Lily

Title: Lily (2003)
Author: Lauren Royal (Signet)
Period: European Historical-Restoration (1677 England)
Grade: F

Holy Shit! Some one wrote romance novel with Snow White as the heroine. Lauren Royal should watch her back because I understand those Disney intellectual property claims are a real bitch.

Lord Rand Nesbitt is an Oxford scholar, disowned second son, and jogging enthusiast. During the Restoration! He has for four years been smitten with his friend's young sister-in-law, Lily. The two are asked to serve as godparents to the friend and sister's twins and meet again at a christening/extended visit. Rand is attracted to Lily and pleased to see she is no longer a child, but he has no desire to marry. Which he proceeds to tell his best friend and her brother-in-law. Surprisingly, this doesn't get him punched in the face.

Lily is basically Snow White crossed with a doormat. She loves animals. Every fox and bird in the forest obeys her commands. Her dream is to open an animal rescue. During the Restoration! Lily is interested in Rand, but her scheming older sister, Rose has also set her cap for him. Lily, in true doormat fashion, allows her sister to bully her into promising not to pursue Rand. Lily agrees despite it being obvious to everyone in the house that he is smitten with Lily. Rose continues to throw herself at him, but eventually Rand forces Lily to accept his proposal.

It appears there problems are solved early in the novel, but au contraire! To avoid scandal Rand must break his engagement to Lily and take up with pregnant and unmarried friend to thwart his evil family. The plot takes other stupid side trips as well. I eventually could take no more and quit the field around page 200. Perhaps, Rand was able to save the day by inventing an airplane or a telephone. During the Restoration! That would have been about on par for this dreck.