Very Cool Heroes

The Charmer by Madeline Hunter: Again, I wanted to love this book but didn't, quite. There was something about the characters, I don't know how to explain it, I felt a distance from the story. The hero was great, though, a third, illegimate son of an Earl, in truth half-Turkish. He was very self-aware about his feelings for the heroine, a duchess, as well as very aware of the fact that their relationship could quite likely go no further than an affair. But he just wants to be with her for as long he can, however he can. Sigh. Sophia, the duchess, was a bit annoying, in an understandable way. Used to being used, she keeps Adrian at arms length for most of the story. Perhaps that accounts why I felt their romance lacked something, some passion. Really liked that Adrian though. Worth a try, I think. I do like the vision of Regency England that Hunter has, a bit darker, perhaps more realistic...but the romances themselves just don't grab me.

The Proposition by Judith Ivory: My first by her, and definitely won't be my last. This was a really sweet, fun, sexy read. It was a twist on the whole "My Fair Lady"/Pygmalion deal, with Cornish rat-catcher Mick Tremore as Eliza Doolittle (I freaking love that movie by the way, though the end, get my shoes thing bugs a bit). Anyway, Mick was a fabulous hero, strong, smart and really sweet. Really different and refeshing and totally sexy. The spinster, scholarly heroine came thisclose to being totally annoying, but redeemed herself when she began to let her hair down. I was really rooting for them. A different and worthwhile read. I checked it out of the library, but I'll be looking for it at the UBS to add to my keepers.

I put down Good Girls Don't by Cathie Linz, to read The Proposition, and I'll be trying to get back to it. I couldn't resist the librarian meets biker scenario, since I am a librarian married to a biker. But it heavily features one of my most hated romance "characters": the new-agey, "non-conformist" "free spirit". Two actually. Shudder. Yes, I am using the quotes librally for a reason. More on this later, when I finish or decide to give up for good.