Three Weeks with a Princess
by Vanessa Kelly


Lia Kincaid the illegitimate daughter of a Duke and a notoriously famous courtesan is in a pickle. For as long as she can remember they have been living on the estate of the Marquees of Lendale out of sight but barely on the fringes of society. All she's ever wanted was Jack Easton. That could never be reality he's the new Marquees and he needs to marry a woman of respectability and money.
She has none of the qualifications, she's from a long line of notorious courtesans-The Kincaids!
Maybe she has no choice but to follow in her mothers and grandmothers footsteps.....if only she can persuade Jack to be her first.

Jack Easton wasn't ready for all the duties of his title the many responsibilities have him at his wits end. The only bright side is Lia Kincaid and the mind boggling kiss they shared! It's the only thing he thinks of, until she has the harebrained idea of becoming a courtesan and he's to teach her all the pleasures of becoming one after all if she can't practice with her best friend she'll have to find a way on her own.
The thought of another man kissing Lia has Jack seeing red and behaving irrationally!
From the first page of this wonderfully written story it captures the attention, its witty, charming and entertaining.
Fast paced with twists and turns and intriguing moments!
My favorite part was the masquerade ball, I loved the way Jack lost control, the pages caught fire and the attraction between Lia and Jack consumed them in flames. His body and heart realizes what his brain is slow to grasp-that he's madly in love with her!
An extremely enjoyable read I highly recommend Vanessa Kelly books she never disappoints!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

I started reading this book and could not put it down. Jack's protectiveness over Lia was a bit high handed and no wonder Lia being the stubborn girl she was was determined to make her own way. I thought she could have picked something other than following in her mother's and grandmother's path but she probably figured even if she went into service, the lords would probably proposition her anyways and thought at least going down her mother's and grandmother's paths, she will have a choice in who protects her. Jack and Lia's story was so romantic thou that i really liked this book. A great read for the beach.

The fact that King George III’s sons were promiscuous and known to have fathered numerous illegitimate children comes in handy when you want to write a series of historical romances featuring a group of protagonists with royal connections. Following on the heels of her Royal Renegades, featuring fictional illegitimate sons of different royal princes, Vanessa Kelly has turned her attention to the Improper Princesses, daughters born on the wrong side of more royal blankets. Three Weeks with a Princess is a friends-to-lovers romance between an impoverished marquess and his childhood friend, the daughter of the Duke of York and a former courtesan-turned-actress. It’s well-written and I enjoyed the relationship between the central couple, but the heroine’s refusal to listen to good sense became frustrating, and the drama injected towards the end of the story was rather too contrived for my taste.

Lia Kincaid’s name is a byword for scandal, even though she has lived a respectable and somewhat sheltered life. Her mother was once a high-flying courtesan, and so was her grandmother, Rebecca, before she became the long-term mistress and companion of the Marquess of Lendale. Lia has been raised by her grandmother and the pair lives quietly in a cottage on Lendale’s estate, much to the disgust of the marquess’ sister-in-law. Fortunately, the ladies of the family – Lady John and her daughter, Lady Anne – rarely come to Stonefell Hall, but her son, Jack, is a much more frequent visitor; he was Lia’s childhood playmate and has continued to visit her and her grandmother throughout the years, in spite of his mother’s disapproval.

When the old marquess dies and Jack inherits the title, he is shocked to discover how badly the estate has been run, and realises he’s got his work cut out for him if he is to turn everything around – if that is even possible. He is also faced with the unpleasant task of having to inform Lia and her grandmother that his uncle made no provision for them whatsoever; Rebecca had hoped for at least a small annuity or bequest, but he left nothing, and Jack’s mother is already insisting that the ladies are turned out of their home.

Jack is appalled at his uncle’s lack of foresight and insists that he will take care of them, no matter what; not only does he hold the ladies in great affection, he regards them as family. Lia, who has spent as much time at Stonefell as at Bluebell Cottage, is well acquainted with the ins and outs of running the estate, is aware of the sorry state of Jack’s finances and is adamant that he should not be burdened with their care, but Jack won’t hear of their leaving.

Lia had, however, already begun to formulate a plan as to what she might to do support herself and Rebecca, and now tells her grandmother than she wants to go to London to join her mother and step-father’s successful acting troupe. Rebecca is sceptical – Lia is a terrible actress, and besides, given Lia’s lineage, there is really only one thing she can do. She is young, beautiful and bound to be as sought-after as her mother and grandmother before her; Lia should set herself up as a courtesan and Rebecca thinks that Jack should be her first protector as a way of easing her into the life.

Lia is not completely horrified at the prospect of becoming a kept woman, although the idea of Jack being her first lover is one she immediately dismisses. Not because she doesn’t like him, but because she does; she’s nursed a tendre for him for years with no hope of a return and knows he thinks of her as a little sister.

Not wanting her grandmother to blindside him with that particular suggestion, Lia pre-empts her by telling Jack about it herself, and is more than a little put out at his horrified reaction. But she doesn’t dwell on it and instead tells him about her plan to join her mother in London. Jack’s reaction to that suggestion is also exactly what she had expected – annoyance, bluster and further insistence that she doesn’t need to do any such thing because he’ll look after her.

Most of the rest of the books follows more or less the same pattern. Lia makes poor decisions, gets into scrapes and Jack scolds her and pulls her out of them; and most of the time I didn’t blame him for the scoldings, because he had good sense on his side and good reason to be angry and frustrated at Lia for putting herself into some potentially damaging and dangerous situations. I started out liking her for her desire not to be dependent on others and find a way to support herself and her grandmother. In some ways she’s very clear-sighted and I liked that she is generally honest and forthright, but as the story progressed, her insistence on doing things her way annoyed me because ‘her way’ consisted mostly of coming up with ridiculous ways to solve her problems and disagreeing with everyone who tried to help her.

Jack is a more sympathetic character, partly because I would probably have had a similar reaction to Lia’s dumb schemes and was thus able to identify with him, and partly because he’s being torn in so many different directions. He loves his mother, but doesn’t like her treatment of the Kincaid women; he has inherited a badly managed estate and might need to find a rich bride in order to save it, which he doesn’t want to do at all. Plus he’s struggling to come to terms with a Lia he hasn’t really seen before, one with curves in all the right places who is showing up in all his increasingly erotic fantastes. Needless to say, that struggle isn’t one he’s destined to win. He’s your average handsome, honourable and protective romantic hero – which isn’t a criticism as such; it’s sometimes refreshing to have a hero who isn’t troubled by dark secrets or emotionally crippled.

The relationship between Jack and Lia is nicely done, deeply affectionate and laced with the sort of verbal comebacks and banter which makes it clear that these two people know each other very well. I’m someone who tends to like friends-to-lovers stories because I think a strong friendship is a good basis for a romantic relationship, so the fact that Jack and Lia bicker like siblings or old friends isn’t something I find problematic. But the downside can be a lack of romantic and sexual tension, and unfortunately, that’s the case here. That said, I can envision this pair beyond their HEA continuing to trade quips and chuckling over them together as they head into old age!

Three Weeks with a Princess isn’t going to win any prizes for originality and isn’t a book I’m likely to re-read, but it passed the time well enough. If you’re looking for a deftly written historical that edges towards the fluffier end of the scale, then it may well suit.

Grade: B- / 3.5 stars

I was excited for this book, having really enjoyed Vanessa Kelly's previous Royals series. However, I found the heroine, Lia, very hard to like and this made the book itself hard to finish.

I adored Jack Easton, the hero of this book. He is loyal, kind, loving and absolutely swoon worthy. I just wish he had a better match in the heroine, Lia who is immature and annoying. She doesn't think through her ideas and just ends up getting into trouble. If she really wanted to be independent and not marry Jack, she could have married someone not from nobility and the Ton. Considering the fact that she is a bastard princess, that should not be an impossibility. But she is set on the idea that she wants to be a courtesan and refuses to marry Jack after he has proposed to her multiple times. A story that could have been romantic and heartwarming was a bit of a downer due to the character of the heroine.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Three Weeks with a Princess is the second book in The Improper Princesses series by Vanessa Kelly. This was both a forbidden romance and a romance that grew from a strong friendship. My two favorite kinds. Lia was so incredibly stubborn, and she met her match with Jack, as he was too. They bickered and argued, but they had the best times together and a strong history as friends. I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship grow through all the uncertainties, and with her family history, there were many. These two were such a cute and entertaining pair. I can't wait to see who's story we get next.

Lovely historical romance that keeps the reader interested without being bogged down.

This book wasn't terrible, it was a little too heavy on the familial duty but otherwise it was mostly okay.

The favoured few--their stories continue__3 1/2 stars

Lia Kincaid has been raised by her grandmother, the mistress of the Marquess of Lendale, on the Lendale estates. Lia Kincaid is the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York.
The new marquess, Lia's childhood friend, Jack Easton is concerned for Lia's welfare. Lia feels she should continue in the women of the family's footsteps and become a courtesan. She need a protector and perhaps Jack would be a good first choice to practice with. Jack is shocked and tempted but this is his childhood friend. Added to that, it's imperative for Jack to marry wealth.
Lia flees to London and her mother, a famous actress, with the thought of a life treading the boards. Things of course becomes so much more entangled!
I found Jack somewhat insipid character and Lia is almost too good to be true.
Despite these short comings an interesting plot develops in this latest contribution to the trials and tribulations of three illegitimate princesses.

A NetGalley ARC
(June 2017)

Prepare to read until you finish the last page!

Lia Kincaid is many things- witty, smart, kind, thoughtful, trusting, honest and honorable. What she is not is patient. Her lack of patience pushes her to make some of the worst life decisions. The other thing she is not, is legitimate. The 'byblow' of a Duke whom she has never met) and an actress/courtesan, Lia was raised by her Grandmother--and now live with her grandmother in the Dowager cottage on the estate of her grandmother's protector--the Marquess of Lendale. Unfortunately the marquess' sister-in-law (Lady John) doesn't appreciate the existence of Lia and her grandmother on the Lendale estate, and makes her life as difficult as possible. But it is LadyJohn's son, Jack, who is and has always been Lia's best childhood friend. He treats both Lia and her Grandmother with nothing but kindness. The two of them always look for each other whenever he visits--amd have since her childhood.

Jack is thoughtful, responsible and respectful. He also keeps a sense of right and wrong. He has a strong moral compass. What he isn't is clued in on matters of the heart- and when he has finds himself with different feelings for Lia, he struggles to keep them classified as friendship.

Jack never wanted to inherit an estate. He wanted to be part of the military and treated his commission as a career- moving quickly up the ranks. His father was his uncle's, the Marquess' heir. But as fate would have it, his dad succumbed to an untimely death and then his uncle died.

He has to give up his military career when he inherits the estate. As he learns his new role, Jack has to face some harsh truths: one, that his uncle left the estate in extremely poor financial shape. And two, Lia is no longer a girl. She has grown into one of the most enchanting and beautiful of women. Having always thought of her like a favorite sister, he has to reconcile the unbrotherly feelings that her beauty and figure creates.

However, marriage to Lia is out of the question bc of social status and the financial mess of the estate. Jack's options are narrow. He can marry money or to find another way to fiscally heal the estate.

Problems surface when Lia finds out about the financial needs of the estate. She looks for ways to get out of Jack's life so he can do the right thing for the estate and save the livelihood of the tenants that count on him. Unfortunately, her decisions court disaster at every turn. And Jack is unable to reconcile not having Lia as his.

This story sweeps you in from page one. But very early in the book, it's obvious that happy ending could be out of reach for these two friends. Vanessa Kelly does a wonderful job with bringing her characters to life in this fun story of love and adventure. It's a great story that keeps the pages turning until the end! Loved it!

Had some great moments but also not so great moments.

Lia Kincaid is the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York. When she fails at trying to be a stage actress like her mother, she decides her only other option is to find a protector and her childhood friend, Jack Easton, seems like the perfect person to teach her.
This was a cute story with some well-developed characters. I enjoyed watching the events unfold as Jack and Lia are drawn closer and closer. I highly recommend.

Three Weeks With a Princess is the second book in Vanessa Kelly's The Improper Princesses series. This series plays off her Royal Renegades series and is about the illegitimate daughters of titled men who are living their lives to the best of their abilities and fighting off the stigma of their birth.

Lia is the daughter of the Duke of York and comes from a long line of "notorious" women. She is raised by her grandmother who is a former mistress of a Marquess. Given her family's reputation and her birth she doesn't expect to have a fortuitous marriage so she doesn't care what anyone thinks and won't take advice or help from anyone.

Jack has a title he doesn't want and that requires him to marry a woman with a substantial dowry. He wants to help Lia on her path to marriage and he wants to protect her, but he doesn't consider her as a romantic option.  They have been somewhat friends since childhood but Jack's mother always made sure there was a distance created and kept. He doesn't want to treat her like the other women in her family have been treated but she has little objection.

Gillian and Charles from book 1 are featured strongly in this book and I was glad to learn more about them. I loved their characters and Gillian could see what was happening and played a matchmaker of sorts. The banter between Lia and Jack was perfect and their arguments were humorous. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow and change as well as Lia's character development. I look forward to more in this series.

'Three Weeks with a Princess' by Vanessa Kelly is book Two in the "The Improper Princesses" series. I have read the previous book and feel this can be a standalone book. This is the story of Lia Kincaid and Jack Easton the Marquess of Lendale. Lia is the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York and her mother was a famous actress but was never acknowledged by the Duke. Lia was raised by her Grandmother, who was the mistress of the older Marquess of Lendale. Jack was the nephew of the former Marquess of Lendale and since his pasting has become the new Marquess of Lendale. Jack and Lia knew each other growing up and were great friends. Jack knew Lia and her Grandmother were staying at the Dowager house cottage because his Uncle was in love with Lia Grandmother. Jack is now dealing with what his Uncle has left the manor and the estate in....which isn't good. The previous Marquess didn't leave anything thing to Lia or her grandmother. So Lia knows with the estate in such a mess that Jack wouldn't really be able to support her or her grandmother....and she doesn't think it would be fair anyway. What she must do is find a 'protector' but can Jack be that for her? Would Jack Let her go to find another one?
I so loved this book! Jack and Lia were the best main characters have read in a while. I liked their back and forth battering. How they cared for each other....just everything about them!
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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Lia Kincaid, illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York, comes from a long line of notorious women and she has little hope of a respectable marriage. She and her grandmother have been living has been living on the Marquess of Lendale estate where her grandmother was the love of his life and his mistress.
Jack Easton is the new Marquess of Lendale after his grandfather died. He and Lia grew up together on the estate and are childhood friends. He’s always felt of her more as a little sister until recently he really notices how much she’s grown up and inflames his desires. He very much feels like her protector and knows it would not be honorable to take her to bed. Jack must resist the beautiful woman he desires far too much. Their relationship is transformed from flirting and kissing to other pleasurable pursuits creating an even bigger scandal when their passion are ignited in a matter of a few weeks.
Thanks to Jack Lia's discovering a bunch of family members along the way and realizing how much they root for her and that’s she’s not really all alone in the world. Jack Easton is her childhood friend who is bound and determined to be her protector, but can he resist his heart desire and claim the one woman he loves.
This is my honest review and opinions from the ARC copy I received from Net Galley and the publisher.

This is a dramatic, amusing and romantic story. Jack is charming, kind, stubborn and entertaining. Lia is sweet, naive and stubborn. The storyline is intriguing and captivating, the surprises just keep coming. Jack's protective personality vs his emotions is put to the test when he goes ballistic upon learning that Lia plans to become a courtesan. Lia is very inept at achieving her goal, especially when Jack keeps interfering. It's a very interesting story that I enjoyed reading and I recommend adding it to your TBR list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my voluntary and honest opinion of it.

Three Weeks with a Princess is about Lia Kincaid. She lives with her grandmother who has been the mistress of the Marquess of Lendale, It has put Lia in an odd situation. Though she loves the estate she lives on, she is looked down upon by the Lendale family because of the choices of her grandmother. Except by Jack. Jack is the nephew of the Marquess and he spent a great deal of time at the estate while growing up. Jack and Lia grew up together as best friends. When Jack went away to become part of the military both Jack and Lia grew up.

When the Marquess of Lendale dies, Jack takes over the estate and he bears the responsibility of caring for Lia and her grandmother. Except the estate is in financial distress. Lia decides she needs to try to earn money so that she can care for herself and her grandmother. Her grandmother suggest Lia take on a "protector". That would make her a mistress. Lia approaches Jack with the idea and he rejects it completely. He cannot take Lia to bed. He cares for her, perhaps more than he realizes. With Jack's rejection and their shared kiss fresh on Lia's mind, she heads to London to join her famous mother in the theater group. Jack follows Lia but not until he sees her on stage scantily dressed. Jack longs to take the stubborn Lia back to the estate to care for her but Lia will not have it. She is determined to earn her way.

As Lia tries to come up with ideas on how to secure a protector, all her attempts fail. It does however put her in danger. Jack comes to her rescue and offers to marry her but Lia wants the best for Jack and despite the deep love she has for him, she does not want to cause strife in his family. Lia soon learns she has a powerful family that cares for her and wants the best, but when she is kidnapped she realizes how much she loves Jack and her family. But is it too late?

Three Weeks with a Princess was well written. I loved the characters and the plot. It is a bit steamy, but it does not take away from the story. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from Kelly.

Review by Leah for Love Romance Books

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

2.5 Stars

Book two in the Improper Princesses series, this book works well as a standalone. I haven't read the first book, but in no way felt lost as I read. Lia Kincaid is the granddaughter and daughter of two Notorious Kincaids and things have fallen on hard times. It's time for Lia to make something of herself. Lord Jack Easton, the Marquis of Lendale, is a family friend and the nephew of Lia's grandmother's lover. Jack promises to protect and provide for Lia, but due to the fact that his pockets are to let, that seems rather unlikely. Now Lia strives to take matters into her own hands, but her mulish and headstrong ways just lead her into trouble at every turn.

I've read many a regency romance, but this one fell short for me. I had a devil of a time liking Lia as a character. She's a country miss and part of a notorious family, yet she's completely clueless as to society's rules and the repercussions of your actions, which her grandmother follows now that she's retired to the country. Lia's complete lack of common sense and disregard of the advice given to her by family and friends were the main contenders. The basic storyline of her illegitimate birth and her station was true to the period, as were the career options she suggested, but when you are cousins with a Duchess, the niece of an influential Magistrate, as well as many other influential individuals, your options open up a bit.

I really liked this historical read. Lia and Jack are a wonderful couple with fun and sweet chemistry. The story is flirty, fun, sweet and entertaining. I was hooked from beginning to end. Looking forward to more in this series.