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ONCE
A DREAMER |
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Candice Hern
January 2003
Avon
ISBN:
0060505621
Historical Romance |
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Eleanor Tennent is furious when her young niece, Belinda, follows the
advice of a popular women's magazine columnist and runs off with a local
gambler. Determined to bring her niece back home, Eleanor tracks down
the self-proclaimed 'Busybody' and confronts her--only to discover that
the notorious writer is a man!
It is only then that Eleanor discovers the true mission of the magazine.
Hidden between the pages of fashion plates and recipes are articles
promoting the education and advancement of women in society. Simon
Westover has a lot to lose if his true identity is discovered, as does
the magazine as a whole.
Eleanor agrees not to expose Simon's secret, if he helps fix the mess he
created, and bring Belinda back home. He reluctantly agrees, and the two
are soon off on a cross country race to intercept Belinda before she
makes it to Scotland.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It has a fun, lighthearted atmosphere.
Simon is charming, and I was relieved to see that he didn't fall into
the 'alpha-male' trap which seems to plague so many romance novels of
this period. Instead, Simon is whimsical, and a staunch believer in the
romantic ideal. This often leads him into trouble(his constant attempts
to woo Eleanor tend to backfire comically), yet he always comes across
as sincere.
Eleanor's character is a bit more problematic. She is the foil for
Simon's idealism: practical where he is flighty, a realist to his
dreamer. In that stead, Eleanor functions very well. Yet, it is
sometimes difficult to sympathize with her almost angry reticence while
Simon remains unfailingly optimistic.
Even with this minor flaw, I highly recommend Once a Dreamer. The book
is like a warm cup of cocoa on a chilly evening--soothing and ultimately
satisfying.
Reviewed for The Road to Romance by Erika Sevea
September 19th, 2004 |
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