What Do You Say to a Naked Elf?

After a Realms of Pleasure party (kind of like a Tupperware party, but with lingerie, sex toys, and other intimate items instead of kitchen equipment), Jane Drysdale is driving back home when suddenly she sees a rabbit in the road in front of her. Although she can’t stop in time to avoid hitting the rabbit, her efforts cause her to lose control of her car, and crash it into the trees at the side of the road. Jane is rescued by five men, who manage to get her out of the car before it catches fire. She is informed that she is under arrest for the murder of the rabbit, and is escorted back to Lowth, the home of the Elves and Fairies, to undergo trial. Jane, understandably, is caught by surprise, and doesn’t believe anything they say — that is, until one of the men introduces himself as her lawyer, and shows her his wings...

I was a little dubious at how this book would play out, and was happy to see that, although this romance is a bit unusual in its setting and premise, all is explained in the end. It is a light-hearted romp with overtones of J.R.R. Tolkien. The plot is very complex, and the author did a good job of bringing all the threads together into one cohesive whole. The heroine is a typical American – loud, sure of herself, speaking without thinking, and in many ways thoughtless of other people. However, the hero, an Elf named Charlie, is characterized as uptight and rule bound, and extremely annoyed by and attracted to Jane. The many secondary characters were interesting, although somewhat superficially drawn, and in some parts I had difficulty keeping them straight in my mind. The love scenes are sensuous rather than explicit. I enjoyed this book, and recommend it to fantasy romance fans.

Reviewed by: Jean