Customer Reviews

Never Trust a Rake

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I agree with two other reader/reviewers that this was a dull and badly written book. Louisa was (we are led to believe) an early feminist, with frustrated longings. Gabriel is a mixed up rake. Their sexual fencing is boring and unreal. The submarine was the only really interesting part of the book. I may try another Putnam, but only if I find it at the library.

Gabriel is a lord whose heritage was denied him by his father's madness. After his father's death, Gabriel escaped his island prison and went to London for many years of debauchery and hell-raising. A wild bet sends him to a convent to cut off a lock of a nun's hair, but while there, his purpose is misininterpreted and he finds himself in a hangman's noose. (I have to admit I found this an unlikely situation...a lord sentenced to death for supposedly raping a nun?)

Fortunately, a man-hating reformer and her assistant mistakenly rescue Gabriel in the nick of time. Although the last thing he wants to do is get involved with this crazy woman and her "flowers", he allows himself to accept her offer of a large sum of money to help rescue a woman from a prison ship.

As Gabriel gets to know Louisa, he finds himself attracted to her soul as well as her angelic beauty. But he is a convicted felon, a lord without a castle, a man emotionally scarred from his childhood. How can they have a life together?

From Louisa's point of view, Gabriel seems the epitome of everything she despises about men. But then she begins to see behind the cynical facade to the deeply scarred soul and realizes that she has the power to help him become a whole man again. And, surprise of surprises, he can help her get over her own past and deep-seated bitterness toward men.

The first part of the book reminded me of some of my favorite Amanda Quick novels, but the plot seemed to bog down toward the end and my attention waned. The submarine stuff at the end just didn't fit in with the rest of the story. And it was just too easy for Gabriel to get his death sentence reversed. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book and look forward to any others by this author.

I had read Eileen Putman's earlier book, A Passionate Performance and was actually moved to write her a fan letter! (Which incidently I never mailed) Never Trust a Rake is so unlike her earlier writing that it's hard to believe it's the same author. I couldn't even finish the book. The story was uninspired and contrived. The writing was poor. The hero/heroine were never developed to any realistic degree. Their pasts didn't seem to shape their characters beyond their marked distaste for each other. I couldn't understand why Gabriel was so constantly "snarky" to Louisa. His character was totally one-dimensional. Ditto for Louisa. They snapped at each other throughout the book, and all I kept asking myself was WHY? 2 stars because the book held me for at least the first half. Barely. Anyone interested in reading what Ms. Putman is capable of should pick up a copy of A Passionate Performance.

From back of book...THE ARROGANT ROGUE..The uncrowned King of broken hearts, Gabriel Sinclair is rescued from the hangman's noose by an angel. But golden-haired Louisa Peabody is not only the most beautiful woman he's ever seen; she's also the first to find him totally resistible--a challenge he can't ignore. So he willingly aids her in her reform efforts...knowing that eventually, he'll get what HE wants.
THE DETERMINED REFORMER...Louisa has appoimted herself the defender of innocents,knowing no man can be trusted--yet she only pretends to be unaffected by Gabriel. For his tantalizing whispers invite her to abandon her fears and his stolen kisses make her burn. But which is more dangerous; his enticing smile or his vulnerable heart? And does she really want to reform him...or surrender to him?

As it turns out, not all of the innocents she trys to rescue are innocents! ! ! I was not as impressed with this book as I thought I would be..Now I will start her next book..."Never Kiss A Duke" and see how that one turns out.

This was a disappointing book from Eileen Putnam. Although it had some amusing moments, overall I really could not get particularly interested in either Louisa or Gabriel. The scene another reviewer mentioned, where she stripped naked and demanded that he make love to her, was just totally beyond all credibility. As for the crazy rescues, the narrative was too improbable for words.

The only really interesting characters in this book were David and Violet, and we saw far too little of their romance. Violet is the victim of a brutal marriage, pregnant by her husband's last rape of her; David is a traumatised ex-prisoner of the French, who believes he is incapable of being with a woman. Their courtship is beautiful, though far too little is shown, and I wish Putnam had concentrated on this rather than Gabriel and Louisa, who I really did not like at all.

As for the submarine stuff... BORING!!!

Louisa Peabody had saved a group of women prisoners from a terrible fate. All she wanted to do was to give these women a better life outside of prison. Gabriel Sinclair thought Louisa was too innocent for her own good. He felt one should have a little adventure in life. This love story is slow to develop, but the conflict and tension are strong and sometimes quite funny.

So the cover's awful. The hero looks like he's the second Golem monster. The heroine looks like she's wearing a bad wig. But please don't let it turn you off.

THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK.

Despite some flaws, this book is a gem. Trust me. Brilliant dialogue, exciting adventure, and the funniest nuns in any romances you'll ever find. Oh, and the love scenes are good. Just don't let the cover shoo you away.

Look out for my review on the Avon Books page in July.

Boy, this was one of the worst books I have ever read! Louisa, a man-hating woman, by accident rescues Gabriel Sinclaire from the hangman. She was there to rescue another woman who was to hang. Gabriel was to hang for the crime of raping nuns in a nunnery! oh, and it was the testamony of the nuns that do Gabriel in. Of course, he was innocent. He was there only on a bet - to obtain a snippet of hair from the head of a virgin. Well, a nunnery sounds good. One wakes and all hell breaks loose. The nuns lie to send a man to his death? Then at the end of the book, they become his friend? hello - he almost died! Louise is an idiot. She was married for 6 hours to a man who wanted in marital rights in a rather brutal way. She hates men and after the endlessly nasty way she treated Gabriel, I was at a loss as to why he was even interested in her. The love scene was not even all that interesting. The first time, in the stable, when she approachs Gabriel already naked to "give herself to him" so that he might help her rescue some more women, was creepy. I don't like her at all and I did not, in the end, care for him either. Zero chemistry.

In 1818 London, notorious rake Gabriel Sinclair now realizes the first law of dealing with the other sex. Rakes must never mess with virgins. Due to a bet, he was trapped inside a monastery filled with girls and nuns. Now the "Fallen Angel" finds his neck in a noose as one of the largest crowds in recent years attends his public hanging. In a mix up, do-gooder Louisa Peabody and her cohorts rescue Gabriel instead of saving a woman from the fates of Newgate as they planned.

Gabriel thinks he died and ended up in a hell occupied by six women, five brats, and a giant eunuch. Once he learns the truth, he decides he must have his angel even if she is the first female immune to his charms. Instead, Louisa demands he assists her and her merry band of women with their endeavor to rescue other females who have fallen victim to unfair male laws. Money persuades Gabriel to assist the group. However, he finds himself motivated by love for the one woman who, at least outwardly, rejects his advances. How can a no-gooder prove to a do-gooder that they belong together while pushing forward women's rights?

NEVER TRUST A RAKE is a very intriguing Regency romance that focuses on the lack of women's rights during the early nineteenth century. The lead protagonists are an interesting pair, who will remind readers of Guys and Dolls transferred back to 1818. The support cast amplifies the feel of the period even as they propel the plot forward. Award winning author Eileen Putman provides an invigorating novel that deserves fan acclaim for its exciting plot with a deep message cleverly incorporated into the story.

Harriet Klausner