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The Chivalrous Rake
With a broken collarbone, Jack Hamilton was in no mood to have relatives arrive on his doorstep. But the Reverend Dr. Bramley and his daughter were practically penniless, so he couldn't just turn them away. They had obviously left their previous home under a cloud, with Cressida's reputation in tatters.
And then Jack learnt the true reason for their plight, and his chivalrous nature took over. Cressida was in need of a husband...but was he in need of a wife?
And then Jack learnt the true reason for their plight, and his chivalrous nature took over. Cressida was in need of a husband...but was he in need of a wife?
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
29 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Rolls
100 books123 followersWe live in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, in a beautiful lush valley full of apple, pear and cherry orchards. We moved here a couple of years back, escaping from the city and it’s just gorgeous. The property is small, only five acres, but we have room for two small noisy boys, three dogs, two cats and several woolly things masquerading a environmentally friendly lawnmowers. Before that we lived in Melbourne, which was fun, but we always wanted to live in the country and now we do.
I’ve been married to an ex-nuclear physicist – don’t ask! for the last 17 years and we have two rowdy little boys, commonly described as “feral”. Most of our friends think we have far too many animals, and everyone knows we have far too many books.I grew up moving around a fair bit. Dad was in the army and every few years we had to up sticks and move on. I was born in England, expelled from kindergarten in Melbourne, started school in Papua New Guinea and finished school in Melbourne. After taking a degree in Music Education I taught music for several years while my husband finished his Ph.D.
How I started writing
I had the writing bug from a very early age. From the time I could read I loved writing stories. Throughout my school days I was nearly always writing something very quietly, and there were several teachers who encouraged me. One student teacher, whose name I have totally forgotten, when I was in sixth grade, as well as a couple of high school English teachers, Mrs Redman and Mrs Mackay.
I started writing my first book after I finished my Masters degree. For one thing I really, really missed my thesis. I’d enjoyed researching it, and I loved writing it. So it seems inevitable now that when I was looking for something to do in the evenings to unwind after work, I started writing again.
I’d been staying with an old school friend. Meg is a fellow Georgette Heyer fan, and she had a very large collection of Regencies on her bookshelves. Well, that was an eye-opener. I’d had no idea anyone else apart from Heyer had actually written them. By the time I went home I had an idea floating around in my brain and I sat down and roughed out some sort of chapter plan. Then I started typing. Six months later I had a story with a beginning a middle and an end which I sent to Meg. After a great deal of talking, she persuaded me to send it off to Harlequin Mills & Boon. After doing the rounds of all three editorial offices and undergoing a major rewrite and extension while I was about seven months pregnant with the second small noisy boy, it was accepted for publication and published as The Unexpected Bride.
Most of my writing friends have threatened to lynch me over that story at one time or another. Personally I envy them for having learnt an enormous amount about writing and the industry before acquiring an editor who understandably expects you to know what you are doing.
I’ve been married to an ex-nuclear physicist – don’t ask! for the last 17 years and we have two rowdy little boys, commonly described as “feral”. Most of our friends think we have far too many animals, and everyone knows we have far too many books.I grew up moving around a fair bit. Dad was in the army and every few years we had to up sticks and move on. I was born in England, expelled from kindergarten in Melbourne, started school in Papua New Guinea and finished school in Melbourne. After taking a degree in Music Education I taught music for several years while my husband finished his Ph.D.
How I started writing
I had the writing bug from a very early age. From the time I could read I loved writing stories. Throughout my school days I was nearly always writing something very quietly, and there were several teachers who encouraged me. One student teacher, whose name I have totally forgotten, when I was in sixth grade, as well as a couple of high school English teachers, Mrs Redman and Mrs Mackay.
I started writing my first book after I finished my Masters degree. For one thing I really, really missed my thesis. I’d enjoyed researching it, and I loved writing it. So it seems inevitable now that when I was looking for something to do in the evenings to unwind after work, I started writing again.
I’d been staying with an old school friend. Meg is a fellow Georgette Heyer fan, and she had a very large collection of Regencies on her bookshelves. Well, that was an eye-opener. I’d had no idea anyone else apart from Heyer had actually written them. By the time I went home I had an idea floating around in my brain and I sat down and roughed out some sort of chapter plan. Then I started typing. Six months later I had a story with a beginning a middle and an end which I sent to Meg. After a great deal of talking, she persuaded me to send it off to Harlequin Mills & Boon. After doing the rounds of all three editorial offices and undergoing a major rewrite and extension while I was about seven months pregnant with the second small noisy boy, it was accepted for publication and published as The Unexpected Bride.
Most of my writing friends have threatened to lynch me over that story at one time or another. Personally I envy them for having learnt an enormous amount about writing and the industry before acquiring an editor who understandably expects you to know what you are doing.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 20, 2012
it is totally okay to make fun of me for enjoying these
August 31, 2018
This is a traditional Regency romance. Jack Hamilton falls in love with his impoverished relation Cressida. Lots of misunderstandings and after overcoming a villain, they lived happily ever after.
May 26, 2023
A little bit 'not like other girls' but otherwise a solid romance and is exactly what readers of M&B historicals want.
October 5, 2024
This was a fun regency romance until about the last 100 pages then it dragged. Jack was annoying and a bit rapey but somehow managed to convince Cressida that he loved her in the end.
April 18, 2025
The h was not very smart, and it resulted in her being pushed around by everyone. The H was fairly weak, and stepped back because he was 'honourable'. Did not like this couple or their story.
August 5, 2016
I liked some sections of this novel better than others. It wasn't that I didn't like the characters, I really liked the rector. But there were aspects of the novel that I just didn't understand. Such as disclosing her history to all and sundry. I missed a little cohesion, but none-the-less enjoyed myself.
January 14, 2011
A couple of gripes: didn't think he was such a rake to begin with, the chick's rather silly with the self-put-upon angst, and some scenes made me roll my eyes; it was a bit exasperating, especially near the end.
January 12, 2017
Gotta love heroes that are so emotionally unaware that every single one of his friends know that he wants to marry her before he does. Like, they all dance with her at balls to keep other men away from her until he finally pulls his head out of his butt.
Boys are so dumb sometimes.
Boys are so dumb sometimes.
November 5, 2018
I read historical romances for a good time and a fun read. This was neither. I hated all the characters and they were way more annoying than any I have encountered recently. If you want a fast read, go for it, especially if you aren't someone who gets overly annoyed with characters.
November 28, 2010
fairly good regency romance. went on a bit longer than needed.
May 23, 2011
It has been a long time since i read this book, but i remember i really enjoyed it. it made me want to read more books by this particular author, and it put her on my top 5 list. : )
March 23, 2012
In parts delightful, tearjerking and convoluted, I enjoyed the book although the hero could've been faster to recognize his feelings. *g*
February 17, 2016
A Historical Romance story with a great plot, interesting characters and a great mysterious tone.
April 5, 2015
I have read this book three times, at least. I love the simplicity of it and the rationale of the troublesome parts when defense does not necessarily come by killing, but by logic.
April 6, 2015
It's been a long time since I read this, but I liked it so much I made a note to find more books by this author...
August 7, 2023
3.5 rounded down. This is a supposed to be a comedy of errors, but it comes off as the hero acting a tad too similar to a villain. This was super close to a 4 for me, but not quite.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews