Beginning this September, I’m going to have a Best Georgian
& Regency Romances list, so all month long I’ll be reading and reviewing stories
from this era. The era covers the period from 1714 to
1830, with the sub-period of the Regency defined by the Regency of George IV as
Prince of Wales (‘the Prince Regent”) during the illness of his father George
III.
To begin, I’m starting with a classic, The Rake by Mary Jo Putney.
Set in 1817, this is the story of Lady Alys Weston, who
fled the shallow affections of her fiancé because he only wanted her money to
become a governess and then an estate manager. She excels at her work and hides
her sex from her absentee landlord while making him money. But when Strickland
is given to Reginald Davenport, the disinherited alcoholic—a rake all of London
is aware of—Alys knows she is in trouble.
Reggie means to reform and Alys is his
inspiration, running his estate well. But alcoholism is something that has him
by the throat and it will take much to see him on the other side. Reggie is
attracted to the tall brunette “the Amazon” his friend calls her) but he will
not ruin his employee.
Putney takes her time to develop the
story and the addiction that Reggie struggles with, all of it reflecting much
research and a sensitivity to anyone who struggles with such an addiction. An
honorable man who is throwing away his life, Reggie realizes he has one chance
to reform and he takes it. Estate life and the Regency after the war with
Napoleon are displayed well. Lots of detail makes it a rich story.
Buy on Amazon
Read about Reggie's cousin
Richard, the earl, who was wounded at Waterloo in The Diabolical Baron, Putney’s first Regency. On Amazon
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