It Takes a Hero

by Elizabeth Boyle

Book Overview

Rebecca will have to take a page from her own book to keep the dashing Rafe Danvers from spoiling her success. But how does one play hard-to-get with a man one cannot resist Rebecca Tate never intended to cause a revolution with her notoriously popular Miss Darby novels, merely to earn enough to support herself and her ailing uncle. But now it seems every eligible debutante in London is emulating her spunky heroine and refusing to marry...ever! Still,...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060549300
• ISBN13: 9780060549305
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

It Takes a Hero

I really loved this book. The characters were great, the story interesting. Rafe and Rebecca were wonderful together. I will definetly keep this book in my collection!

Still Good BUT Really a 3-1/2*

Setting - England 1817 --- Raphael 'Rafe' Danvers, did not fit into the polite ton society since coming home from the Peninsular wars, yet here he was being summoned by the Countess Tottley to join her at her morning salon. It seemed that the young daughters of the ton had thought to emulate a popular 'fictional' heroine who had vowed after the demise of her 'fictional' beau to never marry! This author had to be found, in order to make her stop writing so that the match-making mamas of the ton could convince their impressionable young daughters to stop turning down offers of marriage to their eligible suitors. Knowing that Rafe had no home of his own, Lady Tottley thought to entice him in aiding her and mothers of the other marriageable daughters of the ton to locate M. Briggs the elusive author of the immensely popular Miss Darby chronicles, by offering him an estate - a bit of a 'handy-man's special. Rafe, a confirmed bachelor, would rather solve the murder he'd been working on with the promise of a hefty monetary reward but the thought of an estate - a home to call his own - was just too good to pass up. He traveled to every bachelors nightmare, the matchmaking capital of Kent - Bramley Hollow where he discovered the very infuriating and lovely Miss Rebecca Tate. His gut feelings told him she was the elusive author, and his brain told him he should forget about it and go look for a murderer instead - it would have been less dangerous for his state of mind and body. Normally, I have found Elizabeth Boyle's novels to be fast and funny page-turners, but have to confess that I couldn't categorize this in the 'I can't put it down' standard I associate with her earlier books. While the story was good, it just didn't engage my emotions as much as her previous novels of the other Danver family members. The zest just wasn't there, even with some very engaging sparring matches between the main protagonists. The mystery of the original murder Rafe was working to solve was eventually worked into the search for the elusive author and brought to an almost too abrupt conclusion - but of course, the romance was the prime objective. The one thing that didn't seem to make sense to me with regard to the heroines apparent insolvency was her obvious success of the Miss Darby novels. With so successful a writing career her fixation and greediness in wanting to obtain and keep the legendary and valuable Kailash ruby seemed out of place, especially where she seemed to want to stay and live a peaceful existence in the country. Some of the more enjoyable and humorous moments were provided by Rebecca's 'batty' uncle; her very ferocious tom-cat Ajax; and of course, the witty dialogs filling out the requisite gender banter. Bottom line - My nit-picking aside, this was still an entertaining effort and fans of Elizabeth Boyle will not be too disappointed. --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---

Delightful humorous Regency romantic suspense

With Napoleon out of commission 1817 should be a very cheerful upbeat season for the Ton, but the debutants declare a marital revolution to the shock of their mothers. The young ladies refuse to marry emulating their heroine Miss Darby, literary star of four action adventure novels. Feeling desperate, the aristocratic matrons hire war hero Raphael Danvers to confront the author with exposure in order to stop any new book from being released.Having an estate dangled as his fee, an impoverished Rafe drops his inquiries into the Sir Codlin murder and heads to remote Bramley Hollow, the place where the books were postmarked. Unlike everyone else who believes the author is a male, Rafe thinks a female has written the tales that he admits hooks anyone to complete in one sitting. In Bramley Hollow, Rafe meets Rebecca Tate, niece of a somewhat deranged colonel. He believes she is the author, but needs to find proof. Soon he finds he enjoys the competition while falling in love with Rebecca; she reciprocates on both counts. Then there is the unknown element of someone wanting to kill Rebecca that draws Rafe even closer to keep her safeIT TAKES A HERO is a delightful humorous Regency romantic suspense that will hook the audience with the gender duel between the lead pair. The story line is very funny as Rafe tries to find evidence while Rebecca continually taunts and trumps his endeavors to expose her as the writer. Though the intrigue that comes late is terse and ties up loose ends, fans will feel that is unnecessary as the meat of this fine historical lies with the battle of the sexes.Harriet Klausner