Readers first met Simon Caling in another Undone short story, The Wanton Governess. A younger son, he's a bit of a cad. A charming, sexy cad - but a cad nonetheless. One of his acquaintances is hopelessly in love with a young lady, but he's too damn tongue-tied to offer for her. He's hoping Simon can help him out. Simon, with nothing more amusing to do, agrees - only to find himself captivated by the girl's governess, Beatrix March.
Beatrix will soon my leaving her employer, but she cannot do that until she finds her missing relic. Her family has had possession of a toe bone of St. Davnet for generations. She believes the relic is what has been responsible for family harmony all these years. And now her foolish young charge has swiped it from her thinking it will help with her love life! Bah! To make matters worse, Simon Caling, a rake of the first order, is visiting and he's sniffing around. The lady of the house is completely unconcerned, which means it is up to Beatrix to protect the girls. Little does she know Simon only has eyes for her.
As much as I enjoyed the previous short story, this latest entry didn't really cook for me. While I enjoy Monajem's light touches of humor, and she continues to write excellent banter, the whole sub plot revolving around the missing toe bone (seriously?) was just a bit too farcical for my blood. It was just....silly. And unfortunately, since I found it silly, the heroine, who deeply believes in the powers of said toe bone, comes off as silly.
Simon is what carries this story for me. He's charming, he's rakish without being slimy, and it's a wonder that all the females in this story manage to keep their clothes on around him (well, Beatrix doesn't succeed - but then she's the heroine). But I couldn't help but think Simon would have been better matched with a more mature heroine. Someone who has been around the block. Someone who didn't believe in magical, saintly toe bones.
So where does that leave us? Well, with personal preference. If you can swing with a little bit of farce, enjoy sexy banter, and don't mind heroines who participate in a bit of "magical thinking" - you will likely enjoy this story more than I did. I still enjoyed the author's writing, and she continues to work well in this tough shorter format. It's just this particular story wasn't really my cup of tea. Someone pass the Earl Grey....
Final Grade = C+
5 comments:
Bwahahaha
Toe bone.
Actually, superstition doesn't bother me a bit, although if taken to extreme, it can be kind of eye rolling. But then, I love over-the-top silly.
I think I have to get this one just because of that weird, magical bone. *cough*
I don't think I'd be able to get past the fact that the heroine thinks a toe bone has mystical powers either *eye roll*
It is suppose to be the bone of a saint and to become a saint you have to show you have powers given to you by God.
And is it really any more silly then those who carry around rabbits feet for luck?
Useless trivia time! A rabbit's foot is only really lucky if it was the left hind foot cut from a rabbit that was killed at midnight in a graveyard. Otherwise, it's worthless for luck.
Amber: I kept debating on what to title this review. The whole bone thing was just too tempting!
Kristie: Magical powers, mystical objects - yeah, I'm sort of over all that. Plus the author sort of plays it towards humor here, and it just wasn't my cuppa.
Jami: Someone mentioned on Twitter that this sort of thing would really work well in a medieval, and I totally agree! The whole ransacking of monasteries, the theft of religious artifacts etc. Could make for an excellent "road romance." But in a Regency, with the humor? Not so much for me, personally speaking.
Ha! And the heroine carrying a rabbit's foot wouldn't be my bag either :)
Hey, there's people whom today still believe in these sorts of things. Or in other stuff like Lourdes' water. So I don't see why it's a stretch in a regency. And who knows - as Shakespeare wrote, there's stranger things in Heaven and Earth....
Maybe it's colored a bit by your burn out on paranormals? Just a thought. Obviously I could grasp it but I'm burnt out on historicals in general right now.
I think a heroine who carried a rabbit's foot for luck would be cool, myself. Especially if she got it from a rabbit shot in a graveyard at midnight.
You know, I realized this morning I'm a lot like the fictional character Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds only without the PhDs and eidetic memory. I also realized that I'd love to read a romance novel where the hero is a lot like Spencer.
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