If you Give a Girl a Viscount by Kieran Kramer (Impossible Bachelors #4)
Historical Romance
November 1, 2011
St. Martin’s

Reviewed by May

Favorite quote: But he was kissing her.

Daisy.

The Girl who’d made everything different. And not because she was a Highland lass. Not because her voice was like buzzing bumblebees. Nor was It because she had an outlandish sense of adventure.

It was because of how she looked at him. It was as if she could see deep into his soul, past the bad Charlie to the real Charlie-

And the real Charlie she saw wasn’t a shining knight, thank God.

No, the real Charlie was the same as the bad Charlie.

But she liked him anyway.

Charles Thorpe, aka Viscount Lumley is the fourth and final ‘impossible bachelor’ remaining. He has been cut off from his family’s money due to insanely frivolous spending and now has a letter in his hand from his grandmother’s god daughter that he needs to respond to. Having taken over his grandmother’s affairs while she is overseas, he decides to head up to Scotland and see what the trouble is – and how he can help Miss Daisy Montgomery.

Daisy Montgomery lives as a servant to her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters ever since her father passed away. Her hope is that her godmother (whom she just discovered she had) can help her get the small castle they live in out of debt and back in good repair. When the incredibly handsome Viscount Lumley appears on her doorstep, she knows he is trouble but is determined to save her home for herself and two servants whom she loves deeply. Daisy is disappointed at first that Charles can’t give her the money she is so in need of, but the pair hatch a scheme (and a fake engagement) in the hopes that all will not be lost.

I love Kieran Kramer’s voice as an author, and her way of telling a story that keeps me absolutely riveted and desperately needing to know what will happen next. This book is her riff on Cinderella, though her heroine is less likely to speak to animals and more likely to ask for cash to repair her beloved home.

Charles is very weary of Daisy because women have been chasing him for his money for his whole life. This has become a very sore subject for him, and one that I wish we’d gotten deeper into. Throughout the story I felt like Daisy never really understood how much it hurt him that she was first and foremost in need of cash. Likewise, I don’t think Charles ever really grasped what it was to be utterly without money. His was a game to see if he could survive without it – but had he truly been in need he could have gotten access at any time.

Still, watching this pair get to know each other and fall in love was a lot of fun. While the book had its faults I very much enjoyed this reading experience:

     He ceased in his dressing. “You used me yesterday afternoon?” he called out to her.
     “I didn’t mean to. I couldn’t help it. You looked very… appealing, having just come from the shinty. And the way you held the bag of shinty sticks, I could see all your muscles to perfection.”
     “Wait a minute. Are you describing me the same way I’d describe a horse I admire?”
     “I don’t mean to. I’ve never bought a horse. Is that how men talk about them?”
     “Never mind that. Did you say my lovemaking is very nice?”
      She nodded. “Perfectly agreeable.”

There were some great things happening in this book – from some really funny stuff with the step sister (who dresses as a man… and is more manly than many men!) to the tender moments between our hero and heroine. There were surprises and twists galore – which I definitely appreciated even if some felt under-done.

While there were some things I saw coming and easily guessed, more than once she threw a curve that I hadn’t anticipated, and that made the reading experience all the richer. Kramer surprised me all the way through the epilogue – and what a nice epilogue it was!

My problem was with some of the character and plot developments  and how they were (or were not) handled. I wanted more from the twists, wanted to see more happen and more emotional depth and development. Instead the twists and turns turned more into a winding road with no particular destination in mind. For example, I was disappointed in the climax of this book. It was not at all what I expected, and the villain of our piece simply disappears from the page no mention of them in relation to the bad event. I wanted to know what became of the person, if they got away with her crimes. There are a number of details of this story I could point out here where they were either left under developed, abandoned, or never really resolved in my mind. I found it distracting, though I won’t go into more detail as I I do not want to spoil the book for any readers.
Despite my frustrations with this book I cannot deny that I enjoyed reading it a great deal and will continue picking up books by Kieran Kramer. While it didn’t measure up to the awesomeness that was her first two novels, the spark of magic was there, and it had it’s moments. This was a nice completion to this series and I look forward to seeing what she will write about next.

Grade: C+

Recent Reviews:
Romancing Rakes – 4/5
Goodreads

Author’s Website l Series Listing

Amazon l Nook l Sony