A Rake's Redemption (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: unfortunately it was a bit of a bland read
Review: A bit of a rake, Theo Middleford, Viscount Dunnley, has decided to reform and look for a wife. But his wife must not only be beautiful and of an acceptable family, she must also match him in intelligence and passion, and someone he will be able to fall in love with and spend the rest of his life happily with. And since his cousins' wives seem to embody everything that he's looking for in a wife, he looks to the ladies' circle of friends for a likely candidate, and becomes intrigued by Lady Sarah Mallory. Dubbed the 'Welsh Beauty' Lady Sarah seems to the very embodiment of everything he's looking for: beauty, intelligence and a generousity of spirit, but she also seems to be very shy and trembles visible whenever he is near her. Could her shy nature hide a passionate nature, Dunnley wonders? Fascinated by her beauty and reserve, Dunnley decides to see if he can decipher the lady, only to discover that he has fallen quite deeply in love with her. But can he get the lady to reciprocate his feelings?

Given that "A Rake's Redemption" was a very well written novel, in which the author seems to have, effortlessly, gotten the feel and minute details of the period right, I was rather disappointed to discover that it was an extremely bland read. I kept reading on and on, waiting for something to happen. Well, it eventually did, a few chapters before the end. But what an anticlimactic, hurried something it proved to be! Every novel needs a conflict, whether it's big or small. Unfortunately, "The Rake's Redemption" had very little conflict -- I suppose you could call Nasty Ned (the oaf who keeps sexually harassing Lady Sarah) a conflict, also Lady Sarah's inability to realise that Dunnely's in love with her and she with him, a conflict also. But because the author made these conflicts seem almost like by-the-way irritations, they made very little impact. Nasty Ned was easily taken care off; and I really wondered about Lady Sarah's innocence: how could a young lady reach the age of 22 and not realise that her feelings were actually signs of attraction for the hero? Novels, poetry, and songs of the period would have clued her into understanding some of the symptoms she suffered -- if some blunt talking amongst friends in her group had not. And while I understood that a young lady of that period would have led a rather sheltered life, I really doubt that recognising the signs and symptoms of love and attraction in herself would have been anything a young woman would have been ignorant about! Also, when I started to become more interested in a projected romantic pairing between another couple than on the featured couple on hand, I knew that, sadly, "A Rake's Redemption" was not holding my interest. Which was a shame because the book really had a lot of potential, and Susannah Carleton is a good writer. So, will I read another novel by Susannah Carleton? Of course I will! I need to see whether of not Fairfax and Lady Deborah end up together, and where her evil twin fits into everything. Given that Lady Deborah has an evil identical twin gives me hopes of conflicts a plenty and that that book at least will not be a bland read!

Rating:
Summary: A Match Made in Heaven
Review: As a lover of the Regency Romance genre I have to say that this author is not one whose style particularly appeals to me. I prefer the ones written in a lighter style with lots of witty dialogue.

But this book was not bad in spite of the fact that Lady Sarah Mallory suffered from what appeared to me to be a mild seizure disorder that would manifest its self every time she was under stress of any kind. Luckily Viscount Dunnley had an overdeveloped protective instinct so you knew that this was a match made in heaven.

The best character in the book was Viscount Dunnley's long time mistress Jani Brooks. During the first part of the book I was hoping that Dunnley would come to his senses and marry her but as the book progressed I realized that a Jani is far too independent and emotionally stable to marry a man like Dunnley.


Rating:
Summary: Very uneventful
Review: Lady Sarah Mallory, dubbed "the Welsh beauty" by members of the ton, has high hopes of finding a husband this Season. Whenever Lord Dunnelly comes near, her body always trembles with anticipation. Why does he have that sort of effect on her?

After Theo, Viscount Dunnelly, has a brush with death (he was escaping the bedroom of a woman who claimed to be a widow), he decides to change his amorous ways. He decides to find a wife--but it can't be just anyone. He wants someone beautiful and exciting, someone who will stimulate him intellectually and passionately. Does such a paragon exist? Maybe there is more to shy Sarah than meets the eye?

When I started to read "A Rake's Redemption", there were several young people dancing at a ball. It was an intriguing, humorous beginning, and I thought an intricate love tangle would emerge. When one of Sarah's other suitors (appropriately nicknamed "Nasty Ned") came into the picture, I was even more intrigued. Somewhere before the middle of the novel, the book suddenly lost its steam. The intriguing secondary characters disappeared. Nasty Ned didn't come around for at least 100 pages. Theo fell in love too quickly, and the plot got pretty stagnant. I was waiting for something interesting to happen, and it never really did.

All in all, "A Rake's Redemption" is a dull novel by a good writer. Given a good premise, Ms. Carleton can work magic. This is not one of her best. It's average at best. I was just hoping for something better. After all, the back of the book boasts, "Can He Be Tamed?" (referring to Theo being a rake) Why, yes he can! ...After the first 20 pages.

Rating:
Summary: Great Writer -- Good Book
Review: Yes, this novel is fairly uneventful in many ways, and I wish that some few more (normal) events might have occurred, but after reading a lot of HIDEOUS Regency romances, I was impressed with this writer.

This book, more than most, gives the reader an idea of what it would be like to be a young lady in Regency England. There is no freedom, the idea of being left alone in a private room with a man who is not a relative is relatively disconcerting, and if one is harassed by a man, there is almost no one to turn to.

Yes, there are no murders, or evil plots to avert, but, honestly, after reading so many of those, I get extremely tired of Regency romances that NEED to add those to stay interesting. I liked that the young lady in this was a lady and that the gentleman was exactly that.

I think that this author could do with a few lessons in not repeating herself (as she does now) too often, and with learning to add some more interest to a story.

However, all in all, I'll be getting more of her stuff. I hope she never feels the need to add a murder, or a novel wherein characters act like they live in 2000 rather than the 1800s.