geo_ix's review
4.0
I really liked this. Clearly I had read too many books between Pearl’s book and this because until Coral explained her past and her sister etc I was like why was this character picked for a story. I knew that we’d met her in a previous book but it took me an embarrassingly long time to click lol.
I really liked it though. I liked how respectful Isaac was, and that he never treated her poorly. I would have preferred a longer book, but it was still enjoyable.
I really liked it though. I liked how respectful Isaac was, and that he never treated her poorly. I would have preferred a longer book, but it was still enjoyable.
romance_recluse's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
planetarypan's review
4.0
This story was a novella about a minor character in the first book of the main trilogy. I am glad to see Coral Smythe get her happy ending -- I really liked how she was portrayed. I also really loved the Captain, and as a OTP, they worked well.
salene27's review
4.0
I adore Elizabeth Hoyt's books, my only complaint about this one is it didn't last long enough. :)
nbvanderhyden's review
5.0
Y'all, "The Ice Princess," let me tell you-
❄️
This story is not actually about a princess, but the Madam of an infamous brothel.
❄️
So, Coral, our Madam and Capt. Issac, our Hero, have known each other in a semi-professional way for quite a while. Semi-professional because they've never engaged beyond a little bit of snarky verbal abuse.
❄️
Our Capt. never partakes in any of the girls, claiming he only goes to the brothel to collect his handy-randy employees. Although us readers all know that it's really to see Coral. In an act of complete selfishlessness (is that really a word? has an awful lot of s's in it), Issac wins 7 nights with Coral in a card game.
❄️
As expected, he is a very sweet and almost indifferent towards her. He takes the time to get to know her as a person instead of as a Madam. In the end it's no surprise that he wins her trust and she wins his love. It's a very sweet novella with some clever twists that feels like a complete story.
❄️
Alrighty, they've kissed and I've told you about it!
❄️
This story is not actually about a princess, but the Madam of an infamous brothel.
❄️
So, Coral, our Madam and Capt. Issac, our Hero, have known each other in a semi-professional way for quite a while. Semi-professional because they've never engaged beyond a little bit of snarky verbal abuse.
❄️
Our Capt. never partakes in any of the girls, claiming he only goes to the brothel to collect his handy-randy employees. Although us readers all know that it's really to see Coral. In an act of complete selfishlessness (is that really a word? has an awful lot of s's in it), Issac wins 7 nights with Coral in a card game.
❄️
As expected, he is a very sweet and almost indifferent towards her. He takes the time to get to know her as a person instead of as a Madam. In the end it's no surprise that he wins her trust and she wins his love. It's a very sweet novella with some clever twists that feels like a complete story.
❄️
Alrighty, they've kissed and I've told you about it!
thanys_thoughts's review
3.0
Coral was my favorite character from The Raven Prince, so I really had to check out the novella of her story. The Captain was great for her and I loved him courting her. I liked their story, but my biggest wish is that I wish it was a full novel. There was so much more there that could have been expanded into a full novel that I didn't the novella gave their story justice. It was too easy.
scotcheroo's review
hopeful
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
This was a short, almost fluffy, happy finish to Hoyt's Princes series; especially after how dark The Serpent Prince was compared to the first 2 books. And we finally get to find out what happened to Coral since book 1! Coral has since become the Aphrodite of Aphrodite's grotto but it took some fire damage and she took on investors to finance the repairs. One of those investors bought out a bunch until he became the majority shareholder, so he effectively owns Coral too. He waltzes in one night and starts a bet for 7 nights with Coral. This is especially hard for Coral because at 24 she thought she was past having to sell her own body, it's been 2 years since.
Captain (Edward?) Wargate was there because he's trying to get his crew to stop visiting her brothel and he's attracted to Coral. He immediately enters the bet and wins!But instead of taking his liberties with Coral he builds up to it. The first night he sleeps in her chair, the next few nights they play games or talk, until finally he gets her to reveal her real name (Coral) and to take off the golden mask she wears. On the 5th night she finally almost force seduces him but there's no true pleasure in it for her. On the 6th night he comes back and shows her what it really means to make love. They're falling for each other and he intends to marry her. But he's a sea captain and orders came in that they need to set sail earlier than expected. Coral also has been going about suspiciously. She doesn't appear for their last night, she's disappeared altogether but first she went around and bought up all their shares and gave them to the brothel's guards and girls to own.
Six months pass before Wargate finds Coral alone in a cabin on the cliffs. He spent a week trying to find her but then had to ship out and he's just now back. They get married and she joins him as a sea wife on his journeys, and in the epilogue she's pregnant.
This was just a feel good type of romance. Low spice but happy to see Coral get her happily ever after. And it's England times so yea it's ok that marriage is the solution for Coral to be provided for and protected. After initially selling her virginity and working in brothels, she went through 5 increasingly important "protectors" aka men who kept her as a mistress until the last one we saw in The Raven Prince who beat and scarred her face in a fit of mistaken jealousy. So this was good to see Coral finally find love.
Captain (Edward?) Wargate was there because he's trying to get his crew to stop visiting her brothel and he's attracted to Coral. He immediately enters the bet and wins!
Six months pass before Wargate finds Coral alone in a cabin on the cliffs. He spent a week trying to find her but then had to ship out and he's just now back. They get married and she joins him as a sea wife on his journeys, and in the epilogue she's pregnant.
This was just a feel good type of romance. Low spice but happy to see Coral get her happily ever after. And it's England times so yea it's ok that marriage is the solution for Coral to be provided for and protected. After initially selling her virginity and working in brothels, she went through 5 increasingly important "protectors" aka men who kept her as a mistress until the last one we saw in The Raven Prince who beat and scarred her face in a fit of mistaken jealousy. So this was good to see Coral finally find love.