What do a Hollywood playboy and a Disney princess have in common? Not a lot, but they can fake it. Jade Pratt is living a tough life, surviving paycheck to paycheck by working at Disneyland. She'd like nothing more than to be swept off her feet by her own Prince Charming. Drew Malik is living what appears to be a charmed life: He’s the son of a famous actor and has money, women…anything he could want. But he's burning out in a life filled with booze and one night stands. When he finds out his trust fund is blocked until he either turns thirty or gets married, his friends plot to rescue him by placing an ad in the paper to find him a bride -- fast. When Jade answers the ad, the pair meet up and agree to an arrangement that will solve both their problems. But when their fake marriage elicits real feelings and real problems, they're both forced to re-evaluate their deal. Happily ever after was never the intention...but what if it's their destiny?
She's my last chance. Those four words echo in Violet Spencer's mind, tugging at her curiosity even as rage builds within her.Arbon Academy was supposed to be a bright new start. An opportunity for greatness, and something an orphan girl could only dream of. For a while there, it seemed to be exactly that. But Violet's bright future is suddenly looking dim. Arbon Academy and Prince Alex are nothing but a facade. A trap.In a sinister world of ballgowns and backstabbing, of perfumes and politics, of indulgent parties and illegal sword fights, Violet now faces the biggest challenge of all. Recovering her shattered heart from the prince who crushed it. Supported by her new friends, Violet wants to make Alex feel the pain of his betrayal. Prince Rafe wants nothing more than to help make that happen, but things aren't always so straightforward. Don't break tradition.Don't let them know you know. Don't lose your heart... again.These rules will keep Violet alive. But at what cost?
A fascinating dual biography proves that controversial Royal Family members are not necessarily only a feature of late 20th- or 21st-century lifeEdward VII (1841-1910) and his grandson Edward VIII (1894-1972) were born in different eras, but it is illuminating to compare the early and middle years of the two Princes of Wales as kings in waiting and discover how their youth informed their years on the British throne. The privileges of rank aside, they were heirs to an unenviable role, and this study presents a unique portrait of strained apprenticeships for which there was no satisfactory precedent. Theirs was an upbringing dictated by dogmatic prescription and the heavy weight of obligation. As they pursued their lives according to their distinct personalities, they were never relieved of parental strictures, especially with regard to Queen Victoria and her eldest son, who filled the void with shallow interests, a profligate style of living, and the delights of Parisian nightlife. Inevitably the two princes were consigned to filling much of their time with insubstantial engagements not best suited to their characters and which reveal a common vulnerability. In the case of the future Edward VIII, he took a jaundiced view of matters of state and preferred dance floors, riding to hounds, and the ministrations of lovers. This book is the story of the heirs' progress that provides often unexpected perspectives on two public figures better known through the history of their respective reigns. For readers in this era, the similar position of Prince Charles ensures that this survey is a timely as well as a surprisingly entertaining read.
"Princess in Secret Love Tryst" Princess Talay Rasada's reputation was compromised the minute the newspapers carried the phoptograph of her kissing the rugged Australian, Jase Clendon. Outraged, he wondered if ithad been a desperate ploy to get him to leave her island. He wasn't about to let her intended husband's challenge drive him away—no matter what danger was involved. Talay feared what would happen if Jase won her heart. He couldn't want to marry such an inexperienced woman, and she shouldn't want to marry such a seductive playboy….
I may be a prince, but my life’s no fairy tale—I’ve been banned from over a dozen countries thanks to my wild lifestyle. Jet-setting the globe in search of trouble has done nothing to fill the hole in my heart… until I end up in Chicago, stumble into a dive bar, and meet a woman like no other. Erika is the beautiful bartender I never knew I was looking for. She takes me on an impromptu tour of her city, intent on making me fall in love with the place… but I can’t take my eyes off of the enchanting tour guide herself. At the very moment I realize that I don’t want our weekend fling to end, my past catches up with me in the worst possible way, and I’m arrested and deported back to my home country, thousands of miles away! They tell me I’m barred from entering the United States again, but when all that’s waiting for me at home is the looming threat of a marriage to a woman I’ve never met, a little thing like the law isn’t going to stop me from seeing my Erika. So I make the journey to see her in secret, risking it all. And what I find awaiting me blows me away. She’s pregnant. With our royal baby…
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND THE BOSTON GLOBE This richly entertaining biography chronicles the eventful life of Queen Victoria’s firstborn son, the quintessential black sheep of Buckingham Palace, who matured into as wise and effective a monarch as Britain has ever seen. Granted unprecedented access to the royal archives, noted scholar Jane Ridley draws on numerous primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of the man and the age to which he gave his name. Born Prince Albert Edward, and known to familiars as “Bertie,” the future King Edward VII had a well-earned reputation for debauchery. A notorious gambler, glutton, and womanizer, he preferred the company of wastrels and courtesans to the dreary life of the Victorian court. His own mother considered him a lazy halfwit, temperamentally unfit to succeed her. When he ascended to the throne in 1901, at age fifty-nine, expectations were low. Yet by the time he died nine years later, he had proven himself a deft diplomat, hardworking head of state, and the architect of Britain’s modern constitutional monarchy. Jane Ridley’s colorful biography rescues the man once derided as “Edward the Caresser” from the clutches of his historical detractors. Excerpts from letters and diaries shed new light on Bertie’s long power struggle with Queen Victoria, illuminating one of the most emotionally fraught mother-son relationships in history. Considerable attention is paid to King Edward’s campaign of personal diplomacy abroad and his valiant efforts to reform the political system at home. Separating truth from legend, Ridley also explores Bertie’s relationships with the women in his life. Their ranks comprised his wife, the stunning Danish princess Alexandra, along with some of the great beauties of the era: the actress Lillie Langtry, longtime “royal mistress” Alice Keppel (the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles), and Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston. Edward VII waited nearly six decades for his chance to rule, then did so with considerable panache and aplomb. A magnificent life of an unexpectedly impressive king, The Heir Apparent documents the remarkable transformation of a man—and a monarchy—at the dawn of a new century. Praise for The Heir Apparent “If [The Heir Apparent] isn’t the definitive life story of this fascinating figure of British history, then nothing ever will be.”—The Christian Science Monitor “The Heir Apparent is smart, it’s fascinating, it’s sometimes funny, it’s well-documented and it reads like a novel, with Bertie so vivid he nearly leaps from the page, cigars and all.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune “I closed The Heir Apparent with admiration and a kind of wry exhilaration.”—The Wall Street Journal “Ridley is a serious scholar and historian, who keeps Bertie’s flaws and virtues in a fine balance.”—The Boston Globe “Brilliantly entertaining . . . a landmark royal biography.”—The Sunday Telegraph “Superb.”—The New York Times Book Review
Polo-playing sheikh Prince Kaliq Al'Farisi loves his women as much as his horses. They're wild, willing, and he's their master! Stable girl Eleni is a local Calistan. Raised by her brutal father on the horse-racing circuit, she feels unlovable. When her precious horses are given to Sheikh Kaliq, she refuses to be parted from them. The playboy sheikh is determined to bed Eleni—and when Kaliq realizes she's a virgin, the challenge only becomes more interesting….
Unexpected sparks fly when two best friends are stuck in a small Parisian apartment together… One of them is a royal—will duty get in their way? Read on in Justine Lewis’s romance inspired by "Beauty and the Beast"! SOMETHING THERE THAT WASN’T THERE BEFORE? Simone’s quiet life in her Parisian bookshop is upended when best friend, Prince Edouard, arrives on her doorstep to hide from a royal scandal! Despite her embarrassing teenage crush on the playboy prince, she’s always seen the man beneath his facade. Trapped together until the storm blows over, their friendship unexpectedly gives way to indescribable passion! Simone knows it’s only temporary, but can’t help dreaming of a happy-ever-after… From Harlequin Romance: Be swept away by glamorous and heartfelt love stories. If the Fairy Tale Fits...
There isn’t much Marcus Ashton, third prince of Sovalon, likes more than a spirited night out, a beautiful woman on his arm (and in his bed), and a fine glass of whiskey. However, when his playboy exploits get to be too much for the royal family, he’s ordered to take a step back from his frivolous lifestyle and work on a serious project. But when he sees American Kyra Rogers, a consultant to the board he’s been forced to join for the women and children’s crisis center, he just can’t resist one last night of fun. While they both agree afterward that their one-night stand was a mistake, Marcus finds himself intrigued by Kyra, who is far different from the type of woman he’s normally attracted to. She’s as smart and serious as she is sexy. So when Kyra finds out she’s pregnant, Marcus wonders if this is a sign that it’s time to grow up and prove he’s worthy of being a father. Kyra has always regarded herself as a no-nonsense, self-made woman. She’s handled everything life has thrown at her, and she has no problem with the idea of raising her child alone. Though her and Marcus must work closely while they check out a possible site for the crisis center, Kyra is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional. She has no interest in co-parenting and is fully prepared to return to the United States once her job is done. There’s only one problem: as soon as Marcus learns about the baby, he starts trying to prove he’s perfect father and husband material. Kyra knows better—once a player, always a player. Besides, she doesn’t need a man in her life—even if this man is becoming more and more appealing every day. If only he wasn’t so charming. So darned sexy. So determined. If only she could figure out a way to deny what her heart is feeling… USA Today Bestseller Leslie North presents another oh-so-satisfying billionaire romance with an unforgettably hot-blooded bad boy royal and the unyielding woman who tames him...
With the death of his grandmother, the Queen of Anesar, Prince Edgar becomes heir to the throne and must change his playboy ways. Princess Angelique of Taleres learns she is to strengthen the alliance with Anersar by marrying its heir. Neither Eddie or Angelique are pleased about the situation, however sparks fly the moment they lay eyes on one another. But is a steamy courtship enough to make Eddie leave behind his playboy lifestyle?
