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Jo Beverley
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Skylark (Company of Rogues) Mass Market Paperback – May 4, 2004

by Jo Beverley (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 388 ratings
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She'd risk everything to save her son. He'd risk everything for a second chance...Not a day has gone by without Stephen Ball thinking of the alluring girl who stole his heart and then married another. Now that Lady Laura Skylark needs his help, he plans to protect her son-and then seize the fiery passion that still burns between them. As Laura and Stephen embark on a daring quest, they will find themselves on a dangerous journey into their most secret and sensual desires...
Previous page
  1. Book 11 of 18
    The Company of Rogues Series
  2. Print length
    384 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Berkley
  5. Publication date
    May 4, 2004
  6. Dimensions
    4.4 x 1.03 x 6.84 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0451211839
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0451211835
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This slow-moving addition to Beverley's Company of Rogues series (St. Raven, etc.) fails to hold the reader's attention, despite its likable protagonists. Laura, "Lady Skylark" to the London elite, was a dazzling 18-year-old when she married Hal Gardeyne, the heir to the Caldfort estate. Six years later, Laura, now a widow, finds herself a virtual prisoner at Caldfort, kept there because she can't leave her son, Harry, in the hands of Hal's forbidding family. Worse, she suspects that Harry may be in danger because he's next in line to inherit Caldfort, and if something were to happen to him, his possibly malevolent uncle Jack could claim the estate. When Laura discovers a mysterious letter implying there may be a missing heir to the estate, she teams up with her old friend, Stephen Ball, and devises a plan to whisk Harry to safety and uncover the secret behind the missing heir. For much of the novel, Laura and Stephen secretly pine for each other as they share close quarters in a little seaside town, but their scruples prevent them from acting on their shared passion. The mystery, which hinges precariously on some overheard phrases and unfounded suppositions, develops just as slowly, and readers may have a tough time holding out for the denouement.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Laura Gardeyne would do anything to protect her young son, Harry, even if it meant asking Stephen Ball for help. Worried that Harry's uncle, Reverend Jack Gardeyne, is trying to do away with Harry, Laura doesn't know whom to trust with her suspicions until Stephen unexpectedly appears. Laura has never forgiven Stephen for christening her with the sobriquet "Lady Skylark," and Stephen has never forgotten how Laura laughed at his marriage proposal and married Harry's dashing father. Laura's efforts to uncover more information about the reverend's plans lead her to a letter that holds a tantalizing promise of safety for Harry, if she can only decipher its true meaning. After enlisting Stephen's help, the two travel together to Draycombe searching for answers only to find themselves exploring the possibility of a new romantic future together. A delicious air of quiet menace and subtle danger pervades RITA Award-winning Beverley's latest Regency historical, part of her Company of Rogues series, and the author's beautifully nuanced characters and gracefully witty writing help this unforgettable love story soar. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley; Reprint edition (May 4, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451211839
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0451211835
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.4 x 1.03 x 6.84 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 388 ratings

About the author

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Jo Beverley

Jo Beverley

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Jo Beverley is one of today's top authors of historical romance, and one of only twelve members of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. She sets her bestselling novels in her native England, and has a degree in English history.

Her 40 novels have won just about all the awards in romance , including 5 RITA awards, the top award in romance, and 2 career achievement awards from Romantic Times. Reviews regularly include words like masterful, thrilling, and even sublime.

She writes historical romance novels and novellas set in her native England in the middle ages, the Georgian period, and the Regency, often with mystery and adventure elements, and sometimes with a little magic. Readers have been known to argue about which of her main series is best --the Malloren series, set in the 1760s, or the Company of Rogues books, set in the Regency. The Company of Rogues series begins with An Arranged Marriage. The Malloren series begins with My Lady Notorious. Most of her novels can be enjoyed as stand-alones.

You can learn about all her books here. http://bit.ly/16e0FOe

To learn more about upcoming books. http://bit.ly/1FaLRmq

Remember to sign up for her newsletter.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
388 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyed the book
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2023
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enjoyed the book
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noagnes
4.0 out of 5 stars A unique pair among the Rogues and their ladies - and a mystery to solve
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2017
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I delayed reading this installment of the Rogues series because of the many negative reviews, but in the end, I enjoyed it. I liked the protagonists: Stephen because he is constant to the love of his youth who had refused him, and Laura because of her principles. Her love for her son (and willingness to renounce her own desires for her son's sake), her wish to be appreciated for her own sake and in spite of being a woman, her unwillingness to act on her desires because she wanted the best for Stephen. Some aspects of the story were not so well fleshed out: Laura's relationship with her own family, her sister and her former friend Stephen's sister were alluded to a lot, but they were all kept as sketchy, cardboard-like characters. Neither is Stephen's resentment solved. that the rogues keep him in the dark about their most smoky enterprises to keep his respectability - so that his career isn't harmed and also that he can be their last refuge if womething goes wrong and they are up against the law.
I also agree that it was somewhat repetitive that for most of the time they spend together they misconstrue the other's feelings entirely: they both are convinced that the other doesn't care and most definitely doesn't return the ardent desire each of them feel. it went on a little too long.
I found the intrigue of the lost heir well written, but again, the uncle was somewhat underdeveloped (how was Laura so certain that he was responsible for the fire? I would have liked more of a confrontation with him. The other two miscreants were well written and complex enough.

All in all, I thought Stephen was a unique hero, a definite advantage in a series of extremely attractive aristocratic rogue heroes. Laura's reflections on who she really was and what she really wanted from life were also interesting. I enjoyed seeing Nicholas and Eleanor from a new character's POV (I wish there was more she could have seen) and I also liked David Kerslake's reappearance, even if he did not play that much role other than background support.
2 people found this helpful
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Bennie Lowe
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2018
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Laura is a widow who was friends with Stephen Ball when they were young. Laura's on Harry is the heir to a Viscountcy, but seems his uncle wishes his son to inherit. Fearing for her son's life,she goes on an extended stay with her family. Before she leaves the home of her father- in-law, she discovers a letter that seems to indicate her husband's older brother may be alive and back in England. She and Stephen go to the town with her disguised as an elderly lady. There try to discover the truth about the letter. With several adventures, they realize their friendship of the past has been replaced by love.
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Helen Hancox
3.0 out of 5 stars Widow and Politician solve blackmail crime
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2007
Jo Beverley's Historical Romances are usually a cut above the rest with interesting characters, varied plots, more historical realism than most and well-written locations. However Skylark was rather a disappointment to me.

Skylark is one of the Company of Rogues series, a group of twelve men who formed a club at Harrow school and are slowly getting married off. Sir Stephen Ball MP, mentioned in several of the other books, is the hero of this story. "Skylark" his his nickname for Laura Gardyne, a widow with a young son, Harry. When Laura first got engaged to Hal Gardyne, Stephen tried to persuade her to marry him instead but she was betwitched by Hal and Stephen was disappointed. Now, six years on, Laura's mourning is nearing its end and Stephen has decided to court her.

However, when he arrives at Caldfort House, the home of the Gardyne family, he discovers Laura is no longer the carefree woman he remembers but is in fear for the safety of her son, heir to the Viscountcy. Her late husband's brother Jack seems to be rather more interested in the Viscountcy than he should be and Laura is afraid he will harm her son, particularly as the current Viscount is ailing. So Laura takes the opportunity to visit her family but before she leaves she finds evidence that the Viscount is being blackmailed and she and Stephen agree to try to stop it.

Much of this story involves Laura and Stephen staying at an Inn and trying to find out information about the two strange characters living there, one a mysterious Arab named Farouk who is apparently the blackmailer, another a young man who seems very ill. Laura is there in disguise but she chafes under the restrictions of looking like a spinster cousin when all Stephen's attractions are becoming more apparent to her. Do either Stephen or Laura actually know each other now, six years on from when they were friends, and can they rekindle the friendship and perhaps more.

Somehow this book lacked emotional force and interest. Laura's love for her son was well portrayed and the disappointments of her marriage to Hal but somehow Stephen and she always seemed rather remote, Stephen particularly. I suppose it's hard for modern people to find any politician a sympathetic character and Laura also had her moments of shallowness but somehow I couldn't care enough about their relationship. Jo Beverley often partly redeems her 'baddies' and in this book that also happened, it's hard to feel that anyone is genuinely evil in her world.

This book doesn't have to be read with the rest of the Rogues stories as the Rogue information isn't necessary but on its own it feels like a rather thin story without enough to recommend it for it to stay on my keeper shelf.
3 people found this helpful
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Cinderella 7
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Exciting!
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2015
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I must admit I was thoroughly baffled with this story right through to the end.

Thank you for all the intrigue, it kept me guessing. I really enjoyed this story. I was so afraid that Stephan and Laura would miss their love again. Thankfully Laura had the courage to go to Stephan and they could finally be honest with each other about how they felt, how much they loved and wanted each other.

I'm ready to read the next book, number 12. Thanks Jo, again job very well done.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A very twisty journey
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2016
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A lot of plotting and puzzles. If you really like that you will enjoy this. I found it somewhat long and distracting from the romance. The H/h spend a lot of time in their heads. Characters eventually develop and that is nicely done.
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Sandy C.
5.0 out of 5 stars The quiet dreamer Rogue.
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2014
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I love this story of Stephen Ball in the Company of Rogues series. He is the quiet Rogue - the dreamer. The one most often left out of the action and danger because the others look to him for advice and to help if they get into trouble. This is a truly enjoyable book and like the others it is a stand alone story. The other Rogue story lines and threads are interwoven with this so it helps to flesh out the other characters if you have read the books before this.
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Bill Appell
5.0 out of 5 stars Jo Beverly does it again!
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021
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Just one more wonderful Rogues adventure!
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Top reviews from other countries

j piers
4.0 out of 5 stars good history
Reviewed in Canada on November 17, 2013
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Always when reading a romance set in a particular period it is disappointing to fin fall sorts of errors but reading this book is a pleasure as well as a very good yarn
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annetta
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read by Jo Beverly.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2013
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Great story up to the usual standard of all the other Rogues books. I love this series every story is different but connects through the Rogues to each other. The combination of mystery and romance makes them all page turners. I can not wait for the next book.
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cranky history lover
4.0 out of 5 stars Not the best in the series but still good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2013
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I found the heroine difficult to like. She was a bit contradictory the downtrodden widow one moment and the avenging angel the next.Stephen also appeared a bit dim at times for a brillant politician.Add a man in a turban from Egypt (I thought turbans came from the indian sub continent ,a fez or arab head dress is more likely for Egypt) with a gay partner and this book though readable was definitely not the best in the series .
3 people found this helpful
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Katy Walters
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2013
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Jo Beverley writes an intriguing book. I thoroughly enjoyed Skylark and would recommend it to any lover of Regency Romance. Needless to say I have started collecting this talented author's work.
Highly recommended.
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S Louise
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the others
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2007
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I won't go into too much detail as the one below has done a perfect job :)

I was looking forward to reading this book as I really enjoying the whole of the series so far, and even though this book was not as good as the others, it was still a good book. The reason I gave only 3 stars is because I did enjoy reading the books before more than I did this.
I really enjoyed reading about the rogue Stephen Ball and how his character got developed from the times that we had read about him in the books before.
Laura was a very good character as well, more developed as a woman compared to the other female characters in the past books but she was easily likable.
I did enjoy the book overall. I am now reading "The Rogues Return".
2 people found this helpful
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