Texas Princess by Veronica Blake is a Zebra Heartfire romance novel that falls short of capturing the essence of its setting and characters.
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Texas Princess by Veronica BlakeRating:
Published: 1992
Illustrator: Robert Sabin
Imprint or Line: Zebra Heartfire Romance
Published by: Kensington
Genres: Historical Romance, Western Romance
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Buy on: Amazon, AbeBooks
Reviewed by: Introvert Reader
MILD SPOILER ALERT
The Book
As usual, the folks at Zebra were slapping generic titles onto these books! Only a tiny portion of Veronica Blake’s Texas Princess takes place in Texas. The hero and heroine travel across the western US, and they only get to the Lone Star State at the tail end of the book.
Princess of Which State?
My main recollection of this tepid romance is that while reading, I kept wondering, “When do they get to Texas? The book is almost over. What about Texas?”
That is not a good sign.
The editors could have gone with something like Gypsy Princess (although perhaps in today’s environment, that would be seen as insensitive), Emerald Princess, or Forbidden Passions. I checked, and no other Zebra romance novels had those titles.
The Plot
As for the book itself, It’s sad to say that Texas Princess was a forgettable Zebra Heartfire.
Tasmin, the eponymous Texas princess who is not actually royalty from America’s 28th state, is betrothed to the leader of her Roma tribe. He’s a kind and handsome man. However, she falls for a gadjo cowboy drifter, Blayde (I think that was his name), instead.
He watches her intently as she dances by a fire. Tasmin feels Blayde’s gaze upon her. She is drawn to this strange man, even though it spells her damnation.
Passion ensues.
Because of her forbidden passion, Tasmin is banished from all that is familiar to her. The hero has his inner demons to battle and isn’t looking for commitment. Destiny ties them together as he and Tasmin trek through the West. Tasmin and Blayde only have each other for support, yet can these two people from differing backgrounds make true love work?
Not for nothing, but this is a standard romance novel, so what else do you think is going to happen?
Heat Level
Texas Princess is a Zebra romance, so there is some on-page action but not much. It’s a lukewarm romance, and not in a good way.
Final Analysis of Texas Princess
Texas Princess was a dull, dull book.
I love Zebra romances in general, but on an individual level, a lot of them are unremarkable. I’ll give this Veronica Blake book an extra half-star because I like the Robert Sabin-painted cover.
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Synopsis
When gypsy princess Tasmin Lovell first sets eyes on the tall, Texas stranger, she knows she must find her way into his heart, forsaking the gypsy prince she has been promised to.
Texas Princess by Veronica Blake