The Rake to Rescue Her

By Julia Justiss

He's never forgotten her. But can he forgive her? 

When Alastair Ransleigh sees Diana, Duchess of Graveston, for the first time since she jilted him, he makes her a shockingly insulting offer the chance to become his mistress. And even more shockingly, she accepts! 

But the widowed duchess is nothing like the bold, passionate girl Alastair once loved. Years of suffering at the hands of a cruel husband have taken their toll. And as Alastair resolves to save Diana from the damage of the past, their chance meeting turns feelings of revenge to thoughts of rescue  

Ransleigh Rogues 

Where these notorious rakes go, scandal always follows

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Historical
• Release date: Mar 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9781460378588

Julia Justiss

Long before embarking on romantic adventures of her own, Julia Justiss read about them, transporting herself to such favourite venues as ancient Egypt, World War II submarine patrols, the Old South and, of course, Regency England. Soon she was keeping notebooks for jotting down story ideas. When not writing or traveling, she enjoys watching movies, reading and puttering about in the garden trying to kill off more weeds than flowers.

Reviews for The Rake to Rescue Her

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Rake to Reveal Her by Julia Justiss is a 2015 Harlequin Historical publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.Once more Julia Justiss writes a historical romance with depth, feeling, and an inspiring story that will leave you feeling happy and uplifted. War is just an awful thing, no matter what era of time or what the circumstances. The survivors suffer the aftermath in a number of ways. For Theo is was the heartbreak of losing her fiance, then the death of her father. For Dom it was coming back disfigured and without one of his arms. He was unable to enjoy his horses any longer, and all the activities he had once taken pleasure in no longer held any joy for him. So, he has retired to the country to recuperate and spend a little time alone. But, a chance meeting with the unconventional Theo opens up a new world for Dom, but Theo also opens up his mind and his heart to this refreshing young lady and her work in caring for the orphans of soldiers. But, Theo has a secret, a secret so explosive it could undermine all her work, change Dom's opinion of her, and could result in the loss of a very special young man in life. Will Theo's secret be revealed? Will Dom turn his back on her? Or will he come to her rescue? I love regency period romance that steps away from the marriage mart, balls, earls, dukes and all the rules of society. In this case we have Theo, a woman who has seen much and lost much, but who has a big heart, a straightforward and plain spoken manner, who has made a choice in taking in an orphaned child as her own that very could prevent her from marrying, since most men wouldn't consider to marriage to a woman with an orphaned child in tow. The effect Theo has on Dom is incredible. She draws him out and gives him a new, loftier purpose in life. Dom also has a profound effect on Theo who is having a hard time giving her heart to someone again after her fiance's death. This is a tender romance, featuring characters with charm, humor, and fortitude. These days I can't find too many regency era novels that employ this type of depth, and as always I thank any author who will adhere to the social and moral laws that were in place in this era, while giving her characters a more progressive thought process. The story is not overly angsty, but still builds tension and is proves true romance is not just about the physical display of affection. These characters show how the real power of love can have such a positive effect on each other and how that love spreads out to others who need love and support. I really enjoyed this novel and recommend it to lovers of regency romance, but also to anyone who enjoys a wonderful feel good story. 4.5 rounded to 5

[louisacornell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have long been a fan of Julia Justiss' work. In my opinion, The Courtesan and The Untamed Heiress are two of the best historical romances ever written. They are both definitely on my "desert island keeper" shelf. When an author writes some of the best historical romances in the business, it is difficult to imagine how she might top herself. With the Ransleigh Rogues series, Ms. Justiss has done just that.The Rake to Ruin Her and The Rake to Redeem Her are both gems - Julia Justiss at her best and better. The Rake to Rescue Her, however, is one of those once in a lifetime romances. Alastair Ransleigh suffered the ultimate humiliation and betrayal at the hands of Diana, now the Duchess of Gaveston. Eight years ago his poet's heart was broken and replaced by that of a reckless soldier and a battle-hardened rake. When he encounters his former love he seeks revenge with a humiliating offer of his own and is stunned when she accepts.Eight years ago, Diana – now the Dowager Duchess of Gaveston – sold herself in marriage to secure the lives of the two men she loved most – her father and Alastair Ransleigh. To survive her husband's cruelty she has stripped away pieces of her very soul, until even the most precious piece of all is sacrificed to make her impervious to any source of pain and therefore any source of love or joy. Even the acceptance of Alastair's insulting offer fails to move her. She sees herself as broken and begins to believe she will never be whole again.That is all I am going to tell you about the story. The story speaks for itself and I want people to experience it for themselves. I will tell you what The Rake to Rescue Her left with me. In Alastair we find a man ready to wreak a thoughtless, cruel vengeance on the woman who nearly destroyed him. He sees himself as the man jaded enough to do it. But when he sees what Diana has become, the man he once was slowly returns and all he wants to do is restore to her those things which made her the glorious creature he once loved.There are portions of this book it hurt to read – so very real and painful and so very beautiful. The characters step onto the page and immediately draw you into what you know is a complicated and searing love story. A woman who has stripped herself of every joy and every love is lost unless those joys and loves were left in the safe-keeping of a man determined to give those things back to her. And if that man does so with no expectations in return and sets that glorious creature free to make her own decisions about life and love out of the darkness – he is the one thing every woman dreams of - a hero. Thank you, Ms. Justiss, for a truly magnificent love story.

[susanbeamon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The dark side of living at a time when a woman had little power is described well in this romance. Most regency romances I have read are light pieces, concerned with manner and titles and the Season (otherwise called the marriage mart). Here we see the darker side of all that. But it is a romance, so the hero must prevail and the heroine will be rescued. How that happens makes a very good story.

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good book. Will has gone to Vienna to find the woman behind his cousin's scandal (The Rake to Ruin Her). He is determined to take her back to England to face what she has done. When he tracks her down she is not at all what he expected to find. Instead of a hardened seductress living it up she appears to be a virtual prisoner in a couple of rooms. When he tells her what happened to Max because of her actions she agrees to go to England with him as long as they stop in Paris first. Over the several weeks it takes them to make the trip he is impressed by her ability to maintain the deceptions they use and her cleverness in assisting him in finding solutions to problems they encounter along the way. He does not expect to be attracted to her and is not pleased with it. As they journey he begins to learn more about her and why she participated in the plot. Soon he is torn between wanting to clear Max's name and keeping Elodie safe and with him. I really enjoyed seeing Will do all his disguises and strategies. Hearing about his start in life and the debt he felt he owed Max went a long way in showing the kind of man he was. In spite of his initial anger with her Will soon began to respect her abilities and enjoy her company. The attraction between them also grew and became explosive when they finally gave in to it. This only added to the feelings that Will was developing for her. I loved his kindness and care of her when they left Paris. By the time they got to England he knew that he didn't want to turn her over to the authorities. I loved his long discussion with Max and the decisions he made afterward. Elodie was a terrific heroine. In the first book she was definitely made out to be one of the bad guys and not a sympathetic character at all. From the beginning of this one she is obviously a victim of circumstances and someone to root for. I loved the way that she handled her first meeting with Will and the way she stood up for herself. She made sure that he knew she would only cooperate if he consented to help her also. She had an amazing mind and was a perfect fit for Will with the way that her experiences matched his. She also didn't expect the attraction between them and wasn't sure what to do about it. As they proceeded on their journey to Paris she was very good at protecting her secrets until she was reasonably sure that she could trust him. Even then she didn't tell him everything but did share information on her childhood that showed him why she was so good at keeping pace with him and his machinations. Upon their arrival in Paris and her attempt to get away from him her final secret came out. Her heartbreak there was so hard to see but her strength in doing was she felt was right was wonderful. She also began to realize that what she felt for Will was more than just attraction but knew there was no future in it. I loved her confusion on seeing Max again and the way that he and Caro treated her. She didn't know what to make of it and found she was allowing herself to think she might have a future after all. I loved the ending and the way that Will worked to make her dreams come true.Both Elodie and Will had overcome many obstacles to become the people they were now. It was wonderful to see how those obstacles created a bond between them that made them two halves of a whole. I am really looking forward to the next two books and wish that it wasn't so long until they are available.