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When Harry Met Dizzy. Only better. My first Connie Brockway, and thank goodness, I have her others in my stockpile. This is a terrific book!
Lovely Desdemona Carlisle is a young Englishwoman living with her grandfather in Victorian Egypt. Desdemona was a child prodigy, brilliant, reading twelve languages, and a fabricator of romantic illusions. And, why not? Her parents dragged her all over the world, put her on display, and effectively deprived her of the time all little girls need to spin their daydreams. Dizzy’s looking for a hero, the man of her fantasies (and mine!) to carry her away on his destrier back to England, and love her for herself alone and not for her accomplishments.
Harry Braxton, a rogue living in disgrace and shame after having been sent down from Oxford, has abandoned England forever to carve a very successful life for himself in discovering and selling Egyptian antiquities. Harry has two monumental secrets, he loves Dizzy, and he cannot read. Harry is dyslexic in a time when the problem was not well understood by physicians, let alone educators or even one’s own family. I love that Brockway did this, because it makes Harry an immediately sympathetic and approachable hero. And, what a hero! Harry is brilliant, charming, loyal, dedicated, funny, and sad. Oh, did I forget incredibly handsome as well? Despite his “handicap” Harry has thrived in Egypt, but is missing the one thing that would make his life complete. Dizzy. He won’t tell her of his “affliction” however, for fear she will find him disgusting, and abandon him as has his family and the rest of the world.
Together, Harry and Dizzy are an utterly charming pair, complimenting each other beautifully. They are “just” friends, each trying ignore that the other wants so much more. When Harry fears his cousin will succeed in stealing Dizzy from him, he has no alternative but to bind her to him any way he can. All the preceding sexual tension pays off in a very tender consummation that is as loving as it is sensuous.
Throw in fabulous secondary characters, the color and beauty of 19th Century Egypt, plenty of twisting and turning action, dry yet scintillating humor, and you have an Egyptian treasure right in the palms(!) of your own hands. Marta, Cal, Blake, Magi, and Maurice are the most wonderful bunch of second bananas I’ve ever read. Nobody’s stereotypical, the humor and emotions are genuine, and you sort of root for everybody to come out a winner, except for the bad guy, who justifiably gets it in the end.
I think you’ll remember Harry and Dizzy for a long, long time.
Grade: A
Book Type: Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 10/03/98
Publication Date: 1997
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
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I love, love, love this book and “You’re my country” is one of the most romantic speeches of all time. Connie Brockway wrote some really memorable books.
Agree, the “you are my country” is meltingly romantic. I also enjoyed Harry’s cousin Blake. He features in a very funny scene of wooing and broken pottery.
My obsession with unrequited love trope began with this book. My favorite Brockway and one of my favorite romances.
I haven’t read this one, but this comment just sold me on it! I adore unrequited love romance!
Oh you are in for such a treat! It’s an amazing book.
You know, I really wasn’t in love with this book because I thought Harry was too reluctant a pursuer. I didn’t like the anxiety of Dizzy not feeling loved by Harry–regardless of his reasoning–for so much of the book. If you prefer the trope of the man really wanting and pursing the heroine, then this book, as charming as it is, might not be for you. I rated it a C.
Still one of the most whimsical, sexy and sweet romances of all time. I just recently reread this and it was as good now as it was when it first came out. It’s also one of the best unrequited love stories I’ve read. I completely understood Desdemona’s smarting at Harry’s rejection of her, but I also understood why Harry felt he had to reject her. Harry & Desdemona also both have absurdly mad skills that are so fun to read. Harry’s “you are my country” speech to Dizzy is one of the most romantic things I’ve ever read. Silly man for ever doubting his Desdemona’s love or ability to see past his secret flaw.