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

A thrilling Regency romance

Olivia lost her standing in polite society following her divorce from the Duke of Gracechurch. The scandal left Grace with few options. Currently she is a stay out of the Ton's way companion with a young son.

She accompanies her employer Mrs. Bottomly and her three daughters to Brussels where much of the Ton has temporarily relocated from London as the war heats up in nearby Waterloo. Once the battle ends, Olivia tries to help the wounded when she finds her former husband Jack, lying unconscious wearing the enemy's uniform. Stunned that Jack would betray their country, she nurses him, but he has limited amnesia; unaware of what he or Olivia has done for the last five years; in fact he believes they remain married. She pretends to be his wife in order to learn if her ex is a traitor. As they fall back in love, someone lurks in the shadows ready to destroy both of them.

Barely a Lady is a thrilling Regency romance with an intriguing beginning as the Ton has relocated to be near the battlefield, but the galas continue even with blood flowing. In fairness some of the nobles die during the battle, others like Jack are inured and some of the ladies volunteer to help. The story line is fast-paced from the moment Olivia finds Jack and never slows down. Although amnesia is a frequently used matchmaking mechanism, Eileen Dreyer keeps her plot fresh with the underlying question of whether he is a traitor.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Disappointing

This could have been a five star novel. It certainly had a fantastic premise. It's ashame the characters had to ruin it. The heroine, Olivia, came across as whiny and wimpy. I just can't have respect for a woman who continually allows a man to mistreat and disrespect her. I was flat out disgusted with the so called hero, Jack. Throughout the novel he has lost his memories, but the few that he does have aren't even of Olivia, but of his mistress! At one point he remembers his mistress and thinks it was never this good with his Olivia. And yet, Olivia forgives him everything in a heartbeat. What kind of romance claims a hero who thinks the two truest women are his wife and his mistress? By the end of the novel, I actually hoped that Olivia would just kick him out. I cannot believe that I, of all people, didn't want Jack and Olivia to have a HEA. In many ways this novel reminds me of a very bad rip off of Judith McNaught's Something Wonderful which was just as wonderful as its title suggests. I wish I had heeded the warning of past reviewers and skipped this one. Don't make the mistake I did!

He barely remembers + She barely forgets = Unforgettable romance!

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 Jack tries to piece together his memories and figure out how he lost Olivia, Olivia must also figure out if her husband has not only betrayed his country - but also if he will continue to betray her heart.

Barely A Lady did not sizzle my heart with the same heat as Never A Gentleman (Book 2). Olivia and Jack's tug-of-hearts was of a different sort, and while it was still as treacherous as Grace and Diccan's relationship, I did not think Jack presented himself as strongly or dearly as Diccan. He started to redeem himself at the end, but I had been hoping to discover more of his history before and after divorcing Olivia. On the other hand, Olivia was positively heart-wrenching that I wanted to hug her! Poor, disheartened girl! If I had read these books in order, Barely A Lady began the series rather nicely, but my heart would still belong to Never A Gentleman.

Good but have read better.

I felt the book started strong. Very discriptive. The book did have some downfalls though. I had a hard time keeping eith it. The story kinda dragged. But ended well.

Can't finish reading...

The ratings for this book are great, but great comes few and far between. Sorry - I feel that this book lacks a 'marked plot' (way too much stuff going on, and on ...), it lacks a 'tolerable pace' (mildew is growing between the pages), and it lacks interesting/relevant 'dialog' (oh- were you talking to me? and if so, please stop.) *I'm a romance novel lover, but this one isn't a page turner. It's been shelved.

Fall in love with romance once again!

He can't remember...

Olivia Grace has every reason to despise Jack Wyndham, Earl of Gracechurch, who scandalously married and then divorced her, ruining her completely. Yet when she finds an injured Jack on a battlefield wearing the enemy's uniform, she can't resist saving him. He might have broken her heart, but an he truly be a traitor?

What she'll never forget...

When Jack awakes he is shocked to discover that he lost Olivia's love - and much of his memory. Did he really destroy their marriage? And what do his dreams of blood-soaked French uniforms and revenge mean? As the noose of danger tightens around them, Jack and Olivia must determine which is most frightening: the threat of the hangman, their own tempestuous history, or the passion that flares between them once again. (excerpt from rear cover).

Barely A Lady by Eileen Dreyer, 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 found her salvation but for how long? You would think being in such a beautiful place as Belgium would be perfect under the circumstances. A beautiful city besieged with tourist's but also on the verge of war, you would think that there is much to much going on to be noticed.

Jack Wyndham, Earl of Gracechurch has had more than his share of action. Being a Golden Boy with an ego bigger than England itself, how could he not find his way into trouble. It's not until he is found by Olivia on Belgium soil half dead and with no memory that makes things get slicey and dicey for the Earl. Can he be saved from death's grim grip? Will he ever get back the memories that got him into this place in the first place and will Olivia ever be able to forgive all the wrongs that have been done to her by this cad?

This is a delightful story with twists and turns, secrets abound and more mysteries to be solved that will never let you put the book down until devoured. I can tell you this much, expect to get very angry with Jack and his family for what they have done to Olivia. Actually, it's quite easy to be angry just for the injustices that were placed on women in the time period let alone anything else.

I received this book compliments of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review and would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. This is book one in the Drake Rakes series.

Ms Dreyer's first historical romance is a must read

Olivia was betrayed by the one person who should have believed in her and she's survived these five years by relying solely on her wits, keeping her secrets buried deep and each day hoping for the best. That was until Waterloo. While stranded in Belgium she helps the wounded from battle, only one particular fellow is all too familiar and to make matters worse, he's in the wrong uniform. Jack Wyndham the Earl of Gracechurch wakes up from the battleground only to have lost the last five years of his life where very important things have occurred that he no longer remembers, one of which is that he divorced his young wife. Put together in an uncomfortable situation it's obvious that Olivia and Jack still have feelings for each other, she because she never quite got over him, he because he can't remember. What will happen when they face the ultimate betrayal will they survive and will they do it together or alone.
Ms. Dreyer is most known for her contemporary chilling tales of suspense and that talent really shines through here in her first Historical Romance Barely a Lady. Her story line is well thought out and historically speaking pretty true and she embellishes the story with smooth and flowing dialogue that will catch the readers attention and not let it go. But don't for one moment think that this is a fluff romance novel, her descriptions of battlefield scenes and the ravages that war cause are very dark and very realistic and she carries that darkness through the novel as she lays out the plot for her readers. But the real shining stars are her wonderful characters and I mean all of them from the one liners to the hero and heroine they all play their parts well and they all play a very important part in the telling of her tale. The hero Jack and heroine Olivia are incredibly detailed characters, characters that you cry with, feel fear with, sympathize and empathize with. The romance is one of my favorites that of second chances and Ms. Dreyer pulls her audience into the drama of the read. The love scenes are physical and descriptive, but done in the best of taste.
This is a historical romance that will appeal to all types of readers, lovers of romance, lovers of history, lovers of war stories. But most of all lovers of great characters and descriptive dialogue all wrapped up by a genius storyteller. Don't miss out on a great end of summer read or any season for that matter. Kudos to you Ms. Dreyer you've definitely got a hit on your hands. Me I'm just (im) patiently waiting for the next in the series due out in Spring 2011.

A great romance novel with a little bit of everything.

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 writing was great, the main characters were well developed. The secondary characters weren't as developed but they still had their own stories and they felt like they were real people. I think my favorite character was Lady Bea, even though she doesn't play a huge role she was very interesting, to say the least. Lady Kate was also a great character. She could have come off as being a brat, but I ended up really liking her. Although it did take me a while to warm to her. Then there's Olivia and Jack. There was so much suspense there. So many questions as to what happened in their lives that have led them to where they are now.

This one really did have everything; romance, suspense, thrill, anticipation, and a great climax. It seems some of the books I've read lately have been so anti-climatic that this one really sticks out too me.

TRILLING REGENCY WITH SECRETS, BETRAYAL AND TREASON!

BARELY A LADY by Eileen Dreyer is a thrilling Regency Historical romance set in Belgium and Brussels in 1815.It is book one in the Drake's Rakes series. It is well written with depth and detail. It has betrayal, redemption, forgiveness, secrets, intrigue, treason,sweet sensuality, mistrust, friendship and romance.The hero is handsome, charming, has amnesia, and is found on the wrong side of the battlefield possibly making him a traitor. The heroine is heart broken, strong, determined to prove her ex-husband is not a traitor,not lose her heart to him again, and keep the biggest secret of all. Together with the help of friends they found the truth and the love they lost so many years ago due to betrayal and mistrust.This is a fast paced, page turning story. It will keep you on the edge of your chair to learn the true answers and all the people involved. Some of the people the hero trusted he learns are not what he thought.Some of his family would go to great lengths to keep him away from his ex wife. The heroine, finds true friends during this trial and learns to trust her heart again. The secondary characters are charming and should have their own book. They help pull the story together. This is wonderful story of true love, trust, family and friendship. This is a keeper and a must read. This book was received for review and details can be found at My Book Addiction and More and Forever an imprint of Grand Central Publishing.

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