Truly Yours
Grade : B-

This is the first book I have read by Barbara Metzger. To be honest, this is not usually the type book I would choose to read. Historical romance has never been my cup of tea, but I found Truly Yours to be better than most.

The story takes place in Regency London; Amanda Carville has been imprisoned for the murder of her stepfather. London society has already condemned her because she was found holding the murder weapon and it is well known that she despised the man. Amanda is thrown penniless into a cell with common prisoners and no family to save her except for her godmother, Lady Royce.

Viscount Rexford (Rex) was scarred and injured in the war. His beloved father, Lord Royce, asks him to help Amanda. Rex is able to do this because he is from a long line of Royce men who are uniquely gifted with the ability to tell whether or not someone is telling the truth. Although Rex usually views this gift as a curse, since his father has asked, he begrudgingly agrees to help Amanda, and despite his better judgment travels to London. Rex is deeply angered and disturbed when he finds Amanda unconscious, beaten and bloody. in her cell. Rank has its privileges and Rex takes Amanda with him to his mother’s estate to heal. Once he discovers through the use of his gift that she is innocent, he is determined to help her.

Rex’s initial protective feelings toward Amanda quickly turn into attraction and Amanda is drawn to him despite his limp and the scar on his face. He and his cousin Daniel, who also possesses the ability to find the truth, are her only hope. If they cannot find the murderer, she will hang.

I enjoyed this book overall, but felt it suffered for a couple of reasons. The mystery of who really murdered Amanda's stepfather takes up too much of the story. After being introduced to these two likable characters with an obvious attraction to each other, I had to read through pages and pages of Rex and Daniel trying to solve the mystery before I could see Amanda and Rex interact with each other. So much time spent on the mystery subplot could well have been a cause of my other problem with the book: While Amanda and Rex are interesting, likable characters, they are not really well developed. In the beginning of the book we see two people, both dealing with physical and mental stresses. Amanda spent days in a prison where she was repeatedly physically assaulted. Rex is uncomfortable about his ability to sense the truth, and he struggles to deal with his disability. However, the author's exploration of these issues is superficial, and because the mystery subplot wasn't all that interesting, that it overshadowed characterization as well as the romance annoyed me.

Despite all this, Ms. Metzger manages to tell a fairly interesting story. Her description of society in Regency London and her use of the language and colloquialisms of the times add realism and humor. Daniel’s character is quite funny and his antics had me laughing out loud several times during the course of the book. Although troubled by too much emphasis on the mystery subplot at the expense of the romance, I plan to check out the author's backlist, and look for her upcoming releases.

Reviewed by Keisha Hudson
Grade : B-

Sensuality: Kisses

Review Date : September 27, 2007

Publication Date: 2007

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Keisha Hudson

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