The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

The One Thing a Lady Must Never Do

Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man.

Is Fall in Love....

Harry has known many aristocrats-including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms.

With Her Servant

Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar. Soon it's all Georgina can do to keep her head above water and Harry's out of the noose...without missing another night of love.

Having really enjoyed The Raven Prince, I ordered this book straight away, and as soon as I had a gap in between books that were due to go back to the library I picked it up, and really enjoyed it! I already know that I will be reading the third book in this series...no question at all in my mind!

Harry Pye is the steward for one of Lady Georgina's estates. When they are travelling back from London together and are involved in a carriage accident, Georgina actually realises that Harry is more than just a land steward...he is in fact a very attractive man. And so we have the first inklings of a delicious cross class love story.

Georgina is quite unusual. She is an independent land owner, despite the fact that it is her brother who holds the family title. Whilst she can play the society lady when she needs to, it is as an independently minded lady that she decides that she does indeed want to pursue a dalliance with Harry. Whilst Harry and George don't forget that there is a major class difference between them, and it does form a major element of their angst, when it is just the two of them not worrying about what others will think of them it is a very equal relationship. It was interesting to see the various attitudes amongst Georgina's family once they found out!

I really liked both George and Harry, but most especially Harry. Not only was he handsome, with emerald green eyes, but he had a very dry sense of humour, and there was no doubt in my mind that when Harry fell, he fell hard for his lady. And the chemistry between the two of them was sizzling!

In the last book, the fairytale of The Raven Prince was told in small parts at the beginning of each chapter, but in this book the fairytale was shared between the two characters, with George telling Harry the story, which was a nice touch.

There were two subplots - the one about poisoned sheep, and one about the ruination of Georgina's younger sister. I'm not 100 percent sure about the second plot, but for the first half of the book I thought that the investigation into who was killing the sheep was relevant, particularly as it helped to explain why Harry had tried to get the job as the land steward there in the first place, and the development of Harry's additional relationships were nicely done as well.

I can't wait for The Serpent Prince to come out...but there is still a couple of months to be wait! This author is definitely one that I intend to read more of, even after this series ends!

Rating 4.5/5