Copyright: 2005
Pages: 320 (paperback edition)
Setting/Type: Regency/Straight Romance
Series: Featherton Sisters #3
Grade: DNF
Having had her heart broken by a “reformed rake,” Meredith Merriweather is determined to help with other young ladies avoid falling for the wrong man. Meredith intends to tempt the most notorious rake in all of London, the devilishly handsome Alexander Lamont, and then document the results in a cautionary guidebook called “A Lady’s Guide To Rakes”. But soon Alexander decides that Meredith is the woman for him. And as he uses all his rakish charms to win her heart, Meredith finds herself tempted to give in to a man no woman should trust, let along love.
Kathryn Caskie is another author I tried out because my library offered a copy of one of her books and her name found it’s way onto my wishlist under cryptical circumstances. I discontinued this story around page 150, after having discovered my wandering mind was contemplating to start on another book from my TBR pile.
All in all A Lady’s Guide to Rakes is a nice read with an orginal and humorous heroine, a funky plot and a well-musceled hero. Problem was, it didn’t capture me. The reading felt too flat, too bland, so that I started skipping rather big parts of the story. The one detail that really disturbed me was part of the hero’s personality.
Alexander needs to marry in order to placate his father who is finally fed up with his philandering. Circumstances let his father decide that Merredith is the one to bring him back onto the right path … and Alexander, too, decides that Merredith is probably the best choice for his reforming act. To me, Alexander was too wimpy and weak. He does his father’s bidding, curbs his behaviour so as not to loose his support and inheritance. I would have prefered him to stand up more for himself, being less of a dandy and playful boy and more of a full grown man instead.
Leave a comment