An Arranged Marriage

An Arranged Marriage - the first book in the “Company of Rogues” series - tells the story of the leader of this group of men, or "Company of Rogues", as they are called. Nicholas Delaney formed the “Rogues” while away at school. He formed this group to fight against the bullying that was notorious at boarding school. The Rogues were not bullies themselves, however they certainly got into their share of scrapes in their school days. They span a wide variety of backgrounds and personalities. Some were titled, some were not, some were outgoing some were shy and bookish. Nicholas is seen throughout this series of books as the obvious leader. He is intelligent, logical and the confidant of all - the keeper of secrets.

This story begins with Eleanor Chivenham being drugged by her brother who arranges her rape. The rape is carried out by Lord Stanbridge who is trying to prove he is not a homosexual. At the time Lord Stanbridge doesn’t realize that the young woman he is having sex with is a well-brought up young lady not a prostitute. When he discovers her the next day and realizes the implications of his actions, he tries to rescue Eleanor by offering marriage to his brother, who we find out is Nicholas Delaney.

Nicholas accepts Eleanor as a wife and marries her but is then immediately embroiled in uncovering a plot to liberate Napoleon - a job that has him pretending to be the lover of a vindictive French brothel owner. Nicholas and Eleanor approach their arranged marriage with a practical dignity; each having their own reasons for wanting this marriage, but both start having feelings for the other. Eleanor sees the trouble and pain beneath Nicholas’ smooth facade and Nicholas stirs Eleanor’s senses despite her attempts to keep her heart protected.

As Nicholas has more and more difficulty performing his job serving his country (which requires him to play the role of lover to the evil brothel owner) as he grows more and more attached to his wife. He calls on members of the Company of Rogues to help him both with his job as a spy and to help maintain his fragile marriage. As the tension increases the Rogues are tested but in true Regency romance fashion, love conquers in the end.

Although on first read, I didn’t really like this book. I was used to the light and easy reads of other authors. A Jo Beverley book is NOT an light and easy read! There is substance; there are difficult topics discussed. These books often are uncomfortable to read but always a rewarding read if you finish it!

I admit it....I’m a sucker for a series of romance books - especially a series of Regency Romances with the connecting theme being a group of rich and powerful men. Jo Beverley attacks some of the most unpleasant topics of the time. Many of her books explore the lack of rights of women of this time and many deal with the class differences. Most of her books have very strong heroines.

Many of Jo Beverley’s book have won one or more awards. An Arranged Marriage was a RITA Finalist, won a Reader’s Choice Award, won Romantic Times Best Regency Novel and was voted a Bookrak Bestseller. ( )

Eleanor Chivenham's good-for-nothing brother is in desperate need of cash, but even Eleanor was unprepared for his latest dastardly scheme to improve his finances. He masterminds a plot to have Eleanor drugged and raped by the (also drugged) Earl of Stainbridge. With her reputation in tatters, Eleanor is forced to agree to a hasty marriage - but Nicholas Delaney, her rapist's scapegrace brother, proves to be a kind, patient, and irresistibly charming man.

Nicholas once again finds himself bailing his brother out of one of his scrapes, despite the fact that it lands him in even more trouble. For now, Nicholas has a spirited wife to reckon with. Even as he tries to keep her in the background in order to keep his vital political mission secret, he finds himself more and more drawn to her - and repulsed by the sacrifices he must make for his country.

This book was only about average for me. Nicholas' secret mission means that the main characters spend most of the book either emotionally or physically apart and resisting being drawn together. Given the rape, I felt that Eleanor bounced back and essentially forgot the entire thing far too soon. This simply didn't ring true for me. After such a devastating experience, even a strong character like Eleanor would need someone to lean on, and I felt that her reaction to his sudden distance was unrealistic. We won't even go into the 'sex as a cure for rape' concept.

One thing is for certain - Beverley invariably takes on difficult, often uncomfortable, plotlines. Here, however, there was simply too much going on, so that it felt that both of the major characters got jilted. As usual, however, I was very intrigued by the secondary characters. Arabella Hurstman was a treat, and both Francis and Lucien de Vaux have me looking forward to their books in the Company of Rogues series. ( )

When Eleanor Chivenham is raped, her rapist tries to lovingly pawn the blame off on his brother and then arranges for them to elope together to save appearances all around. Very strange main plot and a number of sub-plots with rather disturbing themes. Not highly recommended. ( )

Synopsis: An Arranged Marriage is the first novel in Jo Beverley's "Company of Rogues" regency romance series. This story takes place in England during the period between Napoleon's abdication and the Hundred Days. The plot has some kind of convoluted beginnings but then becomes pretty straightforward about halfway through. In brief: The heroine, Eleanor, is drugged and raped by the earl of Stainbridge, one Christopher Delaney (who was also drugged at the time) - all as a part of a plot by Eleanor's good for nothing brother to win the favor of this really mean old lord named Deveril, who inexplicably wants Eleanor for himself. Meanwhile, Christopher's roguish twin brother, Nicholas Delaney, has been asked to serve his country by wooing his former mistress, Madame Bellaire, who is under suspicion of plotting to bring Napoleon back to power. A guilty Christopher, who really isn't the rapist sort, pretty much forces his brother into marrying poor Eleanor in order to do right by the girl. Now poor Nicholas, who really is quite a nice guy, has to try to juggle his new, skittish bride and his evil, traitorous mistress - all somehow without looking like a total jerk. (Don't try to work it out; I've tried and it's all way too complicated).

I didn't like this book all that much. I think part of the problem is the confusing style. There were several times when I had to re-read passages over and over to figure out what the heck was going on. It's one of Beverley's earlier works and I think part of it can be chalked up to a new writer testing her wings.

I didn't feel that there was quite enough interaction between the hero and the heroine for my taste. Due to the clandestine nature of his "mission," Nicholas is forced to maintain a cool distance between himself and his wife. This aspect of the story reminded me a LOT of The Scarlet Pimpernel. The details are different, but the basics seem similar: He loves his wife, but has to pretend indifference/stay away from her because of his secret life of espionage. That alone is probably what kept me reading. But whereas in Pimpernel, this served to really make you feel deeply for the plight of the hero and heroine, in An Arranged Marriage it becomes tiresome and frustrating for the reader. I kept wanting to yell at the characters, "Just talk to each other, for pete's sake!"

In spite of it all, I found myself liking the secondary characters in the novel immensely, particularly Francis and Lucien. So much so, in fact, that I still want to read the next book in the series. I'm hoping I'll find that in subsequent books the author will have found her stride. You can tell she's got lots of talent, and I'm not one to give up on an author just based on one less-than-stellar experience. ( )