Notorious Rake [Paperback]

How could this have happened? This is exactly what Mary asks herself once she's home again. She hates men of Lord Edmond's type; he was a rake in the worst possible sense, and she was well aware that only a few months earlier he'd been involved in a scandal with another woman, who had apparently almost run off with him while engaged to another man. But Mary is terrified of thunderstorms due to a childhood trauma, and she knows that she can't exactly blame Lord Edmond for making love to her; in her terror, she had pleaded with him to do it. But it will never happen again. He is not her type. He is everything she despises... and yet. And yet she is powerfully attracted to him, as she has never been to any other man. Not even Marcus, the Earl of Clifton (hero of A Counterfeit Betrothal), who was her close friend for so many years.

As for Edmond, still stinging from Felicity's rejection, he is equally determined that Mary is not his type. Despite the fact that being with her haunts his dreams, he knows very well that he doesn't belong in her world, and he can't imagine her wanting to belong in his. And yet he is still attracted to her: Mary, the mousy bluestocking, a type of woman he tells himself is beneath his notice. He can't seem to stop himself coming up with excuses for them to meet, and when they do, he can't prevent himself baiting her just to see her shaken out of her studied politeness.

No, Edmond and Mary are worlds apart... or are they? For Mary, little by little, begins to discover that Edmond is not the ignorant, heartless, Philistine rake he pretends to be. She gradually discovers, to her shock, that he can be hurt. That *she* can hurt him. And also that he has a knowledge of culture and literature better than her own - but why does he try to hide it? And what is the mystery surrounding his brother's death, when Edmond was only eighteen, and for which the world - including Edmond himself - holds him responsible?

Is Edmond really such a notorious rake as he appears?

Can Mary use her engagement to another man to put Edmond out of her mind and make him keep away from her?

This is in many ways an unforgettable book, and Edmond is one of my favourite 'tortured' Balogh heroes. We begin by disliking him - and for anyone who read the first book in this linked trilogy, The Trysting Place, the dislike is even greater. But by even a quarter of the way into the book, we find our perceptions changing. We haven't even found out any of Edmond's secrets by this stage, which is what is so skilful about Balogh's writing. She can make readers feel empathy even for a character we should dislike. But as we learn more and more about Edmond, discovering along the way that he is compassionate, sensitive and capable of showing great nobility, we long to know the real secrets of his past - and for him to find the happiness he deserves.

A keeper, this book, if you can get your hands on it.

Lady Mornington, Mary Gregg, is a lady in every sense of the word. She is a widow and has arranged a comfortable life surrounded by class, both, in her choice of friends and her lifestyle. Mary Gregg, also, has laid with Edmond Waite much to her chagrin.

This exposé is how Mary Balogh opens "The Notorious Rake" and in doing so, the author wins her reader's full attention. Now, Mary Gregg tries in vain to rid herself of Lord Edmond Waite's recognition; thus, Balogh releases her story's target.

Lord Edmond Waite first made his appearance in Balogh's "The Trysting Place." Here the author has taken his character and examined his obnoxious behavior -- behavior shaped from guilt, rejection and grief.

The character of Mary Gregg appeared in "The Counterfeit Betrothal." Balogh's fans know these three books as the Waite Series: "The Trysting Place," "The Counterfeit Betrothal," and finally "The Notorious Rake." They are Signet Regency Romance books, out of print, difficult to find, and are pricey.

"The Notorious Rake" is very good, demonstrating Mary Balogh's growth as a writer with each release. Here she is in complete control, her writing, her character development, and her storyline are top notch causing her reader to crave for more. Hunt down these little treasures; they are well worth the effort.

Grace Atkinson, Ontario - Canada.

Although Balogh employs many regency plot staples in this book (an outrageous, unrepented rake who is not what he appears to be; a respectable widow unacquainted with the delights of passionate sex; a Brit-twit family estranged by tragedy) she, as always, infuses them with a freshness and vitality that make you feel you're encountering it all for the first time. Balogh's amazing when she's at the top of her form and in this one, she's there. Well worth the out-of-print price--and then some!