Royal Captive

Defending the Crown #4

by Dana Marton

Prince Istvan of Valtria expected to inherit his crown, not lead a death-defying chase to retrieve it. The dashing, handsome prince had always been the quiet scholar in the royal family, happier in ancient ruins than the arms of a potential princess. Until museum curator Lauryn Steler storms into his life, sets off sparks and just as quickly vanishes—along with Valtria's crown jewels! Risking his life, the prince travels in disguise to exotic lands, as desperate to rescue Lauryn as he is to save the priceless gems. It's Lauryn, he realizes, who's reached out to him and touched him as no other woman has. She's the one who could wear the crown…if they live to recapture it!

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Harlequin, Contemporary Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Dana Marton writes fast-paced action-adventure romances that take her readers all over the globe. She is a Rita Award finalist and the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. She loves writing stories of intrigue, filled with dangerous plots that try her tough-as-nails heroes and the special women they fall in love with. Her books have been published in seven languages in eleven countries around the world.

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Reviews

[Julie Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love me a brainy hero! Istvan is a terrific hero. Great action. Fast pacing. Good tension.

[Whitney Cannavina · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the Crown Jewels and other royal artifacts are stolen, the prince decides to chase after the thieves already knowing whom had a hand in the heist. But she surprises him more than he ever expected.
She can't seem to escape her past no matter how hard she's worked to get where she's at but she's determined to prove herself as she helps the prince claim his stolen goods.

I love harlequin romances. The twisted romance that is perfect and wrong and right in so many ways. The undertones of sexual appeal that keeps you turning the page to see how far they'll go. This story had romance, intrigue, and suspense. I love her sense of pride and strength and wanting to change how people see her instead of looking to her past. I loved the princes fight for what he believes, and what he feels for her and that he doesn't try to control every move knowing it's useless. They were great together and I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Laura.has.too.many.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

That Lauryn Steler with her mysterious past wasn't the right person to catalogue Valtria's expensive Crown jewels, is something prince Istvan already knew. But when the jewels get stolen and Lauryn disappears, Istvan is completely sure he knows what is going on. In disguise he follows the leads to a containership on the verge of leaving Valtria. But when he opens the container with the jewels, he looks right into the barrel of a gun.

The first part of this novel actually wasn't that bad. Good backstories, strong female lead, interesting male lead and a robbery and a chase that get your blood running. But then the second part of this book happens and the whole thing falls apart on boring sexy times and a flat and vanilla love story. Such a shame, it had quite a bit of potential. In the end it is a easy to read smutty novel where you don't have to think about anything too much.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final book in the Defending The Crown series. A great book with lots of adventure.

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, a royal vs a royal. Its quite a background but not backed up with a good plot. Its a typical romance and very light.

[Ann Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty fast-paced book and a good story, as well. When the crown jewels suddenly vanish, crown prince Istvan of Valtria can only think of one person devious enough to stage the heist - the lovely (and determined) Lauryn Steler.

Unfortunately, this time, Lauryn finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is kidnapped when the real thieves steal the treasure. Nevertheless, Istvan risks life and limb to save her in a desperate race to save the crown. Little by little, Lauryn and istvan learn to trust each other in a world seemingly gone mad. Will the power struggle for the throne consume them both or can their fragile love survive as the warring factions confront each other?

An excellent read for a nice, rainy afternoon!

[Lindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun romantic suspense novel, and a quick read. Think Indiana Jones for the hero, only hotter. That's right, HOTTER. It didn't hurt that my copy was an imprint from the UK and had a different cover, and the hero on my cover was mouthwatering. :) The chemistry between Prince Istvan and Lauryn was very nice, and the action was easy to follow.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot and characters. A former thief turned art curator and the prince in charge of the royal treasury battle kidnappers and thieves to protect the crown jewels. Usual good story from Harlequin Intrigue (and this author).

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, fast paced story. Enjoyed the humourous quips between a serious, scholarly prince and a resourceful ex-thief as they attempted to retrieve stolen royal artifacts. Although I had to suspend my disbelief a few times, and I found the ending a little rushed, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Asterope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 in the Defending the Crown series.