Francesca's Rake

Regency Duo #1

by Lynn Kerstan

HE PLANS TO WOO, WIN, AND WED THE MOST UNSUITABLE BRIDE HE CAN FIND!

Though she possessed a vast inheritance at age one-and-thirty, Francesca was taller than most men and better educated. If all that failed to spook a potential suitor, her illegitimate birth to an Italian commoner would do the trick.

She was perfect! Viscount Clayburn, the most notorious rake in London, spent his whole life rebelling against his manipulative father. Now, to thwart a plot to marry him off to an heiress of prime farmland, he found a woman unacceptable to his father . . . but most pleasing to himself.

Though she had no intention of succumbing to the seduction of this silver-eyed devil, Francesca was aware of an amusing fact: The rake had no idea he was trying to seduce the very woman his father wished him to marry!

Genres: Romance, Regency Romance, Historical Romance

218 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 28, 1997

About the author

Lynn Kerstan is a former college professor, folksinger, professional bridge player, and nun.

Her first book, A Spirited Affair, published in 1993, was a double RITA finalist. In 1996, she took home a prestigious RITA Award for Gwen's Christmas Ghost, written with Indianapolis resident Alicia Rasley via E-Mail. A pioneer of on-line collaboration, she had previously collaborated with Rasley and Julie Caille on Lessons in Love, the world's first Electronic Regency Romance.

A four-time RITA finalist and regularly featured on awards lists, Kerstan has won the CRW Award of Excellence, the Golden Quill Award, two San Diego Book Awards, two Romance Communications Awards, and been a finalist for the National Readers' Choice Award, several Romantic Times awards, and the Holt Medallion.

Kerstan lives in Southern California, where she plots her books while riding her boogie board and does character research at the San Diego Zoo.

Reviews

[QNPoohBear · Rating 1 out of 5]

Galen Pender, Viscount Clayborn is happy with his rakehell existence until his domineering father threatens to cut him off unless he marries and produces an heir. His father even has a bride in mind, a woman who comes with a nice parcel of land. Clay's instinct is to rebel against his father and marry an unsuitable woman. At the posting inn on the way to London, he encounters a beautiful goddess who appears to be some sort of chaperon to a young minx and Clay becomes instantly smitten, however the lady wants nothing to do with Clay! The lady in question, Francesca Childe, is a 31-year-old bluestocking, illegitimate daughter of an Italian commoner! She and her mother were rescued from the streets of Naples by the Duke of Sotherton who married Francesca's mother and raised Francesca as his own. Francesca would like nothing more than to stay by her invalid father's side and read to him, but he sends her to London to chaperon her younger cousins during their first Season. Francesca knows that Clay's father has her in mind as a suitable bride for the Viscount and she intends to firmly snub the young man whenever she sees him, but Clay won't be ignored. This Regency is all about feelings. Clay lusts after Francesca and she tries to avoid her feelings about him. It would fall under Subtle Sensuality on All About Romance's Sensuality Rating Guide. The plot didn't interest me too much. It seemed repetitive and the characters never really take the time to think about anyone other than themselves and their own desires, however conflicting they may be. Francesca seems like she'd be an admirable character, I enjoy bluestockings, but I really couldn't like her very much. I think she would have been more interesting had she stayed at home! Read this if you like romance novels but not for period details and good plot.

[MaryCade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this one (promptly set about ordering more of Lynn Kerstan’s work). Clay was a lovely scoundrel and Francesa was not your usual heroine. I liked her a lot. Clay’s *Labors of Hercules* were humorous and the secondary characters unusual enough to be interesting.

[Deborah Vespo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theresa Weller is on the shelf at 31. She's beautiful, headstrong, an intelligent bluestocking, the daughter of a Duke, and a very wealthy woman. One would think with such credentials she would have been removed from that shelf a long time ago - did I mention she was headstrong and a bluestocking? Those two features alone are enough to scare most men away. She is also seen as the target for Bartholomew by his own father the earl, unbeknownst to him who this paragon of a woman is. Bartholomew has created a picture in his head of what this 31 year old unmarried woman looks like and refers to this unknown person as "the albatross." Theresa is on her way to London to act as a chaperone for her twin cousins Livvy and Ann, with her worthless and future heir to the Dukedom Uncle in tow. When Bartholomew first sees her he falls fast and hard, and makes it his goal to discover who she is so that he can marry this beautiful but plainly dressed nobody so that he can anger his father. Theresa discovers very quickly who this rake is and does everything to push him away. This rake does everything he can to win her affections.

[Linda C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Francesca is tall, 31, intellectual, and illegitimate; not a likely candidate for suitors in Regency London. Viscount Clayburn has been humiliated by his father yet again and now said father wants to force him into a marriage to gain access to the land adjoining his estate. Clay determines to thwart his efforts by marrying another unsuitable woman. When he meets Francesca, he thinks she will be perfect and he falls in love at first sight, so... a win/win situation. Francesca has other ideas, since she recognizes his name immediately and knows he is the son of the man who has been trying to negotiate her marriage. This was a misunderstanding plot that actually had many variations and so avoided the typical pitfalls. It was also an older woman, younger man plot that was well handled. Enjoyed this.

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heroine who is 31, liked that aspect. A hero who is trying to thwart his father ends up with a case of mistaken identity, when he decides to marry an inappropriate woman, who he doesn't realize is the chosen bride for him (not a spoiler as we know this as does the heroine.)That is the premise, and it is actually a little funny. She is the illegitimate daughter of an Italian women. Her mother marries an Englishman who raises her, so her temperament is quite different than the usual English girl , and that adds to the story line.

[Ellen B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine has some trust issues. Hero has some serious Daddy issues. As Regency Romances go, it certainly wasn't bad, but Francesca's suspicions about Clayburn's motives got tiresome pretty quickly.

[Sandra Munger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little romance