This was a fun bit of fluff. I read the first book, A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court, years ago. This one has languished on my TBR shelf for a long time, but I needed a dose of lightness, and this fit the bill.

Chrissie is wandering around an upstate NY Ren Faire, looking for her slacker coworker, Kat, when her cellphone rings. It's Kat, supposedly calling from the 22nd century, where she, Lancelot, and Guenevere ended up by mistake. She needs Chrissie to rescue them by notifying the gypsy fortuneteller, Nimue. Not really believing, but playing along, Chrissie finds the fortuneteller who confirms everything Kat says. The only way to help is to send Chrissie to the 12th century to retrieve a magic ingredient from King Richard. The next thing she knows, Chrissie is flat on her back in the woods, staring up at Sherwood Forest.

Only, things aren't quite as the stories portray them. Robin is moping around, mourning the loss of his lands and love. The Merry Men are just hanging around the forest. And King Richard still hasn't returned from the Crusades. Chrissie is confused and disgusted and wonders what she's going to do. The first thing is to hide the fact that she's a woman, which is a hilarious bit of misdirection itself. She then proceeds to whip Robin and the Merry Men into shape, turning them into the legends we know and love, while waiting for the king to show up.

It was fun to watch the relationship develop between Chrissie and Robin. It's all one-sided at first, of course, because Robin thinks she a guy (sort of). It doesn't take Chrissie long to realize that he's not as useless as she first thinks, he just has no purpose to motivate him. Once she gives him that, she also uncovers the good heart inside him. Unfortunately for her, it also increases the attraction she feels for the handsome outlaw. Things start to look up when she reveals the truth to Robin, and the feelings between them begin to grow. Things get complicated when Maid Marion comes on the scene. Chrissie's knowledge of the legends and her own jealousy has her putting some distance between herself and the couple. Some interesting twists and turns reveal an unexpected side to Marion and put Chrissie in the position of having to save the day. Yet, underneath her feelings for Robin is the knowledge that once she has fulfilled her quest, she will return to the future. All she wants is to stay in the past with him. The ending was fun and perfectly crafted.

I really liked both Chrissie and Robin. Chrissie is a bit down on men at the moment, thanks to her cheating husband. She's not really looking for a relationship, especially a 12th century one. She comes across a little bitchy at first when it comes to Kat, but that relationship changes as the book goes on. I also liked the way that she finds unexpected inner strength, finally losing her tendency to see herself as a victim. She rocked by the end of the book. Robin started out as a less-than-impressive character. He was just shy of a whiny crybaby, but not by much. I enjoyed his transformation into the Robin Hood of legend, thanks to his willingness to be guided by Chrissie. I was a little worried when Marion showed up, but he came through that with flying colors. I loved him at the end and how he expressed his feelings for Chrissie.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was stuffed full of cultural references that date it, but that didn't decrease my enjoyment. The basic legend of Robin and his Merry Men was there, with sometimes hilarious twists. Overall, it was a terrific way to escape from reality for a day.

The book was republished 01/09/2019 as Mojitos with the Merry Men. I haven't read this version, so I don't know if it has been updated. Either way, it's a fun read. ( )

interesting book ( )

interesting book ( )