A merry chase

A Merry Chase, By Victoria Malvey
Publisher-Sonnet Books, 2000
Grade: B-/C

The back cover reads: For Royce Van Cleef, earl of Tewkbury, marriage is a very simple matter. Rather than waste time and effort courting, one must make the intended bride become the pursuer. When his friends scoff, he proposes to put his theory to the test by winning Lady Laurel Simmons. She is beautiful, well-bred, and sharp-tongued -- an exceptional challenge for any man.
But Lady Laurel catches wind of Royce's foul scheme. Annoyed beyond words -- a rare state for her -- she decides to best him at his game. Before the season is over, she vows, Royce will be the one chasing after her. Now enthralled with ploy and counterploy, Royce and Laurel are making and breaking the rules with wild abandon -- until neither can admit the game has become heartbreakingly real...

This was a cute little read, although not very memorable, and I'm sure that in a few days I will have forgotten all about. Thats a pity because the hero is my type of man. An alpha male who stick sup for his heroine (with his fists)

Lady Laurel was engaged to a man who was only using her for her money, and since then she has sworn off men. Royce, the Earl of Tewkbury is a rake who has spend his life chasing skirts, but not a bride. He makes a wager with his friends that he can get a woman to chase him. His friends decide that Laurel should be the prize and prey in the wager. Royce agrees and things are going along smoothly until she is told about the wager and turns the table on him.

It's a cat and mouse game of who is courting who. One day Laurel is winning, the next its Royce. During this game both parties start to have real feelings for each other, but both have thick prides, plus Laurel doesn't completely trust Royce.

During the courtship, there are not one, not two, but three different people who want to tear Royce and Laurel apart. Everything from vandalism to kidnapping is thrown at the couple.

What I liked: Like I said, I enjoyed Royce. I adore a hero who is conceited, confidant and manly. When he uses his fists to defend his girl I pretty much swoon.

What I did not like: I didn't understand Royce's plan. The 'fox hunt' as he called it in order to attract Laurel. The only thing he did that wasn't a normal ton courting was hold his hand out to her rather that ask her to dance. Thats just typical alpha male conceit. Royce prides himself in making her chase him, but it didn't look that way to me. It was just typical courting in my eyes.