Enter the Hero

Rating:
Summary: Fairly good Regency...
Review: I bought this book because of the back cover synopsis - it's an interesting premise. I liked the characters, liked the story, liked her attention to detail. She's also very witty and I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout the book.

HOWEVER, I don't think the author follows through with her characters or plot as she should have. The hero is an extremely moral, ethical man and yet he "deflowers" the heroine and doesn't seem to have any regret. The heroine doesn't think about the encounter at all and just goes about her life. Considering the time period, I found it extremely unbelievable that neither one would more seriously consider the ramifications, that such a moral man would not immediately offer marriage.

Not only that, but the heroine does something so awful to the hero that it ruins his entire career and takes away everything that means the most to him. I guess he just decides to forgive her because he loves her...and I was upset that they were together again just because she had some crisis. I would have liked to have seen them talk it out instead of the hero deciding to forgive and forget.

I do think the author shows a lot of promise, and I so enjoyed her character Letty that I will definitely buy her upcoming book.

Rating:
Summary: exciting Regency romance
Review: In 1814 Lord William Ogilvie challenges playwright Edgar St. John to a duel because the former felt that the latter made him look inane in the play "He Begs to Differ". By post Edgar accepts, but informs the English lord that their matter of honor must happen in Ireland. William obtains the services of Lucius Ashford as his second and they trek to the duel rendezvous point where they meet a woman and a preadolescent lass waiting for them. Lucius realizes over breakfast not bullets that Edgar is actually Emily Fairfax.

Emily worships Lucius (her Mr. L.A.) because of how he is always a second at duels at least that is what the papers say. Lucius explains that duels are not matters of heroic honor as Emily believes, but stupidity that he tries to stop before anyone gets hurt. He falls from her pedestal as she believes he wants her fortune only, but still they fall in love. When Lucius becomes embroiled in a duel, Emily reconsiders what is a hero with her beloved at risk.

ENTER THE HERO is an exciting Regency romance with a superb male protagonist who opposes duels and a lead female character, who in spite of her gender bending works, glamorizes the often deadly event. Reminiscent in many ways to a Nixon era song, Billy Don't Be a Hero, the story line focuses on the two differing perspectives that Emily and L.A. have on heroism vs. family obligations when honor is allegedly at stake. Judith O'Brien presents her beliefs inside a warm historical romance that will leave the audience pondering the questions the author raises.

Harriet Klausner