THE SOCIAL OUTCAST

Author: Wendy Soliman ISBN: 0709082398 2/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: ROBERT HALE LTD.
Time Period: Regency 1820's England

Eloise Hamilton, the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy banker, knows that society will never open its doors to the likes of her. So when Lord Richard Craven, heir to the dukedom, singles her out she harbours no false illusions about the outcome. Her neighbour, the formidable rakehell Harry Benson-Smythe, is not only suspicious of her high-born admirer but inexplicably jealous, too. It is only as Eloise and Harry work together to solve the mysterious abductions of local girls that Richard's true purpose becomes apparent. As do Harry's feelings for Eloise, which go beyond the neighbourly.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

In musical terms, and if this were a song, THE SOCIAL OUTCAST would be considered a "crossover" creation. While it is written in that gentler English tone of voice these Robert Hale releases are known for, there's just enough American romance novel characteristics mixed into it that it should appeal to a broader and more international romance reading audience.

I really enjoyed how Ms. Soliman took me in an entirely different direction than where I thought this story would lead me. After reading just the first chapter, all I could think of was that I had been here and gone this way before—multiple times. However, once I read through the next few chapters, I realized that I had been totally off base in my assumptions. While yes, THE SOCIAL OUTCAST is about Eloise's station in life and the roadblocks she faces because of it (done before), and the blossoming relationship between Eloise and Harry that grows from brotherly-sisterly affection into something very much deeper (done before), and (take a deep breath) there's these women who have been mysteriously attacked and no one seems to know why or by whom, leaving our leading couple to solve it (done before), this story has several unforeseen plot twists to throw off the trail as everything progresses along (Eureka! I was wrong, wrong, wrong.). It is a very well-thought out plot line, peopled with good, solid characters and excellent dialogue. The author's descriptions of the Regency period, in both setting and in illustrating society's strictures and unforgiving attitude, are very well written and, as is the case with most of these U. K. releases, stays faithfully true to the era.

If you've hesitated in the past to pick up any of these types of romances before, THE SOCIAL OUTCAST would probably be a great one to start with. It's not too "English", not too "American", but just a perfect, enjoyable merger of two totally different styles of romance writing. And luckily for us readers, it works!

Nancy Davis