Pink Heart Reviews
Dangerous To Love
Rexanne Becnel
St Martin’s Paperbacks, 1997, 346 pages
ISBN # 0312963300
Historical Romance, circa 1829
England
$6.50 (US) $8.50 (CDN)
Reviewed by Laurel
July 2004
He was known as the Gypsy Earl, having been bought by his grandmother from his mother a gypsy and tossed into Burford Hall, better known for the bastard children that went there. Ivan Thornten despised the ton, everything about it. He especially despised his grandmother Lady Westcott who bestowed the title upon him because his father had no legitimate heir. He finds himself playing cat and mouse with amongst the young debutants, professing on the outside he is seeking a wife, but leaving a trail of broken hearts in the attempt to humiliate and shun the woman he despises.
Lucy Drysdale governess to her brother’s family and a bit of a bluestocking is delighted when Lady Westcott hires her to be the chaperone to her goddaughter Lady Valerie for the season in London. She has not been to London in quite some time and it would give her a chance to attend the lectures of one Sir James Mawbey, who she fancies to have a bit of a crush on. She is taken quite aback when she first meets The Gypsy Earl, no one bothered to tell he wore an earring or that he was devastatingly handsome.
Lady Westcott cannot believe the gem of a girl she found in Lucy Drysdale knowing that her grandson would not be able to resist her, she lays a trap to catch him in his game of cat and mouse and bring him heel, to marriage and maybe an heir. She uses her young charge Lady Valerie to tempt and woo Lucy to London and right into her grandson’s path.
I got swept up in the characters in Dangerous To Love, but Ivan effected me the most. He was a Class A Jerk, there were times I just wanted to smack him silly, but he made my heart ache on the next page where I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and say it will be alright she does love you, you know. He was so sad, angry and bitter, with a very poor outlook on woman in general and harboured years and years of pent up resentment. His feelings for Lucy scare him and he retaliates with heated barbs and neglect. When a devastating turn of events almost cost him Lucy then and only then did Ivan show any signs of remorse and that indeed he did have a heart and that yes he loved her.
I went through many emotions in this book and quite frankly I loved it, the characters were well thought out and aptly placed throughout, to either brighten your heart after a sad scene, or make you laugh at the grim determination of grandmother vs. grandson, with a governess caught in the middle. Lucy was aware of what was going on between the two and try has she did to not get caught up in it. Ivan chipped away at her heart until he owned her, and had her professing that she loved him and only him.
This is my first book by Rexanne Becnel and it will not be my last. I found her style of writing to be gripping and compelling. It tugged at my heartstrings, in a day when you see more and more authors turn from historical romance to contemporary writing. It is nice and comforting to know that there are authors like Rexanne Becnel that provide a story of a time long ago when titles meant everything and heirs meant more, a spinsterish governess finds her love and her dreams coming true.
