Suddenly You [Mass Market Paperback]

Lisa Kleypas is a genius. What she has discovered is a way to write romances that appeal both to historical fans, who love the sights and sounds and magic of the past, and contemporary fans, who just want a fun, exciting story about people who are funny and sexy and easy to relate to.

SUDDENLY YOU is technically a love story set in the 1830's, but the heroine's basic conflict is right out of SEX AND THE CITY. Can a successful career woman afford to gamble on a red hot sexual affair with a powerful man from her own professional circle? Amanda and Jack wear period clothing and live in lovely period surroundings, but they talk and think like fun, sophisticated, caring modern professionals who take it for granted that men and women are equal and that sex is a mutually pleasing and satisfying experience. They pursue a love affair that is modern and sophisticated, while holding on to the elegance and luxury of the past.

It's not hard to understand why there is such a huge audience for Lisa Kleypas' enticing romance. She knows how to give historical elegance to every tale -- with a modern spin.

Jack Devlin is a hard-nosed publisher who started with nothing and in a few short years is leading all aspects of England's literary industries. Having recently acquired one of Miss Briar's early manuscripts, Jack shows up on her doorstep thinking a meeting has been arranged by a friend to discuss the publication of her work. He's a little surprised, but quickly adapts when he realizes that Amanda thinks he's a gigolo.

The premise might make you think that Amanda is one of those silly historical heroines who do stupid things just for the sake of an outlandish plot (and the first couple of scenes might not convince you otherwise), but as we dig into the story we find that she's actually a sharp, normal person. Kleypas's characterization is, as usual, first rate and you find yourself sympathetic to Amanda who just wants to experience a little bit more of life now that her "advanced" age allows her to do so. I'm an Amanda fan right up until about the last fifth of the book when her otherwise strong character begins to suffer for the sake of a conflict in the romance. Suddenly, she's unassertive, dishonest, and willing to play a quiet martyr, and I find my warm feelings for her starting to cool.

From the moment of their first meeting, Jack is taken with Amanda. He's read her work and respects her as a writer, but he's also compellingly attracted to both her body and her personality. I've been in kind of a drought where it comes to finding heroes who would make your toes curl lately, and I'm really happy that I ran into Jack in "Suddenly You". He's got a dark past, but he isn't overly weighed down by his baggage. There is definitely a reluctance to commit on his part, but when he does-watch out. And the love scenes? Don't burn yourself, they're very hot.

I was really into this story until about three quarters of the way through. The romance and characterization were so well done that things were wrapping up a little too soon I think, so the author had to introduce some conflict. I can understand why it was done, but the story really seemed to suffer for it. There's a reluctance on the part of both the protagonists to be honest that is completely out of character for both. No one wants to say how they feel after they'd been so forthright throughout the story to that point. It's like the romance just runs out of steam and there's a last ditch effort to revive it at the expense of the characters themselves. Toward the last few pages, things started to turn around and the hero and heroine were back on track, but it was hard to recover from the let-down of their unnecessary angst.

In the end, I have to give this book three stars, although if there were a three and a half star rating, that would be more appropriate. Lisa Kleypas is a first class romance author who consistently delivers stories worth reading and characters worth loving. If you haven't read anything of hers, I'd suggest you browse through her offerings and just pick the storyline that appeals the most to you, because you'll probably love it.