Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Buy Links:
Book Description:
Magic happens when love is true
Lena thought she'd found a prince when Charles rescued her four-year-old half-brother from the waters of the Serpentine. A simple boating accident sparks romance, but the man of her dreams seems to be hiding something. They're both unemployed — times are hard — but there's something else he's not telling her.
One night, Lena sneaks back into Hyde Park to find out if Charles is secretly camping in the park and gets the surprise of her life!
How far is Lena willing to go to rescue the man she's fallen for?
I was pleasantly surprised to see that The Swan Prince was a lot better than I originally thought it would be. I originally decided to read this story because I was obsessed with the movie The Swan Princess when I was a little girl and spent a ridiculously long time attempting to get myself to turn into a bird by leaping in random ponds and lakes…Don’t ask.
It was a phase my parents did not appreciate, just like my mermaid phase and the salt in the bath water, anyway, enough about my weird childhood behavior. In The Swan Prince Lena takes her 4-year-old half brother for a boat ride on the Serpentine Lake and mystery man Charles saves him when he falls off the boat and into the water.
Charles and Lena hit it off immediately and she offers to buy him some hot tea for his trouble. They spend the afternoon getting to know each other while entertaining her little brother. They find out that they’re both sort of in the same boat with work and life, though Charles’s reason is a lot more unique than one would think.
When it’s finally time for them to part ways they agree to meet up the next day for lunch. I thought it was sweet how there was like this instant connection between them and how she told her step mom and Father about him when she got home. Throughout the story Lena seemed sort of young and naïve, but I like how there’s sort of a rebellious streak to her.
When she meets up with Charles the next day and they eat by the Pan statue it was cute, but the best part was when she follows him deeper into the park and spies on him as he strips down and then turns into the swan. There are some naughty bits between him stripping down and then turning into a swan and I’m pretty sure I snickered at how hot and bother Lena got, but I liked this scene because she knew she shouldn’t be there, but she was so curious she had to know what was going on.
I like that in a character. So of course Lena runs home and can’t sleep that night because she’s like holy crap that man I’m falling for is part swan. If I was Lena I would have freaked out, but apparently being half swan isn’t that big of a deal. She confronts him the next morning and I was slightly surprised that they wind up going at it right there on the dirt after they talk.
Don’t get me wrong I think C. Margery Kempe, author of The Swan Prince, is an incredibly talented writer and there was so much hotness in that one scene that this was me:
I have this pet peeve about outdoor sex though; I’m totally for it, but not on the beach and not in dirt. The thought of getting sand or dirt or anything else gross like that in places that will not be mentioned in this review is kind of a turn off and for some reason as I was reading this scene all I could think was, dude you’re pounding her into the dirt.
All in all though, I really enjoyed how Kempe adapted this fairy tale and turned it into this contemporary adult romance. I never in a million years would have thought to make this into something sexy and seductive and I’ve got to give Kempe props where they are do.
C. Margery Kempe was born in King's Lynn, Norfolk, but traveled extensively throughout the early years of her life, including trips to Jerusalem and the Holy Lands. She graduated with a degree in religious studies from a small Catholic college, and now lives a quiet life in the countryside, where she runs a small bakery and writes her stories longhand in her fifteenth-century farmhouse (although it's possible that details from the medieval mystic may have been included here and she's really just an English professor with an overactive imagination, better known as K.A. Laity).
Thank you for hosting C. Margery Kempe today. Readers can learn more about her on our website at http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Kempe_CM
ReplyDeleteThrough the 18th, Tirgearr Publishing is having a 50% off sale. Readers can choose their favorite authors at our website and easily click through to their books. Our books are available for all reading devices and available through all major retailers . . . Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iTunes/iBooks, Sony, etc as well as through Smashwords.
@Tirgearr Publishing Wonderful thank you so much for that information! :)
ReplyDelete@Goddess Fish Promotions Thanks for having me! :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting review! :P
ReplyDeleteHaha I agree about sand and dirt. It's really not sexy at all. :P
LOL, you gals need to get out in nature more! I guess growing up in the wilds I'm impervious to it. Thanks for the review. Glad you liked it anyway. :-D
ReplyDelete@Tirgearr Publishing Thanks, boss!
ReplyDeleteDirt, no, but outdoors...yes, been there, done that. 'Nuff said. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a terrific story, can't wait to read it!
Dirt? I'm going to have to go back and reread this one. I don't remember dirt LOL I think you said on the ground? In my mind, park, lakeside, garden . . . I think grass of some kind. At least mossy under the trees.
ReplyDeleteLovely review, Corina! Thanks. We've put an excerpt up on our website on the book's page with a link back to this page and will update in the morning.
Thanks for the honest review!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(dot)com
That was an awesome tease for the book! Wishing you many sales!
ReplyDelete@Elizabeth Delisi Hee! Glad to hear it!
ReplyDelete@Tirgearr Publishing Yeah, I was thinking of that spot that is grassy and a little piney (soft needles) so, huh. :-)
ReplyDelete@Kristi AhlersThanks, Kristi!
ReplyDelete@Leah Thanks, haha. I've got dirt issues, I'm weird haha :)
ReplyDelete@cmkempe True, I probably shouldn't knock it until I try it...Adding it to bucket list haha. :)
ReplyDelete@Elizabeth Delisi Yeah, I've got no problem with the outdoors! Thanks for checking out my review. :)
ReplyDelete@Tirgearr Publishing Well the grassy part by the water is bound to be wet haha. Thus dirt.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Can't wait to check it out. Thanks so much for stopping by and linking back! :)
@Kristi Ahlers Thanks Kristi! And thanks for stopping by! :)
ReplyDeleteThe dirt isn't so bad if you put a blanket down first ;-) Just watch for rocks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review and excerpt. I think I'd like this book. Sort of puts me in mind of an old country tune from the mid 70's called 'Blanket on the Ground'! And as someone already said...been there, done that! LOL
ReplyDeletekareninnc at gmail dot com
@Karen H in NC LOL! Good to hear it, Karen. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun review, Corina. Like you, I think that READING about sex on a beach or in dirt/leaves is more romantic than actually doing in on a beach or in dirt. I feel the same way about mud scenes. Mud is not sexy! Sand and mud and dirt just don't belong in certain places...LOL.
ReplyDeletecatherinelee100 at gmail dot com
I do find when love is involved, magic is often not to far behind.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
Sounds like a really fun book.
ReplyDelete@Catherine LeeLOL, I see a lot of people agree with that!
ReplyDelete@Debby You're so right, Debby!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by everyone; you'll all be entered for giveaways. I've put all the names in a virtual hat and have drawn the winner:
ReplyDeleteKaren H in NC! Congratulations.
Follow the crew on the whole tour and win more!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteJust got your email telling me I won an Amazon GC. Just had to stop back to say THANKS! What a special treat it was to receive. Looking forward to the rest of this tour.