Series:
Scandal at the Palace (Book 1)
Can the king resist…
His temptation?
Widower King Jozef has been a recluse since he lost his
wife five years ago. So he's reluctant at first when Rowan Gray is employed to
reform his image. But Rowan makes him feel things he's never felt before -- not
even for the convenient wife he came to love. A forbidden fling with the
American PR expert is one thing…but can he ever hope to make her his queen?
I enjoyed this book. Since the death of his wife five
years earlier, King Jozef has steadily turned over most of his public duties to
his two grown sons. Though their marriage began as an arrangement between
friends, they grew to love each other very much. But Jozef's withdrawal worries
his people, so his sons and the castle administration collude to bring him out of
his self-imposed exile. To that end, they hire Rowan, an American PR expert, to
reform his image.
Rowan suffered a terrible humiliation when her fiancé eloped
with her best friend a week before the wedding. Rowan left her hometown, going
first to New York, then to Paris, where she was in high demand for her ability
to repair images. She's almost ready to set up her own business, and a
successful outcome here will be a feather in her cap. She has no room for
distractions in her plans.
I loved the first meeting between Jozef and Rowan. Jozef
was "encouraged" to attend the opera with his sons as a way to appear
before his people. But Liam and Alex sent Rowan instead - without informing Jozef.
He was blindsided by the arrival of the beautiful young woman and did not react
well. His immediate attraction to her sent him running from the theater before
the show started - and reinvigorated rumors that he was in ill health. Jozef
was furious and planned to speak with his sons and staff the next day, only to
find out that the team who had hired her refused to fire her. Their worries
about him gave them the courage to stand up to him and make him see the effects
on his subjects. Jozef isn't happy but agrees to go along with the plan.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Jozef
and Rowan. Jozef is only forty-five and a fit and handsome man, and Rowan finds
him immensely appealing and can't deny her attraction to him. Part of the plan
is to set him up on dates with three suitable and high-profile women. It is
easy to see Jozef's frustration with having his social life micromanaged, but
he handles himself well, and you can see him begin to accept that he must make
changes. The problem is that he is more interested in Rowan!
I enjoyed the time that Jozef and Rowan spent together.
She is very forthright and understanding of the pressure he is under. Jozef
finds it very easy to relax and be himself when he is with her. The sparks
between them don't take long to burst into flame. Both know that nothing can come of their time
together, so they agree to a no-strings fling with an expiration date of the
end of the "project." There are some terrific scenes of them together,
and I loved seeing how happy they were when they could be themselves. Though
their feelings for each other grow deeper, each sees obstacles keeping them
apart. Rowan sees that he's a king and she's a commoner with some ugliness in
her past. Jozef mainly focuses on their age difference - he's forty-five, and
she's thirty, and that's too much. He also doesn't want to put her through the
media frenzy that would happen if they took their relationship public.
But Rowan allowed herself to dream, and when she tells Jozef
of her feelings, she doesn't get the reaction she'd hoped for. Heartbroken, she
leaves, and Jozef is left to figure out how to go on without her. I loved
seeing him work his way through his misery until that "aha!" moment
that opened his eyes to the possibilities of the future. I loved the ending and
the shock that Rowan received. Jozef's surprise was terrific, and the epilogue
was outstanding.
I enjoyed meeting Jozef's sons, Liam and Alex. I
especially enjoyed Alex's more relaxed attitude as the "spare." He's
very observant, intelligent, and fun, and I liked his interactions with Rowan. I
look forward to reading his story, as well as Liam's.
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