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The Rake
When Juliet Smythe-Clyde is forced to spend several nights in the Duke of Brabourne's house - unchaperoned - her reputation is ruined. And, despite his cynical nature, Brabourne can't help but feel sorry for her... So when all his strategies to restore her in society fail, he offers for her hand. But will this proud chit agree to be his wife for the sake of her honor - or is he going to have to admit he loves her?
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
7 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Georgina Devon
54 books9 followersI have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science with a concentration in history. My interest in England began when the United States Air Force stationed me at RAF Woodbridge, near Ipswich in East Anglia. This is also where I met my husband, who flew fighter aircraft for the United States.
My husband's military career moved the family every two to three years and I wanted a career I enjoyed and could take with me anywhere in the world. We meet while in the military. We dated for about a year before I finally said "hey, so when are you going to marry me." The rest is history for us. Our daughter was born about a year and a half after our wedding and she's been our little terror ever since (granted she is all grown up now).
Today, my husband and I live in Tucson, Arizona. We had two dogs, a cat and a cockatiel. Unfortunatly, our dog Wizard just passed away on 5th of September this year. He had cancer and when they went to operate on him they found that the cancer was enormous and had spread everywhere. We lost him on the operating table. We still have our minature pincher Rosebud, our cat Kid and our cockatiel Bubbie.
My husband's military career moved the family every two to three years and I wanted a career I enjoyed and could take with me anywhere in the world. We meet while in the military. We dated for about a year before I finally said "hey, so when are you going to marry me." The rest is history for us. Our daughter was born about a year and a half after our wedding and she's been our little terror ever since (granted she is all grown up now).
Today, my husband and I live in Tucson, Arizona. We had two dogs, a cat and a cockatiel. Unfortunatly, our dog Wizard just passed away on 5th of September this year. He had cancer and when they went to operate on him they found that the cancer was enormous and had spread everywhere. We lost him on the operating table. We still have our minature pincher Rosebud, our cat Kid and our cockatiel Bubbie.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 25, 2017
In an attempt to be more than a title and money, he had taught himself to be a lover.
Taught himself. Uh-huh.
He had made himself into a man women remembered, and if it was by giving them more pleasure than any thought possible, then so be it. They would remember him as more than just a wealthy Duke, an object of advancement. They would remember him as a man.
Okay, this is the first 'rake book' of the three I've just read that has pleased me. In the previous two, The Rake's Mistress and A Reputable Rake, 'rake' seemed like it was just codeword for 'fuckboy.' Someone who wants to fuck a lot of women but doesn't want to take responsibility for it and someone who can't handle an adult relationship with adult responsibilities and seems to enjoy (or at least not care) about hurting people who love him.
Not so with Sebastian, this hero. I'm happy to report that he is a man. He handles his business, takes care of his shit, stands up for his woman and his friends, and puts it down in bed (pretty much... more on this later).
Every book tries to convince me that the hero is manly by making them physical fighters, making them save a female from rape, and TRYING to convince me that he is good in bed. This often fails. Instead, what I am looking for is a man who actually feels a sense of responsibility and some sort of honor - even if it is not the standard one society hands you. I need him to not be cruel. I need him to be able to handle his shit and not shirk his duties. I need to feel like he is competent and will protect and care for the people who are at his mercy. And I need him to be actually good in bed.
Hmmm, that's it. I don't necessarily need him to be a brawler or handsome. I am turned on by men who take care of what needs taking care of and show mercy on people they could easily crush or be cruel to.
Devon seems to strike the right notes here. Sebastian is a rake, but he also takes responsibility for his actions and shows mercy. He meets Juliet when he shoots her in the shoulder. She has dressed like a boy and taken the place of her father in a duel. For reasons that still escape me, she is taken to recover at the Duke's house. Of course, she is quickly ruined (I don't mean he has sex with her... they don't even kiss until Chapter Eight, I mean she is ruined in society) and unable to be accepted anywhere.
Sebastian resists marrying her for a long time. He tries his best to help her by bringing her up in society and introducing her to the Prince, etc., and he escorts her and guards her (there is the seemingly required scene where he saves her from gangrapists) but he still resists caving to marriage. But eventually hearing all the shit talked about her gets to him and he proposes marriage.
Juliet is reluctant to marry him because she figures he will not be loyal and he will never love her.
...
Okay:
THE HERO:
I really liked him. He hesitates to marry her, but there's no point where he is cruel to her or shuns her or doesn't try to care for her in some way or another. He doesn't act skeevy when she is lying injured in his bed, he asks important questions, such as: "Why can't you go home? Are you being abused by your father or stepmother?" that heroes never seem to ask or think about. He isn't a perfect man, but in a way that can be a good thing.
He's not as kind as I like my men and he's not as funny as I like my men, but he is a good person and definitely not a fuckboy.
He's fucked up in the head because he is a bastard and his mother slept with everyone, so he has real problems trusting women. He also refuses to sleep with married women - a fact that shocks everyone around him. Whoever heard of a rake who refused to sleep with married women? This colors his relationship with Juliet and his issues with trust and women don't do her any favors. But despite his issues, I never felt like he hated women and he certainly had plenty of opportunity to act like a cruel person to Juliet, and he doesn't take those opportunities. He also goes out of his way to help her on more than one occasion.
THE HEROINE
This is one of the rare cases when the heroine annoys me more than the hero does. Juliet has her problems. For one thing, she is very impulsive - and that can land her in some dangerous situations. She needs to start thinking things through more. Of course, in the book Sebastian is always around to rescue her, but IRL not so much.
Another thing that really bothers me is that she slaps him twice in this novel. I'm not okay with this abusive behavior. I know it is a trope, but it's not okay with me. Unsure why authors still think physical abuse is acceptable.
She's not BAD, I don't hate her... but there were definitely times I thought she was being very stupid (it exasperated me) and other times when I cringed at her abusive behavior. It's not okay to hit people. This is not a good sign in a marriage.
I liked that she was caring and very loyal - to her family members, servants, and husband. But other than that, I can't say there's much to recommend her. She didn't strike me in any particular way.
There's a really interesting scene in the book in which Sebastian's past is discussed and we see what kind of impact it is having on his marriage.
"We must return or people will begin to wonder."
The slow, sensual smile that made her stomach flutter parted his lips. She gulped, but could not look away from the deep blue of his eyes.
"Let them. We are married. Remember?"
His voice was deep and caught on the last word. She knew what that meant.
"We cannot," she said, panic rising. "We are not at home."
His smile turned sardonic. "There are plenty of places here, believe me."
Pain flared, squeezing her chest, at this reminder of how experienced he was. She twisted in his arms. "Thank you, but I don't wish to have that experience.
His grip tightened. One hand caught her jaw and forced her to meet his gaze. "Juliet, I have been a rake. You knew that when we wed. Nothing can ever change that."
"Yes," she whispered. "That is why I did not want to marry you."
His eyes darkened as though she had hurt him. "But because of that I am skilled and you enjoy my lovemaking." Memory lit fires in his body. "You like it a lot."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the hunger in his, not wanting to be drawn into the passion he did nothing to control. "Yes, but not here. Please."
It was an eternity before he released her. She had begun to despair that he would listen to her plea.
How fascinating. This is the difference between me and the heroine - she does not revel in and enjoy a chance to be adventurous with her more experienced husband. Instead, it hurts her to think about his sexual past. The fact that he wants to fuck her in some abandoned room at a party is - to her is a painful reminder of the women he's fucked in the past at such events and not (as I see it) a fun opportunity to enjoy while safe in his capable hands. I understand she has only been a non-virgin for a couple of months, but that has nothing to do with it and instead is a personality difference IMO. Is it disrespectful for him to try and convince her to fuck in a room at a party? Or is it a fun and maybe even sweet suggestion? I guess that is a matter of opinion. Is she turning him away truly because of his past? Or is she turning him away because she is not the kind of person to get a thrill from that we-might-get-caught-having-sex feeling? Should he feel ashamed for having suggested this? Or should he feel frustrated that she is so rigid?
It's times like this when I wonder how this marriage will turn out years in the future after this book ends. Are these two truly sexually compatible?
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sometimes I feel bad writing this section because I am so goshdarn picky when it comes to sex scenes. Few authors meet my exacting standards. It's really not authors' fault, probably.
One good thing I can say for Devon is that she takes time with kissing and has kissing scenes. This is a plus. Not everything has to be about sex; I always delight in the makeout scenes talented authors put in their books. But even the kissing isn't everything I wanted it to be. I wish Sebastian had been a little bit more gentle and persuasive. He's not bad, I wasn't objecting, but he could have been even better and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't bugging me.
IDK, as I said earlier, I have VERY HIGH expectations for sex scenes and it's rare an author can meet them.
The sex, when we get down to the actual sex, isn't bad, but again, I had hoped for more. More detail, for one thing. However, I'm not sure how explicit and how detailed a Harlequin writer can be. For example, he eats her out and fingers her before having PIV sex with her. This is good. On one hand, kudos to Devon for telling me that he is doing this thing and not being vague like so many other authors are. On the other hand, I want EXPLICIT, IN DEPTH detail and she doesn't deliver. Perhaps I can only expect this from erotica? *Carmen frowns*
So, to recap, Sebastian is good in bed, but I fault the author for not providing me with more detail. And I would have preferred more gentle and luxurious and slow-moving kissing scenes. Juliet is a virgin and she has a lot of resistance and hesitation and I just think Sebastian could have been softer and slower with her. He did fine in bed, but the makeout sessions left something to be desired IMO. He's too pushy, he needs patience. I didn't find his kissing sessions to be OFFENSIVE, but they didn't leave me squealing in excitement, either. And I love kissing. This should be easy.
Tl;dr - I would have preferred the hero to be a bit more kind and for the book to have been a bit more funny, but Devon is playing with dark and angsty here. Which is okay, but she doesn't pack the angsty punch needed to really get readers sobbing. It's a bit half-assed.
However, as far as writing a rake who is also a man goes, Devon nailed it. Sebastian is no mere fuckboy who is skating by on his good looks and his daddy's money. Instead, he acts like a responsible adult and a man who can stand up, take responsibility, and care for others. This is (sadly) rare in books that feature rakes.
The issues are pretty easily resolved, which is probably detrimental here. Devon could have made this book a lot more emotionally devastating, and I think she should have. She doesn't make her readers suffer enough. But overall it was enjoyable.
She could never marry him. He would seduce her body and then her mind. Before long she would love him - and it would break her heart, for he would never love her.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES
Historical Romance
Regency Romance
Virgin Heroine
Taught himself. Uh-huh.
He had made himself into a man women remembered, and if it was by giving them more pleasure than any thought possible, then so be it. They would remember him as more than just a wealthy Duke, an object of advancement. They would remember him as a man.
Okay, this is the first 'rake book' of the three I've just read that has pleased me. In the previous two, The Rake's Mistress and A Reputable Rake, 'rake' seemed like it was just codeword for 'fuckboy.' Someone who wants to fuck a lot of women but doesn't want to take responsibility for it and someone who can't handle an adult relationship with adult responsibilities and seems to enjoy (or at least not care) about hurting people who love him.
Not so with Sebastian, this hero. I'm happy to report that he is a man. He handles his business, takes care of his shit, stands up for his woman and his friends, and puts it down in bed (pretty much... more on this later).
Every book tries to convince me that the hero is manly by making them physical fighters, making them save a female from rape, and TRYING to convince me that he is good in bed. This often fails. Instead, what I am looking for is a man who actually feels a sense of responsibility and some sort of honor - even if it is not the standard one society hands you. I need him to not be cruel. I need him to be able to handle his shit and not shirk his duties. I need to feel like he is competent and will protect and care for the people who are at his mercy. And I need him to be actually good in bed.
Hmmm, that's it. I don't necessarily need him to be a brawler or handsome. I am turned on by men who take care of what needs taking care of and show mercy on people they could easily crush or be cruel to.
Devon seems to strike the right notes here. Sebastian is a rake, but he also takes responsibility for his actions and shows mercy. He meets Juliet when he shoots her in the shoulder. She has dressed like a boy and taken the place of her father in a duel. For reasons that still escape me, she is taken to recover at the Duke's house. Of course, she is quickly ruined (I don't mean he has sex with her... they don't even kiss until Chapter Eight, I mean she is ruined in society) and unable to be accepted anywhere.
Sebastian resists marrying her for a long time. He tries his best to help her by bringing her up in society and introducing her to the Prince, etc., and he escorts her and guards her (there is the seemingly required scene where he saves her from gangrapists) but he still resists caving to marriage. But eventually hearing all the shit talked about her gets to him and he proposes marriage.
Juliet is reluctant to marry him because she figures he will not be loyal and he will never love her.
...
Okay:
THE HERO:
I really liked him. He hesitates to marry her, but there's no point where he is cruel to her or shuns her or doesn't try to care for her in some way or another. He doesn't act skeevy when she is lying injured in his bed, he asks important questions, such as: "Why can't you go home? Are you being abused by your father or stepmother?" that heroes never seem to ask or think about. He isn't a perfect man, but in a way that can be a good thing.
He's not as kind as I like my men and he's not as funny as I like my men, but he is a good person and definitely not a fuckboy.
He's fucked up in the head because he is a bastard and his mother slept with everyone, so he has real problems trusting women. He also refuses to sleep with married women - a fact that shocks everyone around him. Whoever heard of a rake who refused to sleep with married women? This colors his relationship with Juliet and his issues with trust and women don't do her any favors. But despite his issues, I never felt like he hated women and he certainly had plenty of opportunity to act like a cruel person to Juliet, and he doesn't take those opportunities. He also goes out of his way to help her on more than one occasion.
THE HEROINE
This is one of the rare cases when the heroine annoys me more than the hero does. Juliet has her problems. For one thing, she is very impulsive - and that can land her in some dangerous situations. She needs to start thinking things through more. Of course, in the book Sebastian is always around to rescue her, but IRL not so much.
Another thing that really bothers me is that she slaps him twice in this novel. I'm not okay with this abusive behavior. I know it is a trope, but it's not okay with me. Unsure why authors still think physical abuse is acceptable.
She's not BAD, I don't hate her... but there were definitely times I thought she was being very stupid (it exasperated me) and other times when I cringed at her abusive behavior. It's not okay to hit people. This is not a good sign in a marriage.
I liked that she was caring and very loyal - to her family members, servants, and husband. But other than that, I can't say there's much to recommend her. She didn't strike me in any particular way.
There's a really interesting scene in the book in which Sebastian's past is discussed and we see what kind of impact it is having on his marriage.
"We must return or people will begin to wonder."
The slow, sensual smile that made her stomach flutter parted his lips. She gulped, but could not look away from the deep blue of his eyes.
"Let them. We are married. Remember?"
His voice was deep and caught on the last word. She knew what that meant.
"We cannot," she said, panic rising. "We are not at home."
His smile turned sardonic. "There are plenty of places here, believe me."
Pain flared, squeezing her chest, at this reminder of how experienced he was. She twisted in his arms. "Thank you, but I don't wish to have that experience.
His grip tightened. One hand caught her jaw and forced her to meet his gaze. "Juliet, I have been a rake. You knew that when we wed. Nothing can ever change that."
"Yes," she whispered. "That is why I did not want to marry you."
His eyes darkened as though she had hurt him. "But because of that I am skilled and you enjoy my lovemaking." Memory lit fires in his body. "You like it a lot."
She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the hunger in his, not wanting to be drawn into the passion he did nothing to control. "Yes, but not here. Please."
It was an eternity before he released her. She had begun to despair that he would listen to her plea.
How fascinating. This is the difference between me and the heroine - she does not revel in and enjoy a chance to be adventurous with her more experienced husband. Instead, it hurts her to think about his sexual past. The fact that he wants to fuck her in some abandoned room at a party is - to her is a painful reminder of the women he's fucked in the past at such events and not (as I see it) a fun opportunity to enjoy while safe in his capable hands. I understand she has only been a non-virgin for a couple of months, but that has nothing to do with it and instead is a personality difference IMO. Is it disrespectful for him to try and convince her to fuck in a room at a party? Or is it a fun and maybe even sweet suggestion? I guess that is a matter of opinion. Is she turning him away truly because of his past? Or is she turning him away because she is not the kind of person to get a thrill from that we-might-get-caught-having-sex feeling? Should he feel ashamed for having suggested this? Or should he feel frustrated that she is so rigid?
It's times like this when I wonder how this marriage will turn out years in the future after this book ends. Are these two truly sexually compatible?
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sometimes I feel bad writing this section because I am so goshdarn picky when it comes to sex scenes. Few authors meet my exacting standards. It's really not authors' fault, probably.
One good thing I can say for Devon is that she takes time with kissing and has kissing scenes. This is a plus. Not everything has to be about sex; I always delight in the makeout scenes talented authors put in their books. But even the kissing isn't everything I wanted it to be. I wish Sebastian had been a little bit more gentle and persuasive. He's not bad, I wasn't objecting, but he could have been even better and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't bugging me.
IDK, as I said earlier, I have VERY HIGH expectations for sex scenes and it's rare an author can meet them.
The sex, when we get down to the actual sex, isn't bad, but again, I had hoped for more. More detail, for one thing. However, I'm not sure how explicit and how detailed a Harlequin writer can be. For example, he eats her out and fingers her before having PIV sex with her. This is good. On one hand, kudos to Devon for telling me that he is doing this thing and not being vague like so many other authors are. On the other hand, I want EXPLICIT, IN DEPTH detail and she doesn't deliver. Perhaps I can only expect this from erotica? *Carmen frowns*
So, to recap, Sebastian is good in bed, but I fault the author for not providing me with more detail. And I would have preferred more gentle and luxurious and slow-moving kissing scenes. Juliet is a virgin and she has a lot of resistance and hesitation and I just think Sebastian could have been softer and slower with her. He did fine in bed, but the makeout sessions left something to be desired IMO. He's too pushy, he needs patience. I didn't find his kissing sessions to be OFFENSIVE, but they didn't leave me squealing in excitement, either. And I love kissing. This should be easy.
Tl;dr - I would have preferred the hero to be a bit more kind and for the book to have been a bit more funny, but Devon is playing with dark and angsty here. Which is okay, but she doesn't pack the angsty punch needed to really get readers sobbing. It's a bit half-assed.
However, as far as writing a rake who is also a man goes, Devon nailed it. Sebastian is no mere fuckboy who is skating by on his good looks and his daddy's money. Instead, he acts like a responsible adult and a man who can stand up, take responsibility, and care for others. This is (sadly) rare in books that feature rakes.
The issues are pretty easily resolved, which is probably detrimental here. Devon could have made this book a lot more emotionally devastating, and I think she should have. She doesn't make her readers suffer enough. But overall it was enjoyable.
She could never marry him. He would seduce her body and then her mind. Before long she would love him - and it would break her heart, for he would never love her.
ROMANCE CATEGORIES
Historical Romance
Regency Romance
Virgin Heroine
July 17, 2020
Really enjoyed this one even if the stepmother made me want to slap her upside the head.
A fiesty h and drool worthy rake of a H.
Looking for the rest in the series.
A fiesty h and drool worthy rake of a H.
Looking for the rest in the series.
March 7, 2019
I thought the premise of this book was good. I liked the idea of a heroine plucky enough to fight a duel in her father's stead. Brabourne is a good strong hero and he and Juliet fit well together but after a promising start, it just turned into a so-so kind of romance. I liked meeting the other men, Ravensford and Perth and look forward to reading their stories.
Read
November 13, 2017Dnf at 5% The hero calls her "puppy"
It made me cringe so hard. DO NOT RUIN PUPPIES FOR ME GOD DAMMIT
It made me cringe so hard. DO NOT RUIN PUPPIES FOR ME GOD DAMMIT
July 16, 2020
Pretty good for an easy read. Wish it had been longer than 166pgs. Loved Juliet!
February 15, 2013
yes this was the book i read..about juliette and brabourne. really sweet story between these 2. don't miss it !! n i especially liked one of the sex scenes where brabourne insisted she called him sebastian before he fucked her lol. it was an intense scene
April 20, 2016
wrong description of book goodread, but the book was ok. The rake's reformation by innocent girl kinda story.
May 12, 2014
Umm... book was not as interesting as I thought it would be...I'm disappointed.
Read
April 30, 2017Cresciuta con Lady Oscar, ho un debole per le storie dove coraggiose eppur dolci donzelle sfidano, travestite da forti e nobili cavalieri, il mondo, in circostanze avverse. Perciò sono stata attratta da questa storia... Ma se l'idea iniziale, seppur usata, mi aveva attratta, lo svolgimento, da metà in poi, mi ha fatto rimpiangere la lettura di questo libricino. La narrazione si perde completamente, naufragando in un oceano piatto di noia (e sì che per naufragare in un oceano piatto ce ne vuole! XD). È stato una patema finire il volumetto.
Unica consolazione, la brevità.
Unica consolazione, la brevità.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews