Avon Books, 2000
373 pages
Romance; Historical
Source: From a friend
Summary: Griff is officially a bastard but if he agrees to marry an ailing earl's daughter, he can receive proof of his legitimacy. He figures he'll visit, skulk around the place, find the marriage certificate and take off. To aid his search, he switches place with his manservant so that he has more free time. He did not count on feisty Lady Rosalind though who suspects him of something and may just lead him to the altar.
Thoughts: I really wanted to start "Romance Week" off with a book I loved but I did not like this book. Right away I did not like Griff and I hated his plan as it is one of my least favorite romantic tropes. Pretending to be somebody else NEVER works! I loved Rosalind and her sisters, with their Shakespeare-inspired names and vibrant personalities. But I couldn't make it through-I tried over a period of almost two weeks but I couldn't do it. They obviously fall in love and get married but I just don't care about him. I've been finding that's really important to me to like both the hero AND the heroine, which was not going to happen here.
Overall: If you're a fan of the author/have had good experience with this trope, check this book out. If you're like me though, skip it.
Cover: Well, the focus is on a hated character so that would be a negatory.
Too bad you couldn't start the romance week with a good book. I hope the next one will be better. Pretense is, generally speaking, also not my cup of tea, except in rare novels where pretense is really well planned out and works for a story. And, the character of Riff already sounds bad from the premise.;)
ReplyDelete