Honestly, it took me a while to get into this, but once I did, I really liked it. Austen leaves a lot to the imagination (tone of voice, etc.) but the savvy reader will pick up on it quickly. The love story, of course, was one of the best I’ve ever read.

The plot wasn’t so bad, but I didn’t like the writing style.

You don’t often find romances willing to explore “timid” women, even in historicals. This Western historical romance tackles a timid woman who comes into her own by the end. In many ways, it’s not just a romance but also a coming of age story. Anne, the heroine, has a beautiful character arc and that was the part of the story I enjoyed reading most. Claudia Dain not only creates lovable characters, but characters that are accurate to their time period. This was a pleasure to read and I can’t wait to read Dain’s The Courtesan’s Daughter next!

I read one review of this that said Harry Pye (the hero) was awesome but Lady Georgina (the heroine) was boring. I beg to differ. I mean, truly, it is Harry Pye’s story. He’s even the subject of the title (debatably—He is SYMBOLICALLY the leopard prince). Still, I enjoyed reading Lady Georgina just as much as reading Harry Pye. I thought she was a compelling heroine, especially given the difficult situation of being gentry in love with a commoner. Great story, lots of politics and class issues, good villains, and even some really great funny moments. I enjoyed it very much!

I’m sad that anyone would feel so bad about herself that she would abuse her body this way, but at the same time, I see a lot of the same neuroses in myself. Just a little shove, or a little bit different circumstances in my life might have pushed me this way. In the end, I’m glad to have read this. It makes me think harder about the way I think of and treat my body, and the way I think of other women. A point I got from this book is that we women are too hard on each other. Instead of comparing diets and pants sizes, maybe we ought to be just loving each other.

I really do think the world would be a better place if everyone read this book. It connects you to violence in a sometimes disturbing way, but the overall message is one of empowerment. I admit to being more afraid than I was before I read this book, until I got to the last chapter on dismissing the kinds of fear that you don’t need: worry, paranoia, and anxiety. Now I feel safe in the knowledge that I will prevent the violence I can, and live without worry of what I can’t prevent. I know my life will be better for having read this book.

Loved it! But how could you not love a family saga with lots of love and adventure and mystery? Plus the setting was gorgeous. I’m hopping a plane to Montana next chance I get.

So far, this is my favorite Emilie Rose and my favorite Desire yet. Not only was it super sensual, but the setting was gorgeously done and I LOVED the hero. Great story, great relationship, and lovely conclusion!

At first I must admit I was skeptical about the premise of this book: a mistaken identity. This can sometimes be a death knell, in that a mistaken identity doesn’t often provide enough conflict for a full story. I have to say, though, I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself turning pages and reading for longer than I prudently should have at a time. (Sorry, boss.) I enjoyed the characters and the plot and thought that there was plenty of conflict and enough reasons to make it believable. Well done!

I enjoyed reading the story of Anne and Simon’s marriage based on one scandalous kiss. I like that they got caught right away and forced into marriage. So often that doesn’t happen in Regencies. I did like the characters in general, though their inner monologues started repeating about halfway through the book. It got just a bit old. Overall, an enjoyable read with a lot of really nice chemistry between the characters.