just loved Darius and is just waiting for him to open up to her. Allegra was incredibly passionate about Ascension but Serafina is a princess who simply wants to be with her man. It rests on Darius to give us some character work, and he does that in spades.
Similar to The Pirate Prince, the opening pages set us in motion and off we damn go! Woohoo to nonstop action. It's not as epic as The Pirate Prince, and from Princess to Prince Charming, things start to feel less like we are dealing with legendary conflict, stuff of Greek tragedy, and rather more domestic, everyday squabbles. Lazar and Allegra had an epic story of fulfilling destinies, the Prodigal son returns from the dead, and all that jazz, but their children seem to struggle with the day-to-day. Yes, there is an assassination plot here, and there is also political intrigue in the next book, but Serafina and Rafe aren't dealing with what Lazar and Allegra had to deal with!
Also I have to say some words about Julia because I literally groaned when Julia did the thing she did. I knew she wasn't going to be allowed to redeem herself but I really hoped she would find some redemption :'(
April 20, 2025
What in the lactating virgin did I just read?
June 4, 2024
This book foreeeeeverrrrrr
October 22, 2017
I read this story a number of years ago and I had forgotten how heart wrenching the last third of the story is. Darius Santiago is one of the most tortured heroes I have read about. He is so full of hate and anger which is mostly directed at him. He has been told most of his young life that he is worthless and he has come to believe that. He has work tirelessly to build himself into a better person. Someone others would be able to love and care about. While there are a number of people that do love him for himself he never really sees them. He is so sure that if he cares about anyone they will leave him. Darius is a caring, compassionate and honorable man. He is also ruthless and determined and madly in love the Serafina de Fiore. The struggle to come to terms with that love and the realization that things might actually workout for these two is the basis for this story.
Serafina is in many ways a spoiled princess. She has been raised to be a royal, but that is not what she really wants to be. She would be happier with a home, children and Darius in a villa that was far from court. She is interested in medicine and botany. She loves animals and has quite a collection at the palace. As with so many daughters she has her father wrapped around her little finger. Serafina is also strong, brave, compassionate and very loving. She knows that she can save Darius if he will only stay still longer enough for her to do so. She is stubborn to a fault and intelligent. She is a likable heroine which is a surprise in this day and age. So many heroines have become bitchy tyrants that you just want to shake until their teeth rattle.
This is a quick read filled with lots of tense suspenseful moments that make to unable to put down the book until you have found out what the outcome will be. We see Lazar and Allegra many years after THE PIRATE PRINCE. They have built their kingdom and have two grown children, Serafina and Rafael with a child on the way. They are as much in love now as they were in the earlier book. I love Ms. Foley’s writing and always look forward to reading one of her stories. She does the historical romance genre proud with her many contributions.
Serafina is in many ways a spoiled princess. She has been raised to be a royal, but that is not what she really wants to be. She would be happier with a home, children and Darius in a villa that was far from court. She is interested in medicine and botany. She loves animals and has quite a collection at the palace. As with so many daughters she has her father wrapped around her little finger. Serafina is also strong, brave, compassionate and very loving. She knows that she can save Darius if he will only stay still longer enough for her to do so. She is stubborn to a fault and intelligent. She is a likable heroine which is a surprise in this day and age. So many heroines have become bitchy tyrants that you just want to shake until their teeth rattle.
This is a quick read filled with lots of tense suspenseful moments that make to unable to put down the book until you have found out what the outcome will be. We see Lazar and Allegra many years after THE PIRATE PRINCE. They have built their kingdom and have two grown children, Serafina and Rafael with a child on the way. They are as much in love now as they were in the earlier book. I love Ms. Foley’s writing and always look forward to reading one of her stories. She does the historical romance genre proud with her many contributions.
October 19, 2008
My favorite out of this trilogy, it was so cute and romantic. it just makes your heart melt
August 14, 2024
This must be why I love this series so much…Darius and Serafina❤️..much faster paced story and so full of longing and heart! Happily ever after after so turmoil but family in a truly happy spot as we start Rafe’s story💕💕
April 14, 2010
This second book in the Ascension Trilogy has a lot of similarities with the first one (The Pirate Prince) when it comes to characters, but in this case, the heroine's social standing is above that of the hero's.
I read this as an e-book and unfortunately, the epilogue came first so it spoiled everything for me. I'm a spoiler-allergic type of reader but since the story was masterfully written, I still had qualms about the ending. I know it would be a happy ending, just like in most romance novels, but with the character and event conflicts, Gaelen Foley wrote a convincing twist that still made me wonder how they'll have the happily ever after.
The parts written about the war between Ascension in France really rattled my nerves, like a bomb waiting to explode. I liked how she described the characters and really gave voice to them. Her use of real personages was worth the read too.
Darius, as we all know from the first book, was the boy who helped Allegra save Lazar from the nasty man; he became Lazar's ward from then on and proved himself valuable as an assassin and army man. Now he's all grown up, dangerously charming, and an unrepentant rake.
It's inevitable that he catches the eye of Lazar's daughter, Serafina, even from the cradle. As she grew up, the attraction became mutual. I know that the age gap sometimes doesn't matter in these modern times, even more so in the old days, but I still can't grasp it. Darius is 14 years her senior, and with historical romance novels, both characters have this chemistry that one doesn't notice the generation gap.
Darius is comparable with Lazar's character; their souls need healing, they're both jaded, they don't trust anyone, they don't have a reason to live...until the right woman came along. Serafina is to Darius, while Allegra is to Lazar. Serafina is just like her mother who sees the good in Darius, she heals his physical and emotional wounds, and gives her unconditional love.
I have to admit that they are both perfect examples of why love is selfish. Darius claimed Serafina in a selfish impulse, more like "Hey I'm alive might as well claim her as mine", and Serafina trapped him into marriage so he could be hers and hers alone.
Nearing the end of the story, it was Serafina who was in danger, but I admire her for using her head and her physical assets to gain advantage over the enemy, initially I thought she would follow the drill, but she stood by Darius and proved her love. There were a lot of touching moments when both of them were vulnerable and having their "pillow talk".
There is just a right amount of love scenes, most of them carnal. Ms Foley really created the sexual tension between them until they surrendered to their desires. Although I gave this only a four out of five stars, I enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to reading the next and final book in the series. There wasn't much humor here, but it was still entertaining.
I read this as an e-book and unfortunately, the epilogue came first so it spoiled everything for me. I'm a spoiler-allergic type of reader but since the story was masterfully written, I still had qualms about the ending. I know it would be a happy ending, just like in most romance novels, but with the character and event conflicts, Gaelen Foley wrote a convincing twist that still made me wonder how they'll have the happily ever after.
The parts written about the war between Ascension in France really rattled my nerves, like a bomb waiting to explode. I liked how she described the characters and really gave voice to them. Her use of real personages was worth the read too.
Darius, as we all know from the first book, was the boy who helped Allegra save Lazar from the nasty man; he became Lazar's ward from then on and proved himself valuable as an assassin and army man. Now he's all grown up, dangerously charming, and an unrepentant rake.
It's inevitable that he catches the eye of Lazar's daughter, Serafina, even from the cradle. As she grew up, the attraction became mutual. I know that the age gap sometimes doesn't matter in these modern times, even more so in the old days, but I still can't grasp it. Darius is 14 years her senior, and with historical romance novels, both characters have this chemistry that one doesn't notice the generation gap.
Darius is comparable with Lazar's character; their souls need healing, they're both jaded, they don't trust anyone, they don't have a reason to live...until the right woman came along. Serafina is to Darius, while Allegra is to Lazar. Serafina is just like her mother who sees the good in Darius, she heals his physical and emotional wounds, and gives her unconditional love.
I have to admit that they are both perfect examples of why love is selfish. Darius claimed Serafina in a selfish impulse, more like "Hey I'm alive might as well claim her as mine", and Serafina trapped him into marriage so he could be hers and hers alone.
Nearing the end of the story, it was Serafina who was in danger, but I admire her for using her head and her physical assets to gain advantage over the enemy, initially I thought she would follow the drill, but she stood by Darius and proved her love. There were a lot of touching moments when both of them were vulnerable and having their "pillow talk".
There is just a right amount of love scenes, most of them carnal. Ms Foley really created the sexual tension between them until they surrendered to their desires. Although I gave this only a four out of five stars, I enjoyed reading it and I'm looking forward to reading the next and final book in the series. There wasn't much humor here, but it was still entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2011
In the interests of full disclosure, I haven't read the first book in this series. That said, I don't think it mattered, because as I understand it, this one is set 20 years after the first one. So I don't believe that impacted my enjoyment of, or rating for, this one, and I never felt lost or confused.
I've been really looking forward to reading this author for literally years. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. I expected more given this author's profile, but I didn't find this to be anything special at all. I liked the plot well enough, but I didn't ever feel completely engaged.
I read most of this one while I was in hospital for the day, so I was a captive audience. There was nowhere else for me to go, and nothing else for me to do; and yet I still found myself continually putting it down, until staring at the walls became too much and I picked it up again.
I just didn't connect to the writing, or the characters, who were a little underdeveloped for my liking. I'm also not one that would ordinarily complain about a wallpaper historical, but the modern language in this one was jarring.
Even with a full day of nothing to do but read, this one still took me the better part of a week to get through. It just didn't inspire me to pick it up. I will definitely try something else by this author - hopefully that will help me understand her popularity.
I've been really looking forward to reading this author for literally years. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. I expected more given this author's profile, but I didn't find this to be anything special at all. I liked the plot well enough, but I didn't ever feel completely engaged.
I read most of this one while I was in hospital for the day, so I was a captive audience. There was nowhere else for me to go, and nothing else for me to do; and yet I still found myself continually putting it down, until staring at the walls became too much and I picked it up again.
I just didn't connect to the writing, or the characters, who were a little underdeveloped for my liking. I'm also not one that would ordinarily complain about a wallpaper historical, but the modern language in this one was jarring.
Even with a full day of nothing to do but read, this one still took me the better part of a week to get through. It just didn't inspire me to pick it up. I will definitely try something else by this author - hopefully that will help me understand her popularity.
November 10, 2017
Darius has many "issues" from his past, but unfortunately they are only describe in about 1 page towards the end. It would've been great if Foley would've given more of Darius's history so the reader could've understood him a little better. Seraphina is princess of Ascention, daughter of Allegra and Lazar, and loved by Darius..even though he fights that feeling. She has pledged herself to Darius and will stop at nothing to "win" him.
The angst! There is so much angst! Quick! Pound your head against the nearest wall so you're up with the latest trend. This book is such a guilty pleasure. It's got some pretty hot scenes, but the characters are horribly one-dimensional: spoiled princess, devoted bodyguard, lusty seductress of said bodyguard, etc. I feel like I really can't say this book is great, but that doesn't seem to stop me from reading it. Props to the author for giving the two leads a nice "oh crap" revelatory discussion scene after the heroine arranges for the hero to be caught in her bed. Angsty hero. Check. Unbelievably beautiful, spoiled heroine with heart of gold. Check. Loved the book. Gorgeous hero and heroine, hot lovin'. The side story/mystery was even exciting. Good. Okay, I just have one thing to say about this book: the breast suckling scene. Wow and wtf? Very tantalizing and adventurous story!
The angst! There is so much angst! Quick! Pound your head against the nearest wall so you're up with the latest trend. This book is such a guilty pleasure. It's got some pretty hot scenes, but the characters are horribly one-dimensional: spoiled princess, devoted bodyguard, lusty seductress of said bodyguard, etc. I feel like I really can't say this book is great, but that doesn't seem to stop me from reading it. Props to the author for giving the two leads a nice "oh crap" revelatory discussion scene after the heroine arranges for the hero to be caught in her bed. Angsty hero. Check. Unbelievably beautiful, spoiled heroine with heart of gold. Check. Loved the book. Gorgeous hero and heroine, hot lovin'. The side story/mystery was even exciting. Good. Okay, I just have one thing to say about this book: the breast suckling scene. Wow and wtf? Very tantalizing and adventurous story!
August 6, 2011
My first foray into romance, so I'll admit to be biased, but I absolutely loved this book! Intrigue, passion, and all consuming love that heals- be still my tortured teenage heart. It's been years since I've read it, and it may be time for a reread just to see if Santiago and his princesa still warm my heart.
May 11, 2009
i love this book it has a mixture of love and hate
March 3, 2010
I LOVED, LOVED this book! It is one of my top three, for sure. I didn't read the first in the series. I am definitely going to read the third, though.
November 3, 2010
Good very romantic, my first experience to read with 'bodyguard' theme. Excellent. Great chemistry with great tensions before the love-scene. Gaelen Foley is a great romance writer!
July 29, 2011
Believe this could easily be my favorite book by Gaelen Foley! It's magical:)
June 22, 2011
Great book!
November 18, 2011
I absolutely LOVE Gaelen Foley. I can't get enough of anything she writes.
July 12, 2014
Ay Darius!!!!
April 9, 2016
Reviewed for THC Reviews
There are a few of my favorite authors who’ve not yet failed me once (meaning I’ve not yet rated any of their books below four stars and the majority of them were keepers). Gaelen Foley is one of them, and Princess just became the latest book I’ve read by her that has earned keeper status from me. It was an incredible read full of adventure, passion, and romance. I’m always up for a tortured bad boy hero, and Darius is definitely one of those. His torment runs deep and the love of only one woman can satisfy and heal him. Unfortunately that woman is the princess he’s been guarding for most of her life, and he believes that to give in to his feelings for her would be to betray his king. Our heroine, Serafina, has worshiped the ground Darius walks on since she was a little girl and he was her personal bodyguard. When she was twelve, he nearly died, taking a bullet meant for the king, and she sat by his bedside praying for his recovery and threw a tantrum when she was asked to leave. When Serafina declared her love to Darius at her come-out ball on her seventeenth birthday, he ran the other way, fearing not only his king, but also the depth of emotion she stirred within him. Despite their considerable age difference, theirs was a love written in the stars that was always meant to be. It just took a lot of determination and courage on both their parts to finally grasp their happily ever after.
We met Darius in The Pirate Prince, the previous book of the Ascension Trilogy, when he was just a boy. He was the slave and plaything of the same Arab prince who had once captured Lazar, but he was rescued by Lazar and Allegra. He grew up in the royal palace on Ascension, where he was well-educated and treated like their son. When he reached adulthood, he was assigned to be the young princess’s bodyguard, a duty he initially resented, but as she grew, so did his affection for her. Eventually Darius became Lazar’s right hand man and the commander of his military, as well as a brilliant spy, assassin and businessman, amassing a small fortune of his own. But despite his place of privilege, his past still deeply torments him. Abandoned by his father and mother as a young boy, he ended up on the streets, surviving by becoming a pickpocket. Somewhere along the line, he was molested and eventually came to believe that was all he was good for. He’s desired by most of the ladies at court for his gorgeous good looks. With his reputation as a skilled lover, the ladies all but fall at his feet for a chance in his bed, but he derives little satisfaction from his sexual encounters. It's so sad that he feels like everyone he's been with only desired him for sex but never really wanted him as a person, leaving him feeling like he's being raped all over again. The only person who has ever seen him and appreciated him for himself is Serafina, but he won’t betray Lazar’s trust by giving in to his feelings for her. Not to mention, he feels worthless and not fit for the likes of a royal, which really tugged at my heartstrings. Darius is a very controlled and organized military man, pushing himself to do everything perfectly even at the risk of his own health and life. It was utterly heartbreaking that much like Lazar, Darius also has a death wish, except that rather than committing suicide when his mission is done, he plans to go on a suicide mission to assassinate Napoleon and go out in a blaze of glory. He loves Serafina so much, he’s willing to die for her, convinced that the only way to stop her impending wedding to a cruel Russian prince is to eliminate the threat that necessitated the marriage pact in the first place.
Serafina is the daughter of Lazar and Allegra. She’s a little spoiled and used to getting her own way, but she doesn’t really lord her position over others. She does pull rank on Darius a couple of times, which leads to some trouble between them the second time, but her heart was in the right place when she did it, feeling that it was for his own good. She basically has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, but at the same time, she feels like she was something of a disappointment to her parents because she was the firstborn girl rather than the hoped-for son and heir. I admired Serafina for her boldness in knowing what she wants and going after it, namely Darius. She doesn’t let his protestations stop her, nor does she allow him to scare her away with his intense moods. If anything, she’s pretty intuitive about knowing when he’s deliberately trying to drive her off, and it only further steels her resolve to get him to open up to her and accept her love. I love her free-spirited nature, how she runs around barefoot half the time and has an affinity for plants and animals. She doesn't feel like anyone has ever truly understood her except Darius. Serafina may be bold and feisty when the situation calls for it, but she still has a sweet and gentle side. I love the way she wants to take care of Darius, because she knows and recognizes that he doesn't take care of himself. Even though she doesn’t know the full extent of his plans or his background, she senses that he’s in pain and that he needs her to heal him and embraces that role wholeheartedly.
Darius and Serafina together as a couple and their love for one another is a beautiful thing. It's so sweet that they've known each other all Serafina's life and that she's been in love with him since childhood. Their personal history and deep emotional connection shows in their every interaction. The sexual tension is exquisite, intensely palpable from the opening pages and carrying on throughout the rest of the story. Darius may have taken Serafina to the country for her own safety following an attempt on her life, but their sojourn there turned into one of the most wonderfully romantic interludes I’ve ever read. I savored watching Darius finally give in to his feelings for Serafina, but he’s still every bit the man in control of his own life and destiny. He just couldn’t go to his death not knowing the sweetness of being in her arms. Their love-making is sweet and sensuous, but he’s very careful not to deflower her even though she wants it. It was one of the most if not the most beautiful love scene I’ve ever read that didn’t actually culminate in intercourse. When Darius is with Serafina, he's a different man, able to cast off his cares at least for a little while and become more playful and boyish. He basks in her love, like a starving man, but at that time, he believed it wouldn’t last and that he would soon die. It’s not until later when he realizes he can’t live without her, but also can’t quite be fully honest with her about his past and allow her to love him, that he comes to a crossroads, a place that scares him more than anything he’s ever done in life. It was hard to watch them at odds during this time, but also glorious when he finally gives in. The ending couldn’t have been sweeter, showing Darius as a new man who is so much lighter and freer than before.
Overall, Princess was an incredible love story that was perfect for me. I enjoyed seeing Lazar and Allegra again. They aren’t perfect parents, but they do love their offspring and want what’s best for them. The scene when Lazar and Darius reconcile after the big scandal was flawlessly done. Lazar’s acceptance went a long way toward Darius being able to accept himself and Serafina’s love. We’re also introduced to Serafina’s younger brother, Rafael, who’s a rakish charmer, but at the same time, he has an honorable and gallant side, ready to step up to fight for his sister so she wouldn’t be forced into a marriage she didn’t want. He struggles with feeling like his father is too hard on him and that he can’t do anything right, but he gets a chance to prove his worth in the next book of the series, Prince Charming. I really like what I’ve seen of Rafael so far, so I’m looking forward to reading his book. Here’s hoping the final installment will make this series a clean sweep of perfection for me.
There are a few of my favorite authors who’ve not yet failed me once (meaning I’ve not yet rated any of their books below four stars and the majority of them were keepers). Gaelen Foley is one of them, and Princess just became the latest book I’ve read by her that has earned keeper status from me. It was an incredible read full of adventure, passion, and romance. I’m always up for a tortured bad boy hero, and Darius is definitely one of those. His torment runs deep and the love of only one woman can satisfy and heal him. Unfortunately that woman is the princess he’s been guarding for most of her life, and he believes that to give in to his feelings for her would be to betray his king. Our heroine, Serafina, has worshiped the ground Darius walks on since she was a little girl and he was her personal bodyguard. When she was twelve, he nearly died, taking a bullet meant for the king, and she sat by his bedside praying for his recovery and threw a tantrum when she was asked to leave. When Serafina declared her love to Darius at her come-out ball on her seventeenth birthday, he ran the other way, fearing not only his king, but also the depth of emotion she stirred within him. Despite their considerable age difference, theirs was a love written in the stars that was always meant to be. It just took a lot of determination and courage on both their parts to finally grasp their happily ever after.
We met Darius in The Pirate Prince, the previous book of the Ascension Trilogy, when he was just a boy. He was the slave and plaything of the same Arab prince who had once captured Lazar, but he was rescued by Lazar and Allegra. He grew up in the royal palace on Ascension, where he was well-educated and treated like their son. When he reached adulthood, he was assigned to be the young princess’s bodyguard, a duty he initially resented, but as she grew, so did his affection for her. Eventually Darius became Lazar’s right hand man and the commander of his military, as well as a brilliant spy, assassin and businessman, amassing a small fortune of his own. But despite his place of privilege, his past still deeply torments him. Abandoned by his father and mother as a young boy, he ended up on the streets, surviving by becoming a pickpocket. Somewhere along the line, he was molested and eventually came to believe that was all he was good for. He’s desired by most of the ladies at court for his gorgeous good looks. With his reputation as a skilled lover, the ladies all but fall at his feet for a chance in his bed, but he derives little satisfaction from his sexual encounters. It's so sad that he feels like everyone he's been with only desired him for sex but never really wanted him as a person, leaving him feeling like he's being raped all over again. The only person who has ever seen him and appreciated him for himself is Serafina, but he won’t betray Lazar’s trust by giving in to his feelings for her. Not to mention, he feels worthless and not fit for the likes of a royal, which really tugged at my heartstrings. Darius is a very controlled and organized military man, pushing himself to do everything perfectly even at the risk of his own health and life. It was utterly heartbreaking that much like Lazar, Darius also has a death wish, except that rather than committing suicide when his mission is done, he plans to go on a suicide mission to assassinate Napoleon and go out in a blaze of glory. He loves Serafina so much, he’s willing to die for her, convinced that the only way to stop her impending wedding to a cruel Russian prince is to eliminate the threat that necessitated the marriage pact in the first place.
Serafina is the daughter of Lazar and Allegra. She’s a little spoiled and used to getting her own way, but she doesn’t really lord her position over others. She does pull rank on Darius a couple of times, which leads to some trouble between them the second time, but her heart was in the right place when she did it, feeling that it was for his own good. She basically has her daddy wrapped around her little finger, but at the same time, she feels like she was something of a disappointment to her parents because she was the firstborn girl rather than the hoped-for son and heir. I admired Serafina for her boldness in knowing what she wants and going after it, namely Darius. She doesn’t let his protestations stop her, nor does she allow him to scare her away with his intense moods. If anything, she’s pretty intuitive about knowing when he’s deliberately trying to drive her off, and it only further steels her resolve to get him to open up to her and accept her love. I love her free-spirited nature, how she runs around barefoot half the time and has an affinity for plants and animals. She doesn't feel like anyone has ever truly understood her except Darius. Serafina may be bold and feisty when the situation calls for it, but she still has a sweet and gentle side. I love the way she wants to take care of Darius, because she knows and recognizes that he doesn't take care of himself. Even though she doesn’t know the full extent of his plans or his background, she senses that he’s in pain and that he needs her to heal him and embraces that role wholeheartedly.
Darius and Serafina together as a couple and their love for one another is a beautiful thing. It's so sweet that they've known each other all Serafina's life and that she's been in love with him since childhood. Their personal history and deep emotional connection shows in their every interaction. The sexual tension is exquisite, intensely palpable from the opening pages and carrying on throughout the rest of the story. Darius may have taken Serafina to the country for her own safety following an attempt on her life, but their sojourn there turned into one of the most wonderfully romantic interludes I’ve ever read. I savored watching Darius finally give in to his feelings for Serafina, but he’s still every bit the man in control of his own life and destiny. He just couldn’t go to his death not knowing the sweetness of being in her arms. Their love-making is sweet and sensuous, but he’s very careful not to deflower her even though she wants it. It was one of the most if not the most beautiful love scene I’ve ever read that didn’t actually culminate in intercourse. When Darius is with Serafina, he's a different man, able to cast off his cares at least for a little while and become more playful and boyish. He basks in her love, like a starving man, but at that time, he believed it wouldn’t last and that he would soon die. It’s not until later when he realizes he can’t live without her, but also can’t quite be fully honest with her about his past and allow her to love him, that he comes to a crossroads, a place that scares him more than anything he’s ever done in life. It was hard to watch them at odds during this time, but also glorious when he finally gives in. The ending couldn’t have been sweeter, showing Darius as a new man who is so much lighter and freer than before.
Overall, Princess was an incredible love story that was perfect for me. I enjoyed seeing Lazar and Allegra again. They aren’t perfect parents, but they do love their offspring and want what’s best for them. The scene when Lazar and Darius reconcile after the big scandal was flawlessly done. Lazar’s acceptance went a long way toward Darius being able to accept himself and Serafina’s love. We’re also introduced to Serafina’s younger brother, Rafael, who’s a rakish charmer, but at the same time, he has an honorable and gallant side, ready to step up to fight for his sister so she wouldn’t be forced into a marriage she didn’t want. He struggles with feeling like his father is too hard on him and that he can’t do anything right, but he gets a chance to prove his worth in the next book of the series, Prince Charming. I really like what I’ve seen of Rafael so far, so I’m looking forward to reading his book. Here’s hoping the final installment will make this series a clean sweep of perfection for me.
August 7, 2024
Lidt latterlig bog, men ej hvor var den morsom, Sandiagos plan om lowkey bare at dræbe Napolian var rimelig hardcore og det faktum, at han heller ville dø end at have følelser for en pige. En pige han btw har passet på siden hun var 4 og han var 18, hvilket er lidt disturbing. Det er også fantastisk at læse om hvordan alle bare simper så hårdt for Serafina, men hun vil ikke have nogle andre en Sandiago( som teknisk set var hendes babysitter) Serafina pissede mig lidt af, fordi hun var så barnelig og umoden, men jeg forstår godt at det bare er sådan hendes karekter skal være. Jeg synes at Sandiago er for god til hende, men det synes han åbenbart ikke, fordi et gigantisk del af deres konflikt omhandleder hvor ødelagt han er og at han derfor ikke fortjener hende. FUCK hvor er jeg træt af det plot, sådan jeg gider virkelig ikke at læse mere om hvordan hans barndoms trauma nu gør ham til en forfærdelig person. Jeg forstår det virkelig ikke, sådan han blev slået af sin far og nu er han åbenbart grundlæggende ødelagt??
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