Reviews for Reform of the Rake

The average rating for Reform of the Rake based on 2 reviews is 1.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-06-23 00:00:00 Robert Panek Truly disgusting hero zero. Heroine meets him when he comes into her shop to buy two lingerie sets for two different women: One naughty, black lace one with a thong, the other a virginal blush shade with full coverage. And he is so cocky and arrogant, laughing about it and enjoying making her blush in embarassment as she fumbles around trying to giftwrap these presents to his mistresses. BARF! One could only hope he was going home to put these on a couple of blow up dolls but sadly the heroine does meet a few of his girlfriends and they are real flesh and blood though there must be a balloon where the human brain is supposed to be located. No wonder heroine told him he was a health risk to the female populace, later on when he tried his moves on her. Alas, the idiot heroine eventually gives in to his smarmy advances, despite knowing he does not intend her to be anything other than another notch in his bedpost, with the added bonus that she will be an amusing breath of fresh air i.e. not tall, blonde, brainless, and with a huge rack, the way he usually likes'em. Yes, this zero is slumming it with the little country bumpkin who is so fresh and original and smart and athletic. As much as he enjoys her in and out of bed, he is not afraid to remind heroine constantly that the clock is ticking on their idyll. He is due to take over the reins of his father's company and after that, she will be donzo. But heroine is happy with crumbs. Until she gets pregnant. Predictably, a furious zero accuses her of planning to trap him into marriage then morosely tells her he will do the right thing by marrying her. The only time the heroine showed some spunk is when she jilts his sorry ass at the altar and leaves him a Dear John letter falsely telling him that the pregnancy was just a false alarm and spelling out some very needed home truths to him about his callousness. Two years later, they meet accidentally and the cat Seekret Baybee is out of the bag. Zero shows how incredibly he has matured and become reasonable over the years when he makes everything about HIM. How he was humiliated at the jilting, how he was mistreated by his former friends and the heroine's family members who decided to side with heroine, how he wasn't able to form any relationships with other women because he was so overworked, how he missed out on his daughter's birth and his parents missed out on being grandparents. Wah-Wah-Wah!!!! It is ALL heroine's fault. A wonder she didn't have to change his nappy along with her daughter's! Any part he had in the debacle is reduced to a few meaningless words that were said in the heat of the moment then it's back to pity party central because according to him, she has become a hard, cruel woman bent on revenge and making him pay for a few words. It took a completely random kidnapping subplot to wring this mess out for the dismal, happy if she is happy, conclusion. The only good thing to come out of this book was a cameo by Patrick and Carey Savage, the only Catherine George characters I have adored, from her earlier book A Civilised Arrangement.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-06-25 00:00:00 James Lizotte �I want two of these things, and the other bits to go with them�one set in thirty-six C, the other in thirty-two E.� He cast an assessing eye over the display. �The first lot in that pinkish colour, I think, and the other one black. Mmm, yes, definitely black.� �Well, well�the little cousin!� He clasped her hand warmly. �This is my friend, Fiona Childe.� �Miss Thirty-two E, black lace,� murmured a deep voice in Lowri�s ear, and she stiffened, swallowing a giggle. �Typical! Next week he�ll probably be back for more of the same in two quite different sizes.� Lowri had no illusions about her looks. She was more rounded than she would have liked for her lack of inches, and regarded her large, dark eyes as her only redeeming feature. He�s Caroline�s �friend�. She�s crazy about him. Women flock round Hawkridge in droves. Can�t think why. He�s no oil painting.� �Is Caroline the thirty-six C angel blush?� Adam threw back his head and roared with laughter, then squeezed her hand, winking at her. �Actually, no. You haven�t met Miss Thirty-Six.� So I refused. Besides,� added Lowri tartly, �I objected to the way he breezed up at the cricket match, expecting me to accept with humble gratitude because somebody else stood him up tonight.� �How do you know that?� �What other reason could there be? I�ve got my pride, Sarah. It was pretty obvious he expected me to drop everything and run.� She sniffed. �No chance.� �About time you grew up, Lowri. Hearts don�t break. And I�ve never misled a woman in my life. I admit I enjoy the company of your sex, make the most of any privileges I�m offered�and I do mean offered�but always on the strict understanding that the arrangement�s temporary. No strings and eyes wide open are the rules of the game. Permanence is out for me. At least for a good few years yet.� �Wait a minute. Clarify. While you�re indulging in these wholesome activities with me, would you also be out partying with Caroline and Co.?� He shrugged. �Not if it�s an obstacle to your agreement.� He smiled wryly. She was never sure whether he was sincerely attracted to her, or merely thought of her as the Clares� little cousin, a playmate whose obvious crush on him was entertaining to indulge. One thing he made very clear was that their weekend expeditions into the country together would have bored his other playmates rigid. �Stop putting yourself down!� he said, exasperated. �I think you�re cute.� �Cute!� she exploded. �Would you like some more coffee?� �I�d rather take you to bed.� She stared at him, startled. �You don�t beat around the bush!� �Normally there�s none to beat around.� �He�s staying the course with you far longer than he usually does with the Carolines of this world.� You�re not conventionally pretty or a sensational shape�� �Like the others,� she snapped. �Will you stop banging on about the others? Just believe me when I say that our experience together was a rare and beautiful thing. For me, anyway,� �Are you telling me the truth, Lowri?� he said slowly at last. �Or did you by any chance engineer this little �accident� deliberately, to trap me?� �None of my so-called �other women� ever put me in this position,� he hurled back, his face white with anger. �Don�t be stupid. It is happening, so something must be done about it,� he said forcefully. �You�re being stupid again, Lowri. There�s nothing else for it. I�ll arrange a quiet wedding as quickly as possible �� �To hide my shame?� she said derisively. �Get real, Adam. Times have changed.� �Don�t be stupid, I�ll drive you,� he snapped angrily. �If you call me stupid once more I�ll hit you, so stop it!� she bit back, cut to pieces because he hadn�t insisted she stay. Adam changed from a laughing, demanding lover into a humourless, businesslike stranger who condemned her insistence on utter secrecy as both juvenile and irritating. �You hardly eat anything. We might as well stay at home and have a sandwich�I could save money for my approaching commitments.� �No time for women these days. Work fills my life.� Lowri gave him a sceptical smile. �That�s hard to believe.� You didn�t want her, so she�s mine�mine alone. And I didn�t marry you because I couldn�t face the thought of life with a man who was taking me on sufferance. If it soothes your ego a little I freely admit I was in love with you, Adam. Otherwise I couldn�t have let you make love to me. But to you I was just a surprisingly sexy little playmate to take to bed. I needed someone passionately eager to marry me, not just willing.� �Wasn�t Lady Hadley afraid your sorry little tale would be a bad example to her stepdaughters?� said Adam cuttingly. Lowri gave him a hostile glare. �On the contrary. Rhia felt my predicament served as a graphic warning to them in their future dealings with your sex.�