The Spinster and the Rake

It is a charming little story and you will root for the heroine to escape the dismal future her rather dreadful relatives have planned for her.

Rather a decent romance. I enjoyed that neither Ronan nor Gillian were starry eyed youth, but rather adults capable of making their own decisions. Both are flawed (Ronan is blindly trusting and a bit of an ass and Gillian is a bit of a doormat and naive) but both show a decent amount of character growth, especially for a historical romance.

Ronan rescues a bedraggled Gillian from a carriage accident on the roads and is drawn to her, despite her dressing as drably as she possibly can. Fascinated by her he makes an idiotic wager with a drunken friend to compromise her.
Gillian is used to being used by her family and it's a comfortable habit. First she nursed her parents when they were dying, now she travels from sibling to sibling taking care of their children and running their houses. When Ronan rescues her on the road she is drawn to him, despite his unsuitableness and her being firmly on the shelf.

Delightful story. Loved the characters and their way with each other. Lovely romance, great dialogue.

Gillian Redfearn has devoted her life to making her family comfortable. When someone is needed to help in the family, that will be Gillian. For some reason, nearly everyone in the family, including Gillian, believe that is the way it should be.

Ronan Patrick Blakely has recently become Lord Marlow. He never expected to inherit a title. His new status has brought him back to England. And his new title has also erased from the ton's memory the scandal that made him leave England 20 years ago. He is not expected to be a saint, but after all he is now someone of substance, so any missteps can be ignored. His sins will be overlooked because of his new status.

When Gillian is rescued by Ronan, she finds that her brother and sister-in-law dislike him intensely. There is a history between the 3 of them, but Gillian has no idea what that history is.

This is a story of family. Gillian is loved by her nieces and nephews and treated shoddily by the adult members of her family. In spite of her treatment, she has given her very best to the family.

Felicity, a niece, and Bertie, a nephew, provide a clear picture of Gillian and her place in the family. Both of these young people are aware of her mistreatment.

Marlow is familiar with the narrow minded Redfearns. He has no respect for them and he sees Gillian as a lovely and kind woman. He has no intention of any connection between the two of them. He enjoys teasing and flirting, but that is all he plans.

This is not a deep and dark plot. The courtship between Gillian and Marlow is entertaining. Felicity and Bertie each have difficulties in their lives. But Gillian and Marlow come to the rescue and help smooth the way for each of them. And that seems to be exactly as it should be.

The main characters are likable people who move the plot forward in an entertaining manner.
I hoped for happy endings for everyone. Marlow is charming and honorable no matter his reputation. Gillian is a caring and honest woman who realizes that life can be much more than she has been allowed and it leads her on a new path.

I enjoyed this book very much. I am a fan of Ms Stuart. She creates characters who draw the reader into her stories.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

There was no serious grit in this book, but it wasn't exactly sweet either. The heroine had a feisty, wanton side to her that made me like her. She did belabor the fact that she was firmly and irrevocably 'on the shelf' which at some times annoyed me and at other times made me hate the situation she was in. She was being used by her family as a built in baby sitter. She was made to feel meek and submissive. All of which, Ronan Blakely proved to Gillian Redfern that she was not.

This story had a few different elements between the regular spinster/rake story line. Gillian's family didn't protect her- didn't particularly care what happened to her. Ronan, while intrigued by the elder Redfern sister, did not act the gentleman at all. In fact, he was somewhat callous toward Gillian which did not look good on a hero. That in itself was a defining feature for me.

It's not my intention to turn anyone off from this book. Quite the contrary. This story was off the beaten path from normal regencies and though there was an awful, hurtful truth exposed, Gillian was the perfect lady and I was proud to call her my heroine book friend.

Anne Stuart is one of my all-time favourite authors. I think the first book of hers I read was one from her House of Rohan series when I bought my Kindle. Over the years I've read most of her books - not as easy as it sounds, because she has been writing for over 40 years (mainly romantic suspense and historical romance) and some books are out of print. The Spinster and the Rake is one of her older books, originally published in 1982 and now brought out as an ebook, revised and with new material.

The Spinster and the Rake is a familiar trope to readers of romance: bad boy meets innocent heroine, but as usual Anne Stuart puts her own twist on it.

Gillian Redfern divides her time between the households of her two sisters and domineering elder brother, running errands for them, helping with their children and generally behaving as an unpaid servant. She does have her own money, thanks to legacies from her mother and an aunt, but has sleepwalked into her current lifestyle without realising it. It takes a chance meeting with the wicked Marquis of Marlowe for her to understand what she has been missing.

I enjoyed the banter between the characters and their growing respect for each other. I liked the way Gillian was not some downtrodden Cinderella character but quite capable of standing up to her bullying elder brother. The minor characters were well-drawn too - Gillian's nephew, who has incurred gambling debts, and her niece, who is determined to marry an impoverished Vicar. Not to mention her sister-in-law, who hardly moves from the sofa, no matter what disaster threatens the family!

If you enjoy this book then you will love The Devil's Waltz, which has a similar plot and is one of my all-time favourite books. If romantic suspense is more your thing, then I'd recommend Anne Stuart's Ice series.

Thank you to Anne Stuart, Bell Bridge Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book was a short read but very enjoyable. I've the Rohan series and the Ice series........loved them both. I think this is one of her older books but it did not feel dated. Gillian the heroine finds herself coming out a rut by her interactions with Ronan. The hero is classic Stuart......falls in love with the heroine yet is too stubborn to admit it and does things he will regret later. Gillian is a strong and sweet heroine. She truly comes out of her shell and self-imposed spinsterhood as she falls in,one with Ronan. Her family is annoying but I liked the fact that she became stronger with her brother.

The Spinster and the Rake is a historical romance by Anne Stuart. This romance was originally published in 1982, but was re released in the summer of 2016 with some added material. I have not read the first version, so I do not know what is new, and how the two editions compare. Aside from the two covers that is.

As a maiden aunt, Gillian Redfern lives as an unpaid servant to her demanding family. Little wonder she finds the attentions of a rake distracting, and even less wonder that her usual good sense begins to unravel when Lord Marlow takes her in his arms. Ronan Patrick Blakely, Lord Marlow, is a man of great charm and little moral character, a gambler, a womanizer, and handsome as sin to boot. He has no qualms about placing a wager on the virtue of one small, shy spinster. But Lord Marlow is about to discover that Miss Redfern is more siren than spinster. She amuses him, arouses him, and, much to his dismay, makes him a better man. Gillian will discover, in turn, that Lord Marlow possesses the power to turn her into a very wicked woman. The rake and the spinster are poised to find a love that neither could have imagined. If only someone weren't out to destroy them both.

The Spinster and the Rake is a fun and entertaining historical novel. I enjoyed the characters and thought the relationships of family and friends added an additional depth to the story, although I would have liked to have seen some background of Gillian that led her to a life of taking care of her sibling's families and accepting the title of spinster. I kept hoping there was a story there, but it never really happened. However, we got a good bit of Ronan's backstory through the book. I did like that Gillian was smart, capable, and well loved by those that took the time to know her rather than the role she was cast in. I think the development of Gillian's character and her learning to stand up for herself is good- but I was still looking for more. I did think that Ronan's character was better developed, and I liked his attitude and how he thought about the world in general. The conflicts he had, and his integrity was well done- but I could have stood for more story surrounding his unconventional life and staff.

The Spinster and the Rake was a quick and enjoyable read, but I could tell that it was an earlier book from the author, because it just did not meet the standards I have for Stuart. Fans might want to pick it up just to see the way the writing style and character work has grown.

First published in 1982, The Spinster and the Rake is one of Anne Stuart’s earliest Regencies, and has, sadly, been out of print for a number of years. I’ve been keen to read it ever since I became aware of its existence – I mean who doesn’t love a good rake-meets-spinster story? – and had despaired of ever finding it, but luckily it surfaced last year in a newly revised digital edition. (I can’t say what the revisions are as I haven’t read the original, but I am guessing Ms. Stuart has added a pinch or two of extra spice 😉 )

This is one of those books that is exactly what it says on the tin, and very nicely done it is, too. Our rake, Ronan Patrick Blakely, Lord Marlowe (who is the Marquess of Herrington so I’m not sure where the Marlowe comes from) is nearing forty, has been away from England since he was packed off by his family following a scandal twenty years earlier and, having unexpectedly inherited a title, has returned to England with the intention of remaining there. His bearing, looks and manner of speech reminded me very much of Georgette Heyer’s Lord Damerel (who is my favourite hero of hers, and one of my all-time favourite romance heroes) and I defy anyone not to swoon at the author’s description of him:

“From the top of Marlowe’s curly head, black locks liberally streaked with grey, past the cynical dark eyes surrounded by tiny lines of dissipation, and just possibly laughter, the sallow complexion of one who has spent a great many years in sunnier climes, the strong nose and cynical, alarmingly attractive mouth, he was truly, wickedly appealing.”
Be still my beating heart 😉

The spinster of the title is Miss Gillian Redfern, youngest of four siblings and the only one to remain unmarried. At nearly thirty, Gillian –

… had long since decided, with a great deal of persuasion from the aforementioned siblings, to immolate herself on the altar of duty, having a great deal of family reeling and a dislike of being useless.
She divides her time between her brother’s home in London and her sister, Patricia’s in Winchester, acting in both cases as nurse, nanny, companion, gofer, peacemaker and voice of reason; and it’s on her journey from Winchester to London that she first encounters Lord Marlowe, when the dilapidated coach her brother has sent to collect her suffers a broken axle and is thrown into a ditch. Fortunately for Gillian, another vehicle is close behind and its occupants stop to help, offering to convey her to her destination; the fact that the two travellers within are male gives her some pause, but she’s too long out of the schoolroom to be missish about it, and accepts their offer. One of the gentlemen, Vivian Peacock, is more than a little the worse for wear, while his companion, Lord Marlowe is quite the most sinfully attractive man Gillian has ever met.

No prizes for guessing where this is going, but Ms. Stuart does a fabulous job of building the relationship between these two, showing how Gillian gradually comes out of her shell and decides it’s time for her to live for herself for a change, while Marlowe tells himself that he’s doing Gillian a favour by flirting with her and giving her a taste of life beyond anything she’s known. He thinks he’s more than capable of handling the strong attraction he feels for Gillian and promises himself he won’t break her heart; he’ll just bruise it a little, and then she’ll be ready to move on to some other gentleman who will make her happy in the long term. Oh, Marlowe. Very much a man of the world and yet so clueless.

Both characters are engaging and very likeable. Marlowe has returned to England older and much wiser and I liked his practical, no-nonsense outlook. He doesn’t talk down to Gillian or dismiss her intellect; in fact he does the opposite, he solicits her opinions and takes her seriously, something it takes her a little while to adjust to at first, given the way her stuffed-shirt of a brother has always insisted on running her life. And even though Gillian has somehow fallen into the role of general factotum for her brother and indolent sister-in-law, she is far from a downtrodden poor relation. She has money of her own, a lively sense of the ridiculous and her grown-up niece and nephew, both of whom have important secondary roles to play in the story, obviously adore her for her lively wit and common sense.

Of course, there have to be a few hiccups along the road to happily ever after, and I admit the final twist, in which we discover the reason for Marlowe’s reluctance to marry Gillian, was a surprise I didn’t see coming. It does all resolve fairly easily, of course, as it happens quite near the end of the book, but by then I was so invested in Marlowe and his Gillyflower making a go of it that I was more than happy to just go with the flow.

The Spinster and the Rake is a quick, entertaining read that very skilfully treads a well-worn path. If, like me, you enjoy this particular trope, then I’m sure you won’t be disappointed if you pick it up.

Grade: B/4 stars