Review: romcom at it's best
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2013
This is a great story - if you're looking for a bodice ripper than you won't appreciate this. If you're looking a steamy novel with a wealthy neanderthal rapist (also known as an Alpha Male) and poor, feeble-minded heroine waiting to be saved heroine than this isn't for you.The book does lack historical content and the dialogue ought to portray the era it was set in,  but otherwise no major problems. I've read far worse dialogue by American authors writing historical fiction set in the UK (the worst kind).Tom is a nervous, gauche, 20 year old farmer. He stumbles with everything - words, motions and ideas. He's a simple farm boy - who is brilliant at working in "manly" work and in harsh conditions (farming didn't come with tractors and so forth back then). Hence, he's very manly but women never see this side of him. We first encounter him being rejected by the fair folk due to his unsophisticated conduct, lack of genteel manners and nervous disposition that causes him to become a liability (he knocks things over, causes damage in his wake). However, despite all that - he's genuine and without airs and graces - he's honest. He's not the darkly brooding dashing cavalier of a swashbuckling romance - but a ordinary guy.Jessica is a sweet genteel girl. She's the most popular girl in town and all the bachelors are keen. She's engaged to Peter because his mother finds her a suitable candidate. When she meets Tom, she only wants to help him. However, along the way she realises that he's the real man and Peter for all his flash credentials and charm is a mummy's boy.Then there's the remaining family members who are all really engaging characters - jessica's mother, Tom;s funny brothers and even Peter's mother.I hope we have a story for Joel and Dave. Joel is hilarious.Although this is a sweet novel - it's not sickly sweet. Or gushing with heartfelt declarations. No cringe worthy "I die for you" rubbish. It's not a melodramatic tale of love and woe. It's a romcom more like Sweet Home Alabama.