I couldn't wait for Ciaran's story. After being jilted by his childhood sweetheart, he was so cynical about love. But yet he was always the gentleman, dancing with all the Wallflowers at balls.
And that's how he meets Lucy. He sees her swimming by herself in the ocean and thinks she is drowning. He dives in to save her. Lucy, thinking shes under attack, kicks him in the face and nearly breaks his nose.
That is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, that develops into a wonderful romance.
This story has alot going on. There is madness, kidnapping and 2 other romances going on at the same time.
Although I loved the story focusing on Lucy and Ciaran, I felt there was too many outside distractions. I also felt there were a few inaccuracies. Lucy is the daughter of an Earl. When he dies how does she inherit his country house named after the earldom. It should have been entailed. Also how could her Aunt not have known that dancing with a man 3x, all but says they are betrothed.
I gave this book 4 stars. I thank Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. For The Sake Of A Scottish Rake by Anna Bradley is the third book in her Besotted Scots series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it is an excellent series, and I enjoyed reading the first two books. Lady Lucinda Sutcliffe has lead an extremely sheltered life, her father suffered from social anxiety, and he became more and more isolated from society. With his death, she is now under the care of her aunt and uncle, and about to embark on her first season Lucinda longs to experience adventures and a trip to Brighton seems like the perfect time. Despite a rocky start where Lucinda bloodies the nose of Ciaran Ramsey when he mistakenly assumes she is drowning and attempts to rescue her, they become friends, and she turns to him when she realizes that her uncle is selling her hand in marriage to a nasty villain whose first wife died mysteriously. This is a lovely friends to lovers story with a fake engagement, a dastardly guardian and there’s only one bed. I enjoyed reading this book and do recommend it. Light to Medium Steam. Publishing Date February 18, 2020. #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #ForTheSakeOfAScottishRake #AnnaBradley #HistoricalRomance #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #kissingbooks

Anna Bradley has been a favorite of mine since I read A Wicked Way to Win an Earl. I find her books to be so much fun, and filled with romance. For the Sake of a Scottish Rake should have been a shoo-in for me. And for the first ¾ it was. But then, sadly, things fell apart.

Right off the bat, it took me a while to get invested in this story. For a large chunk of the beginning, we only see Lucy and Ciaran together, and it felt like I didn’t get to see them reflect on their relationship much. Because they always met on the mornings in the beach, it felt long and repetitive, and I wanted to see them out and about. How did they act with other people, and how often did they think of each other when they weren’t together? I did finally get that, and that’s really when I started to enjoy the story. I liked Lucy’s cousin, Eloisa. She was a voice of reason for Lucy, and it took her a while to warm up to Lucy’s escapades. As I would expect from a woman who was raised among the nobility. I also really enjoyed Ciaran’s friends, though I find the male groups in Historical Romance do tend to be more interesting simply because they’re able to carouse.

Along with Lucy and Ciaran’s story, there are two other romances that are playing out in this book, but they’re both in the background. I found them to be a bit superficial and rushed, and because it was three female friends with three male friends, it gave this story more of a fantasy (not the genre) feel that I would have enjoyed more when I was younger, I think. What really made my love for this book lessen was the end, and how it became even more modern. For one, Lucy talks about ‘her truth,’ which, in that time period, felt so silly to me. Though, if I’m being honest, it feels silly to me today, as well, as truth is absolute. But the fact is, this is a modern concept, and to see the words put right out there in an Historical was incredibly jarring. And then we have the fact that Lucy won’t marry Ciaran because, #1, she made up her mind that she never wanted to be married, and #2, he doesn’t love her. Good reasons, I guess. Except that the man her guardian has promised her to is suspected of killing his first young wife. And she and Ciaran were, according to both of them, the best of friends. If you thought you’d never get to choose your husband, but now you have the option of marrying your best friend and escaping marriage to a murdering noble, wouldn’t you take it? Well...obviously. Unless you’re in an Historical Romance that no longer cares about the restrictions of the time period.

So, in the end, For the Sake of a Scottish Rake was entertaining enough, but there were parts that dragged and made it feel too modern for my tastes. Leaving it as a middle of the road read for me. I’m not ready to give up on Anna Bradley yet, because she has written some of my very favorite books. But I’ll be going into the next book I pick up by her with some caution.

Sake of a Scottish Rake by Anna Bradley is book 3 in the Besotted Scots Series. This is the story of Lucinda Sutcliffe and Ciaran Ramsey. I have read (and Loved!) the previous books but I did feel this could be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Lucinda comes to live with her Uncle and family after her father passes. This opens her up to some adventures where she meets Ciaran. They become somewhat friends because he keeps 'saving' her when she gets into situations. So when her Uncle starts bringing a older/senior man around planning to marry her off to she ask Ciaran to pretend to court her. If she can stay single until she is 21 her money will come to her instead of being lost to her uncle and the man he has chosen,
This was a very good story line. This author is one of my favorite authors and I always know I will be getting a good read with her books.
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Lady Lucinda Sutcliffe doesn’t have a friend in the world. Orphaned by the death of her father, she is left to the guardianship of her loathsome Uncle Jarvis, and his dithering wife. Jarvis takes the family to Brighton to prepare for the London season, and Lucy seizes the unsupervised moments there to explore something of a life of her own.

Ciaran Ramsey wants to go home to Scotland. His hero instincts get in the way of that plan as it becomes increasingly clear that his new friend Lucy is in danger.

From friends to lovers, Anna Bradley’s third in the Besotted Scots, is an entertaining mix of action, charming characters, and hot romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For the Sake of a Scottish Rake by Anna Bradley
Besotted Scots #2

Quick easy to read historical romance. It was not my favorite book by this author and I am sad to say that as I have truly enjoyed other books by this author.

What I liked:
* Lucy was not predictable
* Three romances in one
* The friendships
* The thwarting of the bad guys
* That everyone had a HEA

What I didn’t like
* Lucy’s behavior was more than a bit over the top and not in keeping with the times.
*The time being rung in days and weeks and even times on the clock and spelled out repetitively
* Falling back on the gambling relative using the heroine to pay his debts...to a less than admirable holder of those debts
* The predictability
* The lack of a true backstory for the main characters
* Wondering how Uncle Jarvis became her guardian

Did I enjoy this book? Not so much
Would I read another book by this author? Maybe

Thank you to NetGgalley and Kensington-Lyrical for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars

**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**
The beginning of this book was delightful. I was so hopeful I was going to get a Rolex a la Loretta Chase. However, this train jumped the track, crashed through the brush, and hit a tree.
My issues:
1. Who is this person in charge of Lady Sutcliffe and her finds? Clearly, this aunt/uncle is not the person who inherited the title after her father died.
2. Best friends do not occur overnight. The author goes to great lengths to tell us ad nauseum what great friends these two are and yet they have met like 2 weeks ago?
3. There was little chemistry between these two. Both the f them deserved better
4. The villain gets no comeuppance. There is no payback or ruination or even humiliation.

I have read so many good historicals recently that the faults in this book seemed immense. This is my first book by this author.

I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I can tell you that I thoroughly loved this book. I am completely in love with Ciaran (sp?) and wood like to find my own Scottish rake. I have enjoyed all of the Besotted Scots books and am hooked on Anna Bradley's writing. I will be going back and reading her previous books, as well as patiently waiting for new works from her.

This was a well-written, entertaining book. Lucy is going to London for the Season, and realizes her uncle plans to marry her off to get part of her fortune. She asks her new acquaintance, Ciaran, to woo her for six weeks until her birthday when her fortune comes into her control. Ciaran doesn't want a false engagement, but he doesn't want Lucy to be married against her will either. It was lovely to read about Lucy and Ciaran developing an actual friendship and really getting to know each other. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I really liked both Lucy and Cieran. Such a great read!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was a delightful read of a girl who isn’t your conventional lady and seemed to get into a lot of mischief but was innocent about it. She becomes friends with a Scottish rake and not long after they fall in love with each other but believe the other only thinks of them as a friend. It gave this novel a different edge than in other books written during this time period. To fully capture Ciaran’s transformation, it would be beneficial for readers to read the previous two books in the series but the book could be read as a standalone. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although I did sometimes wish it would have had more of Ciaran’s siblings as I loved the sibling moments in the previous books.

Oh dear sweet Ciaran! The big love able Scot!!
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Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Kindle Unlimited: No
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This is book 3 of the Besotted Scots series and I have read them all. However, you don’t need to read the previous two books in order to enjoy this story.

Lucy is a 20 year old Lady that has been sheltered away from the world with her “mad” father. Once her father passed she was sent to live under her uncles rule. However, Lucy has been locked away to long and she wants to experience the world and doesn’t care if propriety won’t allow it. She wants to experience life, scandal or not. On her first inappropriate outing she decides to sneak out of the house to go swimming in the ocean, which isn’t appropriate for a young lady. That’s where she meets the big love able Scot, Ciaran. That first interaction had me giggling. But it won’t be their last.

Because Lucy has been sheltered she never really had any friends and Ciaran become fast friends! It was wonderful to watch them both let their friendship bloom...could there be more to them than just friendship?

This book had it all, friends to lovers, a villain you will easily hate, a strong heroine and a wonderful hero. This book like the rest of the series was fantastic and I have decided that Anna Bradley is a one-click author for me! I definitely recommend this book, and the entire series! Grab it today! You won’t be disappointed!

For the Sake of a Scottish Rake is the third book in the Besotted Scots series by Anna Bradley. A captivating story about Ciaran and Lucy who meet under peculiar circumstances and a deep friendship is forged. Lucy's Uncle has other plans for Lucy's life and her money. He doesn't care about her heart or love just her money. Ciaran keeps trying to help but nothing seems to work. For the Sake of a Scottish Rake is full of drama, humor, and lots of crazy twists and turns. Bradley writes a magical read that captures your attention and leaves you wanting more.

Lady Lucinda Sutcliffe has been isolated with her father Since just after his beloved wife dies. He wants to protect Lucy. So they live in a big manor just them and a few servants. Her Uncle Jarvis is made temporary guardian. Her twenty-first birthday is just around the corner. She had gone nowhere and done nothing and she so wanted to do it all. On one of the days of the week, she was strolling down the street, there was a huge crowd and she was curious. So she partly climbed a coach and looked over. Two men were bare to the waist and pounding on each other. She had never seen such a thing. When a brawl starts Ciaran runs and grabs her and scoops her up and runs to his carriage. Mr. Ciaran Ramsey when he went to balls, danced with the wallflowers so they didn't feel left out. When she saw him at Lady Ivey's ball she knew she had fallen in love. She never thought she would. He was her hero.
This is an enchanting story. It is well written, funny and sad. The characters, the men are protective
and the women seem to get into trouble and always being rescued. He does not even realize he can feel love. Ciaran wants to go back to Scotland because of his childhood love. Who betrayed him but also his family and they had to flee. It is easy to read and its fun watching Lucy frustrate Ciaran. I highly recommend this novel.
I received this ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is a best friends to lovers trope and very nicely done. A very sweet story with no real angst – just friends talking and listening. It showed a real relationship without the trappings of sexuality in everything that they did. I also liked the two romances taking place at the same time. I just wished there was more in the story about them. I thought their stories were very interesting. I wanted more “Scottish” from Ciaran than I got but if you want a sweet story to take you away for a few hours, this story is for you.

Enjoyed this one!
Ciaran was just *swoon* lovable. Lucinda (Lucy) led a very sheltered life and decided she wanted to do as much as possible now that she was free. I loved how Ciaran and Lucy met and continued to meet, spending time together talking and getting to know each other away from watching eyes.
I found this book humerous and sad and hopeful. I wanted so much for these two wonderful characters to end up together without all the struggles. That's what makes a story intriguing though, so there were struggles. A lecherous man who wants Lucy and a horrid uncle who will do what he wants to get her fortune.
One aspect of the story that I loved was that, even though Ciaran was willing to rescue her, Lucy was quite capable of rescuing herself.
Looking forward to more from Anna Bradley.

For the Sake of a Scottish Rake

This book has a very strong female character that is so easy to like, and cheer for, that I almost felt like I was her best friend. Lucy’s father has recently passed, and she is bound and determined to see more of the world than her father allowed her in his final years.

The male was also one I could imagine falling in love with from the moment he tried to save me from drowning. Ciaran, is a man with good moral fiber, even if his behavior makes him a rake.

The book follows the romance of a girl who unfortunately has the stigma of her father’s mental illness attached to her as she tries to navigate the London Season with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Unfortunately, her uncle is not one to look out for her interests, even though he is her guardian since she is not old enough yet to collect her inheritance. This creates the drama and tension to make the reader turn the pages to see how it will turn out. Will the uncle have her marry the man he wants, or will Lucy make it to her birthday and be able to make her own decisions.

Determined not to marry, but falling in love with a man who keeps showing up in her life, we learn more about Lucy, as well as Ciaran and his past. Again, both characters are well written, and as the end of the book gets closer, one feels like you are starting to have to say goodbye to some old and beloved friends.

I truly enjoyed this romance, because that was what this was. A romance. One that sticks with you even after you close the pages.

Lucy has come to live with her uncle, aunt and cousin after her father passes away. Her life with her father is very secluded, so when she has an opportunity to stretch her wings, she does. One of her first adventures is swimming in the early morning at Brighton. While she is a competent swimmer, Ciaran walks by and thinks she is drowning and tries to save her. He gets kicked in the nose for his troubles. Lucy later encounters Ciaran when she wanders into a bare knuckle brawl and he saves her from the unruly crowd. He then starts showing up at her morning swims where they end up talking until she must return to her lodgings. They develop a deep friendship.

When Lucy's uncle finds out about her early morning swims, he packs up the family and heads to London. He soon starts bringing around an older suitor who does not appeal to Lucy at all. She decides to ask Ciaran to act like he is courting her to chase the unwanted man away. At first he disagrees, but then changes his mind. But the more time that Lucy spends with Ciaran, has her feeling going from friendship to love. She had long ago decided to to not marry. And who ever heard of marrying your best friend??

Ciaran wants nothing more than to head back to Scotland and see if there is still a life for him to be had. He is still in love with his former fiancée and needs to know where they stand. But when Lucy needs his help, he knows that he can't abandon her. He agrees to court her to send the other guy packing, but he finds himself falling for Lucy. Is his life really back in Scotland or could he get his HEA right here in London?

I loved Lucy and Ciaran's story!! I've waited for Ciaran to get is HEA ever since his siblings got theirs and Bradley did not disappoint!! I loved Lucy!! She was so unconventional and refreshing and just what Ciaran needed to realized that his future was not back in Scotland. There were two secondary stories woven into this one. It makes me wonder if we will see their sides of the story in a future series...

4.5 Stars
Lady Lucinda Sutcliffe is finally embarking on her first season after spending years on her family's estate & she's eager to experience everything she's missed. When Lucy realizes that her uncle plans to quickly marry her off to Lord Godfrey in exchange for a slice of her fortune, she begs a favour of a new acquaintance, Ciaran Ramsey. If Lucy remains single until she turns twenty-one, she--and her money--will be out of her uncle's power. All the charming Scot needs to do is woo her for six weeks, and then jilt her.
This is the third book in the series & can easily be read on its own. I really liked both Ciaran & Lucy who became best friends whilst all the time they were falling in love & refused to believe it. He was strong & honourable, she was feisty, independent & forever getting into scrapes. They were perfect for each other, their journey to their HEA made for a highly entertaining read plus there were two other romances unfolding too. A well written book that flowed well, it drew me in from the start & left me with a smile on my face. I would have liked for he villains to have suffered far more in fact one seemed to get away scot free!
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

This was a 3-for-1 romance novel and sometimes less is more. The opening scene of Ciaran and Lucy meeting during a secluded swim was hilarious. The second meeting, that occurred during a brawl, had me thinking I was in-store for an fun adventure. Sadly, soon after that, the romance kept getting sidetracked by almost identical romances between secondary characters. I just couldn't believe that three women held the exact same feelings for three men and that those three men reciprocated those feelings in turn. At one point I was hoping to get more of the story between one of the other coup!es.
Whi!e I loved the old movie, Seven Brides for Seven Brother's, this similar trope didn't work in a romance novel. This just became too syrupy sweet and unbelievable.