In For a Penny by Rose Lerner

http://www.roselerner.com/
Romance reader alert!! We have struck gold!!!

Don't let the absence of heaving bosoms, naked limbs or bare chests on the cover fool you - this is a romance novel. And what a romance novel it is! The back blurb says: "the grit of Dickens and the true-to-life, breathing characters of Austen." And, for once the back blurb is correct.

It is always an exciting moment for me when I find a debut author who can write, and let me tell you Rose Lerner is a major talent. All of the characters in this book are well-rounded; however, they are not the typical people we find inhabiting a lot of romance novels today. In fact, they all seemed to have a little bit of a bite to them and they did remind me of Charles Dickens' characters. Oh sure, the author occasionally throws in a modern word, but I was so engrossed with this story I didn't have time to care.

The hero, Nev, isn't the brightest bulb in the box, and occasionally he reminds me of a frat boy. The heroine, Penelope, more closely resembles current romance standards, but I loved her. These two are worlds apart; he's an aristocrat and she's from the working class. He needs money, she has it. A standard plot, but to watch them struggle toward that HEA is truly an amazing journey. There are a lot of misunderstandings, but after each one the couple became stronger. At one point, they had so much to overcome that the heroine wanted to run away, and I can't say that I blamed her.

In For a Penny is a charming, witty, touching, and at times the struggle may make the reader a tad bit apprehensive... I know it did me. Watch for a wonderful scene with Nev and cutting up food, and I'm not going to say anything else, except it was a "aww" moment.

The book felt a bit rushed at the end, some loose ends not tied, but overall this a wonderful, wonderful book and Rose Lerner is an author to keep your eyes on.

Time/Place 1819 England
Rating:
Sensuality Rating: Hot