A Rake's Vow

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 14 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Stephanie Laurens authors USA Today best-selling historical romance novels, such as Devil's Bride. Exciting and deeply sensuous, A Rake's Vow continues the Bar Cynster series.

Unlike his brothers, Vane Cynster vows to never marry. The eligible women of London have different plans for him, however. Seeking safety at Bellamy Hall, the residence of his eccentric godmother, Vane doesn't expect to meet any new unmarried women. But upon his arrival, he encounters the voluptuous Patience Debbington in the garden.

When their gazes meet for the first time, she is filled with a sensation that leaves her quivering. Thoroughly overwhelmed, Vane realizes that he has never met a woman quite like Patience Debbington. As Vane's seductions prove more and more irresistible, Patience's oath to never open herself to heartache may soon be broken.

Simon Prebble narrates this tale with the intuitive boldness and sensitivity of a true master.

Savor another Cynster novel.

©1998 Savdek Management Proprietory Ltd. (P)2001 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews

"Stephanie Laurens brings a thorough command of Regency style, as well as graphic, uninhibited love scenes....Laurens is especially skillful at capturing Regency males, aristocrats whose refined restraint barely masks their powerful underlying urges." (Amazon.com review)

Good romance

Great continuation of the Cynster series. Sexy & gracious men, a bit of mystery, and fun characters. Of course the narrorator did a great job, as with all Cynster novels. Worth a credit.

5 people found this helpful

typical Laurens fair

A hot story of the Bar Cynster. Should be listened to after the 1)Promise in a Kiss 2)Devil's Bride, and the Secret Love. Simon Prebble gives a strong performance.

10 people found this helpful

You can skip this one in the series

Would you consider the audio edition of A Rake's Vow to be better than the print version?

I did not read the printed book

Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, too long to hold interest

Any additional comments?

Did not enjoy this one as much as the others in the series. Characters were good, but the the story line was very lacking.

4 people found this helpful

I will take a rake anytime

Vane was perhaps my favorite character so far in this series. It is hilarious that he leaves London trying to get away from temptation only to become trapped immediately. If he had stayed in London he would not have met with fate. I like the message of fate. I like the humor in the story and the Aunt is a great character. I also like the development of the characters, especially the male characters. Often the story is told from the female characters point of view, but I love knowing how the man feels. I also like knowing that there is no doubt about where this relationship will end.....in marriage. Wish real life were that way!

14 people found this helpful

Enjoyable

While there were a few too many love scenes and parts were a little boring, the end was good and I liked the twist in the story.

1 person found this helpful

Thanks be that Simon is the narrator!

Originally published in 1998 as part of the Cynster series, but since it is set some time after the cousins served at Waterloo, and only one of them is titled, but all are filthy rich, it makes no difference.
The Cynster men are all accomplished skirt chasers, elegant, well mannered, and well dressed, and are known by their nicknames rather than their given names.
This one runs away after Devil's wedding, but winds up at the home of a favorite relative. There he meets the antagonistic woman who will become his undoing. She has an artistic younger brother, and they and the other houseguests become embroiled in a suspenseful hunt for a reckless thief. And the plot thickens.
Don't think too hard about it all, just enjoy.

1 person found this helpful

Not as good as the first book

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I was a bit disapointed because I loved the first book Devil

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I don

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Now the narator was good

Do you think A Rake's Vow needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

NO !!! but I will continue to read about the Cynster

Any additional comments?

I wished I had saved my money on this book ( again I loved Devils Bride )

1 person found this helpful

If you are looking for slow, this is it.

I am four hours into this novel and I must say it has been excruciating. I can't go on listening.....no really! I can't.
(I think the dedicated passages to her needle work were my undoing.)

I will try this again someday when I am bound and gagged or something. NEXT!

3 people found this helpful

Fool me twice . . .

Would you try another book from Stephanie Laurens and/or Simon Prebble?

. . . shame on me. Why I thought a second go 'round with a Stephanie Laurens book would be any better than the first, I will never know. No story, overacting on the part of Mr. Prebble (who is my favorite audible performer) and the height of predictability make for a terrible listening experience. Clearly, this isn't my genre. Lesson learned.

Has A Rake's Vow turned you off from other books in this genre?

Yes.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Simon Prebble?

Absolutely.

What character would you cut from A Rake's Vow?

Patience - take her, please!

4 people found this helpful

Not her best work!

Before listening to this book, I deeply enjoyed all Stephanie Laurens’ books I’ve read. This one was a disappointment due to shallow leading man, shallow leading woman, and shallow plot and over the top theatrics on the part of the narrator. Try her “The Lady Chosen” instead.

2 people found this helpful

Utterly terrible / ridiculous sex scenes

The story line is even more obvious than usual, with historical inaccuracies and simply unbelievable events abounding:
leaving the hero and heroine alone in a room with closed door? not enquiring about their whereabouts when they are trapped for hours alone in a hay barn during a heavy thunderstorm? not having tons of hay in their clothes and hair after hours of sex in the hay barn? The heroine conveniently never wearing a corset?

But the worst are the ridiculous sex scenes. The hero’s face always hardens, his eyes –a steely grey – are glittering dangerously, and he prowls like a predator (truly!), continually lifting the heroine’s face up ... Then, his hard fingers usually massage (ouch!) the heroine’s breasts, which are each time swelling (!) due to this treatment, and this several times in a row, so by the end
cow’s udders probably can’t compare.

The narrator is magnifently matched to this stupid story, his gruff tones and hyper-excited reading of the sex scenes a painful unmasking.

My English simply isn’t up to describing just how bad this book really us. Anyone with a functioning brain: stay well away.

This is the first book I am returning, having about 100 in my library. Totally isleading reviews.

Great Listen

Read the first book in the series which was excellent. Listened to this, the second book, and it was great. Loved the narrator and all the different characters. The Bar Cynster comprises of a group of alpha male arrogant gentlemen who are related. These stories are about them and the ladies they meet in their life along with murders, thefts and mystery. This story had sexual tension, humour and an abundance of male testosterone. Enjoy.

Another great book, excellently narrated.

Where does A Rake's Vow rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I love the Cynster books and this audio version is up with the rest of Stephanie Lauren's books read by Simon Prebble.

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

He is brilliant at voices, be it a young lady, a frostly old colonel, a servant or whatever. Simon Prebble can make you believe there has to be more than one person speaking for the characters.

Any additional comments?

Simon Prebble's narrations are definitely the most enjoyable. It's a shame he didn't narrate all of Stephanie Lauren's books.