Jennifer Ashley, Penelope and Prince Charming

Penelope and Prince Charming

Jennifer Ashley

Leisure, Apr 2006, $6.99

ISBN 0843956062

In 1819 in Little Marching, England, Penelope Trask lives a somewhat sedate life. That is staid and proper (most would say dull) until Prince Damien Augustus Frederic Michel of the kingdom of Nvengaria arrives claiming she is his princess. Penelope assumes that the handsome royal is either a lunatic or found the wrong female.

Damien is not prepared for rejection, as he anticipated the villager would jump at the opportunity of becoming a princess. Instead the obstinate princess to be distrusts him, perhaps for good reason. He needs to marry her immediately if he is to fulfill an ancient prophecy and regain his kingdom from an usurper. As they trek to his remote nation, they fend off attacks, mundane by assassins, and magical by evil wizards; they even survive a battle with a shape-shifting Logosh. All this makes Penelope a believer that there is more to earth than her village, even as she and her prince fall in love.

PENELOPE AND PRINCE CHARMING is a fine romantic fantasy that shows Jennifer Ashley can leave the pirates behind. The storyline is at its best when the lead couple struggles to survive against overwhelming odds, some mundane (assassins being an everyday occurrence), and some from the fantasist realm, as the romance takes a back seat and at times feels intrusive to the fantasy. Sub-genre fans will enjoy this beguiling tale.