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Waite #3
The Notorious Rake
The Lady and the Libertine
Lord Edmund Waite was everything that Lady Mary Gregg despised in a man. He was lewd, lascivious, mocking—the most notorious and successful rake in the realm. Happily, Mary had nothing to fear from this lord of libertines. A bluestocking like her could never tempt a man whose taste ran to pretty playthings for his pleasures.
How startled Mary was to find herself the object of Lord Waite's determined desires. But even more surprising was her reaction to his shocking advances. How could she remain a lady with this man who knew so well how to make her feel like a woman?
Lord Edmund Waite was everything that Lady Mary Gregg despised in a man. He was lewd, lascivious, mocking—the most notorious and successful rake in the realm. Happily, Mary had nothing to fear from this lord of libertines. A bluestocking like her could never tempt a man whose taste ran to pretty playthings for his pleasures.
How startled Mary was to find herself the object of Lord Waite's determined desires. But even more surprising was her reaction to his shocking advances. How could she remain a lady with this man who knew so well how to make her feel like a woman?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1992
10 people are currently reading
1089 people want to read
About the author
Mary Balogh
200 books6,354 followersMary Jenkins was born in 1944 in Swansea, Wales, UK. After graduating from university, moved to Saskatchewan, Canada, to teach high school English, on a two-year teaching contract in 1967. She married her Canadian husband, Robert Balogh, and had three children, Jacqueline, Christopher and Sian. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, music and knitting. She also enjoys watching tennis and curling.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mary Balogh started writing in the evenings as a hobby. Her first book, a Regency love story, was published in 1985 as A Masked Deception under her married name. In 1988, she retired from teaching after 20 years to pursue her dream to write full-time. She has written more than seventy novels and almost thirty novellas since then, including the New York Times bestselling 'Slightly' sextet and 'Simply' quartet. She has won numerous awards, including Bestselling Historical of the Year from the Borders Group, and her novel Simply Magic was a finalist in the Quill Awards. She has won seven Waldenbooks Awards and two B. Dalton Awards for her bestselling novels, as well as a Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
November 5, 2023
A 5* rating, just for Edmond. And because it/he wrenches at the heart and made me feel - a lot.
March 18, 2012
3.5 stars. I was a little disappointed at first with this book that I had heard such great things about. It's on so many "best rakes" list. Why I ask? I did not see it in the beginning. First of all, the hero's sex appeal was hampered by all the woman that did not want him. The heroine despised him after using him for sex in a thunderstorm, he was used a then jilted for another man by the heroine of the former book that he was still pining for, and woman did not even seem to enjoy sex with this rake. I thought rakes were supposed to know how to do the deed? The main reason why he became so obsessed with the heroine in the first place was because he was so surprised at how much she enjoyed sex because women usually don't. He's a rake of the highest order and he's never met a woman that enjoyed sex? He's obviously not doing it right, lol.
The heroine's animosity towards him did not help matters either. He relentlessly chased her like a stalker while she relentlessly abused him with lines like these;
"You make me sick" she said. "Physically sick. Nauseated. Are you so perverted that you like to pursue woman who can vomit just at the thought of you?".
I can't remember a time where I felt sorry for the rake. feeling pity for a rake is never a good sign. Your supposed to want to bash them over the head with something...remember? Maybe, just maybe if he didn't stalk the other heroine in The Trysting Place I would have had a little more respect for him but it seems he did the same thing to that young lady without success, and now since Mary's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard he's after her too. The one good thing I can say about the book is that the hero was very witty, which I loved, and MB's refined writing style was prominent, so it wasn't all a waste. Anyway I knew pretty early on that this book was not going to go on any of my "best rakes" list.
I was in a fit of pique at how the hero was being treated by the heroine at the time I wrote the top part of this review and I wanted to give this book 2.5 stars and was ready to dnf it, but I found that I couldn't put it down because the writing itself was so well done, and the hero and heroine had some really great banter between them and it was fascinating to behold. Although I still wouldn't say the hero was the best portrayed rake ever, I cannot deny that this was an engrossing read. MB made me forget all the things that bothered me at the beginning of this review. I didn't want to erase it because it's honestly how I felt at the time, but I definitely had to change my 2.5 stars to 3.5 after finishing the book. Don't write reviews when you are peed off, lol.
The heroine's animosity towards him did not help matters either. He relentlessly chased her like a stalker while she relentlessly abused him with lines like these;
"You make me sick" she said. "Physically sick. Nauseated. Are you so perverted that you like to pursue woman who can vomit just at the thought of you?".
I can't remember a time where I felt sorry for the rake. feeling pity for a rake is never a good sign. Your supposed to want to bash them over the head with something...remember? Maybe, just maybe if he didn't stalk the other heroine in The Trysting Place I would have had a little more respect for him but it seems he did the same thing to that young lady without success, and now since Mary's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard he's after her too. The one good thing I can say about the book is that the hero was very witty, which I loved, and MB's refined writing style was prominent, so it wasn't all a waste. Anyway I knew pretty early on that this book was not going to go on any of my "best rakes" list.
I was in a fit of pique at how the hero was being treated by the heroine at the time I wrote the top part of this review and I wanted to give this book 2.5 stars and was ready to dnf it, but I found that I couldn't put it down because the writing itself was so well done, and the hero and heroine had some really great banter between them and it was fascinating to behold. Although I still wouldn't say the hero was the best portrayed rake ever, I cannot deny that this was an engrossing read. MB made me forget all the things that bothered me at the beginning of this review. I didn't want to erase it because it's honestly how I felt at the time, but I definitely had to change my 2.5 stars to 3.5 after finishing the book. Don't write reviews when you are peed off, lol.
March 22, 2022
Wow, what an over eager and over obsessed hero. It's been awhile when I read of an obsessed hero that's not related to dark books.
I don't know Mary Balogh's writing and this author has much fans and her books are one of the firsts on recommendation. I avoid her kind of books because they bore me but knowing there is an over obsessed hero my nagging can go right out the window.
Lord Edmond Waite (36) was everything Mary Gregg (30) despised. He is a drunkard, a gamester and recently a jilt. While there are horrendous rumors and gossip about Edmond, they maybe true or untrue but nothing good was said about him. On the other hand Edmond avoids Mary 'kind' of people because intelligent she might be but she is too prim and proper and not passionate.
One evening due to politeness they bear each others company when one thing led to another; thanks to thunderstorms.
"If you are a gentleman," she said, "you will forget last night, or at least keep your memories strictly to yourself. But of course, you are not a gentleman, are you?"
His eyebrows shot up."You do not mince words, do you, Mary?" he said. "That was a blistering setdown."
"I am Mary only to my intimates," she said.
"Then I am glad I did not call you Lady Mornington," he said. "I am nothing if not your intimate, Mary."
Edmond is a thorough rake and very witty. He is my favourite character from this story. He is so crude. He hates himself for what he has become only because he wants Mary. I like that Mary keeps refusing and Edmond keeps insisting. This back and forth banter can be irritating but this was interesting perhaps the writing was magical. Mary keeps having internal war with herself and her attraction. I found Mary to be rude and abusive with her words; while she is flawed she is admirable. I have to admit the seven days of Lady Eleanor's birthday party was utterly boring even though this phase was Mary and Edmond's bonding time.
"You are sleeping with him?" he asked.
Her eyes widened and her flush returned. "Get out of here," she hissed at him.
"I will kill him if you are," he said.
Edmond and Mary have nothing in common. One believes in lust the other in love. There is cursing and damning, living to excesses and recklessness, this made the story wonderful: my exception to crude Edmond, my favourite.
I don't know Mary Balogh's writing and this author has much fans and her books are one of the firsts on recommendation. I avoid her kind of books because they bore me but knowing there is an over obsessed hero my nagging can go right out the window.
Lord Edmond Waite (36) was everything Mary Gregg (30) despised. He is a drunkard, a gamester and recently a jilt. While there are horrendous rumors and gossip about Edmond, they maybe true or untrue but nothing good was said about him. On the other hand Edmond avoids Mary 'kind' of people because intelligent she might be but she is too prim and proper and not passionate.
One evening due to politeness they bear each others company when one thing led to another; thanks to thunderstorms.
"If you are a gentleman," she said, "you will forget last night, or at least keep your memories strictly to yourself. But of course, you are not a gentleman, are you?"
His eyebrows shot up."You do not mince words, do you, Mary?" he said. "That was a blistering setdown."
"I am Mary only to my intimates," she said.
"Then I am glad I did not call you Lady Mornington," he said. "I am nothing if not your intimate, Mary."
Edmond is a thorough rake and very witty. He is my favourite character from this story. He is so crude. He hates himself for what he has become only because he wants Mary. I like that Mary keeps refusing and Edmond keeps insisting. This back and forth banter can be irritating but this was interesting perhaps the writing was magical. Mary keeps having internal war with herself and her attraction. I found Mary to be rude and abusive with her words; while she is flawed she is admirable. I have to admit the seven days of Lady Eleanor's birthday party was utterly boring even though this phase was Mary and Edmond's bonding time.
"You are sleeping with him?" he asked.
Her eyes widened and her flush returned. "Get out of here," she hissed at him.
"I will kill him if you are," he said.
Edmond and Mary have nothing in common. One believes in lust the other in love. There is cursing and damning, living to excesses and recklessness, this made the story wonderful: my exception to crude Edmond, my favourite.
November 10, 2019
O carte atât de simplă la prima vedere și totuși, atât de complexă....
Mary, o tânără Lady al cărei soț a murit pe front, ea fiind cea care l-a descoperit. O doamnă cu principii solide în ciuda reputației stârnite de bârfa societății. O femeie puternică, înspăimântată de furtuni. De ce? Deoarece în timpul unei furtuni pe front, chiar într-un cort alăturat de al ei și al soțului ei, au murit patru soldați. Încă simte mirosul cărnii arse...
Edmond este un filfizon care nu pune preț pe nimic, al cărui unic scop este plăcerea! La o primă vedere, căci în profunzime, se dovedește a fi un bărbat al cărui destin luminos s-a frânt la majorat. De atunci, traiectoria lui a pornit pe o cale total diferită.
Ce ar putea uni aceste două suflete? Nimic, am spune la prima vedere!
O carte frumoasă, emoționantă, care ne umple sufletul de sentimente contradictorii. Durere, tristețe, iubire, blândețe și vindecare.
Cu pași luni, dansând unul în jurul celuilalt și privindu-se ca doi opinenți, cele două suflete rănite ajung treptat să se cunoască unul pe celălalt.
O poveste emoționantă despre vindecarea rănilor trecutului, despre asumarea faptelor și șansa nouă pe care o oferă destinul.
Autoarea a reușit și de această dată să mă impresioneze!
Mary, o tânără Lady al cărei soț a murit pe front, ea fiind cea care l-a descoperit. O doamnă cu principii solide în ciuda reputației stârnite de bârfa societății. O femeie puternică, înspăimântată de furtuni. De ce? Deoarece în timpul unei furtuni pe front, chiar într-un cort alăturat de al ei și al soțului ei, au murit patru soldați. Încă simte mirosul cărnii arse...
Edmond este un filfizon care nu pune preț pe nimic, al cărui unic scop este plăcerea! La o primă vedere, căci în profunzime, se dovedește a fi un bărbat al cărui destin luminos s-a frânt la majorat. De atunci, traiectoria lui a pornit pe o cale total diferită.
Ce ar putea uni aceste două suflete? Nimic, am spune la prima vedere!
O carte frumoasă, emoționantă, care ne umple sufletul de sentimente contradictorii. Durere, tristețe, iubire, blândețe și vindecare.
Cu pași luni, dansând unul în jurul celuilalt și privindu-se ca doi opinenți, cele două suflete rănite ajung treptat să se cunoască unul pe celălalt.
O poveste emoționantă despre vindecarea rănilor trecutului, despre asumarea faptelor și șansa nouă pe care o oferă destinul.
Autoarea a reușit și de această dată să mă impresioneze!
February 11, 2013
Mary Balogh can do a self loathing hero like nobody's business. Edmond is a jerk and a womanizer. He's a little mean and a lot cruel. And yet I still liked him. A lot.
In some ways, Edmond takes on role that the heroine traditionally plays in that we go on the emotional journey with him much more intimately than we do with Mary. We are privy to his dizzying, relentless fall into love and his uncertainty with it all and the steps he takes to protect his feelings. He has some truly revealing inner dialogue that we are very much privy to.
The heroine, Mary, otoh, comes off as the one who is a little more enigmatic and a little more distanced. Yes we get to feel her side of things also, but she plays her cards much closer to her chest than Edmond does -- at least from the reader's standpoint. Outwardly, Edmond is a sneering enfant terrible but we get why he is the way he is. It takes Mary some time to realize why as well.
It is her discovery of the real Edmond that makes for a good, affecting, romantic story.
In some ways, Edmond takes on role that the heroine traditionally plays in that we go on the emotional journey with him much more intimately than we do with Mary. We are privy to his dizzying, relentless fall into love and his uncertainty with it all and the steps he takes to protect his feelings. He has some truly revealing inner dialogue that we are very much privy to.
The heroine, Mary, otoh, comes off as the one who is a little more enigmatic and a little more distanced. Yes we get to feel her side of things also, but she plays her cards much closer to her chest than Edmond does -- at least from the reader's standpoint. Outwardly, Edmond is a sneering enfant terrible but we get why he is the way he is. It takes Mary some time to realize why as well.
It is her discovery of the real Edmond that makes for a good, affecting, romantic story.
February 14, 2011
The Notorious Rake was my first Mary Balogh book, so I didn't have too many expectations going in. I was either going to find a new good author, an average one or one I didn't like.
Well, of course it turns out that Balogh is one beautifully talented writer. I quickly realised I'd found an author that I was going to read each and every one of her books. And, oh joy, a huge body of work to explore.
I've since read quite a number of her books, still quite a few to go, however, I still think this is the best book of hers I've read. That's saying something as she has so many wonderful books.
I was a little shocked by what happened in the first "meeting" of the H and h, I did a double blink and went back to read it again to see if they were actually having sex during a storm, and yes, there is was - and they didn't even like each other! It was a strange moment, and I wasn't sure what to expect after that!
I kept reading and found a really moving, angsty, beautiful love story. A couple who didn't even like each other at the start, had many preconceived ideas of what the other was, and came to love each other so much over time, with much anguish in between. This is just the sort of story I LOVE and was overjoyed to find an author who does it so well.
The Notorious Rake is a wonderful book, with a H and h that are sensible, well-lived and make real decisions I can understand based on real ideals. It is a book I think I will go back and read again in time and I know I'll love it just as much the second time. Highly recommended.
Well, of course it turns out that Balogh is one beautifully talented writer. I quickly realised I'd found an author that I was going to read each and every one of her books. And, oh joy, a huge body of work to explore.
I've since read quite a number of her books, still quite a few to go, however, I still think this is the best book of hers I've read. That's saying something as she has so many wonderful books.
I was a little shocked by what happened in the first "meeting" of the H and h, I did a double blink and went back to read it again to see if they were actually having sex during a storm, and yes, there is was - and they didn't even like each other! It was a strange moment, and I wasn't sure what to expect after that!
I kept reading and found a really moving, angsty, beautiful love story. A couple who didn't even like each other at the start, had many preconceived ideas of what the other was, and came to love each other so much over time, with much anguish in between. This is just the sort of story I LOVE and was overjoyed to find an author who does it so well.
The Notorious Rake is a wonderful book, with a H and h that are sensible, well-lived and make real decisions I can understand based on real ideals. It is a book I think I will go back and read again in time and I know I'll love it just as much the second time. Highly recommended.
September 20, 2016
Oh e oh. Alla fine valeva la pena di leggere i primi due (non eccelsi) volumi per arrivare a questo.
Decisamente un romanzo con i fiocchi.
A parte l'inizio che mi ha fatto cadere la mascella (ma per l'ammirazione verso Mary Balogh!! - un'avvio così mi ha turbata e intrigata), è stato un libro insolito, anti-romantico, quasi cattivo.
Entrambi, Mary e Edmond, sono cresciutelli, vissuti, pieni di rimorsi per quello che è stato (lui per un incidente di gioventù che gli ha sconvolto la vita, lei per aver perso non uno, ma ben due uomini che amava). Sono perfettamente compatibili dal punto di vista fisico, ma si detestano reciprocamente a livello di personalità. Eppure...
Eppure c'è qualcosa. Merito di uno o più temporali, merito delle incertezze del destino.
Mi sono davvero commossa. Il celebre libertino mi ha spiazzata per la sua ingenuità, al limite della tenerezza.
Decisamente un romanzo con i fiocchi.
A parte l'inizio che mi ha fatto cadere la mascella (ma per l'ammirazione verso Mary Balogh!! - un'avvio così mi ha turbata e intrigata), è stato un libro insolito, anti-romantico, quasi cattivo.
Entrambi, Mary e Edmond, sono cresciutelli, vissuti, pieni di rimorsi per quello che è stato (lui per un incidente di gioventù che gli ha sconvolto la vita, lei per aver perso non uno, ma ben due uomini che amava). Sono perfettamente compatibili dal punto di vista fisico, ma si detestano reciprocamente a livello di personalità. Eppure...
Eppure c'è qualcosa. Merito di uno o più temporali, merito delle incertezze del destino.
Mi sono davvero commossa. Il celebre libertino mi ha spiazzata per la sua ingenuità, al limite della tenerezza.
January 5, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Basic plot
When Mary meets Lord Edmund she finds nothing to like. He, however, is quite captivated by the widow, and soon finds himself doing what he can to get her to notice him.
Give this a try if you want:
- Lower steam – there’s 3 open door scenes but one is very short and vague, the other 2 are also pretty brief but I’m willing to count them
- Enemies to lovers feel – these two don’t get along, more Mary doesn’t like Edmund and pushes him away for much of the book
- Regency time period
- Hero loves first and pursues the heroine
- Experienced, widow heroine
- House party!
- You have to be okay with some questionable consent – discussed below – and also with a bit of a love triangle
My thoughts:
I’ll admit this one was rough for me. The characters don’t get a long for much of the book. The way their relationship begins was a big downer for me. And it concludes with a love triangle. So, a lot of not my favorite things in one story.
I found Edmund hard to like. There is a change in him over the book, but I guess I had a lasting negative first impression. There’s a lot of talk about how not pretty the heroine is, how he could never be attracted to her. But the first thing he does, when he barely knows her name is sexually take advantage of her. The first two scenes in the book are towards the beginning and it completely ruined any tension that might have formed for me in the relationship.
Spoilers for specifics about the sex scenes and a few other quotes.
Content Warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes (I read the combined version of Waite 2 and 3 so pages could be off)
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes, a bit
Basic plot
When Mary meets Lord Edmund she finds nothing to like. He, however, is quite captivated by the widow, and soon finds himself doing what he can to get her to notice him.
Give this a try if you want:
- Lower steam – there’s 3 open door scenes but one is very short and vague, the other 2 are also pretty brief but I’m willing to count them
- Enemies to lovers feel – these two don’t get along, more Mary doesn’t like Edmund and pushes him away for much of the book
- Regency time period
- Hero loves first and pursues the heroine
- Experienced, widow heroine
- House party!
- You have to be okay with some questionable consent – discussed below – and also with a bit of a love triangle
My thoughts:
I’ll admit this one was rough for me. The characters don’t get a long for much of the book. The way their relationship begins was a big downer for me. And it concludes with a love triangle. So, a lot of not my favorite things in one story.
I found Edmund hard to like. There is a change in him over the book, but I guess I had a lasting negative first impression. There’s a lot of talk about how not pretty the heroine is, how he could never be attracted to her. But the first thing he does, when he barely knows her name is sexually take advantage of her. The first two scenes in the book are towards the beginning and it completely ruined any tension that might have formed for me in the relationship.
Spoilers for specifics about the sex scenes and a few other quotes.
Content Warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes (I read the combined version of Waite 2 and 3 so pages could be off)
May 14, 2012
Okay, so the initial premise is a bit shaky - the heroine is terrified of thunderstorms and ends up having comfort sex with the hero during (and after) a storm - but if you can get past that, The Notorious Rake is a terrific read. Edmond Waite is the notorious rake of the title, a womaniser and drinker who is only just tolerated by the great and the good of the ton. Mary is a widow who is well thought of by all; she moves in the centre of society, he just barely at its edge. But he's an engaging character, nonetheless; from the moment he arrives at Mary's literary salon and proceeds to call one of her guests an ass (which he is) it's clear that Edmond is possessed of a sense of humour and a degree of perception. And I have to agree with what someone else here has said, in that Balogh has a real talent for creating truly flawed and tortured heroes. Edmond is full of self-loathing, and blames himself for the death of his brother and his mother - neither of which was really his fault. And even though Mary eventually begins to see beyond the mask Edmond presents to the world, she is still determined to marry a "worthy" (read "boring") gentleman, because that is what she should do.
Safe to say that it all works out in the end, though! This is a hard book to find as I believe it's been out of print for some time, but it was definitely worth the hunt.
Safe to say that it all works out in the end, though! This is a hard book to find as I believe it's been out of print for some time, but it was definitely worth the hunt.
May 26, 2013
Turns out, my favorite Mary Balogh, Slightly Dangerous, has a precursor. In this earlier book, we have an analogously difficult, unbending man (a truly dedicated rakehell with a tragic past) and a widow who gets under his skin (this one has a storm-phobia and despite rumors is an upstanding, less than merry widow), whereas SD features the uptight head of a noble family and a bubbly, accident-prone widow who does not know how to act.
The stories are two sides of the same valuable coin. This is a darker, angst-ier, more emotionally difficult reverse, while Slightly Dangerous is by nature a brighter obverse, a sunny tale of an uptight, quizzing glass-toting nob loosening up.
I liked both for all the reasons Mary Balogh is such a great storyteller.
Sex in The Notorious Rake happens with all the warning of a lightning bolt. Literally. She's phobic about storms and gets intimate with the black-sheep/rake in a Vauxhall shelter while reacting to a sudden storm. Either you decide to go along with the premise or you jettison it at this point. I continued. And I'm pleased I did.
He is a man so seemingly lost to proper feeling and so unrepentant about his social ostracism, he himself refers to having killed his brother and mother offhandedly. But he is not what he seems, and as the onion's layers are peeled away, the source of his guilt and fear is ultimately exposed (and the widow returns the favor of seeing him through it). These two characters were far more difficult to one another, she didn't like him, though she was drawn to him; he didn't want to crave her, an unprepossessing woman, but he did and he pursued her with no finesse, just chutzpah. And out of a sense of despair and his love for her, he used the same crude tactics to try to chase her away, for her own good.
Though this pair of lovers were carefully and fully realized, I'd rather spend time again with the Slightly Dangerous pair. But I am as deep as a puddle.
The stories are two sides of the same valuable coin. This is a darker, angst-ier, more emotionally difficult reverse, while Slightly Dangerous is by nature a brighter obverse, a sunny tale of an uptight, quizzing glass-toting nob loosening up.
I liked both for all the reasons Mary Balogh is such a great storyteller.
Sex in The Notorious Rake happens with all the warning of a lightning bolt. Literally. She's phobic about storms and gets intimate with the black-sheep/rake in a Vauxhall shelter while reacting to a sudden storm. Either you decide to go along with the premise or you jettison it at this point. I continued. And I'm pleased I did.
He is a man so seemingly lost to proper feeling and so unrepentant about his social ostracism, he himself refers to having killed his brother and mother offhandedly. But he is not what he seems, and as the onion's layers are peeled away, the source of his guilt and fear is ultimately exposed (and the widow returns the favor of seeing him through it). These two characters were far more difficult to one another, she didn't like him, though she was drawn to him; he didn't want to crave her, an unprepossessing woman, but he did and he pursued her with no finesse, just chutzpah. And out of a sense of despair and his love for her, he used the same crude tactics to try to chase her away, for her own good.
Though this pair of lovers were carefully and fully realized, I'd rather spend time again with the Slightly Dangerous pair. But I am as deep as a puddle.
August 12, 2016
A depressing book. For 9/10s of it the hero is consumed by guilt and the heroine completely absorbed in herself. Poor Edmund carries the guilt of his brother's death even though his entire family was to blame but drove him out like a scapegoat of yore out into the wilderness [London] rather than face their own guilt. He is supposed to have made a wreck of his life, although from the flimsy descriptions of his evil ways they seem not one iota different than any other rascal of the ton but in his case it makes him 'evil'. The heroine, Mary, OTOH is a self-absorbed prig and a complete goody two shoes. You can't like her even when at the miraculous 90% mark she starts to think of someone else besides herself. Unfortunately this is Edmund, and you are saying to yourself run Edmund run! But for the sake of the plot poor Edmund has to fall in love with her - it's not believable and you are still saying to yourself run Edmund run. Then there is the general reconciliation all around. Edmund's family take him back to their bosom, and Mary decides she loves him. And you're still saying....
November 21, 2024
Hmm! Well, I suppose they deserve each other in the end & I'm glad Lord Edmond Waite & Mary Gregg, Lady Mornington, found a way to cherish each other, but I don't really believe the way they got there. I can believe their scene together during the storm, but find the following one at Waite's love nest a very strange affair, although, why not, they're both independent people & entitled to enjoy themselves. What follows, however, is a very tedious & nasty case of stalking by Waite.
I can understand Mary feeling the futility of trying to overcome Waite's determined campaign &, thus, giving up, but not that she would come to love him, no matter how much he had been wronged by others. He's a man in his 30s now, & he was in his 20s at the time of the incident, so hardly a child, & I don't think that guilt was excuse enough for his reprehensible behaviour towards her. He's a bit too pathetic - the silly twit should have gone to the funerals.
As for Mary's fear of thunderstorms, she could do some growing up too. She wasn't a child during the incident that lead to her phobia & she's a mature widow now, so her behaviour leaves a lot to be desired. At the very least, she should be able to manage herself without crawling into the lap of a stranger whom she already despises.
I don't really like this pair much but I don't think I was as irritated with them last time I read this. I like a good rakish hero but I want him to be likable & Waite doesn't appeal to me. Give me Lord Damerel any day!
I can understand Mary feeling the futility of trying to overcome Waite's determined campaign &, thus, giving up, but not that she would come to love him, no matter how much he had been wronged by others. He's a man in his 30s now, & he was in his 20s at the time of the incident, so hardly a child, & I don't think that guilt was excuse enough for his reprehensible behaviour towards her. He's a bit too pathetic - the silly twit should have gone to the funerals.
As for Mary's fear of thunderstorms, she could do some growing up too. She wasn't a child during the incident that lead to her phobia & she's a mature widow now, so her behaviour leaves a lot to be desired. At the very least, she should be able to manage herself without crawling into the lap of a stranger whom she already despises.
I don't really like this pair much but I don't think I was as irritated with them last time I read this. I like a good rakish hero but I want him to be likable & Waite doesn't appeal to me. Give me Lord Damerel any day!
April 20, 2022
This is how you write about a dark and angsty rake redeeming himself. I loved this so much. Lord Edmond Waite is 36 years old and has spent the last 15 years of his life committing every sin he could think of; Lady Mary Mornington is a bluestocking widow who just wants to live her life. Unfortunately, Lady Mary is terrified of thunderstorms, and ends up having comfort sex in Vauxhall with Edmond by accident. He falls in love with her; she wants nothing to do with such a terrible person.
The Notorious Rake is (as you might expect) a book where the male protagonist takes center stage. I loved Balogh's nuanced depiction of this man, 100%. Time and time again you see that he desperately wants Mary to approve of him, but he hates himself so much and fears rejection, that rather than behaving in a polite/endearing manner, he says something crude. It's a perfectly done case of "make them hate me for who they think I am rather than risk being rejected for my true self," which fits so well with Edmond's dissolute, aimless villainy. (I would also like to add that Edmond's angsty backstory is pretty spot-on as well—it's a pretty accurate depiction of how human beings react after a terrible tragedy.)
Excellent, excellent book.
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The Notorious Rake is (as you might expect) a book where the male protagonist takes center stage. I loved Balogh's nuanced depiction of this man, 100%. Time and time again you see that he desperately wants Mary to approve of him, but he hates himself so much and fears rejection, that rather than behaving in a polite/endearing manner, he says something crude. It's a perfectly done case of "make them hate me for who they think I am rather than risk being rejected for my true self," which fits so well with Edmond's dissolute, aimless villainy. (I would also like to add that Edmond's angsty backstory is pretty spot-on as well—it's a pretty accurate depiction of how human beings react after a terrible tragedy.)
Excellent, excellent book.
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April 8, 2023
One of the best reformed rake books I've ever read... hands down. Loved it so much. Absolutely essential historical romance reading, especially if you like yours extra compelling.
April 13, 2010
After meeting Lord Edmond Waite in The Trysting Place and Lady Mornington in The Counterfeit Betrothal I couldn't wait to get to their book. I was hoping to find a winner and I wasn't disappointed, this was my favourite book in the trilogy.
Lord Edmond is a rake with a really bad reputation, he is lucky that he is still received by the ton. Lady Mornington is a learned lady who likes to organise literary salons at her home and to spend time with like minded friends to discuss literature and politics. When they are paired up during a visit to Vauxhall Gardens none of them is very entusiastic about the company. Not only that but when they are caught by a thunderstorm that leaves Mary terrified, Edmond finds that the best way to calm her down is though sex. I thought Balogh wrote a powerful and violent scene and for a moment I worried where she was going with this story... They end up spending the night together and on the next day Lord Edmond is determined to make Mary his mistress, while she is quite determined to forget him... and so starts the pursuit.
Mary, a widow, as decided to remarry, she acknowledges she spent a pleasant time in Edmond's arms but she wants a husband not a lover and besides she doesn't think they would suit. They meet at the same events and Edmond even makes an appearance at one of Mary's salons much to the annoyance of her new beau but their relationship is difficult at best.
Edmond finds himself more and more captivated but he doesn't always conform to society rules and when people think the worst of him he can't help but behave according to those expectations. One of the things he has been accused of is the death of his brother and his mother and he acknowledges to Mary that he was indeed responsible. He tries to show her his good side on a one day visit to his aunt and while Mary can't help but feeling that the real Edmond is hidden and might be a lot more honourable and interesting that he lets on she still decides not to accept him. But they do meet again at a house party for his aunt's birthday (that Mary attends with her new fiancé) and when Edmond is confronted with his estranged family it is to Mary that he turns as a friend.
I really loved this story and the fact that both characters start with an idea of the other one that soon will change. Edmond thought Mary was plain and common but after spending time with her he sees her in a whole new light and can't stop thinking about her. Even when he decides not to pursue her anymore to obey her wishes he still thinks about her and decides to change his rakish ways as they give him no more pleasure. Mary thinks he is cold and unfeeling but throughout their relationship sees glimpses of the man behind the mask. Since there are so many mixed signals she takes longer to realise who he is and how she loves him. I also liked that Edmond had a real reason for his self destruction, 15 years seems a long time to be that way but I could accept that it was so. I liked Edmond more than Mary maybe because he seems more human, more fragile, despite his bad behaviour than her, who seemed at times a bit too perfect. Because of whom they are, and how unlikely it seems at times that they will get their happy ending, this was an angsty and poignant story, my favourite kind!
Grade: 5/5
Lord Edmond is a rake with a really bad reputation, he is lucky that he is still received by the ton. Lady Mornington is a learned lady who likes to organise literary salons at her home and to spend time with like minded friends to discuss literature and politics. When they are paired up during a visit to Vauxhall Gardens none of them is very entusiastic about the company. Not only that but when they are caught by a thunderstorm that leaves Mary terrified, Edmond finds that the best way to calm her down is though sex. I thought Balogh wrote a powerful and violent scene and for a moment I worried where she was going with this story... They end up spending the night together and on the next day Lord Edmond is determined to make Mary his mistress, while she is quite determined to forget him... and so starts the pursuit.
Mary, a widow, as decided to remarry, she acknowledges she spent a pleasant time in Edmond's arms but she wants a husband not a lover and besides she doesn't think they would suit. They meet at the same events and Edmond even makes an appearance at one of Mary's salons much to the annoyance of her new beau but their relationship is difficult at best.
Edmond finds himself more and more captivated but he doesn't always conform to society rules and when people think the worst of him he can't help but behave according to those expectations. One of the things he has been accused of is the death of his brother and his mother and he acknowledges to Mary that he was indeed responsible. He tries to show her his good side on a one day visit to his aunt and while Mary can't help but feeling that the real Edmond is hidden and might be a lot more honourable and interesting that he lets on she still decides not to accept him. But they do meet again at a house party for his aunt's birthday (that Mary attends with her new fiancé) and when Edmond is confronted with his estranged family it is to Mary that he turns as a friend.
I really loved this story and the fact that both characters start with an idea of the other one that soon will change. Edmond thought Mary was plain and common but after spending time with her he sees her in a whole new light and can't stop thinking about her. Even when he decides not to pursue her anymore to obey her wishes he still thinks about her and decides to change his rakish ways as they give him no more pleasure. Mary thinks he is cold and unfeeling but throughout their relationship sees glimpses of the man behind the mask. Since there are so many mixed signals she takes longer to realise who he is and how she loves him. I also liked that Edmond had a real reason for his self destruction, 15 years seems a long time to be that way but I could accept that it was so. I liked Edmond more than Mary maybe because he seems more human, more fragile, despite his bad behaviour than her, who seemed at times a bit too perfect. Because of whom they are, and how unlikely it seems at times that they will get their happy ending, this was an angsty and poignant story, my favourite kind!
Grade: 5/5
March 28, 2022
It's a rare thing for me to sympathise with the hero especially very early in the story (I usually sympathise with the heroine). Edmond has some of the saddest inner monologues. It just goes to show that he's a sensitive, wounded soul. I didn't even get his backstory at this point and yet I pitied him.
Well, Mary, the heroine is a different story. She came across as a moralistic and a sanctimonious prig. Edmond helped to calm her down during a thunderstorm at Vauxhall Garden which ended up with them having sex. This was the first time I came across a fear of thunderstorm which later translates into arousal. I disagree with those of the opinion that Edmond took advantage of her fear. Later that night, Edmond brought Mary to his love nest and they continue to have sex which in my opinion, clearly shows consent. They both wanted it. She is a widow and has had a very close relationship with a married man for the past 6 years (it's platonic but rumor has it that she's his mistress and they didn't do anything to squash the rumors but she's still considered good ton which is kinda strange since she's practically a fallen woman, well, yeah, shrug). What really gets my dander up would be the fact that she keeps putting her nose up at him. His reputation isn't great (and he has really good reasons to act in this way) but hers isn't that great to begin with either.
I wished Mary ended up with the other guy, a viscount, also a widower but with 2 legitimate sons, a long time mistress with 5 illegitimate children . She didn't know about the mistress and the children and if she ended up marrying him, well, serve her right for being judgemental.
MB's romantic couples are usually evenly matched but this time around, I hated the pairing and I think Edmond deserved better. Writing's great as usual though, the main reason why I was able to finish the book. Not one of MB's best, unfortunately. Only ⭐⭐⭐ from me.
Well, Mary, the heroine is a different story. She came across as a moralistic and a sanctimonious prig. Edmond helped to calm her down during a thunderstorm at Vauxhall Garden which ended up with them having sex. This was the first time I came across a fear of thunderstorm which later translates into arousal. I disagree with those of the opinion that Edmond took advantage of her fear. Later that night, Edmond brought Mary to his love nest and they continue to have sex which in my opinion, clearly shows consent. They both wanted it. She is a widow and has had a very close relationship with a married man for the past 6 years (it's platonic but rumor has it that she's his mistress and they didn't do anything to squash the rumors but she's still considered good ton which is kinda strange since she's practically a fallen woman, well, yeah, shrug). What really gets my dander up would be the fact that she keeps putting her nose up at him. His reputation isn't great (and he has really good reasons to act in this way) but hers isn't that great to begin with either.
I wished Mary ended up with the other guy, a viscount, also a widower but with 2 legitimate sons, a long time mistress with 5 illegitimate children . She didn't know about the mistress and the children and if she ended up marrying him, well, serve her right for being judgemental.
MB's romantic couples are usually evenly matched but this time around, I hated the pairing and I think Edmond deserved better. Writing's great as usual though, the main reason why I was able to finish the book. Not one of MB's best, unfortunately. Only ⭐⭐⭐ from me.
May 20, 2013
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
This story is really about redemption but the reader has to go through quite a few squirmy uncomfortable moments to get to a point where they can see Lord Edmond actually being redeemable. There were quite a few points in the book when I thought he was such a jerk that it was hard to believe he could be saved. Mary Balogh gave some pretty good insight into how inflexible and hypocritical 'polite' society could be. Her characters have flaws but they are still likeable. This book is loosely connected to A Counterfeit Betrothal as Lady Mary Mornington was platonic friends for years with Lady Sophia's father, although everyone assumed they were lovers.
This story is really about redemption but the reader has to go through quite a few squirmy uncomfortable moments to get to a point where they can see Lord Edmond actually being redeemable. There were quite a few points in the book when I thought he was such a jerk that it was hard to believe he could be saved. Mary Balogh gave some pretty good insight into how inflexible and hypocritical 'polite' society could be. Her characters have flaws but they are still likeable. This book is loosely connected to A Counterfeit Betrothal as Lady Mary Mornington was platonic friends for years with Lady Sophia's father, although everyone assumed they were lovers.
November 27, 2020
I am going to begin this review of Mary Balogh's The Notorious Rake with a quote from another Mary Balogh novel:
I certainly love a rogue, and if you're anything like me, then this is the book for you. The hero, Lord Edmond Waite enjoys the distinction of being both a rake and a rogue. What's the difference you say? Here's All About Romance's comprehensive answer:
Obvi, Edmond is a rake, a notorious rake but he is also a a rogue as he *gasp* is thought to have murdered his brother!
He actually reminds me of Rhett Butler, which is high praise coming from me, as Rhett's one of my favorite rake/rogues of all time!
Now on to the review!
This book has one of the best openings ofa romance any novel:
How's that for a beginning?
Mary Gregg, Lady Mornington has a (very justifiable fear of thunderstorms). While on an outing in the Vauxhall Gardens, Mary finds herself on a regrettable walk with the notorious Lord Edmond Waite. Even more regrettably, a thunderstorm breaks out and they have to take shelter together. Surprisingly, he tries to comfort her in her terror. Even more surprisingly, Mary takes matters into her own hands by jumping Edmond's bones in order to quell her fears.
No, no. Trust me; it works. It is the great Mary Balogh writing this after all, and she can pull anything off. It's actually hilarious and super hot. The whole novel manages to balance being hysterical and super sexy. I vacillated from being like
and
The Notorious Rake contains many wonderful things that make it such a great romance novel, including but not limited to:
*lots of masterly setdowns exchanged between the hero and heroine
*tragic backstory
*steamy sexytimes
*a host of ridiculous guests at a country estate
*one matchmaking aunt, who's kinda like a nice Lady Catherine de Bourgh
*hella family drama (as in, at first look, the hero possesses the worst. family. ever.)
*a sweetly romantic ending that totally brings the story full circle and may have made me cry, although in my defense I was listening to a romantic historical playlist that made it even more emotional (nope; that just makes me look like more of a weirdo; yup, I coordinate my reading selections to an appropriate soundtrack)
Just read this book! It is pure, unadulterated fun!!!
“Every...woman," the old lady said, "loves a ...rogue.”
I certainly love a rogue, and if you're anything like me, then this is the book for you. The hero, Lord Edmond Waite enjoys the distinction of being both a rake and a rogue. What's the difference you say? Here's All About Romance's comprehensive answer:
The terms "rake" and "rogue" are often used interchangeably, although they are not the same. In romance novels, the rake is used as a term for a ladies' man, a bon vivant and possibly a libertine while the rogue is used as a term for a scoundrel, a man considered dangerous (perhaps he is a smuggler or is thought to have murdered his first wife), a man who may be acting outside the law. Often a man labeled as a rake or rogue is only a pretender...
Obvi, Edmond is a rake, a notorious rake but he is also a a rogue as he *gasp* is thought to have murdered his brother!
He actually reminds me of Rhett Butler, which is high praise coming from me, as Rhett's one of my favorite rake/rogues of all time!
Now on to the review!
This book has one of the best openings of
The thunderstorms were entirely to blame. Without it, all the problems that developed later just would not have happened. Without it she would never in a million years have taken him for a lover.
But the thunderstorm did happen and it raged with great ferocity for all of two hours, seeming to circle London instead of across it and away. And so all the problems developed.
Because she had slept with him.
Because of the thunderstorm.
How's that for a beginning?
Mary Gregg, Lady Mornington has a (very justifiable fear of thunderstorms). While on an outing in the Vauxhall Gardens, Mary finds herself on a regrettable walk with the notorious Lord Edmond Waite. Even more regrettably, a thunderstorm breaks out and they have to take shelter together. Surprisingly, he tries to comfort her in her terror. Even more surprisingly, Mary takes matters into her own hands by jumping Edmond's bones in order to quell her fears.
No, no. Trust me; it works. It is the great Mary Balogh writing this after all, and she can pull anything off. It's actually hilarious and super hot. The whole novel manages to balance being hysterical and super sexy. I vacillated from being like
and
The Notorious Rake contains many wonderful things that make it such a great romance novel, including but not limited to:
*lots of masterly setdowns exchanged between the hero and heroine
*tragic backstory
*steamy sexytimes
*a host of ridiculous guests at a country estate
*one matchmaking aunt, who's kinda like a nice Lady Catherine de Bourgh
*hella family drama (as in, at first look, the hero possesses the worst. family. ever.)
*a sweetly romantic ending that totally brings the story full circle and may have made me cry, although in my defense I was listening to a romantic historical playlist that made it even more emotional (nope; that just makes me look like more of a weirdo; yup, I coordinate my reading selections to an appropriate soundtrack)
Just read this book! It is pure, unadulterated fun!!!
April 19, 2014
The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh is another testament to the author's skill. A must-read for fans of Balogh or fans of the genre. And yet, that does not necessarily mean it is an enjoyable must-read; depressing more like. I find that most of Balogh's works leave me emotionally drained and unsatisfied. She has talent; there's no denying that. Her writing is fundamental for any historical romance reader. But frankly, the woman's use of pathos is simply sadistic. I have never felt so many negative feelings at one time from one book. i would not call The Notorious Rake an emotional roller coaster, it is more like one of those rides that free-fall from 100 ft in the air. Your stomach drops straight to your butt (not in the nice way) and the feeling relentlessly gets worse and worse until the ride is over. If you like books that really provoke strong feelings, look no further. If you prefer light, romantic books, you had better look elsewhere.
The titular notorious rake of the novel is so confused, tormented, and self-loathing that he is beyond cruel to the woman he loves. She, on the other hand, is a paradoxical mix of prudish and sexual. This causes a mass of conflicting signals and illogical actions between the romantic leads. As for their chemistry, I can percieve little-to-none. Most of the interactions and dialogue between rake and lady is at best rather frustrating, and at worst completely nauseating.
The story line, as Malcolm Tucker would say is like "The Shawshank Redemption, only with more tunneling through sh** and no f**ing redemption." The level of hardship and drama before the unsatisfying climax is not proportional to the rather lukewarm resolution. This results in a lasting feeling of suffering for the reader. If Balogh's storytelling style in this novel was not quite so sombre or so grim, I would say that reading The Notorious Rake is a pleasure. However, I am afraid it is more of a necessary evil.
The titular notorious rake of the novel is so confused, tormented, and self-loathing that he is beyond cruel to the woman he loves. She, on the other hand, is a paradoxical mix of prudish and sexual. This causes a mass of conflicting signals and illogical actions between the romantic leads. As for their chemistry, I can percieve little-to-none. Most of the interactions and dialogue between rake and lady is at best rather frustrating, and at worst completely nauseating.
The story line, as Malcolm Tucker would say is like "The Shawshank Redemption, only with more tunneling through sh** and no f**ing redemption." The level of hardship and drama before the unsatisfying climax is not proportional to the rather lukewarm resolution. This results in a lasting feeling of suffering for the reader. If Balogh's storytelling style in this novel was not quite so sombre or so grim, I would say that reading The Notorious Rake is a pleasure. However, I am afraid it is more of a necessary evil.
May 24, 2021
I completely forgot to add this to my GoodReads shelf, but I read this a few months ago and I really, really loved the first half of the story. I mean, the comfort sex during the thunderstorm? Um YES.
Mary Balogh is a prolific writer, and in some of her stories, she can be quite clinical in her love scenes. At times, her love scenes can also be downright unappealing, and the antithesis of romantic (very perfunctory wham, bam and thank you ma'am stuff). That being said, she's so good at writing character development and relationship-building that in some books like A Precious Jewel, I still fell in love with the characters, even if I eyerolled the love scenes.
So, The Notorious Rake was a delightful surprise because I did find myself vibing to this rake.
I enjoyed the hero's pursuit of the heroine, and the heroine not wanting to be with a rake. However, I did find there was a bit of a lull, and this was due to some talking they both had about being together that wasn't that particularly interesting. I think it's not interesting because nothing new is happening - much of their perspectives we already know from being in their own POV, and when they communicate it to each other, it feels repetitious.
I didn't find myself too interested in the rake's backstory, but I liked the ending, and how the hero and heroine come together in the end. Spoiler alert: thunderstorm!
Mary Balogh is a prolific writer, and in some of her stories, she can be quite clinical in her love scenes. At times, her love scenes can also be downright unappealing, and the antithesis of romantic (very perfunctory wham, bam and thank you ma'am stuff). That being said, she's so good at writing character development and relationship-building that in some books like A Precious Jewel, I still fell in love with the characters, even if I eyerolled the love scenes.
So, The Notorious Rake was a delightful surprise because I did find myself vibing to this rake.
I enjoyed the hero's pursuit of the heroine, and the heroine not wanting to be with a rake. However, I did find there was a bit of a lull, and this was due to some talking they both had about being together that wasn't that particularly interesting. I think it's not interesting because nothing new is happening - much of their perspectives we already know from being in their own POV, and when they communicate it to each other, it feels repetitious.
I didn't find myself too interested in the rake's backstory, but I liked the ending, and how the hero and heroine come together in the end. Spoiler alert: thunderstorm!
July 26, 2014
The hero was an utter ass with stupidly self-loathing and noble ulterior motives and I still loved him.
The heroine was so quick to judge him inferior and irredeemable, and yet I thought she was beautifully flawed and real, and I loved her.
Mostly, I loved that when these two cast all the unnecessary masks and angst and bullshit aside, their chemistry and need and love for each other was undeniable and incredibly sweet.
Ultimately, this book just goes to show how much your family can shape your character and your future. Here, when Edmond needed his family's unconditional love most, they chose to vilify him for something that wasn't his fault. It's not hard to see how he turned so jaded and cynical when the people who should have love him no matter what chose not to. It's a shame though, because young Edmond had so much promise that was utterly wasted, and his family didn't get to shoulder nearly enough blame for ruining him like that IMO. Of course, he made his own poor decisions, but damn can you blame him?!
So yeah, Edmond is the King of all Tortured Heroes, and damn it if he isn't freaking irresistible because of it.
The heroine was so quick to judge him inferior and irredeemable, and yet I thought she was beautifully flawed and real, and I loved her.
Mostly, I loved that when these two cast all the unnecessary masks and angst and bullshit aside, their chemistry and need and love for each other was undeniable and incredibly sweet.
Ultimately, this book just goes to show how much your family can shape your character and your future. Here, when Edmond needed his family's unconditional love most, they chose to vilify him for something that wasn't his fault. It's not hard to see how he turned so jaded and cynical when the people who should have love him no matter what chose not to. It's a shame though, because young Edmond had so much promise that was utterly wasted, and his family didn't get to shoulder nearly enough blame for ruining him like that IMO. Of course, he made his own poor decisions, but damn can you blame him?!
So yeah, Edmond is the King of all Tortured Heroes, and damn it if he isn't freaking irresistible because of it.
June 21, 2015
Whoa, I left a review on the wrong half of the omnibus. I did NOT really enjoy this one.
Technically everything in the book was consented to - that's what we were told repeatedly. But I had a really hard time believing it. The heroine was so emotionally compromised and the hero so incapable of hearing a "no" that it left a terrible taste in my mouth.
Technically everything in the book was consented to - that's what we were told repeatedly. But I had a really hard time believing it. The heroine was so emotionally compromised and the hero so incapable of hearing a "no" that it left a terrible taste in my mouth.
September 22, 2023
I like her so much and I’m so mad.
May 16, 2024
Beaucoup d’émotion
January 12, 2019
I did fall rather for Lord Edmond Waite, the Notorious Rake himself. He is self-aware, self-deprecating, and self-loathing, and it's his progress towards allowing himself some happiness that forms the plot of this delightful story. It's beautifully exemplified in this little extract,-
"So much for reformations of character, Mary. They just do not happen. I am sorry. The temptation was too great."
"Yes, it was," she said.
"I did try," he said. "If only the rain had not made my clothes so infernally wet. I think I might have had a will of iron if I had not had to remove all my clothes."
The plot is straightforward in the best way - lots of occasions for Edmond and Mary to get closer, with few interruptions - and I loved the secondary characters, particularly Edmond's Aunt:-
"You may run along and bully the servants, Edmond," she said. "They should have had all the tables set long before now. Growl at them, dear. You are so very good at growling. It will be far more effective than my nagging. When I nag at my servants, they invariably proceed to do exactly what they were doing before, which was not a great deal."
I do have a couple of reservations about the book. Mary is less clearly drawn than Edmond - she's not characterless, exactly, but Edmond talks very much more than she does, and her responses are often as bland as shown above. He falls for her very quickly, and while Mary Balogh convinces me that he is in love with her, I don't think I quite get why he is. The tragedy in Edmond's past is a very real one (the death of his brother and mother) although you may feel, as I did, that his reaction to it and his family's was more extreme than perhaps was warranted. [There are also, at least in the version I read, numerous misprints, and some stray references to Sir Edmond Waite.]
But overall, a book I will re-read with pleasure.
"So much for reformations of character, Mary. They just do not happen. I am sorry. The temptation was too great."
"Yes, it was," she said.
"I did try," he said. "If only the rain had not made my clothes so infernally wet. I think I might have had a will of iron if I had not had to remove all my clothes."
The plot is straightforward in the best way - lots of occasions for Edmond and Mary to get closer, with few interruptions - and I loved the secondary characters, particularly Edmond's Aunt:-
"You may run along and bully the servants, Edmond," she said. "They should have had all the tables set long before now. Growl at them, dear. You are so very good at growling. It will be far more effective than my nagging. When I nag at my servants, they invariably proceed to do exactly what they were doing before, which was not a great deal."
I do have a couple of reservations about the book. Mary is less clearly drawn than Edmond - she's not characterless, exactly, but Edmond talks very much more than she does, and her responses are often as bland as shown above. He falls for her very quickly, and while Mary Balogh convinces me that he is in love with her, I don't think I quite get why he is. The tragedy in Edmond's past is a very real one (the death of his brother and mother) although you may feel, as I did, that his reaction to it and his family's was more extreme than perhaps was warranted. [There are also, at least in the version I read, numerous misprints, and some stray references to Sir Edmond Waite.]
But overall, a book I will re-read with pleasure.
May 19, 2013
Read this after the Counterfeit Betrothal as they have come out together with the reissuing of the author's back catalogue.
Again this was a really enjoyable read.
We have Lady Mary as the widowed blue stocking heroine finding herself as the object of Lord Edmund Waite's attentions after a scandalous interlude in the middle of a thunder storm.
Lord Edmund is a notorious cad who has jilted a long term fiancé and has little reputation left. For some reason he finds himself drawn to Lady Mary and pursues her recklessly and fairly ruthlessly.
Edmund is a complex character who can act decently on one hand and yet has a self destructive streak a mile long and consequently at times he deliberately acts in such a way as to make him seem distasteful to Mary.
Mary is torn between her attraction to Edmund but the knowledge that he is a bad egg and the courtship of the respectable but pompous Viscount Goodrich, who is perhaps not quite so morally upstanding as he would appear.
Ultimately his background story of a family tragedy and subsequent rift emerge and gradually he grows on both Mary and the reader. At times he backtracks into repugnant behaviour but behind the mask is a lost and decent man who has not been able to forgive himself.
With the help of his Aunt, Mary and a knowing sister in law we end up with a very sweet happy ever after for all concerned.
Again this was a really enjoyable read.
We have Lady Mary as the widowed blue stocking heroine finding herself as the object of Lord Edmund Waite's attentions after a scandalous interlude in the middle of a thunder storm.
Lord Edmund is a notorious cad who has jilted a long term fiancé and has little reputation left. For some reason he finds himself drawn to Lady Mary and pursues her recklessly and fairly ruthlessly.
Edmund is a complex character who can act decently on one hand and yet has a self destructive streak a mile long and consequently at times he deliberately acts in such a way as to make him seem distasteful to Mary.
Mary is torn between her attraction to Edmund but the knowledge that he is a bad egg and the courtship of the respectable but pompous Viscount Goodrich, who is perhaps not quite so morally upstanding as he would appear.
Ultimately his background story of a family tragedy and subsequent rift emerge and gradually he grows on both Mary and the reader. At times he backtracks into repugnant behaviour but behind the mask is a lost and decent man who has not been able to forgive himself.
With the help of his Aunt, Mary and a knowing sister in law we end up with a very sweet happy ever after for all concerned.
January 3, 2025
L’opportunità gliel’ho data e mi dispiace abbandonare questa rilettura perché Mary è una delle mie autrici preferite, ma proprio non va. Non so come ho fatto la prima volta ad apprezzare due protagonisti che mi sono totalmente ostici e una trama che è partita malissimo. La pudibonda vedova si fa possedere dal vizioso libertino perché ha paura dei tuoni? Ma davvero? Disturbo post-traumatico da stress, ma accipicchia! E poi lui insiste nel corteggiamento in maniera svilente nei confronti di lei, che per quanto attratta e fintamente disinteressata, dice no. E un no è un no. Diamine. Pazienza.
September 18, 2017
This book is super stalkery and rapey. What woman allows a total stranger to have sex with them in the gardens just because she is scared of a thunderstorm?
And WTAF with the hero's inability to hear a No?
Super rapey. Yuck.
And yet. The last 20 pages are beautiful and so terribly sad and moving. They are Balogh at her finest.
If only they were part of another book.
And WTAF with the hero's inability to hear a No?
Super rapey. Yuck.
And yet. The last 20 pages are beautiful and so terribly sad and moving. They are Balogh at her finest.
If only they were part of another book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2017
Can anyone say "stalker"?
April 12, 2017
really disagreeable characters, very rapey, not enjoyable at all
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