Autumn Rain

The Rakes #1

by Anita Mills

When Elinor Ashton's debt-ridden father forces her into a loveless marriage with the elderly but enormously wealthy Lord Kingsley, she becomes the unhappiest bride of London society... and the property of a man whose jealousy leads him to concoct an unspeakable scheme.

Lucien de Clare is Regency England's handsomest and most brazen lord, a man whose scandalous behavior had closed the doors of polite society against him, making him the perfect pawn in Kingsley's despicable plot to secure an heir. But the scenario for deceitful seduction yields to true desire, as Lucien is overcome by Elinor's beauty and charm...and as Elinor opened her innocent heart to Lucien's demanding passion, releasing a rush of excitement, terror, and longing. And not even treacherous intrigue and vengeful deeds can temper the power of their hungry kisses...or dampen the fire that makes their love glow.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency, Fiction, Regency Romance, British Literature

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

A former history and English teacher, Anita Mills turned to writing in the mid-1980's. After her regency romance SCANDAL BOUND was published followed by her highly acclaimed LADY OF FIRE, Anita Mills went on to enjoy an award filled career. Her historical novels and regency short stories are ranked among the best in their respective genres. The parents of four children, Anita and her husband Larry find peace on a small farm near Plattsburgh, Missouri. This former teacher has drawn upon her love for both history and English to enrich her novels.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read: 5/20/25
Setting: Regency England
Trope: forbidden lovers

Pretty good story!
***********spoiler alert ⚠️*******,,
Plot: Nell is forced to marry an old man to pay her father's large debts. Her husband married her for her looks. He picks out her clothes and expects her to be graceful. He spends years turning Einor ( not Nell anymore ) into the perfect trophy wife. He visits her room once a week. He wants everybody to know he is a stud even though nothing ever happens.

Elinor feels like she's living in a hothouse. Luckily, she is not alone. Charlie, her stepgrandson, understands what life with his grandfather is like. They become bossom pals except Charlie wants more. When his grandfather discovers this infatuation, he finally agrees to buy a commission. Heartbreakingly, Charlie doesn't survive his first battle.

Lucien is England's most handsome and most Brazen lord. He defied society by divorcing his wife. Between his scandalous behavior, he also serves in the army. He first meets Elinor when her father tried to sell her to him and again in London. Later, Elinor fears for Charlie, so she asks Lucien (Charlie's hero) to look after him. Unfortunately, he fails to protect that sweet kid.

On the way to see Charlie's grandfather, Lucien falls from his horse. He has an injury from a battle, and there is a piece of matter that the doctors missed. Elinor nurses a very ill Lucien back to health. They develop a friendship over time. Kingsley sees this closeness and in his delirium
an idea is sprung. He wants an heir to replace the one he lost. Kingsley tells Lucien this idea, which he adamantly turns down. Lucien and Elinor slowly began a romantic relationship and eventually sexual. Elinor is shocked when her husband lies about paying Lucien to impregnate her.

So, can Lucien convince Elinor that his feelings are true? Is she safe with her husband's mental decline? What if the baby is a girl?


This book was definitely not want I expected. The whole baby plot doesn't happen until 60% into the book. This is why I wrote such a long review. The synopsis made it seem like the baby thing was a big plot point, and it's not. There's no arranged baby making. The baby later comes from their love affair. The crazy (thanks died grandson) old man is the only one who thinks this is an agreement.

Now that is cleared up...

What did I think of the book? I'm not sure. I think I'd rate this somewhere between okay and good. The story was different and very well written. I would have liked more romance, though

I'll probably never read this book again, but I'm glad I tried it.

[KC · Rating 1 out of 5]

This possessed an interesting plot but it just dragged on. A minimum of 100 pages could have been easily removed to quicken the pace. While I waited for something exciting to happen I couldn’t help but notice how some of the nobles spoke with the accents and dialect of the common folk rather than that of the aristocracy. So weird.

So what about the romance? I felt the sex scenes between Elinor and Lucien were just about sex, not love. I guess this can explain why Lucien seemed to have little difficulty in moving on after leaving Elinor. After his affair with Elinor was forcibly and abruptly ended, Lucien went on to have sex with opera dancers and prostitutes in attempt to “forget” her.

It didn’t help that more focus was placed on developing the characterizations of the secondary characters than on Lucien’s. When Lucien declared he’d always loved Elinor I didn't think the narrative supported that claim at all. Another plot point that lacked development were his issues with his deceased father. They were touted as a major reason for his cynicism but were barely touched upon.

Elinor, for her part, was a weak character. The book began when she was 15, but at age 20 she still lacked her figurative backbone. She remained a perpetual victim, first her father's and then her husband's. I understand that at 15 she would have been dependent upon her wastrel of a father and her cruel husband, but enough time had passed for Elinor to possibly start thinking of improving her situation.

Charley, Elinor's grandson by marriage, was sadly the only character I liked. What happened to him made me so mad! He was killed off!

[Linda (NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, forgot about it and reread it again recently after finding a used copy. It's is the first book in a series: FALLING STARS is second and SECRET NIGHTS is third.

It is 1807 and like so many noblemen from this era the heroine's father gambles. And loses. So he 'sells' his beautiful daughter Elinor to the extremely old Lord Kingsley. She is 15 years old at the time. I know, I know, this brings up the 'ick' factor. But things like that supposedly happened.

The hero, Lucien De Clare, is married. He is a rake of the first order and unredeemable if we are to believe the description on the cover. When he first meets 'Nell' he is on the verge of ravishing her. Forced by her father to his room at the inn she only wants to leave but there is a misunderstanding, her father didn't realize Lucien had traded rooms. 'Papa' thought it belonged to someone else but still makes a play to extract money. They soon part but Lucien remembers her beautiful looks.

If you enjoy underhanded deeds, manipulation, some passionate moments and redemption this romance is for you. There are some shallow moments and it took me awhile to warm up to Lucien. Charles Kingsley, Nell's stepson, makes an interesting secondary character. AUTUMN RAIN has sufficient clever banter and enough interest to warrant giving this love story four stars.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best historical romance. Ever. Sigh...

[Anneceleste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell, at the age of 15, moves from a horrible father to a horrible old husband. During a period of seven years she changes and matures but inside she keeps her forgiving and loving nature. Lucien is hard and unforgiving because his father was perverted. It seems that Anita Mills has a thing about fathers (or mothers) if I can judge by Scandal Bound. Nell didn’t run away but stayed in her marriage supported by her “step-grandson” Charlie. The situation between Nell and Lucien starts at the last third of the book after a lot of interference from the old man.
It took me a long time to finish the book but it was not because it didn’t capture my interest. Quite the opposite. I didn’t want to skip even at the war descriptions. I think that I found a new favourite author.

[Suzy Vero · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rakes series by Anita Mills: Autumn Rain (1993), Falling Stars (1993), Secret Nights (1994), probably deserve their own individual reviews as they are 4 or 5 star books but no … I have to mention them now while they are fresh in my mind.

All are dark HRs in the vein of Victorian Rebels but dare I say stronger, more riveting and darker. Shades of Charles Dickens seep in, especially in the third book. All include difficult, painful circumstances for heroines with inner strengths who eventually survive and thrive. The heroes are flawed in their own way, self centered, scoundrels, or very prideful. Great HRs that are dark give us a sense of sadness with a balance of hope and joy in the romance.

Autumn Rain: 15 year old Elinor is forced by her father to marry an enormously wealthy 61 year old man who is cruel and uses her as a showpiece for his vanity amongst the ton.

Falling Stars: Plain and shy Kate is quickly courted by Russian count and whisked off to live in Russia with him and his sister in their 117 room palace in the country with 2,000 serfs. A Russian winter and disaster brutalize her.

Secret Nights: Beautiful Elise has been humiliated by her wealthy father’s attempt to arrange a marriage for her with the most famous barrister in London… a ghastly murder mystery and courtroom trial ensues.

Brilliant writing and superbly crafted stories each very unique. Must reads for connoisseurs of fine bodice rippers!

Includes: incest, emotional and physical abuse, sex with others before and during marriage, murders and whores.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

My 2024 "Autumn" read! Check out the stepback on my copy!

...

Set primarily in 1812, our heroine Elinor was married at a very young age to a heartless, much older man in order to pay off her father's gambling debts. Her life is miserable and unfulfilled, and her only friend is her husband's grandson and heir, Charley. Eventually, her husband becomes suspicious of Charley and Elinor's friendship and sends Charley to his almost certain death by allowing him to enlist to fight Napoleon.

Elinor asks for the help of an acquaintance - the book's hero Lucien - to keep on eye on Charley in the Peninsula. Lucien is an earl who enlisted as a dragoon after his public divorce resulted in him becoming a social pariah. Lucien rebuffs Elinor's request, but still feels drawn to her and finds himself trying to protect Charley when they get overseas. Unsurprisingly, Charley is killed in his first battle. Lucien is also grievously injured in this battle, but sets off back to England to deliver Charley's effects to Elinor personally.

Lucien collapses on Elinor's doorstep and she channels her grief into nursing him back to health. Her husband notices the relationship budding between Lucien and Elinor, and now that he is lacking an heir and can not have one himself due to impotence, he propositions Lucien to have an affair with Elinor to get her pregnant with a baby her husband can claim as his own. Lucien does not want to betray Elinor by agreeing to this plan, but neither of them can stop their growing feelings for each other.

...

This was such an unusual story, but unfortunately I can't say that I enjoyed it very much. I think that what made it so strange is that the leads barely have more than a passing interest each other for the entire first half of the book. (There are 2 kiss scenes that come about by misunderstandings between them in the first half of the book, but both of these felt shoe-horned in. It was as if the writer/editors realized that there needs to be *something* that happens between Elinor and Lucien in the first 175 pages.)

The bright spot of this book was the sequence where Elinor nurses Lucien through his injury and illness. This was such a compelling and well written section that I thought was a sign that the second half of the book was gearing up to be really good. I also thought that this sequence would be a turning point for the heroine, Elinor, to have some character growth and gain the confidence to take control of her own life. Alas, after the nursing sequence Elinor reverts back to a dull and passive heroine and the book became mediocre again. The fact that this one portion of the book was so well written actually soured my feelings for the book overall, because I could see the potential of how good the book could have been.

What I liked about this book was the author's seemingly knowledgeable portrayal of the time period, as well as the sort of gothic atmosphere that the story had - with much of the book taking place in the misty bluffs of Cornwall in the autumn. I also liked the hero Lucien and found him to be a cynical and moody hero that was intriguing, although he lost me in the end when he became a fatalistic weenie in the third act conflict.

In the end I just couldn't get into this book. A lot of the story is focused on the character of Charley, whom I felt wasn't quite likable enough as a character to have his death be basically the emotional backbone of the entire story. As a consequence of so much time being spend on the relationship between Elinor and Charley, the main romance between Elinor and Lucien comes about too late. Their relationship honestly starts off very strong with Elinor nursing Lucien back to health, but once they actually consummated their relationship I completely lost interest in them. This is one of the few HRs that I've read where I couldn't buy into the romance between the leads at all. I just couldn't believe there was anything more than sexual attraction between them - especially on Elinor's part. I found Elinor to be a very uninspiring heroine, and none of the characters to be particularly likable.

I'm not going to write this author off quite yet, because as I mentioned I did see some bright spots in her writing, but this one was pretty much a dud.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had started a few other romance novels prior to Autumn Rain, but this was the only one that truly kept my attention. I'm a huge fan of Anita Mills if for no other reason that she writes novels that feel original and brutally realistic. Spare me the Unusual Circumstances that prevent anyone or anything from truly standing in the way of Him and Her -- I much prefer the reality that this novel presents: early 19th century women of the ton married young for political reasons, not for love, and if they wanted some measure of happiness, they needed to seek it out through hushed, scandalous means. Fate was generally not kind to the good-hearted.

What I loved about this novel is also what I hated. I thought it was rather refreshing to have an extended bit of build-up with respect to Him and Her. They had history, here. Instalove was not an issue and I really felt like I got the chance to see their relationship evolve naturally. She was naive but not too stupid to live, and I thought her personality played well off of his jaded, cynical one. I didn't find myself eye-rolling.

So, yes, it was nice to have backstory, but my god, this needed to be a longer book. It was only when I hit 70% completion that Things Started Happening between the two of them. This isn't to say that there was no action or important bits beforehand, but it certainly didn't directly involve their relationship. If you can't stand novels where the main couple doesn't get much screen time, then this is not the novel for you. Not getting to enjoy scenes that involve the two people I care about? Huge pet peeve. I don't care what the fuck they're doing together: give me a scene where one of them is cutting grass and the other is waxing poetic about manure. I don't give a shit, just let me enjoy the two of them together in whatever capacity you so desire. I don't care if they're mad at each other, sweet on each other, just friends, just enemies, or if they're bopping around to 90s Hanson. Put them on the same page. If they have to be separated, then so be it, but there best be a reward at the end of the rainbow.

In all honesty, I know that scenes apart are equally important. You need to establish them as their own people, you need to build tension, blah blah. And that's fine, but then I would expect a longer book that does eventually include enough scenes to satisfy my shipper heart. They can be minor scenes, but I feel like they should add up to be a decent chunk of the novel. Autumn Rain just barely, barely provided enough. It was so on the cusp that it fueled my dislike.

Oh, the rambles.

Suffice to say that this isn't a shitty romance novel. The author doesn't think you're an idiot and she write well enough that I put down other novels to finish this one first. I didn't care for how often Him and Her were separated, true, but the plot felt shiny and new to me in a sea of very similar-feeling stories. For that alone it's worth a read.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A reissue of a 1993 classic, which demonstrates how much historical romance readers' tastes have changed over the past twenty years. A multi-year saga, in which the hero and heroine don't really start to get together until 2/3 of the book is over: a far-cry from the "make your hero & heroine meet in the first scene" advice writers are given today! Infidelity (although emotionally understandable); a passive heroine; and constant switching of point of view also make this feel very dated.

Elinor Ashton first meets the Earl of Longford in 1809, at an inn when she's 15, and her father mistakenly thrusts her into his room hoping to force a marriage between her and one of the earl's gambling friends to save his family from destitution. Longford, a rake, kisses her but refuses to marry her—after all, he's already leg-shackled. Elinor's father then forces her into a marriage with an aged first-generation baron, who uses her beauty and lineage to hoist himself into the highest ranks of the ton. Fast-forward a few years, and Elinor's husband's grandson, Charley, has fallen for her, a state of affairs her husband thinks to mend by giving in to his only heir's desire to run off to war. Elinor goes to Longford's home along to beg him to keep an eye on Charley, a visit Longford once again mistakes as an attempt to seduce him (he's now divorced). Once he figures things out, though, he, coldhearted rake, refuses her plea. But on campaign, he finds himself drawn to the boy, and tries his best.

Longford is wounded in the Peninsula and returns home, to an estate near Elinor's husband's. After collapsing from his wound on their doorstep, Longford recuperates under Elinor's care. Elinor's husband crafts a dastardly plan to push the two together so he might have another heir, even if it is not sired by himself. More drama ensues before the two finally are able to come together (only in the last page of the book).

More for those readers who like to be tortured than those who enjoy basking in the light cast by lovers enjoying themselves with one another.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is still a four star. but I am rereading all of my books and keeping only the ones that I think I will want to read in 10 years and I don't think I'm going to want to read this one at 80 so it's going to Savers

[Lyuda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, it would be 5 stars if not for too much angst and manipulation

[Squeaky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second Anita Mills- love that this isn't a traditional romance- there is gothic elements, an anti-hero, dark entanglements- and generally things don't go smoothly.

[Karen Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story.

[JoAnne Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page turner

Enjoyed this immensely. Didn’t want to put it down. Well written and pulls on your emotions. First book I’ve read by this author but probably not the last.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the writing but the story just dragged on, literally for years where not much happened.

[Copper78 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really hard for me to review b/c there were parts that I loved, parts that dragged, and half the book really didn't even need to be included in such detail. This book was LONG. The writing is great, but the pacing was horrible. I don't want to give too much away, but the book description makes it sound like it's all about Nell's old husband forcing her and Lucien to give him an heir. That part literally doesn't happen until 70-80% into the book. So I was at points skimming, and wondering when/how it would finally get to the part the blurb was about. This book is insanely over detailed. I didn't need to know everything about the battles in France, literally every conversation, every day, things get very repetitive and it's already been made clear that Kingsley is a controlling ass and Charles is in love with Nell. I didn't think 75% of the book needed to focus on that. But I loved the chemistry b/t the H/h when they were actually together - which really wasn't that much, which is why I'm subtracting 2 stars. Not enough of the good parts, and too much else that made the book overly long and dragging.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hover between 3 to 3.5 stars. The love story was well-done. It wasn’t the insta-love kind that I truly loathe, and the author took her time in developing the feelings between the two mains. The heroine wasn’t one of those shrewd, childish kinds that romances usually try to pass off as spirited but I find incessantly annoying.

But something about it didn’t quite grab me enough to give it a higher rating. I think perhaps I didn’t like Elinor nor Lucien enough.

Kudos though, I loved the background historical facts that enhanced the story. It wasn’t just there for pretty decoration, it really drew one into the story.

[SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, touching romance. 7 years of suffering lead to happiness for heroine and we feel for her.
Not usual historical trope. Hero and heroine is together very short time, still it’s touching.
The way hero and heroine keep meeting over a span of years and the pull towards each other was beautiful. But the misunderstanding was too painful to bear. I hated Arthur till the very end, loved the heroine and Charly and Felt bad for Lucien in last couple of pages.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dopo aver iniziato il libro, l'ho immediatamente sospeso: ho capito che avrei affrontato una storia 'forte', e non mi sentivo nello spirito giusto per continuare.
L'ho ripreso ieri, e terminato in due giorni. La scrittura è intensa, la narrazione piena di eventi, talvolta (spesso) brutali, i personaggi e l'ambientazione tracciati con mano sicura. È il secondo libro di Anita Mills a cui attribuisco quattro stelle, e le merita tutte.

[Polly Dot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, a bit different from the common style. The main characters feel real humans and I was carried away by their emotions. I liked that its not as black and white as many other books in this genre. The romance is compelling and the HEA has an unusually realistic ring to it.

[Farah Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lady Longford. After seven years of longing, she was going to have everything she’d ever wished for. Even his name."

One thing about reading a good old historical romance, it's full of emotions, depth, longing and feelings... beautiful written and very satisfying.

[Mmeguillotine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised I’ve never read Anita Mills before, because she seems to write in the style that I really love. Reminiscent of Laura Kinsale or Judith Ivory (though not quite at their level of perfection), this is a very good read.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poor Charlie - the sweetest and most loveable character in the book - the rest was a long melodrama that didn’t make sense and wasn’t good. 👎🏽👎🏽. If this is the best of this series (based on ratings) I won’t be reading the rest.

[Aly is so frigging bored · Rating 3 out of 5]

There wasn't enough of the romance in this one

[BRNTerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers. Lucien is a hard, unhappy man. He's got black hair and brown eyes. He's ten years older than Elinor. He hated his cheating father and has a bit of hatred for his mother, who killed herself when he was younger. He and Elinor have a brief run-in with each other near the beginning of the story and he's been attracted to her ever since.

Elinor was sold, basically, to Arthur Kingsley when she was 15 by her gambling-addicted father. She's got red hair and golden eyes. Arthur is 61 and very controlling. He beat her with his cane several times. He even dumped their baby out of her crib once, right onto the bedroom floor. He's very jealous of her friendship with his grandson Charles, who's just a few months older than Elinor. Charles ends up falling in love with her and tells her so but she doesn't feel the same for him. She loves him like a brother.

This book is from 1993 but is more like one from the 70's and 80's. I love that about it. It's aggravating that the hero and heroine don't become a couple until the very end. This story could have been so much better had they begun their affair sooner. The story sort of drags on and I wish it had been shorter. One thing that irritated me was once before Elinor and Lucien got together she was thinking to herself that she may be in love with him. Up until that point the reader was given absolutely no indication that she felt that way. She seemed to not be able to stand him and now she's in love with him? I'm not buying it. Later on when they begin a relationship together so that she can get pregnant and give the now 65 year old Arthur his heir, I can see how she's developed feelings for him and has fallen in love with him.

[Diane Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how much I liked this book and the others in the series until I re-read it via Kindle. Ms Mills is a fabulous writer and this book is well written. I highly recommend it.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, keenly felt story of a women who's integrity shines through difficult circumstances and whose deep love enriches and defines her.