This historical romance had a good plot and I always like when the hero pursues the heroine but after awhile the action got repetitive. About midway I skipped about 100 pages and enjoyed the rest of the story without missing all that much. Lord Edmund comforts Lady Mary when she is terrified of a thunderstorm.
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The Notorious Rake was so much more than I was expecting. What begins as a game of cat and mouse turns into a serious tale of redemption and love. Edmond really makes this story. He's a womanizer and a drinker, and when he falls for Mary, he stops his old habits and tries to make himself into a man worthy of her.

Mary. Now Mary was a strong character but I felt like she held Edmond's reputation against him even after she got to know him. I know she was afraid to open herself up to loving Edmond, but it still got on my nerves a little bit.

I was thoroughly engrossed with Edmond and Mary's story. I could not put it down once I started reading it. ( )

The Notorious Rake was so much more than I was expecting. What begins as a game of cat and mouse turns into a serious tale of redemption and love. Edmond really makes this story. He's a womanizer and a drinker, and when he falls for Mary, he stops his old habits and tries to make himself into a man worthy of her.

Mary. Now Mary was a strong character but I felt like she held Edmond's reputation against him even after she got to know him. I know she was afraid to open herself up to loving Edmond, but it still got on my nerves a little bit.

I was thoroughly engrossed with Edmond and Mary's story. I could not put it down once I started reading it. ( )

This book is now available as part of a two volume set, [b:A Counterfeit Betrothal/The Notorious Rake|15724344|A Counterfeit Betrothal/The Notorious Rake|Mary Balogh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351656044s/15724344.jpg|21399894].

See my review at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/616586733. ( )

The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh - A After reading The Christmas Promise, I decided to go back to some of my old (and now sadly out of print) Balogh Signet regencies. They are gradually being reissued (see above) and I hope this one does so more people can feel the love. I have it and I'd buy another copy. I loved it loved it loved it. My favourite Balogh ever is Heartless, closely followed by Irresistible. But there is a new rival for the throne. I think Heartless still wins out but only barely. Lord Edmond Waite is the notorious rake of the title and he is a rake. For the previous 15 years he has been scandalising the ton and is only accepted where he is because of his title. He's had an estrangement from his family and has been living up to what he felt were their expectations ever since. Mary is a widow who has an understandable phobia about thunderstorms - when following the drum with her husband, during a storm lightning struck the next door tent, killing the men in it - she can still smell the scent of burning flesh. Waite and Mary are caught alone in a thunderstorm at Vauxhall and in the course of comforting her, they become lovers. Waite wants to pursue a relationship but Mary does not. He skirts perilously close to stalking, but in my view, manages to keep to just the side of the line. I wonder whether some would think that the scene at Vauxhall to be some kind of unsavoury seduction - I think it isn't because the scene is mainly told from Mary's POV - she was just about climbing into him in fear and desperately searching for comfort. She was willing and didn't say "no" at any stage. Also, in the part of the scene told from Waite's POV, it was clear that he did not set out to seduce - he had not even thought he was attracted to her. In the hands of a less skilled author however, I could easily see how Waite's character would have been just too black at the start. It is an excellent book following the theme of people not always being what they seem on first (or even subsequent) impressions. Waite even manfully tries to keep away from Mary in the end because he loves her so much and he feels he is irredeemable. He manages to do this without being too martyrish. The plan falls apart however when a relative of his tries to bring about a family reconciliation. The scenes with the two brothers:- "I think we had better go and find the ladies," his brother said, "before we do something that would embarrass us both, like falling into each other's arms or something."and between Waite and his father are very very good. ( )