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Jane Whittington is getting married. Not to the love of her life, not to a beau of her choosing, but to a stranger that her father has picked for her. Her father - the man who has been gone most of her life, the man who sends her gifts and letters from the far corners of the world - should have known her better than to betroth her to a fop! Jane is crushed and heartbroken that her father could not understand her desire to follow in his footsteps. She has always wanted to travel and see the wonders of the world. He should have known, from the long letters that she’d written to him, that she would not be happy to be married to a man like the one he has chosen for her. How could she be happy tucked away at some estate, caring for the mundane duties of a household, attending boring social engagements and never finding the adventure that she craves?
Since she has not seen her father in over two years, she decides that there is really only one course of actions. She must go to her father, Viscount Whittington, and ask him in person what he could have been thinking when he made the betrothal arrangements. There is only one problem: her father is in Yorkshire at his estate and she needs an escort. Though she’d rather have anyone other than Lord Chadwick, her intended, accompany her, she is forced to accept his presence. At least she will have her maid and her widowed sister with her on the journey. But Fate, and Lord Chadwick, have other plans. Due to an allergy to Lord Chadwick’s dog, the maid must return home. Jane’s sister is mysteriously invited to a very important social event, which she absolutely must attend, and Jane is left to make the journey alone, and un-chaperoned, with Lord Chadwick. Surely, though, such a man as he would not pose any dangers to her virtue?
Lord Chadwick is not the dandy he appears to be. He is not entirely certain who he is anymore, but he is certainly no dandy. He is a former spy. A man who has assumed so many different identities, with such great success, that he no longer knows his true self. He does, however, believe that he knows his own desires, and what he desires above all else is a simple life – one with no secrecy or danger or adventure - with a perfect little wife like Jane. Unfortunately, he has one more mission to complete before he can attain his dreams.
NO ORDINARY GROOM is no ordinary romance novel. Full of fun, mischief and cleverness, Ms. Callen’s tale is one that readers won’t want to miss. Lord Chadwick is at once both sexy and silly, inane and terribly masculine, luscious and boring. Jane is the quintessential heroine: sweet, beautiful and witty. The story rolls along at a fast clip, with twists and turns and various romantic foibles that will keep even the most jaded of romance readers interested.
Ms. Callen has a lovely style of writing, one that engrosses the reader. Her historical settings are compelling and realistic. The elements of her novel all fit together with such perfect ease that NO ORDINARY GROOM turns out to be one of those rare books that readers will want to devour all in one sitting. With this ingenious story, Ms. Callen has gained a new follower in this reviewer. I’ll be eagerly anticipating the other novels in this trilogy.
Reviewed by Janean Nusz
for The Road to Romance
May 5, 2004
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