Reviewed by
Ebony McKenna

N/A

Reviewer Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Title: A SENSE OF DUTY
Category: Category length romance
Author: Joanie MacNeil
Publisher: Starlight Writer Publication
Release date: February 2000
ISBN: 1-58697-094-1

You can blame Euan McGregor and Sean Connery for making all things Scottish so darn sexy, when in reality itıs a cold and wet place, albeit with breathtaking scenery. And yet thereıs something about a cold climate that suits the romance genre so well.

Getting a romance novel right can be very tricky, but when it is done well, as it is in A Sense of Duty, it can be a lot of fun.

The style is racy and up beat, with the requisite "course of true love never runs smooth" theme. What makes this book unusual is that the heroine is not a vestal virgin. In fact, sheıs been taken off the shelf and dusted off a few times. The knight in shining armour is well written ­ so much so that we are treated to his private thoughts and agonies, and not just hers.

Itıs a fine line to walk when a writer reveals the private thoughts of both characters, because she runs the risk of annoying readers. If we know the truth, why donıt they? But MacNeil has added such a variety of potential conflicts and turmoil to A Sense of Duty that the entire plot does not live or die around the revelation of one small detail.

Ultimately you canıt help grinning like a naughty schoolgirl when you read this novel, because itıs such good fun. MacNeil obviously has a healthy respect for the genre and because of this her characters shine.

And I had to mention the PDF formatting, which scores a bonus half star. Each page is only half the length of a normal paper page, which means no scrolling! Tapping the arrow key once to turn the page is sheer bliss.

Copyright İ 2000 by Ebony McKenna