To Have vs. To Hold
Grade : A

To Have vs. To Hold is one of the very best mysteries I've ever read in a romance novel. That may sound like faint praise as many romance authors try to write mysteries that often fail. But this book is a puzzle so clever and inventive it would hold up in any genre. It's what I would hand to anyone who assumes romance novels, or yes, series romances, must be less intelligent or complex than other types of fiction. Heck, I'd give it to anyone, period. It's that good.

Seven years ago, Adam Justice's wife Patrice disappeared, presumed to have run off with his sister's fiancé. Now their bodies have been found in the wreckage of a seven year old car crash, bringing Adam under the scrutiny of the skeptical police. He has a bigger surprise in store for him when he's contacted by attorney Whitney West after the funeral. She tells him that Patrice left a secret will with her, one which not only reveals that she married him under a false name, meaning their marriage was invalid, but that she left an estate worth thirty million dollars.

As if that's not enough, Patrice named him the executor of her will. When Whitney has herself assigned by the court to represent the interests of the beneficiaries, the two Seattle attorneys work together to track down Patrice's heirs, all of whom are strangers to Adam. Through their stories, Adam and Whitney uncover a far different picture of a woman they only thought they knew. Who exactly was this woman who could be so heartless and so generous and whose past was full of secrets? As they unravel the truth about her life and death, they also discover a mutual admiration and attraction. But the shadow of Patrice looms large over their relationship and the stakes are rising when it comes to her will. It's going to take some maneuvering and every bit of their ingenuity to ensure the truth comes out, justice is done, the money goes where it should - and to move beyond the past to a future together.

To Have vs. To Hold is unique as a romance novel; I haven't found anything quite like its particular blend of intelligent romance and densely-plotted mystery. It's an important distinction, because this is a mystery, not a thriller. The characters are never in any physical danger, there are no action sequences or threatening moments that involve more than words. It's simply a mystery, and a very good one, with everything I would expect from my favorite authors in that genre, like Elizabeth George.

It's not a conventional whodunit or a crime story, but an intricate puzzle that drops random pieces one at a time until the picture finally clicks into place. The author's attention to detail is astounding. She creates full histories for all the people the hero and heroine meet along the way, carving out distinctive lives for the most minor of characters and noting the smallest nuance that pays off later. The character of Patrice is one example of how complex the book is. She would be easy to make into a one-note villainess, but Rodgers doesn't make things quite so easy.

It's a very dialogue-driven book with an intelligent hero and heroine whose personalities come across more through their words than actions. The way they respond and the things they say in the face of various obstacles say a lot about who they are as people. It's very fitting that the climax isn't a physical showdown, but a legal smackdown Adam gets to deliver in the end. Rodgers also takes the reader into the probate process most of us know nothing about. And she does it all in 248 pages (although that is somewhat misleading. Like most of Rodgers's later works, the typeface is tiny, squeezing every last bit of story possible into a little space. Reset a more eye friendly font, it would be a bigger book).

To be sure, this is not the most emotional of love stories, but I actually found that refreshing - good romances stir the emotions, but too few offer much for the mind. This one does, so it's fitting that Adam and Whitney connect on an intellectual level. Yes, there is a physical attraction between them, but what makes it so obvious that they're meant to be together is that, like all of Rodgers' heroes and heroines, they're just so smart, and it's wonderful to watch two people connect through razor-sharp dialogue that demonstrates their intelligence.

While Whitney isn't one of my favorite Rodgers heroines, she is a good example of why Rodgers writes some of the best heroines in the genre. Whitney is neither less than Adam nor better, but every bit his equal: just as principled, just as strong, just as clever. She's a strong woman not because she's managed to muddle through in the face of huge adversity or because she's just as tough and physically capable as a man, the usual ways romance heroines are forced to prove themselves. She's strong because she knows who she is and is perfectly secure with herself. There's no room for self-doubt and likes herself, something quite rare in most romances.

To Have Vs To Hold is the fifth and final book in Rodgers' Justice Inc. series, which got better with each book. The others are:

  • Beauty vs. the Beast - A highly inventive story about a psychologist sued for wrongful death after he "kills off" one of his multiple personality patient's harmful personalities. Unusual and fascinating, but also so dark the romance is completely overwhelmed by the plot.
  • Baby vs. the Bar - A lighter character-driven story about a woman whose baby is revealed as the heir to a multi-million dollar empire. It doesn't seem to contain much mystery until late in the book, which culminates in a terrific courtroom showdown.
  • Heart vs. Humbug - A highly entertaining battle of wills between an attorney who always follows the letter of the law and one who always follows her heart, who face off when her grandmother is accused of killing his Scrooge of a client. Full of choice exchanges and great dialogue, including the priceless opening line of Chapter One: "Romantic men don't have penises."
  • Love vs. Illusion - An action packed ride through a world of virtual reality with a kick-ass heroine, a hero who's every bit her match, and multiple twist endings.

The last two are also keepers for me, although not as extra-special as To Have vs. To Hold, which is one of those fabled Keepers with a capital K. If I really had to choose only five romances for the island, this would be one of them. The others might be more emotional or romantic. This would be one for the brain. I never fail to be impressed at how clever it is, how much more densely imagined it is than books twice its size. I picked it up to refresh my memory for this review, ended up rereading the whole thing, then went back and read it again.

Tired of romantic mysteries that are almost embarrassingly obvious? Have I got a book for you.

Reviewed by Leigh Thomas
Grade : A

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : September 3, 2003

Publication Date: 1996/10

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