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The Ice Princess

Elizabeth Hoyt

5 stars
828 (24%)
4 stars
1,303 (38%)
3 stars
1,010 (29%)
2 stars
225 (6%)
1 star
56 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
Profile Image for UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish.
UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish
1,166 reviews1,599 followers
March 11, 2015

I absolutely adored The Princes Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt, and was beyond happy to hear that one of the characters, Coral Smythe, who was introduced to us in The Raven Prince, was given her own short story in the novella, The Ice Princess. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a just a “wrapping up loose ends” story, because this actually had quite a bit of angst and detailed relationship building.

Coral, as you might recall if you’ve read The Raven Prince , is the madam of Aphrodite’s Grotto, the most infamous brothel in London. This story picks up after The Prince’s Trilogy, and takes us inside the workings, both business and personal, of Aphrodite’s world. As the book blurb reveals, she is no longer the sole owner of Aphrodite’s Grotto because fire had destroyed a very large section of the building and its furnishings. She had to borrow money in order to rebuild and reopen, and Jimmy Hyde, the man who now owns a majority of the Grotto isn’t what you’d call a nice guy. Coral - the woman - would gladly leave that life behind her to escape his wretchedness, but Aphrodite - the madam - knows that to do so would put her ladies and other employees at Jimmy’s most unmerciful mercy. So she stays and bides her time, waiting until she can regain control of the Grotto. As the story opens, we learn that Jimmy has offered a very special prize in a high stakes card game – seven nights of sin with Aphrodite herself.

Naval Captain Isaac Wargate has been a widower for going on 4 years and doesn’t enjoy having to round up his men from The Grotto where they spend too much of their time drinking and whoring. He a man of honor and integrity, and wouldn’t pay for a female’s companionship no matter how desperately his body demanded it. But there was something about this golden masked Aphrodite that always intrigued him, and when he learns that she’d been offered up as a prize, and sees how clearly that upsets her, he decided he’d do his best to become the victor. As luck and maybe a little help from the dealer would have it, Captain Wargate did win, and so begins a battle of wills, of both body and heart.

I’m so happy to have read The Ice Princess and I thank Ms. Hoyt for seeing that Coral needed her story told, and for finding her the most amazing man to be part of her happily ever after.

For those of you who might be wondering, The Ice Princess can easily be read as a stand alone novella. However, if you’re interested in reading the full trilogy/quadrilogy, this is the reading order –

1. The Raven Prince
2. The Leopard Prince
3. The Serpent Prince
4. The Ice Princess
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Shin Mon Thway
663 reviews1,482 followers
October 23, 2017
If I have to decide my favorite books in Miss Hoyt’s princes trilogy, that’d be the first book and this one. I loveeeedddevery single second reading this novella.

I am sure most of my friend knows it by now that I’m a hopeless romantic. I also seem to have a kink for impossible and difficult relationships. This book was a match made in heaven for me.


Coral is the madam Aphrodite of London’s notorious brothel and she’s currently in trouble. She had to borrow some money due to a difficult situation and now her new debtor is trying to control both her and her brothel. Although she’s not serving customers anymore as the madame of the house, her new debtor/working partner put her as a prize in a cards game.

Captain Wargate is your everyday English gentleman. The guy is a widower and practically a saint. The only reason he comes to this brothel is to control and take care of his sailors while they are on shore. But he can’t deny himself that miss Aphrodite/ Coral has certain appeal and he can’t help himself slowly falling for this sassy mouth, bold lady.

When he won the card game and gained not only a lot of money but also lady Aphrodite as a prize, things become very VERY interesting.


Although, this is only a novella, every word, every sentence and twists and turns of the plot made me smile involuntarily the whole time. The story warms and flutters my heart and made be believe in the poser of true love. The novella is very sweet and I can't be happier that a mere side character from the raven prince was given a HEA of her own. I just wish this is a novel instead of a novella because this was such a fascinating and incredible book. In a world full of atrocities and ugliness, Hoyt again didn't fail to remind us that "love conquers everything" after all.

5 happy, heartfelt and joyful tear stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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emtee
172 reviews44 followers
September 24, 2022
This short little novella melted my heart and made me smile. And oh, did I swoon 😍

With everyone else—even the most disgusting animals such as Hyde—she was cool. Composed and dismissive. Only with Wargate did her blood run too hot, her composure crumbling like ashes. He was her own personal Armageddon.

An unlikely pairing, he a Royal Navy captain and she a madam, they found something truly special together. He showed her in the most beautiful way what it meant not to have sex, but to make love.

“What do you want from me?” she exclaimed irritably. “Let me explain,” he said soothingly as he drew her skirts up with his free hand. “You and I have a confusion as to terms.”

“What?” “Making love,” he stated, and traced a gentle circle against her warm skin. […] “To you, the phrase means an exchange of money, a business transaction with only one of the parties deriving pleasure. To me, making love is a mutual thing of benefit to both.”

Her eyes were a little desperate. “What do you mean to do?” “I’d like to show you my way of making love,” he said gently.

And then, after showing her his way of making love, he taught her all about happily ever after.

Mmm, who says the good guys can’t be sexy as hell?
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Floripiquita
1,367 reviews153 followers
May 31, 2022
Una buena novela corta de una autora que me gusta mucho como escribe y a la que deberían traducir más al español. La historia, cuyos protagonistas no suelen ser habituales en la romántica histórica, hubiera dado para una novela mucho más larga, pena que la Hoyt no la haya querido desarrollar más.
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Baba
859 reviews3,835 followers
May 21, 2012
"You're so beautiful I am awe-struck. I want to lay beside you and simply watch you sleep. I want to hold you in my arms and make you tremble."

London, 1762
Coral Smythe is the madam of an infamous brothel called Aphrodite's Grotto. Captain Isaac Wargate stood like a gloomy black rook of doom at the side of the hall. Coral thought he was an irritating man. It irked her that he ignored her constantly. But Captain Wargate is not interested in the trade of any human flesh, after all. Isaac just wanted to round up his junior officers at her brothel. Suddenly Jimmy Hyde appeared. He proposed a game of loo and the pot he offered was:

"Why, gentlemen, we offer up Aphrodite herself!" (…) "Seven full nights, gentlemen! Aphrodite will serve the winner for seven full nights of bliss in any and every way he wishes!"

Due to unfortunate (financial) circumstances, Coral cannot refuse Jimmy's wicked game. However, Captain Wargate is ready to "rescue" her. He wins the pot and the woman.

Well, if you think they will hit the sheets instantly, then you're very wrong. Coral is hiding behind her gold mask and she doesn't seem to be a libertine and shameless woman at all. What Isaac didn't know was the fact that Coral didn't bring men to her rooms. Isaac is a very considerate man. He doesn't push her to have sex. That said, he chooses another approach to get closer to Coral. They are playing draughts.

"A game is what one makes of it," he said softly. "Much of life is a game. If played skillfully, with an intelligent and fascinating opponent, it can become almost like a dance. One challenges and moves, the other teases and skips away, only to dart forward later and strike a telling blow."

For a novella the build-up was very nicely done and the characters are likable and well-drawn. The plot is good and the dialogue is interesting, too. The Ice Princess certainly kept my interest, and I cared about the characters. The love scene is very lovely and tender and yet passionate and pretty hot at the same time. Isaac definitely showed Coral his way of making love and gained her trust. Sweet.

The Ice Princess is a very good closure to The Princes Trilogy and I recommend you to read it. Enjoy!
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Daniella
256 reviews528 followers
July 16, 2015
In a nutshell:
description

The Ice Princess really made me happy. It's been so long since I read something that gave me a warm, tingly feeling inside. The writing was brilliant, the pacing was just right, and the characters were lovable. It was obvious to me, the reader, that there couldn't be any other man more perfect for Coral than Isaac. He was everything she needed. And it was such a joy seeing these two people find themselves in the world.

What I didn't like was the crudeness of the language at times. I understand that it was appropriate given the context and the setting, but that didn't make it more comfortable. I kept cringing every time I read the term "whore". I also would have liked it more if the story was longer; Coral and Isaac definitely deserved a longer and happier HEA. I would have wanted babies and a warm home for them.
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Wollstonecrafthomegirl
472 reviews203 followers
May 6, 2017
Perhaps this came along at the right time for me. I wanted to read something competent and engaging and romantic with it. This ticked all of those boxes. And I've just slogged through a book, which is the opposite of all those things, so, Hoyt perhaps gets more credit here than she really should for this book.

It's very short. It finished at about 57% of the Kindle edition I read (the rest being the first few chapters of one of Hoyt's other books). I liked the premise. The austere sea captain, who doesn't want to like the Madam of the brothel, but, of course, he does like her really. And the Madam who isn't really a Madam. I mean, she is, but actually she's not whored for two years. The very idea is repulsive to her now. She's been doing it for so long and has built up any number of walls and defensive mechanisms.

Then the hero wins her for a week in a card game. And over that week, he gains her trust. It's a simple story. It all happens rather too quickly, but I was entirely willing to forgive that, because it meant getting to the sex more quickly and Hoyt writes amazing sex.

The ending is abrupt and a little incongruous.

This a quick, easy, solid read.
Profile Image for Julianna.
Julianna
Author 5 books1,319 followers
February 18, 2010
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Elizabeth Hoyt has done it again, writing yet another compelling story. The Ice Princess is a novella sequel to her fabulous Princes Trilogy that features Coral Smythe, a secondary character from that series, as the heroine. In a less talented author's hands, I probably would not have enjoyed The Ice Princess half as much. Because of the brevity of the story, the time frame in which the events occur would admittedly be rather unbelievable in real life, but Ms. Hoyt has a tight writing style and a real knack for bringing out all the emotions of a difficult situation. She immediately drew me into the story and made me believe in the character's love for one another and the mental and emotional changes that Coral had to undergo in order to truly experience that love. Also, once again, the author mirrors the events of the main narrative with a fairy tale of the same title, excerpts of which begin each chapter, so it is almost like getting two stories in one.

I absolutely loved both the hero and heroine of The Ice Princess. Isaac was definitely a swoon-worthy hero. He shows his alpha-maleness in his leadership abilities as an accomplished sea captain, but at the same time is very sensitive and loving. He seems to intuitively know what Coral needs and how to tame her. He patiently gives her time to come around, and slowly coaxes her to come out of “hiding” and reveal every part of herself to him. At one point, the author very cleverly uses a game of checkers as a metaphor for Isaac's attempts to win Coral's trust and ultimately her love. Rakes are usually a dime a dozen in historical romances, so a self-controlled hero like Isaac is quite endearing to me. In my opinion, he was exactly the type of man Coral needed to show her that not all men are cut from the same cloth. Coral had worked as both a street prostitute and a high-priced courtesan, and is now the anonymous madame of an infamous brothel who hides behind a golden mask and the name of Aphrodite. She has tried to avoid selling herself for two years, but having seen the worst men have to offer, all her life's experiences have left her rather jaded. Isaac often comes to the brothel to collect his sailors but never partakes in the pleasures offered there. Coral loves to suggestively banter with him, but deep down she's both intrigued and disconcerted by him, and also very attracted to him. Some small part of her still longs to be a “normal” young woman with a husband and family, but her years of whoring make her feel unworthy of those things. I liked Coral in the Princes Trilogy and was very happy to see her finally get an HEA ending too.

I would have loved to read a full-length novel about this couple, but somehow Ms. Hoyt managed to squeeze everything that I would have hoped for them into twelve short chapters, leaving me feeling fully satisfied. The Ice Princess works fine as a stand-alone story, but readers will get a richer understanding of Coral's background and Aphrodite's Grotto, her brothel, by reading the Princes Trilogy first, particularly The Raven Prince. For me, The Ice Princess was another satisfying tale from Elizabeth Hoyt's talented pen, and in my opinion, not to be missed by fans of the Princes Trilogy. It is currently only available as a free online e-book at the author's website, so there's really nothing to loose either. It was so good, I gladly would have been willing to pay for a copy and hope that perhaps it will be published in print someday. If it does become possible for me to own a permanent copy of The Ice Princess, it will certainly take its place on my keeper shelf right next to the other three books of the series.
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Gilgamesha
469 reviews11 followers
July 3, 2016
Coral is introduced in the Raven Prince book.....she is a very well written secondary character in that book...one that kind of continues to linger in your thoughts after the book ends. It makes you wonder "what happened to Coral?"....so I was really glad she got her own story....I actually love novellas and read alot of them because I don't have time to enjoy full length novels all the time and very few can write an unforgettable short story....Hoyt of course makes that list....I just need to say I loved this book. Just read it ;).
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Lisa - (Aussie Girl)
1,332 reviews171 followers
November 7, 2013
I've been waiting for ages for this novella to be available on kindle to Australia. Finally... and it didn't disappoint.

An epilogue to the Princes series, ( we had seen glimpses of the heroine Coral Smythe in the series) only Elizabeth Hoyt could turn the story of the notorious Madam of Aphrodite's Grotto and the dour sea captain Issac Wargate into a beautiful love story.

My only complaint... it was too short. I would have loved this as an expanded full length novel.
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Beyza B.
72 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2020
Niye okudum ki şimdi ben bunu.Şu e-kitaba girince yolumu kaybediyorum.
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Tammy Walton Grant
417 reviews274 followers
September 17, 2011
When I was reading The Raven Prince I found myself posting quotes from a prostitute named Coral Smythe.

"I can get you a night with an accomplished male whore or a virginal schoolboy." Coral's eyes widened. "Famous libertines or ragpickers off the street. One very special man or ten complete strangers. Dark men, red men, yellow men, men you've only dreamed of in the black of night, lonely in your bed, snug under your covers. Whatever you long for. Whatever you desire. Whatever you crave. You have only to ask me."

Oh, how Coral intrigued me. (Crap. Now I want to re-read The Raven Prince.)

And how happy I was when my GR friend Rane (waves) told me about Coral's HEA on Elizabeth Hoyt's website. I was even happier when I found it on Amazon for kindle, because frankly I'd forgotten about it.

But I digress.

This story was excellent. The perfect way to give us Coral's HEA, nicely wrapped up in the form of Captain Isaac Wargate, who "wins" Coral for seven nights in a card game. One of the things I love the most about historical romances is that deliciously sinful bargains and wagers abound. Who wouldn't want the man you've craved for years to win you in a card game???? (*shivers*) Yum.

We get a little bit of history, a whole lot of tension, and a believable story of how two people can fall in love over the space of a week. All wrapped up with an awesome happily ever after, course.

Oh! And with another beautifully done fairy tale opening every chapter. Hoyt is a MASTER at this, and one of my favourite things about her.

4 stars.
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Aoi
775 reviews74 followers
March 11, 2015
You're so beautiful I am awe-struck. I want to lay beside you and simply watch you sleep. I want to hold you in my arms and make you tremble...I want to touch you until you forget yourself, forget where you are, forget the world."

OMG. swooon swooon swoon... And THIS is how,dear authors, you write a novella!

Coral Smythe is Aphrodite, the madam of an infamous brothel. Captain Isaac Wargate is a regular visitor to the brothel, if only to shepherd his juniors away. He does not participate in the trade of human flesh, no matter how hard his baser instincts clamour at him.

On one such night, Coral is forced into a bet by Jimmy, the majority owner of Aphrodite's Grotto. The winner be awarded gold and seven full nights with Aphrodite. Sensing Coral's fear and unwillingness, Isaac jumps into the game and comes out the winner.

Except, he has other things on his mind than simply to bed Aphrodite. Night after night, he draws her out of her shell, making her less wary, making her trust him..

"A game is what one makes of it," .. "Much of life is a game. If played skillfully, with an intelligent and fascinating opponent, it can become almost like a dance. One challenges and moves, the other teases and skips away, only to dart forward later and strike a telling blow."
Profile Image for Katherine 黄爱芬.
Katherine 黄爱芬
2,037 reviews230 followers
October 4, 2019
Sudah 2 tahun ini Coral Smythe menjadi pemilik Aphrodite's Grotto dan mengenakan topeng emas utk menutupi wajahnya. Grotto ini sahamnya dikuasai oleh seorang bajingan bernama Hyde yg sengaja melelang sang Aphrodite alias Coral utk 7 hari 7 malam. Kapten Isaac Wargate yg tidak sengaja datang ke Grotto ini malah akhirnya memenangkan lelang ini.

Mudah ditebak, mereka malah jadi saling jatuh cinta. Tapi Coral merasa dirinya gak layak utk Isaac. Jadi sudah tugas Isaac utk meyakinkan Coral bukan?

Karena ini novella, ceritanya singkat saja. Masa lalu Coral dan Isaac diselipkan setelah sesi-sesi adegan hot mereka. Sayangnya gak ada yg istimewa utk ditawarkan buku ini. Semuanya standar saja, gak ada yg ngeselin tetapi juga gak ada yg WOW. Sesi hot-nya juga biasa saja (udah kebal kali ya?).
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Vintage
2,394 reviews443 followers
July 29, 2017
This was very much a novella, and a tad on the lukewarm side for me. No pun intended.

Isaac, the H, wins seven nights with Cora, the masked Madam of a brothel. Despite his disapproval on all previous visits, he is suddenly in love and emotionally seduces Cora who's heart is encased in ice. There is an incomplete side plot of an evil doer that is trying to get control of the brothel that was interesting but not developed enough.

Three stars because Elizabeth Hoyt is an excellent writer and this had such promise. I wish this had been a full novella as Isaac is a great alpha, honorable hero and Cora has some depth. Other than than, this is a nice filler.
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Tuba Özkat
Author 53 books119 followers
November 14, 2017
Elizabeth Hoyt deyince aklıma İLK gelen kitap elbette Çirkinin Aşığı :)) Ahhh... *swoon*

Bilirsiniz orada ana erkek karakterimiz 'Afrodit'in Mağarası' diye bir geneleve gider ve orada bazı olaylar vs. olur. Neyse işte... Bu ara kitapta Afrodit'in Mağarası'nın sahibi olan hatunun hikayesini anlatıyor. Fena değildi ancak çok hızlıydı. (Doğal olarak çünkü kitap ara kitaptı ve kısaydı) Fakat eğer bir konu hızlı anlattığında yumurta kokusu veriyorsa, seçenekler bellidir. Ya uzununu yaz keyifle okuyalım ya da yazma haberimiz bile olmasın yani.

Kısa bir kitaptı, okudum ve bitti.
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Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew
1,100 reviews127 followers
May 1, 2016
I'd enjoyed Elizabeth Hoyt's other books in this series, but this novella was not, I think, worth looking out. It had some promise initially - the madam-with-a-heart, and the puritanical captain - but the progress of their relationship felt manufactured (she began to trust him so quickly, he overcomes his prejudices almost immediately) and the sub-plot with the villain was distracting. Having said that, Hoyt always writes well, and I might have enjoyed this more if I hadn't expected more.
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Lori Foster
Author 468 books11.2k followers
March 3, 2018
I love that each of Hoyt's characters are different - and none of them are perfect. This heroine was forced to sell herself to help care for herself and her sister, and I admire her so much!
Loved, loved, loved the very unique hero who moved beyond that historical cliche "she must be a virgin" characteristic and into "I understand her and I love her." Wonderful stuff!
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Zoe
763 reviews175 followers
October 23, 2015
I really am no fan of novellas. I like to stay with the characters for a while. I am a fast reader and novellas can hardly hold my attention for more than an hour. This usually means a mediocre reading experience and rating.

I think The Ice Princess is the only novella I have read so far which I rated above 3 stars.

So many othes have said it: Elizabeth Hoyt is one talented writer. I really think so. I admire such writers, how they weave a compelling story. Most admirable. Hoyt picked Coral, a "very experienced" courtesan for her heroine and paired her with a puritanical naval captain Issac Wargate. I have read other courtesan novels and usually have trouble liking the heroines, no matter how the writers attempt to "clean up" the courtesan past. Hoyt did not try to erase the fact that Coral was a prostitue or "beautify" the ugliness often associated with the trade of human flesh. Interestingly this is what endeared Coral to me. I respected her.

Captain Wargate is a dream come true. I don't know whethere there are men out there like him but since we are talking fictions, I will leave that be. I think Wargate is perfect for Coral.

But my reservation about novellas remains. I think the relationship would have benefitted from a longer association where Issac and Coral were allowed the time to develop deep feelings for each other. To profess love so prematurely......I am by nature a cynic and really winced when I read about how quickly Issac decided that he would marry Coral. The story wrapped up all too quickly and perfectly. But maybe it is because Hoyt did not have enough materials for the couple to turn it into a full-length novel, which would habe been a wise decision if it was so. All in all, I imagine some regrets for the couple could not be avoided. Either the readers are left feeling wanting or the story gets stretched too thin and loses its original appeal.

All in all, very enjoyable read. Ms. Hoyt, I am still a loyal fan.
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Audrey
379 reviews97 followers
November 29, 2011
3.5-4 stars. As is inevitably the case with most of these shorter novella-length stories, there wasn't enough character depth and development, even though the foundations and backgrounds for the main characters were built well. The characters were sketched well, but I would have appreciated a more fully drawn picture of them.

We met Coral Smythe in Hoyt's The Raven Prince, in which her cynicism and bold personality set her apart from the other secondary characters. I'm not a fan of mistress or courtesan heroine stories, but Hoyt does this one well and Coral doesn't make any apologies for what she is. The H, Isaac, is well aware of what she is, too, and loves her anyway. Regardless of the unconventional way in which he wins his time with Coral, Isaac is an honorable man, and I liked reading about his efforts at wooing and thawing the skittish Coral. I was thoroughly relieved and pleased to see that, however unrealistic it may be for an "honorable" man to overlook her profession, Isaac doesn't feel angst or doubt over his attraction towards and emotional draw to Coral. Instead, the one who must be convinced of the authenticity of his feelings - and the meaning of her own feelings - is Coral.

The Ice Princess is an enjoyable and engaging story, and Hoyt even manages to include both sizzling sexytimes AND her trademark accompanying fairy tale in this little bon bon of a tale.

Overall, this is a worthwhile read ($1.99 on Kindle, I believe) for those of us who are always chomping at the bit for our next Elizabeth Hoyt fix. It can be read as a standalone if you haven't read the Prince novels yet (but you should read that trilogy, too, because it's awesome!). :)
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Cata
468 reviews76 followers
March 22, 2015
The Ice Princess é a novella da trilogia Princes e apesar da sinopse me deixar de pé atrás ( a acção decorre num espaço temporal tão curto) , acabou por me surpreender imenso.
o livro volta à fórmula de O Príncipe Corvo, ie o conto de fadas aparece aos poucos no início de cada capítulo (em vez de embutido no próprio livro), o casal tem química, ambos são personagens fortes eeeee *gasp* o homem não é uma besta!
Porque a sério, quantos homens se apaixonam por cortesãs, compreendem os motivos que as levaram à prostituição e conseguem aceitar que essa vida faz parte do passado da mulher, mas não necessariamente do futuro?

Além disso, apesar das poucas páginas o ritmo é excelente e tem um princípio, meio e fim.

Excelente maneira de terminar a leitura após a decepção que foi The Serpent Prince
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Keri
2,046 reviews101 followers
October 24, 2010
This was a sweet little ebook. If you read The Raven Prince, then you probably had questions about Coral Smythe the newest madame over Aphrodite’s Grotto. This is her story. Stern Navy's captain, Isaac Wargate, has been coming in these last two years to round up his men at Coral's establishment. She has to fight her attraction of the tall blue-eyed Navy man, after all who can resist a man in uniform. After a strange twist of fate, Coral has agreed to 7 nights of utter sin with the captain, at the end who will be left standing and whose heart will be filled with love? This was a cute, quick read and a good tie up to the series.
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