Lady Anne's Dangerous Man

Author: Jeane Westin
Published: January 3, 2006 (Signet)
Category: Historical Romance (Restoration England)
Rating: 7/10

Yet another mini review because I read this back in May and I'm doing this review in mid-June. Lady Anne's Dangerous man is one of those adventurous historical romances (and a twist on Robin Hood) where the main characters are bouncing all over England, due to Lady Anne's harebrained escape from John Gilbert, our Robin Hood. They don't stay long in Whittlewood Forest or various stops along the road back to London. And when they're in London, all I took from the description was the fact that it's dirty and there's a plague outbreak.

Lady Anne Gascoigne is eager to take her wedding vows - until she discovers her devious fiancé has conspired to let King Charles II steal her virtue. To save her honor and her life, she must flee under the protection of a notorious but charming rake who has just escaped hanging - only to be captured by Anne's heart....

The illegitimate son of a powerful man, John Gilbert lives by his wits and his sword, leading a merry band of men who rob the rich and corrupt, then escape to a forest hideaway. As proper Lady Anne blossoms under John's command, copening up to the freedom and sensuality he offers, she poses a new set of challenges for him - to stay alive long enough to ensure her protection, earn an equal place by her side, and convince her of his undying love....

The story was interesting, although a bit on the heavy side. John Gilbert has a rival outlaw with the oh-so-original name of Black Ben, and I thought he was superfluous to the storyline. I also had problems with Lady Anne, who was so full of herself thanks to her aristocratic upbringing that she runs away from John and safety, going back to the city she's supposed to keep away from. She, with her arrogant optimisim/confidence, thinks her uncle, a bishop, can help her when he only turns around to give her back to King Charles.

I didn't finish this book for Anne; I finished it for John, because he was a really good man, and more of a nobleman than the king. He'd been unlucky to be a bastard, and his father tried to give him his estate, but the three legitimate sons took it away from him and drove John to his life as a Robin Hood. I was very happy to see John justly rewarded for his good and heroic nature at the end of the book.