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The Regency Gentlemen #2
The Bluestocking and the Rake
The Earl of Marcham has decided to put the excesses of his colorful youth firmly behind him so that he may find a wife and beget himself an heir. But a straitlaced spinster may stand in his way after she releases a morality pamphlet exposing some of his most private misdemeanors. Determined to have his revenge and teach her a much-needed lesson, the earl decides that his best course of action is to seduce her…
Miss Georgiana Blakelow has long given up the hope of marriage. Instead, she’s resigned to serving as governess to her siblings and saving the family estate from ruin. She might succeed, if only the wretch of an earl who won the estate at the gaming table would be reasonable.
As the sparks fly, and as Lord Marcham finds himself unexpectedly attracted to Miss Blakelow, she becomes even more determined to keep him at a safe distance. The closer he gets, the more likely he is to discover that his bluestocking isn’t all that she seems.
Revised edition: This edition of The Bluestocking and the Rake includes editorial revisions.
Miss Georgiana Blakelow has long given up the hope of marriage. Instead, she’s resigned to serving as governess to her siblings and saving the family estate from ruin. She might succeed, if only the wretch of an earl who won the estate at the gaming table would be reasonable.
As the sparks fly, and as Lord Marcham finds himself unexpectedly attracted to Miss Blakelow, she becomes even more determined to keep him at a safe distance. The closer he gets, the more likely he is to discover that his bluestocking isn’t all that she seems.
Revised edition: This edition of The Bluestocking and the Rake includes editorial revisions.
411 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2013
584 people are currently reading
793 people want to read
About the author
Norma Darcy
7 books28 followersBizarre as it seems to me now, I hated reading as a child. I associated it with school and homework and I seemed to read without it engaging my imagination. I struggled to finish a single book.
Then, in my early teens, my mother introduced me to the novels of Georgette Heyer and I was hooked. To the despair of my father, who thought I should be reading much more serious works, I read all her books voraciously, before moving on to Jane Austen and other classics. I discovered that I was, in fact, a bookworm in the making.
Since that time (too many years for me to admit to with impunity) I have struggled to find many Regency Romance books that have inspired me in the same way that Miss Heyer’s books did. I gave up reading the genre for a long time, bored with the fashion to focus on what was happening between the sheets rather than the interaction between the characters. I am not a prude, and I am not adverse to an intimate scene or two, but when every page is filled with lustful glances, I find myself nodding off.
Am I old fashioned? Perhaps. And of course, reading audience’s taste has changed over the years from the time of Georgette Heyer, but the reason I fell in love with the genre was the spark between two characters, where there is a hint of sexual tension which is played out in the way they interact with one another. I feel that many modern books are missing this and are focusing on two people falling in lust with each other’s bodies rather than two people falling in love with each other as people.
My aim is to attempt to write the kind of books that I love to read: strong but believable characters, verbal wordplay between the hero and the heroine and a love story that tugs at the heartstrings.
Then, in my early teens, my mother introduced me to the novels of Georgette Heyer and I was hooked. To the despair of my father, who thought I should be reading much more serious works, I read all her books voraciously, before moving on to Jane Austen and other classics. I discovered that I was, in fact, a bookworm in the making.
Since that time (too many years for me to admit to with impunity) I have struggled to find many Regency Romance books that have inspired me in the same way that Miss Heyer’s books did. I gave up reading the genre for a long time, bored with the fashion to focus on what was happening between the sheets rather than the interaction between the characters. I am not a prude, and I am not adverse to an intimate scene or two, but when every page is filled with lustful glances, I find myself nodding off.
Am I old fashioned? Perhaps. And of course, reading audience’s taste has changed over the years from the time of Georgette Heyer, but the reason I fell in love with the genre was the spark between two characters, where there is a hint of sexual tension which is played out in the way they interact with one another. I feel that many modern books are missing this and are focusing on two people falling in lust with each other’s bodies rather than two people falling in love with each other as people.
My aim is to attempt to write the kind of books that I love to read: strong but believable characters, verbal wordplay between the hero and the heroine and a love story that tugs at the heartstrings.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 160 reviews
September 13, 2016
I've given this an A for narration and a B for content at AAR.
Norma Darcy appears to be a newly published author – I can find three books to her name on Amazon – so I was very pleasantly surprised to find that The Bluestocking and the Rake is an accomplished piece of work, and certainly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve come across by a new author for quite some time. It’s written very much in the style of the traditional Regency, and concentrates principally on the developing relationship between the two principals, which is characterized by witty banter, a gradually dawning affection and respect, and is possessed of a satisfying degree of emotional depth.
Georgiana Blakelow is a twenty-nine-year-old spinster who, resigned to her single state, is focused on looking after her siblings and trying to find a way for them to remain in their family home, which their eldest brother has gambled away in a desperate attempt to win enough money to pay off their late father’s debts to their neighbor, the Earl of Marcham.
Robert Holkham, fourth Earl of Marcham is, at the ripe old age of thirty-six, fed-up to the back teeth with his previous dissolute lifestyle and wants to find himself a wife and settle down. His friends and family scoff, finding it hard to believe that he really wants to eschew his rakish ways but he’s adamant. Nights out on the tiles bore him silly and he’d much rather stay home with a good book. Deep down, he wants companionship - a woman he can talk with and laugh with, someone to belong to and who belongs to him.
He knows little of his nearest neighbors, until he learns of a pamphlet penned by Miss Blakelow in which, while not mentioning him by name, she condemns his morals, revealing some past indiscretions he had worked hard to keep private in pursuit of her goal of "exposing the corrupt attitude of the nobility and their belief that any woman is fair game." Furious, the earl determines to let the fuss die down and then take his revenge upon the woman, but when she unexpectedly turns up on his doorstep demanding an interview, he instead finds himself reluctantly intrigued by her bravado and her refusal to be cowed by him.
When she was younger, Georgiana had the same dreams and hopes as every young woman, but these were cruelly crushed and she has lived quietly ever since, deliberately hiding behind drab, ill-fitting clothes, horrible caps, and thick-lensed glasses. There are numerous references to an event in her past which has rendered her unfit for marriage (and anyone who reads historicals regularly will be able to put two-and-two together and work it out) but as the story unfolds, it gradually becomes clear that there is rather more to it than that, and that Georgiana is not at all what she seems.
There is a strongly written cast of secondary characters, and I enjoyed Ms Darcy’s writing style. The interplay between Marcham and Georgiana is a real delight:
“Why are you here, my lord? Shouldn’t you be fleecing some poor man at the card table or something equally noble?”
“That was yesterday, ma’am,” he replied glibly. “I always fleece men of their property on a Wednesday. Thursdays are for flirting outrageously with one’s neighbors.”
“And Fridays?” she asked, shaking off the other blanket.
“Oh, drinking oneself into a stupor,” he said, smiling, “but not all day—one does need to eat, you know.”
The trope of the jaded rake and the prim young woman who captivates him is a well-used one, but Ms Darcy manages to freshen it up a bit. Marcham isn’t one of those heroes who needs to be dragged kicking and screaming to the altar; he’s ready and willing to enter the next phase of his life once he’s found the right woman. His wit and dryly humorous pronouncements often sail right over the heads of those around him, apart from Georgiana, who is one of the few able to appreciate and understand his sense of humour. When he falls, he falls hard but Georgiana believes her past is an insurmountable barrier and heartbreak looms for them both.
If I have a criticism, it’s with this aspect of the story. There are frequent mentions of an event (or events) in Georgiana’s past that makes her ineligible, but the author drags out the mystery too long. Even in those parts of the story when we’re in Georgie’s head, we never hear a first-hand explanation of her situation, which makes her continued rejection of Marcham incredibly irritating because the listener is never made fully aware of the reasons behind it. And when all is revealed, the truth is a little too improbable and overly convoluted with too many plot-points.
Anyone familiar with my audiobook reviews will know I’m someone who invariably looks at the narrator’s name before looking at who the author is or what the story is about. So it’s not going to come as a surprise when I say that Michael Page’s name was my principal reason for requesting a review copy. He’s someone I enjoy listening to (and wish would record more historical romance) and he certainly doesn’t disappoint here, delivering a thoroughly engaging and multi-faceted performance. Mr Page makes the most of the developing relationship between the two protagonists, performing their quick-fire dialogue incredibly well and with a great deal of subtlety and humor. He portrays female characters competently without resorting to falsetto; his interpretations of the older ladies – mothers and dowagers alike – always remind me of Edith Evans and makes me smile. His crisp, cultured baritone suits Marcham down to the ground, sounding suitably aristocratic but with a hint of a smile lying behind his words; in the later stages of the story, his confusion and heartbreak are palpable. There’s a wonderful moment that has stayed with me, where he accuses Georgiana of believing him devoid of feeling because he’s “just a rake” that is delivered with the perfect mixture of anger and anguish.
All the secondary characters – from a drunken lord at one of Marcham’s parties to Georgiana’s young brothers and sisters – are very well characterized and differentiated and the narration is expressive and well-paced, making this a highly skilled and enjoyable performance overall.
The Bluestocking and the Rake is an engaging listen, although the story isn’t without its weaknesses. In fact, I suspect that these may be rather more evident in print than in the audio, as the latter has the benefit of Mr Page’s excellent performance to help the listener get past the faults in the storytelling. But even taking that into account, if you’re looking to try a new romance author in audiobook format, this is definitely one to consider adding to your wish list.
Norma Darcy appears to be a newly published author – I can find three books to her name on Amazon – so I was very pleasantly surprised to find that The Bluestocking and the Rake is an accomplished piece of work, and certainly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve come across by a new author for quite some time. It’s written very much in the style of the traditional Regency, and concentrates principally on the developing relationship between the two principals, which is characterized by witty banter, a gradually dawning affection and respect, and is possessed of a satisfying degree of emotional depth.
Georgiana Blakelow is a twenty-nine-year-old spinster who, resigned to her single state, is focused on looking after her siblings and trying to find a way for them to remain in their family home, which their eldest brother has gambled away in a desperate attempt to win enough money to pay off their late father’s debts to their neighbor, the Earl of Marcham.
Robert Holkham, fourth Earl of Marcham is, at the ripe old age of thirty-six, fed-up to the back teeth with his previous dissolute lifestyle and wants to find himself a wife and settle down. His friends and family scoff, finding it hard to believe that he really wants to eschew his rakish ways but he’s adamant. Nights out on the tiles bore him silly and he’d much rather stay home with a good book. Deep down, he wants companionship - a woman he can talk with and laugh with, someone to belong to and who belongs to him.
He knows little of his nearest neighbors, until he learns of a pamphlet penned by Miss Blakelow in which, while not mentioning him by name, she condemns his morals, revealing some past indiscretions he had worked hard to keep private in pursuit of her goal of "exposing the corrupt attitude of the nobility and their belief that any woman is fair game." Furious, the earl determines to let the fuss die down and then take his revenge upon the woman, but when she unexpectedly turns up on his doorstep demanding an interview, he instead finds himself reluctantly intrigued by her bravado and her refusal to be cowed by him.
When she was younger, Georgiana had the same dreams and hopes as every young woman, but these were cruelly crushed and she has lived quietly ever since, deliberately hiding behind drab, ill-fitting clothes, horrible caps, and thick-lensed glasses. There are numerous references to an event in her past which has rendered her unfit for marriage (and anyone who reads historicals regularly will be able to put two-and-two together and work it out) but as the story unfolds, it gradually becomes clear that there is rather more to it than that, and that Georgiana is not at all what she seems.
There is a strongly written cast of secondary characters, and I enjoyed Ms Darcy’s writing style. The interplay between Marcham and Georgiana is a real delight:
“Why are you here, my lord? Shouldn’t you be fleecing some poor man at the card table or something equally noble?”
“That was yesterday, ma’am,” he replied glibly. “I always fleece men of their property on a Wednesday. Thursdays are for flirting outrageously with one’s neighbors.”
“And Fridays?” she asked, shaking off the other blanket.
“Oh, drinking oneself into a stupor,” he said, smiling, “but not all day—one does need to eat, you know.”
The trope of the jaded rake and the prim young woman who captivates him is a well-used one, but Ms Darcy manages to freshen it up a bit. Marcham isn’t one of those heroes who needs to be dragged kicking and screaming to the altar; he’s ready and willing to enter the next phase of his life once he’s found the right woman. His wit and dryly humorous pronouncements often sail right over the heads of those around him, apart from Georgiana, who is one of the few able to appreciate and understand his sense of humour. When he falls, he falls hard but Georgiana believes her past is an insurmountable barrier and heartbreak looms for them both.
If I have a criticism, it’s with this aspect of the story. There are frequent mentions of an event (or events) in Georgiana’s past that makes her ineligible, but the author drags out the mystery too long. Even in those parts of the story when we’re in Georgie’s head, we never hear a first-hand explanation of her situation, which makes her continued rejection of Marcham incredibly irritating because the listener is never made fully aware of the reasons behind it. And when all is revealed, the truth is a little too improbable and overly convoluted with too many plot-points.
Anyone familiar with my audiobook reviews will know I’m someone who invariably looks at the narrator’s name before looking at who the author is or what the story is about. So it’s not going to come as a surprise when I say that Michael Page’s name was my principal reason for requesting a review copy. He’s someone I enjoy listening to (and wish would record more historical romance) and he certainly doesn’t disappoint here, delivering a thoroughly engaging and multi-faceted performance. Mr Page makes the most of the developing relationship between the two protagonists, performing their quick-fire dialogue incredibly well and with a great deal of subtlety and humor. He portrays female characters competently without resorting to falsetto; his interpretations of the older ladies – mothers and dowagers alike – always remind me of Edith Evans and makes me smile. His crisp, cultured baritone suits Marcham down to the ground, sounding suitably aristocratic but with a hint of a smile lying behind his words; in the later stages of the story, his confusion and heartbreak are palpable. There’s a wonderful moment that has stayed with me, where he accuses Georgiana of believing him devoid of feeling because he’s “just a rake” that is delivered with the perfect mixture of anger and anguish.
All the secondary characters – from a drunken lord at one of Marcham’s parties to Georgiana’s young brothers and sisters – are very well characterized and differentiated and the narration is expressive and well-paced, making this a highly skilled and enjoyable performance overall.
The Bluestocking and the Rake is an engaging listen, although the story isn’t without its weaknesses. In fact, I suspect that these may be rather more evident in print than in the audio, as the latter has the benefit of Mr Page’s excellent performance to help the listener get past the faults in the storytelling. But even taking that into account, if you’re looking to try a new romance author in audiobook format, this is definitely one to consider adding to your wish list.
February 6, 2015
This is an interesting book. It takes a lot of the common themes of Regency romances, but it works a little differently. It worked for me because it felt a whole lot more authentic than most of the books publishers are churning out these days – I’ve no doubt the author being English helps a whole lot!
I think the key word you should think of when reading The Bluestocking and the Rake is patience. This is not a sex-filled romp full of anachronistic idiots. If you’re looking for something steamy and fluffy you won’t find it here, despite the fairly generic title.
This is a mystery, and it’s also a romance rather than an erotic romance. We have the whole book for the characters to sort out their issues and their feelings for each other, and in the meantime there’s a slow-burning mystery running in the background that all comes to the forefront in a suspenseful sequence at the end.
The fact I recognised a number of lines as being more or less identical to Jane Austen’s writing should give you a bit of a clue about what to expect. There’s not a lot of silliness, and the characters actually do act as they might have in the Regency era. That means our earl hero can be a bit of an arrogant bastard, and it means that decisions our heroine made in the past have had massive, massive consequences for her in the present.
I was pretty annoyed with the frequent references to the glasses the heroine wore as part of her disguise. She was constantly described as ugly because of her glasses!
This isn’t a perfect book, and it’s not one you race through. I thought a few scenes with secondary characters were a little bit over the top. However, what I felt was that it rolled along, unfolding slowly, and it worked for me because the pacing, the language and the characters’ behaviour captured the era so much better than most Regency romances around at the moment.
And – yay! A cover that actually has something to do with the book!
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
I think the key word you should think of when reading The Bluestocking and the Rake is patience. This is not a sex-filled romp full of anachronistic idiots. If you’re looking for something steamy and fluffy you won’t find it here, despite the fairly generic title.
This is a mystery, and it’s also a romance rather than an erotic romance. We have the whole book for the characters to sort out their issues and their feelings for each other, and in the meantime there’s a slow-burning mystery running in the background that all comes to the forefront in a suspenseful sequence at the end.
The fact I recognised a number of lines as being more or less identical to Jane Austen’s writing should give you a bit of a clue about what to expect. There’s not a lot of silliness, and the characters actually do act as they might have in the Regency era. That means our earl hero can be a bit of an arrogant bastard, and it means that decisions our heroine made in the past have had massive, massive consequences for her in the present.
I was pretty annoyed with the frequent references to the glasses the heroine wore as part of her disguise. She was constantly described as ugly because of her glasses!
This isn’t a perfect book, and it’s not one you race through. I thought a few scenes with secondary characters were a little bit over the top. However, what I felt was that it rolled along, unfolding slowly, and it worked for me because the pacing, the language and the characters’ behaviour captured the era so much better than most Regency romances around at the moment.
And – yay! A cover that actually has something to do with the book!
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
January 10, 2015
Wow! I wasn't really expecting that! Finished in a day - couldn't put it down.
From the title, review & cover I expected the formulaic historical romance, but it wasn't quite that. The author did well to keep the elements that fans of this genre love but added in just enough difference to have twists and for the heroine to have a bit more of a challenge.
Robbie the hero - was really likeable and the way he responded to his family made me smirk.
I felt the author's use of dialogue was perfectly in keeping with the historical time and showed good research.
My only reason not to give 5 stars is that the ending came at a rush, with the author trying to pull all the threads together and didn't quite nail it. The book is a long one especially for this genre so perhaps the ending needed a bit more as I couldn't quite work out some of the threads. For example the who owned the Thorncote at the end wasn't quite right.
Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in return for an honest review.
From the title, review & cover I expected the formulaic historical romance, but it wasn't quite that. The author did well to keep the elements that fans of this genre love but added in just enough difference to have twists and for the heroine to have a bit more of a challenge.
Robbie the hero - was really likeable and the way he responded to his family made me smirk.
I felt the author's use of dialogue was perfectly in keeping with the historical time and showed good research.
My only reason not to give 5 stars is that the ending came at a rush, with the author trying to pull all the threads together and didn't quite nail it. The book is a long one especially for this genre so perhaps the ending needed a bit more as I couldn't quite work out some of the threads. For example the who owned the Thorncote at the end wasn't quite right.
Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in return for an honest review.
August 29, 2013
I liked some of the dialogue in this story and I think the author had done her research fairly well. However, I got bored with the same old responses by the hero and heroine aswell as Georgie's frequent bosom heaving. I really don't think Marcham would have persisted after being rejected time and again and I would have preferred Georgie to be a true bluestocking than a pretend one...she started to get on my nerves with the spectacles etc after a while. i also thought that the author made the conclusion of the plot so overly complicated and ridiculous.
Don't read on if you don't want slight spoiler.
It didn't help that by the end you really weren't sure of Georgie's true identity and you never got to hear a complete first hand version of her history. The story had potential but became dry, boring and messy.
Don't read on if you don't want slight spoiler.
It didn't help that by the end you really weren't sure of Georgie's true identity and you never got to hear a complete first hand version of her history. The story had potential but became dry, boring and messy.
April 16, 2014
Aaag have you ever read a book where everything is great except the story? She's got the dialogue down, witty, subtle, connected. She captures what I think is an appropriate tone for the period and the tension is good. And then slowly it starts nagging at me. I think the story has stalled, and Worse it feels like it's just bc the author erroneously thought she needed to keep the old wounds a secret til the end, where I assume there will be a big reveal.
It started as a charming off center courtship but halfway thru and they haven't made a deeper connection. No vulnerability or conspiring. They haven't even kissed. It's like no progress is being made. It all just went so wrong and for me by 70% through it I couldn't deny it anymore. The conflict relies upon mistakes the heroine made in her past and still It's like the author can't bring herself to tell me where the hell the characters feelings are coming from. Over and over I'm being told the heroine's past will keep them apart, and yet when she's faced with people from it the author gives me nothing. In fact the heroine is strangely friendly to the beaux who ruined her. Too bad bc I really could have loved this, it could have been so good IMO.
Ms Darcy you're talented but don't be afraid to let us in on it, your writing is strong and I'm sure the plot would benefit from just letting go of the stubborn desire to keep mystery in the conflict. It's actually quite satisfying to move beyond a guessing game to situations that drive the characters to action, and this hero could have been marvelous at it. Anyway I'll keep my eye on Darcy but frankly I'm either skimming the rest or will not finish. Bummer.
3 stars for the start and real potential
It started as a charming off center courtship but halfway thru and they haven't made a deeper connection. No vulnerability or conspiring. They haven't even kissed. It's like no progress is being made. It all just went so wrong and for me by 70% through it I couldn't deny it anymore. The conflict relies upon mistakes the heroine made in her past and still It's like the author can't bring herself to tell me where the hell the characters feelings are coming from. Over and over I'm being told the heroine's past will keep them apart, and yet when she's faced with people from it the author gives me nothing. In fact the heroine is strangely friendly to the beaux who ruined her. Too bad bc I really could have loved this, it could have been so good IMO.
Ms Darcy you're talented but don't be afraid to let us in on it, your writing is strong and I'm sure the plot would benefit from just letting go of the stubborn desire to keep mystery in the conflict. It's actually quite satisfying to move beyond a guessing game to situations that drive the characters to action, and this hero could have been marvelous at it. Anyway I'll keep my eye on Darcy but frankly I'm either skimming the rest or will not finish. Bummer.
3 stars for the start and real potential
May 13, 2016
It was lovely. It swept me away, and for a time I was living in the same,quaint village. This is not your usual historical romance,and contains twists, and turns That give life to the book. I also enjoyed the characters, and the diction, and their conversations really brought the book together. The pages flew past me, as I couldn't wait to see if the selfless Georgianna, and her to be suitor Robert were going to work their way through all the lies, and misadventures. It all seemed so close to a relationship, then another problem or question stopped them. It was an entertaining Romp through a time period that I love, plus held my attention with a well thought out plot. I loved the ending, and that through just true believing ,in one another now, second chances are possible. It reminded me of true Jane Austen novel filled with funny, and snippy, and mean, and real characters , in a very small village, with all the gossip, and daily happenings.
July 28, 2014
I love romances that stray just enough from the formula to be unique, but retain the charm of the genre that we expect. Georgie is a woman with a past, and she is maintaining the persona of an upstanding bluestocking when her article chastising Earl Marchum's rakish ways puts her on his radar. From the moment they meet, the attraction is clear, though socially, they couldn't be more wrong for each other. Both of their pasts catch up with them and stand in the way, and misunderstandings abound, but thankfully, they do get their HEA. I would read more from this author.
December 28, 2016
Lembrete para o futuro: audiobook....nunca mais romance em voz de homem..(especialmente essa, meio pigarrenta, de um senhor, que esganiça nas falas da georgie..)
A história em si é legal, mas o final é meio conturbado, com muitas revelações e atropelos...
A história em si é legal, mas o final é meio conturbado, com muitas revelações e atropelos...
February 9, 2015
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 stars
I'm not entirely sure how to write a review for this book. I'd told myself I would no longer pick apart a book in a review, but I find myself unable to review the book without doing so. Circular, that; just as the book itself. Over and over again, I told myself only to add what is & what isn't in the book to my review, leaving my feelings out of the mix... but a review is opinion; it's the emotions the story elicits within the reader.
Erica's emotional climate while writing this review: frustrated
Firstly, I will say the writing is impeccable. I enjoyed the author's voice, and was instantly taken in by the story. I enjoyed the characters, their interactions with one another, and the majority of the side characters as well.
The flow of information was my largest issues. Half of the time, I found it perfect. It was the other half that had me feeling disinterested or confused. The mystery surrounding the story got in the way of the story. Even during the inner monologue of the narrator, we, the reader, are left in the dark. Which was a frustrating phenomenon, as we are insidethe narrator's head, and who would know your secrets better than yourself?
Time and time again, we hear of the heroine's past, but the reader is never privy to her past. So for the majority of the book, I was reading along, not even realizing there was a mystery surrounding the heroine herself, as she herself never truly breached the subject- not in thought, or in conversation, or in action. Yet this mysterious past was the only stumbling block for moving on with her life with the hero.
When we do finally learn of the past, it's piecemeal, through the narration of other characters, never it its entirety & never by the character herself, leaving the reader to piece it together as if it were a complex puzzle to be solved. But in actuality, it was rather simplistic, and it was the flow and execution of the information that turned the mystery into mass confusion.
This was a historical romance novel, where the mystery got in the way of the underlying story and the romance, which could have been deep and emotional and exciting if not for the mystery itself.
The romance was very little, and when shown, it was proposal after proposal after proposal after proposal... .... after proposal... after proposal. Emotionless proposals of marriage. Characters stating they were engaged over and over again without ever getting the confirmation for the other party, not once. Not twice. THREE TIMES & I don't mean how many times the Hero states this about the heroine, because that was by the dozen. I mean the Hero getting burned by it with a side character. Then the Hero burning the heroine with it. & then the heroine being burned by another side character with it. Basically, I thought you were going to ask me to marry you, so now we're engaged... I asked you to marry me but you said no, so I told everyone we were engaged anyway. This happens in three separate instances with multiple characters. This got frustrating to say the least. Also, its occurrence was so abundant that a true marriage proposal was rendered meaningless.
While I enjoyed the writing, the author's voice, the characters, I did not enjoy the flow of information, the pacing- as it felt as if it dragged without getting to a conclusion -and the repetitive nature of many of the scenes: the never-ending parade of engagements, the endless amount of times the Hero asked for the Heroine's hand in marriage, and the simple mystery that was over-complicated and drawn out for the sake of staying a mystery to the end, which stalled character development and removed the emotions from the story, as well as bringing the romance to a stand-still. It was too easily resolved after the torment of the heroine. Simply a knock it off & behave and all was right with the world again.
I have mixed emotions about this novel, as I loved certain aspects and was thrown off by others. I believe the author is a promising writer, with great storytelling capabilities; I just felt stressing a mystery that wasn't that mysterious, neglected what could have evolved into a beautiful, compelling love story if emotion had been written into it.
All-in-all, this novel left me feeling Bipolar: I enjoyed it but I didn't. I won't forget it, and I most likely will read more by this author in the future.
Historical accuracy: on the mark, I believe.
Romance level: very underlying, but with good banter.
Bedsports: One stolen kiss on-scene from a side character. One stolen kiss off-scene from a side character. Two kisses between the heroine & hero. Everything else is closed door view.
3 stars
I'm not entirely sure how to write a review for this book. I'd told myself I would no longer pick apart a book in a review, but I find myself unable to review the book without doing so. Circular, that; just as the book itself. Over and over again, I told myself only to add what is & what isn't in the book to my review, leaving my feelings out of the mix... but a review is opinion; it's the emotions the story elicits within the reader.
Erica's emotional climate while writing this review: frustrated
Firstly, I will say the writing is impeccable. I enjoyed the author's voice, and was instantly taken in by the story. I enjoyed the characters, their interactions with one another, and the majority of the side characters as well.
The flow of information was my largest issues. Half of the time, I found it perfect. It was the other half that had me feeling disinterested or confused. The mystery surrounding the story got in the way of the story. Even during the inner monologue of the narrator, we, the reader, are left in the dark. Which was a frustrating phenomenon, as we are insidethe narrator's head, and who would know your secrets better than yourself?
Time and time again, we hear of the heroine's past, but the reader is never privy to her past. So for the majority of the book, I was reading along, not even realizing there was a mystery surrounding the heroine herself, as she herself never truly breached the subject- not in thought, or in conversation, or in action. Yet this mysterious past was the only stumbling block for moving on with her life with the hero.
When we do finally learn of the past, it's piecemeal, through the narration of other characters, never it its entirety & never by the character herself, leaving the reader to piece it together as if it were a complex puzzle to be solved. But in actuality, it was rather simplistic, and it was the flow and execution of the information that turned the mystery into mass confusion.
This was a historical romance novel, where the mystery got in the way of the underlying story and the romance, which could have been deep and emotional and exciting if not for the mystery itself.
The romance was very little, and when shown, it was proposal after proposal after proposal after proposal... .... after proposal... after proposal. Emotionless proposals of marriage. Characters stating they were engaged over and over again without ever getting the confirmation for the other party, not once. Not twice. THREE TIMES & I don't mean how many times the Hero states this about the heroine, because that was by the dozen. I mean the Hero getting burned by it with a side character. Then the Hero burning the heroine with it. & then the heroine being burned by another side character with it. Basically, I thought you were going to ask me to marry you, so now we're engaged... I asked you to marry me but you said no, so I told everyone we were engaged anyway. This happens in three separate instances with multiple characters. This got frustrating to say the least. Also, its occurrence was so abundant that a true marriage proposal was rendered meaningless.
While I enjoyed the writing, the author's voice, the characters, I did not enjoy the flow of information, the pacing- as it felt as if it dragged without getting to a conclusion -and the repetitive nature of many of the scenes: the never-ending parade of engagements, the endless amount of times the Hero asked for the Heroine's hand in marriage, and the simple mystery that was over-complicated and drawn out for the sake of staying a mystery to the end, which stalled character development and removed the emotions from the story, as well as bringing the romance to a stand-still. It was too easily resolved after the torment of the heroine. Simply a knock it off & behave and all was right with the world again.
I have mixed emotions about this novel, as I loved certain aspects and was thrown off by others. I believe the author is a promising writer, with great storytelling capabilities; I just felt stressing a mystery that wasn't that mysterious, neglected what could have evolved into a beautiful, compelling love story if emotion had been written into it.
All-in-all, this novel left me feeling Bipolar: I enjoyed it but I didn't. I won't forget it, and I most likely will read more by this author in the future.
Historical accuracy: on the mark, I believe.
Romance level: very underlying, but with good banter.
Bedsports: One stolen kiss on-scene from a side character. One stolen kiss off-scene from a side character. Two kisses between the heroine & hero. Everything else is closed door view.
August 6, 2016
I liked it until it went very odd
I liked the story and enjoyed the build up and even when the element with his brother come out I was still thinking okay I can see how this went assuming nothing more than a few kisses. However when it turned out she had given her virginity to his brother I couldn't get past that surely that's a deal breaker. Then there is the man who is set out to get revenge on her and has been chasing her for 10 years. Suddenly his not so evil she can give up the whereabouts of his son and he will forgive the scar and being shot. It made no sense why run so hard and hide the boy if he wasn't all that bad in the first place? It seemed the ending was ill thought out
I liked the story and enjoyed the build up and even when the element with his brother come out I was still thinking okay I can see how this went assuming nothing more than a few kisses. However when it turned out she had given her virginity to his brother I couldn't get past that surely that's a deal breaker. Then there is the man who is set out to get revenge on her and has been chasing her for 10 years. Suddenly his not so evil she can give up the whereabouts of his son and he will forgive the scar and being shot. It made no sense why run so hard and hide the boy if he wasn't all that bad in the first place? It seemed the ending was ill thought out
August 17, 2015
enjoyable enough story without a lot of smut. i enjoyed the writing style and will probably read more by this author.
the angst seemed a little drawn out and the last 90 minutes of listening (12 hr total) seemed a bit rushed. i could almost get the surprise of the
i sort of had a love hate thing going with both the H & the h, and was not sure of their chemistry, tbh.
what was cool about the whole thing is for the historical romance genre, i found the plot quite original.
the angst seemed a little drawn out and the last 90 minutes of listening (12 hr total) seemed a bit rushed. i could almost get the surprise of the
i sort of had a love hate thing going with both the H & the h, and was not sure of their chemistry, tbh.
what was cool about the whole thing is for the historical romance genre, i found the plot quite original.
September 17, 2016
A curate's egg - probably 2.5 stars
I was very taken with the first half of this traditional HR: the dialogue was fresh and funny, and it's one of only a few HR books I've read where the hero's ennui feels realistic. It was shaping up to be a thoroughly enjoyable character-driven romance. However, the second half introduced too many jarring plot points - including an unforgiveable two-year hiatus - which changed the tone of the book completely. The characters were derailed, and the story lost its focus.
I'll look out other books by Norma Darcy, though - she's a good writer.
I was very taken with the first half of this traditional HR: the dialogue was fresh and funny, and it's one of only a few HR books I've read where the hero's ennui feels realistic. It was shaping up to be a thoroughly enjoyable character-driven romance. However, the second half introduced too many jarring plot points - including an unforgiveable two-year hiatus - which changed the tone of the book completely. The characters were derailed, and the story lost its focus.
I'll look out other books by Norma Darcy, though - she's a good writer.
Want to read
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May 20, 2025
My first read by this author and I really enjoyed it.
April 16, 2017
Vikki’s Musings
Just listened to the audio version. My opinion did not change!
I received an advance reader copy of The Bluestocking and The Rake from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. After reading the book description, I looked forward to reading it with great anticipation. A bluestocking who is more than she appears, and a jaded rake who has at last decided it is time to set up his nursery and put his philandering ways aside makes an interesting read.
Under pressure from his mother and sister, Robert Holkham, the Earl of Marcham, decides he must marry to secure the title for future generation. However, his already less than stellar reputation is being defamed even more by a moralizing pamphlet written by Miss Blakelow. The earl decides to ignore the article and go about the business of finding a wife.
As it turns out, the earl has recently won the Thorncote estate in a card game from the young baronet, Sir William Blakelow, step-brother to the fore mentioned lady. While holding a risqué party at his home, Miss Blakelow shows up and interrupts the festivities with a proposition. She want him to invest money in bringing the estate back to profitability, then allow her to pay him back over time.
This begins the tale of The Bluestocking and The Rake. I had somewhat of a problem following the convoluted story from the beginning and as I continued to read, it only became harder to follow. I cannot even attempt to explain all the intricacies of the plot. There are so many different directions it takes that it quite boggled my mind at times.
While this story has a lot of witty dialogue between the many members of the Blakelow family, much of it does not move the tale forward. It became increasingly more difficult to follow the story because Ms. Darcy jumps from one character’s point of view to another, sometimes with the same paragraph.
This made it a bit difficult to truly care whether this couple achieved their ‘Happily Ever After’ or not. At one point, I considered but the book down, rather than finishing it, something I rarely do. So of course I carried on.
Another issue for me is the continued use of formal names, even when the main characters have amorous thoughts of one another. I have never imagined a brother would think of his sister as Mrs. Weir instead of her given name, nor would he address her using her proper name when no one else is around. The hero continues to think of the heroine as Miss Blakelow long after the romance began, actually up to the very end.
With this said and done, I never fully understood or believed the convoluted plot or the ultimate outcome. There is a villain in this story and everything just resolved way too easily for me to believe it.
Nonetheless, I am glad I decided to finish this tale because there are some deeply emotional scenes between the couple that drew me in and made me care, once the story moved beyond all the angst between the hero and the heroine. I did end up wanting the couple to have a happy ending, and this book does have a satisfying end as far as the romance goes. Happy reading!
Just listened to the audio version. My opinion did not change!
I received an advance reader copy of The Bluestocking and The Rake from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. After reading the book description, I looked forward to reading it with great anticipation. A bluestocking who is more than she appears, and a jaded rake who has at last decided it is time to set up his nursery and put his philandering ways aside makes an interesting read.
Under pressure from his mother and sister, Robert Holkham, the Earl of Marcham, decides he must marry to secure the title for future generation. However, his already less than stellar reputation is being defamed even more by a moralizing pamphlet written by Miss Blakelow. The earl decides to ignore the article and go about the business of finding a wife.
As it turns out, the earl has recently won the Thorncote estate in a card game from the young baronet, Sir William Blakelow, step-brother to the fore mentioned lady. While holding a risqué party at his home, Miss Blakelow shows up and interrupts the festivities with a proposition. She want him to invest money in bringing the estate back to profitability, then allow her to pay him back over time.
This begins the tale of The Bluestocking and The Rake. I had somewhat of a problem following the convoluted story from the beginning and as I continued to read, it only became harder to follow. I cannot even attempt to explain all the intricacies of the plot. There are so many different directions it takes that it quite boggled my mind at times.
While this story has a lot of witty dialogue between the many members of the Blakelow family, much of it does not move the tale forward. It became increasingly more difficult to follow the story because Ms. Darcy jumps from one character’s point of view to another, sometimes with the same paragraph.
This made it a bit difficult to truly care whether this couple achieved their ‘Happily Ever After’ or not. At one point, I considered but the book down, rather than finishing it, something I rarely do. So of course I carried on.
Another issue for me is the continued use of formal names, even when the main characters have amorous thoughts of one another. I have never imagined a brother would think of his sister as Mrs. Weir instead of her given name, nor would he address her using her proper name when no one else is around. The hero continues to think of the heroine as Miss Blakelow long after the romance began, actually up to the very end.
With this said and done, I never fully understood or believed the convoluted plot or the ultimate outcome. There is a villain in this story and everything just resolved way too easily for me to believe it.
Nonetheless, I am glad I decided to finish this tale because there are some deeply emotional scenes between the couple that drew me in and made me care, once the story moved beyond all the angst between the hero and the heroine. I did end up wanting the couple to have a happy ending, and this book does have a satisfying end as far as the romance goes. Happy reading!
January 18, 2015
The Bluestocking and the Rake by Norma Darcy
This book was a slow burn. It took me until at least a quarter of the way through to see the potential in the story. I actually considered putting the book down. It took me a while to get into the plot and once I did, the story was good.
The reviews I have read on Goodreads about this book commented on the witty dialogue. There is a lot of that in this book. Georgiana and Robert spar with each other for most of the book. It didn’t get tedious which was the charm of this story. With his dogged determination and pursuit of Georgiana, he was easily the best part of the book. I really liked Robert and found him to be a most interesting character. He develops and grows the most in the story. From a seasoned rake to a bemused suitor to a man who is grievously in love. Robert seemed like he was going through a mid-life crisis. His usual haunts and activities had lost their lustre. When he encounters Georgiana, he is able to see past her disguise. He is intrigued by the hidden beauty and the razor sharp mind.
Georgiana’s continual rebuttal of Robert should have been tedious, but if she had capitulated easily, their love story wouldn’t have been so sweet. Georgiana had deep, dark secrets of her past. She has fabricated a disguise to keep her secrets safe. While she doesn’t care for the rake Robert is, she despairs at giving in to him because she knows that dangerous secrets will be exposed. She wants to keep to the shadows, but being near Robert exposes her to a world she closed a door on.
While there isn’t a lot of heat to this story in terms of the bedroom, the romance was one of the minds. By the time there is the final reckoning, you truly believe that Georgiana and Robert are in love with each other.
I think what captured and held my attention with this story was the desire to know what Georgiana’s secret was. Although I had assumptions of what it could be and she does state that she was ruined, the secret is multi-layered. I wanted to know why she was hiding and what she feared more than just being discovered for crimes that the ton already knew about. Of course, since this is a historical romance novel, the reasons were altruistic in nature.
One thing that irked me about this book was the formality of how the author referred to the characters. It was never, “Georgiana thought or said this” it was referred to as, “Miss Blakelow spoke to …” It was just odd in some way. Readers become intimate with the characters they read. They know their inner thoughts and in some way this address created a formality that halted the intimacy I crave when reading.
I’m glad I persevered with this story. I liked the secondary characters as they greatly enhanced the story and provided perspective for Georgiana’s situation. The hero and heroine delivered some wonderful dialogue and I really enjoyed Robert. Check out this book – it starts slow, but picks up speed once the game begins.
Reviewed for www.kiltsandswords.com
This book was a slow burn. It took me until at least a quarter of the way through to see the potential in the story. I actually considered putting the book down. It took me a while to get into the plot and once I did, the story was good.
The reviews I have read on Goodreads about this book commented on the witty dialogue. There is a lot of that in this book. Georgiana and Robert spar with each other for most of the book. It didn’t get tedious which was the charm of this story. With his dogged determination and pursuit of Georgiana, he was easily the best part of the book. I really liked Robert and found him to be a most interesting character. He develops and grows the most in the story. From a seasoned rake to a bemused suitor to a man who is grievously in love. Robert seemed like he was going through a mid-life crisis. His usual haunts and activities had lost their lustre. When he encounters Georgiana, he is able to see past her disguise. He is intrigued by the hidden beauty and the razor sharp mind.
Georgiana’s continual rebuttal of Robert should have been tedious, but if she had capitulated easily, their love story wouldn’t have been so sweet. Georgiana had deep, dark secrets of her past. She has fabricated a disguise to keep her secrets safe. While she doesn’t care for the rake Robert is, she despairs at giving in to him because she knows that dangerous secrets will be exposed. She wants to keep to the shadows, but being near Robert exposes her to a world she closed a door on.
While there isn’t a lot of heat to this story in terms of the bedroom, the romance was one of the minds. By the time there is the final reckoning, you truly believe that Georgiana and Robert are in love with each other.
I think what captured and held my attention with this story was the desire to know what Georgiana’s secret was. Although I had assumptions of what it could be and she does state that she was ruined, the secret is multi-layered. I wanted to know why she was hiding and what she feared more than just being discovered for crimes that the ton already knew about. Of course, since this is a historical romance novel, the reasons were altruistic in nature.
One thing that irked me about this book was the formality of how the author referred to the characters. It was never, “Georgiana thought or said this” it was referred to as, “Miss Blakelow spoke to …” It was just odd in some way. Readers become intimate with the characters they read. They know their inner thoughts and in some way this address created a formality that halted the intimacy I crave when reading.
I’m glad I persevered with this story. I liked the secondary characters as they greatly enhanced the story and provided perspective for Georgiana’s situation. The hero and heroine delivered some wonderful dialogue and I really enjoyed Robert. Check out this book – it starts slow, but picks up speed once the game begins.
Reviewed for www.kiltsandswords.com
January 18, 2015
„The Bluestocking and the Rake“ is a lovely Regency romance by Norma Darcy and the 2nd book of the “Regency Gentlemen” series. I haven’t read book 1 so far but it doesn’t matter at least not in my opinion.
Oh I liked this book! The Earl of Marcham is a rake, he loves excesses but decided that he is in need for a wife and that he has to change his morals to find one. One day he reads a pamphlet on him exposing all of his mistresses, love interests call it short: sexual misdemeanors. He knows that the paper was written by a Miss Blakelow but he cannot put her somewhere.
One day Miss Georgiana Blakelow heads to Marchams house because she has to ask for money, for a solution so her family wouldn’t be on the streets soon. Why? Because her father has lost the family estate to Marcham on the card table and her brother isn’t solving the problem. He gives her and her siblings and aunt three months to move out.
Yes, it was her, who wrote the pamphlet and from the first moment sparks fly in between those two because they are so contrary. Miss Blakelow wears an old fashioned cap and glasses she probably doesn’t need and it doesn’t take long that they meet again at her family’s estate and he lets her know that he knows that she is hiding behind those things. He’s very blunt about it.
It doesn’t take long that he offers her the estate for her hand but she refuses. Georgiana cannot marry but for quite a long time the reader doesn’t know what she’s hiding and why she is hiding under this ridiculous cap and the thick glasses.
Let’s just say I thought of many things but never came up with this story solution – it’s great. Really great. Georgiana is a bluestocking par excellence but she probably doesn’t want to be but was made one by society. I like that. It’s something new, something different.
I really felt with Georgiana and Marcham because you soon feel that they are meant to be with each other but that many things keep them from being so. Yes, our bluestocking refuses him maybe a little too often and he never gives up, still is after her – maybe a little too often. I mean a man can only wait to so long. And he has changed but has he changed that much to run after a mysterious woman for how many months? It’s a little unbelievable.
I also liked her siblings a lot because they often say what they think without fitting into the classical society standards. And her aunt – her aunt is lovely because she wants her to see that Marcham isn’t a bad man. There are also other men offering for her and her sisters but she refuses everybody because of her secret.
The story was lovely but could have been cut at least 50 to 100 pages and her secret was, in my opinion, told too late because very quickly he knows that he has seen her somewhere but cannot put her to a special event or anything like that. I think every man would have to find out quicker who she is/was if he cannot put her but knows her. Get what I mean …
Nevertheless: 4****
Thanks to Netgalley. I got the book in exchange for an honest review.
Oh I liked this book! The Earl of Marcham is a rake, he loves excesses but decided that he is in need for a wife and that he has to change his morals to find one. One day he reads a pamphlet on him exposing all of his mistresses, love interests call it short: sexual misdemeanors. He knows that the paper was written by a Miss Blakelow but he cannot put her somewhere.
One day Miss Georgiana Blakelow heads to Marchams house because she has to ask for money, for a solution so her family wouldn’t be on the streets soon. Why? Because her father has lost the family estate to Marcham on the card table and her brother isn’t solving the problem. He gives her and her siblings and aunt three months to move out.
Yes, it was her, who wrote the pamphlet and from the first moment sparks fly in between those two because they are so contrary. Miss Blakelow wears an old fashioned cap and glasses she probably doesn’t need and it doesn’t take long that they meet again at her family’s estate and he lets her know that he knows that she is hiding behind those things. He’s very blunt about it.
It doesn’t take long that he offers her the estate for her hand but she refuses. Georgiana cannot marry but for quite a long time the reader doesn’t know what she’s hiding and why she is hiding under this ridiculous cap and the thick glasses.
Let’s just say I thought of many things but never came up with this story solution – it’s great. Really great. Georgiana is a bluestocking par excellence but she probably doesn’t want to be but was made one by society. I like that. It’s something new, something different.
I really felt with Georgiana and Marcham because you soon feel that they are meant to be with each other but that many things keep them from being so. Yes, our bluestocking refuses him maybe a little too often and he never gives up, still is after her – maybe a little too often. I mean a man can only wait to so long. And he has changed but has he changed that much to run after a mysterious woman for how many months? It’s a little unbelievable.
I also liked her siblings a lot because they often say what they think without fitting into the classical society standards. And her aunt – her aunt is lovely because she wants her to see that Marcham isn’t a bad man. There are also other men offering for her and her sisters but she refuses everybody because of her secret.
The story was lovely but could have been cut at least 50 to 100 pages and her secret was, in my opinion, told too late because very quickly he knows that he has seen her somewhere but cannot put her to a special event or anything like that. I think every man would have to find out quicker who she is/was if he cannot put her but knows her. Get what I mean …
Nevertheless: 4****
Thanks to Netgalley. I got the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2015
Originally Reviewed For: Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
The Bluestocking and the Rake offers us a look into the lives of families in Regency England. It shows that no matter how close you are to someone they always have parts of them that you don't know. Don't assume that you do.
Norma Darcy tells a story about family, friends, revenge, escape and yes somewhere in there is love.
In her youth, Miss Georgina Blakelow made a mistake. Over time she reinvented herself and became the perfect, sister, caregiver, niece and friend. Over time her past was all but forgotten. But one pamphlet warning young girls in her county about the evils of men, changed her life. It brought her back into a world she had left behind forever, or so she thought.
The Earl of Marcham has grown up, finally. He is 36 and ready to live life like it should be. Settle down, get married, have a family and run his estates. Only no one really believes him. His friends laugh and his family?? Well let's just say they want to "help" *snort*. Not really. But when he meets a simple country woman, something of a dowd, he discovers something more. Something real.
Of course that is never all there is to a book. Not only does Georgina have a secret.. she has more than one. Life is just too complicated it seems..
So much for the blurb here are my thoughts.
The Marcham family was horrid, they are supposed to be a loving caring family but instead they come off as abrasive and controlling. They constantly insult and undermine The earl and frankly it annoyed me to no end. Everytime one of them came on to the scene I cringed.
Now, Georgina's family?? Well they are simple, kind of self centered and rather one dimensional but they are loyal to her. Those that know her secrets hold them dear and those that don't? Well they do truly love her which makes her family rather endearing. Of course there are those who are rather abhorrent on her side as well.
All said and done the book was fun and enjoyable. A solid read.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of The Bluestocking and the Rake, provided by netgalley and scheduled to be released February 17, 2015
The Bluestocking and the Rake offers us a look into the lives of families in Regency England. It shows that no matter how close you are to someone they always have parts of them that you don't know. Don't assume that you do.
Norma Darcy tells a story about family, friends, revenge, escape and yes somewhere in there is love.
In her youth, Miss Georgina Blakelow made a mistake. Over time she reinvented herself and became the perfect, sister, caregiver, niece and friend. Over time her past was all but forgotten. But one pamphlet warning young girls in her county about the evils of men, changed her life. It brought her back into a world she had left behind forever, or so she thought.
The Earl of Marcham has grown up, finally. He is 36 and ready to live life like it should be. Settle down, get married, have a family and run his estates. Only no one really believes him. His friends laugh and his family?? Well let's just say they want to "help" *snort*. Not really. But when he meets a simple country woman, something of a dowd, he discovers something more. Something real.
Of course that is never all there is to a book. Not only does Georgina have a secret.. she has more than one. Life is just too complicated it seems..
So much for the blurb here are my thoughts.
The Marcham family was horrid, they are supposed to be a loving caring family but instead they come off as abrasive and controlling. They constantly insult and undermine The earl and frankly it annoyed me to no end. Everytime one of them came on to the scene I cringed.
Now, Georgina's family?? Well they are simple, kind of self centered and rather one dimensional but they are loyal to her. Those that know her secrets hold them dear and those that don't? Well they do truly love her which makes her family rather endearing. Of course there are those who are rather abhorrent on her side as well.
All said and done the book was fun and enjoyable. A solid read.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of The Bluestocking and the Rake, provided by netgalley and scheduled to be released February 17, 2015
August 28, 2015
My rating for The Bluestocking and the Rake would actually be 2.5, since it was a bit better than just ok, but at the same time I could not say that I liked it. When I was reading it I got the impression that this could be a Cinderella story, written by Jane Austen, just add a bit more drama, more lying, lots more secrets and misunderstandings.
All in all it was not a bad story, I just could not stand the way the characters were ready to lie at the drop of the hat, if it was for their advantage. Also the constant assuming the worst from everybody. And those weird repetitions, when something was discussed and shortly after that the same thing is discussed again like the previous scene has not happened at all.
I liked the main characters - Earl of Marcham and Georgiana Blakelow - when they were not acting like children who do not want to share their toys. Since we, the readers, do not get to the real story behind Georgiana's actions until the end of the book, then most of her actions seemed pretty pointless to me and even when I finally knew the story, it still felt all too drama-drama-drama and too forced. I liked how Marcham and Blakelow had their little verbal wars, but from the beginning on there was too much sarcasm, too much unnecessary sarcasm.
So, as much as I'd like to say, that it actually was not bad story at all, I end up tearing it down once again. But it was actually pretty readable story, it just has some things that ruined it for me.
All in all it was not a bad story, I just could not stand the way the characters were ready to lie at the drop of the hat, if it was for their advantage. Also the constant assuming the worst from everybody. And those weird repetitions, when something was discussed and shortly after that the same thing is discussed again like the previous scene has not happened at all.
I liked the main characters - Earl of Marcham and Georgiana Blakelow - when they were not acting like children who do not want to share their toys. Since we, the readers, do not get to the real story behind Georgiana's actions until the end of the book, then most of her actions seemed pretty pointless to me and even when I finally knew the story, it still felt all too drama-drama-drama and too forced. I liked how Marcham and Blakelow had their little verbal wars, but from the beginning on there was too much sarcasm, too much unnecessary sarcasm.
So, as much as I'd like to say, that it actually was not bad story at all, I end up tearing it down once again. But it was actually pretty readable story, it just has some things that ruined it for me.
January 11, 2015
An amusing story about Earl of Marcham who is bored with his rakish life and starts to consider it’s time to take a wife. The author did a believable job in showing his rakish ways as well as showing the inner person that he doesn’t show to others. This side of him believes in true love. Though many would feel that the softer side didn’t fit the story I would have to disagree. I have meet people in my life who have a tough outer shell and when you get to know them you realize that inside they have a softer side that is afraid of being hurt.
Miss Blakelow comes across as a bluestocking but shortly into the story I started to think she was hiding something. And I started looking closer to the nuances in the storyline in an effort to catch her.
I enjoyed seeing these two spare and to me it was obvious that they would connect.
The book does have a lot of twists to it. Though I had no problem following the storyline I did have to slow down how fast I read to make sure that I wasn’t missing something. This is an entertaining HEA.
AN ARC COPY WAS GIFTED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST OPINION VIA NETGALLEY.
To see the full review visit my blog: sportochicksmusings.blogspot.com
Miss Blakelow comes across as a bluestocking but shortly into the story I started to think she was hiding something. And I started looking closer to the nuances in the storyline in an effort to catch her.
I enjoyed seeing these two spare and to me it was obvious that they would connect.
The book does have a lot of twists to it. Though I had no problem following the storyline I did have to slow down how fast I read to make sure that I wasn’t missing something. This is an entertaining HEA.
AN ARC COPY WAS GIFTED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST OPINION VIA NETGALLEY.
To see the full review visit my blog: sportochicksmusings.blogspot.com
January 11, 2015
Kindle Copy for Review
Finally The Earl of Marcham decides it is time to settle down after being a rake in his youth. Getting older, he decides it is time for a wife and eventually a heir. Unfortunate a straight-laced spinster might be his downfall as she has written a pamphlet of his less than stellar past private misdemeanors. So he finds himself out to seduce her but it does not quite as planned.
The spinster in question is Miss Georgiana Blakelow who has given up any thoughts of marriage. She is happy to play governess to her younger siblings and saving the family ruined estate. Unfortunately due to her father and older brother gambling debts, she might lose the estate to the wretched earl who know owns it.
As the sparks flow between them, Georgiana must keep him at bay since she cannot get involved with him despite his offer for marriage to save the estate. She has a secret that she must keep but as the earl gets closer to her it will soon come out.
All is not what it seems, as she fights off her attraction. When the truth comes out can she finally be happy and believe in love again?
Finally The Earl of Marcham decides it is time to settle down after being a rake in his youth. Getting older, he decides it is time for a wife and eventually a heir. Unfortunate a straight-laced spinster might be his downfall as she has written a pamphlet of his less than stellar past private misdemeanors. So he finds himself out to seduce her but it does not quite as planned.
The spinster in question is Miss Georgiana Blakelow who has given up any thoughts of marriage. She is happy to play governess to her younger siblings and saving the family ruined estate. Unfortunately due to her father and older brother gambling debts, she might lose the estate to the wretched earl who know owns it.
As the sparks flow between them, Georgiana must keep him at bay since she cannot get involved with him despite his offer for marriage to save the estate. She has a secret that she must keep but as the earl gets closer to her it will soon come out.
All is not what it seems, as she fights off her attraction. When the truth comes out can she finally be happy and believe in love again?
June 11, 2015
I agree with other reviews that the writing was great. The conversation was superb and forthright. I loved that the hero was trying to change. It was because he was bored but still. His past reputation comes back to bite him throughout the story and I thought he was very patient.
Then the same things began to be said along with similar reactions. After that stall it was an explosion of drama that seemed like it was from a different story. My eyes started rolling and I may have yelled a bit.
All the set up for the end was neatly solved by the hero. It felt too easy. Then nothing is said about it again. What happened?!
The ending. Oh the ending. The rakish hero has held himself in check in regards to the heroine because he respects her. That's great! Then he finds out It felt cheap to me.
HEA
Then the same things began to be said along with similar reactions. After that stall it was an explosion of drama that seemed like it was from a different story. My eyes started rolling and I may have yelled a bit.
All the set up for the end was neatly solved by the hero. It felt too easy. Then nothing is said about it again. What happened?!
The ending. Oh the ending. The rakish hero has held himself in check in regards to the heroine because he respects her. That's great! Then he finds out It felt cheap to me.
HEA
September 23, 2015
Too 'soapy' for me...
The first 60%: Bitchy, spinsterish woman writes a pamphlet critical of the profligate ways of the local rake. He shows up to see who she is and verbal sparing ensues. Bear in mind that this is the same rake who won her family home in a card game and who she wants to loan her money to return it to profitability.
The next 20%: Allusions to a BIG SECRET in the woman's past stand between the developing relationship between the spinster and the rake. She wants him, but he will hate her once he learns the BIG SECRET.
The last 20%: The BIG SECRET is revealed and you must be prepared to totally suspend belief to make it work.
Bottom line: This was too much like a soap opera story line for me because of the often illogical actions and vacillations of the heroine. The pacing in the first part of the novel was incredibly slow and the BIG SECRET wasn't worth the effort and time it took to find out. I just didn't find the characters or the conflicts very believable.
The first 60%: Bitchy, spinsterish woman writes a pamphlet critical of the profligate ways of the local rake. He shows up to see who she is and verbal sparing ensues. Bear in mind that this is the same rake who won her family home in a card game and who she wants to loan her money to return it to profitability.
The next 20%: Allusions to a BIG SECRET in the woman's past stand between the developing relationship between the spinster and the rake. She wants him, but he will hate her once he learns the BIG SECRET.
The last 20%: The BIG SECRET is revealed and you must be prepared to totally suspend belief to make it work.
Bottom line: This was too much like a soap opera story line for me because of the often illogical actions and vacillations of the heroine. The pacing in the first part of the novel was incredibly slow and the BIG SECRET wasn't worth the effort and time it took to find out. I just didn't find the characters or the conflicts very believable.
August 21, 2015
I have to rate this book in stages, first 3/4 of the book was 5 stars, 1/2 was 3 and last part (last 4 hours of it) was complete nonsense and deserves 0. This book should have been a lot smaller in volulme so we don't have to repeatedly have the "misunderstanding" scenes in it, as well as the "I don't trust you/believe it" every 20 pages. I hate that in romantic books and it is more prevalent in books written in the 80s.
The behavior of the main heroine was completely bizarre. If you ask me she has a mental problem, its not dual personality there are multitudes. It started off as her being strong and then she would flip back and forth and completely transform. The main hero was darling but he took so much verbal abuse I don't know how he ended up loving this complicated creature. It just didn't make sense.
The behavior of the main heroine was completely bizarre. If you ask me she has a mental problem, its not dual personality there are multitudes. It started off as her being strong and then she would flip back and forth and completely transform. The main hero was darling but he took so much verbal abuse I don't know how he ended up loving this complicated creature. It just didn't make sense.
August 9, 2014
I read the book almost in one sitting; I enjoyed it that much, especially the witty banter between the main characters. There were so many laugh out loud moments, my husband asked me several times what was so funny. Laughter aside, there was a dark undercurrent and the unraveling of the story had some mystery to it; not enough to really predict the ending beyond Georgina finally accepting the duke but enough to keep reading for clues. I agree with many reviewers that the author could have better tied the loose ends together a bit better but I still loved it.
February 1, 2018
4/15/15: The banter between Georgie and Lord Marcham is priceless. She doesn't back down, and tells him just what she thinks, while he is a charmer. I loved the writing, and the story unfolded very cleverly with great surprises. The ending did fall a little short, but I was very impressed overall. I'll read this again sometime.
1/31/18: such a fun read. I really enjoyed the audiobook this time.
1/31/18: such a fun read. I really enjoyed the audiobook this time.
May 7, 2017
Surprisingly good. Thoroughly enjoyable story. Michael Page is an excellent narrator.
August 1, 2019
A good deal of potential but clearly a draft
While I like the story itself, there were a number of problems that just can't be ignored. I love dialogue, but too much is too much. In some ways it felt more like a poorly written script rather than a novel.
Not enough attention was brought to the actions of the characters during the lengthy dialogue. I found myself seeing clues in the dialogue of actions (a character referencing the exchange of an object for example) but nothing in the narrative indicating that the object changed hands.
More detail was provided in the beginning then there was throughout the rest of the book. I was having a hard time picturing the scene because details regarding setting were missing. Like watching actors on stage "driving" while sitting on chairs vs actors in an actual car. Those details that paint the picture in a readers mind were missing.
The resolution with the "man" out to get Miss Blakelow was resolved too neatly to be believable.
The supporting characters were not well fleshed out. Blakelow Jr is a prime example. His answers to the Earls questions were muddled enough to have a hard time believing that he, a disreputable, gambling, drunk, was actually trying to protect Miss Blakelow.
The length of the novel was also too long. I felt several scenes in particular should have been cut or dramatically reduced as they lengthened the novel unnecessarily.
The formatting was also not professionally done as there were hyphenated words that should not have been hyphenated (words that should only be hyphenated when spit between two lines), dialogue obviously from different characters included in the same paragraph, and paragraph spacing/tabs chopping up sentences and scenes.
Don't get me wrong, this story has great potential. It simply needs to be refined and finished rather than publishing a draft version.
While I like the story itself, there were a number of problems that just can't be ignored. I love dialogue, but too much is too much. In some ways it felt more like a poorly written script rather than a novel.
Not enough attention was brought to the actions of the characters during the lengthy dialogue. I found myself seeing clues in the dialogue of actions (a character referencing the exchange of an object for example) but nothing in the narrative indicating that the object changed hands.
More detail was provided in the beginning then there was throughout the rest of the book. I was having a hard time picturing the scene because details regarding setting were missing. Like watching actors on stage "driving" while sitting on chairs vs actors in an actual car. Those details that paint the picture in a readers mind were missing.
The resolution with the "man" out to get Miss Blakelow was resolved too neatly to be believable.
The supporting characters were not well fleshed out. Blakelow Jr is a prime example. His answers to the Earls questions were muddled enough to have a hard time believing that he, a disreputable, gambling, drunk, was actually trying to protect Miss Blakelow.
The length of the novel was also too long. I felt several scenes in particular should have been cut or dramatically reduced as they lengthened the novel unnecessarily.
The formatting was also not professionally done as there were hyphenated words that should not have been hyphenated (words that should only be hyphenated when spit between two lines), dialogue obviously from different characters included in the same paragraph, and paragraph spacing/tabs chopping up sentences and scenes.
Don't get me wrong, this story has great potential. It simply needs to be refined and finished rather than publishing a draft version.
May 20, 2018
Besides the immature dialogue, over-explanations, and anachronistic mistakes, I was stunned by two scenes where Robbie and Georgie were having a lengthy and intimate conversation while the other characters were in the room. In the first scene, the author didn’t write that the two withdrew from the room or went to an alcove, so ostensibly everyone was able to hear their conversation—even if they had whispered. The second conversation was even more intimate and they spoke while dancing—not the waltz—so everyone around them heard that too, and it was about a huge secret, so I kept thinking, “Everyone can hear you.”
As for anachronisms:
The writer states that someone rushed past her like a “tsunami,” so I looked it up and saw that the term wasn’t used in 1817. It was barely used in 1939.
I realized that Georgie was supposed to be a passionate person under the mob cap and spectacles, but the dialogue was very promiscuous for that time and by someone reputedly pretending to be a highly moral spinster who wrote pamphlets about propriety and morals. She left that persona behind during her second meeting with the Earl.
To me, this book lacked historical accuracy. I struggled to finish it and did so just because I hate not finishing any book.
As for anachronisms:
The writer states that someone rushed past her like a “tsunami,” so I looked it up and saw that the term wasn’t used in 1817. It was barely used in 1939.
I realized that Georgie was supposed to be a passionate person under the mob cap and spectacles, but the dialogue was very promiscuous for that time and by someone reputedly pretending to be a highly moral spinster who wrote pamphlets about propriety and morals. She left that persona behind during her second meeting with the Earl.
To me, this book lacked historical accuracy. I struggled to finish it and did so just because I hate not finishing any book.
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