When we first meet Edward he comes off as a very unwelcoming gentlemen, quick to judge and dismiss people. He is quickly annoyed by many events and many people, but he is written in such a way that readers know there is more to him than just an uncaring Duke. Edward has a very tight lid on his emotions and his past, only when he truly recognizes his feelings for Georgiana does he reveal to her and the readers what makes him the way he is.

Georgiana dreads balls and everything that goes with them, a very opinionated lady who is capable of entertaining herself quickly finds herself thrust into the society ring. Letting her quick witted words lead her into a scandal, Georgiana finds herself willing to do what she must but hoping to make a difference in her life, her future dukes life and the lives of many ladies. Learning to be patient, trusting and understanding of others will lead her to be a very successful duchess.

These two could have made me read for hours more, I enjoyed their characters very much. Society in historical terms could be so cruel and so easily condemned for something out of their control, eagerly waiting to run to the gossip rags. It was a nice turn of events when those people were left behind while readers could focus on watching the couple flourish within the relationship. A few crumbs are left trailing for readers to see what could happen with Elizabeth and Montrose. I do hope we get to see their relationship progress. The cast of characters are all likable and relatable in ways of emotions. However the drama is far from intense and the romance makes The Spinster and the Rake a wonderful read.

A delightful tale that revolves around a bluestocking young Miss and an apparent stoic and distant Duke. Their first meeting takes place in his private study where she has sought a quite moment from a house party. She mistakes him for a rude and haughty servant owing to his attitude and shabby clothing. During a battle of wills, over the occupancy of the room, a threatened kiss is exchanged and they are caught in the act by his Aunt. Will he do the right thing? Both have faults and so begins the age old battle to determine who will be victorious. But will lust overcome them both and lead to a mutually satisfying solution to the problem.

I found the story to be well thought out and written. I have rated it 4 stars and would purchase it for friends who enjoy historical romances.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

I love historical romances that feature characters that suffer from real life issues, it’s interesting to see how these people would have coped in that period. A strong heroine with her own point of view and a flawed hero who finds the one person that he can be himself with, makes this story a page turner.

Review: The Spinster and the Rake was a great book filled with many misunderstandings and the main male character’s ego being brought down a couple notches by the female main character. Edward and Georgiana had to marry because they were found in a compromising position and even though it was a mistake, Edward thinks Georgiana did it on purpose enable to become a duchess just like all the other woman who want to marry him. Chaos ensues and Georgiana shows him how much she did NOT want to marry him and be a duchess. I loved the angst and banter between the two characters and the way Georgiana showed Edward that not every person he meets is after his title and money.

The plot is good, however, I think the characterization lacks the depth that suits and gives justice to the plot. I find the characters and their conversations with each other to be quite emotionless and hard to sympathize with. The writing style of the author is very engaging in terms of plot and action, though, and made me want to read other books from her. As someone who focuses on the characters and their dynamics with each other more than anything in a book, this just didn't give what I wanted to get from the premise and the story in general.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unlike many historical romances, this starts almost immediately with a scandal, proposal, and wedding and spends the majority of the pages on their growing love and understanding after everything has been done. Well written and well paced, this is not like most historical romance stories as those give you either the road to the wedding and only shortly after- the hea. This hero is flawed, but I love how they neither treat him as a stereotype nor his personal history as something that can just be brushed aside or written off.

The Spinster and the Rake bu Eva Devon.

I received this ARC for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. However my opinions are my own.
This story follows a haughty duke and a less than rich heroine. They’re caught kissing and forced in marriage. What starts out as an arrangement to appease society turns in true love.
Characters – I give characters 4.5 / 5 stars. The heroine was so lovely. She stood up for what she believed and was not afraid to have opinions. She refused to be walked all over which I appreciated. The Icy Duke of Thornfield was my favorite type of hero in that he comes off originally as haughty and stern but as you get to know him you realize he has a gooey center. Also something I didn’t know going into this, the duke has undiagnosed autism. It’s not on page rep because they didn’t have that word to use at the time this took place. But he explains his “eccentricities” very clearly and it’s obvious that this is what’s going on. It was nice seeing the diversity.
Plot – I gave plot a 4.5/5 stars as well. I love seeing two characters forced into marriage learn to love each other. I also love with one character has to have “princess lessons” (like The Princess Diaries) but in this case it was “Duchess lessons”. I loved seeing the journey the characters were on throughout the story and especially seeing the duke become comfortable enough to be honest with Georgiana about his true self. My only hiccup was the vit with her family. I get how it was used to show that Edward had changed. And Edward HAD said multiple times that Georgiana’s dad was a fool. But he never said in what way. So when her dad suddenly gambles away Georgiana’s dowry money it felt out of left field.
Setting – I gave this aspect 5/5 stars. I was never pulled from the story due to setting issues. I’m one who thinks that for the most part historical accuracy is garbage and used as gatekeeping. So I mostly use this category to say that there was a flow to the story. The imagery was picturesque and I could easily imagine the world these characters lived in.
Writing Style – Writing style was typical for Historical Romance genre. No crazy terms thrown out.
Problematic Content – 5/5 In the beginning it felt like the duke was being rude. But once I picked up that he had sensory issues and compulsions it all made sense. So nothing problematic here.
Personal Enjoyment - I give this section a 5/5 as well. I really loved this story. It made my heart feel things. I felt for these characters wanted them to find their happiness.

Overall I gave this 5/5 stars. If you like this genre and want to see some autism rep I suggest you check it out.

I enjoyed this book but I found the characters slightly annoying. I didn't think the Duke came across as a rake within the story so the title was a bit misleading. With that said, the story itself was solid and I'll definitely pick up more from Eva Devon in the future.

I received my copy for an honest review through Net Galley.

This is my first Eva Devon and I really enjoyed this. This novel is mainly character driven rather than plot focused which for me I really enjoyed. This does read very pride and prejudice but felt original enough to keep my attention.

Edward is an interesting love interest whom I enjoyed reading about. As a neurodivergent reader seeing any rep that didn't feel stilted or forced and doesn't stem from bad stereotypes has me smiling. I am not on the autistic spectrum so I can't say if the rep is entirely accurate or not but as someone with other mental health it was nice to see rep in a romance novel. Edward could also be read as ADHD which is something I have and so there were so many things that I found I personally experienced.

Georgiana is such a good heroine. She is believable in the ways she doesn't change overnight and it takes time to adjust but she keeps pushing forward. She's smart and not afraid to let others know.

The romance is slow-building but the attraction is rather clear and early since it is what gets them into the mess at the beginning. The miscommunication in the beginning of Georgiana being in his chair and him not being recognized as a Duke and then him assuming she got them caught to gain his title. It was the sort of thing that made sense, that even telling him the truth he didn't believe her. As it progressed it was rather nice though for me it was just a little over the skull in the beginning.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

ou are So Much More
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2021
I loved this charming love story. Edward is the Duke of Thornfield, who encounters Georgiana Bly, a gentleman’s daughter, sitting in his private library, in his favorite chair. Appalled at her behavior, he tells her to leave, but she mistakes him for a servant and gives it right back to him until he daringly threatens to kiss her if she doesn’t leave. She calls his bluff so he kisses her which leads to their being caught in a compromising position. Now they are engaged in an unwanted marriage. She thinks him to be arrogant and despicable. He thinks she’s a social climbing country girl. Their dialogue and banter is delightful. As the sparks fly, so does their passion. They soon learn that they want to please the other, and that there is so much more to their partner than they had ever realized. An absolutely wonderful story!

I received an ARC for an honest review. I found the description of the Duke really fascinating and I am all for characters who are not neurotypical. Truthfully, I never though about this in a historical context. Georgina is an odd character-I wish that she had been more nerotypical herself. I am a bit tired of books where both main characters have significant issues. Having two characters who don't fit in doesn't quite work if the reason they don't fit in is so different from each other. It was also extremely hard to believe the Duke was ever a rake. Strange plot point-I think it would have been more interesting if he was also inexperienced.

I found this to be a cute story!
This story starts with a case of mistaken identity that quickly becomes a case of possible ruin.
Edward and Georgina find themselves going head to head constantly. Georgina constantly fascinated Edward.
I enjoyed this story. These two were constantly pushing and pulling. As soon as things would go smoothly, something or somebody would create drama.
I loved when these two realized that they actually liked the other. The sweet moments and the banter between the two were the best parts.

Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Thornfield, is known for being icy and uncaring, but when he encounters Miss Georgiana Bly a woman in this library he seems to come to life with their fiery witty banter that leads to a passionate kiss. Now Edward’s aunt walks in on their passionate interlude and declares they have to marry. Georgina has no plans to ever wed, but after her encounter with man she didn’t even know, she’s now forced to marry the Duke. Quite an entertaining book as these two try to get to know one another, the sparks fly, the attraction grows between them. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

A good book, a comfortable chair and a pair of muddy breeches all lead to a blue stocking spinster becoming a duchess. Georgiana and Edward were a most unsuitable match. She comes from a “barely gentile” Yorkshire family and he is one of the most powerful dukes in England. In this wonderful story, we get to watch them discover what the share in common and how they slowly reveal themselves to each other. It is a surprising emotional read and well worth the reading!

I really liked the characters in this book. I was a little surprised at just how quit they met/ were engaged in the book, but I liked seeing them get to know each other and push each other. It had a lot of the romantic tropes I like.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction/romance, and I loved this book.! The author has taker care to carefully detail the main characters of this story, Edward Stanhope, Duke of Thornton, and Miss Georgiana Bly. And while there is the chaos of an unexpected marriage and love story, the story of their lives many times take center stage so that the reader understands the people that they are deep inside. Because this, to me, is what made this story so enthralling. Seeing the growth between Edward and Georgiana as they discover the strengths and weaknesses of each other was endearing. Even as Edward discovers the intelligence and spunk of his wife, and she discovers the depth of his loneliness in his position, we see how they open their hearts to each other and those around them. I definitely recommend this book to those lovers of this genre, and while this is the first book I have read of this author, it will not be the last. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC, Entangled:Amara. For the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley. #TheSpinsterandtheRake

This is a story about a forced marriage between a duke and spinster. The duke I suspect is written as a autistic. While the main characters are interesting I find the storyline flat. The heroine basically spend a lot of time learning to be a duchess. The hero and heroine has some good moments though. But still decent book.

I absolutely loved this!
As a tale inspired by Pride & Prejudice and My Fair Lady I had high expectations, and I’m glad to report that I was not disappointed!
The characters were delightful and the plot was engaging.
Can’t wait to see if the author continues with a series.

This author is fantastic and their books are amazing. This one was captivating and engaging the storyline was creative and intriguing. If you’re like me and love historical fiction books I think you’ll find this author one of your go to authors

I love stories where the heroes have a special need. Although it is not specifically cited, Edward, the Duke, has all the hallmarks of a person on the autism spectrum. This makes his character have an extremely dry wit and no sense of humor. Georgiana is not Duchess material but finds herself becoming one. The story has a deep sense of compassion for others who are different. Both Georgiana and Edward had things that made them different from others but made them perfect for each other. Being able to love each other and share their lives together gave them the opportunity to heal and grow.