Review: The Charm School by Susan Wiggs

The Charm School

by Susan Wiggs

Calhoun #1

Isadora Peabody is a complete misfit in her rich Boston family, tall and curvy where they are willowy, unruly brown hair where they have sleek blonde locks, intelligent and clever when they are all social butterflies. Bound into a life she hates and doesn't fit in to, she grabs the chance to get away on a ship to Rio when it presents itself, despite the insufferable arrogant and rakeish Captain Ryan Calhoun.

I pretty much devoured this book, I read it in one sitting, I just love a plain Jane story! Give me an ugly duckling over a beauty any day! And this had the added bonus of having a piritical hero with gorgeous red hair so I was engrossed right from the first page.

Isadora was a good heroine, I really loved watching her transformation from awkward and fearful to confident and sassy. Ryan was good as well, gorgeous and a little wicked and did I mention a red head? Yum! Another thing I love about a romance is when the hero and heroine argue, not proper arguing, bickering is a better description and these two bickered with the best of them, watching the sparks fly between them was fun and drew the sexual tension tight.

This book was funny as well, I think this must be the first historical romance (or any romance really!) when the first time the hero and heroine have sex they are both high on weed! But this also had strange moments of seriousness, especially at the beginning when Isadora contemplates suicide several times, it was really heartbreaking to see just how deeply unhappy she was.

I highly recommend this book, it had love on the high seas, ugly duckling tranformations and a gorgeous hero!