He’d been warned that Lady Clarissa Crambray was dangerous. Stomping on toes and burning piffles, the chestnut haired beauty was clearly a force with which to be reckoned. But for Adrian Montfort, Earl of Mowbray, veteran of the Napoleonic wars, this was just the challenge he needed. He could handle one woman and her “unfortunate past.” Could any woman handle him?
‘TWIXT THE CHIT & HIS LIPS
Lady Clarissa Crambray wanted a husband, but maybe not as much as her mother wanted one for her. Really! Doffing her spectacles might make a girl prettier, but how would she see? She’d already caused enough mayhem to earn a rather horrible nickname. Yet, as all other suitors seemed to shy away in terror, there came a man to lead her to the dance floor. A dark, handsome blur of a man.
Clumsy Clarissa was about to stumble onto true love.
Incoming wicked stepmother! Maybe not so wicked as managing. Detestable, regardless. I am sure there are mothers, stepmothers, fathers, etc out there who have throughout human history forbidden their charges, children, etc to wear glasses for vanity reasons. Just as I am sure there have been people who have personally, and at their own peril, avoided donning spectacles for vanity (there was that Brady Bunch episode, afterall, and that show was totally based in reality). So the vain stepmother disallows the heroine to wear her spectacles, resulting in a lot of accidents and blunders, which in turn makes her get a reputation as a vain klutz.
The hero is also a bit vain, or at least the victim of vanity, because he has a face scar. In his insecurity, he supposes the only type of woman who will want him is blind…so Clarissa sounds perfect!
Its these sort of foibles and follies which make this a funny read. There also is a villain in the mix to keep the pace clicking along…although the mystery seemed a bit predictable for me, it was interesting enough not to elicit groans.
Some of the conflict towards the middle and the end of the book seemed contrived and lost me a bit. I get that our war veteran is insecure about his purported faint-inducing facial scar, but understanding his motivation to hide Clarissa’s glasses after months seemed…asinine. Or ass-inine. Equally, she can’t bear to have him see her in spectacles.
That induced groans.
Overall an enjoyable, re-readable worthy Reg Rom that is simple, sweet and funny with a liberal dose of steamy vanilla.
4 out of 6 Funny scenes and steamy action and flawed H/h
| Content Rating/Heat Index | |
|---|---|
| Mature Content |   |
| Adult themes | |
| Intimacy | |
| Several intimate scenes, albeit fairly vanilla | |
| Violence | |
| Murder attempts | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Several love scenes, albeit vanilla, make this a for mature audiences only. | |
