A royal kiss & tell

A petulant social butterfly and an arrogant prince take too long to warm up to one another in the slow-moving second Victorian era romance in London's Royal Wedding series (after The Princess Plan). English Lady Caroline Hawke's dearest friend, Eliza Tricklebank, is marrying Sebastian Chartier, Crown Prince of Alucia, and the wedding celebrations force Caroline and Sebastian's brother, Prince Leopold, into constant proximity. The pair instantly butt heads over societal rules. Leo has never met anyone more oblivious than the impudent beauty and wants nothing to do with her, while Caroline is offended that the handsome but uptight prince is immune to her charms. Their paths continue to cross once they both return to London, as Leo moves through society circles investigating a rumor about a human trafficking ring and Caroline feeds nasty gossip about Leo to the papers. But with increased contact, they learn to see past each other's shallow surfaces, especially when Leo reveals his mission and Caroline agrees to help liberate the human traffickers' victims. Though the finale is thrilling and the late love scenes smolder with passion, it's a slog to get to the meat of the story. The sluggish start will turn off all but London's most devoted fans. Agent: Jenny Bent, the Bent Agency. (May)