Review: Romancing the Book
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 01 24, 2012
Reviewed By~Amie LouReview Copy Provided By~ AuthorDue to circumstances beyond her control, Irish born Caitlin Gallagher is forced to marry Dillon Cade, though Caitlin doesn't know why her father makes these demands. She kicks up quite a fuss, but marries poor Dillon anyway, all the while vowing that theirs will be a marriage in name only. Eventually, her vow falls to the wayside, and she invites her husband into her bed. In the meantime, the town trollop (who'd had it in mind to wed Dillon herself) starts plotting to destroy the marriage between Dillon and Caitlin. Add to this Dillon's evil stepmother who would like to have him for herself (after she rids herself of her current husband, of course), and it seems like everyone is out to break them apart, from Thomas Jefferson on down.Unfortunately the plot is weak, unconvincing, and very fractured. I had trouble believing that Catlin would have such a strong distaste for marrying a man simply because he was English. If he was truly the enemy, why did her father insist they marry? There was no true black moment for the couple--though they went through trials and setbacks. There was no time when I caught my breath and thought, "This is it. After this, their love won't be able to survive."And both names seem way too modern for a book set in the 18th century. All that aside, Caitlin was nothing more than a spoiled brat who needed a spanking--in the worst way. She was disrespectful and mean even though Dillon afforded her everything. Her treatment of him emasculated him to the point where I thought he was going to break and toss her out on her behind. I would have applauded him if he'd had.However when Caitlin's vow not to consummate her marriage with Dillon is forgotten, the tone of the book changes and becomes more tolerable. But given the lack of believable plot, even the change in Caitlin is not enough to make the book shine.