Princess Isabel Plantagenet is the daughter of King Edward I. She was sent away at an early age and was married to Crown Prince Hartman of Rheinbaden. Now she is a young widow brought back to England to marry the infamous Faulke Segrave. Segrave’s wives have a tendency to end up dead and Isabel doesn’t intend on being dead wife #4. Isabel and Faulke are newlywed and fighting for their lives against an unknown enemy. Will they be able to overcome their secrets and deceptions to find true love and both be alive at the end?

So, this wasn’t the BEST historical romance I’ve ever read, but it definitely wasn’t the worst. I like the comfortable trope of historical romance. You have the female being told who to marry and given no choices over anything. However, the female has an inner strength that allows her to rise above and survive in the face of insurmountable obstacles. I love the dark, handsome, broody gentleman who succumbs to his attraction. So this book definitely fit in all those stereotypes. I enjoyed the actual story line to this book. The mystery about Isabel’s previous marriage as well as figuring out who is threatening the life of her and her household is quite well done. What I didn’t really enjoy were the adult situations in the book. It was like someone tried to throw a bit of Fifty Shades domination in just for sensation.

Overall, I will state that I enjoyed this story enough to look into more books in this Montague series. I actually didn’t know it was part of a series until I had finished it. I do thank Netgalley and Bantam/Random House for providing a copy of this work in exchange for an honest review. I give this three out of five stars.

I was only able to get half way through before I threw in the towel.

I found the characters to be unlikeable.
The dialogue was way to modern for the time era this is written in.
The story was very predictable.
I didn't see them "fall in love", just all of a sudden they both did a 180 in their feelings???
The family drama and trust issues was way over the top.

The was the first book I have read in the Montagues series. However, I was pleasantly surprised. It was a charming story. I loved Isabel. She was very relatable. I could her nervousness about wanting to marry Fawkes. I did not like Fawkes. I found him to be very selfish. Still, this is a light-hearted novel that will be sure to put a smile on your face! I highly recommend this for fans Anne O’Brien, Elliot James, and Julia Quinn.

Elizabeth Elliott’s fine Montagues series follows another young woman through a new marriage in Medieval times in the aptly titled The Princess.

The widowed-young Isabel Plantagenet of Ascalon, Dowager Countess of Rheinbaden in Germany, possesses a spine of iron – which is a good thing when she meets the muddy, brusque and bearish Sir Faulke Segrave, a knight and her husband to be. Theirs is an arranged marriage and an attempt at consolidating her father Edward’s power in Wales and also a move to quell the recent rebellion undertaken by Falke’s family.  Isabel’s first marriage was miserable; she lost the only child she conceived of it, a son who died early thanks to the mumps.  The trauma of that loss, together with increasing pressure to provide another heir resulted in Isabel suffering panic spells whenever her husband visited her bed and resulted in the erosion of Isabel’s position at court and in her husband’s physical abuse.  It’s presumed that she’s barren and her father rushes her to the next marriage.

Faulke, too, has suffered bad marriages – three in ten years - all of which ended abruptly with the sudden deaths of his wives - two of which are suspected poisonings.  Those marriages left him with three daughters – aged nine, six and two – to care for, and they all live at his home, Castle Hawksforth and have not been fostered out; this he expects his new wife to care for them in addition to warming his bed, and he’s angry that the woman he had originally intended to marry has been put aside in favor of Isabel. Lady Avalene de Forshay was everything Faulke wanted in a spouse, so the appearance of Isabel in his life is less than pleasing –Avalene’s choice to marry a notorious Italian assassin and breaking their betrothal notwithstanding.  Though neither Isabel or Faulke want the wedding to take place, they are attracted to one another and, beyond that, resolved.  They are resolved to become friends, and soon manage to develop a sense of warmth between them.

The night after Isabel’s arrival, Sir Roland, Faulke’s friend and fellow knight, is murdered, believed poisoned, and rumors soon circulate that a jealous Faulke is the one behind the murder.  Edward declares that Faulke will investigate Roland’s murder while the wedding preparations continue.  Isabel worries that Faulke might be the real murderer, and meanwhile must satisfy the expectations of both her father and her new husband.

The Princess has a sweeping sense of romance to it that does a decent job of taking the reader away from the modern day and back to the medieval era.  It’s realistic about the messy politics and even messier medicine of the time without allowing the beauty of the relationship between Isabel and Faulke to dim.

Isabel is a bright woman, understandably fearful of marriage but still strong and capable.  She is encumbered realistically by the protocols of her time and the weight of being a princess, and acts as best she can to protect herself and emerge whole from the mysteries around her.

Faulke is the classic beastly hero, brooding and roaring but also sensitive to what Isabel needs and wants out of life, and actually ends up listening to her in spite of his occasional moments of countermanding.  He’s the kind of man who snaps the neck of a villain and then takes Isabel for a long walk in the garden.

Their relationship is one of patience, and of two strong-willed people colliding, and it takes a while for trust to truly build up between them in all aspects.  Interestingly, the love scenes are a combination of light sub/dom undertones (he likes it when she calls him ‘master’ in bed sometimes), with a strong core of healing and forgiveness.

Outside of the bedroom, a twisty mystery develops and there is court intrigue to spare.  This is well plotted and paced, though the identities of the true miscreants are a bit obvious when you sit back and think about it - but aren't revealed quickly enough to break the anticipation!

There are a few minor blemishes.  The story beats aren’t predictable, but the notes are reminiscent of certain traditional tropes, and Isabel’s tendency to exclaim “ach!” when flummoxed made me think of her as a medieval Cathy or an angry Scrooge McDuck. The ending also feels far too abrupt, with an exciting development followed quickly by a wrap-up chapter.  But these are minor complaints.

The Princess works beautifully as a stand-alone and slides nicely into the rest of the Montagues series.  It’s a fine romance, well-told and smartly written, with a properly swoon worthy hero and a tough and uncompromising heroine.

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An absolutely amazing read from an author I hadn’t had the opportunity to read before. It is like taking a step back into history. Definitely with the epilogue would have been longer since I was so excited to see how everyone’s life had changed.

While I enjoy medieval romance as a rule, the historical background and first person narrative took away from the main relationship between Isabel and Faulke. I wanted to like Faulke and he could be very charming at times but the three wives threw me off. I know multiple marriages were common at the time but being a fourth wife seems excessive. The world building was beautiful if bogged down by the characters and back stories. I wish there had been multiple POVs throughout the story. I especially wanted Faulke's perspective. The story was hard to get into but moved once Faulke and Isabel marry. I found both characters to be a little superficial and their chemistry did not strike the best note with me.

I could not get into this book and I don't think I'll be trying to get back into it in the future, I don't know why I couldn't seem to get into it.

I truly enjoyed "The Princess" by Elizabeth Elliott. It was a nice blend of romance mixed with some mystery. Good solid plot and characters.

The Princess by Elizabeth Elliott
Book #5: Montagues Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: As a means of full disclosure, I had no idea this book is the fifth in an ongoing series. I tend to have an aversion to reading a series out of order, but don’t really feel like I was missing anything of great significance by reading this book as a standalone. It took me far longer than usual to finish this book, because I never found anything in it to just set me on edge and make me want to keep going until the very end. I can’t say I found anything wrong with the book, the writing is fine, the characters, are fine, the plot is fine, but fine isn’t exactly a rousing recommendation. For myself, I wanted more from this book in terms of its depth, depth of character, depth of plot, even depth of general description.
While I generally enjoy this particular genre, and I found this book to be OK, I don’t think this book is going to appeal to the hardcore lovers of the genre.

I really enjoyed reading Elizabeth Elliott's The Princess. Faulke and Isabel's story was faced paced and a great medieval romance! I loved that the drama kept coming until the very end. I find it refreshing to read romance novels that aren't set in the 19th century!

I so enjoyed reading THE PRINCESS - I loved the authentic historical feel of the book and the emotional love story between Isabel and Faulke....And I liked the sexiness of their relationship, too. A great read if you're looking for a historical romance!

A DNF contestant for me- I managed to get through it but it was difficult at times. The story started off strong, the history is rich and the characters are powerful, the author clearly knows the time period well and it shows. But the story? The plot? The romance? (This IS supposed to be a romance, right?) The connection between reader and story just was not there for me. I felt so distanced from what was going on, I had to keep re-reading earlier parts to remember what was going on.. And then the epilogue... what was the purpose of that? If I had any lines connecting me to the story still at that point, the epilogue cut them all off.

Isabel Plantagenet was a bit of an unknown to me as a historical figure but the author brings her alive in the pages of this book. Widowed she's once more on the marriage block and this time she's to be married to a warrior who has a reputation for killing his wives. Not a pleasant fate for any woman let alone a princess.
Newly widowed and returned to England, Isabel is once again on the marriage block. She definitely did not expect her first meeting with her prospective bridegroom to be with a dirty, smelly man who came to her straight from the road. Not an auspicious beginning given his murky reputation. However things do seem to improve from there and they're soon wedded and bedded.
The couple start to draw closer especially as she's able to share with Faulke the history of her own marriage that is shrouded in secrecy. However this is medieval England and life at court is full of intrigue. Surrounded by enemies can she and Faulke win through and create a dynasty worthy of a troubadour's song?
The story is well written, a rich tapestry of the history of the times.

The Princess by Elizabeth Elliott was a lovely read. I'm very happy to see Elizabeth Elliott's publishing again. The medieval time period is my favorite and I'm always looking for more reads.
Isabel Plantagenet is a widowed English princess that has finally come home after wedding a foreign crown prince. Isabel is young, childless and is being coerced by her father into marriage with a Welsh noble. She is resigned to the marriage and ready to do her duty even if she isn't happy about it.
This story, oddly to me, is written in Isabel's first person point of view. The reader never really gets into Faulke's inner most musings or his thoughts. We assume that Faulke isn't happy about the marriage either and doesn't trust Isabel, but there is no inside look into his motivations. We know he was married three times and his wives may or may not have perished under unusual circumstances. He may be a murderer or just a man who is unlucky in love.
Isabel believes that Faulke isn't happy with the match. She is also hiding a secret from Faulke, maybe not as bad as what Faulke thinks it might be, but she worries just the same.
Isabel's worries about her marriage, Faulke, her family and his are relatable. Isabel was sent to live with her first husband's family at six years old, England is foreign to her, she is an outsider in her own country among her own people. She is marrying a stranger, one that she believes will despise her in the end and their union could possibly be fatal.
The chemistry between Isabel and Faulke leaps off the pages and in Isabel's eyes Faulke becomes a man suited to her. There are some nice, passionate love scenes that further the bond between Isabel and Faulke. Great read if you like being transported back to the middle ages. Would recommend to historical romance lovers.

By giving Edward I an extra child, Elliot crafts a smoking hot romance between a widowed Plantagenet and a Welsh lord, modernized with some thoughtful episodes of consent negotiation and the effects of child marriage.

I was really happy with this story. I had never read anything Elizabeth Elliott but will be sure to search for all titles by her and will gladly recommend.

Widowed Princess Isabel Plantagenet understands her duty: to wed a new husband chosen by her father, a rogue suspected of high treason, Faulke Segrave. Faulke has already lost 3 wives and now he’s being forced into marring the Princess. She’s used to marry to Faulke who’s just as unhappy as she was about the marriage as she is. Isabel and Faulke learn each other’s secrets as their relationships progresses, he’s kind and caring when Elizabeth needs him to be and strongly comes to her defense when she’s in danger. I love the story of these two wounded souls coming together to build a life, at first bases on lies and deception and later when the truths come out they continue to support each other when their lives are in danger. Faulke is the ultimate mate and protector something Elizabeth has never really had before, she’s always been just a political pawn in her father’s world. This is my honest opinions after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

3.5 stars -rounded up

Let me start by saying, this book is written in the first person - I am not a fan of first person narrative.

Princess Isabel Plantagenet is the widow of the Crown Prince Hartman of Rheinbaden and daughter of King Edward I of England. Sent to Rheinbaden at the age of 6, Isabel is back in England for the first time in years and is faced with a very dirty, very angry Faulke Segrave. Faulke had arranged a betrothal to Avalene, but has learned that the King betrothed her to his assassin and is demanding Faulke marry Isabel or be tried for treason.


Isabel endured much in her first marriage and has no desire to be subjected to that kind of pain again, which she is sure will happen when Faulke learns the truth about her. Faulke has a reputation of womanizing and three wives who died under questionable circumstances, but looking at him, Isabel cannot fathom the first and completely believes him capable of murder! But she has no choice, she is but a pawn for her father and will do her duty.

Isabel is saddened when the captain of her English guard is found dead, poisoned and further investigation reveals his daughter and her family are also dead. Her father sends her a new captain and has Dante figure out who murdered him. When Faulke returns, Isabel is stunned at the change - he is gorgeous and he knows his effect on women- but she is determined to resist the pull, her father has promised that if marriage to him is unbearable, he will support her decision to live apart from him. Faulke is completely different today, today he is handsome, charming and more than willing to marry her. When he learns of the murder, he insists on moving in with Isabel and helping with the investigation. Her father agrees and when Faulke wants to push up their wedding, much to her dismay.


They marry and Faulke learns one of her secrets. He is patient and kind to her and helps her move past her fear. They grow closer and she begins to have hope for a happy marriage, but when a contingent from Rheinbaden is set to arrive and demand her presence, she feels bound to tell Faulke the truth and reveals her darkest secret. He is furious and she is heartbroken.

When he calms, he admits he knew or suspected her secret all along (?!?) and is angry that she deceived him, but he still cares for her and defends her honor. It seems like they will get their HEA, but Faulke's enemies are not done with him yet and they will learn that his enemy is closely tied to her - but will the figure out why she has become the target of his enemies wrath or will Isabel pay the ultimate price?

The book is well written, but since it is first person, I never learned anything from Faulke's POV, he was such an interesting character that I felt deprived not getting to know and understand him better. The mystery was decent, the love scenes were mild and the secondary characters were abundant and likable, the story and characters were an interesting mix of fact and fiction with a healthy dose of creative license. This book is part of a series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone title with no problem.


*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*

I really enjoyed The Princess by Elizabeth Elliott. There was so much going on in this book. It has court intrigue, poisoning, torture, heated romance, loyalty, HEA and so much more. I loved it.

A very suspenseful tale of a very young princess being sent to marry a much older and mature prince. Her prince ignored her and spent very little time with her. Isabel of Ascalon was a princess of England and had lots of titles. Her husband had died and she was sent home and took her people with her. Faulke Segrave, Lord of Derllys heir to Baron of Carreg, had to marry the princess because he was dangerous and could cause trouble between Wales and England. King Edward handled the marriage negotiation.
This is so well written and the suspense is so high, you are kept on the edge until the answers. The characters are well developed, the descriptions are lush and vivid. The plot is a fantastic collection of bits and pieces that are brought together, to make this a mesmerizing book. The author did such a good job writing this, it was so worth time to read.