"A Princess and a commoner"

Her Royal Highness Georgiana Victoria Elizabeth May of the Baltic principality of Saxe-Wallerstein-Karolya is awakened from her sleep one morning in 1874 to learn that her beloved parents, the current rulers of her country, have been murdered. The man responsible is none other than her cousin Victor. Giana is now the ruler of her country and in order for Victor to gain the throne he must find her and either murder her or marry her. Not knowing whom to trust and where to turn, Giana and her small group of followers decide to flee the country and hide out until help can be found.

Adam McKendrick is a self-made American millionaire. Handsome, chivalrous and rich, he is the stuff feminine dreams are made of and books are written about. In fact he has unwittingly become the hero of a series of dime novels touting the exploits of THE TRUE ADVENTURES OF THE BOUNTIFUL BARON: WESTERN BENEFACTOR TO BLOND, BEAUTIFUL, AND BETRAYED WOMEN. Adam has won the deed to a hunting lodge, located in The Scottish Highlands, in a poker game. He decides to visit the lodge and determine if he can turn it into a money-making men's club. He is looking forward to some time away from all these blond women who keep throwing themselves at him.

When he arrives in Scotland Adam discovers that lodge keeper has followed the instructions in his telegram and that there is a staff already in residence. He wants to get started right away on making the necessary improvements to the lodge. He does begin to suspect that there is something strange about the hired help. Why has the tall blond chambermaid been sleeping in the master bedroom? And how did she come by those expensive clothes she wears while cleaning? Meanwhile Giana and her loyal subjects have put into motion a scheme to hide their true identities from Adam until they decide if they can trust him, or until help arrives in the form of Giana's godmother, Queen Victoria of England. What Giana doesn't plan on is she and Adam's mutual attraction for each other. What future can there possibly be for a Princess and a commoner?

EVER A PRINCESS was an entertaining, if somewhat uneven, story. I enjoyed the American commoner and the Princess story line. I didn't know how the author was going to resolve that conflict. The excerpts at the beginning of each chapter from the dime store novel, and from an instruction book for princess's proper behavior were a nice touch. It was pleasant to see a couple who were good people, working together to solve their problems. I did find the heroine's clumsiness to be annoying, and the complicated names, titles, and relationships were confusing. Adam was at once both admirable in his defense of women's rights, and just a little too good to be true for the times. I would recommend this one if you want some light fare, but don't require a truly historically accurate 'feel'.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted January 9, 2002

Summary

Awakened one night by her father's most trusted servant, Princess Giana is given her father's ring-signifying her as ruler of Saxe-Wallerstein-Karolya. Her parents have been slain by her treacherous cousin in a coup to seize the throne. But with the princess still alive, no one can claim the crown. With only a handful of loyal servants left to attend and protect her, Giana flees to an abandoned hunting lodge in Scotland to hide.

Adam McKendrick is a successful hotel owner from Nevada -- and the unfortunate subject of a series of embarrassing dime novels. A stroke of luck at poker wins him a Scottish hunting lodge giving him the excuse he needs to leave the states and his infamous reputation for awhile. To his surprise, he finds the lodge has a domestic staff, headed by a very clumsy, yet quite beautiful maid named Giana...