You can read more of my reviews, faster, at my blog, The Armchair Librarian.I've noticed that a lot of romantic suspense authors originally started out with historical romance. Iris Johansen, Catherine Coulter, and Kay Hooper are just a few who made the switch. Iris Johansen is the author of the Eve Duncan series, of which I've read only one: THE KILLING GAME. I didn't really like THE KILLING GAME. The characters annoyed me, there was a love triangle, their personalities seemed hackneyed and hastily constructed, and the serial killer element was not as suspenseful as I might have hoped.When I found out that Iris Johansen had written some period romances I was really excited. I saw THE TIGER PRINCE sitting on the shelves of a used bookstore and snatched that sucker up. Of course, the summary on the back jacket is deceptive, making you think this is going to be one of those erotic kidnapper love stories. It isn't. Which was disappointing for me because I love those, but I quickly discovered that TIGER PRINCE rocked without titillation.(Although there was titillation.)Ruel MacClaren and his brother Ian go to India with the intent of purchasing an island called Cinnidar from the maharajah's son, Abdar. Abdar refuses to bargain unless the MacClaren brothers can bring him a man named Kartauk, one of the most talented goldsmith's in India. To do this, Abdar suggests that Ruel spy on a woman named Jane Barnaby, one of Kartauk's friends, and possibly one of his lovers as well. So Ruel spies on Jane, and learns that she's the ward of a drunken Irish railroad worker, and that she basically oversees his entire operations despite being a woman.In fact, Ruel finds that he enjoys watching Jane a little too much, if you know what I mean, and quickly finds himself becoming jealous of every man in her near vicinity. Thinking her a whore, he conspires to seduce her in Zabrie's whorehouse, only to discover that she isn't what she seems. So he enlists to work on her railroad, and then the two of them have sex, and Ruel realizes that not only is she not a whore, but she's also a virgin. If you're thinking this makes him even crazier and possessive than he already was, you're right on the money.Abdar, meanwhile, is continuing to look for Kartauk, and starting to regret the fact that his father sold Cinnidar to the MacClaren brothers because it might just have the motherlode of all gold deposits sequestered away in its mountains. Also, he's a Kali-worshipper and a pervert, and part of the reason Kartauk left his employ is because of the sheer depths of his depravity.He's a demented fuck, okay?Also, the maharajah himself is mentally retarded. I don't mean that in a mean way; he literally has the mentality of a small boy, and power has made him cruel and liable to throw temper tantrums and do things out of spite. The dynamic between him and his son was complex and interesting, and I loved the power struggles that went on between the two. It was also interesting how the other characters played the two of them off against each other to their advantage. Just something I noticed and liked.Jane starts to get close to Ruel, even falling in love with him, but then disaster strikes, which he blames her for, and he starts using their sexual relationship against Jane. Jane's greatest fear is that she will end up like her mother, a whore, and knowing this, Ruel objectifies Jane in all manner of ways, treating her cruelly and using her body against her, and just being a dick. It's pretty disgusting, but this is romancelandia and such things are generally considered acceptable in this universe. Ick.From here on out, the story zigzags from Scotland and then to Cinnidar, featuring quite a diverse cast of characters. Kartauk, the goldsmith, is also a womanizer but he has moments of profound wisdom when he's not, you know, sleeping around or being a braggart. Ian is probably the sweetest character in this book and what happened to him definitely impacted my overall star rating. I liked Margaret, too, and I was glad that Johansen didn't take the cheap way out with her, Ian, and Kartauk (although it was a close call). Li Sing was also an interesting character, because he's Chinese and also handicapped and I feel like Johansen did a fair job trying to portray all the stigma and racism he had to deal with as a result of that baggage. Sometimes when a character has a disability or is a minority character, that becomes a replacement for their personality, but Li was pretty well developed.Also, this book took place in freaking India. How cool is that?I don't find too many bodice-rippers that take place outside of Western Europe or America. I have one on my bookshelf that takes place in China, and in my searches came across one that takes place in Singapore(!) but they are few and far between. Probably because most of these were written in the days before internet, and unless you had been there yourself, knew someone who had, or really liked research, writing about the history of a relatively obscure place could be difficult.*shrug* As far as bodice rippers go, this is pretty mild. Ruel is an asshole, but he never actually resorts to rape. There is this pretty weird scene where he makes Jane wear a gold gown that reveals a boob, and then sexually stimulates her with a feather mask not unlike the one on the cover, but again, for a bodice-ripper that's pretty tame. Instead of physically abusive, he's emotionally abusive, and another reason I took off a star at the ending was the fact that Jane lets him get away with it. The whole pretext for his revenge against her was WRONG, but she never corrects him, maybe thinking that knowing he did all that shit to her for no reason would destroy him. Well, he almost destroyed her.I am so not sympathetic to male romantic hero angstdouchery.THE TIGER PRINCE has its flaws, but it's epic and fun and has a great cast of characters, and it doesn't drag until the very end. Considering that it was 528 pages and I finished it in just under two days, I think I can safely say that the pacing was decent and it's a crying shame that Johansen no longer writes historicals. She has a talent for this sort of sensationalism that very few do.3.5 to 4 stars.
Tiger Prince is the story of an explicit and interesting love between a hardened man, Ruel, and an independent woman, Jane. Jane works along side her father building railroads all over the world. She enjoys traveling and being free while Ruel enjoys gold and pleasure. The two face both little and big obstacles, some of those being lust and betrayal. And while the two have completely different goals, love's cruel side takes the toll of both of them.I recommend this book for readers who enjoy romance, and most importantly, readers that are patient. I was entertained by the disputes between the couple and their companions and i'm sure you will too.
What do You think about The Tiger Prince (1992)?
3.75 starsThoughts can be unhealthy when you assume you know the truth.~~~~~~Deliciously dangerous, Ruel MacLaren had but one goal: to become rich. He learned some valuable lessons in Australia, California and Africa before traveling to India. He knew Lady Luck was on his side; it was just a matter of time.With exquisite good looks, women loved his attention. No matter where his adventures took him, he never had a problem with the fairer sex. That is, until he met the practical and unassuming Jane Barnaby. Like him, she was a survivor.~~~~~~J A N E: A simple but not-commonly used name made up of four letters. In many ways her name matched her personality. She was strong, sensible and not afraid to say no when the need arose. Ruel was fascinated with her.~~~~~~Initially, Ruel came across as an unashamed but happy anti-hero. His older half-brother Ian, the Earl of Glenclaren, had finally found him after a long search. Now that their father was dead, he wanted Ruel to return home to Scotland but his brother's hardy response was the word NO. Opposites in both appearances and personalities, Ian understood that his brother was battling his own personal demons but he believed his beloved country manor would heal him. He had no intention of leaving until Ruel changed his mind. Ian would just bide his time.In the meantime, Ruel and Jane first met when they were locked in a room at a brothel. Even though Ruel would have loved for something physical to happen, he became aware very soon that Jane's thoughts were about escaping not only their prison but him. And the more often she said goodbye, the nearer he wanted to be with her.The chase was on.~~~~~~Ruel and Jane were deep, complex and wonderfully played. Their romance felt both gritty and strikingly sensual. Ruel was bewitched.The long and the short of this romance? It was 505 pages of not-so-large font. It covered several years with the (hated) misunderstanding. The chemistry was awesome at times, bordering on the erotic side. Ruel was scrumptious one moment and a cad later on. I had some issues with this. Jane? Why, Jane, why, is all I will say. Some reviewers mentioned this was a bodice-ripper. IMHO, it was not. Tension? Yes. A misunderstanding that caused unneeded angst? Of course. And all of those secondary characters with their secondary problems and their secondary solutions? Yes. Needless-to-say, there was a lot going on.~~~~~~For those of you that love exotic settings, some steaminess and can handle the length of the story, Iris Johansen's tale of soul-mates, **GOLD** and the island of Cinnidar was actually pretty good.
—Linda
