RomanticLeads Recommendations and reviews of romantic fiction
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RomanticLeads Recommendations and reviews of romantic fiction
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BY JANINE TAYLOR THIS MONTH's lineup of heroes make for particularly interesting fall reading. One man means business, two brothers try to tame the wild west and three dogs chase a knight through the forest. My Man Pendleton By Elizabeth Bevarly (Avon, Oct. 1998, $7.99) A romantic comedy of the best sort My Man Pendleton has plenty of engaging wit, just enough implausibility to entertain and unique characters that touch many emotions. Pendleton has jumped back on the corporate fast track as a vice-president at Hensley's Distilleries but then he discovers one particularly odd job requirement. The boss wants him to woo his eccentric daughter, Kit McClellan. Kit's late mother's $100 million estate will be donated to charity if Kit is not married within a couple of months. Kit, extracting revenge on her domineering family, is anything but cooperative. The other vice-presidents at Henley were all unsuccessful in the romantic endeavor, some still recovering from broken bones and injuries sustained while escorting Kit. Since Pendleton wants to keep the prestige and the money he just acquired, he's off on the quest for the love of Kit. My Man Pendleton is a frisky, fun yarn.
Two Brothers – The Lawman, The Gunslinger By Linda Lael Miller (Pocket Books, Oct. 1998, $17) The hackneyed hook of "identical twins separated at birth" is the basis of these historical romances, although Linda Lael Miller's style makes the plots less gimmicky. The real marketing gimmick is the flipbook packaging of this trade paperback. Marshall Shay McQuillan turns to the bottle after his fiancée is killed in a stagecoach robbery. To open the story, The Lawman, Shay is awakened from a drunken stupor when he hears the click of a gun pointed at his temple. Turns out the man with the gun is also his twin, Tristan, whom Shay hadn't known existed until that moment. This inauspicious meeting jolts Shay from his mourning, returning him to his job a renewed man. He joins with Tristan to investigate the robbery and explosion that took his fiancée and by coincidence Tristan's payroll. Aislinn Lethaby is happy to see Shay sober but when he starts to take on a powerful and ruthless local rancher she tries to protect Shay. This throws the investigation and Aislinn's life into chaos. Now flip over the book and you get Tristan Saint-Laurent's story, The Gunslinger. Emily Starbuck and her flock of sheep arrive in the middle of California cattle country and claims land that Tristan has recently purchased. The legal wrangling between them is nothing compared to the fury of the neighboring cattle ranchers. Blatant marketing ploy aside, Two Brothers isn't quite double the pleasure, double the fun but almost. Three Dog Knight By Tori Phillips (Harlequin Historical, Oct. 1998, $5.99)
Maybe you shouldn't judge a book by it's title but since original romance
titles are so rare, they really must be encouraged. Happily this medieval yarn
lives up to it's quirky moniker.
Alicia Broom, the bastard daughter of King Edward IV, was only seven when her
guardian paid a dowry to an Earl for future marriage to his slowwitted third
son, Thomas Cavendish.
A decade has passed and Alicia's guardians give her a hasty explanation about
her royal parentage, and then flee the country. Alicia is dropped on Thomas's
door step. Just before Alicia arrives, the Earl and his two older sons die.
Thomas is taken aback by his unexpected inheritance of an earldom not to
mention a gorgeous new bride. So very unlike a heroic knight, he retreats with
his dogs to the forest and goes hunting leaving Alicia and his shrewish
sister-in-law to duke it out.
Thomas' inexperience with women, both physically and socially, leads to lots
of misunderstanding, farcical scenes and dangers. Fortunately, everyone has
completely underestimated Thomas.
He's such a bumbling cutey, you just gotta love him.
Janine Taylor is a Halifax based writer. She can be reached at romanticleads@hotmail.com.
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