BECOMING MR. BROOKING by Marguerite Butler is a hilarious romance, along the lines of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, that champions the virtue of being yourself, regardless of what identity you use. I give it 3 stars because although I laughed a great deal, the story is marred by editing issues.
Graham Hatterly, one of the younger "Mad" Hatterlys, seeks to distinguish himself in society. He hasn't the business acumen of his oldest two brothers or the scientific intelligence of his older twin, but he knows a good thing when he sees it. Along with his peers in the Second Fiddle club, Graham chooses a scientific expedition to fund, that of botanist Sir Horace Tolliver to Africa. Unfortunately, Graham's secretary, who was supposed to vet the botanist's expedition plans in person, fell ill. So Graham adopts his identity for a week in the country in order to perform his due diligence.
Miss Edwina Tolliver, spinster sister of Sir Horace, has been managing her older brother for years, and she is tired of being taken for granted. She wants a home of her own and a marriage to a man who has enough money to employ a full staff, even if she has to wait three years for a proposal from a gentleman who talks incessantly about sheep and hoof rot. Lucky for her, Mr. Brooking (aka Graham) is entranced by her intelligence and provides excellent companionship in her beloved hothouses as she works with her plants or in the garden as she sketches the local flora. Problems arise, however, when Graham's friends from London are also trapped by the weather in the same town.
I enjoyed BECOMING MR. BROOKING. The first sixty or so pages felt a bit slow, but are necessary for the plot. Once all the guests for Edwina's dinner party arrive, hilarity ensues. I love Mumford's character and how Edwina responds to him, as well as Graham's suffering through Mrs. Willoughby's recitation of her son's ailments. It is almost a perfect example of what *not* to talk about at dinner, a classic scenario.
The romance is well illustrated. Even though it takes place over three weeks, the substance is there--the hours spent together being productive in the hothouses, the gradual building of admiration and attraction--so that the "I love you's" are absolutely believable. It doesn't feel as if these two people just met; rather it feels as if these two people have become irreplaceable in each other's lives. The romance is also tastefully done, meriting a rating of 2 out of 5 on the heat scale, appropriate for readers 16 and older.
The dialogue is smart, and even though there is some melodramatic rumination over perceived shortcomings, the story moves along at a realistic pace. The only disappointment for me was with the editing. There was the occasional obvious typo and sometimes the sentence and paragraph structure were awkward. At one point, instead of Edwina being referred to by her name, she is called Eugenia. These issues distracted and confused me at times so that I had to re-read the word/sentence/paragraph again to ensure that I understood it.
Overall, BECOMING MR. BROOKING is a great read, but it would be an excellent read after another round of editing. Look for a revised version, but certainly put it on your list for reading during the rainy season so that you can really become submerged in the storyline.
**Review originally written for The Romance Reviews.com at http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=10713.
