The Last Days of a Rake by Donna Lea Simpson

Can a rake be true to himself, yet remain free from sin?




Edgar Lankin has lived the life of rake, a man who cares for nothing but the pleasures of the flesh. But it is the seduction—and abandonment—of a gentle maiden that turns him from mere gadabout to immoral cad. Too late, Lankin realizes his self-centered ways have left him incapable of finding enjoyment in anything. Now on his deathbed, he relates the shocking tale of his wasted life to John Hamilton, a school chum who chose a different path.


In telling his story, can Lankin find redemption for the trail of ruined lives he leaves behind?


Companion piece to Love & Scandal by Donna Lea Simpson

My take:   We find Edgar Lankin on his deathbed. A man  in his 40's who has lived a life caring really about no one but himself. He has always lived a life of self indulgence and self deception always finding a way to blame others for the things he did whenever he had an ounce of regret for the people he had hurt.
Sitting with him at his bedside is his one lifelong friend John Hamilton who took a totally different path than Edgar choosing to study and follow God.
Edgar decides to confess to his friend John some of the hurts that he has caused others. He tells how in 1811 right out of Oxford University he meets a young woman, Susan Bailey, whom he seduces and then abandons. He even went so far as to place wagers with his buddies that he could accomplish such a feat. So each yr after he would make a wager with his friends called the Susan wager and he would pick a young girl to seduce never caring how he hurt her reputation.
He never alters his path in life until he realizes he is dying, then he does as many good deeds as he can for others trying to make amends for the lives he has ruined.
Will Edgar find the forgiveness he longs for in the last days of his life, or will the hurts that he has caused follow him till his dying day?
Even though this  is a companion piece to a story called Love & Scandal it can be read as a stand alone piece.
On a side note this book is only available in e-book form. It can be downloaded for free over at booksonboard.com
Thanks to Carina Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read this e-book.