Miss Thornrose and the Rake

by Geraldine Burrows

Book Overview

What happens when the Mistress of Reform meets a notorious rake? Can she resist the temptation to reform this libertine earl while he is determined to seduce this pretty Puritan? Disaster is set to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451213394
• ISBN13: 9780451213396
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Signet Book
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Odd, but charming

Verity Thornrose, like her family before her, has dedicated her life to charity work. With a nickname like "Mistress Reform", how could she be anything but a spinster do-gooder? Currently, she invests her time in rescueing less-than-fortunate Irish girls from dire fates. Her current protege is a girl named Deirdre, who was a terrible habit of running away. While searching for Deirdre, Verity has a chance encounter with the dastardly Earl of Brathmere, who is as much of a rake as Verity is a saint. When they part, she doesn't even give him her name. But the rakish earl is intrigued, and is determined to find her again. This is a very intersting book, much different from the regular Regency fair. It has an altogether different style and flair that cannot be explained until you read it yourself. (I loved the chapter titles). This book seems to have everything. Adventure. Humor. Duels. Rescues. Damsels in Distress. Villains. However, the love story of Verity and Alaric (the earl) left something to be desired. Unlike most heroes, Alaric really IS a rake. This behavior is somewhat off-putting, but you can't help but admire a guy who is admittedly worst than most. However, the story of their romance didn't do much for me. And I didn't care for the ending. In fact, I much preferred the secondary romance of the Rafe the footman and Deirdre the maid. Early on, however, it took an unfortunate backseat to Verity and Alaric's story. This book is still highly recommended by me, especially for someone looking for a book that's charmingly fresh and different.

Unusual and entertaining but some problems

I've not encountered this author before and I see from inside the cover that the book was probably written a number of years before Signet brought it out. Not too sure how to explain what we have here - in some ways the novel is almost a pastiche of an 18th century novel a la Fielding, etc. Each chapter has a clever title that describes the action to take place. The author is very clever in her descriptions of time and place and her command of regency "slang" seems good - at least it is believeable and not sanitised, Americanised or 21st century slang overlaid on the early 19th - an accomplishment in itself! The story is, however, plot rather than character driven. The author has given us the story of a philanthropic young woman who comes from a long line of the sort of people who eventually got rid of slavery, chimney sweeps, child labour and other sorts of social ills. The hero is an outright rake and has killed three men in duels (although we are given no explanation as to why he had not fled abroad for these deeds), gambles, has mistresses and casual sex and really has no obvious redeeming qualities. However, they come together and face up to an obnoxious relative of our heroine and then the plot takes a really odd turn. Verity Thornrose is imprisoned in a lunatic asylum and suffers great trials and tribulations until Lord Brathmere manages to free her. Here is where I have some problems with the plot. I thought it rattled along rather well until the last quarter of the book when suddenly this turn away from the semi-farcial to the semi-tragic seemed like two stories badly welded together. Because this story is plot-driven, the author moves her characters rather like pieces on a chessboard and, sadly, we never get to understand what makes them tick for we never get inside their heads. Surely our hero was damaged goods but we never really know why - what happened to him to turn him into what superficially is a nasty sort of chap? Although there is a sexual attraction between him and Verity, we never really gain an understanding of what it is about her actions or character that make him want to have her. And, I'm not really sure we are certain he will reform completely! Sorry, I think I am rambling. Although I did enjoy this book, I had trouble evaluating it because there are a lot of strands to it and they don't all knit well together. I think the author has promise. I see that she has used one of the minor characters here for another story. I'll have to check it out! I recommend this but not with a great deal of conviction. I'd really prefer to give it 3-1/2 stars ..............

WITTY, ENTERTAINING, JUST A GREAT STORY!

This is the first book by Geraldine Burrows that I've read -- it might be the first one she's published; I don't know. I do know I'll certainly be watching for her books in the future. Verity Thornrose is a perfect example of a Do-Gooding Female Determined To Rescue The Poor And Downtrodden and she does so through a variety of Good Works all of which are recorded in the family's history of good deeds. She is also pure, undefiled and definitely unawakened -- until she manages to get herself in A Difficult Situation and the only person around to rescue her is the rakehell Alaric Tierney. To say he wakes her up is an understatement. What's surprising -- especially to Alaric -- is the effect she has on him. Alaric Tierney is about as far from a Good Samaritan as you're likely to find, even among the debauched gentlemen littering the pages of regency novels. He has a long way to go to become hero material. It is to Ms. Burrows credit that she accomplishes his transformation to hero credibly and with just enough backsliding as to make him a delight. I loved this book and I look forward to others from Ms. Burrows.