"Red-Hot Romantic Erotica with a Royal Twist"

Fantasy abounds in this royalty-themed anthology. With diverse settings, themes and tones, there's something for everyone. Apparently being a queen (or a princess) isn't everything it's cooked up to be — but sometimes it is.

"The Princess Brat" by Katherine Kingston

An uncontrolled princess tamed at the hands of a dedicated, handsome man who seeks the King's promised reward above all else — until he meets his charge. She is untutored and unable to compete with the beautiful sister her father dotes upon, but Baxter sees something precious in Princess Fanny. Something that, with his help, will enable Fanny to be the Princess she needs to be — for herself, and for her kingdom's future. All he has to do is convince this reluctant, bratty Princess to shine as she was always meant to. Love and passion weren't supposed to be part of the deal.

Kingston's opening novella is sexy and serious and has an air of the forbidden. Spanking features prominently, but the emotional relationship between the characters is charged and exciting. The characterization and the portrayal of setting are both excellent. "The Princess Brat" is a fast, fun read that is a perfect fit in length and content.

"The Man Who Should Be King" by Mlyn Hurn

Lord Marcus has finally become ruler of a land torn by warfare and bloodshed. The ruling family has been eliminated, or so Marcus believes until a beauty from another world shows her face in the palace that is, by all rights, hers. Princess Syranna had been exiled to a distant moon as a child, secreted away to ensure her safety. She returned only to fulfill a deathbed promise. She didn't want to rule, and didn't want the throne that he offered up so willingly. She left as soon as she was able. He followed her, though, tracked her back to her home and set siege to her heart and her hand. The man who should have been king was determined to win the heart of the Princess, to guarantee the throne for his own and, just perhaps, to win for himself the tempestuous beauty that had captured his heart.

Mlyn Hurn thrusts us boldly into a conflict of interstellar inheritance — a throne with an extra ruler. The story evolves into something more, though: a touching, feel-good fantasy/science fiction story with lighthearted erotic aspects and down-to-earth humanity. Well, except for the mental powers. And the dragons. The story itself could have been longer, but is emotionally satisfying nonetheless. Cute, funny, fun to read, and easy to believe in, "The Man Who Should Be King," is a wonderful story and a great addition to the anthology.

"What A Queen Wants" by Bella Andre

Elizabeth, Queen and absolute ruler of the almost-modern kingdom of Magonia, is a cold, hard, needy ruler. She has been taught to depend on no one and finds pleasure only in carefully arranged encounters. But she needs more. She needs Gavin Court, a man she can't control, a man whose passion she cannot command. A man she lusts after, body and soul. There is no future for them and both realize that, but when passion flares out of control, temporary is more than enough. Or is it?

Power, loneliness and raw, earthy sexual need are the hallmarks of this contemporary fantasy story by Bella Andre. The characterization is intense, the sexual encounters bold and explicit. Though the plot is forcibly restricted by the length of the story, the relationship that develops between the characters is believable. The setting is well-portrayed too, a contemporary fantasy place that may just exist. "What A Queen Wants" is a bold ending story that is sure to please.

Sensuality Level: This anthology has been rated "S- ensuous/E-rotic" by the publisher.

Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted May 24, 2004

Summary

Man Who Should Be King By Mlyn Hurn

Syranna is a princess without a country or loyal followers. When she was a child, her father sent her away to live with her maternal grandfather for protection while he waged a war. Now the war is over, and one of the king's former knights tricks her into returning to the realm with a message for the new ruler. Once there, she discovers the new ruler doesn't want to let her go.

She's not a woman to be dictated to and escapes to the moon- world that had been her mother's home. Here she lives in the mist-laden, myth shrouded land known as Mystonia. When Lord Marcus comes in search of his queen, he soon discovers that two of the most common myths just might be true. The little gray-haired man with the knee-length beard really is a wizard. And Syranna's pets blow flame if you don't handle them carefully.

The Princess Brat By Katherine Kingston

Princess Fanny was a disgrace to the royal family, an untamed hoyden who refused to be gracious or cooperative. Fanny's father needed someone to train the young woman and make her presentable, but her temper and sharp tongue have driven away countless tutors. The king will pay generously the person who can tame her.

Handsome, urbane Baxter was a lord's penniless younger son. Training the princess should be the perfect job for him. But when two strong wills collide, they strike sparks off each other, igniting a fire that threatens their hearts and souls as well as their plans for the future.

What A Queen Wants By Bella Andre

Elizabeth Orleans has just been tied up by three large men. She must submit to their demands or she will never be set free. But when their sexual game comes to an end, she dismisses the men with a flick of her wrist. After all, Elizabeth is the Queen of Magonia and these three men are employed by her to cater to her endless sexual desires. But after thirty years of being in complete control, her strikingly handsome prisoner Gavin Court-—not only arrogant but seemingly immune to her luscious charms—-is about to show her how good it can be to get what she really wants.