If He's Noble, the latest in Hannah Howell’s Wherlocke series, is a historical romance with a kind and honorable hero, a feisty but sweet heroine and an over-the-top evil villainess bent on destruction. The story weaves in paranormal elements, and Howell is able to make several comments on the ridiculous double standards of Regency society, all while developing a fine romance. Although the writing style is sometimes a bit awkward, the story contains many elements that are sure to be irresistible to fans of Regency romance.
When Sir Bened Vaughn comes across Lady Primrose in the woods, he realizes that she is in trouble. While Primrose is no helpless damsel, she is certainly in distress—she's searching for her missing brother and is on the run from her aunt, who is trying to force her into marriage. Bened insists on helping Primrose, and they discover that Primrose's aunt may be a murderer many times over. They also discover that they are quite attracted to each other. With no reputation to lose (thanks to her solo travels in search of her brother), Primrose must decide whether to trust Bened with her body and her heart, and Bened must decide if he is worthy of Primrose, who is socially far above him.
This book has highly relatable, likeable characters and includes a large supporting cast of relatives. The characters are not particularly well-rounded—the bad guys are especially one-dimensional—however, the book’s cast is an entertaining group to spend time with. The book is filled with dry humor, with an especially funny scene involving Primrose’s puppy.
The major weakness in this novel is Howell’s insistence on telling as opposed to showing; reading about every thought and emotion of the characters becomes tedious. This being said, many readers will find the combination of humor, fun characters and the charming historical setting to compensate for any stylistic missteps.
