Review of Barely a Lady

Barely a Lady
Eileen Dreyer
Hatchett Books
392 pages
Olivia was betrayed by the one person who should have believed in her and she’s survived these five years by relying solely on her wits, keeping her secrets buried deep and each day hoping for the best. That was until Waterloo. While stranded in Belgium she helps the wounded from battle, only one particular fellow is all too familiar and to make matters worse, he’s in the wrong uniform. Jack Wyndham the Earl of Gracechurch wakes up from the battleground only to have lost the last five years of his life where very important things have occurred that he no longer remembers, one of which is that he divorced his young wife. Put together in an uncomfortable situation it’s obvious that Olivia and Jack still have feelings for each other, she because she never quite got over him, he because he can’t remember. What will happen when they face the ultimate betrayal will they survive and will they do it together or alone.
Ms. Dreyer is most known for her contemporary chilling tales of suspense and that talent really shines through here in her first Historical Romance Barely a Lady. Her story line is well thought out and historically speaking pretty true and she embellishes the story with smooth and flowing dialogue that will catch the readers attention and not let it go. But don’t for one moment think that this is a fluff romance novel, her descriptions of battlefield scenes and the ravages that war cause are very dark and very realistic and she carries that darkness through the novel as she lays out the plot for her readers. But the real shining stars are her wonderful characters and I mean all of them from the one liners to the hero and heroine they all play their parts well and they all play a very important part in the telling of her tale. The hero Jack and heroine Olivia are incredibly detailed characters, characters that you cry with, feel fear with, sympathize and empathize with. The romance is one of my favorites that of second chances and Ms. Dreyer pulls her audience into the drama of the read. The love scenes are physical and descriptive, but done in the best of taste.
This is a historical romance that will appeal to all types of readers, lovers of romance, lovers of history, lovers of war stories. But most of all lovers of great characters and descriptive dialogue all wrapped up by a genius storyteller. Don’t miss out on a great end of summer read or any season for that matter. Kudos to you Ms. Dreyer you’ve definitely got a hit on your hands. Me I’m just (im) patiently waiting for the next in the series due out in Spring 2011.