St Martin’s Press, $6.50, ISBN 0-312-97272-5
Historical Romance, 1999
Pop quiz!
1. Why would a virtuous, virginal heroine walk into a gambling den owner’s private chambers?
- To beg the rogue to cancel her stupid brother’s debts,
- To indulge in some rumpy-pumpy, or
- To gamble?
2. What would you most likely to find in the said gambling boss’ private chambers?
- A bookshelf filled with classics,
- A lewd statue, or
- Both?
3. The hero turns down her request to be his mistress but asks her to marry him instead. Why?
- True love, or
- Revenge against some man who has an interest in her, say, his father who cast him, an illegitimate son, aside?
4. Heroine demands the following as a rule should they marry:
- No boinking,
- Lots of boinking, please, in the cupboard, on the floor, in the bathtub, in a carriage, in the opera…
5. The hero agrees, but he will
- Try to seduce her just to prove he is a stud extraordinaire,
- Abide by the rules, or
- Call his agent and demand a better script?
6. Which of the following must occur in this story:
- Heroine jealous over his other lovers in the past and imaginary current lovers, but she still refuses to let him touch her even if she ogles him and… oh dear,
- Heroine discovering hero’s bad intentions after a night of big O’s,
- Heroine has a poor ill mother to give her a cause to be a martyr,
- Hero becomes a nobleman in the last chapter,
- All of the above?
7. Describe the heroine.
- Virtuous, noble, ogles at hero but refuses to have any jollies in her life, no life except for caring for Ill Mom, and all her other suitors are scum, or
- Fun-loving, buxom Miss Sadie who loves how’s yer father games with men that tickle her fancy, holds men in her thrall, and won’t give the obnoxiously stereotypical hero any time of day?
Answers:
1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (e) 7. (a)
Analyze your results
Give yourself a point for every correct answer.
0-3: By all means, read this book, you’ll find it refreshingly original.
4-7: In mood for a yet another rerun?
