LynneC’s review of There’s Something About A Rebel by Anne Oliver
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents Extra 1 Jan 12 (M&B Riva Aug 11)
I picked this because of the hunk on the cover – so unlike Mills and Boon’s usual male models and so tempting! But inside, I found the same old story with a slight twist. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, just that I expected a little more.
It’s part of the Riva line and is supposed to be a little different. That’s the trouble. It is a Modern Romance, tweaked a little. The attitudes and the dilemmas are Modern/Presents all the way.
The difference? The hero was a navy man, a diver part of a special unit like the SEALS, but after he lost a young colleague, he retired from the Service. He blamed himself for losing the young man, because he was in charge of the operation, and he brooded a bit. But the conflict isn’t deep enough for me. Perhaps losing the young man was the final straw in a series of tough assignments, but we never hear about them. Many SEALS, or the equivalent, retire because they’re burned out after a series of operations. I’d have preferred something of that nature, as it makes for a richer backstory. But Blake doesn’t appear to be too jaded, apart from a few bad dreams. He sets to organizing Lissa’s life with enthusiasm, when they get over their initial problems. Yes, that’s right, Blake is wealthy. This is a Modern/Presents book, despite its sexy cover.
The problems are that Blake’s no-good father sold his houseboat twice – to Blake and to Lissa. Luckily, Blake also owns the nearby luxury house and a considerable fortune, because his mother was a wealthy woman. Another problem lightly touched on was that his mother spent more time with her charities than she did with Blake, a bit like Mrs. Jellyby in Bleak House, presumably, except that Mrs. Jellyby and her daughter were more surely drawn.
Lissa is straight out of the Modern/Presents line. She’s in her mid-twenties, she’s an interior designer who isn’t doing too well but has bags of talent, she’s beautiful, she’s been in love with Blake for years, since before he joined the navy. Her brother is Blake’s friend.
Blake sets out to help Lissa. The problem with the houseboat disappears quickly (literally), and Blake persuades Lissa that he should invest in her business. Then they sleep together, although they know it is wrong. He takes Lissa to parties and introduces her to his mother’s rich friends and she gets on fine, her business grows like Topsy.
I think that’s my problem with this book. None of the conflicts introduced seem to meet much. The houseboat, Blake’s nightmares, Lissa’s money troubles, all melt away. It’s a true fairytale story, and nothing goes deep enough to have any bite, to get the reader conflicted or involved. It would have been better had Blake’s nightmares been true fatigue syndrome or Lissa had been a rubbish interior designer. But she’s not, she’s brilliant, and everyone loves her work. So she would probably have succeeded eventually anyway without Blake’s help.
The Riva line isn’t working for me as a separate line because the books read like their origins – Cherish or Modern. I like the Moderns, and some of my favorite authors write for that line, including Anne Oliver, but this is presented more honestly in the US as a Harlequin Presents Extra, although the cover is in itself a spoiler. However, even as a Modern/Presents, I would have liked a little more.
All in all, this is a perfectly good book about a nice couple. But that’s also its problem. It’s too nice. So there’s really only one grade for it.
Grade: C
Summary:
Her fantasy man – in the flesh! Lissa Sanderson is at an all-time low – so why does her brother’s gorgeous, brooding best friend have to come back into her life now? Even worse, the teenage crush she once had on Blake Everett is back with a vengeance, despite his scandalous reputation and the fact the ex-Navy officer would clearly prefer to be left alone. Only now she’s a woman. And Blake’s not quite so immune to her as he makes out. There’s definitely something about a rebel – and Lissa’s going to enjoy finding out just what that ‘something’ might be!
Read an excerpt.
