Book Review: The Stone Prince

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Stone Prince     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Gena Showalter
Class/Genre:   Romance   Fantasy
Harlequin HQN, Sep 2004, $6.50

In Dallas, six foot amazon Katie James enjoys running her firm James Real Estate in which she buys, restores, and sells old houses. Her latest acquisition is a dilapidated Victorian with a garden that contains seven statues displaying both genders getting it on. To Katie’s chagrin, she is attracted to one particular carving, but on the other hand is pleased that he is stone as she feels men are annoying especially her older brothers.

However, she feels she goes off the deep end because she believes the statue whispers to her to kiss it. Unable to resist, Katie locks lips with stone only to find a giant of a flesh and blood male appear. Jorlan en Sarr explains that he was from another world who was cursed by his sorcerer half-brother Perlen de Locke but also magically transported to earth for his safety by his mother. As Katie helps Jorlan adapt to his new planet, he worries that Perlen’s curse goes deeper as the person who freed him must willingly give her heart to him or he returns to stone permanently.

THE STONE PRINCE is a wonderful romantic fantasy that sub-genre fans will appreciate because of the strength of the heroine who takes no gruff from her siblings or the hunk from another planet. Jorlan actually starts off as an overbearing chauvinist who believes a woman’s role is to only pleasure a man; Katie persuades him that a man’s role is to pleasure a woman while also proving a female can protect his back. Some readers may detest the use of profanity and feel Katie needs a timeout, however, for the most part the foul language fits this charming story line.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner