Hero Wanted
by Betina Krahn

Lauren is a strong willed independent head strong heiress hero of this historical romance as two business magnates arrange a marriage between their children to join their businesses. Neither Lauren or Rafe her now fiancé are please. Whilst Lauren sees two women drowning in the river distressed when Rafe refuses to help Lauren goes in and rescues them herself though she the hero of the day and Rafe disappears it is unseemly for a young women to do such things and the Ton both scandalised and very displeased.

A reasonably well written book but the two main characters have their own agendas and there is just too much going on in the story to really flow. Not real much substance happening. A bit disappointing.

Hero Wanted by Betina Krahn is a delightful book full of secrets and sensualness. Lauren is the type of heroine that I love to read about! She's fierce and selfless and the right type of woman that Rafe needed. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author. I recommend.

Hero Wanted (Reluctant Heroes #1). By Betina Krahn. 2021. Zebra (ARC eBook).

In order to save their companies, two shipping magnate fathers scheme to enter their children into a contracted marriage that will benefit both families. Unfortunately Rafe Townsend and Lauren Alcott are not thrilled about the situation.

This was my first book by Krahn and I adored it. Rafe and Lauren are great, enterprising characters to jump into an adventure with. In Hero Wanted, tariffs and smuggling leads to unrest and trouble for Rafe at the shipping docks, while a pesky newspaperman writing salacious stories about Lauren’s doings and whereabouts endangers her desire to teach the young children in poorer London to read. The romance is fun and flirty with the right balance of steam, and the secondary characters are endearing, especially a young street urchin named Jims. I look forward to reading more of this series and other books by Krahn.

Truth to be told, I assumed this book was gonna be one of those boring books I wouldn't like but have to finish it because I didn't wanna DNF it. But imagine my surprise when I couldn't put it down and got really addicted. This book is amazing. I loved it! It has action, humor, romance, mystery everything. It's one hell of a work. The author did an amazing job tbh! I really enjoyed it!

This is an interesting historical romance. While the heroine is seen as a true hero, the hero is seen as a dandy. I especially appreciate that the heroine isn't silly. She doesn't run off blindly into danger. She's a thinker. I quite enjoyed the read and would recommend it to a friend.

A sweet and funny romance set in Victorian England. A wealthy heiress thinks her father has set her up in marriage with a decent man only to discover he is nothing like the hero in her favourite novel. In reality she dreams of a hero who will help her improve then lot of London's poor especially the children and she is instead betrothed with the promise of her inheritance paying for the merger of the two family shipping companies, When she discovers her fiance is not what she expects a series of events cause her to rescue nitnonly herself but others and gain the press title of an angel. The scandal forces the two together for the sake of both of their reputations will they discover during this time that they could make a marriage work? This tale made me laugh at times and become invested in the characters and their stories an enjoyable read.

4.5 Stars ⭐️ - Top Pick

This book pretty much sucked me in from the beginning. It was definitely a page turner for me. This is the first book I have read from this author and it will not be the last. I loved the character development and the tension between the two main characters was great. Lauren and Rafe brought out the best in each other.

Lauren Alcott is definitely not a meek woman. She is smart, has a quite a temper and is stubborn to boot. She is also a romantic and when her betrothed shows no heroic gumption in rescuing two ladies who were drowning, she decides that she doesn’t want to marry a coward and expresses that by flinging her ring back at Rafe.

Rafe Townsend is a total workaholic and feels that he doesn’t need to change in any way. In the beginning I thought that he was way more concerned with what he was gaining out of the marriage witch was money not a pretty plunky other half. As the book moves a long he does have a change of heart.

I really enjoyed reading along as they grew to know each other and their feelings started to change too. I loved the ride the author took me on while reading this book. From the meddling family members, crazy adventures, horrible villains and kidnapping!!! Buckle up because this book will have you turning the pages to see what happens next. I look forward to reading more in the future from this author.

~ Brooke

I have tried and tried to read this book and it has been a struggle. The characters are boring as is the plot.

Hero Wanted by Betina Krahn was a delicious read. The cover is spectacular it drew me in. The title was perfect. Rafe and Lauren are contracted to marry by their fathers. During a boat ride in the river they come upon two ladies in the water. Lauren stripes down to her chemise and jumps into the water to save the woman. Rafe refused to get into the water so Lauren called him a coward in front of a lot people causing a huge scene. At first I really didn’t like Rafe along side Lauren but then later I was smitten just like Lauren. These two were very strong characters and I enjoyed them both immensely. This book had adventure, romance, politics. The politics around the tariffs was so interesting and very cleverly written. The proposal part was so romantic I loved every second of it. over all great read!! #NetGalley

I really enjoyed Rafe and Lauren’s story, their romance was the best part. Both characters were well developed and showed both integrity and flaws. There is an awful lot going on in this book and it felt a bit overwhelming at times. 4 stars.

This was my first Betina Krahn novel. Sadly, I did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Lauren is a headstrong, independent young lady that is also a hopeless romantic. All she wants is to find a hero to love and to her in return, but instead she was finds herself being the heroic one, and rescuing two drowning women when her fiancé refused to help, and any respect she had for Rafe (the hero?) vanishes. And he then finds himself wanting to be better for her. All very predictable, but the reason I requested this book was that Rafe was not the typical hero and I guess I was expecting more, especially after the romance was sidelined by the plot. In the end, I just wanted more romance.

I believe this is my first read by this author and a nice bodice ripper as well. That cover cinched it but I knew a strong female character like Lauren was going to charm my socks off.

What did I like! Prepare to be shocked! This was a fun book and Lauren was an amazing character. Rafe wouldn’t help save those two women so she just saved them herself. When she threw the engagement ring at Rafe I knew I liked her. She didn’t need to be saved! A fun filled regency romance and she gets the guy too for a HEA!

Would I recommend or buy? Yes, such an engaging read. I’d recommend to anyone who loved that cover! My first by this author but definitely not my last. Five stars for me!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review! I loved it!

Hero Wanted is the fun first book in Betina Krahn's Reluctant Heroes series. I've only read one of this author's previous books and enjoyed it, but it was the last one of her previous series. So I was glad to get the opportunity to be able to read this one from the get-go. It was an entertaining introduction, and I have good expectations for the next one.

Rafe Townsend and Lauren Alcott are the children of powerful shipping magnate fathers who want to join business forces. Join forces how? Well, by having their offspring marry, of course! Rafe and Lauren aren't thrilled with the prospect, but they rub along well enough. That is, until the day they're rowing during a picnic and another boat tips over, throwing two women into the river. Lauren is appalled when Rafe refuses to help them, so she strips off most of her clothing and jumps in to save them. Rafe in turn is appalled by his wet and near naked fiance's appearance. In disgust, Lauren calls him a coward and throws his ring back at him. After this event is reported in this newspapers, their fathers are furious. Rafe and Lauren must appear in public together and act like they like each other in order to appease them. Funny thing is, they begin to actually like each other... and then hell starts breaking loose around them; can they possibly have a real relationship?

This story started out a bit slowly for me, and the main reason for that was at first I didn't particularly like either Rafe or Lauren. Rafe seemed uncaring and aloof, and Lauren seemed a bit overbearing and expected a man to be like her hero Ivanhoe.. However, as they began to spend more time together, they began to see the true person underneath. Lauren was a very caring young woman who wanted to help poor children get an education and discover the joy of reading. Rafe's family's shipping business was very important to him, and he cared about both the needs of business owners and employees who desperately needed their pay. When Rafe attempted to stop a riot, the story started moving at breakneck speed and I was glued to the pages. Besides romance, social issues such as tariffs, education and reading were addressed. (I could, however, done without the tiny bit of politics in the afterword. I personally read romances to escape from real life and politics. Just a personal opinion.) There were some great supporting characters, especially Jims, an endearing street urchin, and Rafe's best friend Barr. I'm looking forward to another fun romp in the next book of the series!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. As Lauren and Rafe got to know each other it really held my attention and the action picked up, so that I couldn't put the book down. I came to root for them and their interactions and the topics were so interesting. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I'm never read a Betina Krahn book so I had no expectations going into this.
Hero Wanted is the most action packed historical romance I've read in awhile.
I really enjoyed the role reversals in this one. Lauren was the hero and Rafe the heroine. What a lovely twist!
I also liked that we get to see Lauren be heroic while Rafe watches from the sidelines (though he eventually works up to becoming heroic himself).
There was so much going on that I was never bored.
Can't wait to pick up another Krahn novel!

4.5 stars rounded up.

When their fathers desire a profitable business merger, handsome bachelor Rafe Townsend and forward-thinking, impulsive Lauren Alcott are pushed into an engagement. There is a spark of attraction between them which suggests they may just be well-matched, until a Sunday picnic goes badly awry and brings the efficacy of their engagement into question.

When Rafe won’t leave their boat to help two women whose boat overturned on the river Lauren takes matters into her own hands. She removes her heavy overskirts and takes to the water to save them herself, flinging Rafe’s ring back at him in the aftermath. A reporter happens to be nearby and sensationalizes the story, leaving Rafe publicly declared rather cowardly and Lauren viewed by some as an angel and by others as a wanton. With both their reputations sullied, they must salvage things by making their relationship very publicly visible and very amicable, even if they don’t intend to follow through with a wedding. Their ensuing closeness will either go down as part of a successful campaign or sew the seeds of a truly loving partnership.

This was my first read from this author, but it won’t be my last. I liked the writing style and with a unique spin on the arranged marriage trope, this book felt fresh and held my attention. Lauren and Rafe were already engaged but they had preconceived notions of each other and seeing them get to know one another as they faced challenges together was excellent. They both developed feelings for each other before they’d realized it and I loved their teamwork and how they made a conscious decision to be together. Rafe had more depth than he showed at first blush, but both he and Lauren grew and changed their perspectives as they learned more about each other and I loved that character development and the tension between these two was great. I do wish we’d gotten a bit more steam, but I loved the storyline and the characters kept me entertained so I didn’t really mind. Lauren’s impetuousness was curbed by Rafe’s cautiousness; these two brought out the best in each other and I’ll look forward to continuing this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Hero Wanted by Betina Krahn is the first book in her captivating new series Reluctant Heroes.
Lauren Alcott’s father has arranged an engagement for her with Rafe Townsend in order to cement a business merger. She’s been willing to go along with the idea even though she finds Rafe pompous and boring until the day he refuses to act when a mother and daughter are in danger of drowning from a boating accident. She rescues the pair herself and ends her betrothal to Rafe after calling him a coward. Her father and Rafe’s father stand to lose everything without the merger of their companies so she and Rafe agree to pretend a courtship until the situation can be resolved and along the way Rafe discovers that he does want to be her hero. The story is quite exciting with adventures, and kidnapping, nasty villains and just the right amount of steam. I enjoyed reading this book immensely and the cover is simply awesome. Highly Recommend. Steam Level: Medium. Publishing Date February 23, 2021. #HeroWanted #BetinaKrahn #KensingtonBooks #ZebraRomanceNovels #HistoricalRomance #FakeEngagement #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #NetGalley

I liked this story, but will not purchase it for my library. It was a good read, but nothing particularly special. I really dislike the cover. It makes it seem like this book will be an outdated 1980s romance.

This was my first Betina Krahn novel. Sadly, it fell a little flat for me.
Both the hero and the heroine were a bit hard to like starting out, though they both did grow on me as the story progressed.
My struggle with this title, is that it focused more on the merger between the two families then on the actual romance for me. I wanted more time not talking about the merger, and more time with our couple.
I will try this author again, as I can see the talent in their writing. This particular title was just a miss for me.

This book captivated me from the first chapter where our hoyden heroine strips to her underclothes to perform a daring water rescue of two women, while her fiancee sits back and watches agog! After growing up reading of hero’s like Ivanhoe, she can not believe that her fiancee is a coward… how will they ever get along?

I absolutely loves the impetuous Lauren Alcott and the ever proper Rafe Townsend. These two opposites have been forced together in a match in order to same their family business… Lucy for them, once they agree to work together, they make a better team than on their own. Soon these enemies start seeing each other for who they are and quickly become infatuated with each other…

Hero Wanted had me staying up late to keep reading from all the action, twist and turns and funny moments that made this story all the more enjoyable.

Needless to say, this action packed, sweet romance is full of drama from the water ways of London to the courtroom! I enjoyed the fast pace that kept me on my toes. This was my first book by this author, I am excited to explore her backlist for some more gems!

Hero wanted by Betina Krahn is scheduled to release February 23rd, 2021.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Blog link: https://pinkcowlandreads.blogspot.com/2021/02/hero-wanted.html

#HeroWanted #BetinaKrahn #NetGalley #pinkcowlandreads