Over the past couple of decades in romantic fiction it seems the heroine has been allowed to break every rule while the hero has often remained bound by stereotype. Unconventional heroes abound in these regency stories that have re-affirmed my interest in romantic heroes. 

The Grand Hotel
By Anne Barbour, Elizabeth Fairchild, Carla Kelly, Allison Lane and Barbara Metzger (Signet - June 2000, $9.99)
Here is a book that breaks stereotypes with a vengeance, filled with nice guys who finish first.
Carla Kelly starts this compilation with The Background Man who is manager of the brand new Grand Hotel, Charles Mortimer. A career hotelier, Charles is content with his quiet solitary existence. At least, until a new guest, Millie Carrington induces him to break rules.
Annabelle Grant meets the quiet Lieutenant James Forrester who had been with her husband on his deathbed in Love Will Find the Way by Elizabeth Fairchild. James does his best to follow his friend's dying wishes but his empathic discretion cannot completely shelter Belle from the horrors of the war. He can only offer Belle the guilty love for her that he has nurtured in his heart while fighting beside her husband.
In Anne Barbour's The Castaway a desperate Martha Finch pretends she is a long-lost heiress. But she must get by the cynical Gabriel Storm, Lord Branford who is intent on protecting his friend.
The Management Requests by Barbara Metzger is a touching farce. Arthur Hunter, wounded war hero cum Viscount, takes up residence in the manager's office to avoid climbing stairs and is mistaken for hotel staff by fresh-from-the-country Hope Thurstfield.
An American heiress, Maggie Adams comes to London to reconnect with her late father's family in Promises to Keep by Allison Lane. She meets her cousin Marcus Widmer, former diplomat and aspiring entrepreneur but finds more trouble than comfort in the bosom of her new family.
Dick Francis fans will recognize the underestimated gentle heroes with unplumbed depths of character. The Grand Hotel is a truly nice, and yet, supremely enjoyable group of regency stories.


Miscalculation
By Elizabeth Mansfield (Jove - June 2000, $8 .99)
It's a common enough thing to have a regency hero called a wastrel, but it is rare for him to actually be one. Well, Luke Hammond is a flip wastrel if there ever was one.
Luke is living on an allowance from his mother until he is to be given control over his personal fortune at age 35, four short years from now. His mother's secretary and business manager, Jane Douglas advises the mother to give Luke control of his money in order that he learn responsible financial management.
Realising that he would just gamble and fritter away his inheritance his mother assigns the mathematically gifted Jane to help bring Luke up to speed on money management for a month-long probation.
Luke feels threatened by the changes that he sees in himself since the prudish Jane's arrival, both in his financial and his personal life. He begins to question his whole outlook on life yet continues acting childishly irresponsible. 
Jane is appalled that Luke is such a spendthrift, gambler and degenerate. Of course, she realizes she loves him warts and all.
This is a funny, sweet book with a Peter Pan hero that you'd like to brain for being such a dope. But somehow Mansfield manages to make him lovable.


Janine Taylor is a Halifax writer. She can be reached at romanticleads@canada.com 

-30-

Copyright © 2000 Janine Taylor
Distributed by Writers Syndication Services