Dashing-but-disgraced Lord Boyce Parker has finally found a chance to win back his reputation and get back into his father's good graces. If he can be the winner of one of five challenges for English gentlemen, he can claim honor, money, and the chance to win the hand of a lady. In order to win, he must find a spectacular way to get to Paris; Eve Mountefloy's father's hot air balloon will do the trick. Eve herself is a woman of science downtrodden by her oppressive duty to her ailing father. She and Parker go on a brief flight toward Paris, but an accident befalls them upon landing. The singing rake and the strong-willed lady must navigate a sea of troubles, both natural and man made, to make themselves safe and to share their scientific observations with the world. When Eve's father demands she make an engagement she does not desire, Parker must find it in himself to be serious and win her back before it's too late.

WHEN A RAKE FALLS is a delightful romance and a very quick read. The prose is light and effortless, carrying the story right alone. There are some parts that plod along, but for the most part this is just a fresh and pretty thing to read. It's not heavily dramatic or overblown with fantasizing. I think that's a good quality in a romance novel. So often the source of conflict is a misunderstanding which results from both involved parties being stubborn or foolish. In this book, the conflict stems from outside sources: the backwards father, the balloon crash, the looming threat of the engagement, societal pressures, expectations for women in 1820s England. I cannot express how nice it is to avoid the dramatic misunderstanding; WHEN A RAKE FALLS displays excellent mastery of the craft.

As for the "rake" of this novel, his is a fascinating character in that he is not a true rake. A true rake blows through women, from single to married to widowed, without once considering their feelings, their virtues, or their reputations. Parker seems to be the ever-charming ladies' man, but beyond a few widows he has had no mistresses. He has a great deal more respect for women at the beginning of the book than most of his peers do even at the end. He sings delightfully, acts as though he has no cares in the world, shows tender feelings for the animals with which he interacts, and still has fears which make him very real.

Miss Mountfloy is very cute and sincere, but she's not quite the heroine this novel deserves. She is a woman dedicated to science, but she doesn't have the oomph needed to put the men who put her down in their places. If the character was written to be a dutiful daughter and happy housewife, that's all well and good, but Eve's passion for science demands that she have more of a backbone in this time period. I think she's a great character and I'd like to see more of the strength she shows in the very end of the novel. The other characters are along the lines of Eve Mountfloy: somewhat flat and not particularly memorable, but with great potential.

WHEN A RAKE FALLS is a fairly typical romance novel, but that does not make it any less excellent. It has an excellent pace, good characters, and prose the likes of which you don't often see in historical romances. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a little lift to their spirits, pun very much intended.