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The Raven Prince
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The Raven Prince
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The Raven Prince
Audiobook10 hours

The Raven Prince

Written by Elizabeth Hoyt

Narrated by Moira Quirk

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Widowed Anna Wren is having a wretched day. After an arrogant man on horseback nearly crushes her, she arrives home to learn that she is in dire financial straits.

THERE COMES A TIME IN A LADY'S LIFE

The Earl of Swartingham is in a quandary. Having frightened off two secretaries, Edward de Raaf needs someone who can withstand his bad temper and boorish behavior.

WHEN SHE MUST DO THE UNTHINKABLE . . .

When Anna becomes the earl's secretary, it would seem that both their problems are solved. But when she discovers he plans to visit the most notorious brothel in London, she sees red-and decides to assuage her desires . . .
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 22, 2013
ISBN9781619694033
Unavailable
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Reviews for The Raven Prince

Rating: 4.3297297297297295 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

185 ratings23 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Nice audiobook, I really enjoyed listening to this:). Want to listen to the rest of the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It just nice. but very simply a well-narrated story. Just perfect
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Audiobook: Narrator – Moira Quirk

    This was an excellent audiobook, the narrator bringing each character to life and giving voice to both male and females in a way that worked for me. The more sensual scenes were exquisite as she utilized a gruffer voice for the hero and I completely forgot this was a woman telling the story.


    This is the perfect grumpy, grouchy, rude and huge hero! I loved him!

    Anna is sweet and caring but strong and independent. Her past has left her with a dislike for marriage and having learned that dislike the hard way, she has no desire to experience it again. However, she would like to learn a bit more about her employer the Earl of Sartingham and disguising herself to do so will give her an insight that is quite scandalous.

    Edward is a proud man with a rich heritage. His main goal in life is to continue his family line. His own late wife taught him the hard truth of what to look for in a future wife and what he’s looking for was absolutely heartbreaking. He was such a brusque and grumpy man with everyone, even Anna, but as his heart gives way she finds a softer side to him.

    I loved the dynamic between Anna and Edward. Their give and take was entertaining as Edward came up against someone who would stand up to him. The fact that someone was a woman just added to the overall enjoyment of the story. I’ll definitely be moving on to the next one in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An amazing story and an amazing narration! Loved how the narrator managed all the different voices - not one resembled the other.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Ok book. Standard storyline with standard end. Perfect if it's what you're looking for.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved The Raven Prince soooo much. It is now one of my favorites. I fell in love with Edward! I loved listening to the book while I colored in my adult coloring books it was so relaxing.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I read this ebook years ago and loved it. Listening to it being read by a wonderful narrator elevated the pleasure to greater heights! Mora Quirk is a fantastic narrator! I look forward to listening to her other works!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The first in Hoyt’s Princes trilogy is a pretty solid romance between the bad-tempered earl, Edward de Raaf, and his new secretary, the widowed Anna Wren. I know not everyone can accept the main conceit of the story. After all, only in Romance Land is it perfectly believable for Anna to go into a high-class brothel to rendezvous with Edward in disguise, simply because she is frustrated with the idea that Edward refuses to act on his attractions toward her and instead uses the brothel as his outlet. Steamy scenes ensue. These were the only parts that made the book stand out. Everything else about the story was okay, but it just felt a bit rote. The characters weren’t memorable, the romantic tension not thick enough, and there’s not much plot. There’s not much there aside from their growing attraction to one another and the sticky situation of Edward being engaged to a woman who is of his class and able to give him an heir, a role that Anna can’t fulfill. Oh sure, there’s a blackmail thing engineered by one of the jealous village women, but that and the rest of the ‘conflicts’ that were set up got addressed in a mechanical fashion. Despite these weaknesses, the book is still head and shoulders above most romances so I’m not complaining.

    2 people found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Anna Wren, a widow, is in search for a job that could help with their financial needs, and miraculously finds a job as a secretary to the Earl of Swartingham. At first Anna is overjoyed but knows that it won't be a easy task to be a secretary to a man who hold a temper. Edward, is shocked when he comes home to see that a woman is his secretary, a woman that stands up to him and isn't afraid of his temper. Edward is physically drawn to Anna but knows that she is a lady and knows that he can never make an advance toward her, but the more time they spend with each other, he starts to realize she is the first woman he is comfortable with, someone to talk with, to walk with and one that see him beneath the scars on his face. But then the unexpected happens, and they will both realize that they will be able to find their ever after if they would fight for it...The Raven Prince is the first in the Princes Trilogy, and as the first book I have read from this author, I just fell in love....I found myself not wanting this one to ever end. I loved Anna and Edward and even the mutt 'jock' was a hoot throughout the book. I immensely enjoyed the interaction between the characters, especially Anna and Edward. Anna is not afraid of Edward, despite the fact that pretty much everyone else is....and she stands up to him like a spitfire not afraid of a thing, which only increases the heat and passion that builds between them. At first it took me a little bit to get into the books, but once I did I couldn't put it down, I was totally immersed into a unforgettable romance, that had my full attention!!! A Keeper for sure! Looking forward to reading more from Elizabeth Hoyt.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    And this is where I lose any remaining cool points (as many as a grown woman reading YA and smut can have) and emphatically proclaim: I LOVED THIS BOOK. NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, I LOVED IT. I still don't think you get it. First I loved the main character. Anna is an impoverished widow who still has to find a way to feed her household. A lady simple does not work. Selling the odd bit of stitching and lace is acceptable but pounding the payment in search of waged employment just isn't done. She inspires an understandably fair amount of gossip when she goes to work as the Earl's secretary. In those days, secretarial jobs (like most all jobs) were reserved for men! I loved how she slapped expectations and societal norms in the face and went to work. Being a lady is all well and good, but a lady still has to eat. She's practical, sensible and I applaud her for getting the hell up and doing what she had to do to feed her family. The fact that she's a woman in a man's job was really only an issue to the gossips. Edward, the Earl of Swartingham's expectations weren't very high- have neat handwriting and finish the work on time. Plus he pretty much wanted to do her from the get go (I would have told her to use this opportunity to ask for a raise). What was unexpected was my affection for the Earl. He's painted as a very course, foul tempered, unpleasant sort of man and the references to his marked ugliness are numerous. His main appeal was his treating Anna as an equal and his desperate desire to be loved. And not just loved, but wanted. Rather a reversal of roles here- usually it's our heroine seeking emotional gratification whilst all our heros are rakes. Made my heart go pitty-pat. Now for the naughty bits- When their mutual desire for each other becomes a bit more than either can handle, the Earl takes off to London to visit his favorite brothel in hopes that the ahem, distraction, will make him stop thinking about Anna. Anna, widowed several years now, from a husband who was an ass while he was alive, has long since believed herself to be immune to desire but she can't deny that she wants Edward. So, and here's were we all squeal because it's just TOO much, she does something a lady would never do (or would never admit to) and follows Edward to London where once disguised, she presents herself as his lady of negotiable affection. While the story is told, Anna is reading from a little book that she found in the Earl's library called The Raven Prince. It was his little sister's book and it is a fairytale about a princess that marries a raven to fulfill her father's debt to him. During the day he is a bird but at night he comes to the princess as a man but she has no idea that her lover is in fact her husband. Curious as to who her lover is, she lights a candle to reveal him and breaks the enchantment. Having been discovered, he is forced by the spell he is under to remain a raven and flies away, leaving her... Anna is a lady, but a poor one. Edward is an Earl and as such his future wife must be able to fulfill certain social and financial obligations. But none of this matters when his Anna comes to him disguised at night but we know what happened in the fairytale.... Beautiful story, imaginative, and wonderfully written. I didn't put it down until it was finished....then I ran out and bought the sequels, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a refreshing read. I really loved this one. It sure did prove that you don't have to be a "hottie" to be hot. I loved the fact that Edward was unattractive and Anna was considered plain. They really were different, but so similar in that they had both gone through past emotional upheaval, survived it, and had the capacity to love again. I smiled quite a bit during the entire course of this book. Hopple and his outrageous clothing made me laugh and the elderly butler, Davis, was a riot. Definitely recommend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    After seeing my GR friend's reviews, I couldn't resist in reading this book. All I can say is THANK YOU! I stayed up until 4am reading this book (I started very late), and the second I woke up, I wanted to get back to the book. Love it and now I want book 2!Update- Added this book to my "favorite book not published in 2010" shelf.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Raven Prince was an enjoyable read which I thought had some rather unusual elements. As I read the first chapter or so of the book, I was reminded of one of my all-time favorite romances, Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels. While The Raven Prince does bear some resemblance to Lord of Scoundrels, it is still very much it's own distinctive story. Much like their counterparts in Lord of Scoundrels, Edward can be rather temperamental and boorish, while Anna is very plucky and unconventional. They share a few moments of sharp, witty bantering, but I wouldn't have minded seeing them go toe-to-toe a few more times than they did. I can certainly appreciate attractive people, but the ratio of impossibly beautiful characters in romance novels to those found in the real world, is so disproportionately inflated, I can't help getting bored with them sometimes. I actually found it refreshing that Anna's very first impression of Edward was “ugly,” and Edward's first impression of Anna was “frumpy.” I think this allowed the author to send a subtle message that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and “love truly is blind,” because once these two started falling for one another, they were each thoroughly beautiful to the other, something to which I can really relate. I have only come across a couple of authors I can think of who have a tendency to write more mature characters, so having Edward and Anna be a little older was a very pleasant change as well. She was 31, and I initially had the impression that he was nearer 40 until it was revealed late in the story that he was 34, although I had to do the math to figure out his age.Elizabeth Hoyt has a slightly different writing style in that she doesn't seem to reveal all of her character's insecurities, vulnerabilities and motivations right away. Most authors have a tendency to let the reader in on these things up front, and then the story centers around them making peace with those things and finding healing if the pain is deep. With Edward and Anna, Ms. Hoyt leaves the reader with the sense that there are mysterious things lurking beneath the surface that can't be seen, but she takes her time, revealing them one-by-one when the situation seems ripe for it. This does give the story a more languid feel which may not work well for readers who prefer a faster pace, but I thought that it was an interesting approach. The story also has a very angsty quality to it, I think, in large part, because of Edward's intensity. I found a certain beauty to it though, an emotional depth that was somehow different from other stories I've read. Edward and Anna have both suffered emotional pain in their lives, yet both seem to be fairly comfortable in their own skin and not harboring major neuroses. Once again, I thought this was a unique blend which made the characters very complex and multi-dimensional.Edward had his moments of intensity, but I don't think that I would quite classify him as tortured. He had times of what I would characterize as personal reflection that would sometimes reach an emotional high, but he always came back down rather quickly. Edward was quite temperamental though, having scared away several male secretaries, before hiring Anna. He could occasionally be prone to throwing things in a fit of anger, but was probably equally likely to express himself with sarcasm. Some people don't want to be around him, not just because of his temper, but also because he is badly scarred from the smallpox, so he always respects anyone who doesn't mind his scars and can hold their own against his boorish behavior. It becomes readily apparent as the story progresses that Edward's bark is really worse that his bite. I really liked Edward's complexity of thinking, how he fell hard for Anna, but was conflicted both in his feelings for her, especially after he discovered her deception, and his sense of duty to his family line. Watching him try to figure things out and understanding what he was feeling and thinking made him a very interesting character to read. Another thing that made him quite appealing to me was his combination of erudition and earthiness. He was obviously a very intelligent man, but one who wasn't afraid to go out in his fields and come back covered in muck. Edward also made my geek list because he seemed more comfortable alone or out on the land with his tenants than in social settings, and he was extremely knowledgeable about agriculture, having written a number of scholarly papers on the topic, as well as lecturing at the Agrarian Society. In fact, he could sometimes get so wrapped up in his work that he would become oblivious to the time and what was happening around him. I've always loved smart men, but that, in addition to all of his other qualities made him positively irresistible.Anna was a very spirited heroine that I liked very much too. I loved how she was never afraid of Edward's temper, and always handled him quite deftly. She was strong and fairly confident, but the few times she allowed her insecurities to get the best of her, she realized her mistake pretty quickly and came back fighting. She is also very kind and caring, doing what she must to make sure her elderly mother-in-law and their orphan maid are provided for, and she even takes in an injured prostitute when no one else would have, even though her actions set tongues to wagging. What I think I liked most about Anna and the whole story though, is how she discovers her attraction for Edward, and boldly decides to be naughty just once in her life to get what she think she wants. She seduces him in disguise at the brothel he frequents, because she simply can't bear the thought of him bedding anyone else. Yet even though she thoroughly enjoys the experience, she is terribly conflicted afterward. She feels a bit of guilt for having deceived Edward, but most of all she realizes that the physical pleasure wasn't all that she truly desired. I loved that the author brought out these feelings in Anna. It was exactly what I was thinking and feeling at that moment in the story, and I would have been quite disappointed if Anna hadn't felt that way too. Everything worked together to make her a very relatable character for me.There were a number of great secondary characters in The Raven Prince as well. Edward's estate manager, Felix Hopple, was a hoot with his flamboyant clothes, but we find out later that he is also a rather shy, sweet man. Edward's valet, Davis, is another fun character. He's a feisty old man who rarely works and constantly goads Edward into threatening to fire him. Their interactions were quite amusing. I also enjoyed Edward's initially nameless dog, and the little rabbit trail of Anna trying to help him think of a suitable name. Anna's mother-in-law is a sweet old lady who is always very supportive of her. I also liked Pearl, the prostitute Anna rescued, and her sister Coral. They became the catalyst for and the confidantes of her naughty exploits. There are a couple of ne'er-do-well characters who try to stir up a bit of trouble for Edward and Anna after they discover what Anna did. Last but not least there were Edward's two friends, Harry and Simon, who become the heroes of the next two books in the series, The Leopard Prince and The Serpent Prince respectively. There were a couple of other elements of The Raven Prince that I particularly savored. Each chapter begins with a snippet of a fairy tale with the same title, which Anna had found in Edward's library. I'm sorry to say that I'm not up on my Greek mythology, but I discovered through other reviewers that this is apparently a re-telling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. I liked it every bit as much as the main novel and found myself eagerly waiting to get to the next chapter to discover what would happen next in that story too. Ms. Hoyt also has a talent for writing deeply sensuous love scenes that are like a sweet treat for the imagination. I thought that everything was very tastefully done, but sensitive readers should know that these scenes do get rather spicy and the use of a handful of explicit words that I've rarely seen outside the erotic sub-genre (and which some may find offensive) do push the traditional historical envelope a bit. Ultimately, my only complaint about the book which kept it from a perfect five stars was that the first ¼ or so of the book moved a little too slow and I felt that the initial attraction between Edward and Anna in those pages was a bit too subtle and not quite palpable enough to suit me. Once I got past that section though, it became a very engrossing read. Overall, The Raven Prince was an excellent debut novel from Elizabeth Hoyt, and one I very much enjoyed reading. It was my first book by Ms. Hoyt, but it has earned a spot on my keeper shelf and has left me quite eager to continue The Princes Trilogy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is Hoyt's debut novel and I was impressed with her style. However there were lots of events in the plot that I thought were implausible but Hoyt's writing was so smooth and superbly well written that I was able to completely overlook that. Anna Wren is financially strapped and seeks work as the secretary to Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, while he is away from home. She gets hired sight unseen and when Edward figures out who his new secretary is he is amazed. The sexual tension builds between them culminating in some very explicitly hot steamy sex. I have to admit I loved those scenes even if I didn't believe for second that they could actually happen that way. Edward was a wonderful hero, not handsome even unattractive from his small pox scars. I loved the way that Anna never sees him as ugly. This was a very sexy fast-paced read with great characterizations. (Grade: B+)
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Writing fair to good, but fails due to lack of research re historical/location language and character behaviours. I was jerked out of time/place on many occasions. Characterisation was a mixed bag, some great, others not. Plot fell apart for me when heroine went to brothel in order to have sex with hero. Resolution was sloppy. A good editor could have saved this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Anna Wren is nearly destitute, and the only solution she can think of is to find a job. Not an easy proposition in Regency England.She lucks out when Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, urgently needs a new secretary, his temper having rid him of his previous ones. The earl's steward is desperate, and hires Anna despite his misgivings.It's a sweet story--the tortured hero (he's scarred from smallpox, his entire family including wife and child have died) and the valiant heroine first fighting their attraction, then liking each other, then falling in love, culminating in a disguised Anna meeting Edward in a brothel where he'd gone to... er... work off his attraction to her.I don't have any real complaints, other than a vague feeling that the tone of the writing seemed rather more modern than I'm used to with a historical romance--there weren't any anachronisms or anything I can put my finger on, so maybe it's just my imagination or a taste issue. Mostly, the four stars is because it's a pleasant story that I enjoyed and am glad I read, but nothing extraordinary.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Considering my mixed feelings for the other two books in this series, I was less than enthusiastic in picking up The Raven Prince. I'm happy to say though that I was pleasantly surprised. The characters were interesting, and the romance compelling. A well written, fun book. The way in which Hoyt incorporated the fairy tale for this first installment of her series was, I think, much better here than in her subsequent books. Here, instead of having the characters themselves intermittently narrate installments of a fairy tale, each chapter is prefaced by excerpts from the story of the raven prince. Not only did this make for a more seamless parallel between the fairy tale and the events and characters in the novel itself, but I liked this fairy tale much more than the others found in the Leopard and Serpent Prince. While I guess the most obvious model for The Raven Prince is Psyche and Eros, my attention was really grabbed when I saw how closely the story went along with the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon (with some differences - a raven instead of a polar bear, for one.) Hoyt has also mixed in a little of Beauty and the Beast. Since East of the Sun and West of the Moon is one of my favorite fairy tales, I guess I'm a little biased, but this was my favorite aspect of the book. Edward de Raaf makes a good beast/enchanted prince, (even though I think more could have been done with him - he threw things once or twice and yelled a bit, but his shows of temper seemed random and pointless - they didn't add that much to or really seem a part of his character and just seemed to be thrown in every now and then because he was supposed to be a "beast"). Anna Wren is unusual in chasing after what she wants, (even if you have to allow for a great deal of coincidence to get her there). Though her plan to disguise herself and meet with Edward at a bordello stretches the imagination, the episode is very romantic and reflects an aspect of the fairy tale nicely. All in all, a good story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’ve seen nothing but good reviews on this one, as I’m sure you have ... and I’m adding one more! Very satisfying read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Raven Prince by Elizabeth HoytAfter reviewing her somewhat precarious financial situation, Anna Wren comes to the conclusion that she needs a job. When she discovers that Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, requires a new secretary, it seems like the perfect solution to her employment problem. Having already lost two secretaries because of his temper, Edward reluctantly agrees to give Anna a chance. Much to Anna's surprise, she finds she likes working for the often stubborn but unexpectedly kind Edward, and Edward soon realizes that Anna is not only an excellent secretary but also an extraordinarily intriguing woman.It's just long enough now that, given my awful memory, I don't remember a lot of the details on this one, but do have an overall impression. This was a good, solid but for me, average, read. With one significant exception, the story flowed nicely, and Anna and Edward worked well together.The love scenes were a bit more vulgar (not in a bad way, just that I can't think of a better word) than in many historical romances. I don't know if this is due to the author or the setting, as this is a Georgian-set rather than Regency-set novel. They work fine, but I did notice the difference.My main problem with this book was the whole "Anna in the brothel" aspect of it. How does a gentle and impoverished county widow end up, appropriately dressed, in London's classiest and most exclusive brothel, in the position to choose who she spends the night with? The coincidences required for this just stretched my suspension of disbelief too far. All the same, if the unliklihood of all this is ignored, the story is a decent one and I enjoyed reading it. I'm expect I'll also read the others in the series.The Raven PrincePrince Trilogy, Book 1Elizabeth Hoyt7/10
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Delightful romance, moving, funny, sexual and sensual. A keeper. Anna Wren is an impoverished widow living iwth her mother-in-law when a series of circumstances lead her to become the new Earl's secretary. Shocking! And she's lovely, smart, funny, sexual. I liked Anna alot. Edward is interesting, sensitive about his pock marked features, devestated by the plague that took all his other family members.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The widow Anna Wren is desperate to find a job to support her meager household. The Earl of Swartingham is in need of a secretary that won't run away when he loses his temper (which happens quite frequently). When the Earl and Anna agree to the business arrangement both are surprised to find themselves quickly enamored of each other. But each is afraid to reveal their feelings to the other as such a union is considered impossible because of social status. When Anna discovers the Earl is going to a exclusive bordello in London she concocts a plan to meet with him without revealing her identity knowing if she were to be discovered it may ruin her forever.In expanding my author base for historical romances I'm never sure if I will like a book or not. "The Raven Prince" was certainly one I don't regret reading. I enjoyed both Anna and the Earl. It was interesting how the author took pains to make the hero somewhat obnoxious, temperamental and not overly attractive and yet still managed to make him very likable at the same time. Even the secondary character of the Earl's dog was utterly charming in similar uncouth way. Another thing I found rather cute, although it will probably depend on what edition of this book you read, is that the author gave a little interview with the Earl at the end of the book which made me giggle. I thought that this romance was very enjoyable and plan to read more by this author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    edward was such a brute!!!! but the underlying passion between them was undeniable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book. The main characters Edward and Anna were both delightful. Edward is a grumpy, short tempered, rude earl - and he's adorable. Anna, a down on her luck widow manages to trick her way into a job as his secretary. They are very much drawn to each other but things manage to get in their way. It's delightful to see them spar with each other. I highly recommend this book!