Seductive and Scandalous

by Alana Clayton, Cindy Holbrook, Martha Kirkland

To have a tendre for them can ruin a reputation, but ladies simply can't resist Regency England's most dashing, daring rakes. They steal kisses and hearts with equal abandon—and thrill us with romantic escapades that often lead to love...

In Alana Clayton's "Rutherford's Return," heaven gives an incorrigible Marquess another chance to right all his wrongs, beginning with Vanessa Truesdale, the pretty miss he once nearly ruined.
A bride is shocked when a rogue's announcement stops her wedding ceremony cold, but is this intruder's motive love or revenge—in Cindy Holbrook's "The Rake Objects?"
When a virtuous miss meets the black sheep of a rich family, opposites attract, hearts meet, and a woman and a man may be en route to happiness or trouble in Martha Kirkland's "The Notorious Mr. Freemont."
A gambler and a runaway heiress share a coach in Marcy Stewart's "A Halo for Mr. Devlin"—only to find themselves on the road to danger and desire.

Charming and irresistible, here are the beau monde's most sinfully scandalous men, and the women who risk everything to love them...in four seductive stories of passion and romance!

Genres: Romance, Regency

286 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Alana Clayton is a native of Louisville, KY. She has a BA in English from the University of Louisville, where she worked for some years before quitting when she wrote and sold her first novel.

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving older Trads as I do, this was a treat. The writing, the language used, the transportation to another era that newer HRs can never achieve completely. I haven't read these authors before (or don't think I have) as their e-books are not available*. I see other reviews are not as charitable but I enjoyed this anthology.

Rutherford's return by Alana Clayton - 3.25*
Probably the weakest plot wise as it turns an angsty story into a whodunnit. The book opens at a cyprians ball where the h has gone to find a protector and the H gets himself shot by an unknown person. The H has a near death experience after this shooting where a 'voice' tells him to mend his ways and there's a specific place/person he has to begin with. The h has been ruined by rumors few years ago when her name was joined with the H's, quite unbeknownst to him. He leaves the country and the h struggles to make ends meet. Now, to solve the mystery of his shooting, he tries to find the woman who had called for help on finding unconscious in the garden and left her mask before disappearing. They haven't actually met by this time. As they meet, he learns of his hand in her ruin and tries to solve these two mysteries - of who shot him and who spread the rumors that destroyed her life. So, it was quite slow moving from here till the inevitable hea.

The Rake objects? by Cindy Holbrook - 4 *
It seems Cindy Holbrook is a master of writing hot alpha rakes - confident, charming, tortured yet with a conscience. Also add egalitarian to the mix. The story opens with the H waking up in bed with a tavern wench (a well pleasured and happy one) and then rushing to stop the h's wedding. The opening scene might put off some people but then this is who he is. And it proves a foil for how he treats the h (after knowing her better i.e.) Anyways, the 'speak now or' scene is hilarious, if tad cruel on his part. What I objected to (more than the opening scene) was his kissing and more the h a little later. All I could think of was - he has not washed after waking up, has he? Happily, the next time they meet is a month later as he continues to try to convince her to marry him but she refuses. A sweet story with a very likable and true rogue and an ice princess.

The Notorious Mr Freemont by Martha Kirkland - 3.75*
This story has the most archaic language and behavior from the characters. A true traditional. A black-sheep H and a parson's sister who believes her conduct must always be above reproach - 'like Caesar's wife'. She accompanies a friend (an older to her lady, we are not told how they became friends) to her wealthy uncle's place where all the relatives are gathering for what they hope is a will reading/making. The h is hopeful to get a job as a memoir writer with the old man who is an archaeologist and an acquaintance of her late father's. I love how the h/H meet in the arbor where she's conversing with the cuckoo and calling him a handsome fellow. Of course, the H is present and teasingly thanks her for the compliment. The h couldn't help but be attracted to this man every one looks down upon as having a dark soul but she sees him as fulfillment of all her girlish and romantic dreams. The chemistry and attraction is mutual and instant. She tries to resist but not much. There's no conflict apart for her hesitation and ends sweetly. I enjoyed how his travels through Egypt, Spain etc are mentioned without overwhelming. Also, the pre-historic chalk horse on his estate. All manna for the bluestocking h.

A Halo for Mr. Devlin by Marcy Stewart - 4.5*
Best of the lot. Sweet, funny, poignant, heartwarming and heartbreaking all in equal measures. The H is a bastard son of an earl and has spent all his life being belittled and put down - as part of a world that always told him that he doesn't really belong. Now, he lives on his wits, gambling and relieving people of their money and estates. They meet when he's escaping a mistaken but murderous husband and she's run from her own wedding and is posing (quite unsuccessfully) as a missionary. He sees a poster from her father promising a reward and latches on to her while she's equally charmed and appalled by his easy lying ways. It's a short road romance that's quite hilarious and somewhat angsty in turns. We learn that the h is not only running away from a wedding but to a wedding as well - to her erstwhile gardener! Some more drama and rescuing ensues before the ending. She's a sweet, naive girl who matures almost overnight in the story.
Highly recommended.

*Just checked. Marcy Stewart's books are available digitally.

[Danker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed only one of the four short stories, that is Marcy Stewart’s A Halo for Mr Devlin. It’s old school - a road trip for a rebellious runaway and cynical gamester - and nothing new, but well written, amusing and somewhat charming (especially the last page). I’d rate it at 4 stars but the other stories left me cold. I borrowed this from Open Library, and read it online, skimming the ones that didn’t interest me, so one out of four didn’t worry me.

[Dazey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gives the Bridgerton/Downton Abbey vibes that are very popular right now without the confusing dialogue. The writing is plain in a good way where you can understand the meaning and is not full of pompous talk that is hard to understand the meaning of. It is interesting to note that although women now do not need a chaperone to be alone with a man there is still the idea that a man can sleep with anyone he chooses and is just a wild thing to be tamed while a woman can still be ruined if she sleeps with someone before marriage. I did enjoy that not all the men were womanizers, some just spoke their mind, so they were deemed unfit by society; it was easier to believe in the love between the characters that way than the man just deciding that this woman was "different" than all the others he had been with. By favorite of this collection was "The Rake Objects?" for the humor of the story which I will not spoil.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for the Cindy Holbrook story "The Rake Objects," which was just okay. I didn't really care for the sex with another woman at the beginning, but it did rather solidly cement Marcus' character as a rake (but a fair one). I found it hard to believe an absentee brother would beg his best friend to go ruin his sister to prevent her wedding. The chemistry was a good though and I liked all of the characters. I really appreciate the way Cindy Holbrook fleshes out all her characters. The footman John may have been my favorite character in this story.

I may go back and read a few of the other stories, but Holbrook's is enough for now.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

You have to go into reading this one knowing that it's fluff, pure and simple. Fluff from the 90's no less.
"Rutherford's Return" by Alana Clayton has a Marquess literally returning... from the dead. He has to come back and help save the reputation of a woman he ruined years ago. Well, not him, his reputation for seducing women helped two other people accuse an innocent woman of being one of his victims. He never knew, until now. And he's very interested in helping to restore her reputation, for reasons of his own.
"The Rake Objects?" by Cindy Holbrook opens with a man in bed, but on his way to ruin the wedding of a woman he doesn't know. But he knows her disgraced brother and the brother is still trying to keep an eye out for her. The sister is about to marry a man to help get funds because her brother squandered the family fortune. He ruins the wedding but also the reputation of the girl as well and he wants to make amends.
In Martha Kirkland's "The Notorious Mr. Fremont," a vicar's sister is dragged along on a country escape when her friend's rich uncle calls a family caucus. The family's black sheep is very interested in the spinster sister.
The last story, "A Halo for Mr. Devlin" by Marcy Stewart has a runaway heiress and a notorious gambler teaming up to stay out of trouble.

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stories about finding love. A perfect book for reading before bed when you don't want to read a whole book! Misunderstandings abound, but each story has a happy ending so you can go to sleep with happy thoughts. h4 authors Calyton, Holbrook (the only 1 I have read) Kirkland and Marcy Stewart.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I picked this up at the used bookstore and it doesn't describe anything, but the heros are womanizers. I didn't finish the last two stories.

[Mesmaryze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only enjoyed reading Cindy Holbrooks part of the story.