The Persistent Earl

by Gail Eastwood

Book Overview

Beautiful Lady Phoebe Brodfield cannot imagine that the badly injured Earl of Devenham is a threat to her virtue, but as he grows stronger, so does his desire, and as her broken heart mends, her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451181913
• ISBN13: 9780451181916
• Release Date: March 1995
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.1" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Well-written and enjoyable traditional Regency romance

Lady Phoebe Brodfield has been hiding in her kindly sister and brother-in-law's London townhouse since the sudden and tragic death of her husband eighteen months ago. Phoebe was hurt dreadfully by the gossip surrounding her husband's death and is content to play nursemaid and governess to her sister's children. Major John Allen Jameson, Earl of Devenham was wounded at Waterloo after barely recovering from a previous injury. His London lodgings are no place for a sick man so his old friend, Phoebe's brother-in-law Sir Edward Allington, offered room in his home for the Earl and Phoebe as nurse. Lord Devenham has a notorious reputation as a rake and at first his charming, flirtatious manner unnerves Phoebe and she tries to deny her physical attraction to the man, but as she nurses him back to health, she discovers that he has a kind nature that lies hidden underneath his rakish manner. A wicked villain threatens Phoebe and the Earl sees it as his duty to protect her from harm. The two gradually break down each other's defenses and get to know the truth behind the public image. Phoebe, still hurting from her husband's untimely death, needs the Earl to help her heal and he needs her to learn to love. This story is rather darker and a lot more melancholy than A Perilous Journey, but it's very well-written. The dialogue is natural and the story unfolds slowly. The romance was romantic without being overpowering or corny and the relationship between the two principles was incredibly believable. I figured out the villain and the big secret right away so the reveal came as no surprise but I think the focus is more on the internal developments of the characters rather than the actual action of the story. Eastwood's character development is very effective in moving the plot along so I was willing to forgive the obvious villain. I really enjoyed this novel as a departure from my usual comedic fare. I recommend it to Regency lovers and especially fans of Patricia Veryan.