When she was just a little girl, Lia Kincaid wished upon a
shooting star that one day she would tell Jack Easton she
loved him. But Lia is a Notorious Kincaid: granddaughter
of a courtesan, illegitimate daughter of an actress, and
when Jack came back from the war in 1816, it was as the
new Marquess of Lendale. A title with no money and too
many debts left over from his late father's poor head for
business, Jack will need to find himself a heiress. Lia
and her grandmother still live on the estate because of
complicated family relationships, they are now without a
penny to their name, and will soon be homeless, and
another burden on Jack's weary shoulders. Lia is at her
wit's end: she must find a way to earn money, but so many
avenues are closed to her because of her tainted
reputation. Then her grandmother suggests that she become
a courtesan, like herself. It served her rather well,
after all, but Lia would rather be on the stage like her
mother Marianne. Unfortunately, Lia doesn't have one
artistic bone in her, so courtesan it will be. Maybe Jack
could help...
THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS has a very daring premise with
what turns out to be a very insightful look into the Ton's
twisted moral views and prejudices, as well as an
interesting glimpse into the life of theatre folk. This is
definitely not a light piece of froth, and to be honest, I
found it rather sad and depressing with regards to the
fate of women who were deemed unacceptable by society's
standards. Lia is innocent, but remains undesirable
regardless of her irreproachable conduct. Given Vanessa
Kelly's immense talent at creating unforgettable
characters, which is the case for Lia, I was a little
perplexed by Jack: I felt he was mostly reactive for a
good part of the story, mostly worrying about his
finances, and more or less trying to rule Lia's life. He
manned up eventually when he acknowledged his physical
attraction to Lia, which I thought occurred at a rather
inappropriate moment.
Lia is a tremendously interesting character, and Jack
paled beside her; I didn't feel he was very compelling,
whereas Gillian Dryden -- the heroine from the first book
in this series -- stole every scene she appeared in. I'm
also not sure if the last dramatic episode was really
necessary; I was ready for a little fluff at that point.
Nevertheless, true to form, Vanessa Kelly's writing is
superb, and the dialogues spectacular.
In Vanessa Kelly's captivating series, three young women
are descended from royalty--in the most improper way. But
that doesn't stop them from pursuing lives rich in
adventure. . .
Lia Kincaid, illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York,
comes from a long line of notorious women. Raised by her
grandmother, formerly mistress to the late Marquess of
Lendale, she has little hope of a respectable marriage. But
the new marquess, her childhood friend, Jack Easton, would
make a very desirable protector . . . if he weren't too
honorable to take her to bed.
It's bad enough being saddled with a title he never desired.
Now Jack must resist the beautiful woman he desires far too
much. Duty calls, and he is duty-bound to choose a wealthy
bride. But then Lia makes another outrageous suggestion:
asking Jack to devise some tests to find her the perfect
paramour. Tests that involve flirting, kissing, and other
pleasurable pursuits. Tests that, in a matter of weeks,
could transform friendship into the ton's greatest
scandal, igniting a passion even duty can't deny. . .
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