The Prince’s Gamble

by Caridad Pineiro

Publisher: Entangled Select

Rory’s Rating: 

Prince Alexander Ivanov is scrambling to save his reputation and his livelihood. One of the Russian Nights Casino’s hostesses has disappeared, and his business is suddenly under investigation by the FBI for associations with the mob and money laundering.
Special Agent Kathleen Martinez has no patience with rich, entitled aristocrats, especially one like Alexander Ivanov whom she believes is involved in the vicious human trafficking ring which she’d tried—and failed—to shut down two years earlier. With a second chance to bring him to justice, she goes undercover in the casino, but instead of facing the villain she expected, she finds herself battling a sizzling attraction to the man.

Now, forced to work together to trace the source of the illegal activities, the danger—and the passion between them—grows out of control, and they slowly begin to realize the biggest danger isn’t to the casino, it’s to their lives…and to their hearts.

Rory’s Review:

Special Agent Kathleen Martinez is not quite married to her job, but it’s a fine line that she is about to cross. She is haunted by a particularly brutal case of a female white slavery ring, so when she is assigned to investigate the family she partially blames for that tragedy – she thinks she knows what she is getting involved in. Then she meets Prince Alexander Ivanov and he is not what she thought he would be. In fact, he’s more than she could have imagined.

The Prince’s Gamble is a sweet (dare I say cute?) romantic thriller about an FBI agent and a Russian prince. Despite being worlds apart, they are curious about each other. Kathleen is a smart, tough law enforcement agent and Alexander is a handsome, caring prince (what more could you ask for?). Despite their initial misconceptions about each other, they are drawn together. The novel is on the short side, so there is not a lot of character development, but what there is seems believable (in the context of a romance novel). While the two fall in love rather quickly, they do try to keep their wits about them. I was rooting for the two of them the whole novel, though realistically surmounting their differences would be the equivalent of summiting Mt. Everest. However, The Prince’s Gamble did not disappoint and ultimately, it made my heart happy.

The Prince’s Gamble is set on the Jersey Shore post Hurricane Sandy. The author does spend time discussing some of the devastation faced in the area. Caridad Pineiro is a New Jersey resident and in her quest to aid relief efforts, she is donating her part of the proceeds to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief fund. Even though I received a review copy, I enjoyed the novel enough to purchase my own copy and, in turn, donate to a worthy cause.