Orphaned Reginald Davenport was raised by his uncle with the prospect of inheriting an earldom. When an unexpected heir turns up, Reggie turns to carousing to find solace. Instead, he soon finds himself a slave to the bottle. A last chance at redemption comes in the form of Strickland, his ancestral home, bestowed on him by the new earl, his cousin. The old earl ignored the estate, except to take the money it brought in, but it is prosperous, thanks to the mysterious steward, A. E. Weston.

When Reggie arrives at Strickland, he's surprised to find that the "A" stands for Alys. His steward is a woman, who wears men's clothes when it suits her and runs the estate well despite some of the men's dislike of a woman in charge. He finds he likes this strong, bold, beautiful woman, but Alys has secrets that could put everyone on the estate at risk.

THE RAKE is one of Mary Jo Putney's first Regency novels, revamped a bit for reissue. Reggie and Alys are attracted to each other from their first meeting, but they both have reasons not to get involved. Alys is hiding from her own past, and she's responsible for three children she "inherited" from a previous employer. She can't risk losing her job by having an affair with the boss. For his part, Reggie recognizes that Alys is a gently-bred lady, and he doesn't want to ruin her. He's also recognizing and battling his own addiction to alcohol.

Reggie and Alys are complex and believable characters, and Putney has surrounded them with a well-drawn supporting cast, and an equally complex plot that churns with inner turmoil, outside threats, and day-to-day struggles. I found the alcoholism thread a bit heavy-handed but otherwise well done. It's a real joy to see these two overcome the challenges they face and find happiness together. The story even includes a couple of bonus happy endings. Though the setting and characters are unusual, THE RAKE should satisfy readers who love a good Regency love story.