I enjoyed reading this historical romance, and I quite look forward to the next book in the series, featuring Finn!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes

This book was very well written and a great page turner! A rake who has a good heart, a heroine who finds joy when everyone tells her not too. The characters had a lot of chemistry, depth and lots of sparks!

This series is about a group of friends who must settle down and find respectable wives. This is the first in the series.

Celeste is a proper and well behaved well behaved in society. She comes from poverty and her father plans on making her a good marriage for her to move up in the social ranks. Keiran, her brother's best friend, was threatened by his parents to find a respectable bride as soon as possible. Kieran lists the help of Celeste and in the return, Celeste asks him to take her to all the forbidden places before she makes her match. Kieran reluctantly agrees, soon chemistry draws them both together.

The is a new author to me and I loved her writing. This book had great character development. I appreciated the background on why Kieran turned into a rake. It was very well written. It was an easy page turner, I personally stayed awake until 3 am to read it, one more chapter kept turning into more!

Thank you #Netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

This is the first book I've read by Eva Leigh but it definitely won't be the last. I enjoyed the characters and the story and look forward to more books in this series.

Kieran Ransome is the son of an Earl, the youngest of three brothers and an absolute wastrel. The story opens up at St. George’s where the wedding of his best friend Dom Kilburn and sister Willa is about to commence. This is supposed to be a happy occasion, right? But as soon as Kieran and his brother Finn realize their buddy Dom has cold feet they encourage him to run away. Dom makes a mad dash for the exit, breaking Willa's heart, jilting her on her wedding day and creating a HUGE scandal.

Weeks pass and Kieran is finally confronted by his parents. They predictably…give him an ultimatum. Kieran, Finn and Dom are all tasked with marrying respectable ladies in one year or they will ALL be cut off financially. As luck would have it Dom has a very reputable younger sister who Kieran approaches to strike a deal. He wants her to help him gain entrance back into polite society. Celeste offers her help for a price, “I will gain you entry to all the best parties, and introduce you to the most respectable and marriage-minded women. In exchange…” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “In exchange, you must take me to all the places where disreputable, scandalous people go.”

I really enjoyed Celeste, I honestly wouldn’t want one thing to change with this character. I really like when a heroine steps into their own and becomes their true self. Get. It. Girl.

Eva Leigh did too good of a job with that opening wedding scene. After reading that ALL I wanted was Dom and Willa’s second change romance. It really distracted me from Kieran and Celeste. Overall this was enjoyable and a good read for me.

Fed up with their son’s behavior Kieran Ransome, his brother Finn, and they’re best fiend Dom are facing an ultimatum: marry respectable women in a years time or be cut off. Enter Celeste Kilburn, sister of Dom, the most respectable (and irresistible woman Kieran knows). In exchange for reintroducing Kieran to polite society, he will show Celeste the darker side of London and help her free herself. Soon Kieran and Celeste find themselves drawn to each other at all times, but can they navigate the issues they face or will they be forced to marry others?

This book was amazing! I loved the chemistry between Celeste and Kieran. I cannot wait for Finn’s story next!

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review **

I regret how long it’s taken me to pick up Eva Leigh, because this was absolutely delightful and everything I wanted it to be!!

After his parents threaten to take away his income and the only life’s he’s ever known unless he gets married as soon as possible, Kieran is desperate to clean up his life image. As a way to gain access to the better parts of society and get introduced to eligible debutants, Kieran decides to seek help from the most respectable woman he knows: Celeste, his best friend’s sister. Stifled by society’s expectations and the inevitable life that’s been predetermined for her, Celeste is agreeable to helping her brother’s rakish friend. Under one condition though…she asks that Kieran show her the dark and scandalous parts of London that have always been off limits to her. While the plot itself her wasn’t entirely revolutionary, I quickly fell in love with these characters and their romance. I loved their chemistry and the mutual respect they had for each other. I really appreciated how Kieran treated Celeste as a strong independent woman, and not some precious thing to put on a shelf and treat delicately. I was also obsessed with the witty banter and…spicy dialogue between the two.

Definitely a favorite historical romance of 2022, and am excited to pick up more from Eva Leigh!

I really enjoyed this first entry into Leigh's new series - Celeste and Kieran were a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to Finn and Tabitha's book next!

A charming and fun start to a new series from Eva Leigh. A quick and breezy read; I'll be picking up the next one.

A high quality historical romance! This book had all the things I enjoy in a historical. A fierce heroine who wants to explore the underside of the city, and a rake who needs to find a wife!

There was chemistry between the two characters that made it a quick and enjoyable read. I love that both characters spent the book trying to find themselves.

This book has a very common plot for a historical, however it was done very well. It was the perfect light read. I took away a star because it did feel very reminiscent of previous historical romances I have read.

Can I just say I hope that the next few books feature Dom and Finn. I would love to see a second chance romance for Dom!

This is a wonderful “rake meets wallflower” romance that gave me vibes of “Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake” by Sarah MacLean and “The Lady Gets Lucky” by Joanna Shupe.

This strikes a really great balance of sweet, sexy, and fun with the perfect amount of angst thrown in due to Kieran and Celeste’s circumstances. Kieran has my heart and I adored the way he fell for Celeste and wasn’t afraid to confess his feelings for her and vice versa. We love couples who clearly communicate all the time!

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

This book is such a good start to the series! I love Kieran and Celeste’s romance!! I love that it’s more of a friends to lovers romance. I can’t wait to read more in this series!!

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED this book!!! There was nothing I would change, it’s perfection. Kieran & Celeste are perfect for each other! I LOVE watching a rouge, rake, or scoundrel meet his match and turn into a besotted romantic 😍 Add to this society’s picture perfect young lady and reveal she has a wild and adventurous personality buried under her socially acceptable persona — and we end up with perfection. Loved every word!! I also loved the way the author allowed our characters to be realistic, to get down and dirty, and feel no shame about it!! Did I mention the dirty talk?
It was FAN-F#CKING-Tabulous — loved EVERY word!!

You don’t want to miss this book. I am already dying for the next book in the series 😉

Overall 5+ Stars ⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥 — A MUST read!!!

The book has a great story line. I liked the Characters, Finn, Kieran, Dom and Lance. The constant dialogue among these gentlemen in the first few chapters of the book did keep the story moving for me. The story moved smoothly as I imagined the turmoils of being left at the alter and three men who are forced to marry. All this was great, however four chapters in the book Kieran and Cherry haven’t met. To me the beginning of the story was a long background story to the main romance story between Kieran and Cherry.

Thank you Avon for the opportunity to read this book. I had never read any of Eva Leigh's work before. I wish I had because I loved this book! I will definitely be reading the next book in this series when it comes out!

What happens when a rogue and a high-society miss strike a deal? Passion, excitement, and the blossoming of their true selves. In Eva Leigh's "The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes", Kieran Ransome (the rogue) and Celeste Kilburn (high-society miss) embark on a path that leads to moments of sizzling passion, exciting experiences, and the emergence of their inner selves that doesn't quite fit into what 'society' expects. The journey begins with a scandal. Kieran (and older brother Finn) help Dominic (brother of Celeste) flee his wedding to their sister Willa. Naturally, there must be a price to pay for embarrassing their sister and the parents. But it isn't what Kieran, Finn, or Dominic expect: an ultimatum that either all three marry respectable women within a year's time or all three will be cut off financially. Kieran turns to the most respectable person he knows: Celeste. If anyone can help him, she can. However, she has something she wants in return; he has to help her experience all the unladylike things she has wondered about before having to settle down and marry a man she has no interest in. Against his better judgment Kieran agrees. As the season progresses, Kieran acquires the patina of respectability high society expects and Celeste has adventures devised by Kieran that allow her to blossom into her true self. Along the way they fall in love. But the man Celeste is slated to marry - Montford - attempts to blackmail Celeste into marrying him. He has found out, by spying, about her nighttime adventures with Kieran. When Kieran finds out, he devises a plan that will remove the blackmail threat and allow her to be free to choose for herself what she wants her life to be. The plan succeeds and Celeste chooses Kieran...and together they will have a lifetime of adventures.

I have every book Eva Leigh has written, and have loved each one. This book can be added to that love. Kieran is so much more than what his parents and eldest brother choose to see. His talent of writing poetry is something they foolishly don't appreciate, because it doesn't fit into what they think a true gentleman should be. Considering the way they conduct their marriage, they have no business criticizing their son. As for Celeste, her need to help the people in her old community should be applauded. Her father is so focused on living the way he thinks the ton does that he doesn't realize how much good his daughter could do. I like that the relationship between Celeste and Kieran is one that brings out the inner strength both of them have. I cheered for them when they finally, unashamedly, let their complete selves shine. The book is both a love story but also a lesson to the reader: never let someone else's ideas dim your light. Always shine bright and be true to you. I look forward to reading the next installment of the Last Chance Scoundrels series. I know it will be another fantastic book, just like all Leigh's others.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a free ebook ARC of this title.

The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes is my first book by Eva Leigh. And it’s the first book in a new series, Last Chance Scoundrels. I’ll admit, I picked up this book solely on the title and author, and I was pleasantly surprised with what I got.

The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes follows the romance of Kieran and Celeste. Kieran’s an absolute rake, banned from polite society. After his parent’s decree that he has to marry a respectable lady, he enlists the help of Celeste, his best friend’s sister. But Celeste is willing to help Kieran if he shows her some of the seedier side of London. The premise is solid and something new to me in historical romance, so I was excited to jump in.

Kieran and Celeste were both complicated characters. They had this outward appearance that society saw but was completely different on the inside. And they both felt very trapped in their circumstances and their family’s demands. It was fun to watch their personal growth while they were falling in love.

It was also interesting to visit some of the racier sides of London. It’s not the first time that most of these locations, gaming hells, backstage at a theatre, etc., have been seen in historical romances. But for me, it was the first time seeing them all in one book and with the female leads visiting them all. Ms. Leigh’s descriptions of these locals and parties were vivid, and I felt I was right along with Kieran and Celeste.

The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes was a wonderful introduction to Eva Leigh and this new series. My only complaint is that the obstacle keeping Kieran and Celeste apart was too easily resolved for me. Otherwise, I was pulled into the story, and I enjoyed the ride. I can’t wait to read future books in this series.

A rake who needs to rehabilitate his reputation and respectable woman who yearns for adventure before her impending engagement, surely they could never fall in love while helping each other achieve their goals!

Gosh, this was fun. Yearning, pining, and social engagements both polite and debauched. The writing is exceptional throughout, enough so to blind you to an occasional corny moment. Heat is on medium-high in terms of explicitness, but also very sweet. Charming.

This book was actually my first time reading Eva Leigh's books, and I absolutely loved it! I loved the longing, the pining, the adventure they both had! I loved both Kieran ands Celeste! I loved their different personalities, and I loved their romance with each other! I thought it was super fun! And the dirty talk was just *chef's kiss* fantastic! I love me some good dirty talk in a historical romance novel! I loved that both parties really felt the ability to let loose and that Celeste felt safe enough to be wanton with Kieran, and Kieran was his usual filthy self! Overall I had such a fun time reading my first Eva Leigh book! I loved this book, I cant wait to read more of her, and more from this series as well! I can't wait to read Finn and Dom's books! They were such great characters in this book so I'm really excited for their books to come out! I highly recommend this author and this book! You should go read it! It's fantastic!

This is such a fantastically fun start to a new series! Eva Leigh's writing is extremely engaging and her characters are vibrant and interesting. This series sets up the love stories of three wild rakes, who are being tasked to get their lives better in order. Eva Leigh knows how to create the perfect interest and anticipation for the stories to come as well as crafting a wonderful beginning. This fast paced, brother's best friend romance is charming and delightful and I absolutely adored every moment of it!

When Kieran, the hero, is given the ultimatum to reform, he sees the perfect opportunity to improve his reputation in Celeste, his friend's sister. Celeste is a darling of society with a spotless reputation, but she longs for adventure and to escape an engagement from a stuffy earl. So when Kieran needs her help in improving his reputation, she sees the perfect opportunity to engage his services in showing her the wild and intriguing underbelly of London.

This romance is an absolute delight! The chemistry and attraction between Kieran and Celeste is beautifully built and creates the perfect tension between them. I loved watching Kieran and Celeste work together and open up to each other. I love that Kieran sees Celeste's strength and learns to understand how she has felt trapped in her gilded cage of a life. I also love that Kieran will do anything to make Celeste happy in the end, even if that means not being with him. Kieran learns to be unselfish when it comes to Celeste, because he wants for her what she wants for herself, and it is a really beautiful and self-less love he learns to embrace. I love that Celeste is comfortable with Kieran and can really and truly open herself up. I love that she is unafraid to explore and take her own life into her own hands and make decisions for herself. This book is delightfully steamy and sensual, it only has a few very intimate scenes, but that are absolutely stunning and such a beautiful way to show the trust and love that these two have built with each other.

This book is every thing I could have wished and wanted in the start of this series! I wholeheartedly recommend this book, if you are a fan of Eva Leigh's you are going to love this and if you are new to her, this is a perfect beginning! I can't wait to see our other Rakes get their HEAs!

Thank you so much to NG and the publishers for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Girl's Guide to Rakes is the first book in Eva Leigh's new Last Chance Scoundrels series! The dirty talk was fantastic! I loved the MC and the trope of best friends sister! I love a good forbidden love/rake to redemption love story. Leigh does an amazing job as always making us fall in love with the characters and cheer for their story!