Adam Hunt is unhappy with his eldest brother's interference with his life. Determined to set his brother straight Adam leaves for his brother's house only to witness a woman get struck by a passing coach. He goes to her rescue, but when she wakes she believes she and Adam are characters from her romantic novel. Adam is intrigued by this mystery woman, but he also knows he is not the duke she thinks he is. When her memory returns, however, she isn't who she seems to be either, and there might be a possibility of a real life romance after all.

THE UNFORGETTABLE HERO is a novella in Valerie Bowman's Playful Brides series. I've only read one other book in this series, THE UNEXPECTED DUCHESS, and was able to keep up with the storyline just fine. This makes THE UNFORGETTABLE HERO perfect for returning readers and new ones alike. As usual Bowman's dialogue is well-crafted with witty humor and bold statements. Characters never miss a beat in their dialogue, and Bowman smoothly writes the dialogue into the story. The plot is unique, and readers will enjoy how different the plot is from other romances. The excitement focuses more on the mystery of the heroine than any action, but this works remarkably well with the rest of the story. Readers are in on the mystery, but will keep turning pages to find out when the hero and heroine will put all the pieces of the puzzle together.

I appreciate that Adam isn't a hero with a title. This gives a fresh perspective to a romance hero. While, his brothers took to being soldiers, Adam is more scholarly, and I like that he gets his happy ending as well. Cecelia's circumstances make for a wonderfully complex heroine. She loves her sister, and has a great deal of talent and compassion. Bowman puts in a dash of humor to Cecelia's dialogue after she loses her memory, which adds some comedy to Cecelia's illusions but not too much to make the wit inappropriate or over the top. I'm thrilled Bowman included Derek and Lucy from THE UNEXPECTED DUCHESS into the story. Adam and Derek's relationship as brothers gave the story some added conflict, and how they all interacted with one another gave a homey atmosphere to the setting. THE UNFORGETTABLE HERO is unlike other romances I've read, and stands out from more familiar plots. I won't be forgetting this story any time soon.

Book Summary

To escape a forced marriage to her loathsome, social-climbing cousin, Cecelia Harcourt banks on selling a romantic novel. But when she's hit by a coach on the way home from meeting a potential publisher and loses her memory, the accident leads to an encounter with a fascinating man. . . who she’s convinced is the hero of her novel.

Due to his brother's influence, Lieutenant Adam Hunt finds himself honorably discharged from the army. Adam intends to make his way in the world without the help of a war-hero duke, brother or no. He finds his plans for independence sidetracked by a chance encounter with a lady whose memory has gone. She believes he's a hero. Can Adam become the man he was meant to be and fill that lofty role?