14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Full of mistakes and discrepancies., January 4, 2005
This review is from: Let Me Be Your Hero (Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)
This book contains so many mistakes that I wonder if somebody proofread it before it went to print.
In the first place, the synopsis on the back cover is misleading, since it doesn't give you a sense of how the story really unfolds. For example the back cover reads "Eight years ago (...) she lost her heart and her husband to foolish pride" But it was not eight years ago but only two (they meet in 1741, get married a year later and get divorced after one year of marriage), that would mean they parted ways in 1743 and get reunited again in 1745. Even counting from the time they first met, to the end of the book, it doesn't make 8 years but barely 4. The synopsis also reads "After his daring rescue sends them running for their lives through the wild, windswept hills..." and I wonder, when did this happen? The rescue occurred at the end of the book, not in the middle as the synopsis makes you think, and they never ran to any hills. It seems to me that the cover was designed and printed before the novel was written, and then the author changed her mind and wrote a completely different story.
Second, this book is a sequel to "The Highlander" which takes place in 1740 and maybe the beginning of 1741, and is the story of Jamie the Earl of Monleigh and Fraser's brother. However, when at the beginning of this book somewhere during the Spring or Summer of 1741 Claire's father asks Jamie if he is married yet or thinking of getting married, he responds that he is not married, that he is thinking about it but cant decide between all the lasses. That threw me off, since by that time he must have at the very least met Sophie and decided to marry her. Later in the book, Sophie magically appears as if the author had suddenly remembered her.
Another thing is that this novel does not seem to take into account the historic events of the time and place in which it develops. In 1745 a mayor uprising occurred in Scotland. I'm no expert, but I have read several other novels from this period that seem to have more consideration for history, and as I understand it, in 1745 the Highlanders rallied to Prince Charles Stuart and rose against the English in an attempt to put the Stuart king on the throne. The English crushed the rebellion and the Highland Clans suffered harsh reprisal for their participation in it. I would have thought that an event of this magnitude would at least be acknowledged in this book, but it isn't even mentioned.
The book ends abruptly. What was called the epilogue should have been the last chapter, then it needed a real epilogue to tell us what happened after Fraser rescued Claire, and what punishment was given to the villains of this story, Isobel and Lord Walter. I have rarely encountered characters so evil as these two, and was looking forward to the time when they would be punished for all their horrendous acts. To simply be told that they had been arrested and were going to be tried is not the end I had imagined for them. It is too easy and doesn't even begin to pay for all their murderous acts and cruelty. After all the suffering they caused and the violent scenes that were vividly described, I think the readers were cheated out of the satisfaction of seeing them receive their just punishment.
One think I did not particularly like, was that the characters were too young. When the book started Fraser was 19 and Claire 15. By the end they could not have been more than 25 and 20. It is not impossible to believe that a girl of only 16 years could assume and fulfill the responsibilities of an earldom, or that she could show such maturity, but it is difficult. It would have been more believable if they were a little older. But that is just my personal opinion.
All in all, I think the story had the potential to be a good one, if it had been properly developed and someone had taken the time to correct the errors. As it is, it appears that it was written in a hurry just to have something ready to meet a deadline.
By the way, I wonder what book did Harriet Klausner read, because judging by her review it certainly wasn't the same one I read. It makes me wonder about the helpful votes she received. Maybe there is another version of this book I know nothing about?
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Full of Discrepancies, January 22, 2005
This review is from: Let Me Be Your Hero (Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)
I read the review of Thea and I agree whole-heartedly that the book was filled with discrepancies. When the book mentioned Fraser's brothers, Alexander (Arabella's twin) was left out of the book. In the Highlander, Arabella and Alexander were inseparable. Thea's review sums up the rest of the discreapancies quite accurately.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Worst, November 8, 2004
This review is from: Let Me Be Your Hero (Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is awful. The "vernacular" -- "ye ken," "willna," "oot," "verra," "canna," "breeks" -- gets in the way at best, and is absurd at worst -- i.e., "ye arena going to miss the best part." There is no character development -- they meet, fall in love, she divorces him . . . . Really, one of the worst books I have ever read.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
