Review: AKA - How the Baron Grew Up & Izzy Got Her Groove Back
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 28, 2013
This is a terrific book with a H and h that are wonderfully realistic, with both good and bad traits, and a storyline that draws you in, making you anticipate the next page, the next chapter.  Baron Revere - Miles - is such a guy, in all the frustrating, exciting, and surprising ways a guy can be.  He wants to be liked by his peers so he does and says despicable things, both intentionally and unintentionally.  He's also aloof and seemingly unemotional with his heart, his "society face" firmly in place in public.  Underneath we discover his heart beats for his family and he yearns to love and be loved.  The h - Izzy - was once the victim of Miles' youthful cruelty and it understandably scarred her deeply, yet with her family she is her true self - outspoken, witty, self-assured.  She seethes with resentment over the next decade, blaming Miles for spoiling her debut and condemning her to a life of spinsterhood.  Circumstances force them into each others company and both their facades begin to wear away, revealing the real person each was afraid to truly be.This is not your stereotypical romance.  The H is handsome and single and therefore a sought commodity in the marriage mart, but he's no formulaic rakehell peer needing the reforming magic of a beautiful and lithe debutante.  The h is chubby and klutzy, two characteristics that kept others from looking past her surface, and the heroine herself resigned to live up to her descriptors.  While neither homely nor stunning, because of her crushed self-esteem, Izzy seems plainer than she is.  When each character begins to peck their way out of their shells the true story begins.The author skillfully lets her characters evolve and adapt as her storyline unfolds.  The h's sister was a little flat to me, but I think this is purposefully done by the author.  Cat (the sister) is only eighteen, and she moves between whining and wisdom with the speed and talent only a teenager possesses.  The H's brother, Jack, is a poetry-living gambler that just seems to love life and all its facets and foibles; he exhibits surprising depth in matters of the heart, schooling his older brother more than once.  Add a family tragedy, a little sibling mischief, and a kidnapping and you've got a captivating, evolving plot.I simply loved this book from start to finish.  The characters and their stories draw you in and I could not put this book down until it was finished.  I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.