Holly‘s review of When Harry Met Molly
Dashing Lord Harry Traemore is perfectly content to live out his days in the pursuit of pleasure. But when he’s named by the Prince regent as one of society’s ‘Impossible bachelors’, Harry is drafted into a ribald romantic wager. The rules of engagement are scandalously simple: the bachelor whose mistress wins the title of ‘Most Delectable Companion’ gets to remain unmarried. Harry is utterly unconcerned about his status…until his latest lightskirt abandons him.
Enter Lady Molly Fairbanks. Harry’s childhood friend – actually, ‘foe’ is more like it – is the most unlikely companion of all. She’s attractive but hot-headed, and in no mood for games. Besides, what could the self-indulgent Harry possibly know about what makes a woman delectable? It’s time for Molly to teach him a lesson once and for all…but will it lead to happily ever after?
I’m very conflicted about this novel. It isn’t often that I’m so torn when I finish a book.While this novel was enjoyable, I had a hard time suspending disbelief through much if it. I’m willing to give the characters some leeway in any historical novel I read, if the author provides an entertaining enough read to distract me from the fact that what’s going on would never have been allowed in real life. Kramer exceeded in this at times, but all too often I was left feeling vaguely ill, waiting for the ax to fall and the characters to be caught.
Harry and Molly have been adversaries since the year Molly was 13, fancied herself in love with her sister’s fiance, and proceeded to tell the world that she’d seen Harry (the younger brother of her sister’s fiance) kissing her sister two weeks before the wedding. With that one act she forever changed her future and Harry’s. So started a lifetime of animosity.
When Molly runs into Harry as she’s on her way to elope with her father’s assistant some 8 years later, not much about their feelings for one another has changed. Due to circumstances outside their control, Molly’s intended runs off with Harry’s mistress..which is really bad timing for Harry because he’s been roped into a wager with 5 other men who are all hoping to win a full year of freedom from marriage, thanks to the prince regent.
So they agree to help each other – Molly will pretend to be Harry’s mistress for a week. If she wins the title of “most delectable companion” (something she and the other mistresses will be competing for during the course of the week), Harry will help her find a husband during the next season. In the meantime, Harry will teach her what she needs to know to be a mistress and they’ll hope for the best.
Harry has always been “the spare”. Being the second son of a duke, there were no expectations for him to do anything great with his life, especially after the incident with his older brother’s fiance. He was shipped off to the army where his heroics were overshadowed by a scandal involving the wife of a senior officer. Since his return from the army, he’s done his best to live up to his bad reputation. His feelings of inadequacy really defined him and gave him some much needed depth.
At the outset of the story Molly was a naive girl who let her emotions lead her in everything. She’s confident she’ll have no trouble pretending to be a mistress and winning the competition alongside Harry. It isn’t long before she realizes she’s in over her head. Her desire to win over the other mistresses and her constant blundering were hard to read at times. Her inner strength and perseverance eventually emerged, which made her much more likable.
Naturally I had some trouble accepting that a young noblewoman could pretend to be a mistress without consequences. First of all, who would believe it? She’s a girl who’s been tucked away at school or acting as companion to her ailing aunt for the last 8 years. I cringed for her every time she made some faux pas or someone hinted that she wasn’t a real mistress. Not to mention the fact that they weren’t exactly discreet while discussing their real arrangement, leaving themselves wide open for discovery. Beyond that, since they both come from influential families, the ruse seemed even more ridiculous.
But here’s where I’m conflicted. Both characters showed tremendous growth (especially Harry) and I truly enjoyed their journey into love. But I think the author asked too much of us with the plot, especially at the end.
Despite the issues I had with this book, I’ve already started the next. Though I struggled with the plot, I enjoyed the characters and Kramer’s writing.
3.75 out of 5
The series:
This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here