Viscount Victorious (Zebra Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Historically inaccurate and unlikeable
Review: From the first page of the book, I was wincing. The hero of the story is a viscount, the younger brother of an earl. Glaring mistake #1: only direct descendents ever received curtesy titles (i.e, the eldest son of the earl) and younger brothers never received curtesy titles because they could possibly be stripped of the title when the earl had a son (there is a reason behind all of this). Also in the first chapter, the mother of a baronET is referred to as a baroness. Glaring mistake #2: these are two completely different ranks and are addressed differently. Ms. Solomon, look at your peerage rules before putting it to paper. There are more glaring historical mistakes (i.e., Havana cigars), but I will leave those off. I'll go on to tackle the plot and characters.

The hero is quite good, fun and romantic. The minor characters were also interesting. But the heroine was annoying: she alternates between intelligence and extreme stupidity. For example, if you were stuck in a carriage with a lecher about to rape you, would you wring your hands and hope for the best or would you bash the guy over the head with your silver chess set and try to get away? Guess what our heroine does. And then as the story progresses, she cannot even recognize her own true love when he is unmasked. Other acts like these make me wonder about the heroine.

As for the plot, it is contorted and drawn out. This book is a Regency, so this in itself is not the death of the book. However, certain things get left out: why the heroine is so poor if she had a glorious [expensive] season just the year before (her loss of fortune is not explained), where certain minor characters disappear to (such as the heroine's governess and the villian's mother), why the earl's change of heart is so sudden, and where the earl's first love ever came into the story. I cannot help but think that these are all plot contortions so that Ms. Solomon can manipulate her story past all semblance of reality. Add to that that this plot gets drawn out way past the point of viability. You know how it has to end, so end the book at 200 pages (when it natureally concludes) instead of 250 pages (where it groans to a halt).

Last, the writing style is often awkward. I noticed several misplaced modifiers (though ridiculously funny, are distracting) and misused words (the heroine "disdained" the vicar's offer of tea, instead of "declined"). Oddly, once in a while the author completely jumps out of the story and refers to herself telling the story or "you" as the reader. This works only when used consistantly and often enough so that the reader gets used to it as part of the style, but Ms. Solomon only uses this technique 3-4 times and it just doesn't fit the rest of the 3rd person, objective narrator.

If I were you, I would leave this book on the shelf. If I were Ms. Solomon, I would research the Regency time thoroughly before attempting another book. If I were Zebra publishing, I would get an editor that recognized Regency customs and could correct occasionally poor craftmanship. And if I were me, I'd try to forget I ever read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Exceptional reading!
Review: This is the finest historical romance I have had the pleasure of reading. From the first to the last page the author had my undivided attention. The characters are lively. Her use of humor and action keep the story captivating. The heroine is supreme, the villianous characters deliciously vile, and the plot is expertly crafted. Be warned --- when you pick up this book, you will not be able to put in down!!!