Redeeming the Rake

By Lorri Dudley

Description:

As a vicar's daughter, Emily Thompson has always put her family's reputation first, even when it meant setting aside her aspirations of joining the Royal Art Academy. But when a notorious London rake is accosted in her sleepy Cotswold village and her quick thinking saves the libertine's blackened soul, that reputation she's so carefully guarded is left vulnerable to vicious gossip.

Agent Lord Jacob Edward Warren's silver tongue can't save him when he's staring down the barrel of a vengeful husband's gun. But an enchanting damsel's skill with a bow and arrow offers him the hope of tomorrow. Intrigued by Miss Thompson's quiet charm, he commissions the budding artist to paint his portrait, but his intentions change when he discovers this beguiling beauty holds not only his chance at redemption but also the intelligence he's been assigned to gather.

The time spent in Lord Warren's company has Emily wondering if he's hiding more than charm and wit behind his reputation as a rake. But when she's drawn into Jacob's cause, the web of danger proves more perilous than either of them are prepared to face.

Book Takeaway:

Our past doesn't have to define us.

Why the author wrote this book:

This is the third installment of the Agents of Espionage series, but can be read as a stand alone. The inspiration for Redeeming the Rake came while I was pushing my kids on the swings and started daydreaming about a hero being held at gun point and the heroine stumbling upon them and saving his life. The plot simmered in my brain until I came across the legend of the Wicked Lady and the folklore of the first highwaywoman robber, Lady Katherine Ferrers. The intrigue of the spy plot blended with the complex characters of a rake seeking to redeem his past mistakes and a vicar's daughter struggling to compensate for her lineage.