Taken by the Prince

This serviceable and solid Victorian romance mostly takes place in the fictional country of Moricadia, long oppressed by the despotic de Guignard family. Raul Lawrence, the rightful heir to the Moricadian throne, is distracted from his covert revolutionary activities by Victoria Cardiff, a traveling governess, who recognizes him from a childhood encounter. Afraid that she will betray him, he kidnaps her. The sparks of their romance flicker against a backdrop of revolution, as Victoria slowly yields to Raul's caresses and the de Guignards decide to put a stop to his ambitious activities. Dodd (Chains of Fire) combines the two stories in a satisfying arc that delivers sensual sizzle, though some readers will flinch at scenes of aggressive seduction that verge on the nonconsensual. (Apr.)