BOTM 1 - June 2021 - A Rake’s Guide to Seduction

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Discussion thread for the First BOTM of June 2021. Please remember to use the spoiler tags when necessary! (Please see 'some html is ok' for instructions.)

Happy Reading!


A Rake's Guide to Seduction by Caroline Linden


Anthony Hamilton is the most scandalous man in London, a gambler, a fortune hunter, an infamous rake. Celia Reece is sure he's never had one thought of her, except as his friend David's younger sister. Who would ever guess she's the only woman he's ever loved—and can never have…

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

I am on the fence about buying the audio version of the book. The narrator is not getting good reviews. Has anyone started the audio book yet?

[Tanya]

God I love this book!

[Nelly S. (brain fog sucks)]

It is wonderful! Definitely one to slowly savor as you go along.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I am on the fence about buying the audio version of the book. The narrator is not getting good reviews. Has anyone started the audio book yet?"

If you have Hoopla, both the ebook and audio are included.

I have listened to it before. Heather Wilds is not my favorite narrator but I do think she’s ok.

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

I also think this works pretty well as a standalone. Characters carry over from previous books but no plots.

[Petra]

Book on board. I’m looking forward to reading it this month.

[Debby *BabyDee*]

Joanna Loves Reading wrote: "I also think this works pretty well as a standalone. Characters carry over from previous books but no plots."

Joanna, I agree that it works well as a standalone.

Just finished and loved it totally. Hard to put down for me, had to finish..😊

[Debby *BabyDee*]

Joanna Loves Reading wrote: "Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I am on the fence about buying the audio version of the book. The narrator is not getting good reviews. Has anyone started the audio book yet?"

If you have Hoopla, both th..."

I have to agree again with Joanna. I just finished listening to this one and thought Heather Wilds was okay as the narrator..nothing exciting.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

I just spoke with our library and they are not members of hoopla. So I had a few virtual dollars so I bought the ebook. So count me in for the read!

[Mariana]

I own this book, so I might join in for a reread later this month if I have time.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

I have not read any of the other books in the series and it seems not to matter so far. I have just finished chapter 3 where Celia's last journal entry was made. So far I am enjoying the book as the foundation has now been laid and it is holding my interest.

[Milly Jane]

I just downloaded this book, (it has a different cover which made me smile as many of us like to change our covers from time to time). It's good to know it works as a standalone as I haven't read the other books in the series, but it has lots of good reviews and looks like a great read. I'll get started tonight.

[Cath]

I've read Ch. 1 & 2. Enjoying it. Really like Celia. Anthony's not quite what I expected, based on my first impression in Chapt 1, and I feel bad for him right now :(

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Cath wrote: "I've read Ch. 1 & 2. Enjoying it. Really like Celia. Anthony's not quite what I expected, based on my first impression in Chapt 1, and I feel bad for him right now :("

Yea, you get to see some vulnerabilities pretty early on, I think.

[Preeti]

I liked the premise and it has got some great reviews So I am definitely going to start reading it in few days

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

I just finished the book and I totally enjoyed it. I am giving nothing away by saying it is a book where the couple really get to know each other and fall in love by doing so. I rate it 5 stars. (view spoiler)[ the one oddity occurs at the end of the book is "Ned" I kinda remember his character, but out of the blue his best friend decides to try to kill him and kidnap his fiancé because he needs money. Plus the part where his father came to visit at the end....I don't know what to think about that other than it ties up that loose end. (hide spoiler)]

[Petra]

I started last night. Read chapter 1 and 2 and I love it. Characters are so nuanced. I feel Celia and her excitement for the season and even her willingness to experiment with a kiss (that didn’t happen) even with someone she is not interested in. And Anthony (don’t like the name) but I like the character a lot. He is sort of in a pickle and it’s clear that they don’t suit each other on social standing.
Great characters, and I am hooked.

[Cath]

Petra wrote: "I started last night. Read chapter 1 and 2 and I love it. Characters are so nuanced. I feel Celia and her excitement for the season and even her willingness to experiment with a kiss (that didn’t happen) even with someone she is not interested in...."

I had same reaction. For me, Linden has written Celia with just the right blend of innocence & sweetness for a young woman who is hopeful and eager to embrace what her future might hold, without being cloying or silly or too serious about it all. She wants a taste of adventure, but she's not bold enough to venture too far from the protective confines of what her family and social class deem appropriate. Also I like that her interactions with Anthony feel very natural and unguarded.

Meanwhile, Ch. 3 - Caroline Linden, you just made me very sad, ergh! :( But I'm glad to get some clarity on Anthony's background & situation.

Celia's Journal: (view spoiler)[I like the use of the journal as a device for telling the story of Celia's first marriage. Able to accomplish a lot quickly and the way it was done, I didn't see Bertie as a bad guy. I felt like Linden deftly demonstrated the stress which living with a domineering (a whiny kind of domination, I should say) father/father-in-law can put on a young marriage, and I felt both Celia & Bertie were victims of the societal customs & expectations of their class.

Maybe it wasn't so great that Celia's mother let her marry for love after all? I mean, since, generally, among the aristocracy the function of marriage was about preserving and increasing wealth and producing heirs, Celia may have been less disillusioned had she been raised with the expectation that marriage was not about love. Or alternatively, if her mother was willing to let her marry for love, then perhaps it would have been better had her mother not let her marry after only one Season, but required her to wait a few years ... (hide spoiler)]

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Cath I think you hit the nail on the head with your description mentioned in the spoiler.
But as you read a bit further old friends pop up and their lives are discussed.

[Cath]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Cath I think you hit the nail on the head with your description mentioned in the spoiler"

Thanks! I'm looking forward to reading your spoiler above when I finish the book :)

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

my spoiler is mainly about the ending of the book.
I do so admire writers. I have never had the gift of words. My sentences are short and I often forget to proof read. One of the many reasons I enjoy this group is reading others put their thoughts of the books down better than I can.

[Debby *BabyDee*]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I just finished the book and I totally enjoyed it. I am giving nothing away by saying it is a book where the couple really get to know each other and fall in love by doing so. I rate it 5 stars. [s..."

Ditto Merry...I rated it 5-Stars and loved the book.

[Petra]

End of chapter 3 and my heart is all in for Anthony. This is exciting.

[Cath]

Ch 4 & 5(view spoiler)[What I like about this section is I can understand why everyone (Bertie, Lord L, Celia, Celia's family) acted as they did - given their various personalities, assumptions & motives - and in ways which led, unfortunately, to Celia's isolation.

Not sure why Celia wasn't comfortable confiding in her mother about her loneliness b/c I'm not clear on what their relationship was like when Celia was younger. Certainly seems they love each other, but I'm not sure how close their emotional bond is. So I'm imagining that b/c Celia made the "match of the Season" and was empowered to make her choice for love, she must have felt pressure to have appeared "successful" (same way young women in our times might feel pressure to appear successful and happy in high-powered careers even if they're miserable inside).

I especially love in Ch 4 that Linden shows me how Celia feels - through descriptions of Celia's body language etc and through the reactions of those around her - rather than tells me, and in doing so, engages my emotions.

Interesting that David invites Anthony to the house party when, to me, it doesn't seem like the most obvious thing to do. I mean, I have a hard time believing Celia showed more interest in Anthony, than in her female friends, to her family. Seemed like she tried to hide her interest in Anthony. Perhaps David is more perceptive than I had thought.

I did enjoy learning more about the Reese family background and relationships, and thought Linden skillfully wove that information into the story without it being too obvious. Very organic.

Finally, I wondered about this earlier and now again when Anthony muses on the benefits of Celia's dowry: why didn't Celia and Bertie use her dowry, seeing as how one issue that burdened their marriage seemed to have been Lord L's absolute control of Bertie's access to funds?
... (hide spoiler)]

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Cath really good recap. I agree the author shows how emotions are conveyed rather than just using words. Your last point was SO valid, I hadn't thought of it.

[Cath]

^Thanks. I'm really enjoying this book and part of the fun is that it's keeping me busy speculating and creating backstories for everyone (beyond what Linden's provided, that is), which is a compliment to the author b/c when I don't care about, or am bored by, characters then I don't really care why they do anything!

[Missy]

I might join this BOTM. I wish my library has the audiobook. I'm finding myself less motivated to sit down and read these days. Who knows, I may find myself unable to put this book down.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Missy wrote: "I might join this BOTM. I wish my library has the audiobook. I'm finding myself less motivated to sit down and read these days. Who knows, I may find myself unable to put this book down."

I understand. I ended up buying the book as I had some Amazon credits. I don't enjoy the audio as much as I do reading. I get distracted listening and loose the thread and I am a fast reader.

[Cath]

Ch 6 & 7(view spoiler)[I find Anthony so interesting. Loved finding out how affected he was in his youth by all the rumor and innuendo surrounding his birth. He's sensitive - very different from what I had originally thought he was like. Good fake-out, Caroline Linden, you surprised me! Because based on descriptions in Chapt 1, I thought for sure he was going to be a cocky roguish self-confident alpha male; how wrong I was! Love it whenever I'm surprised in an HR :)

And I thought the means by which Linden informs of us of the reality of Anthony's inner emotional world, and who he is at his core, ( his discussion w/ Celia about gossip), really worked - since it seems there aren't going to be scenes depicting the formative experiences from his childhood/youth. So I was really happy to get that info about him. I am very invested in Anthony as a character, and want to know everything about him, what he thinks & feels, how he got to be the man he is.

It's a shame Celia and her mother don't have emotional intimacy; very odd her mother wouldn't realize how much Celia would want to spend time w/ her friends.

Had Celia been able to spend part of her married life in London, and thereby had access to the state of her friends' marriages, would she have become reconciled to her marriage and been less disillusioned? It's hard to imagine Celia becoming like her friends though, as I think that despite whatever hardships she experiences, at her core she remains a fundamentally kind person.

Also, interesting that Celia thinks people might have been gossiping about her. Hard to believe they would be, b/c what would they have to gossip about, seeing as how she never provided any information in her letters? And how would they know her marriage was, as she puts it, "sad?" Is she just projecting here? And does Anthony know for a fact that there is gossip about her marriage circulating, or does he just think this b/c of his conversation w/ Celia? I'm curious to learn more!

Finally I love Anthony's humor, and that he and Celia are on the same wavelength in that regard.

Oh and also Ned Childress seems nice. So, Caroline Linden, please let him stay that way, lol. B/c I want Anthony to have nice friends, since it seems that he has so few :( ... (hide spoiler)]

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Again I agree with what you have laid out in your spoiler. (view spoiler)[ I think it was the exception to marry for love rather than land or money or elevated status. I can't remember if its was motioned in the book. But I totally agree that if Celia had seen more the realities of her friends life she would have felt less disillusioned in the way of her current life. But her husband would have carried on with his lifestyle but she would have had her family for support. (hide spoiler)]

[Cath]

^True about how Bertie would have behaved. (view spoiler)[I guess in a way, everyone - Celia's friends, their husbands, Bertie - is just behaving according to the expectations of their aristocratic system. They're all unhappy but they accept that's how it is and they look for shallow sources of amusement to pass the time. ... (hide spoiler)]

[Petra]

Cath wrote: "Ch 4 & 5What I like about this section is I can understand why everyone (Bertie, Lord L, Celia, Celia's family) acted as they did - given their various personalities, assumptions & motives - and in..."

Hi Cath (view spoiler)[ I also found it very convenient and unusual for David to invite Anthony to the house party. About Bertie, he seemed to be totally under control of his dad and not enough strength of character to stand up against him. I was also wondering why did Celia listened to her father-in-law and didn't go see her family for all this time. It seems as if she went completely complainant against a strongly manipulating character.
But it didn't bother me because it created this sadness within her which she will start heaing later. Also She was young and and wanted to please her new family, she wanted to fit it. Later when things went sour she felt stuck with her choices. (hide spoiler)]

[Petra]

Missy wrote: "I might join this BOTM. I wish my library has the audiobook. I'm finding myself less motivated to sit down and read these days. Who knows, I may find myself unable to put this book down."

I totally get you Missy, I've been having hard time as well with sticking with a book. I rather not finish it when it starts to feel like a chore and/or I'm not interested in the plot anymore.
But this book made my stay up through the night. I was glued to it. It flows so easy and the characters are fun to read about.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

I think some of the things that occurred in Celia life also had to do with her age. Wasn't she 17 or 18 when she married?

[Cath]

Petra, I agree w/ your assessment of Bertie's character. As for Celia totally agree w/ your comments, as well as Merry's point about how young she was. Her youth was definitely a contributing factor. (view spoiler)[It was frustrating and sad to see her become so isolated but, like you, I think the situation was well-done and created a solid foundation for the next stage of Celia's character development.

As for Lord L, in a weird way I found myself admiring his skill at using anxiety as one way to manipulate others into doing his bidding. Poor kindhearted Celia - she never had a chance against his fretting and whining!... (hide spoiler)]

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Chapter 9 (view spoiler)[ “Well.” He cleared his throat. “If you long for something impossible, it takes the sting out of failure. Too often, regrets
spring from the things one could have done but didn’t, and the chance that those actions might have led to success. It is the weight of personal fault that causes the pain, the feeling that but for being remiss in some way, you might have achieved your goal. If there is absolutely nothing else one could have done…it was simply not meant to be.” He lifted one hand. “Have I managed to be sensible in any way?”
“When you want something, do everything in your power to achieve it. Leave no room for regret. And if you still fail in your objective, console yourself that it must surely not be your own fault, and you shall find a better opportunity.”

I loved Anthony thoughts on a problem (hide spoiler)]

[Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "Chapter 9 “Well.” He cleared his throat. “If you long for something impossible, it takes the sting out of failure. Too often, regrets
spring from the things one could have done but didn’t, and the..."

The quote you cited is one I have highlighted and I think I shared last time I read. Anthony has some true gems.

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Joanna... I seldom look in HR novels for words to use in real life but I thought this was truly moving. Also when he speaks to Percy. They are really lovely.

[Padma]

Am loving it. Reading chapter 4

[Padma]

Petra wrote: "End of chapter 3 and my heart is all in for Anthony. This is exciting."

Yes. Completely agree

[Padma]

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "I think some of the things that occurred in Celia life also had to do with her age. Wasn't she 17 or 18 when she married?"

Felt sad for her. Poor thing

[Milly Jane]

I just finished reading this book and loved it. It made me want to read the rest of the series.
(view spoiler)[
I thought the scene where Celia and Anthony become aware of each other as adults on the terrace after he rescues her from her overly ardent admirer was really well done. Love the way he thinks of her and the scent of lemons. Yet it is very clear she thinks of him only with a mild affection from their childhood at that stage.
Very sad for Anthony when he discovers he is a day late in his offer for her. It does leave you wondering what might have happened if he had not been too late, but Celia is so very young and naive, it might not have been the best for either of them.
When they finally meet up again years later, though she is initially sad, she is more mature and better equipped to deal with his personality and insecurities. She becomes amazingly introspective and analytical as the book progresses and she tries hard to understand everyone and their motives, including Bertie.
I haven't read the first two in the series but the author left me wanting to know both Marcus and David's stories with the way she expertly weaves in their back stories too.
The last chapters were quite surprising in that every time you thought the story was drawing to its conclusion, something else happened. Ned's behaviour was a surprise, I was angry that the horse was shot, though since it turned out to be a minor injury I was able to read past it.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading the first two in the series.
(hide spoiler)]

[Padma]

Milly wrote: "I just finished reading this book and loved it. It made me want to read the rest of the series.

I thought the scene where Celia and Anthony become aware of each other as adults on the terrace afte..."

Have read the first book in the series. Was a good one

[Merry in and out for the next few days]

Milly and Padma I agree I also plan to read the rest of the books. What I enjoyed a lot was the use of the journal to tell of time passage. To many books have the courtships done in 2 weeks and insta lust and love. It is the current trend.

[Milly Jane]

Glad you enjoyed the first one Padma, I'l be downloading the first two soon. It will be fun to read the love stories of the characters we met in this novel.

[Milly Jane]

Merry, I liked the use of the journal too, it was such a creative way to let us know her feelings. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I'm a picky reader and so finding a series to read is fabulous.

[Missy]

I began the book yesterday (or was it the day before yesterday?). The first three chapters surprisingly drew me in and I was excited to read more. Unfortunately, things really slowed down after chapter 4. I have little patience for slow-burn romances so I ended up skimming, but it looks like things are picking up again in chapter 11.

[Debby *BabyDee*]

Petra wrote: "Missy wrote: "I might join this BOTM. I wish my library has the audiobook. I'm finding myself less motivated to sit down and read these days. Who knows, I may find myself unable to put this book do..."

I agree Petra. I was glad to find an audio copy at my public library 🙂. Narration was nice. If I couldn't get it I would have "text to speech" to help me along.

[Padma]

Finished it. Was a great read.