Smitten by Books

MAY TOP PICK!!!
A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Pub. Date: April 27, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0061662218
Retail: $7.99
384 pages

A lady should always make polite conversation . . .

Theresa Weller understands the rules of decorum, and is appalled when Colonel Bartholomew James disrupts a perfectly civilized dinner. This rude, insensitive man is the complete opposite of everything a gentleman should be—but with one searing kiss, Tess can think of no one else.

A lady should never lose her temper . . .

Aggravated beyond bearing by a man who speaks his mind, Tess wishes there was a guide to men like Bartholomew. Surely, with such an assortment of handsome, polite suitors to choose from, Tess should not ache for him.

And a lady should never pursue a gentleman.

She invites him on carriage rides and dares him to dance, and almost makes him want to return to Society. Bartholomew knows Tess wants to be seen as a proper miss, but deep down, he knows she is precisely the sort to spark his desire . . . A most improper lady.

~*~*~

Suzanne Enoch – A Lady’s Guide to Improper Behavior captivated me from the first few pages with strong characterization and a solid story of love, trust, and two people’s ability to overcome the worst life had to offer. As I predicted in my review of the previous book in this “Adventurer” series – The Care and Taming of a Rogue – Suzanne Enoch will thrill her fans and newbies alike with another great tale.

There are so many things I liked about this book it is hard to know where to start. One key thing that kept me interested was that Suzanne pits her lead characters against each other; there is nothing like a good old battle of stubborn wills to get your blood flowing! The story is a bit of an adventure for Tolly and Tess, as he learns how to live his life again and she learns to trust in her true nature. This element created a great base on which the love story was built. Another thing I liked about this book was how real the author writes her characters. They play hard to get, but only to a certain extent, their attraction for each other demonstrated in a way that adds realism to the relationship development… They like one another and they show it and do something about it. Too often writers make their characters too coy and frankly, I just want to scream “Just kiss her already!” Jezz…enough is enough. Not so with Suzanne.

Theresa, our heroine is gutsy from the beginning, not taking Tolly’s crap for a second and calling him out on his manners and behavior. A right proper chit, she considers herself his tutor in all things appropriate. However, in goading and manipulating Tolly into doing as she wishes, she actually made me dislike her for a while. Without going into specifics – no spoilers here – I found myself unsure as to whether I liked Tess or not. She has her flaws and they work well with the plot and story line of the book, but at one part I wanted to throw my book across the room and actually caught myself before I yelled at my book for her to stop being an idiot – mature, I know.

Tolly, or the Colonel as he is known throughout the book, has quite a chip on his shoulder and broods like the best of them. Badly injured in a serious battle, he is crippled both inside and outside. However, his sullen moods don’t last long once he finds himself infatuated with a strong minded woman hell-bent on making him live his life once more. His desire to be well and to be a better man for Tess warms the reader from the inside out – I can’t tell you how many times I smiled while reading this book.

The love scenes were well done and not overly graphic but definitely not tame.
Overall this book is a must read, whether you are a Suzanne Enoch fan or not. Check out Suzanne’s website for information on all her previous books, hope you add them to your bookshelf!

Rating: 9 (Excellent) ~ May Top Pick!

Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)