This is not your run-of-the-mill contemporary romance – ‘R is for Rebel’ brings a fresh view of the modern heroine against the confines of an out-dated hero. Not to scare anyone off, the romance is electric and the drama makes it well-worth the read.

Abigail Heyworth is getting back on her feet after ending a long relationship with her girlfriend, by has been hiding out in her brother’s country house. It is at her other brother’s wedding that she meets the self-made multi-millionaire Elliot Cranbrook, and she cannot help but feel drawn to his charm and wit. I did enjoy the fact that they had been just keeping the relationship platonic and friendly for six months, before they decided on taking it further on an island beach. The intimacy is intense and moving along a lot faster than Abigail had planned for, but she was enjoying the glamour and wealth of Elliot’s world (even if she was a rebel child of a wealthy family of the English peerage).

Elliot’s intensity becomes too much for Abigail, and she decides to push away the relationship as she is not ready to take the step back into relationship (and her inner rebel wanted to disappoint her mother’s sudden hope at her involvement with Elliot). Even though, I thought she poorly communicated her feelings, it was a very rational fear that any woman would be feeling (unless you were in it for the money and sex). Elliot’s dominance and possession of her felt out-dated in the contemporary context, and really grated my nerves.

The year time lapse was unexpected, and you find little has changed between the characters. Abigail found stability in her life through family and work, and Elliot had become irritated and controlling at work and suddenly has a fiancé to mask his disappointment. As the two leads makes themselves more and more depressed, some family back story is added that slowed the narrative down and felt unnecessary. The revelation that this novel is fourth in a series did clear up some interest in the surrounding characters relationships, and gives the back story more relevance but not clarity.

Of course, they are going to meet again when Elliot is questioning his engagement and Abigail is looking for diversion at Fashion Week in Paris. However, all it took was a look, a few words, and a passionate kiss and ‘Presto!’ They are back together, very much in love, all the history and baggage forgotten, and lots and lots of sex to make up for. In the meantime, Elliot’s fiancé happens to find a really nice guy at the airport and decides to spend a weekend with him and his family in England (also Abigail family and Elliot is her guest). All ends well when everyone gets an explanation and very drunk.

‘R is for Rebel’ definitely rebels against any contemporary romance with some factors, but others fall short of the mark and my expectation, but it will keep you reading until the last page.