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The Persistent Earl
Beautiful Lady Phoebe Brodfield cannot imagine that the badly injured Earl of Devenham is a threat to her virtue, but as he grows stronger, so does his desire, and as her broken heart mends, her defenses disappear.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1995
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43 people want to read
About the author
Gail Eastwood
19 books37 followersAs a child, Gail Eastwood wrote stories and dreamed of becoming an author. After almost twenty years of writing as a journalist, theatre critic and PR consultant, she finally wrote and sold her first novel, achieving that childhood dream. Published by Signet, that first book earned several honors including The Golden Leaf Award for Best Regency, 1994, and Gail hasn't looked back since. Her books have been nominated for multiple awards, and for two years running Gail was a nominee for Romantic Times Magazine’s Career Achievement in the Regency category.
Hailed as "brilliantly versatile" and "a master at painting pictures of Regency life", Gail enjoyed a growing reputation as a writer who pushed her genre to new levels with her emphasis on emotional depth and unusual plots. After over a decade away from writing, she is back!! She lives in RI with her actor/attorney husband and two adult sons. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. Writing and researching are her greatest loves (after her family), but she stubbornly refuses to give up her interests in theatre, dance, costuming, the middle ages, and going to the beach, even though she has little time for them!
Hailed as "brilliantly versatile" and "a master at painting pictures of Regency life", Gail enjoyed a growing reputation as a writer who pushed her genre to new levels with her emphasis on emotional depth and unusual plots. After over a decade away from writing, she is back!! She lives in RI with her actor/attorney husband and two adult sons. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. Writing and researching are her greatest loves (after her family), but she stubbornly refuses to give up her interests in theatre, dance, costuming, the middle ages, and going to the beach, even though she has little time for them!
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 3, 2018
I don't know what it's saying about me that more and more I'm going back to old Regency romances of the 1990s to read. (Well, maybe I do know but don't like to think of myself as a really old fuddy-duddy.) I like these old stories written by authors who know their grammar, can spell, and know how to write a romance that doesn't require at least four 10-page sexual encounters per book to let us know the H and h are into each other.
Our heroine Phoebe is a young, childless widow whose husband died 18 months earlier in mysterious, scandalous circumstances. She had thought they were in a loving relationship until that end and now isolates herself from society and is living with her sister and brother-in-law and their children.
Enter Lord Devenham, wounded war hero and acquaintance of Phoebe's brother-in-law, who needs nursing back to health and, for some reason the author feels is logical, is going to stay in the same household to be nursed back to health by Phoebe. Yes, not too believable, but listen, it made for a nice story anyway.
Phoebe has to learn to believe in love again, the mystery involving her husband's death has to be resolved, and this is all done with absolutely no TSTL moments, no Misunderstandings or Failures to Communicate. Well written, thoughtful and enjoyable story. I pretty much figured out the mystery before the book resolution but I liked it all anyway.
Our heroine Phoebe is a young, childless widow whose husband died 18 months earlier in mysterious, scandalous circumstances. She had thought they were in a loving relationship until that end and now isolates herself from society and is living with her sister and brother-in-law and their children.
Enter Lord Devenham, wounded war hero and acquaintance of Phoebe's brother-in-law, who needs nursing back to health and, for some reason the author feels is logical, is going to stay in the same household to be nursed back to health by Phoebe. Yes, not too believable, but listen, it made for a nice story anyway.
Phoebe has to learn to believe in love again, the mystery involving her husband's death has to be resolved, and this is all done with absolutely no TSTL moments, no Misunderstandings or Failures to Communicate. Well written, thoughtful and enjoyable story. I pretty much figured out the mystery before the book resolution but I liked it all anyway.
June 19, 2023
That summary is pretty salacious for what turned out to be a deeply emotional novel. Lady Phoebe Brodfield is still in mourning, 18 months after the sudden, unexpected death of her young husband. Scandal abounded when his body was discovered outside a nunnery in Covent Garden. Phoebe was so distressed that she literally hid herself away from the world, moving in with her sister Judith to serve as an unpaid companion and governess to her passel of nieces and nephews. Only Judith, her husband Edward, and their family are even aware that Phoebe is staying with them; as far as the rest of Society goes, Phoebe fell off the face of the earth.
This all changes when Major John Allen Jameson, Earl of Devenham, returns seriously injured from Waterloo. Too far from his own estates, and with few married men among his friends, he begs succor with anyone willing to take him on. Edward Allington is the friend who invites him to stay at his London home to recuperate from his injuries, albeit not without protest from Judith and Phoebe. Devenham's reputation as a rakehell is notorious, and there is danger to the ladies' reputations when it becomes known that he will be staying with them. Devenham is both injured and ill from resulting infection when he arrives at their home; he can't do anyone much harm considering he's barely conscious.
Phoebe is struck by his preternatural attractiveness, but is determined that she will not be a bored peer's plaything due to proximity. What she doesn't expect is that when he wakes up and begins to recover, he is absolutely nothing like his reputation foretold. The man himself is quiet and thoughtful. He knows how to play the game, but Phoebe makes it quite clear she's having none of that, and he basically leaves her alone. He's curious about her - he's been away at war for over two years, and has no idea of her marriage and its scandalous end. She's far too pretty to be hiding away from the world, but that's her right.
Phoebe attends her late father in law's commemoration and is shocked to learn that he left her an estate in his will, considering her late husband's brother is still quite alive and well. Richard Brodfield also has a very dark reputation; his is quite well-earned, and once he learns of her whereabouts, he immediately starts hounding Phoebe to sell her estate to him. He's not a man to take no for an answer, and things deteriorate quickly as he presses his claim.
Devenham doesn't like Richard and sets out to discover why he's in such urgent need of Phoebe's estate. He's certain that unravelling the mystery of Richard will be the key to unlocking Phoebe's heart, as it becomes obvious that Richard knows more than he's letting on about his brother's death and the subsequent scandals that have blackened his name. Devenham doesn't like what he finds, and ends up being kidnapped(!) for his troubles - and its up to Phoebe, Judith, and Edward to find him before it's too late.
There is a lot to like about this story. The leads are quite well drawn. Phoebe's world was turned upside down at the tender age of twenty. She's questioning everything she ever knew about herself after her husband's death, and her attraction to Devenham is only making those questions harder and more uncomfortable to answer. Devenham presents her with a second chance at love, if only she's willing to overcome her fear and her barriers to take it.
Devenham has his own problems. He has PTSD not only from his war experiences, but from growing up with a cruel elder brother. He was never meant to inherit the earldom, and finds it easier to live down to his reputation than to otherwise be his authentic self. He's quite charming and well aware of his own attractiveness, and has in the past used this to further his interests. He was never a great believer in love or marriage until he meets Phoebe, and has an inside look at his friend Edward's loving household. He is a reluctant war hero.
The cast is rounded out by a passel of children, who are quite adorable in their own right; Devenham's fiercely loyal man Mullins; various servants; and an adorable puppy as well as stray cats!
Richard is truly an awful villain, who's done some crazy shit in his pursuit of Phoebe . The final kidnapping was an interesting twist - Devenham was the victim, instead of Phoebe - and necessary for the resolution of all the threads of the plot, but I would love to read something quiet and more introspective from this author. She can write emotion incredibly well. I will definitely be seeking out more of her work!
This all changes when Major John Allen Jameson, Earl of Devenham, returns seriously injured from Waterloo. Too far from his own estates, and with few married men among his friends, he begs succor with anyone willing to take him on. Edward Allington is the friend who invites him to stay at his London home to recuperate from his injuries, albeit not without protest from Judith and Phoebe. Devenham's reputation as a rakehell is notorious, and there is danger to the ladies' reputations when it becomes known that he will be staying with them. Devenham is both injured and ill from resulting infection when he arrives at their home; he can't do anyone much harm considering he's barely conscious.
Phoebe is struck by his preternatural attractiveness, but is determined that she will not be a bored peer's plaything due to proximity. What she doesn't expect is that when he wakes up and begins to recover, he is absolutely nothing like his reputation foretold. The man himself is quiet and thoughtful. He knows how to play the game, but Phoebe makes it quite clear she's having none of that, and he basically leaves her alone. He's curious about her - he's been away at war for over two years, and has no idea of her marriage and its scandalous end. She's far too pretty to be hiding away from the world, but that's her right.
Phoebe attends her late father in law's commemoration and is shocked to learn that he left her an estate in his will, considering her late husband's brother is still quite alive and well. Richard Brodfield also has a very dark reputation; his is quite well-earned, and once he learns of her whereabouts, he immediately starts hounding Phoebe to sell her estate to him. He's not a man to take no for an answer, and things deteriorate quickly as he presses his claim.
Devenham doesn't like Richard and sets out to discover why he's in such urgent need of Phoebe's estate. He's certain that unravelling the mystery of Richard will be the key to unlocking Phoebe's heart, as it becomes obvious that Richard knows more than he's letting on about his brother's death and the subsequent scandals that have blackened his name. Devenham doesn't like what he finds, and ends up being kidnapped(!) for his troubles - and its up to Phoebe, Judith, and Edward to find him before it's too late.
There is a lot to like about this story. The leads are quite well drawn. Phoebe's world was turned upside down at the tender age of twenty. She's questioning everything she ever knew about herself after her husband's death, and her attraction to Devenham is only making those questions harder and more uncomfortable to answer. Devenham presents her with a second chance at love, if only she's willing to overcome her fear and her barriers to take it.
Devenham has his own problems. He has PTSD not only from his war experiences, but from growing up with a cruel elder brother. He was never meant to inherit the earldom, and finds it easier to live down to his reputation than to otherwise be his authentic self. He's quite charming and well aware of his own attractiveness, and has in the past used this to further his interests. He was never a great believer in love or marriage until he meets Phoebe, and has an inside look at his friend Edward's loving household. He is a reluctant war hero.
The cast is rounded out by a passel of children, who are quite adorable in their own right; Devenham's fiercely loyal man Mullins; various servants; and an adorable puppy as well as stray cats!
Richard is truly an awful villain, who's done some crazy shit in his pursuit of Phoebe . The final kidnapping was an interesting twist - Devenham was the victim, instead of Phoebe - and necessary for the resolution of all the threads of the plot, but I would love to read something quiet and more introspective from this author. She can write emotion incredibly well. I will definitely be seeking out more of her work!
November 9, 2013
Lady Phoebe Brodfield has been hiding in her kindly sister and brother-in-law's London townhouse since the sudden and tragic death of her husband eighteen months ago. Phoebe was hurt dreadfully by the gossip surrounding her husband's death and is content to play nursemaid and governess to her sister's children. Major John Allen Jameson, Earl of Devenham was wounded at Waterloo after barely recovering from a previous injury. His London lodgings are no place for a sick man so his old friend, Phoebe's brother-in-law Sir Edward Allington, offers room in his home for the Earl and Phoebe as nurse. Lord Devenham has a notorious reputation as a rake and at first his charming, flirtatious manner unnerves Phoebe and she tries to deny her physical attraction to the man, but as she nurses him back to health, she discovers that he has a kind nature that lies hidden underneath his rakish manner. A wicked villain threatens Phoebe and the Earl sees it as his duty to protect her from harm. The two gradually break down each defenses and get to know the truth behind the public image. Phoebe, still hurting from her husband's untimely death, needs the Earl to help her heal and he needs her to learn to love. This story is rather darker and a lot more melancholy than A Perilous Journey, but it's very well-written. The dialogue is natural and the story unfolds slowly. The romance was romantic without being overpowering or corny and the relationship between the two principles was incredibly believable. I figured out the villain and the big secret right away so the reveal came as no surprise but Eastwood's character development is very effective in moving the plot along so I was willing to forgive the obvious villain. I really enjoyed this novel as a departure from my usual comedic fare. I recommend it to Regency lovers and especially fans of Patricia Veryan.
October 22, 2018
Dark things are hinted at in the history of both main characters in this romance. The story takes a while to develop but the suspense kept me turning pages.
Violence, no sex, swearing, themes of drug addiction, suicide, abuse, and a lot of innuendo
Violence, no sex, swearing, themes of drug addiction, suicide, abuse, and a lot of innuendo
November 29, 2019
What a wonderful love story
Such twists and such a villain, I was enthralled and read it in one sitting. A beautiful love story! Highly recommend.
Such twists and such a villain, I was enthralled and read it in one sitting. A beautiful love story! Highly recommend.
May 11, 2013
Not egregiously bad, but despite some melodrama involving a Villainous Villain and the heroine's imagined Great Crime of loving her first husband too much, not very compelling, either. This, I think, is because the conflict between the hero and heroine was artificial and unpersuasive, and this is at least partially evident in the fact that the entire problem is solved in two brief conversations; these conversations went something like this:
And that's that. The hero's a nice man rather than an alphole, and the heroine had a nice sister who was in a happy marriage to another nice man, but that's all the faint praise I can muster.
And that's that. The hero's a nice man rather than an alphole, and the heroine had a nice sister who was in a happy marriage to another nice man, but that's all the faint praise I can muster.
March 9, 2016
I'd say 3.5 but I'm rounding up.
Not a bad little book. Not much mystery and a stereotypical, moustache-twirling sort. The h annoyed me a bit with her low-key annoying angst but the H made up for it.
Not a bad little book. Not much mystery and a stereotypical, moustache-twirling sort. The h annoyed me a bit with her low-key annoying angst but the H made up for it.
January 2, 2025
Too much introspective thoughts
The premise of this book unfortunately got bogged down by inner conversation that the H/h constantly had, started skipping through.
The premise of this book unfortunately got bogged down by inner conversation that the H/h constantly had, started skipping through.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews