Christ, I don’t know. It’s another historical romance novel. The Proposition by Judith Ivory is Pygmalion with a male Pyg. He has a moustache, so that’s a refreshing change. I read a book recently, The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie, in which the hero smoked which a. is cool and we all know it and b. seemed a wonderfully historically accurate detail, kind of like the moustache, but more attractive. Now, if the Pyg also had a beard, the writer might have been on to something. I’ve never read a romance in which the hero had a beard, or in which the heroine had one for that matter. A beard would be awesome. I love beards.

I read The Proposition because Ivory is a very successful writer and this book was highly rated on Amazon, dubious distinction though that may be. Academic Winnie is Henry Higgins and Mick is her Eliza Doolittle. He’s a charmer, that Mick. A charmer in a purely old school romance novel way: sly, funny, and bumptious. Anywho, Winnie trains him to be classy, well-spoken, and clean-shaven, and Mick helps her get her freak on. The book was fine, but didn’t engender any interest in reading more Ivory as some of the elements were a bit dated, as in “1990s”, not as in “Victorian” which they are totally meant to be, and while entertaining, it didn’t pique my interest in the writer’s back catalogue.

Links to my other reviews can be found on my complete reading list of books sorted by author or Author Commentary & The Tallies Shameful or my  streamlined recommendations list.

Tagged: historical romance, Judity Ivory, Proposition, romance review