It Takes a Hero

Rating:
Summary: flawed, but diverting
Review: I wanted to like this book. I did like it, more-or-less. It wasn't the most intense or riveting romance I've ever read, but as a lightweight diversion, it worked. If you're looking for depth and soul-wrenching drama, look elsewhere--this is more of a light-hearted romp.

My problem with this book--and for someone who is as politically incorrect as I am, this is significant--was the questionable ethics/morality/lack of respect for other cultures. I speak specifically of the "McGuffin"--the stolen ruby that everyone is after.

Let me make sure I understand this. The heroine's father broke into a sacred religious site, removed the ruby, was relieved of the ruby, and now the heroine wants to find the stolen goods and sell them. Was it just me, or do other people have a hard time respecting someone who thinks because she's stolen an item that it's hers now? I realize that in the time we're talking about (19th c.) that the British were not known for their enlightened views of Indian culture, and considered these people beneath them, but it's been my experience in the romance novel genre that usually our heroes/heroines are ahead of their time in their politically-correct thinking (I suppose so that the reader can more easily relate to them). At any rate, I was appalled at her lack of understanding that "her little nest egg" was not, in fact, hers. She had no right to do anything but return it to its home, but she resisted with all her might.

This bothered me greatly, so much so that it spoiled my enjoyment of the rest of the book. You have been warned.

Rating:
Summary: Good romance, bad mystery = a mixed result
Review: Ms. Boyle's style is a big stumbling block on this book; there are some very tortured phrasings, including some that simply do not make sense. The book is sometimes slow and the murder mystery is solved almost too quickly. That subplot is the least fulfilling part of the book. Indeed, the whole murder-ruby angle detracts from the lovely romance.

There's some very nice humor; Rafe is a good hero; and the heroine is quite likable except for her desire to hang onto stolen property as though she deserves it. Perhaps it's supposed to be symbolic of the corrupting influence of the gem (the curse), but it doesn't really work. Nevertheless, Rafe and Rebecca are very good together. The romance part of the book is quite good, and is marred only by the subplot and by Boyle's overblown prose.

Rating:
Summary: Still Good BUT Really a 3-1/2*
Review: Setting - England 1817 --- Raphael 'Rafe' Danvers, did not fit into the polite ton society since coming home from the Peninsular wars, yet here he was being summoned by the Countess Tottley to join her at her morning salon. It seemed that the young daughters of the ton had thought to emulate a popular 'fictional' heroine who had vowed after the demise of her 'fictional' beau to never marry! This author had to be found, in order to make her stop writing so that the match-making mamas of the ton could convince their impressionable young daughters to stop turning down offers of marriage to their eligible suitors. Knowing that Rafe had no home of his own, Lady Tottley thought to entice him in aiding her and mothers of the other marriageable daughters of the ton to locate M. Briggs the elusive author of the immensely popular Miss Darby chronicles, by offering him an estate - a bit of a 'handy-man's special.

Rafe, a confirmed bachelor, would rather solve the murder he'd been working on with the promise of a hefty monetary reward but the thought of an estate - a home to call his own - was just too good to pass up. He traveled to every bachelors nightmare, the matchmaking capital of Kent - Bramley Hollow where he discovered the very infuriating and lovely Miss Rebecca Tate. His gut feelings told him she was the elusive author, and his brain told him he should forget about it and go look for a murderer instead - it would have been less dangerous for his state of mind and body.

Normally, I have found Elizabeth Boyle's novels to be fast and funny page-turners, but have to confess that I couldn't categorize this in the 'I can't put it down' standard I associate with her earlier books. While the story was good, it just didn't engage my emotions as much as her previous novels of the other Danver family members. The zest just wasn't there, even with some very engaging sparring matches between the main protagonists. The mystery of the original murder Rafe was working to solve was eventually worked into the search for the elusive author and brought to an almost too abrupt conclusion - but of course, the romance was the prime objective. The one thing that didn't seem to make sense to me with regard to the heroines apparent insolvency was her obvious success of the Miss Darby novels. With so successful a writing career her fixation and greediness in wanting to obtain and keep the legendary and valuable Kailash ruby seemed out of place, especially where she seemed to want to stay and live a peaceful existence in the country. Some of the more enjoyable and humorous moments were provided by Rebecca's 'batty' uncle; her very ferocious tom-cat Ajax; and of course, the witty dialogs filling out the requisite gender banter. Bottom line - My nit-picking aside, this was still an entertaining effort and fans of Elizabeth Boyle will not be too disappointed. --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---


Rating:
Summary: 3 1/2 stars: good story marred a little by prose style
Review: Since returning from the Napoleonic wars, Rafe Danvers has made a living solving problems for the rich and titled. Currently, he's trying to solve the murder of a rich nabob. That is until the rich and powerful Countess of Tottley offers to give him the deeds to a small estate if he would take on a task for her. Lady Tottley wants Rafe to find the authour of the popular Miss Darby adventures, and persuade her to stop writing completely. Apparently in the latest Miss Darby installment, Miss Darby's faithful swain dies in battle, prompting the heroine to forswear marriage forever. Unfortunately, Miss Darby's ardent fans, the impressionable young society misses, have all decided to follow suit and have taken an oath not marry. Faced with the prospect of having their unmarried daughters on their hands forever, the ladies of the ton are at their wit's end, and hence the drastic step of hiring Rafe. Less than thrilled by his latest assignment, but wanting the prize, Rafe agrees. The trail leads him to Bramley Hollow in Kent and to the incredibly vexatious, sharp-tongued and engaging Miss Rebecca Tate. Rafe may not be completely sure as to whether or not Rebecca is the elusive authour of the Miss Darby novels, but he's rather enjoying their verbal sparring matches. That is until a few sinister incidents makes him realize that Rebecca is in danger and at the heart of a much bigger mystery...

Once you through the rather florid prose style, "Once a Hero" turned out to be a very entertaining read. The story is a good and intriguing one and Rafe and Rebecca were both likable and engaging characters. As for the romantic relationship that develops between Rafe and Rebecca, it was vibrant, exciting and fairly brimming with sexual tension. Some readers, however, may find Rebecca's desire to find and keep the stolen ruby very distasteful, but, unfortunately, her desire to find and sell the ruby, and her belief that the ruby is rightfully her's because her father had figured out where to steal it from, was in keeping with the times. My advice, if you're looking for a good and entertaining read, is to overlook the overblown prose style and the heroine's less upright tendencies and concentrate on the fast paced and exciting adventure at hand.

Rating:
Summary: Like reading Barry Lyndon
Review: This book just goes on and on and on, and not in that wonderful "I hope it never ends" way. Once I pick up a romance, I usually can't put it down. I devour it in one setting, even if that means I'm up all night. It took me a week to get through this thing, and I only managed it because I FORCED myself to finish (due to the great review it got at Romantic Times--what book did they read?). The characters should have been engaging. The story should have been riveting. The hero should have been sexy. Sadly, they weren't, it wasn't, and he wasn't.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful humorous Regency romantic suspense
Review: With Napoleon out of commission 1817 should be a very cheerful upbeat season for the Ton, but the debutants declare a marital revolution to the shock of their mothers. The young ladies refuse to marry emulating their heroine Miss Darby, literary star of four action adventure novels. Feeling desperate, the aristocratic matrons hire war hero Raphael Danvers to confront the author with exposure in order to stop any new book from being released.

Having an estate dangled as his fee, an impoverished Rafe drops his inquiries into the Sir Codlin murder and heads to remote Bramley Hollow, the place where the books were postmarked. Unlike everyone else who believes the author is a male, Rafe thinks a female has written the tales that he admits hooks anyone to complete in one sitting. In Bramley Hollow, Rafe meets Rebecca Tate, niece of a somewhat deranged colonel. He believes she is the author, but needs to find proof. Soon he finds he enjoys the competition while falling in love with Rebecca; she reciprocates on both counts. Then there is the unknown element of someone wanting to kill Rebecca that draws Rafe even closer to keep her safe

IT TAKES A HERO is a delightful humorous Regency romantic suspense that will hook the audience with the gender duel between the lead pair. The story line is very funny as Rafe tries to find evidence while Rebecca continually taunts and trumps his endeavors to expose her as the writer. Though the intrigue that comes late is terse and ties up loose ends, fans will feel that is unnecessary as the meat of this fine historical lies with the battle of the sexes.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Delightful humorous Regency romantic suspense
Review: With Napoleon out of commission 1817 should be a very cheerful upbeat season for the Ton, but the debutants declare a marital revolution to the shock of their mothers. The young ladies refuse to marry emulating their heroine Miss Darby, literary star of four action adventure novels. Feeling desperate, the aristocratic matrons hire war hero Raphael Danvers to confront the author with exposure in order to stop any new book from being released.

Having an estate dangled as his fee, an impoverished Rafe drops his inquiries into the Sir Codlin murder and heads to remote Bramley Hollow, the place where the books were postmarked. Unlike everyone else who believes the author is a male, Rafe thinks a female has written the tales that he admits hooks anyone to complete in one sitting. In Bramley Hollow, Rafe meets Rebecca Tate, niece of a somewhat deranged colonel. He believes she is the author, but needs to find proof. Soon he finds he enjoys the competition while falling in love with Rebecca; she reciprocates on both counts. Then there is the unknown element of someone wanting to kill Rebecca that draws Rafe even closer to keep her safe

IT TAKES A HERO is a delightful humorous Regency romantic suspense that will hook the audience with the gender duel between the lead pair. The story line is very funny as Rafe tries to find evidence while Rebecca continually taunts and trumps his endeavors to expose her as the writer. Though the intrigue that comes late is terse and ties up loose ends, fans will feel that is unnecessary as the meat of this fine historical lies with the battle of the sexes.

Harriet Klausner