What do you think?
Rate this book
The Actress and the Rake: Regency Romance
Sir Barnabas’s Will requires granddaughter Nerissa Wingate and godson Miles Courtenay to live together chastely in his house for six months in order to inherit his estate. He assumed they’ll fail. Fuming but penniless, they accept the challenge, but a host of hopeful relatives is determined to throw them into each other’s arms, and Sir Barnabas’s cantankerous ghost lends a hand! Regency Romance by Carola Dunn: originally published by Zebra as The Lady and the Rake
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1995
29 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Carola Dunn
91 books886 followersCarola Dunn is the author of more than 30 Regency romances, as well as 16 mysteries (the Daisy Dalrymple mystery series is set in England in the 1920s). Ms. Dunn was born and grew up in England, where she got a B.A. in Russian and French from Manchester University. She travelled as far as Fiji before returning to settle in California. After 30 years in the US, she says she still sounds as if she arrived a month ago.
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Prior to writing, Ms. Dunn’s various jobs included market research, child-care, construction--from foundation trenches to roofing--and writing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. She wrote her first novel in 1979, a Regency which she sold to Warner Books.
Now living in Eugene, Oregon, Ms. Dunn has a son in California who has just made her a grandmother, and a large black dog named Willow who takes her for a walk by the Willamette River each morning. (www.belgravehouse.com)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 23, 2015
What a horrible bunch of relatives! This book contains the most evil grandfather to appear in a historical romance. While he didn't plot anyone's murder, I was surprised he didn't end up ruining the lives of his granddaughter and godson.
While the plot is, on the surface, to have Nerissa and Miles endure 6 months without any "fornication" (direct quote) lest they forfeit their inheritance. The true plot is that the devious, despicable, ruthless Sir Barnbas intends for Nerissa and Miles to fail - because for almost the entirety of the book he thinks Nerissa a hussy for her mother's running off with an actor and this growing up within a theatrical company.
It is evident that Dunn intended Sir Barnbas's reformation to be achieved throughout the story as his opinion of Nerissa changes, but that is not achieved in a believable manner. I mean, seriously, despite all evidence to the contrary he keeps on trying to ruin Nerissa's chances of success by pushing her and Miles together, causing dreadful accidents, etc., as an able ghost. Why, he simply is dastardly!
Nerissa and Miles are nice characters, but there is hardly any time spent on them throughout the story for all the plotting that was going on. A huge disappointment.
The other relatives - save a spineless old lady - all scheme to ruin Nerissa and Miles too, so what we have is a devious bunch of people and an entire novel full of evil plans and close escapes.
I'm a big fan of Carola Dunn, but this one is for the garbage bin. Don't waste your energy.
While the plot is, on the surface, to have Nerissa and Miles endure 6 months without any "fornication" (direct quote) lest they forfeit their inheritance. The true plot is that the devious, despicable, ruthless Sir Barnbas intends for Nerissa and Miles to fail - because for almost the entirety of the book he thinks Nerissa a hussy for her mother's running off with an actor and this growing up within a theatrical company.
It is evident that Dunn intended Sir Barnbas's reformation to be achieved throughout the story as his opinion of Nerissa changes, but that is not achieved in a believable manner. I mean, seriously, despite all evidence to the contrary he keeps on trying to ruin Nerissa's chances of success by pushing her and Miles together, causing dreadful accidents, etc., as an able ghost. Why, he simply is dastardly!
Nerissa and Miles are nice characters, but there is hardly any time spent on them throughout the story for all the plotting that was going on. A huge disappointment.
The other relatives - save a spineless old lady - all scheme to ruin Nerissa and Miles too, so what we have is a devious bunch of people and an entire novel full of evil plans and close escapes.
I'm a big fan of Carola Dunn, but this one is for the garbage bin. Don't waste your energy.
August 15, 2024
2024 bk 122 Another winner from Carola Dunn - the story of two heirs who must get along to receive an inheritance and follow strict guidelines. Interesting plot twists. A comfortable regency cozy.
June 6, 2014
Nerisaa Wingate is a seamstress for a Shakespearean theater company in York. Her parents are actors who have carefully shielded her from anything improper. The theater is badly in need of money, as are the actors, so when Nerissa receives a letter from her grandfather's lawyer, she takes a chance that there might be an inheritance and travels to Dorset to her mother's family home for the reading of the will. Miles Courtenay is one of London's most notorious rakes. He lives by his wits and his skill at cards. He's usually lucky enough to support an opera dancer or two but not enough to pay his tailor or a valet to trick him out in style. When he discovers a summons from his late godfather, he dashes off to Dorset to discover whether he is left anything in the will. The cantankerous Sir Barnabas hated his sponging relatives and so left the bulk of his estate, including the fortune and property, to the only two people who never asked him for anything: his godson Miles and his estranged daughter's daughter. However, there are conditions attached. Convinced the young people are wastrels up to no good, Sir Barnabas determines that Miles should neither go to bed with a woman nor gamble for six months and Nerissa must not act like a hussy and be accepted by the local gentry. The rest of the family are also convinced the heirs will fail. If they don't, the relatives are on hand to make sure they do. If the living relatives fail, Sir Barnabas has a few tricks up his ghostly sleeve.
The plot sounds cute and had some slightly amusing moments, but I had a huge problem with how Nerissa was perceived solely because she grew up in the theater. Yes many actresses did sell themselves to wealthy protectors but with good reason and I'm sure that they weren't wild wanton creatures without any self-control. Sir Barnabas' persistent prejudice really really disgusted me. The plot moves a little slowly. The story felt long and repetitive at times. The romance actually develops nicely and didn't go in the direction I expected. There's a tiny bit of sensuality but it's kisses only clean. I liked how Nerissa realized her feelings for Miles and why. She's physically attracted to him at first but as she gets to know him, she grows to love him for the person he is. The ending is way too abrupt and lacking in romance.
The characters were my main problem with the story. I loathed the villains. They weren't supposed to be likeable but they just made me so mad. I thought they were rather perverted. They didn't just want Nerissa and Miles to fail, they wanted to CATCH the pair. That to me implies a nasty mind. The minor villains develop really nicely. They start off as cardboard characters but their character growth is pretty good. I especially liked Sophie. She's very sweet and I felt sorry for her.
Nerissa is a nice character. Her background makes a more unique story than the usual impoverished and/or orphaned/poor relation heroine. Her parents love each other and raised her with love which is also different from the usual poor heroine. Her character growth is good. I liked how she grew.
I did not like Miles. I usually like rakes but I don't like to know about their exploits and he was especially disgusting. In between his first and last scenes, he's lovable for the most part because fundamentally he's a good person, but he just didn't appeal to me much.
This isn't Carola Dunn's best story and doesn't make my recommended list.
The plot sounds cute and had some slightly amusing moments, but I had a huge problem with how Nerissa was perceived solely because she grew up in the theater. Yes many actresses did sell themselves to wealthy protectors but with good reason and I'm sure that they weren't wild wanton creatures without any self-control. Sir Barnabas' persistent prejudice really really disgusted me. The plot moves a little slowly. The story felt long and repetitive at times. The romance actually develops nicely and didn't go in the direction I expected. There's a tiny bit of sensuality but it's kisses only clean. I liked how Nerissa realized her feelings for Miles and why. She's physically attracted to him at first but as she gets to know him, she grows to love him for the person he is. The ending is way too abrupt and lacking in romance.
The characters were my main problem with the story. I loathed the villains. They weren't supposed to be likeable but they just made me so mad. I thought they were rather perverted. They didn't just want Nerissa and Miles to fail, they wanted to CATCH the pair. That to me implies a nasty mind. The minor villains develop really nicely. They start off as cardboard characters but their character growth is pretty good. I especially liked Sophie. She's very sweet and I felt sorry for her.
Nerissa is a nice character. Her background makes a more unique story than the usual impoverished and/or orphaned/poor relation heroine. Her parents love each other and raised her with love which is also different from the usual poor heroine. Her character growth is good. I liked how she grew.
I did not like Miles. I usually like rakes but I don't like to know about their exploits and he was especially disgusting. In between his first and last scenes, he's lovable for the most part because fundamentally he's a good person, but he just didn't appeal to me much.
This isn't Carola Dunn's best story and doesn't make my recommended list.
March 9, 2022
Wills and True Love
Baron Barnabas has died and the bitter old man has planned nasty surprises for his relatives who he has resented throughout his life. Particularly unkind are his plans for his Godson Miles who he considered a wastrel and his Grandaughter who he considered a Trollope despite never meeting her. He has managed to haunt his home to observe his revenge. This is a excellent plot and a lovely romance with plenty of dastardly plans to ensure their failure and of course a great HEA ending. Going into my favorites list.
Baron Barnabas has died and the bitter old man has planned nasty surprises for his relatives who he has resented throughout his life. Particularly unkind are his plans for his Godson Miles who he considered a wastrel and his Grandaughter who he considered a Trollope despite never meeting her. He has managed to haunt his home to observe his revenge. This is a excellent plot and a lovely romance with plenty of dastardly plans to ensure their failure and of course a great HEA ending. Going into my favorites list.
June 18, 2018
I really liked this story. Miles and Nerissa were adorable and the horrid relatives were bumbling which made their villainy palatable. I did not like the ghost!! I had hoped Nerissa's parents would arrive to stir up the locals and send Sir Barnabas into a ghostly apoplectic fit, it would've been perfect.
Stories like this are like a comfortable coz with a friend, very enjoyable.
Stories like this are like a comfortable coz with a friend, very enjoyable.
September 26, 2019
Silly, sweet, about those who learn to care, and other few incorrigible nasties. I like author Dunn. She continues to be a favorite.
Sir Barnabas set up his will hoping two possible heirs would trip up. Competitors snuck around. The final straw was his ghost, who pushed his granddaughter into trouble.
Sir Barnabas set up his will hoping two possible heirs would trip up. Competitors snuck around. The final straw was his ghost, who pushed his granddaughter into trouble.
January 10, 2022
I really liked Nerissa, our heroine (raised by actor parents but she has stage fright so she works as a wardrobe mistress) but her relatives were dreadful and nasty. Her grandfather Sir Barnabas is a ghost--a terrible one--and her various relations are constantly, actively plotting her downfall.
July 21, 2024
Of course she isn't n actress at all; she's a wardrobe mistress for a theater company in York. But in 1818, that was tantamount to being a fallen woman. As luck would have it however, Nerissa's estranged grandfather was a very wealthy baron. He leaves his fortune half to his granddaughter and half to his godson if they can live at his country estate for six months without any controvery or scandal With them at the manor house are a motley collection of impecunious relatives, one of whom inherited the baron's title but none of his money. Whie the old baron's chost and various relatives try to trick the two heirs in all sorts of ways to fall from grace with the neighborhood, the two determinedly have each others' backs.
September 15, 2018
Fun premise for a story where two people stood to inherit as long as they kept their hands off one another - since they had discontented relatives and a ghost against them.
January 22, 2019
Quick, fun read. Carola Dunn never disappoints.
September 18, 2022
I liked the theatrical milieu in the beginning, and the two lovebirds and their allies, but there were too many shifting villains, and a ghost was just a little too much.
Read
August 30, 2023A nice Regency Romp with a few nice characters and some not so nice ones. An inheritance is at the centre of the action.
Read
May 11, 2025A pleasant afternoon read for quick readers.
August 2, 2016
When I first decided I wanted a Nook my husband challenged me to find 30 books I wanted to read on overdrive. Most of the book on my to-read weren't available from the library at all, let alone overdrive... but I selected the historical fiction tab and started adding. This book was one of them.
It was pretty good. It's a romance novel, but it isn't sexually explicit or raunchy. The Hero and Heroine don't have communication problems. It is set in Regency England. all wins.
Their were some odd points but nothing terrible. The Hero's godfather and Heroine's grandfather is deceased and his ghost in a character in the book.
The biggest problem was the ending. It just ended. I have noticed with some middle school fiction it seemed like the author had to maintain a page or word limit because the ending need another 2 or 3 pages to be as fleshed out as the rest of the story. This book was the same. Ends were being wrapped up, then, I kid you not, the Hero realizes he loves the heroine and wants to marry her and yells "Will you marry me?" across the room. This was not in keeping with the characters or the time period. And within a page it was over. I kept thinking I must have skipped a page but no, it was that abrupt. I'd like to take away a star for the ending but it was otherwise a pleasant read.
**reread 8/1/2016. The original copy I read must have been corrupted because there was more at the end of the story than I remembered. Turns out Nerissa accepted Miles' marriage proposal. I'm adding a star.
It was pretty good. It's a romance novel, but it isn't sexually explicit or raunchy. The Hero and Heroine don't have communication problems. It is set in Regency England. all wins.
Their were some odd points but nothing terrible. The Hero's godfather and Heroine's grandfather is deceased and his ghost in a character in the book.
The biggest problem was the ending. It just ended. I have noticed with some middle school fiction it seemed like the author had to maintain a page or word limit because the ending need another 2 or 3 pages to be as fleshed out as the rest of the story. This book was the same. Ends were being wrapped up, then, I kid you not, the Hero realizes he loves the heroine and wants to marry her and yells "Will you marry me?" across the room. This was not in keeping with the characters or the time period. And within a page it was over. I kept thinking I must have skipped a page but no, it was that abrupt. I'd like to take away a star for the ending but it was otherwise a pleasant read.
**reread 8/1/2016. The original copy I read must have been corrupted because there was more at the end of the story than I remembered. Turns out Nerissa accepted Miles' marriage proposal. I'm adding a star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2013
This book was light, sweet and refreshingly clean. I really enjoyed how the main characters developed a friendship before they were aware of an attraction to one another. I don't like the books were its lust at first sight. Love needs a firm foundation of friendship to survive. These characters had that, so the romance was believable. There was the outlandish will and ghost of the person who passed, but it wasn't overly contrived. A cute, funny read. I needed it. Definitely a recommend.
January 9, 2014
This was a sweet little romance in the vein of Jane Austen, but with more modern language - which can be a good thing or bad thing, depending on what you're used to. The two main characters were sweet and each of them had a nice transformation process. A cute little afternoon read.
August 29, 2012
Read this a long time ago. From what I remember it was not bad.
October 30, 2016
A charming story - I enjoyed reading this more than most of her other Regency novels that I've read so far.
February 28, 2012
I really loved this. It was very sweet.
Want to read
December 5, 2012This is listed at mcc as The Actress and The Rake
December 17, 2013
A pleasant little farce with a ghostly touch!
April 15, 2017
Cute little romance, Regency-ish and pretty G-rated. The ending is abrupt and it's slight in a lot of ways, but it's pleasant, with a hero and heroine who are appealing and their romance develops nicely.
Read
December 21, 2017Carola Dunn is one of the best regency romance authors. She's definitely worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews