The Leopard Prince

By: Elizabeth Hoyt

Narrated by: Moira Quirk

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

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. The locals blame Harry for everything. 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.

©2007 Elizabeth Hoyt (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Loved the stoy and the narrator

Would you listen to The Leopard Prince again? Why?

I loved the story of a average man and a lady getting together and figuring out how to handle, or not handle, situations. The narrator was great. She really grasped the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is with the leopard out of his cage.

Lovely story, fast pace, entertaining characters

Elizabeth Hoyt is a very talented story teller and just as talented at character development. My ears had to adjust to Moira Quirk's voice then I began to see that she was probably the best choice of narrator for this book. This book stands out for me because the story is not the typical noble marrying noble. The little bit of mystery was icing on the cake.

Fairytale doesn’t signify in angsty romance

I prefer regency romances that have more fire and fun to this slow moving story featuring two passive aggressive leads. The upper class, including Lady George’s siblings, repeatedly accuse Harry of killing sheep and worse, and he mostly just takes it for 90% of the book. For her part, I couldn’t suspend disbelief that she’s running her land as the “lord-ess”, allowed to throw herself at him, and her family and staff put up only token resistance.

If there was more humor and action I might have been more forgiving about the ScoobyDoo level mystery and the townsfolk’s willingness to believe Harry guilty because figurines he carved keep popping up at the scenes of the crimes (because that’s what criminals do: they haul around unique evidence and happen to repeatedly drop them right next to the bodies). The level of madness and mean among the town was also unbelievable. Same for the number of unwed women hopping into bed with men
- and yet not calling down scandal upon them.

And what was the point of The Leopard Prince story, except to give her an excuse for conversation?
This was maudlin and muddled and downright depressing. The mood kept me from feeling the passion, which felt crass without the chemistry. This ended up being long and lackluster.
I doubt I’ll listen to this again.

Do Not Recommend

It pains me to say this because I am a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt, but this book was a disappointment. The book before this, Raven Prince, was a delight, but I just couldn't get into this one. The basic story line about the affair between an earl's sister, Georgina, and her land management servant, Harry, had great potential,but it became tangled up with a number of subplots that were either confusing or almost irrelevant to the main story. By about the middle of the book, the pace became cumbersome and only deteriorated after that. I had to fast forward several times just to finish. I cannot recommend this book.

Unlikeable Lead Characters

What would have made The Leopard Prince better?

A heroine that was less silly and less aggressively after the hero. She got on my nerves. The hero was good but he didn't seem to care for the heroine either, except for the bed sport. The ending at the church I found a bit tacky, too. I really enjoyed the murder mystery, though.

Has The Leopard Prince turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I've read lots of this genre and lots of EH's books, but unlike others, I was disappointed.

What aspect of Moira Quirk’s performance would you have changed?

I've listed to Moira Quirk's work before and really enjoy her readings. However, it was difficult on this go around to tell some characters from the others. I wonder if she got bored, too?

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Leopard Prince?

Definitely would have cut out the last romp.

Disappointed

I hesitate to write a poor review ... but, nevertheless. After enjoying the Raven Prince and Ms. Quirk's narration, it seemed only natural to follow with the Leopard Prince. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to have much in common. I found this book to be somewhat juvenile and was surprised by Ms. Quirk's narration. It almost sounded like someone reading a fairytale, a bit cartoonish, with a little uninspiring sex thrown in here and there. My impression of the main female character was that she was an uninspiring airhead that wasn't worth building a story around, pretty much the same for the male lead. Still pondering how the two books could have been so different, even in narration. Mrs. B.

Worst Hoyt book

This book is awful. Do not waste time, $, or credit. Story line weak. Neither the hero or heroine are likable. Didn’t care what they decided to do. I’ve enjoyed all other Hoyt novels but this one I persevered with thinking it must get better and it never did. Worst book I’ve read in years. Really should be pulled or free. It tarnishes Hoyt