The Rake's Retreat

by Nancy Butler

Book Overview

A young lady finds herself caught in a mystery of murder, as she accompanies the frightened young girl, a witness to the crime, and her guardian, a nobleman renowned for his notorious behavior, to a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451197895
• ISBN13: 9780451197894
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 215 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Definitely in the Heyer tradition!

I've now read a number of Nancy Butler's novels and, thus far, this one is the very best. A story of a mature woman and a rake with a sad and bad past is always a pleasurable plot for me. But this one was certainly one of the finest I've read and put me in mind of Heyer's Venetia and her beloved Damerel.Jemima Vale - mature, intelligent and strong is missing something in her life - love, true companionship and (unbeknownst to her) sexual fulfilment. She meets, through the subplot of intrique and espionage, Mr Beecham Bryce - rake, reprobate, fallen angel with a hardened heart. Of course, in this sort of scenario, the H/H are never quite what they seem. Jemima is wise and caring but eager to love a man who, superficially at any rate, appears to be totally inappropriate. Bryce is a man who has willfully brought on his own downfall yet retains strong family ties and yearns to find love and completion with Jemima, a woman who proves to be his true "other half".This is a tightly plotted story with wholly believable characters (and some brilliant secondary characters) and the story is enlivened by some of the wittiest dialague I have read in a regency novel for a very long time. Just one tiny example: Jemima looked up at the sky, assessing the position of the sun. "I see that it is past noon. And that your innuendoes have returned, right on schedule."Bryce's mouth drew up into a crooked grin. "I don't flatter before lunchtime; innuendo I can furnish round the clock."Butler handles her mature heroine and flawed hero with great skill and gusto in this novel. Both are characters who come bursting to life for the reader. It's definitely a keeper and it's made me realise it is time to re-read Heyer's "Venetia" again. Very highly recommended for its plot, characters, dialogue and high levels of emotion and sexual tension.

a definite keeper

This is the most refreshing Regency I have read in some time! Not only are Lady Jemima and Beecham Bryce intriguing characters but I thoroughly enjoyed the supporting cast as well. There was plenty of humor, passion and genuine suspense. This book is definitely a keeper! I look forward with great anticipation to Ms. Butler's next book!

highly enjoyable

Wow, I've never imagined that mystery and suspense can be so successfully incorporated into a Regency romance. THE RAKE'S RETREAT had me completely besotted with the hero, and I finished it with a big, satisfying grin.Atypical of conventional Regency heores, Beecham Bryce is not a memeber of the peerage--he is a mere "MR." Beecham Bryce while our heroine Jemima Vale is addressed as Lady Jemima (since her brother is a Lord). However, this in no way diminishes the hero's appeal. Bryce is pstrong,wealthy and extremely talented! He is nothing but charming and caring towards Lady Jemima when a murder throws the two together. See, Bryce is instantly intrigued and smitten by Jemima when he first sets eyes on her. As circumstances have placed Jemima under his roof, he decides to seduce her out of her maidenly reserves. Things do not go as planned, however, and Bryce soon finds that his feelings for the lovely "Lady J" run deeper than he cares to admit!Jemima, on the other hand, is a thoroughly adorable character. She is just as witty and enchanting as Bryce, and is his perfect match. Of course, at first she tries to fend off Bryce's advances and seductive lures. But what makes me so fond of Jemima is that as soon as she discovers that she desires him just as badly, she is not ashamed or afraid to act on her needs!The scene where Bryce and Jemima finally get together makes me so happy for them that I wanted to scream! In addition to a pair of lovable protagonists, THE RAKE'S RETREAT also offers adventure, espionage and action that add spice to (but never over-shadow) the romantic part of the story. I highly recommand it!!

Wonderful!

Lovelace Wellesley was an actress who went for a walk and witnessed a murder. She escaped the murderer and ran into Beecham Bryce, the biggest libertine in the country. Thinking the murderer would be looking for Lovelace, he decides to have her stay with him on his estate. Lady Jemima Vale accompanies them as a chaperon. So Jemima sends word to the hotel for her brother, Troy, a famous poet, to meet her at the estate. From then on, this Regency Romance is full of romance, suspence, action, and surprises. I can tell no more about it without giving away something vital to the mystery. I CAN say that in my opinion, Nancy Butler is the best regency writer I have stumbled across in the bookstore. Highly recommended!

Nancy Butler makes Regency England come alive.

Lady Jemima Vale spends her life in the shadow of her poet brother, the current rage of the ton. When she follows him to the country so he can view a prizefight, she finds herself coming to the aid of a young actress who has witnessed a murder on the estate of the most notorious rake in all England, Beecham Bryce. The young girl needs protection because she has seen the killer. Lady Jemima cannot allow her to go off with a man with such an infamous reputation, so she agrees to act as chaperone. When she learns that the murdered man is identified as her brother, Jemima's world turns upside down. Beecham Bryce is very attracted to Lady J. In fact, this is the first woman to interest him in a very long time. When her brother turns up alive and drunk, he asks Bryce to play up to his sister, who is considered 'on the shelf'. Bryce doesn't think so. He continues to pursue the lady on his own. But there is danger afoot. Someone is dead, someone is stealing from Bryce's home and the war is heating up on the continent. Lady Jemima is falling under Bryce's seductive spell, totally against her nature. Only Nancy Butler can make everything turn out right. Her unique ability to blend adventure, drama, and danger with Regency morals, comedy and romance takes the reader back to a time when life was very different but love was very much the same as it is now. She immerses the reader in the glory and simplicity of a bygone era with a deft hand and magnificent imagery. The characters are drawn with humor and wry wit. She writes with true understanding of the relationships between men and women of any time. True to the genre, everything turns out all right in the end, but Nancy Butler has led her characters and readers on a thrilling, delightful romantic adventure that is not to be missed.