Pink Heart Reviews
It Takes A Hero
Elizabeth Boyle
Avon, 2004, 367 pages
ISBN # 0-06-054930-0
Historical Romance, circa 1816
England
$5.99 (US) $7.99 (CDN)
Reviewed By Laurel
August 2004
Rebecca Tate is the unknown author of the Miss Darby Adventures. She is setting the ton on its rear and causing uproar, right before the London Season is set to begin. When she kills off the Hero in her stories, the debutants for the upcoming season Vow never to marry just as Miss. Darby did when her beloved died in the book. This has the set society in a dither as young ladies are declaring to their parents that they are not marrying period. For Lady Totterly this was just simply unacceptable, she hired Rafe Danvers to find this anonymous author and make him stop writing. In exchange for performing this important deed for her, she agreed to give him a strip of land in Bramley Hollow.
Bramley Hollow is known for its matchmaking status. There has been a matchmaker in residence for over 100 years. After making some inquiries, he learns that the author comes from the same village that Lady Totterly is offering to give him land. Upon his arrival, he comes to the post office where he runs into Rebecca Tate. He is taken aback by her beauty and sassy attitude. When he asks her about his author, she leads him on one merry goose chase throughout the village looking for this person. Knowing that she is the one he is looking for.
Through a series of misadventures, conniving and careful planning with
the residents of Bramley Hollow, he is able to put two and two together
and starts to plot and plan on how to get her stop writing these books.
By this time, he has fallen in love with her. Her sassiness and bluntness
catches him off guard when he confronts her on the issue. She reacts by
proposing that she will not publish her next novel, but gives a hilarious
set of terms and conditions in order to do so. With her conditions agreed.
She sets off to London with an entourage of chaperones and staff, and one
crusty cat named Ajax.
In the middle of the story a murder mystery is introduced. Involving lost
treasures, secrets, and deadly intentions. Someone is trying to murder Rebecca
and her uncle, they being the last two with any ties to a very precious
Ruby. It was stolen shortly after it was discovered and has an interesting
myth attached to it. Murder and mayhem ensues and Rife wants to protect
her at all costs. He loves her but has not told her yet. She loves him but
has not told him yet. The chemistry between these two crackles through the
pages and had me jumping for joy when they confessed their desires to each
other.
Do you like to laugh in a book? I do! I am not sure if I was laughing at the little sayings of Miss Darby or the characters involved in stopping this anonymous author from publishing again. From the countryside of Bramley Hollow to the city of London for the season, it had its funny moments. With such lines like There is a vast difference between a rapscallion and a gentleman. A discerning lady knows which to kiss and which to marry. I found it a very light read, with a great set of characters from the crazy as a loon uncle who is fond of his cannons and blasts them at random, to Lady Totterly and even Ajax the cat, and the young debutants. Rafe and Rebecca had a charming and teasing manner towards each other and felt the first kiss leap off the page.
Having never read Elizabeth Boyle before, I found this book refreshing, and will continue to purchase her. I was surprised that this book was part of a series for it certainly stands on its own. I would recommend to any reader that likes a little mystery, a love story, and laugh aloud humor perfectly placed throughout the story.
