If Chrissie Hayward knew that morning she'd be traveling
back through time to rescue her crazy coworker Kat, she'd have worn better
shoes. Doubly so if she'd expected to meet her true love.
Robin of Locksley is no Prince Charming. All he seems to
do is mope. Nonetheless, he is loyal and brave and handsome as sin. If Chrissie
can just get him with the program, she can get these boyz 'n the wood to be
heroes of the realm instead of twerps in tights. Only then can this prince of
thieves become king of her heart.
This was a fun bit of fluff. I read the first book, A
Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court, years ago. This one has
languished on my TBR shelf for a long time, but I needed a dose of lightness, and
this fit the bill.
Chrissie is wandering around an upstate NY Ren Faire,
looking for her slacker coworker, Kat, when her cellphone rings. It's Kat,
supposedly calling from the 22nd century, where she, Lancelot, and Guenevere
ended up by mistake. She needs Chrissie to rescue them by notifying the gypsy
fortuneteller, Nimue. Not really believing, but playing along, Chrissie finds
the fortuneteller who confirms everything Kat says. The only way to help is to
send Chrissie to the 12th century to retrieve a magic ingredient from King
Richard. The next thing she knows, Chrissie is flat on her back in the woods,
staring up at Sherwood Forest.
Only, things aren't quite as the stories portray them.
Robin is moping around, mourning the loss of his lands and love. The Merry Men
are just hanging around the forest. And King Richard still hasn't returned from
the Crusades. Chrissie is confused and disgusted and wonders what she's going
to do. The first thing is to hide the fact that she's a woman, which is a
hilarious bit of misdirection itself. She then proceeds to whip Robin and the
Merry Men into shape, turning them into the legends we know and love, while waiting for
the king to show up.
It was fun to watch the relationship develop between Chrissie
and Robin. It's all one-sided at first, of course, because Robin thinks she a
guy (sort of). It doesn't take Chrissie long to realize that he's not as
useless as she first thinks, he just has no purpose to motivate him. Once she
gives him that, she also uncovers the good heart inside him. Unfortunately for
her, it also increases the attraction she feels for the handsome outlaw. Things
start to look up when she reveals the truth to Robin, and the feelings between
them begin to grow. Things get complicated when Maid Marion comes on the scene.
Chrissie's knowledge of the legends and her own jealousy has her putting some
distance between herself and the couple. Some interesting twists and turns
reveal an unexpected side to Marion and put Chrissie in the position of
having to save the day. Yet, underneath her feelings for Robin is the knowledge
that once she has fulfilled her quest, she will return to the future. All she
wants is to stay in the past with him. The ending was fun and perfectly
crafted.
I really liked both Chrissie and Robin. Chrissie is a bit
down on men at the moment, thanks to her cheating husband. She's not really
looking for a relationship, especially a 12th century one. She comes across a
little bitchy at first when it comes to Kat, but that relationship changes as
the book goes on. I also liked the way that she finds unexpected inner
strength, finally losing her tendency to see herself as a victim. She rocked by
the end of the book. Robin started out as a less-than-impressive character. He
was just shy of a whiny crybaby, but not by much. I enjoyed his transformation
into the Robin Hood of legend, thanks to his willingness to be guided by
Chrissie. I was a little worried when Marion showed up, but he came through
that with flying colors. I loved him at the end and how he expressed his
feelings for Chrissie.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was stuffed
full of cultural references that date it, but that didn't decrease my
enjoyment. The basic legend of Robin and his Merry Men was there, with sometimes
hilarious twists. Overall, it was a terrific way to escape from reality for a
day.
The book was republished 01/09/2019 as Mojitos with the
Merry Men. I haven't read this version, so I don't know if it has been updated.
Either way, it's a fun read.
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