Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

August 24, 2015
Goodbye angst, hello happy feet!

http://www.lorettachase.com/
After my last two angst filled books, I had a hankering for something not so dark - something which would make me smile. What was I to do? The answer was simple; just turn to one of my favorite authors who I know fills her books with witty, fun dialogue without being silly. So I tuned to Loretta Chase and her Carsington brother series. I skipped over Ms. Wonderful and started with Mr. Impossible.

Mr. Impossible is a road trip through Egypt which has a slight feel of The Mummy (1999) about it, but without the mummy. In this book we have a very smart Egyptologist by the name of Daphne Pembroke. As you can tell by the name Daphne, her being taken seriously as a (1.) smart person (2.) Egyptologist is problematic. This is the 1820s and women are not supposed to do too much besides sewing. Daphne has found a solution; she and her loving brother have come up with a plan where Daphne does all the research and Miles takes the credit. Now, Daphne may not like doing that but she loves digging in the sands of Egypt, so she continues the charade. Miles purchases a papyrus which he thinks Daphne will enjoy. The problem with this is that all the bad people think the papyrus is a map to a lost pharoah's tomb and only Miles can decipher the papyrus. Miles is kidnapped. Daphne knows that once the kidnappers discover Miles can't read hieroglyphs his life won't be worth anything, so time is of the essence. The authorities are not all that helpful as they think he's probably in some brothel some place, but they are will to give her a helper. Enter Rupert Carsington.

Rupert is in jail. He has been in jail a number of times since his arrival in Egypt and the authorities don't know what to do with him. He likes to solve problems with his fists and being the son of a nobleman, there isn't too much the authorities can do with him, except get him out of their hair - hence giving him to Daphne. Rupert is a wonderful character. He has floated through life without doing too much of anything, and has also assumed the facade of a blockhead. Daphne is irritated with his buffoonery right away and Rupert doesn't do anything to change her opinion.

Like all of Chase's heroes, Rupert falls for Daphne right away, although he doesn't recognize the feelings she engenders for what they are. All he knows is that he is fascinated by her big brain and her stunning body.

Daphne and Rupert are a great, fun couple. The dialogue is entertaining, the chemistry sizzling - this is a brilliant road trip. Rupert is the best character in the book and it's hard to resist him. His deliberate aggravation of Daphne is comical, but that is tempered by his understanding of what makes Daphne tick and his acceptance of her great intelligence. He is everything that Daphne needs - he is proud of her.

This book is a delightful read, with an amusing couple, numerous villainy villains, and an interesting supporting cast. This is just the book I needed. No heavy duty angst, no dark deep secrets, just a delightful journey with a charming couple.

Time/Place: 1820s Road trip, Egypt
Sensuality: Warm/Hot