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The Rake and the Recluse

by Jenn LeBlanc (Goodreads Author)

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 128 ratings · 34 reviews

This is the original version of the book, If you purchased it in 2012, you probably read TRATR REDUX : http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...

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Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice,...more

ebook, Limited, 430 pages

Published February 10th 2011 by Iris Photo Agency (first published January 20th 2011)

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Best Book Covers 2011

436th out of 1,006 books — 3,054 voters

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux

Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

The Best Time-Travel Romance Novels

173rd out of 276 books — 1,869 voters

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May 10, 2012 Joyfully Reviewed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, historical, joyfully-reviewed-miranda, series, self-published, time-travel, sensual

“Freedom”
Francine Larabee is plucked out of the twenty-first century thrown back in time and forced into another life. When she awakens, Francine is startled not only by the time and place she awakens in, but also the stunning man in charge. Francine had thought her father’s ramblings about their family line being in the wrong time were crazy but as she now finds herself surrounded by dukes and duchesses she realizes there may be some truth to it.

Duke of Roxleigh, Gideon Alrick Trumbull is known...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Cate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Francine Larabee has life figured out. Career, husband, kids. In that order. But fate had other plans.

Welcome to the world of The Rake and the Recluse. 21st century businesswoman Francine, through a fate-changing car accident, is thrust into 19th century England in the body of her ancestor Madeline Larabee. She wakes up on the estate of the delicious and stoic Gideon, the Duke of Roxleigh (AKA the Recluse), who’s just as confused by her improper attitude as Francine is by his obsession with prop...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Book Binge Blog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, historical, time-travel, the-illustrated-romance

Francine Larrabee is in a cab on her way to work one day when the cab stops suddenly, she hits her head on the partition and she wakes up in another century. She is now in the late 19th century and she’s being taken care of by the Duke of Roxleigh and his staff. Not only is she in a different time and country she doesn’t even look like herself. Her hair had changed color from blond to brown – from short to long. She has one great tantrum at the Duke about being kept against her will and then she...more Francine Larrabee is in a cab on her way to work one day when the cab stops suddenly, she hits her head on the partition and she wakes up in another century. She is now in the late 19th century and she’s being taken care of by the Duke of Roxleigh and his staff. Not only is she in a different time and country she doesn’t even look like herself. Her hair had changed color from blond to brown – from short to long. She has one great tantrum at the Duke about being kept against her will and then she loses her voice. The doctor wants to take her to Bedlam as he doesn’t think she’s quite right in the head but the Duke refuses to let him. For quite a length of time she is unable to do anything but whisper but that doesn’t stop Francine from finding an intense connection to the Duke.

The Duke is confounded by his guest. She is beautiful but when she yelled at him he was astounded by the fire of her personality. He takes care of her and slowly starts to come out of the self-induced shell that he had created. He starts to get to know Francine and he very much enjoys her company. But she is betrothed to a wretched little man who is determined to get Francine back. The Duke and his brother, Perry, decide to take matters into their own hands and Perry becomes not only Francine’s guardian but the guardian of her two younger sisters as well (not that Francine – who in this century is French and is known as Madeleine - knows her sisters or her supposed parents but she plays along). The Duke and Francine fall in love and want nothing more than to be together but Lord Hepplewort, her previously betrothed, won’t give her up quite that easily.

Now for my problems with the book…unfortunately there were more than a few. First there was SO much going on that the love story was almost lost in the shuffle. We also had Perry and his guardianship; we had the sister of one of the Duke’s servants who is attacked and almost killed; we had the tragedy of the Duke’s mother that comes to light; we had the architect and his discovery of a secret room; we had the love of said architect for an Earl’s daughter…um, I think that’s it, but that’s a lot! Even for a long book, which this was, there were too many side stories for me. I know the book was entitled The Rake and the Recluse, and yes, both of those were included in this story but really, the story was about the recluse and his love story. While Perry, the rake, was a lovely secondary character I felt that his part was really just a set up for the next book.

I also felt that Francine’s personality was too mercurial. She seemed like a regular 21st century girl when she arrived and threw her tantrum. I realize that she didn’t want to be sent to the loony bin so she tried to keep her temper under control and act like a regular 19th century woman, but then when her normal personality showed up again it was so unexpected and I just couldn’t see everyone accepting it as they did as she was acting a bit crazy. I also kept waiting for the revelation to the Duke by Francine about the whole time jump thing but that was skimmed over in the story and accepted by him unquestioningly – really? No questions about her story at all? I find that impossible to believe.

This was an illustrated version and personally I didn’t feel that the pictures enhanced my reading experience in any way but some people might like them.

The end of the book was another portion of it that I was greatly confused by. The book was written in sections so when there was yet another section at the end of the book I thought it was part of the book but after reading it and being left in what felt like the middle of the story I think I was reading an extremely large excerpt of the next book which is Perry’s. But I really have no idea. There was no part that said it was an excerpt…there was no part that said “The End” after the previous section so I’m not sure what to think. If it wasn’t an excerpt and just the end – I didn’t like it at all. But if it was, then why was it not stated? I can honestly say I don’t like being this confused at the end of a book! lol

Now that I’ve told you what I didn’t like about the book let me tell you what I did like. It’s really quite a lovely love story when you get down to the nitty gritty. Francine and Gideon, the Duke, had a wonderful romance and I loved seeing Gideon becoming the man I think he was meant to be. He truly blossomed with Francine and I loved seeing that.

I also really liked Perry and Gideon’s characters together. They had lost both of their parents and had formed a bond between them that was quite unshakable. I love reading about family ties that survive tragedy as I believe that the tragedy makes them stronger. The two men very much loved each other in their own way and it showed in their actions.

While there were chunks of this book that I didn’t care for I liked it for the most part. While I would have tightened up the story and shortened it a great deal (I probably would have ended the book at page 440 instead of 575 …or was it 533? – IDK as I’m still confused about the end) in quite a few places I wasn’t the author so there ya go.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Tracy.(less)

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Jun 02, 2011 Lindsey ( United By Books Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Description:

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn't quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to a horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.

Lord Peregrine Trumbull is a rake of the worst order. As...more Description:

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn't quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to a horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.

Lord Peregrine Trumbull is a rake of the worst order. As the spare to the heir he went off to the Royal Navy then returned to conquer the young ladies of London. With never a care in the world save his brothers survival (which allows his freedom)

Gideon Alrick Trumbull, 10th Duke of Roxleigh, took the helm of his father's Dukedom much sooner than expected. Now with the weight of his responsibilities heavy on his shoulders, he needs an heir. Unfortunately this first requires that he charm a suitable woman to marriage.

Summary: One minute Francine was in a taxi on her way to an important presentation staring down at a photo, then the next she falls in front of startled horses and before an even more startled Duke. Roxleigh, also known as Gideon holds her close and brings her to his estate, and has a doctor tend to her injuries. When she comes to, she is in a proper bad mood and lets rants run free to his Grace, the Duke. In the process, her throat injury flares up causing her to have no voice. Thank God she knows sign language to communicate. No one has ever done that to him and in turn his interests are piqued and he cant get the feel of her or scent of her out of his head. What they didn't know, was when this occurred, she had been running from the horrid little man, Hepplewort. The man she was betrothed to, thanks to her parents, who sold her to him 10 years before but had to wait till she came of age. As the feeling and connection between Francine and Gideon, the rules of propriety must be taken into account, even if they're misplaced at times and passions flare. The Larrabee's set out to find their daughter, and once found, reclaim her to return her to her betrothed Hepplewort. Gideon is about to offer a solution to keep Francine with him but would ruin him. Younger brother and Viscount Perry step in and takes on the responsibility so his brothers name is not left in ruins. After All, as a rake, his is already questionable. They enter in a contract with the Larrabees and must break the news to Hepplewort that he is no longer betrothed. In which case Hepplewort is not happy at all. Upon learning this, he goes to a ball and interrupts the night when the Duke announces that he is now the betrothed to Francine. Hepplewort wont go soundly and winds up taking her. The Duke sets out to get back the love of his life, even if that means having to throw propriety out and ruin her.

My Thoughts: Jenn LeBlanc is a new author to me. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book. As the feelings and passion grew i held my breath in anticipation cause i knew they were meant to be. I rejoiced for the characters when they dealt with Hepplewort. There were also times when I laughed out loud. I haven't read a book like this before but I can tell you that Jenn LeBlanc has been put on my favorite authors list. And I cant wait to see what's next. I'm hoping there is a book for the ever elusive rake Perry cause not only did Francine and Gideon steal my heart but so did he. Depending on how you get this book in the paperback there are pictures through out it that depicts the scenes she is writing and they fit so beautifully. The book was lovely. I enjoyed it thoroughly(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Lisa Hutson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not normally interested at all in time travel stories. But the illustrated part drew me to this one. The time travel stuff was really kind of in the background mostly. The story was a really nice one. A girl trying to figure out what the heck and how she got herself into such a mess. The guy trying to figure why she is so different. And what he is supposed to be doing. Pretty good. Well told. But mix it with the illustrations and it jumps to excellent. This is such a great idea. And done so...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Alycia added it

Shelves: historical-romance, readers-crown-judge-books, time-travel

I am DNFing this one half way through. Time travel is not my favorite theme, but this one was not too bad. However, that is what I liked about this book. The concept of a novel with pictures included intrigued me. I thought this could be a good idea.

I found the historical romance story to be a beginner's effort and a bit cheesy. I personally got frustrated and decided to give up since I have enough other books to read. The photographs because they were so simplistic, seemed amateurish and didn'...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: bad-guys, brooding-hero, duke, historical-romance, time-travel, secrets, no-no-no-yes-yes

First this book needed to be edited down. For reals. It would have been so much better. When francine waited for the dressmaker to make her dresses, I felt I was waiting a week for the book to move along.
In a nutshell: time travel!, interesting stuff, boring things, boring things, boring things, dresses are made, boring things, boring things, boring things, ooh kisses!, boring things, boring things, boring things, he has a brother!, boring things, boring things, old gross guy wants to marry her...more

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May 05, 2012 Romancing the Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, romance

Review by Jen:
I won this book months ago on GoodReads and it's been sitting on my self just taunting me. So when I arranged to have Jenn guest at Romancing the Book, I figured this would be the time to read the book. What I found was a delightful debut novel... complete with pictures.

I'll be honest. I don't think the photos in this book really added much to me. It's an interesting concept, but in the end it just felt like filler to me.

However, I did enjoy the story. A girl time travels back to V...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Not only am I giving this book 5 stars, but it is my favorite book of August! See more about it on my blog @ www.booksavvybabe.com

In The Rake and the Recluse, Francine is somehow transported from present day to the late 1800's where she finds herself injured at the home of a reclusive Duke. Not understanding what happened to her, Francine rails against her "captors" and acts quite strange, making those around her fear for her sanity. As time passes, the Duke (Gideon) and his household realize th...more Not only am I giving this book 5 stars, but it is my favorite book of August! See more about it on my blog @ www.booksavvybabe.com

In The Rake and the Recluse, Francine is somehow transported from present day to the late 1800's where she finds herself injured at the home of a reclusive Duke. Not understanding what happened to her, Francine rails against her "captors" and acts quite strange, making those around her fear for her sanity. As time passes, the Duke (Gideon) and his household realize that Francine is not crazy, but she is very odd and has no memories of her previous life. Gideon and Francine are strangely and powerfully drawn together and the Duke must find out who she is before he can claim her for himself. Gideon and Francine's relationship is threatened by Francine's vulgar former fiancé, who claims to "own" her. Gideon must find a solution for Francine, without permanently ruining their reputations.

The Rake and the Recluse is an all-together beautiful book filled not only with an engaging time-travel historical romance story, but also with stunning photographs illustrating the story.

When you hear that a book is different or unique, sometimes that is just words, and there really is not too much unique. With The Rake and the Recluse, historical romance fiction is completely re-vamped, illustrated with stunning photography throughout the novel. The story is very well developed and written, and both unexpected and captivating. I loved the characters, their development and their personalities. The Rake and the Recluse is not a one-track story. Gideon's brother plays a prominent role in the story as well as the reform-in-progress rake, and there is a side story romance between side characters giving the story more depth.

What I really likes about The Rake and the Recluse is that after what could have been the climax of the book, the story did not just wrap up and end. There was not an instant "happy ever after" (the characters did not just get home and everything was alright again). The story continued, creating an extremely well rounded book. This is not to say that everything in the book was answered. I would still love to know what comes next for several of the characters, including the Duke's brother. That is a story line left open that I hope to learn more about in the future.

The Rake and the Recluse is brilliant and beautiful, a historical romance novel that should not be missed. Historical Romance readers, I very highly recommend reading The Rake and the Recluse!(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Crys Harris rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was insipid, boring, and ridiculous. I will admit, I'm no fan of time travel romances as I find the premise too unbelievable. I only thought Outlander was so-so, and that is the gold standard of the genre. However, there are so many things that stand out as completely dumb about this book as to make it unique.

First, one cannot easily transition from living with smart phones and being independent women of the world to missish, retiring Victorian maidens. She rode a horse, for heaven's s...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Aislynn (Stitch Read Cook) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: won, ebook, historical-romance, paranormal-fantasy, read-in-2011

This is a drool worth novel - in so many ways. Jenn LeBlanc is an absolutely fabulous photographer and a phenomenal writer. This books showcases both her talents.. The cherry on top of this story - a sexy male lead who just oozes sensuality - both in photographs and in the written word.

Francine leaves her house in the 21st Century only to find her self whisked back in time and into the arms of Gideon, the Duke of Roxleigh. His staff tends to her wounds and attempts to make her comfortable in a s...more

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May 21, 2011 Kati rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kati by: Ashley March

Shelves: own-on-kindle, books-with-reviews, favorite-books, 2011-reads, books-i-own, 2011-reviews

1 Part Outlander+ 1 Part Jane Eyre= Me, Lost in LeBlanc™.

I spent a week (yes, A WEEK) on this book. It might be mostly due to the fact that I flipped through it 8 times just drooling over the pictures. Within those 8 flip throughs, I read the story. The concept is GENIUS! I mean, who hasn't wanted to know exactly what the author sees when she's writing her book? Who hasn't wondered what the hero REALLY looks like? Well, wonder no more. Ms. LeBlanc takes us into her vision, complete with picture...more 1 Part Outlander+ 1 Part Jane Eyre= Me, Lost in LeBlanc™.

I spent a week (yes, A WEEK) on this book. It might be mostly due to the fact that I flipped through it 8 times just drooling over the pictures. Within those 8 flip throughs, I read the story. The concept is GENIUS! I mean, who hasn't wanted to know exactly what the author sees when she's writing her book? Who hasn't wondered what the hero REALLY looks like? Well, wonder no more. Ms. LeBlanc takes us into her vision, complete with pictures.
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May 25, 2011 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-recommended-by-friends

I love this book. It is beautifully written and wonderfully illustrated. I look forward to discovering the other adventures that these characters will embark on. LeBlanc develops rich characters that make you feel like you have known them for ever,but also has an air of mystery. The reader becomes more and more invested in the story line and with every flip of a page. For those that need break from the everyday pick up this book and read, you will not be disappointed.

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Mar 04, 2013 LorettaLynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. At the very start, I loved it. Francine part was just wonderful and she got to have her very own recluse. The very sexy Duke.
I do not even know where to start in telling you.
It was wow. You know sometimes when you open a story and you get so lost, you don’t know what going on around you and you don’t care either… Will this was one of them for me.

If you love sexy Historical Romance then this one is for you!

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Feb 06, 2011 Ebrown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love reading new writers, its a game of russian rulet. Here, my bet has paid off tenfold!
LeBlanc is one fab new writer blasting on the hist-rom scene!
Her alluring charm, edged wit and primo style breathe a crisp and cool breath of life into her characters-Here, writer and characters are a custom-fit.
I cheer on this new writer, don some protective gear, and wait to see what works she fires next!

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Feb 22, 2011 Floppity6 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 21, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

This author knows how to grab and hold fast to your attention! I wasn't sure I would like the pictures in the book, this being the first actual book I've read with pictures, but honestly they helped to drag you into the story. I loved this book, Jenn LeBlanc wrote a compelling story =D

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May 01, 2011 Mandy Boyer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book from a new writer. I really loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. Since the proof included pictures throughout the book it also made the characters seem more real to me.I look forward to seeing Perry's story in the future.

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Oct 05, 2012 InD'Tale Magazine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-may-june, genre-historical, rating-4-star

4 stars

InD'Tale Magazine Premiere Issue, May/June 2012

Tammy Grant's review is right here

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Jul 20, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

So so so loved all six books in this series! Woul definatly recommend these and look forward to more from this author.

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May 08, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, historical, romance

Read my review at http://romancing-the-book.com/2011/12...

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Feb 06, 2012 Rizka F Ryuichi Asami marked it as to-read

Shelves: e-book

won this from Ms. Jenn LeBlanc :) so happy ...

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Feb 24, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

AMAZING!

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Jun 28, 2011 Brandy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

I'd actually like to give this book 3.5 stars. My enjoyment level was somewhere in between liked and really liked. The pictures in the book are without a doubt fabulous. Loved seeing them on my ColorNook. The story was really good as well but at times I found myself wanting to skip a description-like scene and move on. I was craving the action of what was going on to happen next.

I'm definitely intrigued to see what happened with Perry, Rox's younger brother.

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Mar 17, 2011 Tracy's Place rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.75 out of 5

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Oct 10, 2011 Ren marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, historical, time-travel, romantic-or-couple-cover, giveaway-author-and-signed

Won this via Twitter.
While I can't download the Kindle version, Ms LeBlanc send me the pdf version.
Thanks a bunch! Will read this ASAP, and I love the concept to combine a novel with pictures =)

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Apr 11, 2011 Jenn added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

This is the EPUB version of my novel, and SO incredibly beautiful on an iPad it makes my insides giggle.

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Apr 11, 2011 Jenn added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

I love my book, of course.

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May 23, 2013 Stephanie Perry rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 17, 2013 Rei Tan rated it 1 of 5 stars

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About Jenn LeBlanc

Jenn LeBlanc has several constants in life that define her:

Colorado, Canon, CJ, kids and curls.

Born and raised in a household of other people’s children in this beautiful state —very nearly with a camera in hand— she never left. She talked about escaping; but that never happened. She started her own family, got used to the curls, went to college, built a CJ, and started a business.

She always had...more

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Books by Jenn LeBlanc

FREEDOM : The Rake And The Recluse : Part One

FOUND : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Two

TAKEN : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Three

RUINATION : The Rake And The Recluse : Part Four

SUBMISSION : The Rake And The Recluse: Part Five

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