Liviania’s review of The Rake of Hollowhurst Castle by Elizabeth Beacon (no author website found)
Historical romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Aug 2010
I am fond of character driven novels, especially in historicals. With many authors, like Caroline Linden, I often feel that the action plot was tacked on and that I would’ve been perfectly happy just reading about the characters. On that basis, I would think that I’d like The Rake of Hollowhurst Castle, which has nothing to distract from the romance of Roxanne Courland and Sir Charles Afforde.
Turns out The Rake of Hollowhurst Castle could really use an action plot to keep things moving.
Roxanne has been in love with Charles since she first saw him at the age of fourteen. She believed they would marry, but at seventeen he broke her heart by snubbing her to go off with a married woman. She was further hurt by reports of his rakehell reputation. Instead of marrying, she became the chatelaine of Hollowhurst. But now her older brother has decided to live in America, and thus sold his birthright to Charles. On her side, there isn’t much suspense. She’s been in love with the man for ten years. There’s no real tension as whether she’ll give into his advances.
Charles tries not to love because both his parents and grandparents had terrible relationships. Combined with his experiences in the war, he didn’t want to hurt the young girl with the ardent eyes. Now he and Roxanne’s brother David agree that it would be best for Charles to marry Roxanne, so that she has someone to care for her but can remain at Hollowhurst. However, he’s not willing to love her.
To me, there are two problems with Charles. One is that he changes his mind quickly, or does him ruminating while the story is in Roxanne’s point of view. He switches from “I have no real feelings for her” to “yes, I have noticed her for ten years” to “I am in love and have been in love.” As slowly as The Rake of Hollowhurst Castle moves, it feels like the changes in his feelings should become gradually apparent. Instead, something happens and the tone of his narration changes.
Second is that I read The Rake of Hollowhurst Castle right after Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas. This is not Elizabeth Beacon’s fault at all, but Kleypas’s hero, transformed and haunted by the war, was better done and more compelling. Due to the juxtaposition, Charles paled in my estimation.
I liked Roxanne and a number of the side characters, including Stella and Lady Samphire, Charles’s relatives who serve as chaperones. Beacon’s prose flows smoothly and I didn’t have any problems with her writing style. I just found The Rake of Hollowhurst Castle to be rather dull.
Grade: C-
Summary:
Sir Charles Afforde:
the infamous, devilish rake has purchased Hollowhurst Castle lock, stock and barrel. All that is left to possess is the castle’s determined and beautiful chatelaine.
Roxanne Courland:
her youthful, romantic dreams of Charles shattered long ago, this unconventional country miss would rather stay a spinster than enter a loveless marriage.
Only this rake’s devastatingly sensual onslaught is impossible to resist….
Read an excerpt
