Review: A Tender Historical Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 14, 2014
Originally published in 2008 under the title “The Rat Catcher” (a nickname given to the policeman hero), the story takes place in New York City, 1884.  This is a unique historical romance between two characters who are from different levels of society yet both are outsiders.  If you are looking for your standard dose of ‘bodice ripping’ sex, it’s not here.  But the story and the characters will more than hold your interest. Callie, a gentlewoman, is an educated but incredibly nave young woman who has been raised by her grandmother.  While her tyrannical grandmother made sure Callie learned several languages, she also made sure that a few areas were never mentioned.  Men and sex.  Which is how Callie, left destitute in New York City after the death of her grandmother and now her father, finds herself accepting a job from a ‘friend’ of her father’s translating material for his business.  Callie is clueless to the fact that the ’unusual’ text she is translating is pornographic and her little office is located in a brothel. A brothel which is being raided by the police, including Detective Cutter.  Just known by the one word, Cutter, he has never known himself by any other name, has no memories beyond growing up alone on the streets. Handsome but tough, Cutter has made his own way up from street urchin to the position of New York City police detective. After a few moments of confusing conversation and an unexpected kiss (this is a romance after all), Cutter is intelligent enough to realize a lost soul when he sees one and when the result of the raid leaves Callie homeless he takes her in and hires her to take care of Granny, an elderly woman who had been written off by her family long ago and who he had found on the streets and now lived with.  Cutter and Callie have strong sexual chemistry throughout the book and while Callie may be nave she is not shy and it falls to Cutter to literally give Callie a detailed biology lecture. Although Callie would like him to do more than explain Cutter is very conscious of their places in society and is determined to help Callie find her way back to the Society he feels she belongs in.  At the same time he is working to put the pieces together on a murder mystery which eventually involves the man who hired Callie.Callie and Cutter are great characters.  Callie’s naivety could have been really silly except she was a bright young woman with a sense of adventure and no hesitancy at filling in the gaps in her knowledge. (Not just sex, people!) She had initiative and wouldn’t be held down by societal expectations for a woman at that time.  Cutter can’t help himself, the man was a hunk of a hero whether he wanted to be or not with his rugged good looks, innate intelligence, his passion, the protectiveness he had for Callie and Granny, his straight forward manner, managing to be both rough and tender, his quiet pride and yet sad shame at his lack of social status when it came to Callie. The story vividly brings you into that time period and while it is so obvious that Callie and Cutter belong together, it is also understandable why their situation would be problematic that you do find yourself intently reading to see how things will work out for them.  The mystery also keeps you wondering whodunit.  If you want to read a love story with passion, lust and romance it is all here.  True, you won’t get slap dash detailed sequences of sex but you’ll be too involved with the well written characters to worry about it.I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.