What in particular? The one is about an earl who has been a schoolteacher, and now the former earl's widow is training him to assume the title. The big conflict is that she came up from the gutter and doesn't know how to read.  The former earl abused her, but taught her to be a lady.  It's just too improbable. I'm not buying the male voice, either.  I feel that no man maunders on in his head about love, real love, and trying to melt the female's heart.

Last week, I had checked out two of her westerns.  They also almost made good reading. I'm disgusted with myself for purchasing when I should have just scanned through the library books for free. An additional critique is that no amount of heat in the romance makes up for illogical plot lines. 

I certainly can't write the man's voice.  I tried to write a couple of books, came away feeling the operation was way beyond me. Once again, I resolve to keep collecting my favorite authors like Georgette Heyer and forgo all new-to-me authors until I read a few definite keepers by them.

These books remind me of Lisa Kleypas' weaker efforts, or maybe some of Jo Beverley's. Books that have strong moments, but drift into mediocrity. But then again, for me to love a book, the ingredients are humor, mystery, and romance, a smart heroine who has her head together and a worthy man.

Even some of Mary Balogh's don't really please me.  I loved her Bedwyn series, but her older books make me yawn or weep with  frustration. Her newer ones are populated with beta males. What can I say?  I like to read a lot of books, but only cherish and reread those that lighten my load and warm my heart. Is it rational to expect all that from a bunch of printed material in less than 400 pages swathed in tawdry covers? Probably not.