Customer Reviews

Righteous Rakehell (Signet Regency Romance)

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I have read many reviews of other Gayle Buck novels and have wondered why this particular book had never been reviewed. I think I know why now. Where in the world do you begin? There was enough material here for two books and maybe the germ of an idea for a third. I was disappointed. It was a 2 or 3 star book for me but I have decided to be generous since so many people seem to be fans of Ms Buck. This book is dated 1988 so it is obviously a reissue. I don't have a problem with books written years ago, they are often much superior to modern day efforts. I could not get myself to enjoy this read though. Here is the back cover:

----Justin Avery, Viscount of Kenelm, pretended nothing to young Lady Catherine Talbot when he proposed. He asked for a marriage of convenience, leaving him free to pursue his libertine life that made him the most notorious lord in London, as well as the most handsome and charming. But beautiful and spirited Catherine had her own ideas when she accepted this pernicious proposal. She would find a way to become the first woman to stir the viscount's heart as well as his senses. To do this, Catherine set out to teach Justin the meaning of jealousy by showing him that two could play the game of scandalous amour--only to discover how dangerous for a beginner this daring game could be.----

Well, let me just tell you that these two met while our hero was being held captive aboard a yacht which was smuggling goods from France and the crew was fleeing for their lives from a French patrol boat. He got there because he was found lying on the street unconscious after being hit on the head by a footpad. Viscount Kenelm had left his club while extremely drunk and so was unable to defend himself from the robber. Of course, these smugglers couldn't just leave him in the street so the gang (which also included Cat, a.k.a. Lady Catherine) hoisted him up and took him aboard their boat. Naturally they were not your common garden variety smugglers, not at all, they were a titled family that had that pesky mortgage to pay. What better way to make money than steal for it? Now you do understand, I hope, that this has all taken place within the first 28 pages of the book.

From there it actually got even busier!!! I was exhausted. I was not enjoying it but I felt like a gawker at a traffic accident. I knew I shouldn't look but I just couldn't help myself. How many misfortunes could these people withstand? Quite a few. Catherine and Justin were engaged, then unengaged but not allowing anyone to know so pretended to still be engaged. Then they were once again unengaged but this time with everyone knowing. She loved him, then she hated him but she actually still loved him but she said she hated him. He kind of liked her, then he loved her, then he was willing to give her up but he still loved her. Lord love a duck!! Too much going on. It also had too many characters and each and every one of them had major action to perform in this drama. Well, actually, we probable could have done without Justin's younger brother William since the author decided not to have William go tattle to Papa that Justin's betrothed had scandalized the ton by playing cards with Lord Haversaw (Justin's sworn enemy) and losing a "love token" to him. Papa had already finally lost his patience with Justin after his last mistress had come crying to him to try to stop Justin and her husband from dueling. (There was a really touching??? scene where Justin and the husband of his mistress decide to just forgive and forget. After all , she has decided that she really has fallen in love with her husband.) Are you seeing where I'm coming from? Do you get it now? Way, way, way too much.

I do not know if this is the usual style of a Gayle Buck novel. I have never read any of her other works and I don't think I will try another one soon. I need to rest.