Customer Reviews

Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake

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4 star:		(1)
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I'm not generally a fan of paranormals, science fiction, or fantasy books, though I do like an occasional one, especially if it deals with Regency England. So, it wasn't a hardship in any way to read Laurie Brown's Regency-set paranormal Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake.

In Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake, Josie Drummond is an American paranormal investigator, hired by English lady Amelia Thornton to investigate Castle Waite for the ghost of Lord Deverell Thornton, 9th Earl of Waite. Lord Waite (aka Deverell) was a handsome libertine who died in a duel back in the Regency. Amelia wants Josie to prove his ghostly existence, which will make the castle a tourist spot and generate money for much-needed renovations.

Unfortunately, Josie finds no proof of Deverell's ghost until she is about to leave. Then, in the presence of Amelia, Deverell reveals himself and explains his real purpose for having Amelia call her. Back when he was alive, a charlatan swindled Dev's mother out of the family fortune with a seance. Dev wants Josie to go back in time and help him stop the fake madam.

Of course, Josie is a modern girl and loves her electronic ghost-hunting gear, but Dev won't let her take it with them and insists she have a crash course in Regency manners. Josie is reluctant to undertake this task, at first, but slowly warms to it---and to Dev with his "dark visage, black hair, and deep-seated gray eyes" (8).

Once Dev (well, Dev's ghost) and Josie have gone back to the Regency, Josie has to use her investigative skills to stop Dev's mother from being swindled and navigate a Regency house party without revealing that she is from the future. To top it all off, not only is Josie attracted to Dev-the-Ghost, but Deverell the man seems smitten by her and she sort of likes him too.

The longer Josie stays in the past, the more she forgets her life in the present. And the more Deverell likes Josie, the less power Dev has to remain present in his ghostly form. Even though Dev and Deverell are really the same man, Josie will have to choose between them.

Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake contemplates an idea that enthralls many modern Regency fans: what would it be like to go back to the Regency? Brown included many little details that Regency fans will find familiar and pleasing.

Other than the fact that Dev is a ghost, the book does not contain an overwhelming amount of paranormal activity, so non-paranormal readers will not be turned off. I certainly found it interesting that Dev could use his ghostly powers to do things like call for a flower delivery or take Josie back in time with him. Another element that I particularly liked was that the longer Josie was in the past, the more she began to lose her modern-day memories. I only wish Brown had included more of this in the story.

It was fun to watch Josie try to manuever through a Regency house party and ball, try to catch the swindler without her modern detecting equipment, and decide between Dev and Deverell. Brown's ending was clever and I never suspected Josie would choose the path she takes.

I would recommend Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake to anyone who enjoys paranormals, and even Regency fans who don't usually read them. Brown did an excellent job of combining the two genres. There are a couple of love scenes in this book.

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.

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 book but worked well alongside it. It was also an interesting idea to imagine how a modern woman would manage if transported back to the Regency period; clearly our morals and women's independence have changed significantly and I have doubts as to how well Josie would fit in that world long term but it was an interesting idea and the book never dragged.

[...]

Fun read and great characters. I love a good mystery infused with some romance and humor! Ms. Brown's book "What Would Jane Austen Do" was just as good and I look forward to seeing if she writes anymore books with similar settings.

I had never read anything by Laurie Brown prior to this book, but was intrigued by the possibility of a historical paranormal romance - all those elements in one book just HAD to be a fun read.

The characters, albeit not entirely three dimensional, did tend to follow the normal patterns of behavior and were not jumping into bed two seconds after meeting. (I really hate it when writers rush the beginning feelings of love - that's the best part!) The relationship did actually develop over the course of the book, which always seems to enhance the inevitable declaration of love toward the end of the story.

I was very impressed by the accuracy of the customs of the time period. It was obvious that the writer went to great lengths to have those particulars covered. The extra effort added to the appeal of the setting, and at times I really did feel like the character - an average everyday girl trapped in a time period you had to see to believe. I also appreciated the language used, and felt that it only added to the allure of the time period.

I would say that this is a great read for anyone who wants a good twist on an old romance story.... although the climax of the story does follow a bit of a Scooby-esk feel, it is still a fun read that is easily enjoyed without much effort. If you have the time and want just a fun historical romance/ paranormal romance book, pick this one up for sure!

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

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!

One of my favorite ghosts is "Dev" from a paranormal romance with an unusual twist: "Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake" by Laurie Brown. A modern career woman is 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) hired to prove that the ghost of Lord Deverell Thornton, the very handsome Earl and a notorious rake in his time, haunts the crumbling Waite Castle. But the ghost drags Josephine back to the Regency period to help him try to prevent the swindle that impoverished the Earl and threatens to turn his castle into a most undignified modern-day tourist attraction. Josephine has to contend with being a modern career woman trying to navigate the complex social scene of the Regency period, make sure no one discovers her real identity and unmask a charlatan. But all of these are easier than resisting her undeniable attraction to the Earl, who is clearly determined to sweep her off her feet. Very good read!

This book I have on my kindle. Don't know why it's not offered there anymore. It is a wonderful read from beginning to end. I'm not going to give anything away. If you love regency and paranomal, this is a MUST read.

JMO, but the first 90 pages of this book were really boring. I started reading Reform a Rake but put it down after only a few pages and read a different book. A few days later I tried again, but once more put it down and read a different book. A month or two later I finally made it past page 90, and my interest was finally engaged. From this point the story was fun and lively... until the last chapter.

Issues I had with the book:

1) The first 90 pages of the story dealt with Josie learning the niceties of Regency life. The scenes with Josie and the ghost Deverell were fun, but the lessons on Regency table manners, dancing, etiquette, social order, etc were a drag on the story.

2) I found the naming of the two male leads Dev (mortal of the past) and Deverell (ghost in the present day) confusing. It took me a few encounters to figure out which was which. What was really confusing was that in the last chapter the names were reversed. The character formerly known as Dev was suddenly called Deverell.

3) The constant changes in point-of-view were jarring. In one sentence you were seeing the world from Josie's perspective and the next sentence you were in Dev/Deverell's head. The transitions were never smooth and every time it happened I had to stop and reorient myself.

4) The ending... JMO, but it was rushed and incomplete. I had to read the last chapter twice just to figure out who Josie ended up with: Dev (mortal of the past) or Deverell (ghost of the present day). All-in-all I found "Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake" an unsatisfying read.