The Ruby Heart

by Janet Louise Roberts, Rebecca Danton (Pseudonym)

1812, England
Beautiful, spirited and outspoken, Lesley Dalrymple harbours a deep distrust of men. As a wealthy heiress, she’s grown cynical of their motives and has sworn she will never marry.

With his drinking, gambling and womanising, the arrogant Burke Penhallow stands for everything Lesley despises in a man.

But as a fellow godparent to her young nephew, he also represents her only chance to rescue the little boy from a life of cruel abuse.

Lesley unhappily agrees to marry Burke, resolving that their marriage will be in name only.

But despite herself, she quickly finds her defences crumbling as she falls under the spell of emotions she can’t fight.

Is she able to trust Burke? Can a rakish bachelor ever truly be tamed? Or is her heart in danger of being broken…?

A classic Regency romance, THE RUBY HEART is a classic historical love story with dashes of humour and suspense.

Genres: Historical Romance

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 1980

About the author

See pseudonyms Louisa Bronte, Rebecca Danton & Janette Radcliffe. Some of the listed titles are more straight romance than romantic suspense.

Janet Louise Roberts was born on January 20, 1925, in New Britain Connecticut, the daughter of a missionary in a conservative church. She wrote contemporary, historical, and gothic romances, as well as occult horror romances such as The Devil’s Own, Isle of the Dolphins, Lord Satan, and Her Demon Lover. She used pseudonyms for several of her works.

Roberts died on June 11, 1982 in Dayton, Ohio.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read: 1/29/26
Setting: Regency England
Trope: MOC, enemies to lovers
1.5 stars

This book was exhausting. I can't believe I finished it! 🎉

plot: Outspoken, bluestocking Lesley is trying to gain custody of her nephew, Sandy, from her cruel aunt and uncle. She knows he's being abused. Though, she strongly dislikes Burke, she asks for his help.

Burke was her late brother's best friend and godfather to her nephew. His solution is not a happy one. Lesley's brother's Will states that Sandy is to be entrusted to the closest MARRIED relative. So, Burke proposes a MOC in order to gain custody of Sandy and her sister (Yes,there's also a sister). So she agrees and they are married. Though, Lesley soon informs Burke that their marriage will be in name only. She's not going to entrust her heart or body to a rake!

So poor Burke starts his campaign to win Lesley's heart. Slowly, Lesley's resolve softens. That all changes when visitors arrive uninvited. Her uncle shows up with her aunt, her aunt's secret lover, and Burke's ex mistress. 😬 Burke knows they are up to mischief. The pair need to be united because that's the only way they'll win.

So will Lesley learn to trust Burke or will she sabotage their plans because she can't control her tongue? * spoiler she can't

likes:
1. Burke was described as a womanizing, gambler. He was not. He worked hard on his estate, but would go on holiday to London. He didn't really gamble or drink that much. I don't know why Burke is labeled so badly. He was pretty tame. Oh and he has the patience of a saint! How he fell in love with Lesley is beyond me!
2. I liked Lesley's family members and friends. Her sister was so much more mature than the h. Sandy and the little boys were a great addition.
3. I'm glad the author tried to show the dark side of life that these poor children faced back then. Unfortunately, because it came from the h, I sometimes felt like I was being preached to, not shown.

dislikes:
1. To list all the ways I loathe Lesley would take forever. I'll list a few:
*Outspoken? Try major b***h! She is blunt and rude. She never gives an inch to anyone.
* She is way too judgemental. She judges every little failure from Burke. It all comes back to him being labeled a disillusioned rake.
* She hates men. Why? I have no idea! She had nice father and brothers and no man broke her heart. So no motive, just hates all men for some reason.
* How selfish to marry a man and then demanded it be in name only, but he better not cheat! 🙄. She's at least grateful, right? Nope! He isn't doing enough to save Sandy.
* Burke warns her that the uncle would try some trick in order to gain custody of Sandy and his money. Yet when it finally happens, Lesley believes the villian's story. 🤪. Later, Burke warns Lesley about the person he thinks kidnapped Sandy. So of course, she willingly gets into a carriage with that said villain. Talk about TSTL!

2. The villains invaded their honeymoon. The MC know that the visitors are bringing trouble, but they let them stay for weeks. Why? That was just asinine! Get some balls and throw them out!

3. I wish Burke was more of a Bodice-ripper alpha man. If anybody needed to be smacked, it was Lesley! Burke was too forgiving and understanding.

4. Romance? Not in this book! They barley kiss and didn't even consummate their marriage until the last pages.

Conclusion: This book had potential, but it was ruined by a horrible h. She's the Karen of hr! Personally, I'm surprised I found the will power to finish this book.

sidenote: I'm kind of proud of myself for not filling the page with 🙄 emojis

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, may I say how much I appreciate a socially conscious heroine who actually does things with it? Lesley advocates for children's rights and practices what she preaches! So many historical heroines are presented as opposing society's restrictions but really do very little.

As for the actual story - there is a proper plot to follow regarding the nephew and his custody, which is nice. The heroine is likable, the hero passable, and both of them can be rather silly. The love story itself was nothing much to write home about but pleasant all the same. Ultimately this book felt like standard fare Regency romance, but the kind that gives your brain a proper rest and doesn't abuse your emotions horribly. Such books are really very restful.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors from the 70's and 80's. Kindle

[Khansa Jan Dijoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sapere Books for providing me with this egalley in exchange for an honest review.

In The Ruby Heart by Janet Louise Roberts, when Lesley Dalrymple hears about her six-year old nephew being abused under the guardianship of her uncle and aunt, she seeks the help of fellow god-parent and London's well-known rake- Burke Penhallow. Although, she despises men and refuses to marry, the only way of saving her nephew is through marriage with Burke Penhallow. I like the plot and themes, but I did not like the narration.

The plot was good Regency romance, especially with villainous relatives, gossiping Londoners, and good protagonists like Lesley and Burke. First of all, I like the villains that are so overbearing, so the protagonists are always confronting them, instead of just falling in love. Second of all, this story highlights a lot of social issues of the Regency era such as poverty, child labor, and child abuse. It focuses the light on the lower class of London society, instead of solely focusing on the gentry. Third of all, the protagonists are likable Lesley with her disdain for men and feminism and Burke with his caring nature and handsome looks. I like how theirs is not an instant love, especially with hurdles along the way, but Lesley remains the greatest hurdle. I know jealousy is an important step in realizing love, but it does not fit with her character.

Nonetheless, the narration rushes a lot. First, some important moments require a detailed confrontation, but the author breezes past them. On the other hand, some things are just happening too fast, which does not enhance the development of characters or relations. Second, this kind of narration does not help me connect with the romance of the story; when Lesley and Burke had their moments, they felt out of place. Maybe, if their romance developed at a slower pace, it would feel more right. If you like short Regency romances, then you should check out The Ruby Heart by Janet Louise Roberts.

[Patti Wolff · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Ruby Heart" was penned some forty years ago by Janet Louise Roberts; I do not know if she used the pen name Rebecca Danton back then. Apparently her novels are just now available in e-book format.

Embarking on a marriage of convenience to rescue 6-year-old Sandy Dalrymple from his physically abusive uncle and his unpleasant wife, his Aunt Lesley and godfather Burke Penhallow quickly hit predictable snags. Bluestocking Lesley and rake Burke are supremely ill-suited.

Now I believe people can change. Without giving spoilers, Burke has a few *duh* moments, one in particular, and afterwards he says he should have seen this coming. Oh really, do you think so?! Let's not forget Lesley, who near the end of the book, has a massive TSTL moment. Bluestockings are supposed to be smarter than that. The very real problems of child abuse, orphanages and child labor are addressed. The ruby heart of the title plays a pivotal role in the book.

Sadly, the characters didn't resonate with me. While there are no graphic sex scenes, I cannot classify this novel as completely clean. 2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story—it was full of intrigue and unexpected twists. I especially liked the focus on righting the wrongs of child abuse and child labor.

I wish there had been more substance to the romance. For a Bluestocking, Lesley wasn't very smart in how she handled Burke. If she had wanted to keep control of her own money, she should have negotiated for that in her marriage contract. Instead, she blamed Burke for her situation. Instead of fighting for what she wanted, she mostly sulked for the middle 50% of the novel.

Burke, for his part, was high-handed at times while also hiding his affection for her. Of course she was cold and distant. He didn't give her reason to be otherwise. But in the end, they both showed their true colors and came together to fight for their future. Ultimately, I found the book worth reading.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.

[Just · Rating 1 out of 5]

A classic....

..... as in, written some time ago. Silly woman, strong man turned milquetoast because of love, and a storyline you could drive a truck through. Decent premise for a novel, lousy character development, as well as presentation. The author needed a bit more education in the reality of Regency upstairs/downtrodden for this novel to move beyond boring and childish.

[Gia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was ok.. the heroines ideas were good but she was the most annoying person in the book.She never gave the H a chance. Extremely flaky and irritating.would not read another book by this author if the characters are so annoying.

[Telitha A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing recency romance

Its nice to be able to read something that is a little different from the ordinary. I liked the characters and the way they were portrayed. The theme of the story was a little modern but will done anyway

[Frances · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn’t like the characters in this book. Not even the hero and heroine. Totally inept, which ended with a amazingly improbable conclusion. I remember reading her books, I think I liked them better 30 years ago.

[Lolz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced, the hero needed to do some more groveling though, or at least be more open with his wife... 😑

[Henrietta G Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

This is an easily recommended book. It is a little slow, but ,is clean, well written, has strong characters and keeps you reading into the night

[Charlene Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting Romance book

Written like a storyteller was in the room. Reading out loud with emotions high and low. Cast of characters fantastic

[Aou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine was not an intelligent woman, she was an idiot actually.