Jove, $5.99, ISBN 0-515-12905-4
Historical Romance, 2000

Nice cover. Really nice cover. Are those abs real? Too bad the guy doesn’t look as if he is filling those tight red pants well, if you get what I mean. Hmm, maybe not even well. Oh well, nobody’s perfect.

Having said that, A Hint of Heather is a historical romance based obviously in Scotland. Did someone say “arranged marriage”? Aren’t we all psychics today. Yes, this time around, it is Jessalyn MacInnes who is the sole survivor of her family and is hence laird of the MacInnes.

What’s that someone at the back over there just said? What? “She’s a heroine, so she’s broke!”? Ten points for you.

The hero is Neil Claremont, a soldier who hates his life back in Scotland. He wants to forget the squalor and just want to spend the rest of his life in solitude in London academia. But too bad, Jess kidnaps him and drags him back to her place. Let the games begin.

Despite all the familiar elements that threaten to drag this story down, it’s a pretty good read, thanks to Neil. Now that guy – my, he is one romantic guy indeed. It is rare to see a romance hero who realizes his mistakes early and makes up for it in really special ways, but Neil fits the bill. Too bad about the small ding-dong, but really, he is one nice guy. I’m not too fond of Jess, who is typical through and through in her behavior and mannerisms. She is just not memorable and she doesn’t stand out compared to Neil.

And the plot? A complete yawner. Nothing different, nothing new, nothing exciting.

Neil versus Boring Heroine and Boring Plot. That guy’s one of the most fun heroes I’ve encountered, so that’s a plus. If he’s a bit more impressive in the endowment department, maybe I’ll give this book an extra oogie.