Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake

by Laurie Brown

Book Overview

A modern career woman thrust back in time into the glittering Regency period and the arms of an unscrupulous rake... Josephine Drummond is a professional paranormal researcher (aka, a ghostbuster)... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402210132
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.9" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake

This was a really fun book in which a modern woman is brought back in time by a ghost to help his family and while she is in the past she meets the live him. This book is full of interesting characters and a well written plot that is full of surprises and will keep you captivated until the very end.

5 stars

Josie Drummond finds herself not only hired by a ghost, but as part of her work, taking a trip back in time to prevent her employer, Deverell Thornton, the Ninth Earl of Waite, from meeting with a ruinous event. A modern woman in the Regency era is somewhat of a fish out of water, but with the help of Deverell the ghost and her own wits, she manages. She also begins to fall in love with the living man, Dev, who is in his own way as charming as the ghost he will become. Romance might be the angle she would like best to pursue, but there are mysteries to solve, a fraud to unmask, and she does need to decide which version of the Earl of Waite she belongs with, all before Deverell's power is exhausted and she has no hope of ever returning home. ***** Combining multiple unusual plot devices into a compelling romance that sweeps across the centuries, Ms. Brown gives her readers a fascinating story filled with twists and surprises, particularly the startling ending. Josie's love triangle is perhaps the one that of all literary triangles can be considered truly unique. How many people fall in love with the same man, but have to choose which version of him to be with? Though this is clearly a satisfyingly complete tale that leaves little to no room for it to become a series, readers will want to keep their eye out for more from this talented author, at least this one shall. ***** Amanda Killgore

Time Travel at Its Best!

I really didn't care how authentic facts relating to the Regency period were, I liked the book for pure entertainment. I liked the plot and the characters. I don't particularly like "period" or "historical romances", but I do like the premise of time travel. I just enjoyed this book, the story and the characters. I really couldn't predict how the book would end and was actually in suspense as it neared the end!

Excellent Debut by Laurie Brown

If you like ghosts, historical romance, time travel and great characters - pick up this book. An American ghostbuster finds herself confronted by a early 1800 ghost who wants her time travel with him. He wants her to prove the gypsy that has stealing from his mother that she is a fake. She does not think time travel is real but is willing to spend time with the handsome ghost for scientific purposes. This book was excellent! - Enjoy! I would also recommended;How to Abduct a Highland Lord by Karen Hawkins, Spirited Away & Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles, Have Glass Slippers Will Travel by Lisa Cach and Crazy For You by Kate Angell.

A woman travels to the Regency period to prevent a crime

Despite the rather unwieldy title, this book is a really enjoyable read as we follow Josie Drummond back in time to solve a puzzle in England in 1815. She is working in England as a paranormal investigator in modern times when she meets the resident ghost of Castle Waite, Deverell Thornton, the ninth Earl of Waite, who asks her to go back in time with him to prevent his mother being defrauded by a gypsy and losing the family's money. This event contributed to the severe financial straits of his one remaining relative, Amelia Waite - it seems that the house is falling into rack and ruin in modern times because of a lack of money. Of course Josie needs lots of education in how to behave as a young single woman in the Regency period and Deverell and Amelia help with this. Then she is transported to 1815 and meets Dev's mother Honoria and some other house guests, including the gypsy, but - unfortunately - also the flesh and blood Deverell who is dangerously charming. She and the Regency Deverell work to find out who the gypsy is and, helped by the ghost Deverell, Josie tries to change the events of the future. However with the ghost running out of energy which would strand her in the Regency period, and with her attraction to the Deverell of 1815, Josie's task is getting harder. Will she be able to leave the Regency period after all? The descriptions of mealtimes, clothing, dancing and etiquette in the Regency period were fascinating. It all seemed reasonably accurate but I was a little dubious about some facts (for example, it was discussed whether an Earl who is the younger son of a Duke is lower in the pecking order than an Earl who is the eldest son of a Marquis - but younger sons of Dukes don't inherit titles in the UK) and this meant that I wasn't entirely sure if what I was reading was fully correct. This is always disappointing in historical fiction but I gave the author the benefit of the doubt in most cases and enjoyed all the little touches of information that she shared, such as the way that women wore gloves. There are a few unfortunate errors in the UK setting of the book; for example, we are told about the 'Albert and Victoria Museum' (which is of course the Victoria and Albert Museum), English Regency people using American words such as 'nixed' and someone eating 'biscuits' with her egg and bacon at breakfast in 1815 ('biscuits' in English are equivalent to the American cookies, and breakfasts were usually ham or beef and ale rather than bacon and eggs). The point of view of the narration occasionally jumps from Josie to Dev for a couple of paragraphs and then back again and that can be confusing as it's not always clear initially who is narrating. However despite these few reservations this was a very enjoyable read with Josie a feisty and independent character and Deverell the ghost and Deverell the man both also very appealing. It was enjoyable to read a book with a mystery plot that wasn't lost behind the romantic part of the

Fresh and Charming!

Relative newcomer Laurie Brown pens a fresh tale that is as equally charming as it is hot! Paranormal Investigator, (Don't call her Ghostbuster!) and thoroughly modern Josie Drummond has taken a job to confirm a ghost living in Waite Castle the home of dear old Amelia, current owner of the falling-into-disrepair castle and descendent of said ghost. After all but giving up on discovering the ghost- Josie quite suddenly meets departed Lord Deverell Thornton and it doesn't take long for the tale of his haunting to come forth. In his faimly, and upon their death's, a family member is assigned a task to stand as guardian of the castle until the task is complete. For Deverell it's been an eternity with no end in site for the last guardian set up a task for him that would punish him for his rakehell ways while in his earthly existence 100 and some years ago: He must read every book in the castle- a castle which not only carries an extensive library but also descendents with a penchant for buying more and more books. While attempting to fulfill his task he realizes that back in the day he never bothered to set up his finances to last and, with guilt upon him out of love for his great-great (and then some) niece Amelia, he has decided it's time to rectify that. Enter Josie. His plan to recover his family fortune is to take Josie with him back to Regency England to debunk a fraudulent fortune teller whom his mother wasted all the family finances on in a misguided attempt to discover some missing family jewels. Josie is of course stunned at not only meeting the ghost of Waite Castle but at his ridiculous plan too. Yet, hoping to bribe more information out of him, she agrees knowing full well time travel is not possible. She was wrong. After a whirlwind training session with Aunt Amelia on the ettiquette of Regency England, much to Josie's shock, Dev takes her with him back to his former life where she manages to do the job AND solve a two hundred year old family mystery. She also manages to win Dev's heart and thereby reform his rakish ways. I really enjoyed this little number. Josie is a great heroine. Courageous and funny, I just loved her! Dev is equally endearing and in Brown's unique twist we get TWO of him! The authors research and obvious love of Jane Austen's regency England screams from every page. In addition to Austen references, we get modern pop-culture references which, surprisingly, fit just as well. Though the story is far-fetched, Brown makes it work because of her obvious enthusiasm for the time and deft hand in incorporating Josie believably into Dev's world.