The Valentine Wish

Okay, I admit to having a personal prejudice against reluctant heroes, heroes with mistresses, and debauched and cruel heroes, no matter how skillfully they have been rehabilitated by their authors. And maybe the reason these unsatisfactory types of heroes are so often dished up to Regency fans is that so many women are drawn to roguish men and truly wish to believe that such men are redeemable. Hah! I may be a sucker for a good romance, but I've listened to Dr. Laura far too long to be taken in by such drivel!That said, I have to say that the hero in "The Valentine Wish" is my idea of the ideal Regency hero. Cedric is a man who cares for his family, looks out for the needy, and cares nothing for the formality and hypocrisy of London society. He is strong and sincere and cultivates roses as a hobby. The fact that he is also good looking and well-spoken is icing on the cake.Emma's background as the daughter of a scandalous jewel thief makes her reluctant to trust people. She is determined to hide her passionate nature under a facade of propriety. The last thing she is looking for is a slightly loony employer who treats her as an honored guest, whose charming nephew sweeps her off her feet with compliments, roses, and romantic picnics. While most young ladies would swoon to be in her situation, Emma knows from past experience that fairy tales rarely come true and that all roses have thorns.Debbie Raleigh has outdone herself in this delightful story of a Renaissance man and how he convinces a wary woman to risk her heart for the promise of true love. I enjoyed this book so much that I plan to read "The Christmas Wish"--the prequel to this book--next, even if it is the wrong order.

To give you an idea of how much I liked this book, I went and ordered the first book in this series, which is The Christmas Wish. I really wasn't expecting much from this book because Debbie Raleigh isn't one of my favorite authors. She surprised me by keeping my attention through the whole book. The story is the typical story of a girl who is running away from her world because of her father and the Lord who takes the time to bring her back to where she belongs. But Ms. Raleigh doesn't end there. She makes you like Emma and Cedric, Cedric's wacky aunt Cassie and Cassie's brother Bart, the pirate. I didn't care much for Emma (hence only four stars), but I really liked the way the secondary characters came alive. Cedric likes Emma from the first and does his best to know her better. Of course, Emma doesn't want to get close to anybody because of her father, but even though Cedric doesn't have a clue who her father is, he falls in love with her anyway, and when he realizes who her father is and the crimes he has done, he doesn't even stop to think, he helps Emma's father to get away.Cedric's aunt Cassie is also really a lovely character. Talking to her husband, who's dead, and her seemingly absent mindedness just makes you want to take her to your heart. The addition of the "pirate" Bart just adds to the story. I wish she could have had more about those two.The Valentine Wish is very predictable and consistent with most romances that are available, but Ms. Raleigh makes you like the characters and care about the characters you are reading. I just hope in the next book, Rachel's story, she has more about the Father. Since I haven't read the first book yet, I don't know much about the Father in the stories, but it seems, Ms. Raleigh is getting you to like him, like you do with all her characters. Sit back, read and enjoy this book. Just read the first one first. You don't need to, it just might help in the long run.