Review: A Rake's Vow by Stephanie Laurens

Ok. I'll just say this up front- I really dislike the heroine- Patience (jeez, what a Puritan name). She has no problems judging other people upon first sight & with no prior acquaintance. She also has no difficulties with acting like a complete bitch to her aunt's guest, pretty much without cause. She's insecure & jealous. For the love of God, I simply don't see what Vane Cynster loved in her beyond her beeyootiful ass & luscious tits.

Seriously though. Spencer Cynster, nicknamed Vane by his cousin Sylvester (aka 'Devil'), stops off at his aunt Minnie's house to avoid a driving rainstorm. This is supposed to be immediately after Devil & Honoria's church service celebrating the new roof the Bar Cynster paid for. While at Aunt Minnie's Vane is asked to stay a while (as they say in the South) & figure out who has been stealing small items from members of the household. There's also the small matter of the mysterious Spectre haunting the premisis.

Meanwhile Vane seduces Patience & falls in love with her, asking her to marry him. She refuses, based on her extensive knowledge of men (NOT) & the behavior of her long dead father. You know- instead of basing her decision on how Vane treats her, how the other men in his family treat their wives &, too, the fact that love based marriages were unknown & unwanted at that time. A woman of her station simply would not have expected it or thought it necessary. SO Patience spends the last half of the book deliberately leading Vane on, hurting him & playing stupid childish games because she's too immature to either cut him loose or be up front & honest with him. And, pussy whipped wimp that he is, Vane accepts it all & wheedles her into marrying him.

Just so you know- I had to finish this because I liked the cat, named 'Myst' like the computer game. Also I wanted to know how the mysteries were solved. Vane Cynster seriously deserved a better heroine than Patience.