TEST
If you look carefully at the cover of this book, you’ll notice that the couple in the ridiculous clinch have more vacuous expressions than most. Normally, you can’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, the vapid pair on the front show you exactly what to expect within.
Tarr of Hellewyk is determined to wed Fiona MacElder (gotta love the names in this story). Fiona, like any good feisty gal straight from Central Casting, is determined not to wed him. Luckily for Fiona, she has an identical twin sister named Aliss. The twins cook up a scheme to fool Tarr in which they will refuse to tell him which twin is Fiona. Presumably, they expect Tarr to throw up his hands in defeat and simply go home.
Of course, the two have underestimated our hero. Like any standard alpha guy, he is stubborn and no heroine is getting the best of him. So, what does he do? He takes both twins home with him and promises their cousin that once he determines which is Fiona, he will return Aliss. The twins are upset, but they decide to persevere in their charade. And any reader worth her salt can likely tell you what next ensues between Fiona and Tarr.
So, what’s wrong with the book? Well, it would be easier to start off with the positive. The one saving grace of this tale – and the reason I didn’t give it an F – is that the dialogue did occasionally make me smile. Though this book annoyed me in many ways, Fiona, Aliss, and Tarr were funny sometimes and I do have to give credit for that.
Now on to the rest of it. First of all, the improbable names (Fiona MacElder, Tarr of Hellewyk, Oleg, and Anya, for example) grated on my nerves. After a few chapters, readers will likely find themselves willing to do almost anything just to see a name that is normal and/or has a normal spelling. In addition to the names, the main couple in this book is simply not engaging. Fiona seems to have come to us straight from feisty heroine school and Tarr is not much better. He has more compassion than your average dominant male hero, but is still enough of a classic alpha male to appear campy rather than swoon-worthy.
The story itself is also maddening. Fiona and Aliss carry on more like whining, disgruntled teenagers than gently born 16th century women. Their attempts to mask their identities are laughable, leaving the problem at the outset to figure out whether Tarr is really dumb enough to fall for the charade or whether he is simply having a gigantic laugh at their expense. I found this painful and silly rather than romantic. Sadly, the plot twists only grow more improbable from there.
The first page of the book states that it takes place in 1558 Scotland. Were it not for this, I would have had no clue about the setting. Scotland is mentioned several times, but this tale makes almost no mention of the historical situation (and these were quite tumultuous times in Scotland). In addition, the few historical details thrown in seem to be somewhat anachronistic. For instance, one character in the story is described as a Viking chieftain, a detail fitting for the 10th century or so, but certainly not the mid-16th.
It is certainly true that readers appear to crave a wider variety of time periods for their historicals. However, the haphazard history and other problems with this novel do not make it one I can recommend. Indeed, it is one I rather wish I could forget.
Grade: D
Book Type: Renaissance Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 30/07/05
Publication Date: 2005
I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.
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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.