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Barely a Lady (The Drake's Rakes #1)

3.7 of 5 stars 3.70 · rating details · 812 ratings · 144 reviews

Olivia Grace has secrets that could destroy her. One of the greatest of these is the Earl of Gracechurch, who married and divorced her five years earlier. Abandoned and disgraced, Grace has survived those years at the edge of respectability. Then she stumbles over Jack on the battlefield of Waterloo, and he becomes an even more dangerous secret. For not only is he unconsci...more

Paperback, 392 pages

Published July 1st 2010 by Forever (first published June 16th 2010)

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Oct 20, 2011 Lady Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Amazing story!
This is the first book in Eileen Dreyer's 'Drake's Rakes' series.
This was not what I expected at all and I was absolutely taken by the story right from the start.
The Author keeps you intrigued till the very end! "Barely A Lady" is a Historical Romance, but there is so much more going on in this story. There is murder, mystery, deception, as well as honor, loyalty, and of course love.
I highly recommend this book!
I look forward to reading the next book in this Series!

9 likes · like · see review

May 14, 2011 Steamywindows♥♫ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dik, top-100-for-me

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It is a rare author who can write engagingly about betrayal, separation or infidelity but to tell a wonderful story with all these very challenging themes is a tremendous accomplishment. I admit to some interest in reading this book after reading very polar reviews, it seemed to be a love it or leave it type of book. The main plot is the H and h fall in love, his family disapproves and does EVERYTHING in its power to end the relationship. This includes a series of lies by a villain to set up the...more It is a rare author who can write engagingly about betrayal, separation or infidelity but to tell a wonderful story with all these very challenging themes is a tremendous accomplishment. I admit to some interest in reading this book after reading very polar reviews, it seemed to be a love it or leave it type of book. The main plot is the H and h fall in love, his family disapproves and does EVERYTHING in its power to end the relationship. This includes a series of lies by a villain to set up the h as a victim. The central theme revolves around the breach of trust that occurs when the H trusts this reprehensible character, rather than the h. As one of the great secondary characters says, the H "failed at his first fence".

This is not a book of how much pain and suffering one can cause and be summarily forgiven for. Neither is it about how much a character can grovel. It is an exploration of how love is not enough without trust. If there is atonement and forgiveness, when trust is violated love can prevail.

The author has very deftly handled both characters so that as the reader, I was drawn into a sympathetic point of view for both. Of course, you could dislike the H for the choices he made, but as the story reveals, he had had a "charmed" existence and never had to cope with the harsh realities of life, and was thus too immature to face the test and perform well. It was not an irredeemable character flaw, but rather, a lack of maturity and therefore, forgivable with the right blend of atonement.

The story would not have worked either if the h had been drawn as a weak push over, who too easily forgave the very reprehensible behaviour of the H. Infidelity is a theme which I almost never see done with enough insight to generate empathy for the perpetrator. In BAL, while there was a little glossing over, there was a believable resolution to this as well.

I am curious as to how this couple's story will be played out in remainder of the series and whether the villainous mistress will make an appearance in the future books which I undoubtedly look forward to. This book will be enjoyable to re-read as it is a complex, well written and multi-layered story, with best of all a HEA! (less)

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Sep 16, 2011 Jacqueline marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: for-review, read-in-2010

Warning: This review is not spoiler free.

I was initially so excited about this one. The author was new to me and I haven't read a historical romance in a while. I had no expectations, though, but to be entertained. Unfortunately, the feeling that I was left with wasn't that pleasant one obtained upon finishing a satisfying read. Instead, I'm pissed at the characters and, to some extent, the author for giving me such an infuriating story. I actually didn't make it to the end by straight-forward r...more Warning: This review is not spoiler free.

I was initially so excited about this one. The author was new to me and I haven't read a historical romance in a while. I had no expectations, though, but to be entertained. Unfortunately, the feeling that I was left with wasn't that pleasant one obtained upon finishing a satisfying read. Instead, I'm pissed at the characters and, to some extent, the author for giving me such an infuriating story. I actually didn't make it to the end by straight-forward reading. After a while, I had to skim the darn thing in order to avoid permanently throwing it down and make it to its end. It all started with Mimi.

Who's Mimi, you say? Why, she's the mysterious woman that the hero, Jack, is enamored with throughout the majority of the novel, even while his feelings for Olivia (his ex-wife) are rekindled. You might not think this is such a big deal, but I had a difficult time choking down a romance where the most romantic feelings that the hero had were for someone other than heroine. In fact, so romantic were his feelings for Mimi that he was often repulsed by the heroine's nearness and/or touch. On top of this, he's constantly angry with Olivia and he has lingering feelings of doubt about her from their past. A past in which, as he learns slowly during his recovery from amnesia, includes him believing lies about her and subsequently throwing him out on her PREGNANT behind. Apparently they hadn't been married for long when this all happened. They were still in the honeymoon stage which, in my opinion, makes Jack even more loathsome. Overnight the love of your life goes from the sweetest girl in the world to a lying whore? And you take this for fact based all on one person's word? And you don't even have the balls to ask her about it? What a sorry excuse for a man.

Olivia's no better. Sure, she's wary of Jack and her love for him. She (rightfully) no longer trusts him. But as the story progresses she begins to make excuse after excuse for him, ultimately forgiving all of his heinous crimes against her and their (formerly unborn) child. Crimes that led her family to reject her and caused her to live life on the run away from her child while barely scraping by. She's not an unlikable woman altogether, but one can't even properly sympathize with her due to her silly acceptance of Jack...

Visit my blog, The Eclectic Book Lover, to continue reading this review.(less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Yaseena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, favorites

4.5/5 rating. I'm waffling back and forth with this one and here are the reasons why. Part of me wants to give this book a straight 5 stars because it was a tightly wound, intriguing and passionate story of how love can sustain us, break us and ultimately test us to the core. It has a definite Othello theme running through the plot, although this isn't so pronounced that you keep thinking of Shakespeare all the way through. This book felt more like a historical fiction in some areas, which I hav...more 4.5/5 rating. I'm waffling back and forth with this one and here are the reasons why. Part of me wants to give this book a straight 5 stars because it was a tightly wound, intriguing and passionate story of how love can sustain us, break us and ultimately test us to the core. It has a definite Othello theme running through the plot, although this isn't so pronounced that you keep thinking of Shakespeare all the way through. This book felt more like a historical fiction in some areas, which I have to say I didn't mind - although I am an avid reader of historical fiction so maybe that was why? I enjoyed every minute of detail about the war, and the author has a true talent for creating vivid scenes and landscapes that you can all but touch with your own hands while reading.

The ups and downs of this story are truly amazing. I was on the edge of my seat more than once, and I felt every heartbreak, every trauma, every unimaginable horror that the heroine felt while reading. She loves unconditionally and forever and although given the circumstances some may see this as a weakness - the heroine, Olivia, herself often saw it as such - i couldn't help but admire her strength of character while she faced the wrath, condemnation, betrayal and dismissal from not only society and her own family, but her beloved husband as well - all for crimes she neither committed nor had any notion of until they had already been played out to the end, effectively destroying her character before she even had a chance to defend herself. I could go into tons of detail here, but to do that I would need to give too many spoilers. From the first page of the prologue you have questions as a reader and I kept reading with rapt attention to see where this story and where these characters would take me. It was like I was unraveling a great mystery which I loved. The twists and turns were essential to the plot rather than forced to bring about change in the h/h and their relationship.

Now, the reason I would give this less than 5 stars is because although I loved the heroine, I had a hard time with the hero. Not because he was an ass and essentially treated his wife in the most unimaginable way, turning on her at a moments notice, but because I felt like he wasn't fully drawn as a character. Without giving anything essential away (it's all on the back cover) Jack has amnesia and wakes up thinking it is 5 years earlier, 1810 and that he and Olivia are still happily married. He is the man from her past, although he seems more serious, more capable and darker. I wanted to feel more of who this man was. I wanted to see in his actions, his words, how it was that he could have loved Olivia so much and still do the things he did to her.
This question, however, was a driving force of the plot itself. HOW HOW HOW? You want to scream it at Jack and blister him to dust, but you also understand Olivia's motivation through out and I couldn't help but understand her conflicted emotions where this man was concerned. She hated him for betraying her, for not having the faith in her he should have. But she also recognizes his faults and her years away from him have forced her to grow up.

Another downside is that as you're dragged through this immeasurable heartache of a story - emotional roller coaster anyone? You get to the end and everything IMO was tied up way too neatly. The lovely picture perfect ending in no way reflected how I thought it should have wrapped up. There were parts I enjoyed, but all in all the husband found his forgiveness but because we didn't get to actually see Jack redeem himself for all the misery he put Olivia through, their happily ever after fell a little flat for me. I can say though that the rest of the book is so engrossing that by the end it hardly mattered.

I'm anticipating the next two in the series. Grace and Lady Kate's stories, Lady Kate's especially as she is a forced to be reckoned with in this intro story. I can't wait to unravel her tale of heartache and see her find love with the man who broke her heart long ago. There is only one slim mention of her hero in this book, but from Kate's reaction you can bet her story with Harry Lidge will be a good one.

I highly recommend this read. (less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Elis Madison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: add-a-half-star, authors-to-follow, character-development, era-regency, favorites, gay-characters-in-background, hero-damaged, hero-needs-colonoscopy-2-find-head, intrigue-is-good, like-the-author, love-to-hate-the-hero, love-to-hate-the-heroine, part-of-series, permanent-library, ru-kidding-me, we-don-t-need-no-stinkin-logic, martyr-complex

This is an “allergy attack” book. You know, the book that makes your eyes water and your nose run, and you tell everyone who asks what’s wrong that you’re having an allergy attack because you don’t want them to know you’re

over a romance novel?

So break out the Claritin (or a hanky) if you plan to read…

Olivia Grace is broke and homeless again, caring for soldiers wounded at Waterloo and trying to avoid an outwardly handsome, charming fellow who wants her as his mistress, and reckons the best way...more

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Jul 08, 2010 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. I was really impressed with Barely a Lady- I have to admit, when I see a cover like this, I don't normally think it will be one that I'm going to love. But I got into it- Lots of suspense! When will I ever learn to stop judging a book by its cover?! This book had me on an emotional roller coaster ride right up until the last page. Dreyer throws you into her inventive, dramatic love story of betrayal and fast plotting immediately... there is non-stop action.

Olivia's heart is ripped from her...more Wow. I was really impressed with Barely a Lady- I have to admit, when I see a cover like this, I don't normally think it will be one that I'm going to love. But I got into it- Lots of suspense! When will I ever learn to stop judging a book by its cover?! This book had me on an emotional roller coaster ride right up until the last page. Dreyer throws you into her inventive, dramatic love story of betrayal and fast plotting immediately... there is non-stop action.

Olivia's heart is ripped from her when she is both betrayed and abandoned by her husband. She's tough, but her strength is tested when she is forced into the world on her own... with an unexpected pregnancy. Five years after surviving alone with her child, she runs into her ex-husband. But something has changed. He thinks they're still in love? He can't seem to remember their cruel past. Hmmm... What's Olivia to do- Will she turn her back on him? Or does she take the opportunity to return to the life she wished she had never lost?

Although this plot has been done before, I can't complain because Dreyer's writing was gripping and the characters were vividly playing their roles in my head. The stories main focus was not on the intimate moments between Jack and Olivia, thankfully- which is why I kept wanting to turn the pages. There was an immense amount of plot twists and suspense, I couldn't stop thinking about the truth behind Jack's situation. This couple has a lot of growing up to do, but with all their obstacles they try to find a way to forgive and stick together through thick and thin. Loved it... can't figure out how Olivia still loves Jack! But I'm a little more stubborn than she ;)

Jack and Olivia aren't the only engrossing characters. The supporting characters are just as entertaining and delightful. They all have their own quirks and stories of pain.

Overall, the storytelling was well written and researched- I would suggest this one to any Historical Romance junkie! Definitely planning on reading the next in the series, can't wait to read it! (less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Ellyce rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, read-in-2012

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

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Jan 26, 2012 Michelle Randall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Historical books have always been a favorite of mine, but lately I have gotten away from reading them, taking more to the cozy mystery side. So when I got a chance to read this book and to get back into a historical vein, I was psyched.

I actually really loved this book. I loved the storyline, the way things move and evolve. I was completely in the dark, along with Olivia, as to what Jack had been up to for the past five years, and I loved that his amensia allowed him to grow and learn what it wa...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance, amnesia

83% of the story is she must lie because the truth will hurt his health. He hurt her and she must act like he didn’t.

STORY BRIEF:
Jack an earl married Olivia, the vicar’s daughter. His cousin Gervaise told lies causing Jack and others to think Olivia had a gambling problem and had sex with other men while married to Jack. Jack believed Gervaise, divorced her, and left England for five years. His family and her family also believed the lies and disowned her, refusing to help. She was pregnant. The...more 83% of the story is she must lie because the truth will hurt his health. He hurt her and she must act like he didn’t.

STORY BRIEF:
Jack an earl married Olivia, the vicar’s daughter. His cousin Gervaise told lies causing Jack and others to think Olivia had a gambling problem and had sex with other men while married to Jack. Jack believed Gervaise, divorced her, and left England for five years. His family and her family also believed the lies and disowned her, refusing to help. She was pregnant. The book begins five years later during the Waterloo battle in Belgium. Olivia is nursing wounded British soldiers. She discovers Jack, unconscious, in the battlefield, wearing a French uniform. She removes the French uniform and replaces it with a British one. She takes him to safety and tends to his wounds. He has amnesia. He can’t remember anything of the past five years other than knowing Olivia is his wife. The doctor tells Olivia and others they must not tell Jack anything about his past because it will either give him brain fever or kill him.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I bought this because it won a Reviewer’s Award for 2010 from RT Book Reviews magazine. I am sad to say that we have very different tastes. I was bored for the first 328 pages. Olivia must pretend to be Jack’s wife so he won’t be stressed. He hurt her, she doesn’t want to be around him, but she is forced to pretend. We are mired in her ponderings and her approach/avoidance feelings. Add to this that he mentions another woman’s name, Mimi, while dreaming and again during a moment of passion with Olivia. This adds to Olivia’s hurt. He can’t remember anything about Mimi, but he thinks he loved her. Finally at page 328 Olivia tells him the truth of what happened five years ago. He believes her. I kept thinking why didn’t she tell him the truth back then? I suppose the author wants us to think that Jack has matured and is more open to thinking now (instead of impulsive reactions).

Finally the last 60 pages felt more like a story, but they too were lacking. Olivia and Jack share some truths and start to reconnect, but there is not much of a developing relationship. Jack is still missing memory, so there is mystery about why two bad guys want to harm him. At the end of the book, someone else explains what was going on. I would have preferred Jack remembering this and talking about it. It would have been better to “show” some of his actions during his time with the French. It would have been better to “show” thoughts, motivations, and actions of the bad guys and Mimi. None of these things were fleshed out and developed. They are just briefly summarized at the very end of the book, resulting in a tidy wrap up.

I would have liked seeing how Gervaise was so all knowing that he could set up the scene with Tristan in 1810. If Jack killed Tristan and had to leave the country, why is he now allowed back? I would have liked seeing what Mimi did to get into the jail at the end. I wanted to see more about the list.

Most of the sex scenes were remembering a sex scene, dreaming of sex, or starting a sex scene but stopping or being interrupted. The scenes were more about physical reactions than emotional desire. They could have used more sensuality.

DATA:
Story length: 392 pages. Swearing language: mild, including religious swear words. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 6. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 20. Setting: 1815 Belgium and England. Copyright: 2010. Genre: regency romance, amnesia.

OTHER BOOKS:
I’ve reviewed the following Eileen Dreyer books.
2 ½ stars. A Man To Die For. Copyrt 1991
1 star. The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes. Copyrt 2007 (co-authored with Jennifer Crusie and Anne Stuart)(less)

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May 28, 2011 cecilia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Olivia had moved on from that horrible night where her husband had thrown her out of the house - and even more devastating, cut her from his heart. Never would she dream of encountering Jack while rescuing wounded soldiers from the battlefield! Nor that he would be wearing a traitor's uniform! Nor that he would groan the name of his mistress while feverish! To make matters worse, Jack's head wound has erased these wretched past years and rewinds back to when they are still happily married. As Ja...more

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Aug 23, 2010 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Best Historical Romance I've ever read!
BARELY A LADY is Eileen Dreyers first Historical book in the new Drake's Rakes series.

I can't say I've read tons of Historical Romances, but I have read my share, and I can honestly say this was the most thrilling and exciting romance I've ever read. I'm more of a paranormal gal, but to put a paranormal theme into this book would only diminish it.
When I wasn't laughing or completely in a reading trance, I was crying my eyes out.(My fiance actually took p...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Terra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Barely A Lady is a story of how true love can overcome any obstacle. How a matter of trust can mean so much and hurt even more when betrayed. A story of passions that run so deep they're sure to make your blood sizzle. Oh, and they say that Love is Blind, well in this case it's the Lovers are Blind to what is sitting right in front of their noses.

Olivia Grace has been on the run for five years hiding from her ex-husband and his family. Under a simple ruse right out in plain sight Olivia has foun...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Angelc rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-own-read

Five years ago, jack Wyndham, Earl of Gracechurch, kicked out his wife, Olivia, over a misunderstanding instigated by his jealous cousin Gervaise. Olivia changed her last name to Grace after the scandalous divorce and lived trying to forget her love for Jack, while trying to hide from the malicious Gervaise. She is among a group of women tending soldiers injured in Waterloo, when she comes face to face with a near-death Jack, wearing a French uniform. Even after all he's done to hurt her, she ta...more Five years ago, jack Wyndham, Earl of Gracechurch, kicked out his wife, Olivia, over a misunderstanding instigated by his jealous cousin Gervaise. Olivia changed her last name to Grace after the scandalous divorce and lived trying to forget her love for Jack, while trying to hide from the malicious Gervaise. She is among a group of women tending soldiers injured in Waterloo, when she comes face to face with a near-death Jack, wearing a French uniform. Even after all he's done to hurt her, she takes it upon herself to nurse him back to health. As he comes to, she realizes Jack has amnesia and believes them to still be married.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I have some problems with the story, but Dreyer's writing style is addictive! I was turning the pages as quickly as possible, and there was never a slow moment.

I was reminded a little of Sherri Thomas and Meredith Duran's writing, in that the leads are very flawed and have dealt with a lot over long periods of time. Add in a war, and you've got a really sweeping tale of love and hardship.

Sigh, I wanted to like Jack, I really did. He just seemed so...likeable. I was ready to forgive him for the divorce, but then he started to remember his affair with Mimi. I don't know what is worse, reading about the hero telling another woman that he loves her or reading his love scenes with her. Jack didn't have to be a monk while they were divorced, but the Mimi affair was too much for me. Poor Olivia, already having to deal with so much on her own, and then she has to deal with Mimi.

I did enjoy all of the supporting characters, especially Grace and Diccan. I really looked forward to their scenes.

I liked the style of the book, with all the past secrets being revealed slowly throughout the book. There was a lot going on, and it was a bit like a mystery unraveling. I also liked that the characters were re-united after a long time apart. I just would rather not have to be so upset with the hero for most of the book!

I do think I'll read the other books in the series because I really liked the author's style, even though I had problems with the story itself.

This book was provided for review by Hachette.

reviewed for http://inthehammockblog.blogspot.com

(less)

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Jul 05, 2010 Jennifer Defoy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, hachette-blog-tour

I liked this one a lot. It had so much suspense in it. The build up to find out Olivia's secret was so great. In the mean time we're introduced to quite a few characters who all seem to have some kind of secret of their own. This one really had me guessing all the way through it. Jack's memory loss makes finding out the secrets so much better.

I have to say that this one had a lot of anticipation build up. But I think the ending was well worth the anticipation. The pay off is well worth it.

The w...more

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Jun 30, 2010 Cinnamon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

BARELY A LADY by Eileen Dreyer will drag you through an emotional roller coaster from page one all the way through to the end. After reaching and finishing the last page, my mind felt practically exhausted with the emotions and thoughts running through it.

Ms. Dreyer's heroine, Olivia, lives through the kind of sadness that tears a person's soul apart. Betrayed and then abandoned by her husband who won't even take a moment to listen to what she has to say, Olivia is forced out into the world on...more BARELY A LADY by Eileen Dreyer will drag you through an emotional roller coaster from page one all the way through to the end. After reaching and finishing the last page, my mind felt practically exhausted with the emotions and thoughts running through it.

Ms. Dreyer's heroine, Olivia, lives through the kind of sadness that tears a person's soul apart. Betrayed and then abandoned by her husband who won't even take a moment to listen to what she has to say, Olivia is forced out into the world on her own. To make matters even more interesting, she's pregnant. Alone, and with child, Olivia learns some harsh lessons and manages to somehow survive. Our story progresses with Olivia stumbling across her ex-husband five years later. He has no memory of turning his back on her and still thinks the two are madly in love. What's Olivia to do? Does she return to the life she wished desperately would find her again? Does she turn her back on the man who did the same to her?

See what I'm saying about the emotional roller coaster? One thing can definitely be said - Ms. Dreyer definitely knows how to write one passionate and drama-filled story!

This drama is probably my favorite part of BARELY A LADY. This is definitely a book that keeps you madly flipping through the pages, desperate to know what is going to happen next. Will Olivia end up with her ex, Jack? Won't she? Will he remember that he left her and again refuse to listen to what she has to say? The book was full of ups and downs, getting our blood pumping and then giving us a few short moments to get it back to a manageable rate before getting it going again.

In terms of historical romances, this is a definite keeper. Ms. Dreyer creates a story that by its very nature keeps us guessing page to page and has us sitting on the edge of our seats, desperate for things to turn out well for Olivia, and yet (at least in my case) wishing she could get some kind of vengeance for the life she had to lead. Ms. Dreyer's writing style was clear and her imagery was beautiful. It was very easy to become part of her story; the landscape, beautiful clothes, and characters easily pulled us into the story.

If you're looking for a good historical romance to dive into, I suggest BARELY A LADY. It had everything I was looking for in a great romance and I believe that fans of the genre will fall in love with it. (less)

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May 07, 2011 Rose rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: second-chance-at-love, spineless-heroine, historical-romance, nook, owned, amnesia, heroine-i-hate, plots-that-don-t-work

Ok, to be fair, i have to say Amnesiac romances just aren't my thing. Keeping that in mind, I really didn't care for this book. The way the hero treated the heroine pre-amnesia was downright deplorable. Now, I'm the first to admit in the world of romance novels, people move mountains, overcome to odds, and find love in seemingly impossible situations. However, I also believe that for the romantic aspect of a novel to be enthralling, it has to be somewhat believable. (view spoiler)...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Sharon Mignerey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This is a story of redemption, which are my favorite books. Eileen Dreyer does a wonderful job of peeling the layers away in the relationship between Olivia and Jack, revealing bits of the backstory at the exact perfect time to make a reader worry while at the same time asking two questions. "How awful was what happened between them, really?" And, "How bad is it going to get when Jack regains his memory?" Because Olivia is such a well, drawn empathetic character with whom this reader identified,...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, historical-fiction, romance

While the plot is nothing new (amnesia, death if forced to remember), Dreyer's storytelling and characters certainly make up for any sort of drag that may be caused by a plot that the reader generally knows from start to finish without reading a page.

Most books you'd find in a grocery store as I had with this one, have stories that take a backseat to the sex (and well, okay, sometimes there's a bit of romance and wooing). I was quite surprised that Dreyer spent so much time fleshing out this arc...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Rose May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-minus

Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)

Book 1 in the Drake’s Rakes series

This was an incredibly emotional book. Wow. So, the Earl of Gracechurch, henceforth known as Jack, was once married to Olivia Grace before divorcing her after claiming she cheated on him, gambled notoriously, and that her baby isn’t even his after catching her in a ‘compromising’ position with another man (who, by the way, he killed in a...more Note: This review, and all my reviews, comes from my blog - Romantic Rose's Bookshelf (http://romantic-rosesblog.blogspot.com)

Book 1 in the Drake’s Rakes series

This was an incredibly emotional book. Wow. So, the Earl of Gracechurch, henceforth known as Jack, was once married to Olivia Grace before divorcing her after claiming she cheated on him, gambled notoriously, and that her baby isn’t even his after catching her in a ‘compromising’ position with another man (who, by the way, he killed in a duel). While Olivia is innocent of all the crimes Jack accuses her of, she still gets tossed out onto the streets, penniless with her child, and has to work to make her way for five years while numerous other tragedies occur in her life. Olivia is working with a duchess, helping soldiers after the battle of Waterloo, when she discovers Jack barely alive on the battlefield – wearing a French uniform. Working against her desire for revenge she takes him to the duchess’s townhouse where he wakes – with no recollection of the last five years. Jack believes he and Olivia are still happily married and can't imagine what he could've done to have lost her. What will he do when he discovers the truth? And will he ever remember the years that led up to him donning the Frenchie colors – a truth that puts them all in danger?

Whew. Let me start off by saying that I was so glad that Jack remained Jack throughout the story, and did not turn into Jack’s brother or Jack’s eerily look-a-like best friend or something like that. All too often the injured scoundrel of a husband (or ex-husband in this case) is reformed during his illness – only for us to discover it’s the older brother of said injured scoundrel, and oh by the way the heroine has already slept with him four times so they might as well get married. That vastly improved my mood and my opinion of this writer that she took the hard road – the one fraught with difficulty and peril – in repairing the hero and heroine’s relationship, especially after such strain. The theme of this story: Love, truly, can always find a way.

That being said, while the plot was enjoyably unique it was boring on occasion and way too long. I literally skipped about 50 pages because, while I was thoroughly invested in both the characters and the storyline, nothing was happening. I understand that Jack is still healing from his injuries, but the middle of the book was S-L-O-W. At least 70 pages could’ve been trimmed away without diminishing the value of this work at all. In fact it most assuredly would’ve made it better. While I cannot judge the whole length because I don’t think I’ll ever go back and read those 50 pages, I can tell you that I didn’t feel I was missing them (other than a few plot lines that inched forward during those 50 pages, I barely even notice that I’d skipped them). The romance was sweet at the end, tough in the middle, and harsh at the beginning. It was a truly emotional tale, and even if I wasn’t happy that Jack was included in the HEA, he did make a concerted effort to right his past wrongs – even if nothing he could do now would make up for what he had done in the past.

Jack was kind of annoying. I found I hated how gullible, untrusting, and doubting (and unfair, unjust, unintelligent, annoying, ridiculous, judgemental… gr!) he was, and I hated how he treated his wife. He was always suspicious of the wrong person and I honestly wanted to throw the book against the wall several times on his behavior alone. While I’m glad that Dreyer was able to inspire such a wealth of feeling in me, perhaps making me hate the hero just a little less vehemently would’ve been a plus. To me, Jack will never EVER be good enough for Olivia, who was intelligent, trusting, calm, rational, strong, supportive, and should’ve left the damn Frenchie-coated man for dead. In fact, were it I who had stumbled upon Jack, I would’ve gotten the officials to hang him myself. Nasty, nasty man. Olivia was so magnificent in her ability to forgive Jack and trust him again, opening herself up again to all the hurt he’d piled on her before. It’s hard to have a satisfying HEA when you feel the hero is totally unworthy and will never be able to make up for all he put the heroine through (which, by the way, she came out of better not bitter. Olivia dealt with the ridicule, humiliation, pain, and desperation with grace and I found her truly inspiring) but I did try to find some smidgen of satisfaction in me, if only for Olivia's happiness.

“Sexy”ness rating: Hot

Overall Rating: B-

Bottom Line: While good, this book wasn’t fabulous. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more Dreyer works, as I definitely want to see if her writing improves and condenses as she continues writing. A very emotional tale, the heroine is strong and inspiring but the hero is gullible and doubting and I wasn’t very happy that she got HIM as her HEA hero.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Julie Read Our Lips! Book Review Blog rated it 2 of 5 stars

Barely A Lady takes place in Europe, in the year 1815. Divorce as we know it does not exist in this time. In these times, a divorced woman is shunned from polite society and is converted to being a persona non grata.

Such is the fate Olivia Grace has endured as a scheme orchestrated by her husband’s cousin – the vile and perverted Gervaise, tears her marriage apart to Jack, the Earl of Gracechurch.

Grace’s gullible husband, Jack, readily (and without proof) believes his cousin Gervaise that his...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Julie Johnson rated it 2 of 5 stars

Hmmm. I read this one at the beach, got it out of the library. It was a quick read to entertain me while sitting in the sun. I couldn't really get into the main character, I actually liked her friends better! I also couldn't get into the hero, who was a bit of a dink (I don't want to give it away so I'll only say that his reason for shunning her initially seemed kind of flimsy). I also thought the plot was fairly transparent (a traitor? really? couldn't they see ANY alternatives?) I mean, I gues...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Marilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best historical romances I've read. I don't read many romances, mostly because I get frustrated with the contrived reasons a hero and heroine are kept apart. Not so this book. Set right after the battle of Waterloo, Olivia is a woman who has been shunned by society. She hides her identity (a lot easier back then, I'm sure). Then she finds her ex-husband on the battlefield, wounded and wearing the enemy's uniform. Worse yet, he has amnesia and doesn't remember the last five years; how...more

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Dec 15, 2011 K rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

This book has several features that I would normally consider negatives:

1. scaryish pectorals on cover dude
2. plot that heavily relies on selective amnesia
3. not a particularly interesting heroine -- she is one of those heroines who is extremely beautiful and a very good person
4. quite serious tone, minimal funny banter
5. obvious twist

But despite these strikes against it, I liked it a lot. Great pacing, solid writing, and Dreyer did a good job with "love making" scenes. If you are into Napoleoni...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Clare rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Plot Synopsis
Olivia is working as a paid companion to a matron that decided to drag her daughters to Brussels, claiming that all those "handsome soldiers" will make a fine catch. Instead, war breaks out between France and England, and the family leaves Olivia in the lurch while they scurry away to safety. Left in a place where she knows no one, Grace is lost - but then Gervaise offers a lending hand. Gervaise, the scoundrel who has been relentlessly pursuing her for years, ever since he delibera...more Plot Synopsis
Olivia is working as a paid companion to a matron that decided to drag her daughters to Brussels, claiming that all those "handsome soldiers" will make a fine catch. Instead, war breaks out between France and England, and the family leaves Olivia in the lurch while they scurry away to safety. Left in a place where she knows no one, Grace is lost - but then Gervaise offers a lending hand. Gervaise, the scoundrel who has been relentlessly pursuing her for years, ever since he deliberately destroyed her marriage.

Determined to escape his attentions, Olivia turns to a new acquaintance of hers, the Duchess Kate Gilbey. Olivia is hired as a new companion for the Duchess and is introduced to Grace Fairchild, another friend of the duchess's. While accompanying Grace to the battlefield in search of her father, Olivia stumbles upon her late husband who is clinging onto life... and dressed in a french uniform.

Unbelieving of the fact that her late husband would betray England, Olivia nurses him to consciousness... only to find out that he wakes up an amnesiac, not remembering anything of the last few years and believing the two of them to be in love with one another. Fate has given her a second chance at rekindling their romance... but will Olivia trust her heart to someone who threw it away so callously before?

Characters
Olivia was marvelously written, without a doubt. Her POV sections in the story always revealed her emotions and strength - it is a hard person who would not sympathize with Olivia. Her relationships with Grace and Lady Kate developed quickly but I guess you would develop a strong friendship with someone you'd been spending time with 24/7 treating the wounds of battle-scarred soldiers.

Gervaise as a whole is portrayed as a spoiled noble, however he could have been written in better. The description of his "heinous" crimes did not have a very strong impact and was lacking in some ways. And while the hero (Jack) started off deplorably (it's hard NOT to dislike the young man who threw Olivia out and trusted his cousin Gervaise with everything - including her trust fund), he does develop and grow in the story in some ways: but the development of that was also found to be lacking.

Overall: 3.5 - 4/5
The premise is still interesting, if you enjoy amnesiac soldiers (too bad there was no PTSD involved, i love those!). Finally a regency romance set in anywhere but England! If you like historical romances with balls, descriptions of gowns, etc. this is not for you - this book is more about the character development and blossoming romance between two ex lovers, if not anything.(less)

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Mar 28, 2011 Jo (My House of Books) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

3.5 stars, creeping up to 4 stars

This book has been sitting on my shelf since its release. I skipped to the end, saw when the second book of the series would release, and promptly reshelved because I knew I wouldn't remember the plot of this book sufficiently enough to read and enjoy the second book. This was both good and bad: good because I didn't have to wait long to read the second book, Never a Gentleman; and bad because I cannot believe I let such a good book just sit there without crackin...more

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Sep 05, 2010 Miki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oddly enough, I read this book right after Prior Betrothal which also centered around the Battle of Waterloo. This one was much better, even if some of the characters were just off. For example, the hero was a complete ass five years before (and doesn't it bug you when a writer always uses round numbers? Just once, I'd like the back story to be 3 years and four months before, or 9 years, instead of always multiples of 5.) Anyway, he behaves in a completely comtemptible mammer, and then suddenly...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Chelleyreads (Michelle&Leslie's Book Picks) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-july2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The premise of Barely a Lady, the first book in the Drake's Rakes series, was interesting: the hero Jack is an earl and he marries Olivia, a vicar's daughter. They had eleven months of a passionate wedded bliss but his family was against the match and did all they can, with a lot of help from Jack's manipulative evil cousin Gervaise, to separate them. They finally succeeded when Jack found Olivia in the arms of her "lover"--Jack promptly divorced her and tossed her out without a backward glance....more The premise of Barely a Lady, the first book in the Drake's Rakes series, was interesting: the hero Jack is an earl and he marries Olivia, a vicar's daughter. They had eleven months of a passionate wedded bliss but his family was against the match and did all they can, with a lot of help from Jack's manipulative evil cousin Gervaise, to separate them. They finally succeeded when Jack found Olivia in the arms of her "lover"--Jack promptly divorced her and tossed her out without a backward glance. Her own family disowned her and Olivia was left with nothing and had to survive on her own as a ruined woman. For five years, Olivia took a different name and hid from society because Gervaise was still after her and she being divorced left her a social pariah. Olivia was in Brussels helping to nurse soldiers when she found a wounded Jack (wearing the uniform of the enemy) close to death in the battlefield. Olivia takes him in but soon found that Jack lost his memory and thinks they are still married. Now, Olivia, who finds herself still attracted to her husband, must help Jack recover his memory before Jack is found and hanged a traitor.

I was really looking forward to reading this book because the hero and heroine were already married and are getting a second chance (one of my favorite romance themes), it is the author's first foray into historical romance (prior she wrote romantic suspense) and I saw it recommended on Publisher's Weekly. I ended up really liking it but I did have issues with the two leads. First, Olivia--she was too perfect and too nice--a long-suffering martyr! After all Jack and his family did to her and the hardship she endured because he didn't trust her, she just took him in. Even at the risk of not only her being charged of aiding a possible traitor but also of her new friends. When Jack recovered his memory and started accusing her of cheating on him again, I wanted her to hurt him or scream at him but all she did was clench her fist and took it. As for Jack, it seems like he will believe everyone else before he believes his wife. He did do a lot of grovelling in the end and that made me feel better but before that I wanted to shake him and knock some sense into him! These two frustrated me at times but they did have a lot of touching scenes together that made me go "awww..." In the end, I believed in their love (even though I haven't entirely forgiven Jack and I thought Gervaise got off easy) and I rooted for them to work things out.

Overall, it was a good read and I really liked it. It's a fast-paced historical and it has interesting secondary characters whose own book I'm itching to read. The intimate scenes were surprisingly spicy, though most were flashbacks from the time Olivia and Jack were married. I thought the novel well-written and I like the author's voice. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

4 out of 5 stars(less)

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Jul 30, 2010 Carolyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dreyer-eileen

Ms. Dreyer states that this is her first foray into historical romance. I request that she makes the genre her new, permanent home.

"Barely a Lady" is chockful of suspense which slowly builds to a satisfying conclusion. No wrapping everything up in one page here! Interesting, well-developed secondary characters add to this "just can't put this book down" story. I have to admit that I was wiping tears away during the last 15 pages. What a great beginning to what promises to be an intriguing and en...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, historical, favorites

I started this book as a bit of light reading before bed, then accidentally stayed up all night to finish it. Oops.

I loved a lot of things about this book. It had an actual significant non-romantic plot that was connected to the romantic plot, the heroine, Olivia, wasn't wealthy, and despite the fact that the book revolves around amnesia (seriously? amnesia?) it was actually fairly well-done, as far as amnesia portrayals go. The women in the book were all seriously kick-ass, and the Bechdel Test...more

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Jul 12, 2010 DKAY rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

This is book one in the ~Drake's Rakes Series~and I most certainly liked this read. I think that this is the first historical romance that Eileen Dreyer has written and I think that she is off to a great start. One of my favorite genres is historical romance and I was not disappointed with this read. I just love it when I come across a book that starts out different than I am expecting and keeps me interested from the start. At first I kind of wasn't sure how I was going to like the way the char...more

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About Eileen Dreyer

New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Eileen Dreyer, known as Kathleen Korbel to her Silhouette readers, has published 28 romance novels, 8 medico-forensic suspenses, and 7 short stories.

2012 sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her first foray into historical romance, the Drake's Rakes series, which follow the lives of a group of British aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice ev...more New York Times bestselling, award-winning author Eileen Dreyer, known as Kathleen Korbel to her Silhouette readers, has published 28 romance novels, 8 medico-forensic suspenses, and 7 short stories.

2012 sees Eileen enjoying critical acclaim for her first foray into historical romance, the Drake's Rakes series, which follow the lives of a group of British aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe. After publication of the first trilogy in the series, she has just signed for the next trilogy, following the graduates of the aptly named Last Chance Academy, who each finds herself crossing swords with Drake's Rakes. Eileen spent time not only in England and Italy, but India to research the series (it's a filthy job, but somebody has to do it).

A retired trauma nurse, Eileen lives in her native St. Louis with her husband, children, and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. She has animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

Dreyer won her first publishing award in 1987, being named the best new Contemporary Romance Author by RT Bookclub. Since that time she has also garnered not only five other writing awards from RT, but five RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, which secures her only the fourth place in the Romance Writers of America prestigious Hall of Fame. Since extending her reach to suspense, she has also garnered a coveted Anthony Award nomination.

A frequent speaker at conferences, she maintains membership in Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and, just in case things go wrong, Emergency Nurses Association and International Association of Forensic Nurses.

Eileen is an addicted traveler, having sung in some of the best Irish pubs in the world, and admits she sees research as a handy way to salve her insatiable curiosity. She counts film producers, police detectives and Olympic athletes as some of her sources and friends. She's also trained in forensic nursing and death investigation, although she doesn't see herself actively working in the field, unless this writing thing doesn't pan out.

Get in touch: eileendreyer@eileendreyer.com(less)

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Books by Eileen Dreyer

Never a Gentleman (The Drake's Rakes, #2)

Always a Temptress (The Drake's Rakes #3)

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Barely a Lady (The Drake's Rakes #1)

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