Review: Bride Ball by Brenna Lyons

A classic urban fairytale with a sexy twist of this Cinderella  story comes to life in Brenna Lyons latest Bride Ball. With the humor and classic sweetness of Ever After, some very steamy scenes that will light your fires, engaging and addictive characters that will ensnare you, transporting you into their world of urban fantasy only to make you feel as though you are right there experiencing every emotion as they are.
The book was broken up into three cohesive parts that are easy to follow thru all the chapters unfolding into wonderful character development on Ms. Lyon's part. First there is Cinder, the story of Prince Edward & Amber, Amber is the daughter of a Mistress and as her father is dead his wife did not look kindly on her, making life hard and unpleasant. Amber has been shadowed all her life by her step sisters who treat her just as horribly, Marquita and Kambry. But the fiesty Amber is coerced by her Grandmother to attending the Bridal Ball. A Ball Hosted by the Prince to find his bride, what he finds is Amber, both under disguise. Attraction is immediate and Amber can't resist his charms as he seduces her into bed. A very sexy story that has Cinder (Amber) running away from him in the morning light only to lose her bustiere while trying to escape on of the guards. A chase of sorts is on, for Edward (Christopher, as Amber believes him to be) tries to find his Cinder. A connection between the two is made and is wonderfully entertaining to watch their story unravel not to mention the creative hoops they jump through to be together. Deceit was present and I knew just from reading Cinder's story the plot was going to thicken and indeed it did. Delightfully so I knew I was in for a treat longing to hear how some of my new favorite characters lives were going to play out.
Story two, Second is Should Have Beens,continues with Edwards parents, King Benjamen and his Queen Alana, together for 26 years their love has been hushed with royal formality and stress of who they are and what they represent, passion they once knew is now gone, or so it seemed for so long. Until Edward gives his father a little push and some inspiration if you will putting the fear into him that his wife might leave him if she remains so unhappy. Tapping into that passion Benjamen has always had for his wife and her passion in turn for him. Sweet, sensual and passionate they learn to re-discover their love and desire for one another, with a few new surprises along the way.
Third, Stepsister, is the story rounding out the book is between Marguita and Kambry and Darren. Darren the Prince's cousin has taken both of the women as his mistress, until one bares him a son, but a simple plan at the time in his mind turns out to be a very serious and possibly deadly complication. Two sisters, but he has fallen for one and she for him, much to the disgust of the remaining sister who is only out for a money and a title baring Darren a son would be. This is the part of the story where I found the most drama but the twists and turns towards the very end was fantastic and summed up the story for me.
Throughout all three stories I never felt as though Brenna jumped around, they were all free flowing but completed one another beautifully never letting the reader down, always capturing my attention and making me want a little bit more.

Welcome to Lenvia, where the young prince has been given a year to choose a wife or have one chosen for him. Hoping for a desperate family to send an innocent into the fray, Edward arranges a series of Bride Balls--outrageous sexual events--and a willing decoy in his bid to find someone who loves him for himself and not his crown.

Enter Amber, daughter of a dead lord on his beloved mistress, a servant in her own household. When her irrepressible grandmother pushes her to find a husband or lover to protect her from the wrath of her step-mother, Amber loses more than her virginity...but itÆs not a glass slipper that the prince has to track her with.
The race is on. Before these two are through, more than one couple may find their way through the traps of poison, lies, and no-win choices forged at a long ago Bride Ball and left to fester through two generations of the royal family.

Read an Excerpt
ISBN 978-1-60659-552-7
Publisher: Phaze Books
Brenna Lyons: http://www.brennalyons.com/
pages or word count: 173 pages
Genre: Historical Urban Fairy Tale Fantasy erotic romance
Release Date: 01/19/2010