Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Weight of the Crown
Author: Christina Hollis
Publisher: Mills & Boon (Harlequin Presents)
ISBN-13: 978-0-263-88699-3
Release Date: October 2011
Genre/Sub-genre: Contemporary Romance
Year/Setting: Present day London
Overall Rating: 4.0
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle/Mild Sensual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None
Violent Content Rating: None
Christina's Website/Blog: www.christinahollis.com
Alyssa Dene is seeking purpose in her life. After a job that went down badly and the ensuing end of her engagement, she’s not sure what direction she should move her life in. She’s on sabbatical trying to rediscover and redefine herself—and mourn a bit while she’s at it—when she finds out that she’s been asked to take a fairly plum assignment. She’s hardens her resolve to not become involved again…and fails.
Before you know it, she’s back on the job as the best nanny around. She will be nannying Ra’id, Prince of Rosaria and future king. The only problem she’s got is his guardian. Since Ra’id’s parents died, his uncle is now his guardian and will be the Regent of Rosaria until Ra’id is old enough to take the crown. While Alyssa is sure Lysander Kahani is somehow a nice man; he has a world-wide reputation as the ultimate playboy and womanizer. With her coming straight from a broken relationship with another playboy, she doesn’t need him around to shake what little control she has managed to attain. She knows her purpose and won’t let the expert playboy make her forget her job. She’s the nanny and won’t be Lysander’s new plaything.
Too bad she forgot to notify her defiant hormones that he’s hands off. Because every time she’s near him, she wants to toss it all away. In this battle of wills, who will win out?
This was a fast and fun read. I found Lysander to have more to him than first meets the eye. While he’s known as a playboy and womanizer, there really is an intelligent mind and a man who is capable of running his country underneath the playboy exterior. And the biggest shock of all, he genuinely cares for and about his nephew.
Alyssa is still a little raw to really be objective throughout most of the book. While I understood where she was coming from and why she behaved the way she did, she did come across as overreacting a time or two. As she starts to get back into a regular nanny routine and gets to know her newest charge, she starts to become a more rational person. The self-doubts and self-loathing only rears its ugly head from time to time and stops driving all her decisions. She has some healing of her own that she needs to do in order to ever fully engage with another man or child again.
I was touched by the depth of caring both Lysander and Alyssa showed for a newly orphaned boy. Her ideas were right on target to help Ra’id grieve and still grow healthy emotionally. I really didn’t see how Lysander and Alyssa could ever overcome the gulf of differences separating them. I was amused by Lysander’s antics to help sway her mind. He’s quite the romantic at heart. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but the ending threw me for a few loops before it came in for a landing. A great escape read that warmed my heart.
Robyn
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