I skimmed this. I thought this was a pretty sweet story. It wasn't as hot as I thought it would be, but oh well. Although this isn't my favorite book by this author, I think it is still pretty good. This is my first book with the couples from four books all meeting their mates at once and having all of their stories overlap so early in the series.A girl wants to get away from her engagement and her evil dad by running away. The first ship leaving is a Galaxy Brides ship. She was also running from her tyrannical father. She can't even eat chocolate because of her strict diet. She went without sleep or food for three days for eating a small piece of chocolate. Her mother is nothing but an ornament her father her father married for her beauty and helps her maintain. She goes onboard and meets a few friends. (One of those girls is the female lead in The Savage King by this author.) When the girls meet the guys for the first time, the guys are masked, but the crystals around their necks guide them to their future wives. She had been hoping for a non-famous guy so that she can hide. The night before they are joined, they can "discover" each other but not climax. The guy avoids sex because it would be too easy to climax then. The next day, after they are joined forever, she finds out he is a prince and is outraged. This means her name and picture will be known throughout the galaxy and her dad can find her. Even though they have great chemistry, she is scared of her feelings for him and hates that he didn't tell her he is a prince. She is the daughter of a doctor, albeit evil doc, so she is good at chemistry and healing. She has earned the respect of the villagers by healing some of them and was able to create a remedy for the plants in the forest that causes people to fall asleep. The couple were about to have sex many times but they always kept getting interrupted. Since the male lead is the ambassador, she wants to help him so she becomes an ambassador-in-training. She is a studious person and is learning the Draig's language. Because of her dad, she has developed a really calm and cool demeaned she uses if she needs to. The male lead is often frustrated when she becomes externally emotionless. The other princes are not in happy marriages, but the queen helps resolve some problems. The females all become friends. There were many attacks on Olena. When she is hit with a poisoned dart, the female lead recognizes it from the black market of the medical mafia, in which her dad is in charge of. She had often smuggled the arrow in hair across heck points. She knows the arrow is a message from her father. She pretends she hates her husband because she knows her father is watching. She leaves the castle and goes to her father in the forest. When he makes her torture Olena, she kills her father instead. Right before she did that, she told her father she loves him. Right before he died, he said he forgave her. I love how this is a complicated relationship because she still loves her father. Her father may have not wanted to do some of the evil things he did for the sake of the mafia and he probably genuinely loves his daughter. All four of the princesses are pregnant now. In the end, since her father is dead, she became the head of the family and disbands it. She tells them to tell her mother that her father died honorably, even though it is a lie. I love her line about how she was the only person who was able to kill her dad without any backlash. The ending was cute.“Her hands roamed over his shoulders and suddenlyshe flinched, realizing the hilt of his sword waspoking her in the upper thigh."Ow, your sword," she replied, swinging her legsback around to the ground. Olek chuckled. Whenshe was safely landed, he let her go and unstrappedthe weapon from his waist.”......“Nadja licked her lips and squirmed naughtilyagainst him. Softly, she answered, "I think yoursword is poking me again."Olek growled, "Keep moving like that wife, and itwill be sure to impale you."Nadja’s laughter was cut off by her Prince’s kiss.She clung onto him, taking everything he gave her.Her life was perfect. He was perfect. And, as hecarted her off to his bed, she hoped he never let hergo.”
Nadja,from afar, looks like a pampered princess with the world at her feet. But up close she is trapped in a golden cage. Every minutiae of her life, including what she eats, wears and who she meets is controlled and monitored by her father. Her father is a powerful doctor in the "medical mafia" and when he announces that she is to marry his coleague, she realises that the time has come to flee. Nadja ends up on the Galaxy Bride’s ship with Morrigan from book 1. Nadja wants a low key groom, a miner, farmer or local doctor. Nothing glamorous that will be broadcast on the news and alert her father to here whereabouts.Prince Olek, 2nd of the 4 princes, is an ambassador. He knows that having wife would benefit him in his duties and dealing with offworlders. His crystal selects Nadja and he is ecstatic with its choice. He sets out to woo her and Nadja knows that if and when she removes Olek’s mask she is bound to him from that time on. She understands their traditions and knows he can't say too much but believes he is a simple working man.The feathers fly when Nadja realises that he is a Prince, she believes she has fled from one cage to another. She believes that being married to royalty will bring her father to her doorstep. There is much conflict but also passion between Nadja and Olek. I also loved the rapport between her, the other princesses and the Queen. It was very much girl power LOL. The worst happens and her father finds her but will she capitulate or will she fight for her freedom?????As with other Mandy books, this overlaps with other books in the series so that you see the same action from different perspectives. I took to Nadja a lot more quickly than I did Morrigan. She seemed to just make a niche for herself with the locals and acclimatise that much better. The final set piece in the show off between herself and her father was wonderful and I would have been disappointed if Olek removed the problem for her.A well deserved 4 stars and looking forward to the next in the series.
What do You think about Perfect Prince (2014)?
Prince number two, Olek, has a lighter, more mischievous personality. Still for Nadja, when she finds out he is a Prince, not a common farmer or country doctor who will keep her anonymity, the beginning of their relationship will be the last if she has any say.However, after the mating traditions are met she has little say. Nadja knew she was getting on a Brides ship. It was her only option as she escapes from her tyrannical father and the man he has chosen for her husband. Their fierce desire is difficult to fight and even when they begin to give in enemies of the state intrude. They come to terms and live in relative companionship. She begins to thaw and her fear lessons as she learns what a good man he is. But honesty is important and he continues to protect he by keeping things from her.Their struggle and family ties are endearing, frustrating and very hot. Mouth watering guys, gorgeous women, war, warriors, enemies and hidden secrets. This one has it all. Good read.
—Cheri
She was his heart, his soul. He is her Perfect Prince. 5 stars*dreamy sigh* WOW! Perfect Prince indeed! I fell under the spell right away! I loved both Olek & Nadja and couldn’t help but shake my head at times with these two! I was amazed, impressed & thrilled with how Michelle was able to suck me right into this story so fast and deep that I struggled to stay awake to be able to read this entire book in one go! (unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way, but I did finish it the next day before doing ANYTHING else I was supposed to be doing!) I laughed so many times that I was thankful I was reading it at home, alone! The romance and “stalking” to see who will cave on their stubbornness first was classic! And hot! Oh so very HOT! I liked that Nadja was familiar with the customs enough that she knew what she was getting herself into, but not enough to figure out how to keep her identity and peace of mind while not offending or insulting anyone. All she wants to do is help people, but she has a secret that she feels she must keep so she tries to find ways to help covertly. Yes, these parts are as sweet and funny as they sound! Of course, taking each other at word for word, while not considering the challenges involved trying to speak the same language, made for a LOT of memorable moments & lines! “I need a guinea pig.” Nadja says. “A what kind of pig?” Olek frowned. “I am not your…guine-ah pig dummy.” *snort* And this is just one of the many, many hilarious lines & moments that arise due to the challenge of speaking different languages, while trying to speak the same! I was a little nervous or hesitant to read this book. I have recently read a few of the other books in this Universe and I didn’t want to lose the magic that I had found and loved within those pages. I was worried that maybe reading so many of them close together might take away from this story, or that it would give it a “been there done that” vibe. HOLY!!! Boy was I ever wrong! There wasn’t any part that felt that way, and it was actually an advantage to have read the other books recently because it all just helped to enhance this story! Of course I should be ashamed of myself for doubting Michelle and her amazingly fantastic mad author skills! Even after reading so many of her books I should know by now that while they all have that same Michelle feeling to them, they are never the same! Every book that I have read of Michelle’s has always sucked me in from the blurb, hell even the cover in some cases, let alone the first page, the story holds my attention from start to finish and I am always drawn to the characters so much so that more often than not I am crying with & for them, laughing at and with them, feeling their pain, happiness, etc. all as if I was actually experiencing it myself! Of course, because of Michelle’s ability to transport you right into the story, I guess you could say that you ARE really experiencing it all!! Michelle has this tremendous gift that enables her to write so many books that are all VERY entertaining while never being predictable or boring or dry, never feeling like she is writing for the sake of writing, recycling plot lines, scenes, scenarios and the like. In my opinion this can all be gathered together as perfect evidence of just how brilliant Michelle truly is. And that is exactly why Michelle M. Pillow is a NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author who has also won numerous awards for her work! There are so many other parts that I could talk about, but I won’t! One click away and enjoy another Perfect Prince of a story by Michelle! You do not want to miss out on one hell of a story or series!
—Cherri-Anne
Nadia Aleksander boards the Galaxy Bride ship to escape her controlling father. When she arrives in Qurilixen she catches the eye of Prince Olek. His pulsing necklace lets him know that Nadia is his heart mate. Nadia wants a common man as her husband and not a prince. She is afraid that as a princess she would be in the public eye and her father could find her. Prince Olek is confused by her behavior and the barriers she puts up. Nadia cares for Olek and does not want to hurt him but she has to protect herself first. Prince Olek is a very kind and gentle. He desires Nadia and will do anything to get her to trust him.
—Marion
