Hazard (Paperback)

This book is really boring. The main characters barely interact during the whole novel. To me, their feelings for each other seemed more like infatuation than true love. They shared a kiss, interchanged some witticisms, and suddenly they were madly in love! What did they know about each other, about their past, their likes and dislikes, their ambitions in life? For the most part the book was about Anne trying to find a suitable husband and trying to forget about Race, and Race trying to avoid Anne.

Another thing not working for this book was that I don't consider Race hero material, and it is not because of his lack of fortune or pedigree. It is because he seems to me like a very impractical person with no real direction in his life. Oh, he is charming, intelligent, and really good with people, he reminded me a little of Nicholas Delaney. I did not dislike him; he had his moments, but for the most part was eclipsed by St.Raven. And I hate it when the hero is eclipsed by another character in the book.

For her part, Lady Anne was a very unexceptional heroine; she is kind of dull and easily forgotten, to the point that you don't care whom she marries, just that she gets it over with.

The back cover of the book says that you have never met a hero and heroine like Race de Vere and Lady Ann Peckworth, and it is true. Jo Beverley always tries to create characters that are a little different to what you usually encounter on romance novels, sometimes even pushing the boundaries of what is "acceptable", that is good, but this time I think she really went a little too far.

And one more thing. The book lacks sensuality. It only has one love scene that was very brief and boring. That, added to a not very interesting plot makes for a tedious novel. I really see no purpose on reading it. One reviewer said that this book only serves to introduce St.Raven, and I think it is true. That is a much better book. In fact the best of the Regency ones written by Jo Beverley that I have read so far. Try that one instead, and save your money on this one. They are part of a series, but you don't need to have read the other books to enjoy St.Raven. In fact I read it before any of the others, and I didn't even guess it was part of a series.