Rating: 
Summary: One of the Very Best
Review: The is a story of redemption. Reggie is the worst sort of rake. He drinks, gambles and uses people with no thought for their feelings. He is on a downward spiral with only two outcomes, death or resurrection. His cousin, the Earl, who has been funding his life style decides to give Reggie an estate and let him sink or swim. Reggie has a problem with alcohol, which at the time of this story is considered a weakness of character not a disease. Reggie is determined to make a better life. The story evolves with the struggle to be redemeed and in the process he falls for his steward. It is one of the best books I have read. Definitely a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Truly stunning, heartwrenching and haunting
Review: The other review I wrote of this book got mangled almost beyond recognition, so I'm going to post a better one.I only discovered Mary Jo Putney earlier this year, and bought a few of her earlier books to get me started. Since I noticed that The Rake is a sequel to The Diabolical Baron, I read the latter first; found it enjoyable but nothing wildly out of the ordinary. I was thus not expecting too much when I realised that the villain of 'Baron' was the hero of The Rake. But I realised very quickly that I underestimated Putney. She doesn't try to force anyone to like Reggie; it's clear from the outset that he is a drunk and a gambler, and that he doesn't see anything wrong in sponging off his cousin, the Earl. But we also learn fairly early on that his behaviour has been shaped by circumstances. Put into the *right* circumstances, he begins to mend his ways. Alys is a wonderful heroine, and her first meeting with Reggie is a terrific read. She knows he wants her - and, of course, her very unorthodox position as his farm manager, dressing in trousers most of the time, won't give him any illusions about her virtue. But she insists that she's not that kind of woman... and gradually, they become friends. Reggie is an alcoholic, as becomes clear, and Putney pulls no punches as to its effect on his behaviour. Like some of her other books, this one contains harrowing scenes. And yet these are enlivened by flashes of humour; Reggie, when he's sober, is a delightful and witty person. I just loved this book from start to finish. And now that I've written about it, I want to go and read it again!
Rating:
Summary: I love those Rakes!
Review: They are the bad boys of the aristocracy, the blight of Regency England and they're truly wonderful. This book, like many other of Mary Jo Putney's novels deal with real life. In this case she brings the disease of drunkeness to light as there never was before. I'm keeping this one for sure. I had tears in my eyes when I finished and I was almost unhappy it ended, I just wanted to crawl inside and never leave. Reggie is a wonderful character who just needs the right woman to bring him around. Read it, you'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: The Best! Right up there with Veryan and Heyer.
Review: This book has to establish Mary Jo Putney as one the the best in the Romance writing field; right up there with Patricia Veryan and Georgette Heyer. A strong, independent heroine, a hero with flaws that he works to overcome, good plot, etc. Just overall great writing.
Rating:
Summary: Very best of the best
Review: This book touched me so deeply. I had really started to tire of the average romance novel. But I knew within the first few pages that this book was going to be great. It has superb writing, intelligence, wit, incredible sweetness, and the absolutely most perfect sense of romantic timing. If you are a romance novel fan, you will find this book refreshing and reaffirming. If you have never read a romance novel, this one will get you hooked!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best romance novels
Review: This is a re-write of one of the best romance stories ever written. Period. Full stop. Mary Jo Putney displays her mastery of psychologically realistic characters, Regency England detail and sensual story telling. Her heroine, Alys, is intelligent, resourceful and independent but hurting because of her lack of faith in her own feminine appeal. Her hero, Reggie, is the ultimate gorgeous bad boy. He has wasted his own talents and intelligence on reckless living but has been given a chance to redeem his life, if only he can face up to his alcoholism. This rewrite heats up the sensuality and takes nothing away from the impact of the original. Ms. Putney manages not only to deal with a serious problem realistically and sensitively, but does so while building sexual tension, introducing lively secondary characters and making us fall in love with her wryly self aware main characters whose dialogue sparkles with insight and humour. Ms. Putney is a thinking person's romance writer and should be on the A list of anyone who loves a good story well told.
Rating:
Summary: Honest, emotional, thoroughly satisfying!
Review: This is my first Putney book and it certainly won't be my last. I started this book wanting another fun, sexy, frivolous romp of a book. The kind of book that you enjoy while you're reading it, but forget as soon as you put it down. The characters in THE RAKE are UNforgettable. Putney is a truly gifted writer and I fear she has ruined me for most of the genre now. I now have a much higher standard of quality that I want to achieve while I am reading a "romance" book. THUNDER AND ROSES is my next Putney book and I cannot wait to get started. For readers who enjoy romance: this book is deep, emotional, and deals with alcoholism in a very realistic manner. However, it is also sexy and fun. Do NOT miss this book!
Rating: 
Summary: This one is a re-read.
Review: This was a really good book for me because it actually dealt with an issue most historical novels only dance around. Alcoholism had to be huge problem among the title in England but you never really read how it affected gentry once they left London. I loved the characters because they were both strong and sensible. I thought the revealing of the heroines true self was a little "too grand" to fit in with the spirit of the story but over-all the story was a good one. Mary Jo Putney really does her homework when she is ready to share a story with her readers. This one was well done indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Funny And Emotional At The Same Time
Review: This was such a wonderful story I actually started crying at some parts. The story begins with the hero, Reggie, being given ownership of his family estate. He celebrates that night by getting so drunk he cannot remember what happened the next morning. He is not portrayed that sympathetically at first. He comes off as one of the idle rich. A bored aristocrat relying on his cousin for funds to support his gambling and drinking. But into the story you find out that there is so much more to him than that. He has a kind, generous heart although he doesn't want anyone to know it. When he goes to his new property, he shows an intelligence and competence that is surprising. Alys is a great heroine. She is an intelligent, sensitive person. When it becomes more and more apparent throughout the story that Reggie is an alcoholic, she stands by him and gives him her support when he trys to quit drinking. Putney does a good with the growing intimacy between these two. They are attracted to each other from the beginning, but they become good friends first. They both see each other at their worst. Alys sees Reggie do and say some pretty bad things when drunk, and Reggie sees the insecurity Alys suffered because of her above average height and mismatched eyes. But they fall in love anyway. This is such a wonderful story. For those of you agree, try Angel Rogue. It is another great story by this author.
Rating:
Summary: A truly believable reformation of a rake
Review: Usually I don't like "debauched rogue is reformed by lovely virgin"-stories but this one is different. Reginald Davenport is an alcoholic and has been one for decades in a time when nobody knew much about this kind of addiction. When sober, he is a truly likeable man with a lot of assets but when under the influence of alcohol he is at his worst, a true and unsympathetic rake. Yet even then he shows glimpses of his real personality. When he gets a last chance to change his life he is determined to alter his lifestyle and become a better person. Yet the road to this is long and winded... When he meets Alys an attractive Amazon who runs- much to his surprise and delight- his estate sparks fly but they need a long time to find out that they need each other. Alys is not the usual heroine of a romance novel. She isn't the typical spinster of the ton who knows not much about men or life and has never been in love before. Besides she is already thirty and has worked for her living. I think the revelation of her grand past was a bit too much, I would have liked it better if she hadn't been a blue-blooded woman. But perhaps it was necessary for the twists and turns in the story. I liked the way Reggie reacted to the revelation of her past though.
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