We have a winner! A perfect 10.

I don’t give out perfect scores. It seems there’s always something that could make the story a little better, the plot tighter, the characters more conflicted - something that was just a tad lacking. At least that was my opinion until I read TREASURE ME by Robyn DeHart.

I wouldn’t change a thing. This is truly one of the most delightful tales I’ve read in years.

TREASURE ME adds a pinch of Sherlock Holmes-style investigative work with a dash of Indiana Jones bravado and blends it smoothly with the legendary tale of “Nessie”, buried treasure, and secret codes. It is then served sumptuously in the beautiful Scottish hills near Loch Ness.

When Vanessa Pembroke discovers her fiancée and younger sister in a compromising position two days before her wedding, she runs away to Scotland in search of evidence confirming an ancient creature once resided in the cold waters of Loch Ness.

Graeme Langford, Duke of Rothmore, rescues her from a tavern full of lascivious Scots where Vanessa has rented a room. He soon ends up with more than he bargained for – a new wife and an equally adventurous partner to help search for the Loch Ness treasure, a quest he has pursued for over ten years.

Throw in an evil nemesis, and you have a fast paced, rollicking story with colorful characters that will keep your interest to the end.

I fell in love with our bookish heroine long before our hero. Her spunk, curiosity and determination to ignore danger while proving her mettle as a scientist of paleontology is both humorous and endearing.

Ms. DeHart has done an excellent job of researching the setting, inserting tidbits of rich backdrop a little at a time without overwhelming the reader with too much description. Vanessa and Graeme are well developed and unique with wonderfully entertaining dialogue. Not once did I see them fall out of character. Yet the shift in their affections and internal growth unfurls so naturally, I found myself wondering when it happened. There was never a paragraph that defined the metamorphosis. A blatant “ah ha” moment that some writers use to emphasize what their character has just discovered about themselves or their partner.

No, Ms. DeHart is much sneakier than that. She weaves a story like a fine tapestry – rich, colorful and compelling but so tightly bound there are never any holes.

I typically don’t read historicals and I’m certainly not a historical purist. But as a reader, I know when a book has hooked me from page one and left me ravenous for more at the end. On that note, I can assure you I’ll be at the bookstore first thing in the morning to purchase the other two titles in The Legend Hunter series, SEDUCE ME and DESIRE ME.

Reviewed by: Deb