My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Prince Charming for one night is a 2009 Silhouette Suspense novel by Nina Bruhns.
Vera is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man that has fathered many children by many different wives. But, he never acknowledged Vera. Matters are made worse by Vera's occupation as an exotic dancer. Vera's half sister, Darla, is the only one of her family that has sought out a relationship with her. But, it seems Darla has gotten herself into a little trouble. She passes off a rare and stolen diamond ring to Vera and hauls butt. Now Vera is a target.
Conner Rothchild is determined to get that diamond back and that leads him right to Vera. After having her arrested sort of backfired, the only logical thing to do is keep an eye on her to see who comes looking for that diamond. Conner is a confirmed bachelor, easily bored with women after just a short time. He's sure Vera will be not be an exception to the rule. But, deep down he knows he may be in some serious trouble. Dating a stripper would not go over well with his family so he is determined not to become emotionally involved. But, that is easier said than done.
This is a light easy romantic suspense novel that adds family pain and obligations to the story. What started off as a casual thing for wealthy people with too much time on their hands caused the death of someone and put many people in danger. Vera manages to step out from under the class restrictions that have followed her in life and into a woman that is a true hero and deserving of her long overdue HEA!
By profession, I’m really an archaeologist (an Egyptologist) but I’ve worked all kinds of jobs, from real estate to a fabric store clerk to a student counselor at the Fulbright Commission in Stockholm, Sweden. My favorite was a work-study job in grad school (go U of C!), reorganizing the ancient Egyptian pottery at the University of Chicago’s famous Oriental Institute. The pay was lousy, but holding ceramic jars actually touched by Ramses II and King Tut was awe-inspiring and unbelievably exciting.
I’ve lived all over the USA, and even spent six years in Europe. I love to travel. Maybe because my great-grandfather was an Hungarian gypsy–my only ancestor who was not Danish. A few years back, my family and I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, which has also been a wonderful adventure. It’s amazing here, and I’ve finally found “home.”
I love archaeology, but doing fieldwork in The Sudan, Africa (my area of specialty within Egyptology) isn’t too practical with children and a husband who has a normal job. So when I thought about what I’d like to do instead, I set out to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a writer. Now I have my adventures through my characters. I can give my heroines the thrills and excitement all women dream of having, but I never have to change out of my jammies to do it. My kind of job!
My novels to date have done me very proud by walking away with such prestigious honors as the National Readers’ Choice Award, the overall Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Supense (three times), the Dorothy Parker Award (five times), as well as being nominated for the RITA Award (twice), which is the equivalent of an Oscar nomination in the movie biz…to name just a few. My books have also made it onto the WaldenBooks Bestseller List, and been named favorite book of the year by Romantic Times along with several online review sites.
Sensually, I’ll admit I like to push the envelope in my stories. I think much of the appeal of romance is the seductive fantasy it allows women to indulge in safely. A woman whose days are filled with diapers or spreadsheets, PTA or sales meetings, wants to be swept away in a romantic fantasy for a few hours, into a world where she can quench her thirst for love and romantic adventure, and fulfill her dreams of a man who instinctively satisfies her deepest yearnings. I love writing about feisty heroines who do things I would never dare to do in real life. My heroes are dark and dangerous men who ooze sensuality–but who know how to treat a lady.
Last year I started another fabulous adventure, taking the plunge into the larger fiction arena with a romantic thriller trilogy, starting with SHOOT TO THRILL that came out in August ’09, followed by IF LOOKS COULD CHILL in December ’09, and A KISS TO KILL coming in April ’10, all from New York powerhouse Berkley Publishing (part of Penguin/Putnam). These will be followed by a new romantic thriller trilogy starting in 2011.
I can’t tell you how excited I am to be stepping onto a broader stage with longer, more complex suspense stories. But not to worry, I will still concentrate mainly on the emotional and sensual sides of the relationship between the hero and heroine along with the page-turning suspense I am known for. For me, there is just nothing better than creating a heart-tugging love story along with a thrill-ride adventure. I hope you agree!