Set in a Regency London household, this "witty, charming, touching" novel is "highly recommended"(Library Journal).
In London's Mayfair, the house at 67 Clarges Street is often rented out for the social season, and the latest master is a single gentleman, the handsome, rich, and notorious rake Lord Guy Carlton. After years of fighting in the wars against Napoleon, the dashing lord is determined to kick up his heels with wine, women, and song, undeterred by anyone's appalled reaction.
Never before have the Clarges Street servants earned so much money or eaten so wellâ??but their pleasure-loving master seems liable to die of dissipation. In desperation, the staff, led by the witty and resourceful butler, Rainbird, sets out to find a good woman who can calm the lord's boisterous spirit and save his black soul. Their search ends with the discovery of Miss Esther Jones of Berkeley Square, a prim and righteous woman who seems the perfect reformer. But complications lie ahead and chaos reigns both above and below stairs, as no one, not even Miss Jones herself, is prepared for the transformation that ultimately takes place. . . .
Originally published under the name Marion Chesney, this delightful tale of romance and scheming comes from a New York Timesâ??bestselling author who "adroitly manipulates the floating upstairs population that keeps the downstairs on its toes" (Publishers Weekly)… (plus d'informations)
While I found the climax straining my suspension of disbelief, I enjoyed the book. There's some progress on the Lizzie and Joseph front. Rainbird meets the lady he loved and lost again. Luckily for the beautiful and wealthy Miss Esther Jones, whose outlook on life has been soured by her late father, Lord Guy Carlton isn't a hardened. I didn't expect the outcome of the subplot about Carlton's servant, Manuel. We learn a something about how young country misses in the clutches of a brothel keeper are sold the first time. I thought Ms. Chesney's scenes involving a mob demonstration over the House of Commons' treatment of Sir Francis Burdett, Member of Parliament, were just part of the story, but that really happened in 1810. Each chapter begins with an appropriate quotation, most of them in verse. It's light fun to while away the time. ( )
"Rake's Progress" is the fourth book in Marion Chesney's "A House for the Season" series. As Rainbird and the staff await the latest tenant of 67 Clarges Street, they have no inkling of what is in store for them. The latest tenant is Lord Guy Carlton, home from the war in France and determined to drown his memories in wine and women. While in a highly inebriated state he manages to insult Miss Esther Jones, a quite prim and proper heiress.
Can a rake reform, driven by the realization he is in love with a lady of innocence?
I thought this installment in the series was weaker than the preceding three, but it still was an enjoyable read. ( )
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais.Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
For Ita Ali, Maria Browne, and Jane Wibberly.
Premiers mots
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais.Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
Reputed to be haunted, damned as unlucky, a tall thin town house at Number 67, Clarges Street in London's Mayfair, nonetheless, on that spring day of 1810, looked as if the curse had been lifted and the tide of ill fortune had turned.
Citations
Derniers mots
Informations provenant du Partage des connaissances anglais.Modifiez pour passer à votre langue.
Feeling cheerful again, Rainbird went back downstairs to join the party.
Set in a Regency London household, this "witty, charming, touching" novel is "highly recommended"(Library Journal).
In London's Mayfair, the house at 67 Clarges Street is often rented out for the social season, and the latest master is a single gentleman, the handsome, rich, and notorious rake Lord Guy Carlton. After years of fighting in the wars against Napoleon, the dashing lord is determined to kick up his heels with wine, women, and song, undeterred by anyone's appalled reaction.
Never before have the Clarges Street servants earned so much money or eaten so wellâ??but their pleasure-loving master seems liable to die of dissipation. In desperation, the staff, led by the witty and resourceful butler, Rainbird, sets out to find a good woman who can calm the lord's boisterous spirit and save his black soul. Their search ends with the discovery of Miss Esther Jones of Berkeley Square, a prim and righteous woman who seems the perfect reformer. But complications lie ahead and chaos reigns both above and below stairs, as no one, not even Miss Jones herself, is prepared for the transformation that ultimately takes place. . . .
Originally published under the name Marion Chesney, this delightful tale of romance and scheming comes from a New York Timesâ??bestselling author who "adroitly manipulates the floating upstairs population that keeps the downstairs on its toes" (Publishers Weekly)
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