Book Review: Never Romance a Rake by Liz Carlyle

October 20th, 2009 | 4.5 Stars, A-C, Barons and Baronets, Guest Reviews, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells

guestreview

By: Marcia, guest reviewer

Most Regency Romances portray life in this period as opulent and sensual. And it was, but it was also very hard. Wealthy children were valued not so much as individuals but for what they could contribute to the family in the way of money or power. Each member of the family was bound by duty to do their part, but could not hold a paying job or engage in industry or business. They were not encouraged to marry for love. In fact, most people of this class did not think such a thing was possible. Debt was a worry for all classes of people. There was no welfare system and many people died of starvation and exposure. Even those from good families could suffer the effects of malnutrition since keeping up appearances was more important was maintaining one's health. Women and children were legal chattel (personal property) and did not have the right to self-determination or to manage their own money or affairs. With money and power a man could easily get away with murdering members of his family; abuse and neglect were not crimes.

Today we think of the Caribbean as a luxurious place to vacation with warm tropical breezes and beautiful scenery. During the 19^th century the Caribbean was a backwater place without culture or conveniences of any kind. There was no air-conditioning, running water, window screens, paved roads or hurricane warning system. Insects thrived in the swamps and hot, humid weather. Many of the resident landowners had been exiled from polite society. The slave population far outnumbered white landowners. The slaves were angry, desperate people with nothing to lose and access to fire and machetes. Slave uprisings were not uncommon and greatly feared. As a result, the methods used to keep the slave population cowed and in check are too horrible to mention. A hard life makes people hard.

Mademoiselle Camille Marchand has come to London with her natural father, Comte de Valigny, a devious and dissolute man intent on using Camille for his own ends. Camille has her own plans. She has learned to trust no one and is intent on not making the same mistakes as her mother, who was foolish enough sacrifice all for love. Camille has recently learned that her maternal grandfather has left her an inheritance with the caveat that she marries an English nobleman before the age twenty-eight and give birth to a child within two years. Camille's twenty-eighth birthday is in six weeks. Her parents' reputations are so bad that she has no hope of finding an honorable husband so in desperation she has agreed to allow her father to offer her in a card game. A small group of men have gathered at Valigny's home. It is very late and the men are drunk. Valigny has lost a great deal of money. For his final bid he offers Camille, providing the winner marries her and splits her dowry of 50,000 pounds with him. Her beauty mesmerizes the men at the table including Lord Enders, whose depraved proclivities are well known and Kieran, Baron Rothewell.

Kieran and his brother and sister were orphaned and a young age and sent to live with their paternal uncle in Barbados. The uncle, exiled for killing a footman, is a violent drunk who abuses the children. Kieran tormented by his past and slowly killing himself with hard living, is suffering from alarming symptoms that suggest that his death will be sooner rather than later. Despite that fact that he has no use for a wife, Kieran cannot stomach the idea of Enders winning Camille and he cheats to win the hand. Kieran and Camille agree that theirs will be a marriage of convenience but, of course, that is not to be.

This novel is written in beautiful, sumptuous prose with realistically structured scenes that showcase the torment and vulnerabilities of the characters. The bedroom scenes are elegantly erotic. Ms. Carlyle skillfully immerses us in the intense emotional struggle of Camille and Kieran to relinquish their fear of intimacy and trust themselves and each other enough to fall in love. Never Romance a Rake is a stupendous finale to the Rothewell trilogy.

4 ½ Stars

Buy: Never Romance a Rake