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Hearts in Hiding #2

The Bluestocking and the Rake

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With a murderer hot on her heels, becoming the greatest treasure in a bored aristocrat's collection may be Jemima's only hope of survival.


Bluestocking Jemima Percy owes her life to the brave nobleman who plucked her from the arms of a ruthless killer. 

But now he, too, is dead and she’s alone and friendless, fearful of putting her family in jeopardy if she contacts them before the killer is apprehended.

If only Jemima had been able to locate her rescuer’s younger brother, she would not have been forced to sacrifice her reputation in exchange for her life.

Miles, Lord Ruthcot, is determined to shed his image as a dissolute rake following his failure to rescue an unknown damsel in distress, as requested by his dying elder brother.

However, when he meets the exquisite new mistress of his late brother’s rival, he no longer cares about upholding his new notions of honour and respectability.

He wants Jemima and he’ll do whatever it takes to possess her.

But Jemima is a bluestocking at heart.

Even if her heart and body are in danger of betraying her steely resolve, she is determined to hold handsome Viscount Ruthcot at bay.

Read The Bluestocking and the Rake to find out if Miles learns the truth of Jemima’s identity in time to protect her from the evil forces that threaten her life.

The Bluestocking and the Rake is Book 2 in the Hearts in Hiding series but can be read as a standalone.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 31, 2018

432 people are currently reading
188 people want to read

About the author

Beverley Oakley

125 books211 followers
Also writes under Beverley Eikli.

Beverley Oakley writes Regency, Victorian and Georgian-set romances full of passion and laced with mystery and intrigue.

Born in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, she married the handsome bush pilot she met in Botswana while managing a safari lodge and has spent the rest of her life as a ‘trailing spouse’ doing what she loves most: writing books from sweet to steamy; and from humorous to historical romantic suspense.

Here’s more about her series.

Daughters of Sin
A very steamy, funny, witty and dangerous Regency-set ‘Dynasty’ featuring two nobly-born debutantes and their illegitimate sisters - laced with political intrigue, cheating spouses and, of course, dangerous gentlemen.

1. Her Gilded Prison
2. Dangerous Gentlemen
3. The Mysterious Governess
4. Beyond Rubies
5. Lady Unveiled: The Cuckold’s Conspiracy
(Prequel coming October 2021)

The Scandalous Miss Brightwells
A humorous, sometimes steamy, matchmaking series – with some books sweeter and more sensual and poignant.

1. Rake’s Honour
2. Rogue’s Kiss
3. The Wedding Wager
4. The Accidental Elopement
5. The Honourable Fortune Hunter
6. The Wilful Widow
7. The Courtship Caper


Fair Cyprians of London

A group of women who work in a high class House of Assignation. Ranging from very steamy to sweet, hopeful redemption stories.

1. Saving Grace
2. Forsaking Hope
3. Keeping Faith
4. Wedding Violet
5. Christmas Charity
6. Loving Lily

Hearts in Hiding

Historical romantic suspense, very steamy often showing the darker aspects of Regency society, including the dependence and subjugation of women – and how, against the odds, they find their happy-ever-afters.

1. The Duchess and the Highwayman
2. The Bluestocking and the Rake
3. Duchess of Seduction
4. The Countess and the Cavalier

Scandalous: Three Daring Charades

Three sweet, yet intrigue-filled Regency historicals

Lady Sarah’s Redemption
Lady Olivia’s Butterfly
A Little Deception

You can connect with Beverley on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeverl...,
or through her website at: www.beverleyoakley.com

http://twitter.com/BeverleyOakley
https://www.facebook.com/beverley.eikli

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5 stars
109 (38%)
4 stars
91 (32%)
3 stars
49 (17%)
2 stars
24 (8%)
1 star
10 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Dennis.
952 reviews27 followers
February 17, 2021
Nicely written historical

This is a nicely written historical with a pretty good plot, as far I am concerned it would have been better with some explicit sex which unfortunately this book does not have. It does have some sex so it is not "clean", but it certainly is not very explicit.
Profile Image for Tisa.
1,218 reviews7 followers
December 28, 2020
Jemima Percy owes her life to the brave nobleman who plucked her from the arms of a ruthless killer. When she has to run from the killer of her father. All for the secret artifacts that can lead to hidden treasure. The problem is its in code. Only a few people understand those codes. Jemina is one of those people who was taught by her father.

However Sir Richard came to her rescue when he stopped the killer. Richard knows that she cannot go to her Aunt or cousins because it would put their lives at risk. When being accosted again in a carriage, Richard tells her to hide & he will meet her in the forest in an hour. Unfortunately the Killer gets to Richard too. But not before sending a note to his brother. to Save Ms. Percy if he dies. Unfortunately Miles, Lord Ruthcot doesn't make the date on the 6th of the 12 day.
If only Jemima had been able to locate her rescuer’s younger brother, she would not have been forced to sacrifice her reputation in exchange for her life.

Miles, Lord Ruthcot is determined to shed his image as a dissolute rake following his failure to rescue an unknown damsel in distress, as requested by his dying elder brother. What he doesn't know is the web of danger he has gotten himself into when he meets the exquisite new mistress of his late brother’s rival. He no longer cares about upholding his new notions of honour and respectability. He wants Jemima and he’ll do whatever it takes to possess her.
Just what she wants another man to controls & lies to her. She believed she was married to find out it was a shame of a wedding. She is ruined & on top of it her suppose Husband has sold her to Lord Drisel who is obsessed with her. He will give her everything but she will not let her go, Not even when he is required to marry an innocent who doesn't have a clue what her soon to be is like.

But Jemima is a bluestocking at heart. Even if her heart and body are in danger of betraying her steely resolve, Miles learns the truth of Jemima’s identity, but will it be in time to protect her from the evil forces that threaten her life? Will she find out that he was the man that didn't show up at the church as promised by Richard. Can she accept that he is the reason she was ruined & became a whore. She wants her independence & bleeds to get the artifacts that she left at Lord Griffin home a year ago, when he threated her family & realized he was the one who had her father killed. Jemina must get access to Lord Griffin's house party. The only way to do that is have Miles convince Lord Drecial to take his mistress to the party. Without letting his new wife know they are in the same house. That way she can get to the blue room where she left the artifact to escape death herself that fateful night. Can she save herself before the greedy men want to kill & own her. Will she let Miles protect her now that he knows the truth & loves her.
Read to her the horrible story of Jemina & her rescuer to get her out of the life of ruin.

Intense, suspenseful, heart breaking, torrid love scenes. lots of evil plots. Can we get a HEA in this novel? Can Jemina earn her reputation back on her own. Or will she needs Miles to help her to get out of the life of the men that lied to her.
Profile Image for Melissa.
57 reviews4 followers
May 31, 2021
I'll give it 1 1/2 stars because I read the entire book. However, it was really very poorly written with unrealistic characters and a ridiculous plot. Honestly, the only thing it had going for it was potential, but that went unfulfilled.

The idea of a a female expert in antiquities and ancient languages was appealing. That said female was stupidly coerced into becoming a courtesan was not. That said female wound up marrying a gentleman and finding true love is just ludicrous. The whole antiquities aspect became an extremely minor subplot and even that wound up with an almost footnote ending about solving a riddle and finding a missing treasure. Nothing about this book was believable.

Add to that the fact that the writing was terrible, and I'm actually surprised I finished it. A few typos is annoying but acceptable in electronic books. But this book was filled with excessive editing errors. The pacing was really irritating, with seemingly key elements of the timeline completely skipped over while minor plot elements are painted in painstaking detail. And as I said before the characters just weren't believable, so they weren't really likable or sympathetic.

I always find it baffling when someone who so clearly has little to no understanding of a time period is able to successfully sell books set during that time period. I find it irritating that someone who does not even have a rudimentary ability to develop plot well or have a believable character arc can make a living as a writer. I find it appalling that books get published with little to no editing.

Stay away from all books by Beverley Oakley!
Profile Image for WyoGal.
489 reviews
March 16, 2021
Tarnished HEA

If the reader likes books where both protagonists are screwed up in some way, in this case the male protagonist is immature and pales in comparison to his brother and lacks some man cards until the very end, and the female loses her innocence to a cad and a rich dude due to mistakes on the part of the male “hero” and her own poor choices—then this book might appeal. There is a bit of redemption at the very end, but I lost my respect for both characters along the way. When the two-timing rich guy seems like a better choice than the male lead, something is amiss.

The female protagonist is supposed to be clever at archeological mysteries, but her intelligence just dims as the book progresses. She may be happy with the guy in the end, but the author robs her of finding her own intellectual strength by skipping the part where she solves the ancient hieroglyphs. Lame. There’s little pay off for the reader when the end is rushed to an epilogue months after all the adventures are over.

The beginning starts off rather excitingly, but when the first time jump happens to “ months later” it’s a horrid bitter pill for the reader to find out what transpired in those missing months.

The male protagonist comes across as a lovesick middle school boy with barely any redeeming qualities. He may win the girl in the end, but after she’s been in the arms of a skilled lover, the hero seems awkward and groping.

The justice served at the end comes about through little to no agency of either protagonist, so that is also a let down.
910 reviews5 followers
November 24, 2020
Treachery and a modest young woman

Seldom was a young woman found in England that was able to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs. Her father, a professor and collector of ancient artifacts, had encouraged her desire for learning and acted as her mentor. Through their years together, she had become an expert at cataloging antiques from the ancient periods to which they belonged along with her translating.
Her father's life work had been work on some ceramic tablets found on one of their many trips to the east. Other related pieces held in museums and private collections were thought to contain the directs for finding a fortune. Working side by side, the two of them were on the edge of completing the translation of the stone they had and her notes on the symbols were going to be invaluable in translating the other pieces.
Returning one afternoon, she finds her father on the floor of his library, dead. Though his death would have been devastating no matter what the cause, the realization that his death was unnatural and her life in danger, stripped her of the wonderful life they had shared.
Fearful of placing her only remaining family in danger, her life with no one to turn to, begins. This gripping story will keep you awake until the last page. A brilliant plot with wonderful, wicked, and evil characters you'll love or love to hate, you won't be disappointed in this mystery to rival the greats!
3,545 reviews14 followers
July 8, 2020
The Bluestocking And The Rake is a spectacular historical romance by Beverley Oakley. Ms. Oakley has provided readers with a well-written story. You can't help but love these phenomenal characters. Jemima loved working with her father. When she finds him close to death and he tells her to run, she runs. Miles inherits his title when his brother is murdered. Miles and Jemima's story is packed with drama, humor, sizzle, action and suspense. I loved this book from start to finish and look forward to reading more from Beverly Oakley in the future. The Bluestocking And The Rake is book 2 of the Hearts in Hiding Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Profile Image for Cait M.
1,376 reviews11 followers
November 27, 2020
A fast-paced and very well written story. Showing the human face of the demimonde which doesn't always get a fair showing in most Regency romance. Mistresses are usually secondary characters or the faceless often scheming "other woman" used as a plot device to move a story forward. Not so here.

Our heroine has had a terrible experience and through little to no fault of her own, circumstances have conspired to place her in a hopless position.

I usually tend toward lighter romance and for that reason this slightly darker story was hard for me to read. I am still a little heartsore thinking about poor Jemima. Be reassured though, there is a happy ever after and all does get resolved by the end of the book.
937 reviews7 followers
December 16, 2020
Jemima daughter of famous archeologist/scientist finds her father murdered and the murderer is now trying to kill her for the tablet of clay in her possession. For some reason men want her as their mistress and other men just want to get their hands on the tablet. She is having difficulty knowing who to trust and the one man trying to save her is killed. The chase is on! A bit of a melodrama but the ending is swift and good. I would have given it 4.5 but unable to do so. It did keep my interest so I gave it a 5 rather than a 4. A bit like Perils of Pauline!
Profile Image for Lexi Greene.
Author 9 books7 followers
October 5, 2018
I loved this story and I loved the feisty, intelligent heroine who manages to manipulate her circumstances through sheer wit and resilience to find her happy ever after with a hero to die for. I LOVED the romance between the two main characters and how both characters are redeemed by the end of the story. Lots of twists and turns and suspense along the way. A really engaging read. I was lost in the world of the story.
187 reviews3 followers
December 10, 2020
Interesting story

This is the 1st book of Beverly Oakley that I have read. The book was slow to start. I kept putting it to the side, then come back to it. The character of Jemima was interesting just like her story. She was a victim of circumstances and dealt with her fate as best as she could. The hero, Mike, took quite a while to appear in her life. I enjoyed the book although my interest lagged.
Profile Image for Catherine.
220 reviews1 follower
Read
July 17, 2020
Quite an adventure

The premise of the story was very interesting. I was not sure at the beginning if I would like the story. However, Ms Oakley has a way of introducing her characters in a way that you actually remember them which makes the story much more exciting. Thank you.
2,043 reviews8 followers
March 31, 2023
Audiobook: This was my first experience with Beverly Oakley's work, and I enjoyed the story. Jemima Percy was a resourceful and strong individual that overcame many obstacles. The tale had some surprising twists. Beverly Oakley's narration was fine and kept my attention. I was given a copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.
Profile Image for Lori.
773 reviews3 followers
August 25, 2024
How To Trust The Love Of A Lord

Jemmias life has been about her father and his antiques that he has acquired. But her father has something that someone was willing murder him for. And now they are after her. And now her life wasn't hers anymore. So read and see how her life changes due to the circumstances that was thrown in her way.
Profile Image for Tressia Avellar.
270 reviews3 followers
June 23, 2020
From the pan and into the fire

This was a very fast paced book which had many characters and a few twists in it. It seemed a bit more of a "who did it" type book to me than a historical romance, but it was a clever story.
2,651 reviews10 followers
August 3, 2020
Exciting

Wow definitely not your typical Regency story with parlor games. This was immediately life or death, hang on cause this isn't going to be easy. Jemima is such a strong character, you'll want to cheer for her all the way.
48 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable tale

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this tale of love and adventure. It gave me a new insight into the susceptibility of a single woman with no means to live. A great read!
Profile Image for Charline Bonham.
637 reviews
January 29, 2021
Treasure

Rescued after her father is killed and she is kidnapped, Jemime is in for more trouble. She's a survivor and makes her own way but pays a price. Miles wants her but she's learned how men think and will not give in.
Profile Image for Barbara R. Cady.
1,081 reviews4 followers
June 24, 2020
Action, adventure, and love...

This book has lots of twists and turns for this poor girl. Nice surprise at the end after the great adventure she has.
Profile Image for bex.
2,435 reviews24 followers
June 30, 2020
3 stars

Not what is usually expected of the genre but seemed focus on character and made good use of suspense elements.
Profile Image for Irène Wadowski uliasz.
543 reviews22 followers
September 22, 2020
Une histoire qui sort un peu de l'ordinaire car l'héroïne n'attend pas ou plutôt plus qu'on la sauve. On est jamais mieux servi que par soi-même.
Profile Image for Joanne Moynihan.
374 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2020
Romantic adventure

Interesting story of betrayal and what a defenseless woman has to do to survive. It does have s happy ending with no loose ends
Profile Image for Rachael.
613 reviews6 followers
November 20, 2020
Liked this one better than the first installment. The heroine is a lot more gutsy.
162 reviews
December 27, 2020
I loved this book. It was hard to put down and had a very unusual story. I told my husband to read it too. I rarely suggest digital books for him.
13 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2021
A good story

I enjoyed this story. It was a great light murder mystery with many twists. The female characters were strong and memorable.
Profile Image for Marjorie.
2,099 reviews4 followers
February 17, 2021
Exciting love story

I loved this book. Jamima and Miles took a while to find each other. True love prevailed once more again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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