I'm not sure why, but I inserted "detective" into the title of this novel. Therefore, I was a little surprised that this was not a mystery-romance. Instead, I discovered a hilarious romantic-comedy, where Melissa Romney-Jones puts a blond wig on and becomes Honey, a straight talking, sexy girl Friday.
Confident, in a way Melissa can't be, Honey creates the Little Lady Agency and begins organizing the woeful bachelors of London. You know, the guys who can't quite figure out how to dress, or even that they should bath daily. The men who need a date for that family wedding to get their mother off their back or to cover for something they're not quite ready to come out of the closet for.
She sends flowers to their secretaries and gifts to their godchildren. Then a lovely American estate agent engages Honey's services on a regular basis and over time she begins to fall for him. Of course, she is in total denial, and it isn't long before Melissa and Honey's world meet and the explosion of their life occurs.
Browne is terribly witty. If I were to meet her, I would say (as the English do), "Well done, you!"
While Melissa lacks the confidence that she gains when she becomes Honey, she certainly isn't helpless, and in fact recognizes her talents quiet readily. Her flatmate, Nelson, is completely charming, but certainly not perfect in stereotypical fashion. Of course, she has the hard hitting, no-nonsense friend, Gemma, but Gemma genuinely cares about Melissa, and their friendship is sincere and real. Jonathan, the estate agent, is a bit aloof and moody, but considering he's just been dumped by a controlling ex-wife, that's understandable, and it lends to the mystery of exactly who Melissa will end up with.
The Little Lady Agency is fun, a fantastic way to escape into a goofy bit of romance. With a character firmly set in the morals and etiquette of the 1950s, the story focuses on romance, not sex, and provides a delightful day's worth of entertainment.
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