Title: The Proposition Author: Judith Ivory
Published: December 8, 1999
Genre(s): Romance: Historical
Page Count: 355
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:No man, gentleman or otherwise, has ever looked at Lady Edwina Bollash the way the brash, handsome man standing before her is doing now. Edwina has accepted the challenge to transform incorrigible Mick Tremore into a gentleman in just six weeks. And although the linguist is sure she can rise to the task, she isn't at all certain she won't swoon under his frankly sensuous gaze before her job is done.
Mick has lived outside of London society long enough to know that appearances can be deceiving. Edwina might look all buttoned up—the perfect English lady—but there is unleashed passion existing just below her placid facade (not to mention a great pair of legs!). And as she prepares him to take his place in society, Mick prepares Edwina to take her place in his heart...and in his bed.
Pygmalion, My Fair Lady…we know the story. An arrogant linguistic expert decides to torture a poor lower-class human for several weeks and try to pass them off as a duchess to all of high society.
In this case, the linguist is a woman, Edwina Bollash, and her victim is Mick, an incorrigible Cornish ratcatcher out for a fun time. Will she succeed in passing off Mick as a viscount at her nasty cousin-the-duke’s annual ball?
Read The Proposition to find out!
I guess my biggest trepidation with this book, coming in, was how…unlikeable the original Professor Higgins character is. To be blunt: he’s an ass. And, yes, in this case, the professor is an awkward spinster, so it’s different, but still. I wasn’t excited to think that I was in for a book about an abusive pedagogue and her hapless victim. Luckily, that’s not the case. Edwina is snobby and strict, but she’s not a two-dimensional tyrant. Judith Ivory gives her heroine a lot of depth and nuance (uncomfy upbringing, a pretty obvious anxiety disorder, etc.) that make it easier for readers to understand why a person could be so…rough. This is not, by the way, to say that had Edwina been an unlikeable female character, I would have jumped ship. This is merely to say that, unlike in the original story, it’s not confusing as to whether or not the “love interest” is actually the villain.
On the other hand, Mick’s character was utterly charming. He’s a large, honest man who works hard and is proud of himself, but isn’t so hard-headed as to pass up a chance to improve himself when it comes along. Rather, he sees it as a stroke of luck—especially since his teacher, the Junoesque Edwina Bollash, has the best pair of legs he’s ever seen on a woman.
The Proposition is, like any good romance, a story of mutual improvement. Mick learns to diction and etiquette, and Edwina learns to get out of her head and control her anxiety. The story might be a little overdone, but when it’s written well, it’s enjoyable and sexy. Spoiler: Judith Ivory writes this plot well.
If you’re interested in a cute, teacher/student romance featuring ferrets and waltzes, or if you’re curious how the daughter of a marquess and a ratcatcher could possibly find their HEA, look no further. The Proposition is sweet and surprising and (mostly) a huge improvement on Rex Harrison’s crotchety Henry Higgins. (I do really love My Fair Lady, though.)
