TEXAS VISCOUNT

Author: Shirl Henke ISBN: 0843954231 10/2004 HISTORICAL Publisher: DORCHESTER/Leisure
Time Period: Early 1900's, Enland and Texas

THE BRIT - Staid, starchy Sabrina Edgewater, teacher of deportment, first encountered her nemesis in a London dockside brawl that earned him the nickname of "Texas Viscount.' Privately, she called him the "Texas Visigoth," never imagining that the lout would turn out to be the earl of Hambleton's heir. THE BARBARIAN - Raised in a Texas bordello, Joshua Cantrell was brash and bold, a self-made millionaire who only agreed to become a viscount to ferret out an international conspiracy. The last thing he needed was to lock horns with a prissy little schoolmarm, even if she was as cute as an acre of speckled pups. THE BRIBE - Whiskey-swillin Texan and oh-so-proper Englishwoman, they struck sparks off each other whenever they met. But then Lord Hambleton offered Sabrina money enough to open the school she'd always dreamed of if she'd only take the rough edges off his heir. Did she dare risk reputation to achieve her heart's desire? Or was her heart's desire...The Texas Viscount.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Well, I admit that I started backwards by beginning with this last installment of the three American Lord Series, TEXAS VISCOUNT, by Shirl Henke. So, it is possible I may be missing something covered in the previous two. Not that they are all connected with one another, other than being a series and the fact that all the American heroes suddenly find themselves British aristocrats. Or, the other two may be more interesting.

TEXAS VISCOUNT has some good-old raunchy Texas-style humor and a feisty couple, which kept my interest. (Think "Moonlighting" type chemistry for those of you that remember that show.) However, the plot is a bit light for me. Not that an assassination attempt on someone's life should be considered light by any means; it is just the way it is written about that doesn't appeal to me. For example, you already know who the victim will be and who is going to do the deed—the group, and where they live, who they sleep with, etc.—and you know who the good guys are, mostly. Knowing all that, it should take considerably less time to find out what the players need to know. Watch Alias sometime and you will see what I mean.

There is a spy that must be uncovered and some pieces to arrange to see where everyone fits in, but to my way of thinking, this one could be solved by arranging the powers that be in London to walk into the nest of vipers and arrest them. All the intrigue and espionage is added for the unmasking of a traitor that could be revealed with a bit of vodka and torture of a Russian ballet dancer. But then, the plot would be gone completely, right?

Fans of Shirl Henke and the previous books in this series will no doubt disagree with me, as they should. After all, fans are nothing but loyal to their favorite authors. Just keep in mind that even great authors can have a not-so-great story, even if they have a great couple to work with.

Shannon Johnson