What do you think?
Rate this book
Capturing the Crown #1
The Heart of a Ruler
ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE LIVED A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS...WHO WAS FORCED TO MARRY A HANDSOME PRINCE.
For as long as Princess Amelia could remember, Prince Reginald had always been a royal pain. But to secure an alliance for her country, she had to marry him. Hardly a fairy tale come true. Especially when her real prince is Lord Russell, Reginald’s right-hand man.
Lord Russell, Duke of Carrington, had always put his duty before everything. But for love and Amelia, could he betray his country and future king?
Will there be a happily-ever-after for Amelia and Russell? Find out as you are invited to a royal wedding....
For as long as Princess Amelia could remember, Prince Reginald had always been a royal pain. But to secure an alliance for her country, she had to marry him. Hardly a fairy tale come true. Especially when her real prince is Lord Russell, Reginald’s right-hand man.
Lord Russell, Duke of Carrington, had always put his duty before everything. But for love and Amelia, could he betray his country and future king?
Will there be a happily-ever-after for Amelia and Russell? Find out as you are invited to a royal wedding....
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2006
About the author
Marie Ferrarella
1,254 books276 followersMarie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella
Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.
Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.
Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.
After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.
In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella
Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.
Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.
Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.
After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.
In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
February 3, 2008
My Take:
Princess has to marry Prince. Princess doesn’t want to marry Prince. Princess falls in love with Duke and wants to follow her own destiny- the plot thickens…
To say I enjoyed The Heart of a Ruler would be a bit of an overstatement. It wasn’t a chore to read, the characters weren’t terribly annoying, and it did pick up after the first couple chapters, but I really can’t think of a single redeeming thing to say about it other than it wasn’t awful.
If pointless fluff is your cup of tea, go right ahead and read this one, but considering life is short, personally I suggest you just pass.
What to Watch Out For:
The names for the countries in this story are just ridiculous. The plot takes place in both Gastonia and Silvershire, names which are more appropriate for fantasy lands set in the middle ages, not two fictional nations in modern times.
This book also featured the most needy male protagonist I have ever read. Even in real life I know few people who need so much reassurance. It was a shame that a large part of the plot was propelled by him sulking and being emo- characteristics which did not fit his supposed regal, pragmatic personality.
Though this feeling subsided during the middle 100 pages, there were many times I felt the writing was about the quality of a mediocre fanfiction. If I had wanted to read that, I could have just gone online…
What was most annoying was the ending. It was completely abrupt. I kept flipping the page expecting more text. Nothing was resolved. If anything, more problems and conflicts, in terms of the central mystery driving the plot and the protagonists, were introduced in the last 50 pages. It is clear that the main storyline will be continued in the next in the series, but nothing is as definite for our two lovebirds.
Princess has to marry Prince. Princess doesn’t want to marry Prince. Princess falls in love with Duke and wants to follow her own destiny- the plot thickens…
To say I enjoyed The Heart of a Ruler would be a bit of an overstatement. It wasn’t a chore to read, the characters weren’t terribly annoying, and it did pick up after the first couple chapters, but I really can’t think of a single redeeming thing to say about it other than it wasn’t awful.
If pointless fluff is your cup of tea, go right ahead and read this one, but considering life is short, personally I suggest you just pass.
What to Watch Out For:
The names for the countries in this story are just ridiculous. The plot takes place in both Gastonia and Silvershire, names which are more appropriate for fantasy lands set in the middle ages, not two fictional nations in modern times.
This book also featured the most needy male protagonist I have ever read. Even in real life I know few people who need so much reassurance. It was a shame that a large part of the plot was propelled by him sulking and being emo- characteristics which did not fit his supposed regal, pragmatic personality.
Though this feeling subsided during the middle 100 pages, there were many times I felt the writing was about the quality of a mediocre fanfiction. If I had wanted to read that, I could have just gone online…
What was most annoying was the ending. It was completely abrupt. I kept flipping the page expecting more text. Nothing was resolved. If anything, more problems and conflicts, in terms of the central mystery driving the plot and the protagonists, were introduced in the last 50 pages. It is clear that the main storyline will be continued in the next in the series, but nothing is as definite for our two lovebirds.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review