Overly arrogant bossy heroes, flawless in face and body and always wealthy beyond belief, rarely appeal to me. In fact, they usually annoy me pretty quickly. When I discovered that the hero of Potent Charms fit all of these qualifications and then some, I groaned aloud at what I was convinced would be a torturous read. Although this hero made me grit my teeth in frustration several times before the book ended, there was enough wit in his encounters with the heroine to lend some balance to the reading experience.

The book begins with a prologue and a vengeful gypsy placing a curse on the Badrick males: “For generations to come, the sons of your house will beget sons. Each son will marry noble ladies and each marriage will end in misfortune, loneliness, and death as long as the Romany travel the pathways of this land.” This curse will cause quite a dilemma for our poor heroine and her hard-hearted hero.

Phoebe Rafferty, a newcomer to London and all of its restricting rules, has a mere six weeks to find herself a suitable husband among the ton. Phoebe grew up on a plantation in America but lost everything when her father died. Her grandfather, feeling remorseful over his treatment of her mother (who rebelled and ran off to America to follow her heart), left Phoebe her mother’s childhood home. But for some reason, frustratingly never explained (plot contrivance anyone?), he left a clause in the will insisting that Phoebe marry immediately or lose all claim to the inheritance. Phoebe is not thrilled with her choices, which consist mainly of old geezers and sleazy second sons. She has nearly given up on her dream of finding love and is contemplating settling for the least offensive but most malleable man in order to maintain her independence. Then she stumbles upon Stephen Lambert and the fun begins.

Stephen, the current Duke of Badrick, doesn’t know what he’s in for when Phoebe invades his solitude during a ball and shocks him with her outspoken manner and complete disregard for propriety. Mere moments after their meeting she blurts out that she’s there only to find a husband and goes into detail about the measures she must take to receive her inheritance. Charmed by her beauty, humor, and intelligence, Stephen decides he is going to do her a huge favor and save her the trouble of marrying a dullard by offering his services as protector. All he askes in exchange is some hot, sweaty sex. The next time they meet, he proposes that she become his mistress and is unprepared for her response, as she tells him exactly how loathsome she finds his offer.

Phoebe decides that Stephen is the perfect man for her, but she will only have him if a wedding ring is included in his offer. Although she’s insulted by his ridiculous proposition, she refuses to pout and instead puts her energy into bringing him around to her way of thinking. What Phoebe doesn’t realize (and what Stephen stubbornly fails to tell her) is that he is one the “cursed” Badricks – and he has already lost two wives and an unborn child to an early death. He refuses to marry a third time and put Phoebe’s life in danger. Despite this obstacle they cannot seem to stay out of each other’s way – nor do they want to.

The couple have a fun, sassy and all-around entertaining relationship that never strays into the annoying territory that often awaits an outspoken heroine who meets a super alpha guy. And it’s all because of Phoebe. She has a terrific sense of humor that had me smiling throughout, and she is never abrasive. She’s the perfect foil for the full-of-himself Stephen and deflates his ego at every opportunity, often forcing him to laugh at himself. This humanizes Stephen and manages to turn him into a likable character despite his oh-so-high opinion of himself.

Phoebe is a highly likable character even though she does make two bad moves, one with the gypsies that borders on a too stupid to live episode, and one later in the story when she drags another man into her relationship mess with Stephen. For the most part, though, she is refreshingly clear-headed. Rather than sitting around and wringing her hands while she waits for Stephen to come to his senses, she lets him know exactly how she feels, as this snippet demonstrates:

She had no intention of spending time with the man if dishonesty lay between them. “I am not accustomed to secrets and guessing games. If we’re to have any relationship at all, I expect us to be honest with one another.”

Hooray for Phoebe – all whiny heroines please take note!

The story loses momentum midway through, when its direction abruptly switches gears. What began as a witty romp suddenly turns dark and gothic-like, then it just as abruptly turns into an action-adventure, and then back again into a romp. Although the romance is never lost during these twists, it is difficult to stay focused throughout all the changes in style and direction.

These abrupt changes, Stephen’s stubborn refusal to admit he’s in love until the book is nearly done, some purple prose (how does a virgin get engorged breasts, anyway?), and several all too familiar stereotypical secondary characters, nearly negated all the charm Phoebe provided to the story. This author clearly has a knack for characterization – if she can make both lead characters as vibrant as she made Phoebe, and works on her style, I’ll definitely read her again.