Product Description

In a world nearly identical to ours, the North won the Civil War, flannel is the new bling, and Russia never sold Alaska to the U.S. Instead, Alaska is a beautiful, rough-and-tumble country ruled by a famously eccentric royal family who put the fun back in dysfunctional. And the tabloid darlings are about to get more ink once the King's "royal oats" come back in the form of a surprise princess, landing them all in, well...

The Royal Mess

Jeffrey Rodinov is descended from one of the oldest families in Alaska, and a Rodinov has been protecting a Baranov for generations. It's a job Jeffrey takes VERY seriously. Six feet four inches, 220 fatless lbs., black hair, and blue eyes; weapon of choice: the 9 mm Beretta. In a pinch? His fists. IQ: 157. (Yes, crossword puzzle, in ink, just after taking out the guy behind you. No thanks necessary.) No one ever sees Jeffrey Rodinov coming, and no one--not even a mouthy, illegitimate princess--is going to keep him from playing bodyguard when his king decrees it.

Right. But no Rodinov ever had to protect Princess Nicole Krenski. Her credentials? Hunting guide in the Alaskan wilderness. Smart. Stubborn bordering on exasperating. Five-seven. Blue eyes. Very kissable mouth. Very kissable neck, back, legs, wrists, earlobes. The lady says she doesn't need a bodyguard, but that's where she's wrong. Someone needs to watch her and show her the royal ropes (and cuffs...and scarves...). Someone who can make her feel like a queen--in and out of bed. And that's a job Jeffrey Rodinov takes very seriously as well...

In this deliciously sexy, wickedly funny companion to The Royal Treatment and The Royal Pain, a reluctant princess and a determined royal bodyguard are about to discover that when it comes to powerful love, there are no defenses...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #71250 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780758212085
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Royally Fun
This is the third and possibly final (say it ain't so MJD!!) book in the Alaskan Royal Family series. Alaska is not a state it is its own country ruled for generations by the Baranovs. The first book in the series was The Royal Treatment (Alaskan Royal Family, Bk 1)followed by The Royal Pain (Alaskan Royal Family, Bk 2).

When King Al receives a letter from a woman claiming to be his 30 something illegitimate child, Al can't wait to meet her and welcome her into his zany family. Nicole Krenski loves the outdoors and is a wilderness guide in Alaska. She writes the letter to King Al as she promised her mother she would do so. She plans to have no contact with him after that; she wants no part of the royal life.

King Al and his bodyguard Jeffrey show up at Nicole's trailer hoping to lure her into the family. Hilarity ensues and the journey from guide to Princess begins.

It seems like forever since I read the last two books and I was concerned I wouldn't remember the family or the previous stories. It took no time at all to reacquaint myself with the Baranovs and all their eccentricities. Nicole is a typical MJD heroine; she's loud, brash, sarcastic and sexy. Her chemistry with the intelligent and dutiful bodyguard was electric and this book was impossible to put down.

At the end of this book MJD states that this is possibly the last of the Royal series, unless the Baranovs demand to be heard. I hope that they do because this is one family that is endlessly entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I hope you do to.

Par for the course...
I enjoyed the first book in MaryJanice Davidson's Alaskan Royal Family series The Royal Treatment. The idea of an alternate reality where Alaska became its own principality combined with MJD's trademark snarky humor and idiosyncratic characters worked. However, the 2 books that followed (The Royal Pain, The Royal Mess) were, respectively, somewhat joyless and a rehash.

My chief complaint about The Royal Mess is that although it does tie up some loose ends (rather briefly), Nicole, the illegitimate daughter of King Al that he never knew he had from a 2-week stand, was essentially identical to Christine, Al's daughter-in-law. Yes, Christine appears in the book, and she and Nicole aren't exactly best gal pals and their backgrounds aren't the same, but their prickliness, snarky dialogue, and behavior toward the king are pretty much interchangeable.

In addition, as with Ms Davidson's other books, which I enjoy but I'm not blind to the inherent faults, the characterization and plot are weak, and much of the backstory is left out. For example, we never really understand who Nicole's mother was and why she made the decisions she did; everything is mentioned briefly and in passing. Considering how bitter Nicole appears to be, that's a conspicuous lack. Also, still not clear to me is why King Al remains so loyal to the memory of his ex-wife, someone who was unfaithful to him, whereas he never strayed. In any case, there's no real character growth or development, and the storyline doesn't really go anywhere, despite the relationship between Nicole and royal bodyguard Jeffrey.

Ms Davidson has indicated this book is the final one in the Alaskan Royal Family saga. I'm wondering if this is because her writing schedule is so packed that she doesn't have time to write more (a very real possibility; I'd like to know what happens with the youngest royals, though) or if the sales from this series haven't been as great as the publishers would have liked. All pure conjecture on my part, of course.

Fun!
This was a super cute read! It was light, fast, and perfect for a hot summer evening. Or to turn up the heat on a cold winter's night!

It was nice to revisit the Alaskan royal family. Fans of MaryJanice Davidson will not be disappointed, and if you've never read her before, you'll fall in love!