The title characters of THE BLUESTOCKING AND THE RAKE couldn't be more different. Georgiana Blakelow is a moral-minded miss on a mission to save her home. Robert Holkham, Earl of Marcham, is a confirmed rake, who didn't set out to win Miss Blakelow's home in a card game, he just got lucky. When the determined young woman arrives at his home, demanding his help to rebuild her family's estate, he finds himself drawn to her strength -- and to the mysteries around her.
The supporting cast in THE BLUESTOCKING AND THE RAKE are interesting and unique characters. Author Norma Darcy has crafted intriguing main and secondary plots, and I quite enjoyed the story through most of the book. As I came to realize that Georgie was hiding a dark secret, it drew me in even more; I love a mystery with my romance.
Unfortunately, I became frustrated during the final chapters. I found myself looking back for references to minor characters that are more important to the story than previously suggested. I feel that even Georgie's thoughts about her family are misleading, that we readers are not given the information we needed to grasp Georgie's full situation. To me, the denouement felt convoluted, rushed, and thrown together.
On one hand, I want to recommend the book, because I enjoyed the characters and the situations so much. Georgie's brothers take drastic action at one point that is shocking and funny at the same time. On the other hand, if you want to be able to solve the mystery as you read, as I do, you won't find the clues you need until it is spelled out in a lengthy confession-style monologue.
THE BLUESTOCKING AND THE RAKE will be of interest to readers who enjoy Regency romance.
2014 WinnerβAmazon Breakthrough Novel AwardβRomance
The Earl of Marcham has decided to put the excesses of his
colorful youth firmly behind him so that he may find a
wife
and beget himself an heir. But a straitlaced spinster may
stand in his way after she releases a morality pamphlet
exposing some of his most private misdemeanors. Determined
to have his revenge and teach her a much-needed lesson,
the
earl decides that his best course of action is to seduce
herβ¦
Miss Georgiana Blakelow has long given up the hope of
marriage. Instead, sheβs resigned to serving as governess
to
her siblings and saving the family estate from ruin. She
might succeed, if only the wretch of an earl who won the
estate at the gaming table would be reasonable.
As the sparks fly, and as Lord Marcham finds himself
unexpectedly attracted to Miss Blakelow, she becomes even
more determined to keep him at a safe distance. The closer
he gets, the more likely he is to discover that his
bluestocking isnβt all that she seems.
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