The Notorious Rake (Paperback)

by Mary Balogh (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Lewd, lascivious, and mocking, Lord Edmund White is everything that Lady Mary Gregg despises in a man, but her heart tells her something quite different as soon as she sets eyes on him.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Signet (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451174194
• ISBN-13: 978-0451174192
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #607,302 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Notorious Rake, February 24, 2000

By	Cassia Van Arsdale (Pennsyvania) - See all my reviews

I loved this book. I generally don't read romances but have recently become addicted to Regencys, especially Mary Balough. This is my favourite so far. Lord Edmond Waite is completely surprised when he and Mary, Lady Mornington are thrown into each other company during an evening at Vauxhall Gardens. Forced to take shelter during a thunderstorm, Lord Edmond is overtaken by Mary's passionate lovemaking; he would never have expected such a thing from the very prim and proper bluestocking. He so awed he decides to make her his mistress. He's even more shocked when a week later he's fallen in love with her. Despite Mary's protests Lord Edmond pursues her voraciously even though she looks at him and his rakehell lifestyle with disgust, the only things she likes about him are his lovemaking (which isn't enough) and his aunt.

When they find themselves in each others' company at the aunt's houseparty Edmond attempts to make himself completely disgusting to Mary but finds he needs her emotional support when confronted by the family after fifteen years.

This novel has great sweetness, humour and sadness at its core as well as Balough's wonderfully descriptive storytelling.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hero bent on self destruction. . ., December 29, 1998

By A Customer

Probably my all time favorite Balogh novel (and I've read just about all of them). The hero broke my heart.

Left to bear his family's grief and guilt over a horrible tragedy in his youth (think along the lines of the movie "Ordinary People"), the hero set out to prove he was every bit as terrible as they said he was. He is a rake who despises himself for being a rake. When he meets a lovely and passionate widow he sees the dream of love and family again within his grasp. . . but he cannot allow himself to reach out and take it. Only by healing his past (and having his father and brother accept their share of the responsibility) can the hero hope to have a future.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of her best, July 6, 2001

By A Customer

Cleaning out my closet this week, I came upon an old paperback copy of the Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh. I thumbed through it and ended up sitting down and re-reading it (for the fourth or fifth time) It really is, I think, one of her best novels. The book's romance and conflict isn't contrived between the two main characters. You can understand and believe the attraction between the two and also understand why they both would resist such an attraction.

The resolution was particularly sweet with Mary helping to bridge the gap between Edmond and his family. Very good book!