Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Signet (1989), Paperback, 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: A woman holds the key to one man's destiny in this classic Regency romance from the legendary New York Times bestselling author. Disinherited and disgraced, Reginald Davenport's prospects cried for a dire end. But fate has given him one last chance at redemption�by taking his rightful place as the heir of Strickland, his lost ancestral estate. Davenport knows his way around women, yet nothing prepares him for his shocking encounter with Lady Alys Weston. Masquerading as a man in order to obtain a position as estate manager of Strickland, Alys fled a world filled with mistrust and betrayal. She was finished with men�until Strickland's restored owner awakens a passion she thought she would never feel. A passion that will doom or save them both . . . if only they can overcome their pasts . . . Praise for Mary Jo Putney "Putney's endearing characters and warm-hearted stories never fail to inspire and delight." �Sabrina Jeffries "A complex maze of a story twisted with passion, violence, and redemption. Miss Putney just gets better and better." �Nora Roberts "A gifted writer with an intuitive understanding of what makes romance work." �Amanda Quick "No one writes historical romance better." �Cathy Maxwell "Dynamite!" �Laura Kinsale.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member CathyLeming
Intriguing and truly unique story in a saturated genre. I loved Reggie. Normally I like MJP's level-headed and reasonable women, but I couldn't help wishing Reggie had a more passionte (emotionally speaking) heroine.
LibraryThing member lina_em
Reggie Davenport is this gambling drunk who is given land from his cousin, the earl, to maintain. While there he finds that the caretaker is actually a female. It's unconventional but the plotline is deepened by the alcoholism that you see the hero must overcome. Putney has always written well
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versed novels. This was one of them. Show Less
LibraryThing member lukaret
Thoroughly enjoyed the angst level of this book.
LibraryThing member franoscar
Spoilers abound. I was really disappointed in this book. I thought it would be fun. It seems like she read a couple of Georgette Heyer books and took bits and pieces of them. And then plugged in the alcoholism stuff, and made the old long-lost uncle an AA spokesman. The romance was dull and the
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secret identity unbelievable. Plus he heroically gives her up for what...2 minutes? Show Less
LibraryThing member rainrunner
I can't believe I actually finished this one. So, one of the main characters is an alcoholic but he gets better through prayer and the book is dedicated to someone who is a "friend of Bill W.". The book has several references to AA type of recovery although AA is not mentioned. I don't know, I just
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didn't enjoy this book and found myself flipping through pages at the end just to prove I could finish it. Show Less
LibraryThing member mt256
The Rake by Mary Jo Putney is a charming novel about two characters who both try to throw convention to the wind and live life on their own terms. Reginald Davenport is a rake. It's true. It even says so in the title. He was adopted by his uncle after the tragic loss of his parents. His uncle is
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not a kind man. To get back at his uncle, who would do anything to avoid embarrassment, Reginald acts out. He's a womanizer and a card shark. Alys Weston has a more mysterious past. However it's not the past that's interesting it's her present. Alys is the steward of Strickland, the estate that Reginald recently inherited. Reginald arrives at Strickland to find out his steward is a woman. He is shockingly not at all disturbed by this fact. Actually not many characters in this novel are shocked by it. Alys is a smart, clever, hard working woman but because of the conventions that woman were bound to in this time period, I was a little disappointed that Alys didn't meet with more opposition. Despite my qualms, The Rake is an engaging story. Reginald is a flawed character that struggles with drinking. He also wants to prove himself a better man than most people perceive him to be. Alys is strong willed and always on the defensive. It's like she always is trying to prove to everyone that she is capable. She's also the adoptive parent to three children. She has a lot on her plate. Alys and Reginald work well together. They have a lot more in common that either of them think. Both of them are trying to prove they are more than meets the eye. This book is full of mystery, danger, and yes, romance. It's a fun read that you should definitely check out. Show Less
LibraryThing member AVoraciousReader
Reginald Davenport is a disinherited alcoholic rake. Lady Alys Weston has been sort of masquerading as a man in order to keep her job as steward of Davenport’s newly acquired estate. The two are about to meet and their lives will be forever altered.
I loved it! The hero is flawed and the heroine
Alys was no simpering heroine. She was strong in body and spirit, intelligent and not afraid to try new methods to make the estate she was in charge of prosperous for all who lived there.
This was a first read of Putney’s work for me, but I enjoyed this book so much it won’t be the last.
*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
I loved it! The hero is flawed and the heroine
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is strong. The story flowed smoothly, the plot was engaging and the characters were interesting. I loved how Davenport struggled to beat his addiction to alcohol. It was a compelling account and had me rooting for him to win even when he fell off the wagon. Alys was no simpering heroine. She was strong in body and spirit, intelligent and not afraid to try new methods to make the estate she was in charge of prosperous for all who lived there.
This was a first read of Putney’s work for me, but I enjoyed this book so much it won’t be the last.
*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.
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LibraryThing member Ridley_
I liked that the book was dedicated to Bill W. It definitely was very much in line with AA's principles.
My grandfather sobered up through AA and this book mirrored everything he had told us about his drinking and his sobering up.
My grandfather sobered up through AA and this book mirrored everything he had told us about his drinking and his sobering up.
LibraryThing member LadyWesley
Alys Weston is running from her past, and Reggie Davenport is fleeing his future. Fate brings them together on Reggie's Dorset estate, Strickland.
It's uncommon, to say the least, for a woman to be an estate steward, yet Alys has been able to pull off that job for four years, communicating with the
Reggie is a rake of the first order, but more than that, he's a drunkard who, at age thirty-seven, has begun to suffer blackouts. Even he has become convinced that his life is on a dangerous trajectory; a voice in his head keeps telling him, "This way of life is killing you." He believes that Strickland may be his salvation.
Alys and Reggie gradually become friends, and though they are attracted to one another, nothing more than a few kisses are exchanged. When fire destroys the steward's house, Alys and her three young wards move into the estate house, and Reggie begins to know the joys of a family for the first time in his life.
But Reggie's real problem is his drinking, and a great deal of this story revolves around his efforts to first get it under control and later to stop altogether. It's heartbreaking to watch him try and fail and try again.
Mary Jo Putney does an excellent job portraying the inner demons that plague Reggie. At the same time, she doesn't succumb to the temptation that some writers might feel to make Reggie's recovery all about his love for Alys. Reggie is getting sober for himself, not for someone else. And while Putney does lapse into a bit of AA one-day-at-a-time-speak occasionally, she is able to keep the story from sounding too modern.
There's an engaging cast of secondary characters and a couple of other romances. And I particularly enjoyed the epilogue: after Reggie and Alys marry, the other characters are shown reacting to the news, wrapping the whole story up quite nicely.
I picked out this book because of its high GR ratings, its having won the RITA in 1990, and its ranking in AAR's Top 100 romances of all time. All these accolades are well and truly deserved.
I don't know what else to say other than this is a really good book, and I highly recommend it.
It's uncommon, to say the least, for a woman to be an estate steward, yet Alys has been able to pull off that job for four years, communicating with the
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absentee owner in writing. When Reggie's cousin, the new owner, gives the estate over to Reggie, Alys sees her idyll coming to an end. Yet, when Reggie arrives at Strickland, he proves to be surprisingly open-minded, impressed Alys's success, and keeps her on as steward.Reggie is a rake of the first order, but more than that, he's a drunkard who, at age thirty-seven, has begun to suffer blackouts. Even he has become convinced that his life is on a dangerous trajectory; a voice in his head keeps telling him, "This way of life is killing you." He believes that Strickland may be his salvation.
Alys and Reggie gradually become friends, and though they are attracted to one another, nothing more than a few kisses are exchanged. When fire destroys the steward's house, Alys and her three young wards move into the estate house, and Reggie begins to know the joys of a family for the first time in his life.
But Reggie's real problem is his drinking, and a great deal of this story revolves around his efforts to first get it under control and later to stop altogether. It's heartbreaking to watch him try and fail and try again.
Mary Jo Putney does an excellent job portraying the inner demons that plague Reggie. At the same time, she doesn't succumb to the temptation that some writers might feel to make Reggie's recovery all about his love for Alys. Reggie is getting sober for himself, not for someone else. And while Putney does lapse into a bit of AA one-day-at-a-time-speak occasionally, she is able to keep the story from sounding too modern.
There's an engaging cast of secondary characters and a couple of other romances. And I particularly enjoyed the epilogue:
I picked out this book because of its high GR ratings, its having won the RITA in 1990, and its ranking in AAR's Top 100 romances of all time. All these accolades are well and truly deserved.
I don't know what else to say other than this is a really good book, and I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member zannerina
A 'classic' for a multitude of reasons-smart, sexy, and interesting.
LibraryThing member thatotter
Not awful, but not worth the time it took to read. Characters were somewhat likable but sort of stupid, and their problems and behavior often beggared belief.
LibraryThing member NoelleGreene
Read this many years ago and I still think of it sometimes. Big influence. Quite a few romance writers would agree, I think. It was unique for its time. Mary Jo Putney is such a great writer.
LibraryThing member NoelleGreene
Read this many years ago and I still think of it sometimes. Big influence. Quite a few romance writers would agree, I think. It was unique for its time. Mary Jo Putney is such a great writer.
LibraryThing member PNRList
Good ol' angst and insecurity, I wouldn't read historical romances without it. I ADORED Alys, related a lot too, except for her background. As the book's dedication indicates, it's a bit preachy about the AA approach to alcoholism, but while Reggie's journey to sobriety does dominate the tale,
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there is enough of Alys' struggle with her sense of self to balance it and make me like it. (3.5 stars) Show Less
LibraryThing member gincam
"The Rake", by Mary Jo Putney, features an unusual historical romance story line. The title character is not just a self-indulgent pleasure-seeker, he is a true alcoholic. He suffers blackouts with loss of memory, violent mood swings, and depression. Reginald Davenport, trapped by his heritage, and
Book Copy Gratis Kensington Books
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unbeknownst to him, denied his true birthright, loses his family at a young age. Forced into a regimented education, treated with cruelty and disdain, Reggie learns how to protect himself from others. Keenly intelligent, capable, and sharp of wit, Reggie rebels against his societal limitations by engaging in wild behavior and excessive drinking. Closing in on age forty, Reggie is a man who seems fated to meet an early, unfortunate death. A chance at redemption comes when his cousin helps him to regain his childhood home, which had been unrightfully withheld from Reggie by the uncle who was his guardian. Arriving at Strickland, his ancestral estate, Reggie is shocked to find that the extremely competent steward of the property is a woman. Not just any woman, but a tall, intriguing, intelligent woman. Lady Alys Weston is not a classic beauty, but she has a unique loveliness all her own. As kind as she is keen, Alys is unlike any other woman Reggie has ever met. She finds him to be equally captivating, and even though she sees the signs of dissipation from his roguish ways, Alys senses that there is much more to Reggie than his appearance indicates. The two form a good working relationship, with attraction simmering just below the surface. Alys has three wards in her care, a young lady blooming into womanhood and the girl's two younger brothers. As they all spend time together, sharing meals and other activities, Reggie enjoys his makeshift "family". He throws himself into the care and operation of the estate, about which he is extremely knowledgeable. He and Alys have great mutual respect, and each begins to yearn for the possibility of a life together. However, Reggie's drinking still threatens to win the battle for his soul, and there are other dark forces at work. Alys has secrets of her own, and she and Reggie have common enemies. Will Reggie conquer his own demons and vanquish the threats to his newfound family happiness? Can Alys face her past and embrace her future? Mary Jo Putney paints a revealing portrait of a man struggling with alcohol addiction and the effects his disease has on those around him. As with many who suffer with alcoholism, it is also a condition shared with other family members. In Reggie's case, his father was also an alcoholic, something that Reggie had blocked out along with other unpleasant memories. I applaud Mary Jo Putney for showing the complexities of the alcoholic personality. Reggie is not the usual romantic hero, but he is ultimately quite worthy.Book Copy Gratis Kensington Books
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Awards
RITA Award (Finalist — 1990)
AAR Top 100 Romances (68 — [Previously 1998-22 / 2000-15 / 2004-75] Most Recent Rank - 2007)
Language
Original publication date
1998-04
Physical description
352 p.; 6.9 inches
ISBN
0451161432 / 9780451161437
DDC/MDS
| Fic Romance Putney |