Speed Date: The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

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 The Deal: Realizing that the little money her husband left is no longer enough to support herself and her mother in law, widow Anna Wren decides it's time she finds a job. Luckily for her, she happens to learn that the Earl of Swartingham is in need of a secretary. 

Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingham has decided to return to his ancestral home - which he left after a small-pox epidemic whipped out his entire family- with the intention of settling down, getting married and having a few kids. 

Having been widowed for several years, Edward wants his future marriage to be a success. Too bad that he keeps getting distracted by his new secretary, the one person in his life who isn't afraid of his temper, and who doesn't mind his scars. 

Original Cover

My Thoughts: The Raven Prince is one of my favorite books ever, it took me forever to read it because I just wasn't ready to buy into the buzz of it - and it was a very buzzed-about book about five or six years ago - but I loved it. 

It has all the things I love about a good Boss/Secretary story but in an historical setting and it works! Edward and Anne have their issues and life hasn't always been kind to them, but they aren't depressing characters to read about. And the love scenes are pretty darn hot. 

Also, it does a good job of introducing the next to heroes of the series - Simon and Harry- without them stealing too much of the attention. Oh, and there is a secondary love story that's very, very sweet. 

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

If you want to join in or just read other speed date reviews, check out The Book Swarm