I wanted to like this one, but sadly it wasn’t for me. This is not a hero I could get behind. He was really quite reprehensible and I got a definite Happily ever after for nice vibe. Poor Letitia will find herself in a typical lofty marriage with a straying husband I’m sure of it!

He treats her terribly and while she sort of stands up for herself (ish), he is forgiven way too soon, and it’s honestly just awkward.

The wallflower/rake trope is one I tend to like, as is the redeemed rake, but I didn’t find him all that redeemed!

I do feel like some people will enjoy this one, just not me.

Sorry, I’m not here for sexually assaulting (or at the very least, lying, misleading, f*ckboy) heroes, or weak willed and spineless heroines. This was a giant no for me.

I used this book as a palate cleanser and it worked nicely for that. It’s quick, and doesn’t deal with any particularly heavy emotions or drama. Letitia has a crush on Wynn, just an interest really, and it’s believable that it could turn to love quickly if he showed interest, in fact it is the kind of plot I really like, but it was insta-love on his part. He knows he can’t dally with a well bred innocent, so his decision to court her seems above board, but then he never actually publicly courts her, which is the part of that plot I really like. Instead, he sneaks in her house and they have sex and he seems surprised that she thought that meant something. I just really didn’t understand his character at all, but the story is short and quick so I didn’t linger on it and that’s fine.
A bit of oddness about her dad that maybe I would have understood from previous books, Letitia is scolded like a child and has no freedoms, but then narration tells us her dad is actually a real softie. Which is it? I’m glad he seems to have his child’s best interest at heart but that doesn’t make him a softie. He still treats her like a kid. The couples from previous books show up a bit, but in exactly the right way. I bet it’s nice to see them again but I wasn’t stuck with characters I didn’t know for pages upon pages. (I have the book right before this, but I’m a sucker for wallflowers so I wanted to read this one.)

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Letitia is a renowned wallflower from a well known, powerful family. She is painfully shy and seen as apparently plain to most suitors. She has her eye on Edward who is a well known rake. The two are complete opposites and in my honest opinion not well matched since she is too forgiving of his bad behavior and he is too egotistical to make a reliable suitor. Unfortunately I do not have much patience with heroines that lack a backbone it makes the power dynamics unfair and disturbing to read.

I like Emily E. K. Murdoch's style of writing. You can jump right into the story and feel like you know the characters. I liked both main characters, Edward and Letticia. However, I found some of Edward's behavior to be inexcusable and thought Letty let him off the hook to easily.

Letitia Cavendish is a very shy Wallflower, who lacks confidence. Edward Wynn is a handsome Rake, and there is instant chemistry between the two, even when Letitia leaves Edward standing alone on the dance floor.
I loved the story it was very entertaining as the characters were so engaging. Even though they sometimes bring out the best and the worst in each other.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I enjoyed this romance story of Lady Letitia Cavendish and Edward Wynn, Viscount Stulsemere.

Lady Letitia Cavendish is a wallflower. She a very shy and goes unnoticed at parties. She has a crush on her best friend's brother and wish that one day she would be able to dance with him. Well she gets her chance her cousin introduce her to him and he asked her to dance.

Edward Wynn, Viscount Stulsemere is a terrible rake and is very proud of it. Plus he is very handsome. When he is introduced to Lady Letitia Cavendish he can't figure out why she will not respond to his charms. But while dance and talking to her he inadvertently insults her and she walks off the dance floor. This is weird for him there is a girl that doesn't want him. So he decide to pursue her.

But while pursuing her things get interesting for him and her. This book had twist and turn that had me guessing what the author might do next.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

Letitia is a wallflower and doesn't like to make a fuss about anything. Until she meets Edward. Sparks fly. This book had me hooked from the beginning. I am a sucker for a wallflower that decides she's not such a wallflower.

Thank you Dragonblade Publishing and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

While I did enjoy the book, I felt that Edward and Letitia become a couple too quickly, maybe its the due to the fact that I did not read the previous 4 books in this series, but I could not understand how a shy wallflower could initiate a kiss with a known rake.

Even though Letitia is a mousy wallflower, with Edward she comes so comfortable, she can be honest and at times out spoken. which is something I would have like to see developed a little more (maybe it was in the books before that, but I'm not sure)

Edward is an unrepentant rake and is quite surprised by Letitia's outburst, and becomes determined to know more about the mousy little wallflower. I think Edward could have begged a little more, because Letitia forgave him way too easily and too quickly for what he did.

I am sure that to a lot of people it was a GREAT story, to me it just didn't live up to the potential. It could have been so much better if we'd seen real character development from Letitia, and Edward.

This was a new author for me, and a newish trope (wallflower meets rake). It is also book 5 in its series, so there were many characters that might have been familiar to the series reader, but were a bit overwhelming for a new reader. The main characters here felt a bit uneven--Letitia is defined more by what she doesn't do and doesn't like (study, dancing, crowds, flashy clothes) than what she does. It seems at first that the suggestion is that her parents are abusive, but then they end up being rather kind, just strict and elitist about their family heritage. Edward gets more of a backstory as to why he's a rake, but he has no boundaries or self-control in the present. I still don't understand why his adopted sister a) was ever adopted; b) ended up with the Cavendishes; c) ended up back with the Wynns; or d) suddenly wants him to be with her best friend. I also don't know why Letitia forgives him. Maybe a future book will answer the Mariah questions at least?

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

The Rake and the Wallflower

Edward is a rogue, and dare I say, a cad? Letitia was an unexpected surprise for him, but all he knows is seduction games. Can the wallflower reform the rake, or will he take her heart and leave it in tatters? If you like historical romance, and if you enjoy stories about rakes and rapscallions on their way to redemption, you might like this steamy Regency romance.

Lady Letitia Cavendish is as shy as they come. Always hiding behind a plant or backed into the wall at any society function. Never would she dance, just talk with her best friend. She is from a wonderful family, but she does not want to put herself forward, afraid she would do something wrong. Edward Wynn, a handsome rake, has been partnered with her for a dance and discovers that she is the most boring lady. So, he resigns himself to twenty minutes of silence. Letitia decides she does not want to put up with him and storms off leaving him alone on the dance floor. That is on heard of to leave the Viscount of Stulsemere alone in the middle of a dance. What wonderful characters, situations, and a brilliant conquest to be made or maybe not.

Full of semi spoilers - I'll do basic review before spoilers for you all

Where to begin: there is a small sex scene but not enough to gasp and turn and stop a book ( not that I mind I love a good sex seen or more)

Personal review: overall a quick read , two very different people come together and find love. You have a wallflower and than a rake. I found alot of it to be different from what I'm used to reading , aka talk of rank and being a viscount being low on the totem pole , where as most books don't even mention that . The books seems to sometimes quit chapters abruptly and move on to days later which is fine just you've got to fill in the blanks at times. The Female lead is made out to be strong but at the same time not strong. And at times the Main guy was made out to seem like the rake and than the shy guy . It was confusing a bit. This was my first book out of the series and for the author . But the characters all pieced together we'll. I felt like something was missing more passion for two that fall in love I think!

Let's start with introduction -
Leticia aka Letty is a wallflower , she comes from a higher ranking family but the kicker is she is just a cousin , her father doesn't seem to understand that and thinks because the last name is Cavendish that they are ... She has a stutter but only in groups or when talked directly to by a man or stranger. Her best friend is named Maria who is the adopted sister of the main make.

Edward Wynn is a rake of rakes. He sleeps around and has no intentions of marrying. He is a viscount and came from a broken family. Back in town he is set up to dance with Lettie but instantly hurts her feelings .. this is where everything goes into play.

After leaving Wynn on the dancefloor Lettie flees and hopes to never have to come in contact with him again. Determined to see her again Wynn makes sure he can run into her more than once. He becomes instantly attracted to her but more so because Lettie isn't the same as all the other girls she isn't the type to Fawn over him and he likes that.

Through out the book you get detail of rank and where someone stands and so being a viscount is apparently not high up there on the mark Edward is told that he stands no chance with Lettie by his friends. In this book he stands up for Lettie on numerous accounts even physically hits someone over rude comments made for her.

Lettie falls hard and fast giving herself up to him which makes her think he loves her and wants to marry her. At a ball Edward even though he likes Lettie wants to see if his charm still works as a rake and hits on a wealthy single woman. The flirting is in appropriate and Lettie over heard it. Being caught he chases after her, tells her he never told her he loved her or would marry her and that ends up breaking letties heart.

I will save the rest for you to read ....

Lady Letitia Cavendish, Letty, is a wallflower. She is very shy and goes unnoticed at balls and parties. Edward Wynn, Viscount Stulsemere, is a consummate rake. He never failed to charm a woman, any woman, until he met and danced with Lady Letitia Cavendish. He discovers what no one else had seen – a beautiful, feisty wallflower ready to bloom. After a little misunderstanding at their first meeting, Wynn and Letty spend time together pretty well. The chemistry between these two is hot and things are great until Wynn slips back into his rakish habits right in front of Letty. Can he possibly explain himself to Letty’s satisfaction, or is it over between them?

Letty and Wynn are wonderful characters. They tend to bring out the best and the worst in each other, and keep you wondering what they will do next. This is a lovely story – a bit of drama, some humor, and just enough steam.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

A delightful story of Lady Letitia Cavendish, a wallflower, who tried everything she could not to be noticed. But then, she was forced to dance with Edward, Viscount Wynn, whom she had admired for a long time. The only problem was he most definitely was a rake and she could not utter a word!
I was totally enchanted with this tale and I loved Leticia and Edward! Seeing him become almost mesmerized by her and how he could not believe his attraction to her!
The interaction between the two is so engaging and I could not wait to see what would happen!
Another amazing story by Emily and I could only smile and anxiously turn the pages! I adore this series!

An easy to read book but enjoyable and fun to read in one session. The main characters are interesting and colourful especially the two main ones. There was a good story. The description of the lives of the rich at that time made me realize that I would not like to have lived then. I recommend that you read this book.

This is a 3,5 book.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, this is another case of the wallflower-rake trope (a favorite if I ever had one). Two differences as it is: Letitia is terribly really insecure and falls for an actual rake that has the hots for her, seeing in her a challenge.

This had a pleasantly upward graphic. That is because I started to dislike the way the hero was acting halfway through the book and thought there was little possible salvation. I was (very happily) wrong. Instead, I was in the front roll watching Letitia conquer herself, on her path to self-worth and self-empowerment, and gives Edward the set down of the century in historical romance. Really. I can’t count the number of times I read a romance novel and wanted the heroine to scream at a partner acting miserably. This felt so good! I think I even said BRAVO! Out loud a couple times while reading it.

I did have a couple notes – chaperones were not really a thing here, and that was not really a problem for me, but the pacing of the book, the appreciation the characters had for long walk (and the dialogs that happened then) made me want to read something in a country setting (maybe for the next book). And I did wish for a look further in the future of their HEA< it felt like a rather abrupt ending, with not so many private conversations happening between the couple after they get back together.

P.s – a couple of times Edward seems to deem himself unworthy in his circle, being “merely a viscount”; by most books I read, him being titled, a title that, from the giver information comes at least from his father (though probably older) coupled with a fortune and him being of marriageable age would grant him very much wanted in his circles; Letitia, cousin of a duke or not, was deemed a wallflower and already had had a couple seasons, bordering becoming a spinster. Unless he held hands with royalty per se I did not see the issue as so pressing as it was made out to be. Given that, I did not understand some of his insecurities where this was concerned.

That aside, it was a great read, and I will definitely check further works by the author.
Many thanks for those who granted me a copy of this book.
I hope others enjoy it too.

Lady Letitia Cavendish is a Cavendish, but she’s unlike her family she’s shy and always a wallflower. She blushes and cannot make eye contact when a handsome man even looks at her, in short she’s terrified of putting herself out there, to risk being noticed. When Edward Wynn the Viscount of Stulsemere asks her to dance she’s quite taken back, no one ever asks her to dance, it must be out of pity. He calls her wallflower during their dance and she storms off the dance floor leaving him in the middle of the dance floor and his interest is piqued, no one has ever walked away from him. He decides to peruse little Leticia, she’s not quite the wallflower she loves to portray. I love this love story as their personalities collide and they discover there’s more to each other than they reveal to the public and deep loves grows between them. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

his is a novella, only 164 pages so it is easily read in an evening and if you are a Regency Romance fan than that makes for a satisfying evening. Letitia is so painfully shy when meeting new people that there seems little hope of her ever making a match. But in spite of their first meeting Edward observes her vibrant interaction with those she is familiar with. This intrigues him to know her better.

I truly enjoyed this book and though the novella format often makes it too difficult to develop the characters Ms. Murdoch did an exceptional job in helping us to see Letitia and Edward for who they really are. I recommend this book to all romance fans.

Sparkling eyes captivate!

Wallflower from solid ton background meets rake of first order. Her best friend is his adopted sister. Not that that makes much difference as they barely speak to each other (there's a mystery here!)
Lady Letitia Cavendish is painfully shy in large gatherings. She doesn't dance. Well that's not right. It's just that no-one ever asks her. So she's perfected the hanging out amongst the curtains, loosing herself in a crowd, fading into the background as a way of coping.
Only Edward Wynn, the Viscount of Stulsemere, practiced seducer and rake really notices her when they're forced to dance. He is shocked when he pushes Letitia beyond her painful silence and she leaves him standing in the middle of the ballroom. Rejection is something Wynn's unused to. He's fascinated, and then he's taken by the fact that the shy Letitia is downright gorgeous when she lifts her head and stares him down.
But is that fascination strong enough for a confirmed rake to pay attention to the stirring of his heart and is Letitia brave enough to take what she wants?
I've got to say I cooled off from Wynn. I was rather startled by Letitia's willingness to cosy up with him, in the family home two bedrooms away from her parents! What!! Oh hi, yes here I am, the man of your dreams, standing in your bedroom having just bribed the footman. Yikes!
I warmed to him even less when he reverted to type and sets about playing seductive games in the middle of a ballroom with an attractive heiress, as Letitia looks on! What a cad! Sure he gives an excuse. The sort of, 'Sorry honey I can't seem to go against my base nature--the lure of the chase you know.' A craven meaningless apology.
But back to Wynn's so called adopted sister Mariah, Letitia's best friend, who reads books at social occasions. I am puzzled by her persistence with the reading of A New Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary which she finds riveting and keeps trying to persuade Letitia into reading. A rather strange reoccurrence leading where? Will we find out?
Despite all these strange little threads, this tried and true trope of wallflower and rake is a tad different, and although in my mind I felt it was never quite grounded. I do however look forward to Mariah's story.

A Dragonblade ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)