Historical romance set in London at the height of the 1920s
Passion simmers from the moment wild child and dedicated Flapper Gabrielle meets staid aristocrat Sebastian. When she discovers the adventurous spirit beneath his serious demeanour, she seduces him into a last fling before he settles for a loveless marriage.
His is a life of duty and tradition, hers is a pursuit of freedom and pleasure, so this can never be more than a brief affair.
But as the Twenties roar to their conclusion, will Gabrielle survive falling in love with the one man she cannot have? And will Sebastian be able to settle for less than the woman he loves?
Excerpt
She shifted in her seat to take a harder look at him and felt an unfamiliar frisson of longing. He was not her usual type. He was too staid, too tightly wound, to interest her. Men like that held back all their lives, never living, never feeling. She wanted to feel everything. She wanted to experience every sensation, go places she’d never been. She wanted to taste life. Because only in those thrilling moments of living on the edge was she able to overcome the sense of loss that infected their generation.
He must have sensed her eyes on him, for he turned to look at her. Driving, even at this decorous speed, had altered him. His sandy hair was tousled by the wind, and his bright blue eyes were alight with excitement. He even laughed to catch her staring.
Her stomach did a flip. She imagined those eyes bright with mischief, burning with desire. It would be a thrill to be the one to put that look there, to push him over the edge and make him lose his careful control. It could be done. If just this little drive could stir his excitement, imagine what full blown arousal would do. The devil voice inside her head laughed.
Before he married and settled down, and allowed that spark to die inside him, Sebastian needed to learn to live. And she was going to show him how.
Professional Reviews
RT Book Reviews
Let's Misbehave is a romp through 1920s England that is sure to delight. Summers has crafted characters who are engaging in their depth. As Gabrielle navigates the changing world of the 1920s, she confronts the repercussions of her sexual reputation, struggles against the confines of "modern" womanhood and searches to fill the fear and sadness left by the first World War. However, Gabrielle is not the only character who makes a meaningful journey. Mourning his older brother, Sebastian also wrestles with the guilt and frustration of others' expectations. But perhaps the most intriguing character is that of Sebastian's fiancé, Lily, who explores what it means to be a proper young lady and still take advantage of the world¹s opportunities. At only 80 pages, this novella never seems rushed or forced. Instead the story conveys a depth of feeling that is not reached by many novels triple its size. Brava, Summers! Let's Misbehave is a story that will resonate with readers who recognize emotional parallels between today's world and that of the 1920s.
Gabrielle has transformed herself from a down-on-her-luck noble lady to a sexy singer in high demand at local speakeasies. Despite her modern ways, she can¹t deny the attraction of the buttoned-up Lord Sebastian. When she entices him into one last walk on the wild side a no-strings fling before he marries debutante Lily Gabrielle doesn¹t count on getting swept away by love. But with their hearts on the line, can Gabrielle and Sebastian walk away from each other for good? (The Wild Rose Press, June, dl. $3.00)
Happily Ever After Reviews
Reading and merely looking at the cover of ‘Let’s Misbehave’ brought me back to images of the jazz clubs and the flappers in the 1920s. The song ‘Let’s Misbehave’ written by Cole Porter plays a pretty substantial role in this book, in a very good way.
Rae Summers has really captured the era in London, where the story takes place. It was a time when young ladies had coming out balls and settled for happy lives, as arm candy for their very proper husbands. But Gabrielle refuses to settle for that life. She wants to experience life to the fullest and refuses to be held back by society. Instead she drinks and dances and sings and lives every moment as if it was her last. She is vivacious and full-of-life, and doesn’t care that society sees her as an outcast; a woman of ‘ill repute’.
People can identify every easily with the character of Gabrielle, no matter what era or generation you live in. There are always rebels who refuse to live by society’s rules. I loved her character because I saw her as a ‘bird that has escaped its cage so it is free to fly wherever it wants to go.
While singing in this club, she meets Sebastian when his best friend John Alistair, throws him a bachelor party. Sebastian is a dutiful son bound to follow in his father’s footsteps as a politician in Parliament, and settle down by marrying a woman of proper breeding. Born the second son, this shouldn’t have been his life. But when his older brother was killed in World War I, this life was forced upon him. He is set to marry Lilly, in a couple of weeks. He describes her as ‘a pleasant enough girl’ whom he ‘hopes to eventually love.’ Maybe Lilly will be the one to settle the quiet rebellious urges stirring in him.
I think people will also be able to understand Sebastian as someone who is unhappy with a life that ‘was chosen for him’ because of circumstances beyond his control.
Something inside Sebastian changes when he meets Gabrielle. She has the freedom that he longs for, yet feels he will never have due to family obligations. Gabrielle represents everything he wants particularly ‘freedom.’ He envies her ability to let go of her inhibitions and be reckless and experience elation and joy.
But Gabrielle has issues of her own. Her rebellion against her mother and society has left her feeling unloved and unlovable. The only person who ever understood her and loved her for ‘her’ was her father who is dead. She feels a yearning to be loved by someone who can love her as she is. She’s not about to change just for a man. As she sees it, ‘society has condemned her, approving rather the naïve virgins who waited to be auctioned off into marriage to the highest bidder. The one suitor who will tolerate her behavior is James Marsden-Lucy, a man of means similar to Sebastian. But he doesn’t stir the desire in her as only Sebastian can.
Gabrielle and Sebastian, although total opposites, are drawn to each other. She sees in him the ability to be ‘full of mischief’ and ‘burn with desire.’ She decides that before he settles down, she’s going to help him experience life. For Sebastian, it is exhilarating being with her. The more time he spends with her the more he sees the life he could have, if he was willing to give up on Lilly, disappointing his parents and society.
What starts as a simple fling, turns into something so much more. But will society keep Sebastian from the one woman he loves. Or will it lead him into in an unhappy marriage to a woman who is perfect for him due to her breeding. Or will he throw society a curveball and pursue a life with Gabrielle.
‘Let’s Misbehave’ is a wonderful book that keeps you longing for Sebastian to realize what he has found in Gabrielle and what he has gained from being with her. Is he will to settle for Lilly when he has finally found the freedom he has always longed for?
Rae Summers clearly has a hit with this wonderful book. It definitely deserves five Tea Cups!
The Romance Reviews
In the 1920s in Europe, you have jazz, dancing and booze everywhere sweeping the country into a frenzy. Gabrielle is a part of this sinful adventure and fun. As a nightclub singer, she enjoys all the freedoms the world has to offer. If only Sebastian were so lucky. He faces a life constantly trying to conform to the demands of polite society and the expected high morals of a future politician. Sebastian finds himself arranging his life's choices based on family duties and obligation, which means he certainly cannot marry for love. Gabrielle and Sebastian couldn't be any more different with their lives going in two different directions, yet a chance meeting and a brief love affair makes them question every aspect of their lives.
LET'S MISBEHAVE displays the excellence every novella should aspire to. The writing is clear, sharp, and precise with wonderful description. This includes the description and dialogue of the characters, which were a delight to read about. Especially since the hero and the heroine are such complete opposite in lifestyles and personalities. Ms Summers has a true talent of making two people who could not be more wrong for each other from outside appearances, appear absolutely perfect for each other underneath. This story will take you through a whirlwind of emotions and leave you very pleased that you read it.
The brevity was the only downfall of the novella, which really is an acceptable problem. The time period is amazing and is not commonly used, so to see this developed into a full length novel would have been a great treat. It seems this novella was enough to give you a taste of an excellent story, but not quite enough to get you fully emotionally involved with these characters. Less than one hundred pages made it difficult to accurately describe these characters falling in love, so it's really somewhat forced upon you more than anything else. You have a brief glimpse into their time together, so if the character says he or she is in love after such a short period of time, you just accept it in order to be fully mesmerized with the beauty of the tale. Just the brief flash of Ms Summer's talent in this short story was enough to let you know with certainty that should this story have another 200 pages or so, you could have felt like these characters were a part of your family.
The story may be short, but it's sexy, fun and entertaining. If you are looking for a quick read that will sweep you away into a dramatic yet amazingly sweet love story, LET'S MISBEHAVE is the story you need to read. The jazzy world Rae Summers creates will please you immensely and it is hard not to love this story about two complete opposites finding love.
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