The Rake's Retreat (Signet Regency Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Definitely in the Heyer tradition!
Review: I've now read a number of Nancy Butler's novels and, thus far, this one is the very best. A story of a mature woman and a rake with a sad and bad past is always a pleasurable plot for me. But this one was certainly one of the finest I've read and put me in mind of Heyer's Venetia and her beloved Damerel.

Jemima Vale - mature, intelligent and strong is missing something in her life - love, true companionship and (unbeknownst to her) sexual fulfilment. She meets, through the subplot of intrique and espionage, Mr Beecham Bryce - rake, reprobate, fallen angel with a hardened heart. Of course, in this sort of scenario, the H/H are never quite what they seem. Jemima is wise and caring but eager to love a man who, superficially at any rate, appears to be totally inappropriate. Bryce is a man who has willfully brought on his own downfall yet retains strong family ties and yearns to find love and completion with Jemima, a woman who proves to be his true "other half".

This is a tightly plotted story with wholly believable characters (and some brilliant secondary characters) and the story is enlivened by some of the wittiest dialague I have read in a regency novel for a very long time. Just one tiny example:

Jemima looked up at the sky, assessing the position of the sun. "I see that it is past noon. And that your innuendoes have returned, right on schedule."

Bryce's mouth drew up into a crooked grin. "I don't flatter before lunchtime; innuendo I can furnish round the clock."

Butler handles her mature heroine and flawed hero with great skill and gusto in this novel. Both are characters who come bursting to life for the reader. It's definitely a keeper and it's made me realise it is time to re-read Heyer's "Venetia" again. Very highly recommended for its plot, characters, dialogue and high levels of emotion and sexual tension.

Rating:
Summary: Don't judge the book by the blurb!
Review: My very first book by this author nearly put me off entirely - by the blurb on the back cover. It was a while before I could bring myself to pick it up and to go beyond the first two pages. Be warned - do not make the same mistake that I did. The blurb does not do justice to the story, and in fact gets several details wrong.

Some spoilers follow but first a general warning: the story is not about the young actress who discovers the murder, but about her rescuer Mr Beecham Bryce and a Lady Jemima Vale who is an amateurish artist, in all senses of that word. And no - Lady Jemima's art skills play no part in the story, except to permit her to appreciate the greater aristic skills of others.

The story is not about murder and intrigue, although those do play some part in the story, in forcing Lady Jemima to remove to the house of a well-known rake, and the intrigue elements become crucial at one point very late in the story. However, the love story itself is not dependent on the murder nor on the intrigue, except in permitting the author to bring the couple together at the beginning. So, if you are looking for a book full of a hero and heroine (and villains) dashing about the countryside, you will be disappointed. And yes, there is a villain (more than one, actually) but the real villain's identity comes as a surprise.

I won't tell you too much about the rest of the story, for fear of spoiling other discoveries for you. Once I got past the first four or five pages, I found myself engrossed in the book - rooting for the hero and heroine alike, and hoping sincerely that the hero, in particular, would be able to actually read the heroine's mind. [The misunderstanding that temporarily separates them is entirely believable - in that it is a problem of miscommunication, rather than of unnecessary pride or some external agent]. The real surprise is the ending. Once the murder and the intrigue have been resolved, the hero and heroine do not fall into each other's arms. They must still learn to communicate better, and for once, the heroine is the one taking steps to end the misunderstanding by swallowing her own pride at being rejected.

It has a good plot, a hero who is not a nobleman (and is rather unconventional), a far-from-missish but not waspish heroine, and some interesting and finely drawn secondary characters. This is not a book to read for wit and humor (although there is a good-natured tone in the story), nor one for pathos and tears.

Read this for a good story about a relationship that builds around, and even despite, a mystery. More precisely, there are several mysteries - Who is the murderer? What was the murderer doing in the area? Is Jemima right in her suspicions about Beecham?. And there is lots of other suspense created by such small things as a cart going the wrong way, but I will leave it to you to find out what happens.

Despite some improbabilities, this is still one of the best Regencies I have read this year.

Rating:
Summary: Don't judge the book by the blurb!
Review: My very first book by this author nearly put me off entirely - by the blurb on the back cover. It was a while before I could bring myself to pick it up and to go beyond the first two pages. Be warned - do not make the same mistake that I did. The blurb does not do justice to the story, and in fact gets several details wrong.

Some spoilers follow but first a general warning: the story is not about the young actress who discovers the murder, but about her rescuer Mr Beecham Bryce and a Lady Jemima Vale who is an amateurish artist, in all senses of that word. And no - Lady Jemima's art skills play no part in the story, except to permit her to appreciate the greater aristic skills of others.

The story is not about murder and intrigue, although those do play some part in the story, in forcing Lady Jemima to remove to the house of a well-known rake, and the intrigue elements become crucial at one point very late in the story. However, the love story itself is not dependent on the murder nor on the intrigue, except in permitting the author to bring the couple together at the beginning. So, if you are looking for a book full of a hero and heroine (and villains) dashing about the countryside, you will be disappointed. And yes, there is a villain (more than one, actually) but the real villain's identity comes as a surprise.

I won't tell you too much about the rest of the story, for fear of spoiling other discoveries for you. Once I got past the first four or five pages, I found myself engrossed in the book - rooting for the hero and heroine alike, and hoping sincerely that the hero, in particular, would be able to actually read the heroine's mind. [The misunderstanding that temporarily separates them is entirely believable - in that it is a problem of miscommunication, rather than of unnecessary pride or some external agent]. The real surprise is the ending. Once the murder and the intrigue have been resolved, the hero and heroine do not fall into each other's arms. They must still learn to communicate better, and for once, the heroine is the one taking steps to end the misunderstanding by swallowing her own pride at being rejected.

It has a good plot, a hero who is not a nobleman (and is rather unconventional), a far-from-missish but not waspish heroine, and some interesting and finely drawn secondary characters. This is not a book to read for wit and humor (although there is a good-natured tone in the story), nor one for pathos and tears.

Read this for a good story about a relationship that builds around, and even despite, a mystery. More precisely, there are several mysteries - Who is the murderer? What was the murderer doing in the area? Is Jemima right in her suspicions about Beecham?. And there is lots of other suspense created by such small things as a cart going the wrong way, but I will leave it to you to find out what happens.

Despite some improbabilities, this is still one of the best Regencies I have read this year.

Rating:
Summary: excellente
Review: Nancy Butler has a way of making her rakes interesting. This is not an easy thing to do since a regency rake cannot be too bad lest the reader dislike him, yet if he has no bad behaviors...how can he be called a rake. Bryce, finds himself very interested in Jemima (although she disapproves of him) and does his best to lure her in only to find himself genuinely liking her and finding himself concerned about her. Jemima also finds that Bryce is a more complex person than she imagined and begins to review some of the decisions or nondecisions she has made in her life so far. The relationship developes at a nice pace and both characters undergo a lot of self-reflection as they fall in love. I also like the way that humor binds these two together...nothing is more sexy than couples that can laugh together as well as the other good stuff.

Rating:
Summary: excellente
Review: Nancy Butler has a way of making her rakes interesting. This is not an easy thing to do since a regency rake cannot be too bad lest the reader dislike him, yet if he has no bad behaviors...how can he be called a rake. Bryce, finds himself very interested in Jemima (although she disapproves of him) and does his best to lure her in only to find himself genuinely liking her and finding himself concerned about her. Jemima also finds that Bryce is a more complex person than she imagined and begins to review some of the decisions or nondecisions she has made in her life so far. The relationship developes at a nice pace and both characters undergo a lot of self-reflection as they fall in love. I also like the way that humor binds these two together...nothing is more sexy than couples that can laugh together as well as the other good stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful - two people who have almost lost faith in love
Review: The story description for this book almost put me off, with its concentration on a murder mystery plot. I'm not a mystery fan; I am, however, a fan of good romances with well-drawn, sympathetic characters, which this is. Beecham Bryce is a rake, but has become one by virtue of incidents in his past. Jemima Vale is a twenty-nine year old spinster, considered to be on the shelf. However, there is a strong attraction between them, and once her initial reaction against Bryce (because of his reputation) wears off, Jemima can't help but want to know what it would be like to be loved by him.

He is very tempted by her, too, but his scruples prevent him from taking their relationship further. How they resolve the impasse between them forms the basis of this beautifully-told, angst-ridden love story. The murder plot has some bearing on their relationship, though not much, and in a way it's a shame that this dominates the story description since I almost didn't buy this book as a result.

Rating:
Summary: a definite keeper
Review: This is the most refreshing Regency I have read in some time! Not only are Lady Jemima and Beecham Bryce intriguing characters but I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting cast as well. There was plenty of humor, passion and genuine suspense. This book is definitely a keeper! I look forward with great anticipation to Ms. Butler's next book!

Rating:
Summary: highly enjoyable
Review: Wow, I've never imagined that mystery and suspense can be so successfully incorporated into a Regency romance. THE RAKE'S RETREAT had me completely besotted with the hero, and I finished it with a big, satisfying grin.

Atypical of conventional Regency heores, Beecham Bryce is not a memeber of the peerage--he is a mere "MR." Beecham Bryce while our heroine Jemima Vale is addressed as Lady Jemima (since her brother is a Lord). However, this in no way diminishes the hero's appeal. Bryce is pstrong,wealthy and extremely talented! He is nothing but charming and caring towards Lady Jemima when a murder throws the two together. See, Bryce is instantly intrigued and smitten by Jemima when he first sets eyes on her. As circumstances have placed Jemima under his roof, he decides to seduce her out of her maidenly reserves. Things do not go as planned, however, and Bryce soon finds that his feelings for the lovely "Lady J" run deeper than he cares to admit!

Jemima, on the other hand, is a thoroughly adorable character. She is just as witty and enchanting as Bryce, and is his perfect match. Of course, at first she tries to fend off Bryce's advances and seductive lures. But what makes me so fond of Jemima is that as soon as she discovers that she desires him just as badly, she is not ashamed or afraid to act on her needs!

The scene where Bryce and Jemima finally get together makes me so happy for them that I wanted to scream! In addition to a pair of lovable protagonists, THE RAKE'S RETREAT also offers adventure, espionage and action that add spice to (but never over-shadow) the romantic part of the story. I highly recommand it!!