Her Officer and Gentleman [Mass Market Paperback]

Title says it all, I was pleasantly surprised. I read Her Master and Commander, didn't like it, and was going to pass this book by. But, I felt I needed to give this author another chance since I liked her previous books before HMAC, so picked it up. I read it in one sitting, and for a book to hold my attention, it's bodes well.

Quick synopsis, the book's hero, Christian, has an agenda - REVENGE. First, he must find the person responsible for his mother's incarceration for alleged traitorous activities, and subsequent death. At the young age of 10, he was separated from his twin brother, and forced to live off his wits. He began with stealing, which evolved into becoming a highway man, dubbed "Gentleman James/Jack". As an adult, he finds himself with a title, a big fortune, and an inherited butler, who's role is to teach Christian how to become an aristocrat. Christian has evidence the Duke of Massingale, (whose name "Massingale" sounds somewhat like that brand name woman's feminine product hawked on tv), was involved, if not responsible, for his mother's imprisonment. To get to the duke, Christian attempts to seduce and win over the Duke's beloved grand daughter, Lady Elizabeth "Beth".

I liked both characters. Christian was bent on revenge, and in the end, comes to the realization that revenge isn't worth true love. As Beth and Christian's relationship evolves, the reader can see the change in Christian's attitude, his regrets of using Beth, and his appreciation for Beth's persona. I quite liked Beth, she was spunky, witty, and good hearted. Hawkins did not overdo Beth, she created her without making her seem to good to be true. The scenes flowed, and the dialogue was smooth. I have a pet peeve of authors who mix present day slang in with historical dialogue, and Hawkins did a great job of keeping that to a minimum. She also didn't overdo the angst between the main characters....I really detest authors who drag the fighting out between the hero and heroine throughout the entire book until the last chapter.

Many other reviewers who did not like the book wanted more "hot" scenes, but I say that sometimes it detracts from the storyline, and in this case, it would have. Of course, the reader could see right away who the guilty person was in the first few chapters, but it didn't kill the whole story.

After having read and enjoyed; HER MASTER AND COMMANDER, the first book in Karen Hawkins's two book mini-series, I was eagerly awaiting the release of HER OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN ~ And I must say, the superbly talented Ms. Hawkins's delivered a charming, engaging and highly entertaining romantic tale; that met and exceeded my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming story!

All alone from the age of tender 10 - tormented by the death of his mother, loss of his twin brother to a ship's press gang and total abandonment by an uncaring father -- Christian Llevanth grew up on the streets of London, forced to depend on fighting, cunning and his wits to survive. As an adult he became a daring and mysterious highwayman; known to the Ton as Gentleman James for his suave manner with the ladies. Now, due to an unexpected inheritance, the handsome, charming, wealthy and newly titled: Christian James Llevanth, Viscount Westerville ~ regardless of his mysterious background, is welcomed everywhere by the cream of London society.

However, Christian is on a quest and has vengeance on his mind. He's waited more than 20 years to solve the mystery of who betrayed his mother and caused her to be falsely accused of treason; then left to die alone in prison. He won't rest until the guilty person is apprehended ~ and held accountable. From evidence he's gathered, Christian's thinks the elderly and reclusive duke of Massingale is the villain responsible; and he's determined to gain entry to his home to prove it. Even if that means he must charm, sweet-talk and if necessary ~ seduce the duke's only granddaughter to do it.

Lady Elizabeth Westover or Beth to her family and friends is lovely, kind, caring, thoughtful, and loving. She's also quite intelligent and can be a little bit stubborn at times. Beth has lived all her life at Massingale House with her irascible grandfather and she's devoted to him. When her now ailing grandfather decides he wants her to go to London to experience a "season" and possibly find a husband, Beth, even though she feels she's too old at 25, agrees to go for one season to please the Duke. However, she has no intention of marrying and to deter any man from courting her ~ she'll make herself as unappealing as possible.

Well, Christian and Beth are clearly two people with opposing agendas, yet from the very first time they meet something special sparks between them. Christian feels an instant rapport with Beth that he'd never felt with another woman before. He's drawn to her but it makes him feel confused and conflicted because the driving force in his life has always been finding his mother's betrayer and now when he's so close to succeeding, he must struggle with these new, raw feelings of desire and longing for Beth.

Beth's confusion is just as great, Christian's mere presence affects her peace of mind. She can't have a proper conversation with him ~ everything he says to her is filled with sexual innuendo; she resists, but his wicked words arouse her in ways she'd never imagined. When Christian turns her bones to jelly with just one well placed kiss ~ she's lost!"

Author, Karen Hawkins gives us two lead characters that are intriguing, believable and very likeable and the dialogue between them is sharp, witty and provocative. Through her skillful writing and careful plotting, readers are able to see how the mutual attraction Christian and Beth feel for each other develops page by page; becoming more and more intense until finally ~ it culminates in a lusty and passionate love scene between them. (pg. 303-310)

I thought the author did a remarkable job fleshing out her all of her primary and secondary characters and bringing them to life for the enjoyment of the reader. The butler, Reeve's sardonic humor was stimulating and fun; and I hope we'll see him again someday. I also liked the light mystery and suspense theme that was cleverly interwoven into the story-line; it kept me interested and continually questioning the villain's identity.

HER OFFICER AND GENTLEMAN is a completely delightful love story; it captivated me from beginning ... to end. I highly recommend it!

I cannot believe I bought this book. This was so boring and worst of all the dialogue was cliche and predictable. I am only writing this review because I saw how high this book was rated and I needed to inform readers out there that this book is not what it cracked up to be although the synopsis sounded interesting. Don't buy it unless you have insomnia and need to fall asleep quickly. 1 diminsional characters and lack of humour and wit plague this book. If you want a book with facinating characters and unpredictable humor - a breath of fresh air - get Terea Medeiros "After Midnight". And also, another turn off is that this book, unsurprisingly, is insipid, dull, and lacks any sensuality. What this book needs is a generous dosage of viagra and intelligent humor. To the trash can its fate lies with all the rest of its ill-written lack lustre cohorts.